Tag: government
A Catholic Family Gets a Visit From the FBI: A Time to Carefully Follow Stories on Threats to Religious Freedom
The opening talk of the October 2022 General Conference, “Caring for the Poor and Distressed” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, asked us to not only do more to help to…
Preparing for Inflation and Yearning for Zion: Thoughts From My Visit to Turkey
The New Mosque (Yeni Cami) in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. Thoughts on Freedom in Two Grand Cities:…
Faith and Fear in the Midst of Snitching: A Firsthand Account
While the tragedy of the Corona virus pandemic has brought out many examples of good as people pull together, sacrifice to help each other, and show courage in many ways,…
Easter and the Corona Virus: Rays of Hope in a Time of Darkness
Good Friday was a time of much reflection on the state of the world and our country, filled with cause for sorrow and also cause for hope and rejoicing. The…
Coping with the Corona Virus: A New Report on Glucosamine and Other Nutriceuticals, and an Update on Masks
I irritated some readers (as I often do) in February when I shared some thoughts from another reader about the possible importance of glucosamine in helping pneumonia patients survive. I’m…
Democracy in the Ancient Americas? Maybe Not So Ridiculous After All
The Book of Mormon has often been criticized for its introduction of a form of democracy during the rule of judges era starting around 90 BC. Instead of a potentially…
Emergency Preparedness Tip, Courtesy of Wells Fargo: Dont Trust Your Bank
Latter-day Saints have long been encouraged to prepare for tough times by having food storage and basic supplies as well as some savings. Once again, I wish to recommend that…
Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Worship, and Freedom of Religious Belief: The Differences Matter
Extremist feet (size 13) in even more extreme shoes. Photo taken at the Holland display in Royal Park Rajapruek, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2015. Three years ago, Wesley J. Smith writing…
Ezra Taft Benson and Teachings of the Presidents for 2015: Some Things You Won’t Be Learning This Year
I’m glad to see that the LDS manual for Teachings of the Presidents in 2015 will cover Ezra Taft Benson, the man who was President of the Church from 1985…
How Quickly Freedom is Lost: Remembering FDR’s NRA
Were any of you around in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s day? I am amazed at how he is praised in our modern textbooks, with little critical discussion of what he did to Japanese Americans or to the Constitution of this land. While the precedent he set of massive executive power grabs continues unabated in our day, there are some lessons from his reign that should be remembered by those who seem eager to trust a President with power far beyond the intent of our Founding Fathers. For example, consider FDR’s National Recovery Administration (NRA)…
