Capstone - Position Statements

1. FAMILY
There are times that I need to escape from the world. I get tired of being an adult and make decisions. I love my independence and being a bachelor but I do make some weird mistakes when I let my guards down. In a world that is full of judging eyes, it is nice to know that there’s always a place where I can seek refuge.
Home is a place where refuge is found.
Home is place where happy thoughts abound.
The world out there may be too chaotic,
But at home, I know I am safe and sound.
Raymond Lamson 5-17-2010
Family is where we all belong to and from where our identity comes from. A person is valued based on his family and upbringing. We all belong to a family and it is our family that keeps us together through thick and thin. Without having a family, no person is complete and the completeness comes with good family bonding.


2. ATONEMENT


The Scriptures teach the absolute necessity of the atonement of Christ, and that we can obtain forgiveness and salvation through that only. The sacrifices appointed to be made by the ancient Israelites, seem evidently to point to Christ; and to show the necessity of the vicarious sacrifice of him, who is therefore said to be "our passover sacrificed for us;" and to have "given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savor;" and "now once in the end of the world to have appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." 1 Cor. 5: 7. Eph. 5: 2. Heb. 9: 26. As the ancient Israelites could obtain pardon in no other way than by those sacrifices, this teaches us that we can obtain it only by the sacrifice of Christ.




3. AGENCY


Free agency is an eternal principle. We exercised it in the pre-mortal life, now, and in the hereafter. It is a principle that's so eternal that when the alternate plan was put forth, it was rejected it would not work. It would not satisfy, nor be able to replace the need for grace to counteract the fall of Adam. In other words, it is not enough to pull us out of this earthly existence to celestial glory.
It is the one thing that was bestowed upon us just by the virtue of our creation. It could not be given since it cannot be taken away from us. It is truly the one thing that God did give us that he cannot take away. On the other hand, it is by giving our free agency to God that we show that we put our full faith and trust in him and truly become a disciple of God. It is by giving the one thing God did purposely give us that we show just how devoted we are to Him.




4. PORNOGRAPHY


Nowadays our society seems to have strong opposing views on pornography. People who are pro-porn feel that there is no harm in watching movies that contains explicit contents. Instead they feel that it is a remedy towards their sexual relationship with their partner. However, on the other hand, the people who are against porn feels that pornography are the core of all sexual problems towards women. I feel that pornography causes men to turn to pornography for sexual solutions, and as a result, it causes the breakdown of family life, and may also lead to sexual crimes such as rape. Church leaders are right about this topic! It destroys natural feelings and intimacy that can only be fully understood by married couples under the blessing of God’s commandments. It degrades not only women but also men. Unfortunately, the powerful irresponsible messages of pornography pollute the very important life issues. Exposure to pornography shapes our attitudes and values and behavior. Pornography is not only dangerous to individuals but to society as well. It destroys the morality of individual and focus in life.. families, children, love! 


5. REVELATIONS FROM GOD


In today’s church, apostles and others speak of revelation and inspiration interchangeably. One may receive personal revelation or inspiration for one’s sphere of responsibility – for personal use, for one’s family as a parent, for one’s organization as an auxiliary leader or one’s quorum for a priesthood leader. This revelation may extend to callings to be issued, lessons to be taught, counsel to be given, service to be rendered. One should not expect to receive revelation beyond one’s scope of responsibility, however. I should not presume to receive inspiration for my bishop or for the church in general. Revelation or inspiration are personal and it function in its own realm to which it is rightfully called for. For example, church leaders receive inspiration to lead and guide the church or the ward. Regular church members are entitled to their own revelations on how to live their lives. Like for example, I moved to Pocatello, Idaho because I had prayed about where I should move. I was lead to this place of all places and found job wherein I can harness my young nursing skills surrounded by good mentors. I needed guidance then. I prayed for guidance, and I followed. 




6. SERVICE


As children of God and as we strive to become more like Heavenly Father, the Holy Ghost can guide us in giving meaningful service to one another. True service is free of all selfishness and fosters Christlike love. It is only “when we love God and Christ with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that we are able to share this love with our neighbors,” says Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. We demonstrate our love through acts of kindness and service—the way that the Savior would love and serve all of us if He were among us today. When an individual is filled with charity, that individual’s thoughts, feelings, and actions become more like those of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as motivations and desires fall in line with divine will. We need to be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. We have been told many times that the still, small voice will let us know who needs our help and what we can do to help them.


7. FORGIVENESS


Forgiveness is the act of our no longer feeling bitter about wrongs done to us. Forgiveness is not the granting of absolution or the excusing of someone from consequences. It is our letting go of the offense and moving on.  Failure to forgive breeds resentment, and resentment distorts our worldview, tainting so much of what we see. You have heard that old saw, that resentment is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die. Holding on to anger is decidedly unproductive at best, and can be destructive at its worst. President Monson, when a counselor in the First Presidency, spoke about hidden wedges in a general conference address. Those hidden wedges, he said, were resentments or grudges that we carry over time that damage our personal relationships. The way to avoid them is to forgive freely and quickly.  The Savior has already carried the pain of resentment that I might feel because he has taken upon himself the pains of his people. He can bring me comfort because he understands how I feel. But by forgiving someone close to me – without expectation of restitution for my perceived loss – I find a sweetness that is difficult to describe. In moments like these, my heart melts just a bit and I allow love to replace bitterness, I feel that pure love of Christ working on me and through me, and I capture a glimpse of what the gift of charity feels like in practice


8. RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT 


As Jesus taught an evil tree cannot bear good fruit, he speaks about any person who commits an evil act and tries to misrepresent it as something different, is revealed to his true intentions by discerning the true nature of the act. In this case, Jesus says that an evil act carries the nature of evil within it.
The judge not by appearances refers to outward appearances and not the inward nature. For us to be able to make a righteous judgment, we must be able to discern the true nature within the act for that judgment to be just and right. Again in the same context of the act as being evil, judgment does not refer to imposing penalty or railing accusation, it refers to the determination or discern of what is true and making your own choice in regards to yourself and for those under your purview. This basically addresses events and situations within a person’s personal life, the place where each person has authority and power to judge, choose and act freely, which is where the freedom and right to choose between good and evil resides.
When we judge, we use the wrong standards. Leave the judging unto the Lord. – Judge Not and Judging – Dallin H. Oaks – Aug 1999 Ensign
Better not judge then! Leave the judging to the Lord! 


9. OBEDIENCE


It is important to the Savior is that we change our lives through repentance and living the commandments of God. The commandments are our recipe for happy lives. Our obedience, however, does not save us nor remove our sins; Christ’s blood does that. In providing the Atonement, Jesus requires that we obey his commandments before he will allow his blood to cleanse our souls. Of course, we can not perfectly keep all of God’s commandments. If we try to be “super Mormons”, we will drive ourselves into depression. As Nephi explained, we do the best we can day by day and then allow the Savior’s atonement to cover what we cannot do.
For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23, emphasis added)
During some days, our “best” is a lot, while at other times it is not much. This is normal. Our spiritual life is full of “ups” and “downs”. The important thing is that our spirituality is on an upwards trend, that over time, the “ups” occur more often and last longer, while the “downs” diminish. In all cases, we must plead for the atonement of Jesus Christ to enter our lives such that we form partnerships with the Savior and go forward hand in hand with him


10. ENDURE


Faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost (i.e. “The First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel”) are not enough to guarantee salvation; rather, after these initial steps a continuous, life-long commitment is required for continued personal progress. This life-long commitment, which we call “enduring to the end,” includes both inward and outward changes. Inwardly, we must seek to change our hearts, to align our wills with the will of God. This comes as we develop faith in Jesus Christ. Outwardly, we must show forth-good works by choosing to keep the commandments God has revealed through ancient and modern prophets and apostles. Rather than trying to find a religion that “best fits” our lifestyle or “picking and choosing” which religious directives we’ll accept (i.e. religion a la cart), we should instead actively seek to discover God’s will and to do it. God blesses those who endure to the end by striving both to develop faith in Christ and to keep His commandments.