Words of Hope and Peace: 

I love to listen to and watch General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The messages include many of peace, hope, and love, as well as a promise for a good life in mortality as well as in the life to come.

I strongly urge all to read, listen, and review the words of the Holy Prophets and others who shared the Word as inspired by our loving Heavenly Father of His Plan for us, as well as His Son and Jesus Christ's Atonement for each and every one of us.

October 2020 General Conference

President Nelson's Closing Remarks

May God bless each and everyone of us as we strive to hear Him and seek Him.

I have a college-era friend who has articulated very well some of my thought-process for this upcoming election and why I am voting the Republican ticket to re-elect President Trump and Vice-President Pence. I add some of my own additional thoughts:

“I plead with you … to pray for this country, for our leaders, for our people, and for the families that live in this great nation founded by God.” President M. Russell Ballard Oct 2020

"...that men may discern between the righteous and the wicked, saith your God." - We need to know for ourselves. Doctrine & Covenants 101:95

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." - We are much better off as a nation, a people, a world power, an example for all mankind now than we were four years ago. Matthew 7:15-20

Here is the link to my friend's post: Thus We See

If that doesn't work, here is the text from his post:

Note: I’m sure I will lose some readers over this. I kinda understand. I’ve been at this for over a decade, and would hope that you know me by now.
Here we are: Election time. What a mess.
I have been a political junkie my entire life. At one point, I even thought seeking political office might be in my future – which lead me to degree in Political Science in college. Thank heavens I didn’t choose that path! It has become such a toxic wasteland that I’m glad I did not subject myself or my family to that corrupt world.
Now we find ourselves at the brink of what many, myself included, feel is the most important presidential election of our lifetime. Never has the contrast between sides been more obvious, contentious and dishonest. It is a sad, stressful time, and it is doing great damage to our Nation, communities and even families.
At the top of the two major party tickets we find two very flawed men. Many have dubbed it “choosing the lesser of two evils,” and there is some truth to that. One candidate spent his life becoming wealthy by exploiting business practices and tax laws. The other spent his life enriching himself by leveraging his elected office.
One has a terminal case of narcissism, the other a case of cognitive decline. One has vulgarity issues, the other has anger management issues. Both of them lie. A LOT. One spent his private life as a philandering playboy, the other spent his professional life at the public trough, advocating for wars and pushing racist legislation.
Both have troubles with the truth. Both have their extremists supporting them. Neither is what I would call a “noble” man. The “Virtue” that our Founding Fathers called for is simply not on the menu this go-around.
Because of this, we all seem to spend our time demonizing our “opponent” by cherry-picking facts and quotes to bolster our “side.” In the new world of memes, tweets and sound-bites, passions are enflamed, truth and logic are suppressed. Too much anger, too much passion, too much hate.
What to do?
In my opinion, this election is about much more than two flawed men. Personally, I find that the only way I can even look at it is to step back and take in a much larger picture than what the personalities and character of the candidates represent.
Why? I believe that the influence and/or consequences of a President’s tenure far outlive the term of office. For example:
• We are still litigating Obamacare that was put into play by President Obama ten years ago.
• We still have troops in Afghanistan that were sent there by President Bush twenty years ago.
• The impact of President Trump’s SCOTUS picks will still be felt when my grandkids are voting thirty years from now.
I feel that fixating on a single four-year term without looking at the “long-game” is myopic and can lead to short-term solutions that lead to long-term problems. Sure, it would be great to be able to pick a “nice man” to be President, but to me, that is hopelessly naïve and short-sighted.
This requires a broader view than just the men at the top of the ticket. It requires me to step back and look at the Vice-Presidential nominees as well, and what they believe in – since there is a very good chance than either might be called to step up. Equally important are the party platforms, the groups they endorse, and the policies they advocate. It is about much more than two men – especially when they are in their 70s.
Fixating on who has the worst personality and character when there is so much at stake is, to me, the ultimate example of “Straining at gnats, while swallowing camels.” I saw a quote that summed this up perfectly, “I’m ready for a no-drama president again, and I really don’t care which party he comes from.”  Seriously? No-drama, but at what cost?
So where to go for answers?  Some look at the world through an international prism, some through an economic prism, others through a social justice prism. Me? I tend to look at politics through a religious prism, because that is where my deepest values are held.
As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have an advantage when it comes to analyzing politics. I subscribe to what the Lord taught when he said, “all things unto me are spiritual.” I believe this includes politics as well.
Personally, my political decisions are heavily influenced by holding them up to the light of the gospel to see how they line up.
While some like to cherry-pick old out-of-context Ezra Taft Benson quotes to justify a position, I would rather rely on established Doctrine.
(I define doctrine like the Church does: “This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith.”)
When I look at a political or social issue, and hold it up to the doctrines that the Lord has revealed, it helps me to see it from a less passionate, long view – even an eternal view.
I do believe what is taught in the Book of Mormon, that this, “is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them.” (Ether 2:9) I think we are already seeing the fruits of a nation that is gradually abandoning God.
I also believe that “when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:21) This goes for anyone – inside the Church, or out. A society which draws closer to God will be blessed whereas a society that sets God’s laws aside will be punished. (The entire Book of Mormon in a nutshell)
While I agree with the Founders that we should not have an established State-run church, (Like the Church of England) I believe that religion plays a key role in society and has a place in the public square. (Religious virtue is really the only true cure for the political and societal woes we are experiencing.)
Another important thing I believe in is the Gift of Agency. I can believe what I want to believe, you can believe what you want to believe. You have every right to make the choices you do, as do I. The following is how I view the political/doctrinal challenges before me. You might disagree, and that is fine.  You do you.
That said, here are eight examples of how doctrine, (not memes, passion or biased media,) impacts my political decisions:
Note: These are not general things like “Jesus said love everyone, and Trump is mean.” Again, this is not about the men, it is about policies and doctrine.
Here we go:
1) I cannot support a ticket or platform that supports #BLM and their stated goal to “disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure…”
…unless I distance myself from the doctrine taught in the Family Proclamation: “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.”
2) I cannot support a presidential candidate who just this week said he supports allowing  eight or ten year-old children to undergo gender transition…
…unless I distance myself from the doctrine in the Proclamation that says, “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”
3) I cannot support a candidate whose party supports Sanctuary Cities and turns a blind eye to immigration laws…
…unless I distance myself from the 12th Article of Faith that states, “We believe…in honoring, obeying and sustaining the law.”
4) I can’t align with a party or candidate who supports elective or late-term or partial-birth abortion…
…unless I distance myself from the simple doctrine, “Thou shalt not … kill, nor do anything like unto it.” (D&C 59.6) and literally decades of prophetic warnings about the evils of unfettered abortion. President Oaks recently summed it up this way, “mortal life is sacred to us. Our commitment to God’s plan requires us to oppose abortion and euthanasia.” Pretty clear.
…or unless I distance myself by going beyond the Church’s quite liberal abortion stance, “when pregnancy is the result of incest or rape, when the life or health of the mother is judged by competent medical authority to be in serious jeopardy, or when the fetus is known by competent medical authority to have severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.”
5) I can’t vote for candidates or a party who feel that the founding of our Nation is illegitimate and immoral, and condones the toppling the reputations and statues of those who did that heavy lifting …
…unless I distance myself from the Lord’s involvement: “And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.” (D&C 101:80)
6) I can’t support parties, groups or candidates who foster dissent and advocate for the “Defund the Police” movement and unfettered “peaceful” protests that damage billions in personal and public property and kill and injure so many people…
…unless I distance myself from the doctrines found in D&C 134:5 “We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly.”
7) I can’t support an administration or party who would support the decriminalization of marijuana…
…unless I distance myself from the Word of Wisdom – especially in the context of the Church’s recent push against legalization.
8) I can’t support those who encourage a giveaway culture (Reparations, income redistribution, guaranteed income, etc)…
…unless I distance myself from the 2nd Article of Faith, “that men will be punished for their own sins,” as well as the basic concept of individual accountability and responsibility.  Summed up by President Oaks here: “The growth required by the gospel plan only occurs in a culture of individual effort and responsibility. It cannot occur in a culture of dependency. Whatever causes us to be dependent on someone else for decisions or resources we could provide for ourselves weakens us spiritually and retards our growth toward what the gospel plan intends us to be.”
…or unless I distance myself from one of the lord’s earliest directives, all the way back to Adam,”to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow, as I the Lord had commanded him.”

That is eight. There are a lot more, but you get the idea. To me, it is pretty clear who I need to vote for to maintain what I consider personal “doctrinal integrity.”
Is being a “Political Doctrine-ist” a thing?
Others obviously have different value systems, and they are entitled to them. For me, doctrine outweighs individual personality or character. I believe that the Lord’s wishes for His voice to supercede the politics du jour.
There are tons of other issues and policies that I feel strongly about, but they don’t belong in this missive. I acknowledge that most of the preceding examples are social in nature, but there is a case to be made for looking at other areas with the same filters.
For me, voting for the Biden/Harris ticket would require me to distance myself from many doctrines I hold dear. Too many.  Part of my responsibility here on earth is to draw near unto Christ, but I can’t figure out how to do that if I am distancing myself from His doctrines. Personally, I am not willing to swallow doctrinal camels in order to strain at political gnats.

Note: This is written with a simple hope that you will understand what is in my heart. These are some of my deeply-held religious beliefs, please treat them with respect. I am not afraid of discussion or disagreement, and believe that our ideas and ideals can stand on their own. Feel free to engage – or not, but keep the vitriol to yourselves.

With new grandchildren on the way, I thought my children would enjoy these:

The Beach House - A Family Favorite!

Many of you know the story behind the purchase of the Beach House - #21 Bay Island - but some of you may not. Let me share with you what I remember.

In 1968, Mom & Dad (Grandma & Grandpa) leased a house for a year at 2233 Bayside Drive in Newport Beach. This is in the Corona Del Mar area, near the harbor entrance. It was a magical year. We played in the bay, rode around in our 18ft outboard, water-skied in the back bay, had families visit with us. Mom bought an upright piano which later was the one that was in the Bay Island beach house, and Dad bought a microwave oven - an Amana Radarange that was in the office lunch room for nearly 25 years until it finally gave up. We had dinner at the Snack Shop restaurant, saw the beginnings of Fashion Island, and visited the Fun Zone by the Pavilion a few times.

With the lease of that first home in our history, Mom & Dad started hunting for a more permanent place where we could vacation as a family, with the beach and the waves and each other. We even spent a summer vacation or two driving up the Pacific Coast and checked out places further afield. As our search continued, they saved their money for the day when they could find the home they wanted. Later in 1969, Dad received a call from Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City. A meeting with members of a small committee was requested, which Mom & Dad attended in a hotel in downtown Los Angeles. They were asked to contribute some money to the church for the purchase of land that the church had been trying to acquire. In summary, over the course of the next 2-3 years, Mom & Dad donated all the savings they had acquired for the purchase of their vacation dream home. But the search continued, faith in the ability to purchase was strong.

Dad had grown a successful business of Price Books and Forms, Inc., based on the original company Mom's dad, Orville Willard, had started named Dealer's Aids Co. years before. From that business, many families were blessed with the means to earn an honest living and learn work. We as the original Larson family (Mom & Dad and all us siblings) were blessed with many material things and the funds to have a good life and bless others with donations to the church in many ways, similar to the one requested by the church at that time. As quickly as the money was donated to the church, new, lucrative business opportunities were given that replaced the monies just as quickly.

As the search continued, we stopped at an Open House on the other end of Bayside Drive in Newport Beach. The realtor later called Mom & Dad with an opportunity to tour a house on Bay Island. Not really expecting anything, but wanting to just see what was beyond the Private Island signs, they went to see it. After they walked thru the house, Mom says, they didn't even say anything to each other, but just looked at each other. Dad offered to purchase it for about 2/3 of the asking price: 1/2 now and 1/2 upon close. Mom says Dad wrote a check on the spot. They paid cash for the house, completely debt-free. The price they ended up paying for the house was about the same amount that they had donated to the church. The Lord matched them dollar for dollar!

After the house purchase was complete, they bought all new furniture, carpeting, a central heating unit and we soon got a dining table and other needed items. We spent our first visit there about the time Brian got home from his mission; April 1972. About that time, Dad dedicated the house, just as he had the Glendora house a year or two before that.  From the Church Handbook: Church members may dedicate their homes as sacred edifices where the Holy Spirit can reside and where family members can worship, find safety from the world, grow spiritually, and prepare for eternal family relationships. This was truly the case with the Beach House.

Even though the house was old, it had character. It had been built in 1910 and added onto a few times. The back bathroom originally had a pull-chain toilet. The doors mostly used skeleton key type locks. Part of it was actually un-level and a beam in the front room/dining room ceiling bent down where it was cracked. But it was comfortable and classy all in one. We had fun decorating it as a beach house should be. We hung shellacked puffer fish from the ceiling. We put up curtains made from sheets in the front room. Dad bought the bay boat for about $700 and we spent countless hours fixing that up. We had the dinghy to row, sailboats - Minuet, Hobie Cat, PacifiCat. Kids would collect shells from the sand in front of the house in buckets. Glenn would redistribute those shells back to be found again.

Mom & Dad taught us in their actions so many times concerning the beach house that they understood it to be a gift and a blessing. They were not the owners of the house as much as they were the stewards of it. I recall that nearly every time we got there for a long weekend or a week during the summer, Dad would pull out the Stake Directory and start down the list of who we should invite. As a pre-teen and teenager, it seemed to me that we were just getting others to come and play with us. But as I grew up and became a husband and father, who at times has had limited resources to enjoy time away from work and the hustle and bustle of life, I realize that our loving parents were extending to a harried family the same respite that they enjoyed. The bay boat and the Beach House offered hours of relaxation for family, extended family and many friends; an opportunity to focus on each other and enjoy just a few minutes and maybe hours of freedom from worries.

Whenever Dad heard about a newly-engaged couple, he would pull out his calendar, give the soon-to-be-groom a copy of the Beach House booklets he had printed, put their information down in the calendar and let them have a honeymoon spot which they likely would never had been able to afford. When families we knew came upon hard times, a home issue or death in the family or whatever, Mom & Dad were quick to invite them to the Beach House, either on their own or with us to ease their troubles. In return, many were generous back. Pres Doyle Davis spent lots of time trying to get the pull-chain toilet to stop leaking. Dr. Paul Donaldson bought a new dishwasher when the old one quit. The Clawson family gave us boxes of fruit when they stayed at the beach house because their home in Glendora had been damaged (another story). They hired people to fix or paint the house. Dave Watanabe spent weeks there repainting it. Bob Snow from work put in the brick walk to the dock. It was an ongoing project of love and friendship.

I'm sure all of my siblings and many of the older grandchildren can offer their own versions of days spent at the beach house (Larson HideAway) or on the bay boat (The GetAway) or the Minute (The SailAway). Some honeymooned there, had their first Christmas there, lived there while attending college, had countless hours of fun in the sun and surf. Among all that, we all have this in common: it was magical, a true blessing facilitated by loving parents (grandparents) for the benefit and enjoyment of family and friends. It was heaven on earth.

As the years continued, Mom & Dad had felt the time had come to end the legacy of the Beach House. He was concerned with the cost of upkeep, the age of the house. Since they felt strongly that the Beach House was not something they earned, but had been given stewardship over, they felt the time had come to return it to its proper owner. At the end of 1990, and moving into early 1991, they worked with LDS Philanthropies and donated the house to the Benson Foundation of BYU, to help educate farmers in Central America. The blessing of the house now extended beyond to others. Truly, the Lord is mindful of His children who are mindful of each other.

The Christus - Personal Connections

The new symbol for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as introduced by President Russell M. Nelson predominantly features a depiction of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, from the Christus statue created by Danish Sculpture Bertel Thorvaldsen. The statue was created in 1821, so it is contemporary to the time of Joseph Smith's First Vision.

A quick history of the statue and its sculpture are on these pages:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christus_(statue)
https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/EoM/id/5596
https://www.ldsliving.com/The-Christus-Legacy/s/4910
https://www.ldsliving.com/5-Things-You-Never-Knew-About-the-Christus-Statue/s/78222

As noted in these articles, Elder Richards traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark to see the original in the Church of Our Lady. Another story I read at one time mentioned that the Christus statue at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California was the first one he saw, prompting him to look to the original in Denmark.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Lawn_Memorial_Park_(Glendale)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_L._Eaton

Here's where it gets fun. My parents were married at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park chapel in Glendale on August 4, 1947. Dad said it's because the chapel was available for free. There were not many ward buildings at that time in the Los Angeles area, so it seems a reasonable choice. They then drove to Salt Lake City, Utah, where they were sealed 2-1/2 weeks later on Aug 21, 1947 in the Salt Lake Temple.

I have traveled to the beautiful city Copenhagen three times. On one of our trips there, Allison and I, with Winston and Stewart, visited the Church of Our Lady and we viewed the Christus, along with the statues of the Twelve Apostles. It was a delightful experience. My mind was reflective on a story I read of President Spencer W. Kimball visiting that same church and specifically his comment about the keys that Peter held in his hands.

https://scottwoodward.org/SpencerWKimball_keys_copenhagen.html

On a subsequent trip to Copenhagen in 2016, we visited Thorvaldsen's Museum, built to house many of his works in 1848. In that building are the original plasters of those same statues. Again, it was a touching visit, seeing all those beautiful works created at the hand of an inspired artist, which we now enjoy the fruits of his labors.

Most of all, I love the symbolism of the statue in representing our Lord and Savior, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Why Travel?

Allison and I have developed a great love for travel together. With our children, as they were growing up, we enjoyed many fun and memorable family trips to so many places. Of course, it was more about being together than about the destination, but it all came together to create incredible memories that last through the ages.

We recently had the wonderful opportunity as a couple to complete a bucket-list trip of a lifetime. We flew to South America to board a cruise ship that would sail into Antarctic waters and give us a trip to remember.

I shot this video which is a VERY small sample of the majesty we encountered: Charlotte Bay Antarctica 360 view

More than just the travel to a wondrous place with the love of my life, I came away from this trip with a deeper sense and appreciation for this world that a Loving Heavenly Father has created for His children as we experience mortality. The incredible detail that comprises 'nature' is astounding. 

Truly blessed...