Six Months AND the Business of Politics

OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT TO EAT LUNCH AT

We will have been out in the mission field six months on Monday. It has gone by fast to Bob and slow to me. This week we will be celebrating the 4th of July. The missionaries are having a special family home evening on Monday night to celebrate. America is the greatest country. Everyone needs to live in a foreign country to experience the greatness of America. We say Happy Birthday to the USA.

Everyone was focused on ObamaCare this week. We followed the news every day and although I have reservations about the ruling I also read a lot of the ruling last night. The Chief Justice said that if the American People do not like the ruling they will vote the present Congress out and change the law. Sometimes there are those of us who have been given so much by God that we forget about those who have so little who suffer so much because they have nothing. I consider the Constitution a gift from God and even those I do not always agree with the leaders I respect the fact that we can agree to disagree. We still have a country of peace and order. Look for the good because it is out there.

Statement by Chief Justice:

“Members of this Court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgments. Those decisions are entrusted to our nation's elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.”

-- Chief Justice John Roberts

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/29/obamas-burdensome-victory/#ixzz1zCyGirHL

The church issued the following statement this year:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today issued the following official statement on immigration:

Around the world, debate on the immigration question has become intense.  That is especially so in the United States. Most Americans agree that the federal government of the United States should secure its borders and sharply reduce or eliminate the flow of undocumented immigrants. Unchecked and unregulated, such a flow may destabilize society and ultimately become unsustainable.

As a matter of policy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discourages its members from entering any country without legal documentation, and from deliberately overstaying legal travel visas.

What to do with the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants now residing in various states within the United States is the biggest challenge in the immigration debate.  The bedrock moral issue for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is how we treat each other as children of God.  

The history of mass expulsion or mistreatment of individuals or families is cause for concern especially where race, culture, or religion are involved.  This should give pause to any policy that contemplates targeting any one group, particularly if that group comes mostly from one heritage. 

As those on all sides of the immigration debate in the United States have noted, this issue is one that must ultimately be resolved by the federal government.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned that any state legislation that only contains enforcement provisions is likely to fall short of the high moral standard of treating each other as children of God. 

The Church supports an approach where undocumented immigrants are allowed to square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship. 

In furtherance of needed immigration reform in the United States, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports a balanced and civil approach to a challenging problem, fully consistent with its tradition of compassion, its reverence for family, and its commitment to law.

AS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH THIS IS SUCH A HOT TOPIC. IN THE BOOK OF MORMON 2NEPHI 1:6-7 IT SAYS:

 6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall ^anone come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

 7 Wherefore, this ^aland is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of ^blibertyunto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound ^ccursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

I HAD AN INSTITUE TEACHER TELL US THAT ALL PEOPLE COME AT THE HAND OF GOD BUT IT IS WHAT THEY DO WITH THE OPPORTUNITY THAT DEFINES THEM. 

IN UTAH RECENTLY THE MAN WHO WROTE THE IMMIGRATION BILL HAD A CHANGE OF HEART. LISTEN TO HIS STORY: (from KSL 6/29/2012)

SALT LAKE CITY — Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on Arizona's immigration law, a federal judge could soon rule on Utah's enforcement act, and the man at the center of that hard-line approach is now promoting a more compassionate stand.


Two years ago Stephen Sandstrom led the charge for immigration reform in Utah and sponsored the controversial bill HB497.


"I think early on, I got caught up in the emotional part of, everybody here illegally is a bad person. Everybody here is illegal and needs to go," he said. "It was a good bill, but probably some of that rhetoric that went along with the bill I think maybe went a little too far."


Sandstrom traces the beginning of his transformation to an encounter after a political event with a young woman named Sarah.


"She told me a story and it just broke my heart," he said. "It wasn't until after she graduated from high school and she wanted to go to college that her parents finally told her she was here illegally."
Sandstrom could not forget her story and said he began to realize how many people are in similar situations through no fault of their own.


"We do not have a good immigration system in this country, and that is the core of the problem," she said.
Sandstrom said his change of heart didn't happen overnight. He had lengthy conversations with leaders from the Latino community, Bishop John Wester and leaders from the LDS Church.


"I feel badly that I maybe took too harsh of a tone, and I feel badly that I offended people in certain ways … that I tried to put everyone that was here illegally in a box," he said.


Sandstrom has faced a lot of backlash and lost political support because of his moderate views, but he does not believe that is why he lost his bid for Congress. For the first time in almost 20 years, Sandstrom will not hold a public office, but he plans to stay involved in the immigration debate.


"I don't want it to be like it is helping me for a political victory," he said. "It is truly about doing the right thing."

Being here in Peru among a very blessed people has let me see the Goodness of God in all people. As Latter-Day-Saints we have a responsiblity to love everyone.

We should want Justice and Liberty for all.