Offence and Middle East Current Events

The atrocities of today’s assaults on the US embassies in Egypt and Libya are sad, scary and wrong.  Being currently in the Middle East, things are now not just an act on television that I will later talk about in a class the following day, but very real. Set aside political reactions and slanders, what can we learn from this event?

Libya's Embassy Attack
Egypt's Embassy Attack

Muslims at the US Embassy in Cairo

 

A film made by an Israeli-American in California was made known to the Islamic world in the last 48 hours. The film depicts the Islamic prophet Muhammad in offensive ways such as his multiple wives being taken in acts of adultery, the lies of the Qur’an and his ways of receiving revelation revolving around sex. This was not well received by the Muslims in Egypt and Libya.

The writer and director of this film obviously has an agenda to express his disagreements and hatred towards Islam. And there was no problem for him to post this online for the world to see. I believe he was wrong in doing so. But I also believe the Muslims that responded, responded because they chose to be offended.

Elder Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church during a talk regarding him meeting with inactive members of the church stated:

 “Let me make sure I understand what has happened to you. Because someone at church offended you, you have not been blessed by the ordinance of the sacrament. You have withdrawn yourself from the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Because someone at church offended you, you have cut yourself off from priesthood ordinances and the holy temple. You have discontinued your opportunity to serve others and to learn and grow. And you are leaving barriers that will impede the spiritual progress of your children, your children’s children, and the generations that will follow.” Many times people would think for a moment and then respond: “I have never thought about it that way.”

 Regarding the Book of Mormon Broadway play:

“All hands on deck! There is an offensive play on Broadway about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon! Let’s go tear down their advertisement and block the doors so no one can get in to see it! In fact, let’s take down the stage manager that had nothing to do with writing the play!”

That is not a response that most, if not all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had.  In an article regarding the church’s new ad campaign with the musical, it quoted one of the play writers:

"The official church response was something along the lines of, 'The Book of Mormon' the musical might entertain you for a night, but the Book of Mormon — the book as scripture — will change your life through Jesus," Stone said. "Which we actually completely agree with That's a cool, American response to a ribbing."Stone said that "before the church responded, a lot of people would ask us, 'Are you afraid of what the church would say?' And Trey and I were like, 'They're going to be cool.' And they were like, 'No, they're not. There are going to be protests.' And we were like, 'Nope, they're going to be cool.' We weren't surprised by the church's response. We had faith in them."

I wish more of our Muslim brothers and sisters would do something similar. And to point out the pros, this does in fact happen. CAIR, Council on American-Islamic Relations, quotes Nihad Awad, the national executive director, just a few hours ago:

"We urge that this ignorant attempt to provoke the religious feelings of Muslims in the Arabic-speaking world be ignored and that its extremist producers not be given the cheap publicity they so desperately seek. Those who created this trashy film do not represent the people of America or the Christian faith. The only proper response to intentional provocations such as this film is to redouble efforts to promote mutual understanding between faiths and to marginalize extremists of all stripes.
"We condemn the attack on the American embassy, which had nothing to do with the production of this intentionally inflammatory film."

The point is, we can’t stop all people that may offend us but we can stop ourselves from being offended. I am grateful for the culture that I have been raised with to not be offended by what they do. These Muslims today chose to be offended. I admire the rest of the Muslim world that was not offended and acted in similar manners. I, too, had a bishop that once could have offended but I chose not to be. I’ve had close friends attack my own faith but we remained friends, working out the differences, and are now deeper in our matters with of faith and friendship. It is sad that such acts happen.  We must do our best as not to arrogantly offend people, and if we do so ignorantly or on purpose, we should apologize and stand corrected.

Do I feel safe in Jordan, yes. Could it happen here, absolutely. Will I be careful and smart about where I go, yes.

I will end with another quote from Elder Bednar’s talk: 

"One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. A thing, an event, or an expression may be offensive, but you and I can choose not to be offended—and to say with Pahoran, “it mattereth not.”

Welcome to Jordan

                                                                                                                                                                

Ahlan Wasahlan

                “Welcome to Jordan” are the first words I heard when I arrived to the Queen Rania Airport in Amman, Jordan.  These words were said in English. It seems that everyone wants to welcome me to Jordan once they find out I am from America, even after two weeks. I imagine it will be like this the rest of my time here, a period of four months. After working with many Arabs in the United States, I have come to learn a different culture but a culture I felt was subdued by the Western Culture in which they were present in. These are the people I study for school and my impressions I felt were altered a little bit. Maybe the Arabs I met were accustomed to Western thought and experience has transformed them. I knew I had to get to the Middle East for myself to see what the Arab was like; in his atmosphere, in his realm, and in his own home.  Jordanians are interesting folk, if you can even use the term folk. They are loud, thoughtful, deceitful, kind, helpful, ambitious, talkative, deceived, and patient. Now not all Jordanians are each characteristic I just mentioned, not at all. I feel those characteristics I feel can describe almost any society in the world. For my first assignment of writing about the culture, I’d like to explain my first 24 hours, my first welcome from the country, and my first impression of finally being in the Arab world.

First views of Jordan

               Air France. Don’t ever fly with them. Their customer service while on the plane is fantastic but their luggage transfers are subpar. This was their second time losing my luggage in Paris in less than a week. While at the airport I had my friend’s cousin, Hashem Al Nasser, waiting for me. He waited patiently, without smoking a cigarette for one whole hour in the airport, as I got my luggage situation taken care of. Hashem Al Nasser and I first met on Facebook (Most Arabs love Facebook); we hadn’t met in person prior to the airport. I was impressed with his ability to be patient with my luggage situation. He then drove towards Amman. Along the road, I saw families huddled around a small tent and camp fire (it was at night), probably cooking something with meat. I asked Hashem if this is where they lived, he said no, it was their way of getting out of the city and enjoying time with their family. We then went to dilwar ilbalad, or downtown of Amman. It was crowded and so bright with lights. We went to his favorite restaurant, Hashem’s. No it wasn’t his favorite place because of the name; I quickly learned it was because of the pita and hummus that was served. Just thinking of it makes my mouth water. Then he drove us around the city, demanding that we see at least one of the hills. You see, Jordan is built on many hills (or mountains), much of the old city falls between these hills where the water would run down. Now the city is much bigger and each area has its name. We drove down Rainbow Street, which is supposed to be where most foreigners were. We didn’t get out of the car, simply drove through the rigged traffic in a maybe two lane road. As we slowly drove down this street, we saw many cafes and restaurants, many of them with hookahs—an instrument to smoke basically anything you put into it. We then saw many women that were outside of what the media typically shows, they were unveiled, immodestly dressed and plastered in makeup. These women were surprisingly looked more like Arabs than foreigners. This is where Hashem invited me to get a girlfriend. The Arabs I saw were fairly attractive, much more in person than I expected, but a girlfriend was not an option because I already had one. He let me and my friend, Keith, use his cell phone to call our mothers back in the United States. He dropped us off at our hotel; it was a grand first night. We were ecstatic to be in Jordan and had a great introduction. Thank you to a new friend in a foreign land.

View of Amman from Rainbow street

Sun Rise Hotel was very interesting. It apparently is the oldest hotel in Amman, which I am sure it is one of the older hotels in Amman. It was run down, but it did have wireless internet. I found myself going down to the lobby asking for the password for the wireless internet so I could contact family and find the address to the place we needed to be the next day. It was no sooner found myself sitting down with the foondook owner and his friend helping them find companies that insure the oil rigs in the Persian Gulf. They later told me they wanted to buy stock in these companies because they thought they will become very rich if they did. I thought to myself why would they get rich from them? But I didn’t let it bother me too much. They then noticed my iPhone and asked if I was going to get the iPhone 5. They asked if it was really see-through, or transparent. I laughed and said there is no way they would do that. They must have seen the same predictions/fake photos of the iPhone 5 I saw on the internet. They then started to speak to me in Arabic—about politics. They asked me if I liked Obama and Bush. They began to state how profoundly they hated Bush because of the wars which he brought to the Middle East all for oil. They stated they didn’t like Obama but they also didn’t like Romney. They muttered that he wasn’t even a Christian, that America should have an American president.  “Mormons, don’t believe in Christ,” one said. “Why would America ever have a non-believing Christian?” “He is a Mormon and must be magnuun (crazy).” Even though their words were filled with disgust about this topic, I looked at them with some excitement. I said, “Ana mormonee zay Romney (I am a Mormon like Romney). “  I explained to them that I believe in Jesus Christ. They questioned all different aspects of how I believed in Christ. They then seemed to have run out of complaints about Romney and the Mormons. I knew at least one of them was Muslim because I had to wait for him to finish praying before I could check in.

They then went back into the topic of stocks for the oil insurance companies. It finally bugged me enough to ask them why they wanted to invest in these companies.

“Because we will get rich.”

“Why?”

“Because Israel and America will be at war with Iran very soon.”

“Why would you want war?”

“So we can get rich, very very rich.”

“I hope they don’t go to war. In fact, I don’t think there will be a war at all.”

One stood up and said, “I hope there is a war! I want to be a rich man.”

                This logic made great sense. Hate President Bush for bringing wars to the Middle East, say it was for his own personal gain for oil, etc. but then want a war just so you can get rich off of stock from insurance companies that we weren’t even able to find for the last hour. I wish I had known better Arabic at this moment because my response of why there probably won’t be a war and how they shouldn’t want for a war didn’t seem to reach them.  I encouraged them to invest in Google, Macintosh, or something they use. They didn’t want to do that. I went back to the hotel room, told Keith about the conversation and then realized I had lost my iPhone.

Our Sun Rise Hotel room

                That next morning, I prayed I would find my iPhone. It was my future lifeline for Amman let alone worth hundreds of dollars. Shortly after taking a cold shower, I got a knock on the door; it was the owner of the foondook which I spoke with last night. He pulled something out of his pocket and asked, “Is this yours?” It was my iPhone! I could tell from the case it was in but now it was all scratched up. “Yes! It is mine, where did you get it?!” “Come, follow me,” he said. I followed him all the way down the stairs and into the street. He said, “Hunna (here) my son found it at 2am in the morning.” He pointed at a spot on the street near the curb. It must have fallen out of my pocket or my lap when I got out of Hashem's car the night before. He knew it was mine from the photos on the phone (I always knew it was good to not put a passcode on the iPhone!) and he made something very clear to me. He said, “Here at my hotel, I don’t lie or cheat. In America, someone would have taken it. Now write a good review of my hotel on the internet.” I nodded my head, said several thank you’s in Arabic and went back to my hotel room. Wow, what an amazing man and son for not taking my phone, a very expensive one, too. He was honest and wanted to get rich through a war, what a great introduction to Jordan! And a prayer answered most certainly. 

                Keith and I soon after took a taxi to our next meeting place, charged us four dinars (about $7) which should have really been half a dinar (about $1). Yep, ahlan wasahlan to Jordan.

The Ghosts of Hobble Creek: A Father and Son's Tale

Hobble Creek's Grave: Father and Son, 

Father's Body Never Found

Photo of father, Robert Miller and son Billy Miller taken the summer before their deaths.

Hobble Creek, Springville, Utah in 1989 is the location and date of one of the greatest tragedies of all Springville history. It was in January that the reports of the greatest snowstorm to hit Utah and incidentally Robert Miller and his son Billy went out for a hunting trip down Hobble Creek Canyon. As the first signs of snow began to fall, the manager of Taco Bell found atop of Y Mountain, Martin Shean, sent out an emergency radio wave to all campers to not attempt the climb to Taco Bell. Robert Miller heard this call and decided that it was best they headed to KFC where resided the Great Colonel himself found on the opposing mountain view (on the other side of Lake Utah). This place was of greater ease of access for hunters that did not hunt so well. 

            Billy insisted that he have his daily fix of nacho chalupa. So he darted out into what was then beginning to be the great wall of china (in snow terms). Robert chased after his son and soon found that he was incapable of finding his son. Mulan came out and insisted that Robert go home, it was a lost cause to find his son Billy. Just as Robert was pondering the miraculous event of meeting Mulan in Utah, it began to dawn on him that it was beginning to be dark. He searched all night with only his handy dandy Energizer (insert advertisement, $?) flashlight. 

          One week later, searchers, who were utterly disappointed because Taco Bell on the ridge of Y Mount was completely destroyed from the snow storm, found no trace of Robert or Billy. Another week later, they found Billy's body in a cave. But no one could find the body of Robert Miller.We would then find Mulan in her own feature film sponsored by Disney nine years later.

          It is said for the hikers who pass through Hobble Creek Canyon during the night see a light shine on them and then disappear and whimpering and crying of a young boy. Many say, these are the lost souls of Robert and Billy Miller who never found each other. This could be the lost career of Michael Jordan explained. This may explain the failure of Hanes comfort waist band. But then again, this writer doesn't wear Hanes. So much for Hanes. 

To watch the video of said ghost story and the Ghost Seekers interactions with Robert and Billy.

Pulling Through

Hello, how are you? Fine? A little stressed? Yeah, I know the feeling. And it's okay, it's all going to be alright.

Tonight, to make room for the newly acquired item I bought (a 2 liter of A&W Root Beer to help with finals studying), I pulled out my almost empty gallon of milk and set it on my table. After a very short while of it being out, I thought to myself, "Oh, I should drink that milk." I figured I would drink it straight out of the container since it was only so little. I lifted the container to my mouth and begin to taste that first sip of my 1% milk. It instantly gave me a strong emotion, the kind you get when you experience something you didn't even think would happen. The milk was warm and almost instantly the rest of the milk ended up down my neck and shirt. There's a little left, actually. I don't think I want to finish it if I don't have to. I'm sure this has happened to all of us.

Sometimes life is like an almost empty gallon of warm milk, you just don't expect it. It could have been worse, I guess spoiled or filled with weird chunks. The last six months I have experienced a lot of warm milk that have spilled all over me in several different cases. You start to think what's wrong with yourself? You apologize to others and try to do things better but it seems to mean nothing. It's like your life crumbling similar to that sand castle you so carefully built, carving the towers and walls, and digging a deep enough moat to stop the waves to even getting close to your mighty castle. But somehow it always gets through the moat. Is something wrong with me? Am I not good enough? I thought I was strong enough to handle this, but I've found out that I'm now broken and in need of repair. It's taken a long time, many hours of prayer, endless tears I didn't think I had, and facing reality to get where I am today. And it's okay, it really will be alright. Just keep moving forward and you will pull through. Even through worse cases, like spoiled and chunky milk. Best realization is that God loves broken things.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." Ether 12:27

Joseph Smith and His Family

This morning I woke up early with normal stomach pains that I've been battling for a handful of years now so in order to try to fall back asleep and attempt to subside the pain in a different way than normal I decided to pull out my Joseph Smith books, study a little more about what he had done. I came across a few passages that were from his letters while he was in Liberty jail and they mentioned his family. I am always amazed with what he had to say and what he did for them but it hit home a little bit more this time I think because a family is the thing I want more than anything. I'd like to share some of these passages I found. Not all are from his letters from Liberty.

Joseph and his family had family prayer:
Words of William Holmes Walker from his diary found in the BYU library: My Father sent me to Nauvoo on some business with the Prophet. I arrived at his house just as his family was singing, before the accustomed prayer. His wife, Emma, was leading the singing. I thought I had never heard such sweet, heavenly music before. I was equally interested in the prayer offered by the Prophet. Much pleased with my visit, and my business accomplished satisfactorily, I returned home in a few days. (TK, p. 147)

How we should treat each other:
Letter to the elders of the church, Kirtland, 1 September 1835: Fathers should be kind to their children, husbands to their wives, masters to their slaves or servants, children obedient to their parents, wives to their husbands, and slaves or servants to their masters. (HC 2:263-64)

Select letters to his family from Liberty and Richmond jail:
Letter to Emma Smith, Richmond, Missouri, 12 November 1838. Written two weeks after he was first incarcerated on 31 October 1838: God grant that I may have the privilege of seeing once more my lovely family in the enjoyment of the sweets of liberty and social life; to press them to my bosom and kiss their lovely cheeks would fill my heart with unspeakable gratitude....Tell little Joseph he must be a good boy. Father loves him with a perfect love. He is the eldest [and] must not hurt those that are smaller than him, but comfort them. Tell little Frederick Father loves him with all his heart. He is a lovely boy. Julia is a lovely little girl. I love her also. She is a promising child. Tell her Father wants her to remember him and be a good girl. Tell all the rest that I think of them and pray for them all....Little Alexander is on my mind continually. Oh my affectionate Emma, I want you to remember that I am a true and faithful friend to you and the children forever. My heart is entwined around yours forever and ever. Oh may God bless you all, amen. (PWJS, pp. 367-68; standardized).

Letter to Emma Smith from Liberty Jail, 4 April 1839: I think of you and the children continually....I want to see little Frederick, Joseph, Julia, and Alexander, Joanna, and old Major [their horse]....I want you should not let those little fellows forget me. Tell them Father loves them with a perfect love, and he is doing all he can to get away from the mob to come to them. Do teach them all you can, that they may have good minds. Be tender and kind to them. Don't be fractious to them, but listen to their wants. Tell them Father says they must be good children and mind their mother. My dear Emma, there is a great responsibility resting upon you, in preserving yourself in honor and sobriety before them, and teaching them right things to form their young and tender minds, that they begin in right paths, and not get contaminated when young by seeing ungodly examples. (PWJS, PP. 426-27; standardized)

Joseph Smith Jr. was a beloved son, brother, father, and husband. As we see through just these few quotes he had an extreme amount of love for his children and wife. Not only did he express it but so did others mention in their diaries. I think to my own parents, namely my father and the amount of love that he has for my brothers and my mother that I can't help but imagine if he were in a similar situation to Joseph he'd write very similar letters filled with compassion and love.

I am grateful for the plan of salvation that makes it clear to me that my family will be sealed to me and me to them for all eternity. Someday I will have my own family and I am so grateful for them already. I was so close to one woman that I was able to imagine and even plan what it would be like to have a family with that my level of understanding and love increased for my future family. It did not work with this sister and my heart is still heavy over it. My understanding and perspective of the great plan of salvation has helped me to move forward day by day. I don't know how people can move forward without this knowledge. Joseph revealed this knowledge, this probably is a major factor as to why he loved his family so much. I hope to have that same happiness with a family of my own someday.