Ethanol Kills People

This is a papar I wrote for my Washington Campus class. It draws on some things I have posted previously. The resources I used are below:

“Guns don’t kill people, ethanol kills people.” That is my slogan for a broad campaign to change the way the government of the United States approaches energy demands in the 21st century. It is an intentionally bold statement to raise awareness of how the US energy policy has had impact around the globe. Rapid economic growth in Brazil, Russia, India, and China (the BRIC countries) has combined with only slowly energy increasing supply, environmental concerns, and instability in the Middle East to make energy important to the security of the world. My purpose is to lay out a plan which will address the energy crisis as well as the emerging food crisis which has its roots in energy policy.

The most difficult part of the path forward is that no single solution or combination thereof will solve the problem immediately. It may take 20 years to fully address the energy and food problems the world faces right now. Without doubt, measures can be taken to help, but they are more likely to address the symptoms than the disease. Maintaining a political movement over a generation will prove extremely difficult. In the mean time, political parties will change power several times, a new cause célèbre will emerge annually – demanding “emergency” action, and new and real dangers will emerge to threaten the free world.

The Problem

Two obvious solutions to the high cost of energy exist: to increase the supply or decrease demand. The first is difficult but possible, and the second is unlikely without changing much of the way the modern world operates. There is more than one way to increase the energy supply, but current efforts, subsidized by the Federal Government, have had disastrous effects internationally. Corn based ethanol – and $8 billion in federal subsidies – has directly increased the demand for corn while decreasing the supply of other food crops as farmers rush to plant corn over their usual crops. The World Bank reports: “Almost all of the increase in global maize production from 2004 to 2007 (the period when grain prices rose sharply) went for bio-fuels production in the U.S., while existing stocks were depleted by an increase in global consumption for other uses” (The World Bank, 2008).

Table 1. Index of projected real food crop prices, 2004=100
Real Prices. 2007 . 2008 . 2009 . 2010 . 2015
Maize ........ 141 ... 179 ... 186 ... 176 ... 155
Wheat ........ 157 ... 219 ... 211 ... 204 ... 157
Rice ........... 132 ... 201 ... 207 ... 213 ... 192
Soybeans ..... 121 ... 156 ... 150 ... 144 ... 127
Soybean oil .. 138 ... 170 ... 162 ... 153 ... 119
Sugar .......... 135 ... 169 ... 180 ... 190 ... 185
Source: DECPG. (The World Bank, 2008)

Table 1 shows the massive price increases that have hit the worldwide food market since 2004. These price increases have lead to rioting and protests in Haiti (Murdock, 2008), Egypt, and Pakistan, among other places (Hassett, 2008). For example, the price of wheat has increased over 100% since 2004. This has been compounded by a poor wheat harvest in Australia. Fear of shortages has led to one third of wheat exports being sealed behind the borders of the largest exporting countries (Blas, Gorst, & Whipp, 2008).

Admittedly, not all evidence points to corn ethanol as the source of increased commodity food prices. A study recently released by the Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University shows that most of the inflation of food prices has been caused by the increase in the price of oil (Anderson & Outlaw, 2008). This is why a comprehensive energy policy to address all facets of the problem is necessary.

The Solution

To attack energy and food price problems will take a multi-front assault. In the short term, the United States must increase the availability of oil. There are several sources that remain untapped. The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has the potential to match Prudhoe Bay as the largest domestic oil find. Offshore drilling has become more technically feasible, but Florida and California (among others) have blocked new platforms. These local solutions can yield results over the next 5 to 10 years, but other steps must be taken to look more long term.

The United States has some of the largest coal reserves in the world. As much as 50% of US electricity supply comes from coal. The coal industry claims to have enough reserves to supply the US with energy for 200 years (America's Power). To make coal power more acceptable to environmentalists, technology needs to be further developed to eliminate the pollution from coal powered generation plants. This technology could greatly benefit the world because China has become a large user of coal, completing a new power plant every week to ten days. Any advances in US clean burning coal technology should be given to China to improve their pollution problems while still allowing them to expand their energy supply for a rapidly growing economy.

For electricity generation, the US should build more nuclear power plants. French electricity is 75% nuclear, while the US is only 20% nuclear. Problems exist here, though, because, as MIT news reports there has been a 20 year underinvestment in the nuclear fuel supply (MIT News Office, 2008). Renewable energy such as wind and hydroelectric power generation are attractive where possible, but not every region has the natural resources necessary for these power sources.

Every summer, the news reports that seasonal and regional gasoline blends cause prices to increase. To provide over 20 different boutique fuels each summer is hard on the supply chain. Instead of 20 mixtures, the federal and state regulatory agencies should come together and consolidate into 5 summer fuels. If refineries could phase these fuels in over a month it would lessen some pressure on the supply chain. As reported on Slate.com, these summer blends are necessary to limit evaporation in hot weather, but cause trouble in the winter because of the difficulty of starting engines (Schechner, 2004).

The refining of oil into gasoline has become a problem as well. It is widely reported that a new oil refinery has not been built in 30 years. The only growth in refining capacity has come from expanding existing refineries. Hurricane Katrina damaged several refineries and the remaining facilities were running at 100% of capacity to make up for the damaged refineries in the Gulf Coast. The EPA should approve the construction of new, technically advanced refineries to assist in protecting against natural disasters crippling the refining capacity of the country.

Ethanol mandates should be ended immediately. As discussed above, they have played a role in disrupting the world supply of food. Ending ethanol subsidies and mandates could cut corn prices by 20 % (Borenstein, 2008). The energy required to distill corn into fuel offsets the energy created by ethanol. The World Bank reports: “The grain required to fill the tank of a Sports utility vehicle with ethanol (240 kg of maize for 100 liter ethanol) could feed one person for a year, so competition between food and fuel is real” (The World Bank, 2007). If technology improves such that biofuel production no longer consumes large amounts of energy, it could become more feasible, but no one should starve for the sake of fuel production.
This is a broad solution and will have broad opposition. To implement any or all of these proposals will require addressing the concerns of a wide assortment of interest groups.

Opposition

Environmentalists will be the first group to oppose most of these measures because of the fear of global warming. The only way to resolve their concerns will be to show that the above proposals are actually better for the environment than the current policies. Unbiased research will be vital to obtain persuasive results.
One argument for biofuels is that they will reduce the usage of fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gasses and the threat of global warming. The problem is that rainforests are being cleared to supply acreage for fuel crops. Researchers from Princeton and Iowa State found that instead of lowering CO2 emissions, the actual result is a carbon debt that will take 167 years to repay. Tim Searchinger, the Princeton researcher said, “We can't get to a result, no matter how heroically we make assumptions on behalf of corn ethanol, where it will actually generate greenhouse-gas benefits” (Eilperin, 2008). Farm lobbyists will also provide serious opposition to ending corn ethanol subsidies because they benefit from higher commodity food prices.

Other solutions – like nuclear energy, cleaner coal plants, and wind generation – face the opposition of localized groups. It is the NIMBY phenomenon – people like the idea of cleaner energy sources, but “not in my back yard.” High energy and food prices may be the only thing able to persuade these people to accept local power plants and wind farms.

Supporters

In a way, environmentalists, energy consumers, and people more concerned with national security issues want the same thing. Environmentalists want fewer fossil fuels, energy consumers want cheap fuel, and national security hawks want to avoid sending money to the Middle East. These desires can be aligned with clean, cheap, local energy supplies that could be developed through nuclear power, clean coal, and renewable energy sources. A technological gap exists between where the United States is and wants to be. It will require a Manhattan Project-type investment to obtain the best mix of new energy sources.

Protecting the worldwide food supply will take a similar focus because of the current tendency of large exporters to seal their borders in the face of shortages in foreign countries.

Improved fuel and energy efficiency will not come quickly. The requisite investments in technology will require time to develop. New industries will need to emerge to clean current coal burning facilities. Nuclear power supplies will need to be increased.

Legislature

Leading the opposition to many of these initiatives will be allies of interest groups within both houses of Congress. It almost seems that both ends of the political spectrum benefit from the high price of energy. Democrats and liberals apparently want to increase prices of fuel so people will drive less and buy more fuel efficient vehicles. John Dingell (D-Mich.) has gone so far as to propose a 50 cent per gallon increase in the gasoline tax (The Hill, 2007). The problem is that people with larger families are harmed because they can’t easily switch to smaller vehicles.

Republicans and conservatives, on the other hand, probably want to use higher prices to push for more drilling, more power generation facilities, and new technological development. Admittedly, this paper falls more on the conservative side of these issues. However, the best way to accomplish these proposals is to address the concerns of the Democrats. Energy independence must be paired with energy efficiency. This will increase the local supply while decreasing the demand. Cheaper fuel must be paired with less pollution. Only with both will the quality of life remain the same for current and future generations.

In the House of Representatives, difficulty will emerge because of Democrat majorities. It is expected that the 2008 elections will tilt the balance of power further to the left. If energy prices and food prices continue to rise, the public outcry may force action that would normally be opposed by the Democrats.
The Senate may be more conservative than the House because of slimmer margins between the left and right. However, this makes progress even more difficult because of the inability of most issues to pass a 60 vote threshold to obtain a floor vote. Even issues that have broad public support face difficulty in the Senate.

The important thing is to frame the debate so stopping corn ethanol is a humanitarian effort, increasing nuclear energy is a national security effort, and clean coal is a way to help rapidly expanding international coal plants to improve their emissions. In reality, there is nothing the United States can do to address CO2 emissions without helping the BRIC countries have cleaner, more efficient power supplies.

The only way to get Congress behind these efforts is to get the American people behind this group of proposals. If elections can be framed around energy and food supply issues, elected officials will listen. Big issues change the political landscape. If the ethanol debate and decisions get out of back rooms and into the public discourse, things may change. Ethanol needs to become a national scandal. Al Gore made global warming his signature issue by dramatizing what he claimed to be the real world effects of climate change. To combat his efforts, the human suffering behind ethanol must be made as widely known as global warming issues. It is a real issue as worldwide food prices increase and fields are diverted to heavily subsidized corn ethanol production.

Regulatory Approval

The regulatory issues to address will be building new nuclear power plants, new oil refineries, and changing the standards on summer gasoline blends. Even if support can be found within Congress for the proposals to address energy supply and demand, there will be a concerted effort to stop them through regulatory agencies that have responsibility for the environment.

Any proposed refinery or nuclear power plant will face legal challenges (Davenport, 2008). The last refinery built within the United States was completed in 1976. Gasoline imports increased by almost 100% from 1995 to 2005 because of a lack in refinery capacity (Hargreaves, 2007). Nuclear plants face the same issues.
Changing the summer blends will also require the coordinating of federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. Having more than 20 summer blends is taxing on refinery operations each June. Even if the boutique fuels were reduced to 5 custom blends, and higher standards were adopted, the refining process would be more reliable and the summer price hike would be alleviated.

The only way to force regulatory progress in these three areas will be to get congressional and presidential pressure on them.

Presidential Backing

For numerous reasons, the implementation of most of these policies will not be possible in the remaining time of George W. Bush’s presidency. Therefore, the changes proposed in this paper are partly dependent on the next presidential election. With John McCain as president, it will be easier because many of these proposals are aligned with conservative, free market principles. He also has enough of a reputation of bucking Republican orthodoxy to implement the needed checks and balances to address environmental concerns.

The election of either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama poses a different problem. They are much more in tune with the environmentalist viewpoint and will stand in the way of expanded oil drilling or refining. The best way to reach them and their supporters is to show that the US cannot impact the environment as less regulated countries expand coal and other technologies. The humanitarian effort to decrease ethanol production will change some liberal’s opinions, and the promise of energy efficiency should persuade more of them.

Conclusion

It has been said that “great causes are not won in a single generation” (Smith, 1939). It may be easier to address one issue at a time, but that will result in slow progress for problems that have immediate threats to the standard of living of people across the world. People everywhere need access to energy. That energy needs to be clean to keep a clean environment for future generations.

Works Cited

America's Power. (n.d.). Factoids: America's Power. Retrieved may 1, 2008, from America's Power: http://www.americaspower.org/The-Facts/Factoids

Anderson, D. P., & Outlaw, J. L. (2008, april 10). The Effects of Ethanol on Texas Food and Feed. Retrieved april 30, 2008, from Agricultural Food and Policy Center: http://www.afpc.tamu.edu/pubs/2/515/RR-08-01.pdf

Blas, J., Gorst, I., & Whipp, L. (2008, april 15). Biggest Grain Exporters Halt Foreign Sales. Retrieved april 30, 2008, from Financial Times: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/38cd4d58-0b15-11dd-8ccf-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

Borenstein, S. (2008, april 30). Food scientists say stop biofuels to fight world hunger. Retrieved may 2, 2008, from Associate Press: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g6hbT75_thXF6CITBPcgoFsLSvlAD90BP6RG0

Davenport, P. (2008, february 4). Arizona oil refinery proponents change location for plant. Retrieved may 2, 2008, from Fox 11 Arizona: http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/KMSB-20080204-apbp-refinery.8de370f6.html

Eilperin, J. (2008, february 8). Studies Say Clearing Land for Biofuels Will Aid Warming. Retrieved may 2, 2008, from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/07/AR2008020704230.html

Hargreaves, S. (2007, april 17). Behind high gas prices: The refinery crunch. Retrieved may 2, 2008, from CNN Money: http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/17/news/economy/refineries/index.htm

Hassett, K. (2008, april 21). Bloomberg. Retrieved april 30, 2008, from Bloomberg Commentary: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=arSRWU0yDL7M&refer=columnist_hassett

MIT News Office. (2008, march 21). Lack of fuel may limit U.S. nuclear power expansion. Retrieved may 2, 2008, from MIT News Office: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/fuel-supply.html

Murdock, D. (2008, april 21). Global Food Riots. Retrieved april 30, 2008, from National Review Online: http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTBiOTY2ZTAyMWQwYTJkMDIwMmFiZGY4YzAxM2VkNjc=&w=MA

Schechner, S. (2004, april 12). What is Summer-Blend Gas? Retrieved may 2, 2008, from Slate.com: http://www.slate.com/id/2098672/

Smith, J. F. (1939). Gospel Doctrine. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book.

The Hill. (2007, july 7). Dingell to propose 50 cent gasoline tax increase. Retrieved may 2, 2008, from The Hill: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dingell-to-propose-50-cent-gasoline-tax-increase-2007-07-07.html

The World Bank. (2007, october 19). Biofuels: The promise and the risks. Retrieved may 2, 2008, from The World Bank: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2008/Resources/2795087-1192112387976/WDR08_05_Focus_B.pdf

The World Bank. (2008, April). Rising food prices: Policy options and World Bank Response. Retrieved April 30, 2008, from The World Bank: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/NEWS/Resources/risingfoodprices_backgroundnote_apr08.pdf

This is Outrageous

Those tolerant and culturally informed liberals are at it again. Check this out. Newly minted Obama superdelegate, Pete Stark, has lovely things to say about the Mormons:

I wonder what they're going to do with the Mormons. I'd like to put polygamy up if they want to fight this battle. Let's go into Utah and have it out. I mean, I don't have any quarrel with polygamy, as long as they leave little kids alone, which is child abuse.

This lovely tidbit comes in a discussion of the recent California Supreme Court ruling that gay marriage is a constitutional right. The truth is so far from Stark's world view. Not only are Mormons going to largely fight the gay marriage ruling, we will also be among the quickest to fight polygamy.

Gay marriage opponents cite polygamy as the next domino after gay marriage is legalized. (After all, Muslim men in Britain get welfare benefits for multiple wives now.) But gay marriage proponents say the "slippery slope" argument is a fallacy. Well, looky here. Now a gay marriage proponent has said polygamy and polyandry are a-okay.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

The Declaration of Independence promises the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This post from Mark Levin gave me a thought. We have a right to the pursuit of happiness, but no right to happiness.

After arriving in Nauvoo, Heber C. Kimball said, "this is a beautiful place, but not a long resting place for the Saints." Sidney Rigdon, angry, said, "Heber, can't you prophecy anything good?" Heber replied, "I prophecy good for you, if you can get it."

Happiness is out there for each of us, if we will go get it. The problem is when people start acting like it is the government's job to guarantee it.

"Raised the bar for transparency"

This article is very good on the Democrat messiah.

One comment amused me: "the Obama campaign has raised the bar for transparency." This is true if by transparency the person means people can see what they want to see in Obama. (They probably didn't mean that.) I am afraid there is nothing there. And people project him to be the next president. Welcome back to Jimmy Carter.

(H/t NRO)

ACME catalog

Here is a terrific resource. I especially like this item.

Obama Economics

I watched the North Carolina victory speech from Barack Obama tonight and it was rather interesting. Obama is making the move away from primary mode into general election mode. He spent more time going after McCain (admittedly easy to do, but I would go after McCain on different things) than Hillary.

His "bring America together" portions of his speech are very good. He even had a paragraph or two about the nobility of hard work and the vast opportunity that lies within this country. Anyone can lift themselves up if they will put forth the effort. Those are the types of things that need to be said from the political stage.

The problem is that his policies go against the things he claims to promote. He talks about taxing the very people who have lifted themselves out of humble beginnings. He wants to take money from the oil companies and force them to invest in clean energy. He blames destroying the planet on big oil. His health care proposals will cause prices to skyrocket even more. Every item the federal government starts paying for gets more expensive.

It is as if he wants the US to follow the European economies into oblivion. Don't get me wrong, I am all for clean energy. I would love not to send my $3.45 a gallon to the Middle East. The only way to lower energy usage in the near term is to shrink the size of the US economy. That will cost jobs, force more outsourcing, further weaken the dollar, and result in economic disaster.

I don't really want to vote for McCain. He is not all that much better on energy or immigration or health care, but Obama is intent on policies that will make the American economy weak.

Running with the Wind

Here is an amazing story:

This is the kind of creativity that needs to be unleashed in the world. How many lives could be improved if they could implement simple solutions like this!

(h/t NRO)

Elder Ballard in DC

This was interesting. Elder Ballard spoke to the BYU Management Society in Washington DC on April 21. Here are a few highlights:

Overall, I personally think the interest in the Church over the past year and a half was a plus. I’d much rather have people talking about us than ignoring us. The biggest problem we face is apathy.

We need people of goodwill to unite because a tide of filth and immorality is sweeping over the world.

I support the call of the Pope that all who believe in God unite in an effort to stem the tide of evil that is flooding the earth.

As an MBA student at Texas A&M over the last 8 months, I have had an opportunity to work with people who are not Mormon far more closely than at other times in my life. I am convinced of two things; that there are serious problems facing the world that require Latter-day Saint intervention, and that we will need the help of everyone we can get on our side, Mormon or not.

My time as a student has shown me that there are a large number of people who are natural allies. The trick will be mobilizing people on issues we can agree on and having a voice others will listen to.

Here is my new bumper sticker:

Guns don't kill people, ethanol kills people.

Religion vs. Athiesm

Every once in a while, the argument comes up about how religious people believe in God and that makes them better. The irreligious retorts, 'but do you think I am a bad person because I do not believe in God?' Often the irreligious will provide many examples of evil things done in the name of religion, but there are also many examples of evil done against religion.

After Mitt Romney gave his "Faith in America" speech, there were complaints that he essentially gave the shaft to atheists in the United States. I have thought since his withdrawal from the presidential race about his speech at CPAC. He very subtly addressed the accusations against his Faith speech. He said, "Americans love God, and those who don't have faith, typically believe in something greater than themselves."

That is the key to everyone. If the religionist or atheist is a good person, it is because they believe in something. Many who claim to be religious really believe in satisfying themselves (or as we sometimes say - pride), and many who are atheist have a strong sense of right and wrong which leads them to live exemplary lives. So really, everyone has guiding principles no matter the belief system.

But then that gets back to faith. What is it good for? Why bother with all these rules, the guilt of sin, and the impossibility of a God who is the Father of all nations hearing and answering each prayer?

Well, we have already seen that everyone believes in something. For some it is no deeper than themselves. For others it expands to their families, communities, or nations. For others still, they believe in God.

Truth matters. Each person has a responsibility to find and accept and live by as much truth as possible. The danger lies in feeling you have all the truth. The faithful and faithless who have nothing to learn are the most intolerant people on the planet. Joseph Smith asked, "Why be so certain that you comprehend the things of God, when all things with you are so uncertain?" (TPJS 320).

It is easy to turn religion into a club. Someone could quote John 3:16 and say, God loves the world... therefore you should do such and such. In the Book of Mormon, Nephi warns that "many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible" (2 Nephi 29:3). (I was a little too fond of that verse as a missionary. I don't know that I read it to anyone, but when I read it to myself, I only saw others not accepting more scripture.)

If God were really concerned with the Gentiles hearing this warning, the Book of Mormon was a terrible place to hide it! I think we in the Church sometimes forget that whatever Israelite blood we have from the lost tribes, we are still Gentiles from Nephi's perspective. His warning was directed more towards the Latter-day Saints. We can feel we have the Book of Mormon and don't need any more, or that the Doctrine and Covenants has all we need.

The Restoration came to give us continuous revelation. Joseph Smith lamented, "there has been a great difficulty in getting anything in the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge, and a pumpkin for a beetle. Even the Saints are slow to understand" (TPJS 331). How much more could we have revealed to us if we were ready to recieve it?

The whole point of Nephi's warning is that we can never become complacent about our knowledge of the truth. If we are satisfied that we have all the truth, we will begin to use it as a weapon to beat others into the image we think they should conform to. The truth gives us no right to treat others with anything other than love and respect. Instead, we "are without affection, and [we] hate [our] own blood" (Moses 7:33).

To address some of my questions from earlier: the rules of the Gospel are revealed from heaven and are given to provide us with safety. Guilt serves a purpose: "when conscience calls to us from the next ridge, it is not solely to scold but also to beckon" (Neal A. Maxwell, October 1976 Conference). Perhaps I will take up faith and prayers some other day.

More on the Ethanol Boondoggle

This is too important not to post in full. David Freddoso Reports in NRO:

Saving the world is cheaper than free

I'm not the first to comment on Deroy's Murdock's piece today, but it is just such a devastating and sad story that it cannot be repeated too often. Our government's negligence and perhaps even malicious misdirection of societal resources toward a worthless, unwanted product — ethanol — will cause millions of people to go hungry tonight.

This anecdote from today's editorial is truly eye-catching:

Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club has started limiting sales of rice because immigrants are buying all the rice they can and sending it to relatives in countries suffering from food shortages.

Deroy sums up:

If scientists can develop ethanol that neither starves people nor rapes the Earth, splendid. However, this enterprise must not rest upon morally repugnant, ecologically counterproductive, economically devastating, government-ordered distortions.

The way things are going, this could become the worst chapter yet in the sad, ruinous history of our bipartisan agricultural welfare programs. For those who write in and protest that free-market capitalism is an uncompassionate, un-Christian economic system, I submit that you are currently witnessing the alternative.

A simple repeal of the ethanol mandate would cost nothing, and it would benefit everyone everywhere except for a farm lobby that is currently profiting from the kind of human suffering that most Americans have never experienced. Read Deroy's piece for several poignant examples.

The Deroy Murdock piece is incredibly important. He links to a Financial Times peice that says that due to shortages, wheat exporting countries have sealed their borders and 1/3 of the worldwide market is closed. Another tidbit from Murdock:

As farmers turn forests into corn fields, they expend energy uprooting trees that produce oxygen, absorb CO2, and store carbon. Princeton University researchers calculate that this ethanol-driven arboricide has spawned a “carbon debt” that already will take 167 years to reverse.

and

As Princeton’s Tim Searchinger said in the February 8 Washington Post, “We can’t get to a result, no matter how heroically we make assumptions on behalf of corn ethanol, where it will actually generate greenhouse-gas benefits.”

Government ethanol subsidies are going to kill people.

I Knew It!

Last spring I attended the coldest game ever played at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Opening Day. Now this proves it! Global cooling is the greatest threat to humanity!

Saints Indeed

I heard a terrific story tonight at institute. There is a little ward in our stake (I don't think I should share the exact location). At the local university, a Christian fraternity decided they needed to call those crazy Mormons to repentance. A group of them decided to attend the sacrament meeting.

Halfway through the meeting, they stood up and started making a scene while trying to save the Mormons. These good Saints responded in an inspired way. They began singing "Come, Come Ye Saints." What a good example of Christlike response to what could have been an ugly situation!

(This has always been one of my favorite Hymns, so here is MoTab singing it. Enjoy:)


Admittedly, the sequel is pretty satisfying as well. The provost of the unmentioned university was a member of the bishopric and had the fraternity disbanded and removed from the campus.

Give Me Food or Give Me Death!

I just noticed this item about ethanol and food prices. Ethanol would not exist if it were not for government subsidies. Producing ethanol consumes at least as much energy as it saves in fuel usage. It is interesting that the same people who "care" co much about the poor of the world are turning their food into fuel.

Any time the government wants to get involved in anything I start getting scared.

(h/t NRO)

Ever Been Bowfishing?

Not like this, I bet.

(h/t NRO)

God and Guns, What Liberals and Europeans Don't Understand

This is quite the article, which I will quote extensively.

Our lesson today comes from the songwriter Frank Loesser:
"Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition."

In the book "America Alone," Mark Steyn

...note[s] a global survey on optimism: 61 percent of Americans were optimistic about the future, 29 percent of the French, 15 percent of Germans. Take it from a foreigner: In my experience, Americans are the least "bitter" people in the developed world. Secular, gun-free big-government Europe doesn't seem to have done anything for people's happiness.

I sometimes hear politicians - even ones I generally agree with - talking about restoring Americans' trust in the government. I think it is part of American DNA to distrust the government. The further removed it is from me and my control, the less I want it involved in my life. On the other hand...

Europeans did "vote for their own best interests" – i.e., cradle-to-grave welfare, 35-hour workweeks, six weeks of paid vacation, etc. – and as a result they now face a perfect storm of unsustainable entitlements, economic stagnation and declining human capital that's left them so demographically beholden to unassimilable levels of immigration that they're being remorselessly Islamized with every passing day.

Europeans voted away their personal responsibility in favor of security and leisure and in the process have given away their very identity. We are a generation away from the Germans and the French being minorities in their own countries.

In stark contrast to Europe

...large numbers of Americans tote guns because they're assertive, self-reliant citizens, not docile subjects of a permanent governing class. The Second Amendment is philosophically consistent with the First Amendment...

The Second Amendment provides the citizenry with the means to protect themselves from government infringement of the rights in the First Amendment.

Baracky Balboa

Due to my Philadelphia connection, I had a good laugh at this clever YouTube clip.

Of course Rocky lost, so what is this saying?
(h/t NRO)

Obama has become a spectacle

I haven't said much about Barack Obama since I decided I couldn't support him, but this is bad. He straight up lied about what John McCain said about the economy. So much for change and a new way of operating.

The Greatest Play in Baseball

I have seen this before, but wanted to pass it on.
(h/t NRO)

On Marriage And Divorce

I think people intuitively realize that divorce is bad, certainly for the pain it brings into children's lives. It is not always easy to find things quantified. Here is a great interview that does just that. Being interviewed is Michael McManus, coauthor of Living Together: Myths, Risks & Answers.

Some of the key points are that cohabitation and premarital sex greatly increase the likelihood of divorce and abuse. A key quote

:...even though most people see nothing wrong with premarital sex, research shows they are wrong. Those couples who married in the 1960s who were virgins were much less likely to divorce than the sexually active — only 30 percent of virgins divorced, while 50 percent of the sexually active divorced. The same pattern can be seen of those who married in the early 1980s. By 1988, 14 percent of virgins had divorced, but 24 percent of the sexually active. That’s 71 percent higher. St. Paul wrote, “Flee fornication.”

I have been taught this all my life, but is is nice to see others who teach and believe the same things. I especially appreciate the empirical evidence. Of course, empirical evidence should not be why someone lives a chaste life. We should just live our lives with real love, because real love never uses another person for physical enjoyment without genuine lifelong commitment.

Romney's Top Ten

I hope everyone saw this: http://www.latimes.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=2394799. I tried to embed the video, but the best I could do was a link.

Update: Here is the embed:

Debt, Consecration, and Freedom

I try to find connections between different parts of the Gospel. One that I have noticed is that personal debt is related to consecration. The scriptures tell us to sacrifice all we have for the Kingdom of God. Modern Chruch leaders constantly tell us to avoid debt for everything except a house and an education.

It is self evident that personal debt, especially consumer debt, places us in a kind of bondage. We become slaves to our creditors. Because we are not free, we are unable to consecrate all things to the Lord. There may come a time when more couples will be called to serve as missionaries and their personal finances will prevent them from serving, despite a high income or nice lifestyle.

Being a slave steals our agency. When we don't choose our life's path, we will never become the son or daughter of God that we should. It is the same with the Word of Wisdom; addictions steal our agency. God wants us to be free, even at the cost of bumping our heads - severely sometimes. That explains His commandments. They really offer protection.

What is Deep Religion?

This is a great article from Orson Scott Card. It addresses how deep our belief systems really run. He starts with:

I'VE LONG BEEN amused and perplexed by parents who proudly announce that they are not going to "force" their religion on their children. "We'll let them decide for themselves when they grow up," they say.

and continues later with:

And if you somehow manage to separate your children's upbringing from your deep religion, all that will mean is you have raised your children at such distance from yourself that they do not know you. What have you accomplished then, except to make your children spiritual orphans from the start?

Part of what he says is that those who really know what they believe deep down are able to live transformed lives.

No wonder conversion is so difficult, both within yourself and as a missionary trying to share the gospel with everyone else. Each of us must find out what lies at our very core. That is why personal conversion is so vital (especially for missionaries). How can we influence other people without knowing for ourselves?

Joseph Smith said in a letter from Liberty Jail:

The things of God are of deep import. And time, and experience and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out. Thy mind, O man, if thou wilt lead a soul to salvation must stretch as high as the utmost heaven and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss and the broad expanse of eternities. Thou must commune with God. (TPJS 137)

Only when we have experienced communion with God will we have any ability to share that with someone else.

Marriage Is Becoming Unfashionable

This is what has me worried. Marriage is on the decline in England, and the US can't be far behind. Financial stability, the quality of children's eduacation, and so many other things are on the line. The artile points out:

There are the obvious, proven, statistical advantages of marriage - you live longer, you're healthier, your children are better educated and happier - but the real benefit runs deeper. It demonstrates we can make binding commitments.

The ability to make and keep promises is the core of the Gospel, and if these promises are not made, the self destruction of society is sure to follow. My favorite quote applies:

...we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

(h/t NRO)

Truly Epic

I would like to place special emphasis on this article from Michael Yon. My favorite line: After al Qaeda detonated two large bombs in Kurdish towns in the Nineveh province...

...the attacks were not over. Yezidi men grabbed their rifles, and while two more truck bombs rumbled toward Qahtaniya and Jazeera, a hail of Yezidi bullets met them. The defenders who fired the bullets were killed with honor while standing between evil and their people. Two other truck bombs detonated on the outskirts of the villages.

I greatly value the view from people who have been on the ground in Iraq. Michael Yon has done yeoman's work to get the full story of Iraq out, both the good and the bad. It is tragic that we know so little of the valor of American, British, and Iraqi soldiers in Iraq.

Happy Easter

I thought I would pass on this terrific new video from the Church. I don't know how to embed it, so here is the link:

http://www.jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/the-bread-of-life/video/the-bread-of-life.

As interesting as writing about the political landscape can be, it doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The Gospel of Jesus Christ trumps all else. One day, all that we see around us will decay. The one bright hope we have is Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith described salvation as "nothing more nor less than to triumph over all our enemies and put them under our feet" (TPJS 297). Today, we celebrate the day the the last enemy was conquered. To live after we have died is impossible. But that is the point. Jesus Christ has guaranteed that each of us will live after we have died.

Just as the garden tomb is now empty, every grave will empty.

Genius, Sheer Genius

This article is perfect. My favorite line:

...we in the United States get from day to day under rather wonderful and privileged circumstances— ...we are not and never have been the villains that some of the world and some of our citizens make us out to be, but ...we are a confection of normal (greedy, lustful, duplicitous, corrupt, inspired—in short, human) individuals living under a spectacularly effective compact called the Constitution, and lucky to get it.

(H/T Jay Nordlinger at NRO)

This is comforting

At least my education level matches the reading level of my blog.

John Dingell and Taxes

I just heard that John Dingell, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, wants to raise gas taxes by $0.50 per gallon. Dingell has been in the House for longer than anyone else and has considerable power on Capitol Hill. That just proves that Democrats have no interest in lowering gas prices. Instead, they are using taxes to control behavior.

I don't buy the whole global warming thing. Puny man does not have power to change the weather patterns of the planet. Nevertheless, I want a more fuel efficient society for other reasons. I see national security reasons for lower oil imports. I would love to send less money sent to the Middle East.

Even though I don't believe in global warming, I think being good stewards of God's creations requires us to take care of the planet. The biggest threat to the environment is that industries will leave the United States for more friendly regulatory regimes. If an industry leaves the US for the third world, China, or India, the lower emission standards in those countries will resuld in a net decrease in the quality of the environment.

If industries stay in the US, they will benefit from higher US productivity. By staying in the US, innovation will follow faster to increase energy efficiency and the environment will improve. As the technology is developed to improve emissions, it can be passed to the developing countries to allow for their faster and cleaner growth.

This is Glorious

http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/fullmovie.php

Wierd. Just Wierd.

Red Army Choir and Lenningrad Cowboys sing Sweet Home Alabama.
(h/t NRO)

Personal Dilemma

I can't believe that BYU will play Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I have no idea who I will cheer for. I think BYU will win. Perhaps that is where my allegiance lies. I have seen BYU play some great games this year. The only A&M game I saw in person was pitiful. We'll see.

Hey, at least one of my teams will make it past round one. Then there's UCLA in round two...

DC, Here I Come

I have a class for my MBA program in Washington DC all next week. I will be staying about a half mile from the White House. I will be learning more about the realtionship between business and government policy. Detail about the Washington Campus program are here.

A Clarification In Defense of Marriage

I had a thoughtful response to some previous posts. I was going to answer in the comments section, but it ended up too long. I am glad I was asked to elaborate. Sometimes when I write, I know what is in my head and don't realize that I am not being very clear. Dennis said:

For one, I wonder whether economic incentives should motivate people to marry? If people are not willing to marry without government incentives, then I think they shouldn't be marrying at all. Giving marriage incentives for people who otherwise wouldn't marry does little to defend what marriage ought to be.

One problem is that people let economic incentives prevent them from getting married. My thinking was influenced by an article in NRO from back in 2004 (see here). The fraud that is described in that article (a fake marriage) would place huge financial burdens on the military and other groups that provide benefits to couples. The end result would be that no one would get couples benefits. People should not get married just for the benefits, but if marriage doesn't mean anything, it will practically vanish.

Again, I should be more clear. It is not the government's job to promote marriage per se, but there are lots of things in public policy which disincentivize marriage. For example, welfare policy sought to help single mothers by providing benefits for each child they have. I laud the idea of helping single mothers, but then some women would have more kids just to increase their benefits.

Not all marriages result in children, but the main purpose of defending marriage is to protect the most formative years of children's lives. Many studies show that no matter the race, children in single parent homes have higer risk of crime, drugs, and prison. It would be good to ask: What role should government have in defending marriage? Job one would be to not cheapen the institution.

So, how does all this tie together? In my mind, the looser the definition of marriage, the less likely people are to actually get married. The potential for gay marriage is only part of the issue (and probably only a small part). No-fault divorce is arguably a much larger problem. Everyone throws around the statistic that half of marriages end in divorce. That harms far more children than would ever be directly affected by gay marriage.

Admittedly, Obama has said some good things about fathers in the home. That is one reason I was willing to give him a very long look. I will stand with anyone who will fight to put fathers back in America's homes. But, I believe Obama's stand on civil unions undermines the end result he claims to want.

Obama Just Lost My Vote

I have been concerned with several of Obama's statements over the last few weeks, but was willing to hear him out to judge the whole package. Obama is wrong on the one issue I am not willing to negotiate on:

As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage. Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as married couples in our immigration system.

I am personally convinced that society has a vested interest in the health of marriage as an institution. So many of the problems I have seen, both in Philadelphia and from studies I have read, are traceable to a lack of fathers in the home. Gay marriage undermines all the incentives society can give to heterosexual couples. It opens the whole system to gaming: people will fake gay marriage just for the benefits, thereby eliminating all benefits to everyone.
(h/t EFM)

I Voted Today

I have thought long and hard about who to vote for. I have looked at Obama, and am less sure about him the more I hear him and his wife campaign. Clinton is a leftover from the decade of corruption that gave us White House scandals, Enron, and the stock bubble. I still don't like McCain. Huckabee reminds me of a snake oil salesman.

I decided to vote my heart; I voted for Mitt Romney. I have been a Romney fan for years and would not let a minor technicality like his withdrawal from the race prevent me from voting for him. It is a shame my vote comes too late to make a real difference.

I have heard some ideas about influencing the Democrat race by crossing over, but that feels dirty.

Too Funny

I Just Discovered A New Church Webpage

I love that the Church is continually doing more to deliver its message. A new project is underway to publish everything written under the hand of Joseph Smith. The project has its webpage at www.josephsmithpapers.org. That will get a link on the side of this blog.

Other new Church webpages are www.gordonbhinckley.org and www.thomassmonson.org.

The Only Way To Get It Is To Give It Away

What do any of us want out of life?

Economics is the study of scarcity. To get things you have to be frugal, make choices between competing ideas, and live without certain things.

Looking at corporate America, it is very much a fixed pie scenario. There is only so much pie, and to "maximize your utility," as they say, you have to take it from someone else. This is not all cold and hard business, of course; different people want different things. There are opportunities to expand the pie in some cases.

The classic example from the negotiations class is two people who want a lemon. If they cut the lemon down the middle, each should be happy, right? Not if they want the lemon for different reasons. One person may want the juice for lemonade, and the other may want the skin for baking. Dividing the lemon according to pulp and skin is an example of trying to expand the pie.

Business easily misses ideal solutions because they are so intent on protecting their piece of pie. I think small business gets these things better, because it runs on a more personal basis, but business myopia is still hard to combat.

When most people discuss what really matters in life, it is not merely money and power. Some may not act like money and power are unimportant, but few people actually say the purpose of life is money and power. The problem with business becoming the purpose of life for so many people is that they think business principles apply to everything.

So, back to my original question: What do any of us want out of life? Almost everyone will list things like family, friendship, happiness, faith, hope, love, and the list could go on. The only way to get these things is to give them away freely.

In a terrific book called Six Events, Steven R. Covey describes the difference between a scarcity mentality and an abundance mentality. "People with a scarcity mentality," he says, "have a difficult time being genuinely happy for the success of others, even family members or close friends" (p. 53). What a sad state, yet it is so easy to feel that way.

On the other hand (now I sound like an economist), "Charity, or the pure love of Christ, produces an abundance mentality so that we're never threatened by the success of other people" (p. 54).

I am convinced that no matter what we really want in life, the only way to get it is to give it away and help as many other people find it as possible.

Business Strategy

I just got out of the most unique class of the MBA. It is a Business Strategy class and the first half of day one of the class was a discussion of the business genius of Madonna. She has been massively successful for longer than any other female act.

The professor said, "the first law of business is that sex sells."

That is the problem. Because people perceive that appealing to sexuality is the best way to sell anything, it adds to the coarsening of society. Sex may sell, but it is the cheap and easy way out of advertising. One of my classmates asked if there were any moral issues with selling with sex. The professor said it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is using whatever strategic advantages you can to maximize profits.

In the professor's defense, I think she was exaggerating to make a point, but I see more clearly how vital the role is of Latter-day Saints and like minded people. Business has every incentive to appeal to whatever will increase profits. If sex sells, then they will use it.

I think the Saints' role is to lead. We must stem the tide of filth that is washing over society. It may be that we are fighting a losing battle, but it is a battle we must fight with all we have. Society may continue on its course of self destruction, but individuals can still be saved from that destruction.

Business is all about quantifying the benefits of this or that decision. Sex may sell in the short term, but there are lasting costs that reach generations into the future. People worry about the national deficit, but what about the moral deficit?

The fall of the family has dire consequences. Divorce and illegitimate births harm the way children grow up. They have higher risk of poverty, dropping out of high school, using drugs, being arrested, and having children of their own out of wedlock. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Of course, I am speaking in generalities. I met people in Philadelphia who pulled themselves out of poverty despite the culture around them. I know single moms who are miracle workers, and raise great kids. People can be transformational figures in their families and communities. But all that aside, the costs of drug abuse, criminality, and under-achievement are real and expensive.

I think business leaders and religious leaders have a responsibility to actually lead. The Gadarene Swine Law says that just because everyone is in formation, it doesn't mean they are headed the right direction.

Church leaders were right to warn us "that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."

Three Worst Presidents

Jimmy Carter
James Buchanan
Lyndon B. Johnson
Explanation at American Thinker here.
(H/t NRO)

What a Day!

I was at a seminar today in Dallas and was able to see Dick Hoyt speak. He is the father who competes in marathons and triathlons with his son, Rick, with cerebral palsy in tow. He drags his son in a boat for the swimming, has a seat on the front of the bike, and pushes a three wheeled wheelchair for the run. His story is inspiring. The website is here: http://teamhoyt.com/. They have competed in hundreds of races over the past 25+ years.

Oh, Happy Day!

As easy as it is to point out trouble in the world, there is some good news out there: baseball's spring training has started. No society can be all bad that comes up with spring training. Go Rangers!

Econ 101

Here is an interesting article on economics from Thomas Sowell. A few highlights:

My hope is that Economic Facts and Fallacies will expose some of the worst fallacies and leave readers sufficiently skeptical that they will take other political “solutions” with a grain of salt and stop to think before they join a stampede.

Fallacies can sound very plausible if you don’t stop to analyze what is being said and don’t bother to check out the facts.

Some of the fallacies examined in various chapters of Economic Facts and Fallacies include the following:

1. Government programs are needed to create “affordable housing.” (Actually, government intervention is what has made housing so unaffordable in places where even hovels are expensive.)

2. Employer discrimination is the main reason for differences in income between women and men. (Tons of evidence point in other directions.)

3. College tuition is going up so fast because of rising costs. (Only if you call voluntary increases in spending “rising costs.”)

4. Foreign aid helps poor countries become more prosperous. (Only if you don’t look at the evidence.)

5. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. (It all depends on whether you are talking about flesh and blood human beings or statistical brackets.)

Economic Facts and Fallacies is not just a demolition derby. It also brings out some facts that seldom get much attention in the media.

1. The poverty rate among black married couples has been in single digits since 1994.

2. The average income of the elderly is several times their earnings, and their wealth is far higher than among younger people.

3. Just as blacks are turned down for mortgage loans more often than whites, so whites are turned down more often than Asian Americans. (What does that do to racism as an all-purpose explanation?)

It stands out to me that societal problems become more apparent when we depart from the free market and the family in this country. There was a time when the black family unit was the strongest in the United States. Now, most blacks (African-Americans - I never know what I am supposed to say) are born outside of marriage. As I remember, whites and hispanics born outside of marriage have similar crime rates, high school drop out rates, and drug use rates as the blacks. The trajedy is not as racial as it is familial.

Should Mormons Consider Voting for Obama?

The short answer is yes. But to consider voting for someone and actually voting for someone is not the same thing. An old friend has given some thought as to why it would be good to vote for Barack Obama. I thought I would deal with some of the points he makes here.

I will start with some general observations about Obama. His tone is different than any politician currently on the national stage. Obama has an ability to connect with people who disagree with him. Case in point: me, I am considering voting for Obama. McCain, despite being the heir apparent of my party, is very much a cranky old man. His attacks on Mitt Romney infuriated me. But, I do agree with McCain on one core issue: the war in Iraq.

If anyone looks for coverage on Iraq in the newspapers, it probably won't be there. The old adage - if it bleeds, it leads - is true. Now that American casualties have dropped dramatically, the war is no longer on the front page. I have several friends here at A&M who are Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. One told me that the media does not get it. He said they don't understand the good or the bad that is happening on the ground. (Here is one website that has real reporting.) President Bush has already started drawing down the troop levels in Iraq. If the situation on the ground continues to improve militarily and politically, Iraq may not be that big of an issue come November. If that is the case, I will be more open to the Obama campaign.

Part of me also considers the delicious irony of a narrow Republican win (or dare I say, loss) in Utah. My problem with Republicans has been that they aren't really conservative any more. They presided over insane spending increases, from No Child Left Behind, to Medicare part D, to earmarks. Republicans are not supposed to preside over the massive expansion of the welfare state. (The joke goes: What is the difference between Republicans and Democrats? Republicans will raise spending, but tell you they feel terrible about it.)

The Huckabee sham makes me want to send a statement that says Mormons won't tolerate anti-Mormon behavior from a leading candidate. If Huckabee is McCain's running mate, I am even more likely to vote Democrat. I do not trust the Huckster.

In regards to government spending, the war effort is not that expensive compared to all the entitlement programs. I love the idea of government only buying what it can pay for, just like the rest of the nation. The best solution is to cut spending, not raise taxes. People living in Manhattan get farm subsidies. Soon, 70% of all government spending will be on entitlements. Government largesse does not satisfy the Christian imperatave to care for the poor and needy. I would far rather the government get out of the way of individuals and businesses, so that real assistance could be given.

Now, regarding taxes: the argument that people who make over $250,000 a year should pay more taxes is hollow. The expansion of the economy depends on the success of small businesses. Entrepreneurs may make that kind of money, but it is because they are the ones who are willing to take the risks. If they are taxed more, job creation will slow. Cutting corporate and individual tax rates will have a profound impact on capital investment. Capital investment means new factories, new jobs, and higher wages as skilled workers are in higher demand. (Yes, I am in business school, so my vision is colored by that experience.)

Immigration is a big problem. I know there are people in the Church in Texas who are in this country illegally. The problem is the other illegal activity they engage in. Illegal immigrants are massive perpetrators of identity theft. This harms real people. Illegals lower wages in inner cities. If people are really concerned with poverty, how about finding ways to naturally increase wages like limiting the cheap, illegal workforce. Law enforcement works. After states have increased enforcement of immigration laws, many people are returning to their homes. There is nothing dehumanizing about that. I welcome immigration, just do it right.

Interestingly, on many of the issues I am concerned about, McCain is not really that different than Democrats. I didn't get in to man-made global warming, judges, free speech, taxes, closing Guantanamo (I say leave it open - if those terrorists enter the American judicial system, they will have the rights of the very citizens they want to kill), and class warfare, but McCain has long parroted Democrat talking points.

My conclusion is, I have no conclusion. I don't know who I will vote for in November. I am open to being persuaded. But I am not just interested in style. I want substance, also. Who wins the Democrat primaries matters: I will vote against Hillary in a heartbeat. Running mates matter: Romney on the McCain ticket will help him in my view. John "Maverick" McCain vs. Barack "Audacity of Hope" Obama would be an interesting race. Many campaigns are a race to the edges to shore up the base. For the first time in a long time it could be a race to the middle to grap as many moderates as possible.

So, Mitt's Done

Now that it looks like John McCain is going to be my party nominee, I need to find a way to support him... or do I? I loved Mitt's speech at CPAC, and McCain's was actually one of his best. But one speech does not agreement make. As much as I like listneing to Obama, I don't know what substance he has. There is no way to really tell how he will actually govern.

A week ago, I would have said there is no way McCain could get my support and there is no way Romney could be the veep nominee. But the way Romney dropped out, it seems there is a door there where none was before. If Romney were on the ticket, I could vote for McCain without holding my nose.

Amen

Praise to the Man

I write with a heavy heart tonight. I just learned that Gordon Bitner Hinckley, prophet of the Lord, has died. President Hinckley was one of the truly great prophets with a vision of the Lord's work unmatched by almost anyone. I am sure much will be written of his legacy. Presidnet Hinckley built and dedicated more temples than anyone in history. He published two great and inspired documents: one setting forth the significance of the family in the work of the Lord, and one testifying of Jesus Christ.

I want to spend more time talking about this great Prophet's impact in my life. I could detail many years of his talks at General Conference, but I will just pick a few events to highlight. First a general observation: It was a tangible Spirit of peace to be in the presence of the Prophet. It was often a large, crowded room, with people buzzing like before any other meeting. The instant the Prophet entered the room the Spirit would come in waves. Almost instantly the whole room would stand up and become silent.

In August of 2005, President Hinckly gave the whole Church a challenge to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the year. I have read it several times before and since, but there was something different about that time. President Hinckley promised, "Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God." I found that to be true. That challenge increased my love for the Book of Mormon and the testimony is bears of Jesus Christ. I came to know even more fully that Jesus lives and is involved and concerned about my life.

In October 2006, President Hinckley gave a talk to the Priesthood of the Church where he challenged the men to obtain all the education they could. That one talk inspired me to enter grad school here at Texas A&M University. I took the GMAT two months later and was acceped into the MBA program. My experiences over the past five months have been the happiest of my life. I have been genuinely stretched academically and have met some friends who will be friends for the rest of my life. I have never been so happy. There have been three times in my life when I have had the calm assurances of the Spirit telling me I am at exactly the right place in my life: when I started my mission, when I started my undergrad at BYU, and when I started the MBA program. President Hinckley's teachings affected each of those stages of my life, but without his challenge that October, I would have been robbed of the great experiences of the past few months of my life.

I thank God I was ever able to hear the testimony of the great Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley.

John McCain is a Liar

I have been following the early presidential primaries very closely. (Too closely, I should be studying more for school.) I have come to realize something lately. John McCain is just like Hillary Clinton. Hillary has attacked Barack Obama relentlessly. She acts as if she were squeeky clean. The Clintons made today's South Carolina primary all about race. As a result, white Democrats over thirty went for Hillary. On the other hand, in Iowa, Obama won the white vote.

It seems thoroughly ironic that the party that claims to be champions of diversity and multicultural understanding could become so divided. I just listened to Obama's victory speech in South Carolina and was very impressed. I may disagree with him on many issues, but I appreciate his rhetoric. I could see myself voting for Obama. (Especially if McCain is the Republican nominee. See.. this post is about McCain.)

No to how McCain and Hillary are similar. McCain is lying about Mitt Romney's statements. (See here, and here.) McCain seems willing to say anything to win, just like Hillary. Pretty disturbing from a guy who claims honor is his watchword. Even McCain supporters and Time magazine agree that McCain is in the wrong. A man who will lie to win the presidency will not get my vote over a guy I probably disagree with.

Prophets Have Warts!

I have recently run across many poisonous accusations against the Church in comment sections of online news sites. I marvel to see Joseph Smith, a man I revere, portrayed as the basest scoundrel ever to walk the earth. As a member of the Church, I am guilty by association. Apparently I am a racist, a simpleton, an idiot, anti-modern, anti-science, intolerant (OK, that one may hold some water sometimes), and people like me are the source of all the problems in the world. I am apparently no different than Mahmood Ahmadinejad.

I am reminded of a story about Joseph Smith from late in his life. Joseph was the mayor of a beautiful and thriving Nauvoo. The city rivaled Chicago at the time as the largest city in Illinois.

Many converts were coming from Britain. They would arrive on the Maid of Iowa, the paddle boat that served Nauvoo on the Mississippi River. One time, Joseph showed up at the dock to greet the new converts in rough clothing. Joseph asked the first convert off the boat why he was there. "I have joined the Mormon Church." Joseph asked, "What do you know about Joseph Smith?" "He is a prophet of God." Joseph then asked, "What if I told you I was Joseph Smith?" "Then you are a prophet of God." Joseph must have smiled, shaken the man's hand, then said, "I am the prophet, but I have worn these rough clothes to let you know that if you expect me to be anything other than a man, that you should get back on that boat and go back to England."

Joseph might have taught a lesson like that because people seemed to have the idea that a calling to be a prophet should make him perfect. Too many had left the Church because even a prophet called by God still has warts. I forget if it was Lorenzo Snow or Wilford Woodruff, but one of them said that they were thankful to see Joseph's imperfections. I echo their sentiment: If God could use Joseph for His work, maybe there is hope for me.

Ready for a New Year!

I am ready for the most amazing year ever. I can just feel it in my bones that everything will change this year. I will put another college degree under my belt. I will have some great business opportunities (some known, others unknown). I will pay off my truck. I will come close to finishing my oil painting of the Nauvoo Temple.

In my ward, I teach the Elders' Quorum. The lesson manual this year is on Joseph Smith. When I was a missionary, I loved teaching the Joseph Smith principle of the first discussion. The Spirit was always there to testify of the truth of Joseph's experiences. Nothing is greater than telling someone that there are prophets again on the earth.

The World Tries to Escape Natural Consequences

This article from the Wall Street Journal illustrates a symptom of a much broader problem. The writer compares the subprime mortgage problems to the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. The foolish virgins bet tons of money on subprime mortgages, and had huge profits for a time, followed by the current huge losses. Now, the government is coming to bail out these foolish lenders. The article says, in part:

There were five other virgins. They worked hard in industry rather than finance, saved rather than borrowed, paid their taxes, didn't speculate on subprime mortgages and didn't run hedge funds. They didn't get fat bonuses, either, during the bubble or during the crunch. They weren't running risks -- or, at least, that's what they thought. The snag is that, after the Federal Reserve's Ben Bernanke and his French cousin, Jean-Claude Trichet started spraying around cheap cash to bail out Stan, Chuck, Fannie and the like, inflation started seeping into the economy. That eroded the real value of the "wise" virgins' savings.

The real disease is the desire to escape the natural consequences of foolish choices. This disease manifests itself in all aspects of life. People everywhere refuse to take responsibility for their own actions and then expect someone else to come in behind them to rescue them from the law of the harvest.

This echoes another time in history when people thought there was no benefit to wisely following the commandments of God. The wicked were fat and happy:

Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

The only problem is that "the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin." CEO's artificially inflated stock prices with these subprime loans, took their huge bonuses, and left their businesses in shambles. Lots of innocent people are being hurt because these businesses are in such trouble, and now, all of us that have been wise with our finances are faced with higher inflation and lower value of savings.

Heeding the Prophet's counsel from way back in October of 1998 would have saved many troubles both in the post-Clinton recession and 9/11 recession. That same counsel, if applied today, would have saved many from the risk of foreclosure and the whole US economy would be stronger.

My Life in the Chruch

In response to Elder Ballard's challenge, I will tell a little about my experience as a member of the Church. I attended a religious seminary class every morning before school all four years of high school. Since then, I have read the scriptures essentially every day. Daily scripture reading changed my life. Before I started reading, I was a terrible high school student. The spiritual nourishment of seminary and scripture reading gave me purpose. I became a stellar student and that all combined to prepare me to serve a mission for two years preaching the Gospel in Philadelphia. I was never happier.

On my mission I learned to express myself to others. I learned the Gospel by giving all I had to the work. There is no other opportunity to offer all my money, time, and energy to the Lord. That sacrifice has set the path of my life. I then attended BYU, where I took religion classes from the best teachers in all the Church. I took classes on Isaiah, the New Testament, The Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and anything else I could fit in my schedule. I was never happier.

A little over a year ago, President Hinckley, the prophet of the Lord, issued a challenge to the men of the Church. He said to obtain all the education we could. I took that challenge seriously. After that challenge, I prepared for and took the GMAT. I have started the MBA program at Texas A&M University. And I have never been happier.

I have learned from all these experiences that the happiest times in life come when I follow the prophet. Nothing has been easy, but it isn't supposed to be. I believe more and more that the greater the challenges, the greater the joy. Jesus certainly experienced that. He endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. In life, we all have our own crosses to carry. The cross I have had to figuratively carry has taught me that God lives and knows me. Not only that, but He is interested in the affairs of my life. I could never have planned the course my life has taken, but I can plainly see that God's hand has directed my path. Whatever price I must pay to become acquainted with God is worth the price. Nephi was highly favored in his afflictions. Really, it is only through affliction that anyone realizes how highly favored they are.

Elder Ballard Spoke at BYU-Hawaii Graduation

I thought this was an important challenge Elder Ballard gave graduates.

We have a major responsibility as Latter-day Saints to define ourselves instead of letting others define us. Far too many people have a poor understanding of the Church because most of the information they hear about us is from the news media reports that are often driven by controversies. Too much attention to controversy has a negative impact on peoples’ perceptions of what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints really is.

There has been so much said about the Church by people who know so little about it. News reports focus on the sensational and ignore the nitty gritty of who we are as Saints. Some news coverage is ridiculous. There are a few talking head who have intense hatred for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. One thing Mitt Romney's campaign has done is bring these people out of the woodwork. Even a few of his opponents have ventured into anti-Mormon fare.

A Great Speech on Freedom and Religion

I never thought I would want to quote the President of the University of Utah. But, I believe he is a BYU grad and he was speaking at BYU-Idaho, so it is OK. The link is here. This is a very good way to make the point Mitt Romney was trying to make in College Station in his Faith in America speech when he said: "Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom."

Protecting one’s freedom of religion necessarily and inescapably presupposes the propriety of allegiance to something higher than that government. Any government that respects freedom of religion must necessarily wrestle with, and accept, its own limitations. If you believe that a government must provide freedom of religion, then you must also believe – and that government must also believe – that there are appropriate limits to government power, that there are parts of our lives into which a government cannot intrude.

There is also a warning for when a country starts limiting religious freedom:

If you see a government trying to suppress and control freedom of religion, then you know trouble is on the way. It is like the canary in the coal mine. It is the first signal that a government is beginning to abuse all the human rights or soon will.

Ahh, School!

I have spent the past five months in the MBA program at Texas A&M University. I love it. It is, of course, my excuse for never posting anything here. Especially early on, a twelve hour day (including class and homework) was short. I park at the LDS Institute of Religion and am usually the first one there in the morning and the last one to leave at night. Various things have combined to make this the happiest time in my life, despite (or is it because of) being overworked. I wish I could be a student forever. Well, there's always a PhD... We'll see about that.

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

I have a couple of pictures of the band. They are quite the spectacle.
This is the best picture I could get of a formation at the t.u. game since my seats were so dang good.

The precision marches are impressive to watch. The old computer programs that helped bands learn marches have two people in one spot for the Aggie Band. It took a better program for the Aggies.

My First Aggie vs t.u. Football Game

I attended the A&M vs. t.u. football game for the first time this year. I sat at about the 45 yard line on row 28. I have never been to such a loud football game. The 12th Man (that is the student section for non-Aggies out there) was yelling even during time-outs and commercial breaks. The football team was mediocre most of the year, but they showed up to play that day. It was great to BTHO t.u.!
This picture is the 12th Man. He is a walk on who represents all the students on the field.
This was my view of the game from the student section.

My First House

When I started school, I bought a house in Bryan, TX, just a few miles away from Texas A&M University. This picture was my first week in August. The house had been vacant and the lawn was long. Yes, that is three foot grass you see. And yes, that is a rented brush mower. It could barely handle the tall grass. Come to think of it, in the August heat, I could barely handle the tall grass.

Andrew's wedding

This picture is of most of my cousins. With the family scattered between Seattle, Houston, Oregon, Dallas, and Virginia, it is hard to get many more together at once than this. Somehow, we didn't get a picture with all of us and Andrew. It was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding.

Trip to Washington

I have been immensely busy with school and have not updated anything here in months. More on that later. Here are a few more pictures from my trip to see my cousin's wedding in the shadow of Mount Rainier. On day 3 (June 28) we rode horses with Mom's sister and two of her kids.