http://beehivestandardweekly.com en-us http://beehivestandardweekly.com N/A rgraham@lawyerswest.net Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:13:48 -0700 20 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/199/1/Same-sex-Agenda-Has-Triumphed%2C-But-So-Has-Immorality WHO IS REALLY TO BLAME?Depending upon your point of view, recent developments in allowing same-sex marriages in California and the marriage of two openly gay Anglican priests in a London cathedral could be either a great tragedy or a liberating statement of human rights. It depends primarily upon one's belief in the Almighty and Traditional Christian Doctrine. But even conservatives must admit that those doing the condemning need to step back and take a long look at themselves. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/196/1/Texas-Lawyers-Save-Constitution-in-Polygamy-Ruling Previously, the editors of the Beehive Standard Weekly expressed our opinion that the raid on the polygamy compound was clearly an infringement of civil rights upon the members of the FLDS church. The Texas Supreme Court agrees and now the unraveling of this ugly civil rights battle begins.This is not to say that there won't be specific charges eventually brought against individuals who have engaged in improper marriages with underage persons, however, as a whole, the Texas Child Protective Services and its henchmen should be held accountable for their atrocities. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/191/1/Why-The-Polygamy-Raid-Was-Wrong Several of our readers have asked for the Beehive Standard Weekly to speak out on the recent raids on polygamists in Texas. Uniquely, our staff consists of lawyers who also happen to be Mormon, who also happen to be journalists. To that end, perhaps we can't avoid having or expressing an opinion.To that end, we offer the conclusion before the commentary, so no one can misquote us without knowing that they are misquoting us.Conclusion:  Our conclusion is that though there may be specific and individual examples of violations of several laws of the State of Texas relating to underage marriage, the state and federal authorities have also violated the most sacred law of all, the United States Constitution. In the balance, religious prejudice and bigotry has tainted the actions of authorities, the media and the peeping-tom public. It may be one of the ugliest displays of religious intolerance since -- well, since the Mormons were driven out of the United States. With that said, this is not an apology for those who have violated the law or abused children. Those participating in such low crimes should be brought to justice. The FLDS cannot hide behind their faith for attrocities against children. Religion is not an excuse for violating the laws which are clear and unambiguous. Collective persecution, however, is not the way to obtain justice.  In the majority, the people who were subject to the raid were living peaceful lives, though their religious practices are clearly not mainstream. Some may view this act of Texas authorities as America taking a stand against abusive religious doctrines. In many ways, this is a test of the American system.  Either we believe in religious freedom, or we don't.  If we don't, then let's not act like hypocrites and let's rescind the right under the Bill of Rights. We can't continue to hold up litmus tests for public office and persecute those who don't hold mainstream religious beliefs and claim at the same time to have religious freedom.  We either do, or we don't. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/187/1/Book-of-Mormon-Gospel-Doctrine%3A-Understanding-Isaiah%3A-Lessons-8-%28Part-II%29-and-Lesson-9 When Jesus Christ visited the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, one of the express charges he made to the people was to study the words of Isaiah. More particularly, he stated "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea a Commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake." See 3 Nephi 23: 1-3Isaiah's writings take time to read and to understand, but if a person is willing to take the writings one verse at a time, and look for keys to understanding Isaiah, the rewards are magnificent. In Part I of our lesson commentary, the focus was on chapter 6 of 2 Nephi. This Part II of our commentary moves on to chapters 7 and 8. As volumes could be written on these chapters, we will try to cover the profound material in brief, but insightful, fashion. Chapters 9 and 10 are covered well in the Gospel Doctrine Manual. As this commentary is intended to be supplemental in nature, we would encourage teachers to avoid making lessons complex and use this material only to the extent it provides insight into the simple concepts of the Plan of Salvation taught in the official Manual. Those who have a good grasp of those concepts can then consider these writings in their personal study.As we always say, "Words Have Meaning," and this is particularly true for Isaiah. Our past pattern in reading scriptures works well for plowing through hundreds of chapters of material in a single year. If we did not read the Book of Mormon like a romance novel, we could never begin in 1 Nephi in January and end at Moroni in December.The same holds true to Seminary and Institute Curriculum that must cover an entire work of scripture like the New Testament or Book of Mormon in only five months. What is good for the calendar and teacher, however, is not always good for the student or the author of the scripture.This is where personal scripture study must come into play. The teacher must keep moving to keep up with the curriculum. The student, however, can approach scripture study in any manner they choose in order to make the most out of the time they put in.Would it be too difficult a concept to ask students to study no more than a single chapter of scripture in an entire week? Can anyone imagine Christ reading the scriptures like the latest issue of People Magazine -- jumping from headline to headline. Of course, we can't. So how should we approach Isaiah in the Book of Mormon.First, we have a commandment to study his words.  A commandment is not a suggestion, nor is it even a word of wisdom. It is something that has a duty associated with it, so let us examine what that duty is before we go further.At the most modest level, it is to read the words of Isaiah at a level of complete lack of understanding. In short, it would be no different than if you were to pick up a book in a foreign language. You could read the text, but have no understanding as to what is being said. In a technical sense, this would be in compliance with the commandment to read Isaiah.But wait, Christ did not command us to read Isaiah, he said that we needed to "Search these things."  What does search mean? The dictionary description of search indicates that it is to go or look through carefully to find something lost or missing (www.dictionary.com). If words have meaning, then these words are very important to the reading of Isaiah.Most would say that Isaiah is confusing and that the original meaning has been lost somehow. The words of Christ that we should search Isaiah indicates that we need to go or look through carefully to find the lost or missing meaning.Then how should we approach Isaiah? There is very little time during the day to set aside to try to understand what appears to be difficult and obscured language.Agreed. Isaiah has hidden the meaning of his words, but understanding Isaiah requires three things. First (1), it requires a key or decoding concept; (2) it requires time for contemplation and third (3), it requires the Holy Ghost for understanding. Without these guideposts, our search of Isaiah's meaning will be difficult, if not impossible.Sometimes, the scriptures put the cart before the horse. Such is the case in 2 Nephi. In these chapters, 6-10, we read the key or decoding concept after Jacob shares the Isaiah chapters. This makes reading the Isaiah chapters so much the worse because we don't have a clear understanding as to why these chapters have been chosen by Jacob and what it is that Jacob is trying to teach us.Before you read chapters 6, 7 or 8, please read chapters 9 and 10. If you are impatient and just want to know the key concept, like most of us in the world, then we will share the key with you.The key concept is . . . (spoiler -- don't read unless you really want to know!)For those who want to know, the key concept is the physical and spiritual redemption of Christ. In other words, in order to understand the quoted Isaiah in chapters 6, 7 and 8, you need to understand that Isaiah is not exclusively talking about the restoration of Israel, but is also talking about the redemption of Christ in the physical and spiritual sense for all mankind. If you only read the words of Isaiah as to the restoration of Israel, you will only catch a small nuance of meaning within the written words. If you understand also that Isaiah is concurrently talking about the gift Christ gives to all mankind, then the book is opened more fully to one's understanding and perhaps for the first time, you will actually read and understand Isaiah. So let us check off the key concept aspect on our requirements.Next, we turn to time for contemplation and the Holy Ghost. The interesting thing about these two requirements is that they speak more to personal preparation than anything else. Only the student can gauge whether they have the time or correct spiritual attitude to read Isaiah.Let us assume, for a moment, that the reader or student does not have the Holy Ghost. Perhaps the student needs to repent for something or has taken the gospel commandments too lightly and the Spirit has withdrawn. Or maybe, the student or reader has just had "one of those days." The reader may not have control over whether he or she has the Holy Ghost at the very moment of reading the passages of Isaiah. Despite the Holy Ghost not being present, all is not lost.What is in the reader's control is the time for contemplation. In other words, if the student or reader has a general understanding of the key concept and is willing to dedicate time for contemplation, the Holy Ghost need not be immediately present at the beginning of the exercise of "searching." In most instances, the Holy Ghost will come if the reader is sincere as the mission of the Holy Ghost is to bear witness of Christ and the truth of the gospel. With adequate diligence, it would be more probable than not that the third prong for understanding Isaiah will be met.Having at least two of the elements in place, we can begin the study of chapter 7.2 Nephi 7: 1-2It takes two to tango. It also takes two in order to cast someone off, to put away, to divorce or to sell a debtor to a creditor. In each case, it takes two people. If I cast someone off, then there is the person in the boat and the person on shore. If I put someone away, there is the person in prison and the person outside of the prison responsible for making the charge that leads to imprisonment. To divorce someone, there first has to be the marriage of two persons. To sell a person into a debtor's prison, there must be a creditor. In each case, the Lord is saying through Isaiah that there is an active participant in removing a person from the presence of another person.In verse 1, the Lord simply states the obvious: "ye have sold yourselves." He then tells us that our sin impacts others, not just ourselves when he states: "and for your transgressions is your mother put away."These are chilling statements that cut to the heart. First, the Lord is making it very clear that our removal from God has been accomplished through our acts, not the acts of another. This is a statement of accountability. Only we are responsible for our removal from God. We are the ones who are in a fallen state because we have sinned (think of the key concept of redemption to get more meaning out of these words).The second statement makes it clear that others have been injured because of our sins. What sin doesn't impact another person -- often times, those most dear to us? Under what egregious circumstances can we imagine that the sins of a child would result in the mother of the family being imprisoned?Let us look at the role of the mother. She gives us life. She loves us. She would do anything for us, yet our sins are so significant that she would be put away. Perhaps the statement is meant to show us how blind we really are about our condition. First, we blame others for our condition and second, we harm others as a result of our acts.So Christ comes to the house. He calls upon the family of mankind in Verse 3 and there is no man.In this instance, the Lord seems to be saying that our sins have resulted in the enslavement of loved ones and the death or removal of the man of the household, or more importantly, perhaps the removal of the priesthood of God from the home. There is no one to answer his call. Not only is the priesthood and virtue removed because of sin, but there is no one who will serve God left remaining.Continuing on in Verse 3, the Lord talks about his power and his priesthood authority. He can and does control the elements, but by all indications, he does not control you. You have openly sinned against God and left his presence and he cannot command you back into his presence. He has the power to deliver you, but he will not force you to return. Like the Prodigal son, you have left on your own and you must choose to return to God before Christ will deliver you. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/186/1/Book-of-Mormon-Gospel-Doctrine-Lesson-8%3A-2-Nephi-6-10-Part-I Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 6-10This lesson is centered around the sermon of Jacob, the brother of Nephi, and his comments on the atonement of Christ for the sins of man. Here are some points you may want to consider in giving your lesson:Teacher Hint: Always question why certain words were chosen in the scriptures and the history of the writer to obtain proper intention of the writer.BackgroundJacob has received the priesthood from either Nephi or his father and has been "consecrated." From this we can presume that he has received a call to a particular position or responsibility. (1 Nephi 6:2). We note that Nephi has taken the role of a "king" and is probably busy with administrative matters. Not unlike King Josiah in Jerusalem, Nephi would have had a secular and religious role over his people and has likely passed on to Jacob some of the responsibilities of the church.We see in versus 4, 8, & 9 that Jacob has had the same or nearly the same vision experienced by his brother Nephi and his father Lehi regarding the coming of the Messiah and the destruction of the people of Jerusalem; however, his vision has come much later.  Jacob states that he has been shown that those in Jerusalem have now been slain and carried away captive -- in the past tense. So his vision would have come more recently or at least after Nephi's vision.He mentions an angel who has spoken to him of these matters (v9).Jacob's sermon seems to accent the role of the Messiah in the last days in the fulfilling of the promises to the chosen people. In verse 14, we see that the Messiah will recover Israel a second time by manifesting himself and destroying their enemies. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/185/1/The-Sacred-Garment-of-Mormon-Theology Old TestamentHigh Priest RobesAt the Beehive Standard Weekly, our Internet analysis tools allow us to see what some people are searching for on search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and the like. Time and again, we see searches for "Mormon Underwear" coming up in our keywords section.There appears to be some appetite for those who are curious as to the undergarment that some Mormon men and women wear.  Rather than the void being filled with some anti-Mormon lunatic or those who might only desire to ridicule, we thought it would be appropriate to give a discrete response to those who might be genuinely curious, but who don't want to read the bigoted slander that exists on the world wide web. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Emerson Chase) Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/182/1/Obama-Could-Take-the-West-with-the-Help-of-Mormon-Vote  Shunned Mormons Could Serve Up the West for ObamaMormons learned a hard lesson from the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. The message Southern Evangelicals made loud and clear was "you are not welcome." Despite sharing substantially similar values, Mormons and Evangelicals are deeply divided on the issue of theology. To Mormons, voting for Evangelical candidates is routine. For Evangelicals, voting for a Mormon candidate is now seen as nearly heresy -- hence the reason Mormons may abandon the Republican Presidential nominee in November As one blog contributor noted recently, this election was never about the Mormons supporting Evangelicals, as there is a history of such support coming from Mormons. This election was about turn about and fair play. Mormons believed that the Republican Evangelical base in the southwestern portion of the United States would accept a Mormon candidate on shared values, despite theological differences. In other words, Mormons incorrectly assumed that where common values prevailed over theology, Evangelicals would return the favor and vote for a Mormon candidate. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/177/1/Book-of-Mormon-Sunday-School-Lessons---Teacher-Helps Sunday School Lessons: Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi to EnosMany teachers struggle to adequately connect the early books of the Book of Mormon to the history of the Old Testament. Understanding the history of the people and the times of that day and age will help your class trust the authenticity of the Book of Mormon as well as giving them important insights into some of the promises and visions contained in this important work of scripture. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/175/1/Romney-Thompson-Looks-Like-the-Ticket-to-Beat (Las Vegas, NV) -- Save the laughs, we need to talk politics. Last summer, we cast and predicted a Romney-Thompson ticket. Later, as Mike Huckabee stepped up and became the Evangelical vote, and Fred Thompson never seemed to launch into the campaign, we recast our prediction of a ticket as being Romney-Huckabee.At the time, it made clear sense that Romney would win the north and Huckabee would then deliver the south. Together, this ticket would have been dynamic and very tough to beat. Then Huckabee got an attitude and an ego and surrounded himself with people who told him that he could win it all.He could have recovered from the ego after New Hampshire, but insisted on using Romney's religion against him. You may have heard the term "flip-flop," but that was really code-speak to far right-wing Evangelicals. It really means "you can't really vote for a Mormon can you?"That brings us to South Carolina. Thompson suddenly started attacking Huckabee and started looking like the political player many thought he should have been months earlier. The pundits said that he was doing his buddy McCain a favor, but the truth perhaps lies deeper. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/173/1/Obama-Campaign-Eyes-Mormons-in-Nevada (Las Vegas, NV) -- An important source at the highest levels of the Obama Campaign in Nevada said Thursday that the Obama Campaign is most fearful of Mitt Romney coming out as the Republican candidate as he is dynamic and has a command of economic issues. This revelation came about as the Obama Campaign was inquiring with some prominent Mormon civic leaders about a possible Mormon cross-over vote in the Southwest to Obama if Huckabee or McCain were to be the eventual nominee. The reliable source indicated that the Obama camp is currently implementing a plan to attract Mormon Moderate Republicans to their camp as a second choice to Romney, assuming he doesn't get the Republican nomination. "I have grown up with Mormons all my life," the source stated "and I do not see them following McCain or Huckabee, so Obama can capture those votes and carry many of the Southwest states, including Arizona, if Obama can shave away only some of the Mormon vote." Mormons represent an important voting audience in the West. Though only representing five to seven percent of the total population, the actual turn out of Mormons is nearly the highest of any major voting block. It is estimated that of actual persons voting, the Mormon block accounts for nearly twenty percent of actual voters. In the West, Mitt Romney is relying upon the Mormon block to help him carry the day.  With nearly twenty percent of the vote virtually in his pocket, he has the task of broadening his message to moderate evangelicals, and economic conservatives who are not of his faith. In a speech at Brady Industries Thursday night, Romney hit hard on Washington's failure to deliver any of the promises made in the past. The large banquet room was packed to capacity as former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn joked to the crowd that he had asked a favor of the local fire marshal to turn a blind eye on the room capacity until Romney's speech was done. Not only was the room filled to capacity, but the staircase and lower lobby were also packed. Romney noted that he had received the endorsement of the main Las Vegas paper, the Review-Journal, earlier that day and then flashed the good news that he had just learned before the speech that the editorial board at the Reno Gazette had also endorsed his candidacy. Of important note, however, was that those filling the room were in the majority of the Mormon faith, though there were clearly many, many other groups represented. This block of voters will be Romney's mainstay in the Southwest and will give Romney an immediate lift as they will turn out in large numbers and they will deliver nearly a quarter of the total votes in some areas. Recognizing the significant disadvantage, the other candidates are noticeably absent and have all but conceded the race to Romney. Huckabee should also have a reasonable showing as there are many evangelicals in the southwest, but they are often less hostile towards Mormons, which means Romney should split that important vote. As to Obama, he is also counting on the Mormon vote. If Romney is not the Republican candidate, look for Obama to cater directly to Mormons with the message of inclusion in order to take important southwestern states. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/172/1/Evangelicals-Show-Mormons-Who%26%2339%3Bs-Boss----In-Iowa Let's face the hard facts. Huckabee is the Evangelical Candidate for retaking America. There are a lot of Evangelicals in Iowa and they all came out to prove one point: "We Don't Want a Mormon President." Sadly, that is the bottom line.Mike Huckabee could have been missing two front teeth and still won in Iowa. That is clear. After one major political faux pas after another, Huckabee still garnered in excess of 55% of the Evangelical vote and the Evangelicals made up nearly half of the entire Republican caucus population.And that is why Mike Huckabee's candidacy is doomed. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/165/1/Graham-Stand%3A-Romney-Strikes-Presidential-Chord-in-Speech Sounding presidential and firm, Mitt Romney addressed the religiously-based challenge to his candidacy from the Huckabee Campaign. In the end, the only candidate standing was the one who wasn't proclaiming his Christianity on television commercials. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sat, 08 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/162/1/Answering-the-Romney-Theology-Problem Mitt Romney is finally defending himself from the attacks by Evangelicals. Sadly, he is still not explaining in detail the differences between Evangelicals and Mormons. Here is a little help for our political friend, Mitt. A real explanation for those who want it.If you love point-counterpoint, dig-in and see if you learn anything. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Emerson Chase) Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/163/1/McCain%26%2339%3Bs-Mom-Slips-%26quot%3BMormons-to-Blame-for-Olympics-Scandal%26quot%3B In a major gaff of political incorrectness, John McCain's mother has created a monster problem for the Senator. In answering a question about Mitt Romney's qualifications for President on MSNBC, Roberta McCain blamed the Mormons for the 2002 Olympic's corruption scandal."As far as the Salt Lake City thing, he's a Mormon and the Mormons of Salt Lake City caused that scandal. And to clean that up, again, it's not a subject," Roberta McCain said.The Senator, who has a number of high-profile Mormon supporters, tried to deflect what was an obvious step in the politically incorrect mud."The views of my mother's are not necessarily the views of mine," the Senator quipped. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/161/1/Does-Huckabee-Fill-Thompson%26%2339%3Bs-VP-Shoes Okay, so we made a mistake.Like everyone else in America, we all thought that Fred Thompson was that guy on CSI -- strong, wise, a natural-born leader, a guy ready to step into a crisis and bring calm and reason. Six months into his presidential campaign and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between Thompson and a roast beef sandwich. To say that we are all a little disappointed is a vast understatement.More importantly, however, we now have to re-cast our ultimate Republican ticket. Still at the top of the ticket is mastermind and political genius Mitt Romney. As his Vice President, the Right Reverend Michael Huckabee. The Democrats will have more than a little trouble beating this ticket. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/150/1/Noah----Where-Art-Thou%3F-Evan-Almighty-Judged-Perfect-for-Families You remember it, don't you? Bill Cosby updates the Noah story. God calls upon a skeptical Noah who responds in modern terms and questions God's wisdom until it starts raining. In response, the modern fashioned Noah suddenly finds religion and faith. "Just you and me God, just you and me."It is a classic skit and it deserved a film version. Morgan Freeman, who reprises his role as God from "Bruce Almighty" and Steve Carrell, who makes a second appearance as the Everyman character, make this reincarnation true to form.  It is funny. It is reverent and you need to see it with your kids. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Emerson Chase) Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/149/1/Graham-Stand%3A-McCain-Staffer%26%2339%3Bs-Comments-About-Mormon-Women-Unimaginable McCain presidential campaign staffer Chad Workman's comments comparing Mormon treatment of women as being similar to the radical Taliban is so backwards and bigoted it is hard to fashion a response. Senator McCain was not only correct in apologizing for Mr. Workman's comments, but it is hard to imagine that McCain could even conjure up such an image given his own personal experience with a large Mormon constituency. Perhaps Mr. Workman should ask Mormon "woman" Bay Buchanan how she feels about her religion before he puts another five toes in his mouth. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/148/1/New-Hinckley-Alumni-Center-To-Be-Dedicated-at-BYU Thanks to more than 70,000 donors, including more than 48,000 alumni and 8,000 students, the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center is nearing completion and will be dedicated this Saturday, June 23, during a 1 p.m.(MDT) ceremony. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/145/1/Conserve-natural-resources I applaud Gov. Huntsman for his recent efforts at seeking ways to conserve our natural resources and protect our environment. This is a very important issue and one that I wish more politicians would spend time on. Despite the arguments of some, we are hardly dealing with a "pop-science" or "global-warming charade."  Nearly all current scientific evidence points directly to global warming and climate change. Those few scientists that believe global warming is not happening are the ones on the fringe of science. They repeatedly use such tired arguments as melting ice caps on Mars as so-called proof that what is happening here is normal and inevitable. Regardless of whether or not global warming is occurring at the rate that current science estimates, one thing is indisputable: We are currently consuming natural resources and polluting the environment at a staggering rate and we need to seek cleaner and more efficient sources of energy. It has been argued that only God can control the climate. We must remember that ultimately we are each stewards of this beautiful Earth that God has provided for us and it is our moral responsibility to try and seek ways to best use this wonderful gift. Thus, it is in our hands to decide how we want to treat this planet and how we want to leave it for our children and future generations. Jonathan H. Westover jon.westover@gmail.com (Jonathan H. Westover) Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/144/1/Faith-precedes-the-film-that-claims-to-show-Christ%26%2339%3Bs-tomb I'm having a difficult time understanding the controversy surrounding the recent Discovery Channel documentary that suggests that Christ's tomb has been found.For those not of the Christian faith, I can't see how it matters. For those who are of the Christian faith: What's the big deal?The purported evidence only suggests the possibility that Christ's tomb (including his remains and those of his family) has been found. But really, how strong is this evidence?Regardless of the circumstantial, archaeological evidence, there's no way that this tomb or its contents can be proven to belong to Christ and his family.But what if such Dan-Brown-esque "concrete proof" were a reality? What would that mean for Christians?It shouldn't mean anything.For Christians, a belief in Christ, his resurrection, and his divine nature has never been based on scientific evidence or proof, but rather, has always been a matter of faith.There's no reason for Christians to get all worked up over this.After all, if a single documentary can shake a person's faith, then that person's faith probably wasn't that strong to begin with. Jonathan H. Westover jon.westover@gmail.com (Jonathan H. Westover) Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/143/1/Reader%26%2339%3Bs-Opinion%3A-LDS-Church-members-should-be-politically-involved The LDS Church does not endorse any political party or political leader, and I believe it is our moral and civic duty to be active in the political process and challenge political views and policies. This does not mean all faithful LDS Church members must be Republican, and an individual's choice to vote for or support the Democrats (or any other party issue or candidate) does not mean opposition to the church. Many church leaders have served in the Democratic and other political parties.As a political independent (a moral conservative with both social liberal and fiscal conservative leanings on various issues), I see definite problems with both parties -- neither is inherently morally superior to the other. To suggest such is to make the claim that the world is made up of simple black-and-white issues.I live in an intricate world of beautifully contrasting colors of all shades, and such beauty should be treasured, not ignored or avoided. Jonathan H. Westover jon.westover@gmail.com (Jonathan H. Westover) Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/140/1/BEEHIVE-NEWS-FIRST-WITH-ROMNEY-PREDICTION Columnist Robert Novak predicted that Mitt Romney's religion was likely to sink his candidacy. Not that we like to brag, but the Beehive News was the first to predict being a Mormon would actually help Romney in his presidential bid.  With Romney being first in fundraising (15% of which came from Romney's Mormon base) and now leading in several key states, it is time again to analyze why Romney's Mormon-ness might put him over the top come 2008 rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sun, 27 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/103/1/The-100-Most-Influential-Historical-Figures-in-American-History Joseph SmithBrigham YoungTWO MORMON LEADERS CREDITED WITH INFLUENCING AMERICAN HISTORYAccording to the monthly magazine The Atlantic, two early Mormon leaders are considered among the 100 Most Influential Historical Figures in American History.  The founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith, is listed as number 52 on the list, while American Moses and the Father of the West, Brigham Young is listed as number 74. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Emerson Chase) Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/96/1/Some-Paid-the-Ultimate-Sacrifice-Lessons-to-be-learned-from-Handcart-Pioneers-150-years-later. Most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints quickly recognize "The Willie and Martin Handcart companies" as a group of people who made their journey to Zion so late in the season that they suffered a terrible price, lost lives, and endured crushing hardship. Yet few know the complete story of the stirring details that make this trek one of the Church's most inspiring sagas. In the new book The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers (Deseret Book), author Andrew Olsen carefully details the people, their leaders, and their rescuers while unfolding an amazing story of grief and joy, despair and hope, abandonment and faith. The book delivers the most comprehensive and accessible account ever written of this epic journey- from Liverpool to the Salt Lake Valley. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Wed, 08 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/92/1/The-Final-Installment-of-%26quot%3BThe-Work-and-The-Glory%26quot%3B-Trilogy-Comes-to-Screens WORK AND THE GLORY RETURNS TO THEATERS SALT LAKE CITY - This Thanksgiving, Work and the Glory fans are in for a dramatic fall treat. "The Work and The Glory III: A House Divided" marks the third installment of the film's trilogy. The story follows the travails of Mormon pioneers as they are confronted by the angry anti-Mormon mobs of Missouri backed by the insidious Governor Boggs.  "The fans can't wait for this film.," said Randy Davis, head of film distribution for Excel Entertainment. "We get emails from them all the time. We are excited because the film really delivers. It has all of the spirituality of the first, and all of the passion of the second." Larry Miller, who owns the Utah Jazz NBA franchise and was a major funding source for the series agrees.  "'A House Divided' is the best of the three," he said. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/90/1/Controversy%3A-%26quot%3BMerry-Christmas%26quot%3B-or-%26quot%3BHappy-Holidays%26quot%3B%3F LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - This year will your favorite retailer be wishing you Happy Holidays?  If so, they are ignoring the "reason for the season." As Christmas is a Christian holiday, one website is doing its part to put the birth of Christ back into the holiday.One Christian soul is trying to change the non-Christian focus of some retailers by encouraging support of those retailers who are actively using  the  "Merry Christmas" slogan in lieu of "Happy Holidays. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/78/1/Boston-Globe-Accuses-LDS-Church-of-Supporting-Romney Apparently the Boston Globe doesn't know much about the Mormon church. The Globe appears to be making every possible attempt at smearing presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and the LDS church by accusing both of being politically connected.As evidence, the Globe quotes from an email sent by an overzealous Romney supporter to a few of his friends in the LDS church.  By all accounts, the one-sided email looks more like an attempt to gather a following than evidence of a following.From all appearances, the Globe would like to have its readers think that the LDS church is financing and running Romney's campaign for president as part of a devious master plan to control the world.  The evidence to support that assertion, however, is about as credible as John Mark Carr's confession to have killed JonBenet Ramsey.(more) rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/38/1/Graham-Stand-Archives%3A-Past-Article-About-Why-Being-Mormon-Helps-Romney This article was originally published in early 2006 -- it was the first to nationally argue that Romney's Mormonism might be a strength to his candidacy.Apparently, the cultural revolution of the 1960's did not do much for religious tolerance. At least that is the "scoop" coming out of our nation's capital as portrayed recently by well-known conservative columnist Robert Novak.  According to a recent article on whether Mitt Romney can sway the southern evangelical vote, Novak interviewed several key evangelical leaders who indicated that their rank-and-file would rather vote for Hilary Clinton than see a Mormon in the nation's highest office and that without their vote, Romney cannot win.Them's fighten' words. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Fri, 20 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/63/1/Four-LDS-Contestants-Compete-in-Miss-Nevada-Pageant Fourteen young women have their sights set on the Miss Nevada title this year. Four of these ladies are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they all feel that winning this title will help them become better people and more able to serve others. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Jacob Russell) Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/53/1/Opinion%3A-Happy-Father%26%2339%3Bs-Day.--Where%26%2339%3Bs-Dad%3F If you hadn't noticed, the father's of the world are gone. Whether it be having children out of wedlock or two lesbian women having a child, one thing that is happening at an alarming rate is that fathers are disappearing from the landscape. Given the statistics for fatherless homes, our society is going to be in serious trouble.  Here are a few alarming numbers from credible studies relating to this issue: rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Emerson Chase) Wed, 07 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/47/1/LDS-Church-Corrects-Media-Reports-on-Polygamists Mormon Authorities Reaffirm Marriage as Being Defined as Being Between One Woman and One Man rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Tue, 16 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/45/1/Book-Review%3A--LDS-Authors-Debunk-Some-Claims-of-Da-Vinci-Code Three Brigham Young University Ancient Scripture professors have examined the factual assertions of the Da Vinci Code in a new book released this month and have determined that the book is bent on rewriting the past.  Commentary abounds among Catholics, Protestants and even Baptists about the controversial theories postured in the book The Da Vinci Code and the upcoming movie, but this is the first close examination of the book by LDS scholars. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/42/1/BYU-Students-Create-Free-Online-Tutorial-for-Popular-Genealogy-Program A team of Brigham Young University students and faculty members recently created a new free online tutorial for the Personal Ancestral File program that is available at www.paftutorial.byu.edu to anyone interested in family history. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Emerson Chase) Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/41/1/Claremont-University-Announces-Endowed-Chair-for-Mormon-Studies Claremont Graduate University announced the launch of a $6 million fundraising campaign for the Howard W. Hunter Chair for Mormon Studies, the first of its kind at a secular university in the United States. The new course furthers CGU's focus on comparative analysis of faith-based traditions, making the institution a national leader in world religious studies. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/22/1/The-Gospel-of-Judas---Another-Viewpoint-or-Heresy%3F Thirty years ago, a leather bound document was discovered in Egypt. After passing through the hands of many collectors and speculators, the National Geographic Society has obtained the document and has made an attempt at translating its contents.  It is being referred to as the Gospel of Judas. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/23/1/Good-Decisions-are-%26quot%3BNo-Brainers%26quot%3B---Book-Review John Bytheway is one of the best young adult speakers the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers. As a motivator, he is without equal.  As a spiritual inspirator, he is unmatched. As the summer approaches, many parents are traveling long distances in the car with their children. Bytheway's newest release makes good travel sense for families to enjoy on the way -- especially if they have teenagers. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Sun, 14 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/16/1/Modest-Dress-of-Teens-Speaks-Volumes-About-Parents There is not a single parent alive who can control how a teenager dresses. Certainly, they can control what the teenager wears as they walk out the door, but if the child desires to dress like a belly-babe pop star when she arrives at school, there is little a parent can do to stop it.  The sad reality is that parents can only teach the rules of modesty at a young age and hope that a child will follow them out of respect. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Rob Graham) Sun, 14 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/8/1/Court-Delivers-Blow-to-Intelligent-Design-Advocates- A federal judge in Pennsylvania delivered a knock-out punch to advocates of Intelligent Design declaring that it is not a scientific theory and is merely an attempt at establishing religion in the classroom. U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones ruled against a local school board by finding that ID was simply an extension of Creationism and part of a larger detailed five year plan by evangelicals to establish religion within the school system. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Sat, 13 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/24/1/Interview-with-John-Bytheway Author John Bytheway discusses his books, his life and his service in this humorous and revealing interview with talk show host Doug Wright. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/17/1/LDS-Summer-Temple-Pageants The LDS faithful will once again be flocking to pageants of faith throughout the summer. Beginning with an Easter Pageant in Mesa, Arizona in April, the season of musical dedication has officially started. The following is a list of remaining pageants that you might consider seeing during your summer vacation. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Tue, 18 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/9/1/New-Historical-Joseph-Smith-Biography Two hundred years ago a boy was born into a humble home in the State of New York. Joseph Smith, America's preeminent visionary and prophet, rose from this modest background to found the largest indigenous Christian church in American history. Without the benefit of wealth, education, or social position, he published the 584-page Book of Mormon when he was twenty-three; organized a church when he was twenty-four; and founded cities, built temples, and attracted thousands of followers before his violent death at age thirty-eight. rgraham@lawyerswest.net (Beehive Standard Weekly ) Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/20/1/Modestly-Speaking There they were, hundreds of dresses on the "prom" rack of Dillards and not one with a hint of modesty. Sharon sighed in despair, "Why can't I just be normal and wear what I want?" hpayne@lawyerswest.net (Heather Payne) Sat, 01 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0800