Energy Drinks & the Word of Wisdom - Collision Course

I don't know why, but I like addressing controversial topics. Maybe because I am not the least bit afraid to tackle them or defend my position.

We all probably have been guilty of 'skirting' the Word of Wisdom at some point. Whether it be finding justification in cola drinks, herb tea, or whatever. Some of these things are OK, I'm sure. The Word of Wisdom seems to be as much a personal commandment as it is a universal one. It means different things to many people. I actually have a letter in my possession from the First Presidency about 40 years ago, stating that decaffeinated coffee (which is about 97% caffeine free) is OK.

One thing we should all agree on is that if something is downright hazardous to our health, it is against the Word of Wisdom. Do we need to be 'commanded in all things', even the obvious things?

So it is with 'energy drinks'. Please read this article, 'The Energy Drink Epidemic' from the December 2008 Ensign Magazine:

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=30952f9318fcd110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1

What is one of the main reasons for the Word of Wisdom? To keep our bodies in a state of purity, free from impairment that would prevent us from feeling and understanding the promptings of the Holy Ghost. Without the companionship of the Holy Ghost it is impossible for us to be exalted.

After reading this article, do we really need to be told that energy drinks are against the Word of Wisdom? We should forbid our children to drink these. We should avoid them ourselves. We would be blessed for doing so. Thankfully I hate the way they taste. I have never had an energy drink, only a couple of small sips. But Red Bull, for example, tastes too much like Robitussin cough syrup. Gag!

Are we serious about our spiritual strength and that of our children? Then let's stop making lame excuses and let's quit buying this garbage!

Defending Our Religion Before a Godless World–Pt 2

Let’s review the first point from Part 1: personal conviction. We must realize that the so-called ‘godless’ society we are having to defend against is not actually godless; it’s just that they reject OUR god, and replace Him with gods of materialism, indulgence, self-gratification and self-importance. Because they are trying to replace our god with theirs, their motivation to undermine our religious freedom and foundation is an active agenda, not a passive one. My point here is that we must be more driven and diligent than to think the godless society can be treated lightly. I believe that the personal conviction required of us will at some point rival the convictions of those who founded our nation against the oppressive rule of Great Britain. We may be called upon to defend our right to worship according to the dictates of our own conscience in an equally passionate way.

This type of conviction requires a firm testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This testimony will be ‘put on trial’, ridiculed and criticized by the Sherems and the Korihors of the world. Can you withstand lawyer-like cross-examination and impeachment of your faith? You must be able to.

The second point, being able to express our convictions effectively, may require practice. It requires the ability to stay on task, to withstand attempts to sidetrack and funnel the debate away from the fully comprehensive ‘playing field’ that includes both religion AND politics. In showing how to defend our religion against the godless, I will give several examples from my life of how I have successfully done this. I cannot begin to cover every possible argument, but my examples should provide the catalyst for personal thought, creativity and adaptation for particular situations.

I will begin the examples in Part 3.

News Article: 'Degrading' Lyrics Linked to Teen Sex

This is another one for the 'DUH!' file. I find it amusing that even in the first line of this article, the author seems unwilling to concede that a connection exists.



Here is the article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090224/hl_hsn/degradinglyricslinkedtoteensex


Isn't it great that we have prophets of God to tell us these things? Even though they should be obvious to all, they apparently are not obvious to the oblivious (how ironic: two words that look alike and have virtually opposite meanings). How blessed we are to not have to learn all of these lessons the hard way.


This is much like the article I posted on January 23, titled "Teen pregnancies tied to tastes for sexy TV shows". NO KIDDING!

That article has since been removed from Yahoo's site.

Defending Our Religion Before a Godless World-Pt 1

Many people have found it difficult, if not impossible, to defend their religious beliefs or the existence of God against the liberal world that tries to divorce us from our faith. One thing I have found to be true: If argued on a purely logical or rational level, liberalism almost always wins the argument, whether it be about the existence of God Himself or about the validity of His laws, commandments, and blessings. Why is that true? Is it because religion and God are unexplainable? Could it be that there is no proof of God's existence? I contend that it is explainable and there is proof to be found. I believe the answer comes down to two things: 1) personal conviction, and 2) the ability to articulate that conviction.

1. PERSONAL CONVICTION - Before you can begin to defend your belief in God and in His gospel, you first must embrace it and believe it. Further, you must know why you believe it. Doctrine & Covenants 11:21 says,

"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men."

Here, we must have a testimony of what you believe, and know why we believe it, before we will have any chance of successfully expressing our convictions to others, particularly to those who are trying to invalidate our beliefs.

In much the same way that a missionary for the church should not go into the mission field without first gaining a testimony of what he will preach, we must gain a conviction of why we believe and live the way we do.

2. THE ABILITY TO ARTICULATE OUR CONVICTIONS - This takes practice, if not divine help. Again, referring to the scripture in the D&C, as well as many others, the Spirit will accompany us and tell us what to say when we need it.

I have a little bit of an advantage. My patriarchal blessing says I that my tongue will be loosed, and that I will never lack for words in defending the kingdom of God. Admittedly, when those who know me well hear that 'my tongue will be loosed, and will never lack for words...', they laugh because it is so true. I am much like old Foghorn Leghorn with a testimony (perhaps you remember Foghorn Leghorn, the big, boisterous chicken from the old Warner Brothers cartoons). I truly will never lack for words! So I try to use this gift (or curse, depending on whose ears are hearing me) to build the kingdom of God.

One key point about expressing our convictions is to not try to do this on a purely intellectual or logical/rational level. For those who are firm in their testimony of the gospel, we can stay on our own 'playing field' for this debate. The liberals will want you to argue and defend your belief in God, the afterlife, and so on, without referring to non-scientific evidence. Many people fall into this trap and lose the argument. This is the primary reason why people lose the argument, and where a lack of real personal conviction fails in the effort. What we must remember is that to us, there is no dividing line between religion and science. They are inseparable. This is why people who are religious but not of our faith cannot sustain this argument - because they lack the deep conviction, which truly is based on evidence. Their position is based purely on the reading of the Bible.

More to come in part 2.

It Really Works!

Following the counsel of our prophets will result in blessings. I know. I'm going through a tough time because of the economy. At this point I have been out of work for 3 months. I am 'concerned', but I am not worried. I get discouraged at times because it gets tiring, but I do not live in despair.

In the world's view, I am too old - at 48 - to still be going through this stuff: trying to 'repair' my career path, trying to save for a retirement, having a solid investment portfolio, etc.

I have had to use what investments I had to live on. That bites. My career has been 'derailed' for some time, and I didn't realize until just 3 years ago that it would take furthering my education to get past the crippling effects of a wrongful termination, employers who have gone out of business, leaving unethical situations, etc.

I look around me at people who apparently don't have many (or seemingly ANY) challenges in their lives. But I know that they do have them... it's about the appearance. Those outside of the gospel don't want to show their troubles because they don't want to look weak. Those inside the church (and I mean REALLY inside, as in converted and consecrated) don't show it because they carry a cheerful countenance - much like the Savior taught in the Sermon on the Mount about those who fast (Matthew 6). They don't 'disfigure their faces and appear unto men' to be having any challenges in their lives. They are great examples of gratitude.

Yet despite all of these worldly concerns that would make me feel like 'a lesser man', I have held onto my faith. I have tried to keep the commandments of the Lord and serve in His kingdom. And he has blessed me for it. I haven't been 'blessed' with the career opportunity that will save me from my situation, but I have been blessed to have what my family needs at this time, without having to resort to welfare, unemployment compensation or church assistance. I have learned over many years of experience that the Lord will bless and provide, often in ways I don't expect.

We have family prayer morning and night. We have family home evening every week. We read the scriptures 6 days a week in the morning (not Saturdays). Every year of my adult life I have been able to declare myself a full tithe payer, even in the roughest of times. I am trying to attend the temple as often as I can, almost weekly (instead of 'weakly', ha ha). Despite my rediculously busy schedule between work (trying to find it and doing side jobs, etc), school (25 hours per week) and family needs, I find time to serve in the church as Ward Mission Leader and Sunday School teacher. I am trying to do everything right that I can. And I am being blessed, I know I am.

When will job/career relief come? Who knows? Until then, I will keep trying, keep serving, and keep praying, knowing that my Savior wil provide as he sees fit. But He will provide, I have no doubt. This is my testimony based on many years of results. In Jacob chapter 7, Sherem desired to debate with Jacob about the doctrine of Christ (verse 5):

"And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken."

I have not seen the angels, yet, but I have heard the 'voice of the Lord' through the Holy Ghost, and have had so many blessings that followed the exercise of faith, that I likewise cannot be easily shaken.

I know I am not alone in my challenges. In the world's view I could be called a 'loser' because I don't have the material wealth that others have (and the debt that often accompanies it, thankfully). But in the eternal perspective I am not losing. I am winning in a big way. I know this to be true. I simply must endure to be able to realize the fruits of this victory. It's worth it.

"Survival" Mode

It is clear to me that we are in the 'last days', perhaps only a few short years before the Second Coming of the Savior. There is much discussion in the news, on blogs, and in social gatherings, about what we can do to 'fix' the predicament we are in.

Some offer up a 'stimulus plan', or a bailout of big players in the economy. How many of us honestly think that will work? In a sacrament meeting address the week after the October 2008 General Conference in Sandy, Utah, President Boyd K. Packer was quoted as referring to the situation we are in as the 'collapse of the economy'. Does that, coming from a prophet, seer and revelator, get your attention?

Some people offer up other investment advice, such as moving from paper securities (stocks, bonds, etc) to gold and land.

Still others want even more governmental control over the uncertainties we face. History is replete with examples of how more and more government control leads to inevitable collapse, but people apparently are insistent on repeating history for the sake of political expedience.

The one possible solution that none of the powers-that-be are considering is to turn to the Lord, to embrace the tried-and-proven path of a righteous, honest, freedom-loving society. No, our society is so busy trying to expel God from their world, through personal apostasy, through corruption of the First Amendment 'separation of church and state' doctrine, and trying to find legal and medical remedies to give them relief IN their sins rather than FROM their sins.

I refer you to the scriptures, particularly Mosiah 29:27, where King Mosiah persuades the people to give up having a king and move to a democratic form of government:

"And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land."

My friends, I am no longer concerned about saving the world. I don't waste a single breath in that context. I am not interested in 'making a difference' by running for political office. In my opinion, it is too late for that. There is no hope for the world, the people in general have become corrupted and are past-feeling. Saving the world from itself is impossible, especially since it seems to be accelerating toward its own demise.

Instead of trying to 'save the ship', which cannot be saved, I am 'looking for survivors'. I believe there are people all around us who want to 'survive', who are afraid of what they see happening, who need answers, who need relief in all ways - emotional, temporal, and spiritual.

The prophet Joseph Smith said in D&C 123:12-14 -

"For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—

Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—

These should then be attended to with great earnestness."

So I invite all of us who are blessed to see and know the signs that are beginning to appear, to help pluck the survivors up. They need us now more than ever.

Gun Ownership in the Last Days

I have been pondering this subject a lot lately. As Obama was elected president, and we have a liberal anti-gun majority taking over Congress as well, the gun shops around the country saw exponential increases in sales. People were not only buying guns but were buying huge stockpiles of ammunition. I found this to be true with some church members as well. I even stocked up on ammo. I basicaly have a lifetime supply.

But I have been thinking about some of the prophecies of the last days, and comparing them to my current attitudes. Who would I use all of that ammo against, burglars and gang members? Or do I think I will use it against the oppression of my government? Many people think the latter. Joseph Smith set an example by always submitting himself to the authorities, even on bogus charges. Of course this was done in the name of the Lord - "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." (Matthew 5:11)

George Albert Smith has been quoted as prophesying that the guns of the people will be taken away in the US right before a great war begins. So if the government wants to confiscate our guns, should we give them up? Here is a question with a dilemma: The Second Amendment of the Constitution states that "the right of the people to keep and bear arm shall not be infringed". The twelfth Article of Faith, says "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law".

So what is the law? If Congress or the president decides to confiscate our guns, do we give them up? The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and no act of the legislative or executive branch, other than a legally adopted amendment or repeal of an amendment, can overrule the Constitution. So to obey the supreme law of the land would make it OK to disregard any order to disarm that is short of a constitutional amendment. Right?

They way I have been viewing it lately, I am beginning to believe that worrying about having guns and lots of ammo for the last days is like 'putting my trust in the arm of flesh', rather than trusting the Lord and accepting the last days as they are. Further, do I want to live with the thought that I might kill someone, even a gang punk trying to hurt my family? Am I not better off just trusting the Lord under the circumstances, continually praying with faith for His protection? Besides, if it comes down to defending my faith, the use of guns would not be appropriate. One friend brought up the fact that the Nephites were commanded to defend themselves. True, but they were commanded to defend themselves not because their weapons were being confiscated by the government, but because the Lamanites wanted to destroy them. It was also because the Lord wanted to preserve the Nephite people, and their records, for the fulfillment of his prophecies. Different situation and reasons.

It seems that the less we worry about what government does to take away our rights and usurp power over us, and the more we just turn to the Lord and trust Him, the sooner we will be ready to establish Zion. It may not make the Second Coming happen any faster, but we will not need to fear if we have truly put our strength and trust in the Lord.

I would welcome other comments and opinions on this.

Ah, The Wisdom of Parents!

I blocked MySpace.com on our home computer system, and my kids threw a fit.

"It's not bad!"
"I don't go to those areas!"
"I don't chat with people I don't know"

Read this article about how MySpace removed 90,000 registered sex offenders from their site over the past two years.

http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090203/tc_nm/us_myspace_offenders

I showed this article to one of my sons and he couldn't believe.

I guess parents aren't so stuffy and dumb after all!

One Of My Favorite Songs - Most Inspiring

"Come Unto Him"

This is a link to the music page on the Church website.

http://lds.org/mp3/display/0,18692,5297-50,00.html

Click on the song "Come Unto Him" and enjoy, then use your 'back' button to return to the blog.

I can play this over and over and over... and almost go to tears.

I guess this is freedom of speech...

This was e-mailed to me from a former bishop.

"Verily I say unto thee, she has her reward."

This will also go on my political blog - leftwingnuts.blogspot.com

To Comfort Those Who Stand In Need Of Comfort...

Part of the essence of being a true Latter-Day Saint is to follow the admonition of Alma when he taught the people at the Waters of Mormon. In Mosiah 18:8-9 he taught what it meant to be 'disciples of Christ':

"8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life..."

In an earlier post I shared the experience of our son who lived only a few hours, and what a great spiritual experience it was to be able to give him a name and blessing in the hospital room before he returned to his heavenly home. Another touching part of the story is how our ward family stepped in to help our oldest child, a daughter, who was to celebrate her 16th birthday that same week.

Without being asked by us (we didn't even think about it under the circumstances), the young women leaders and girls of the ward threw a 'sweet 16' birthday party for our daughter. That doesn't sound like much in the big scheme of things, but it was huge to me, as an act of love and compassion. The ladies in our ward were anxiously engaged in a good work - they mourned with us when we had cause to mourn, the helped bear our burdens and indeed made them lighter. I will never forget that gift of a birthday party. It is one of those defining events that instilled in me a desire to serve God - by serving His children - throughout my life.

It is a blessing to be able to serve others. It is humbling and touching when you see that service come back to you.

You're Kidding! Is That POSSIBLE?

For those of us who follow the prophets of God, who listen to their counsel and don't naively consider them 'out of touch', here is the ultimate "DUH!" article about the signs of the times:

The article is titled "Teen pregnancies tied to tastes for sexy TV shows"

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Teen-pregnancies-tied-to-apf-13444689.html

For those to whom this is a 'revelation and not a review', please consider the fact that a prophet of God in our day has been warning us for DECADES about this stuff! Will it take OUR child getting pregnant before we see the connection between these sleezy shows, letting our daughters dress like prostitutes, and staying out with friends too late at night, especially unsupervised?

For those who might think the modern prophets are out of touch, I refer you to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's and his October 2006 General Conference address:

"Not often but over the years some sources have suggested that the Brethren are out of touch in their declarations, that they don’t know the issues, that some of their policies and practices are out-of-date, not relevant to our times.
As the least of those who have been sustained by you to witness the guidance of this Church firsthand, I say with all the fervor of my soul that never in my personal or professional life have I ever associated with any group who are so in touch, who know so profoundly the issues facing us, who look so deeply into the old, stay so open to the new, and weigh so carefully, thoughtfully, and prayerfully everything in between. I testify that the grasp this body of men and women have of moral and societal issues exceeds that of any think tank or brain trust of comparable endeavor of which I know anywhere on the earth. I bear personal witness of how thoroughly good they are, of how hard they work, and how humbly they live. It is no trivial matter for this Church to declare to the world prophecy, seership, and revelation, but we do declare it. It is true light shining in a dark world, and it shines from these proceedings."

A special birthday today...

Nine years ago today, my wife gave birth to our son, Grant Alexander Carpenter. Grant died in my arms four and a half hours later. Sounds like a tragedy, right? Far from it... instead it was one of the greatest spiritual experiences I will ever have.

When my wife had her first ultrasound at 5 months pregnant, we found out that our 'coming event' had a very bad case of Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards Syndrome. His complications included an underdeveloped heart, spina bifida, and under developed limbs and joints. We found out that most infants with Trisomy 18 do not make it to birth, and of those who survive birth, none have been known to live beyond 14 years. We didn't know what to expect. I know families who have special-needs children, and my heart goes out to them for what they go through - what they sacrifice, the pain they feel for their child, the compulsory change in lifestyle.

When the day came for Grant to be born - by appointment, labor was induced under these circumstances - it was pretty somber entering the hospital. The medical staff was fantastic - they were professional and upbeat, yet they knew our situation and didn't act giddy and excited.

When Grant was born, his physical defects were obvious. At first I didn't know what to think. Should I be glad for his live birth? Should I be sad for his defects? Should I feel empathy for my wife, who would suffer through this more than I would? It was somewhat surreal. UltimatelyI just treated it like a normal birth.

Knowing that time with Grant might be short. I took pictures of him. But before that, I took care of some most important business...

Our doctor was a member of the church, a holder of the priesthood. My father-in-law is a sealer in the temple - he was there at the hospital. My father was late getting there and we couldn't take the chance and wait for him. So we took Grant in our arms right there in the hospital room, my father-in-law, Dr. Linnerson and myself, and I gave Grant his name and blessing. In the blessing, I told him that his time on earth was short, and that he had come to us only to gain a physical body, then to return home to his Heavenly Father. I commended him to his Father and ended the blessing. At that moment I felt that our hospital room was packed with people. My eyes could only see a half-dozen of them. But I knew, and felt, the presence of angels, there waiting to take our celestial son back home. It was the most incredible feeling - the veil between earth and eternity was so thin that I could literally feel the presence and love of many that I could not see.

Instead of Grant's short life being a hospital tragedy, it was an incredible spiritual experience, a profound teaching moment. I learned more about the Kingdom of God through that experience than I ever could anywhere else. The only time I have felt that same feeling was when I was at my own father's bedside when he drew his last breath. Another thin-veil experience. Knowing I have a son waiting for me there gives me added determination to 'make it back'.

"4:30 Disease" - A Test of Faith

What is the "4:30 Disease", you might ask? Why it's the same as the 3:15 disease our kids get on school days. You understand... school is out at 3:15, and that's when they suddenly feel much better after having stayed home sick that day. They don't want to miss out on playing with friends just because the couldn't go to school.

Tomorrow is Sunday, January 18th. Our Arizona Cardinals are playing in the NFC Chamionship game, with a chance to go to the Super Bowl. It just so happens that the game begins the same time Sacrament Meeting begins, at 1:00PM. The game should end at about 4:30... hence 4:30 disease. That's when the few guys I know of will suddenly 'feel better', having missed church due to some 'unforeseen ailment'.

Sorry if this is judgmental. I hope I'm wrong. But we live in a time and age where such demonstrations of little faith are frustrating. They hurt families. If the presiding priesthood holder in the home can't attend meetings and set a proper example for his family at an easy time like this, what will happen in the future when things actually get difficult?

Another Bedtime Story

I read another bedtime story to my 7-year-old daughter tonight. This time the book was pretty dull, frankly with a poor story line. Not a famous-name author. But I found that the quality of the book didn't matter as much as having the time to read with my daughter. My dad used to read with me a lot. I don't do it as much as I could, but I'm glad I do at least some. I know it's something my daughter will always remember about our relationship, as will I. Something little to be thankful for...

Ahhh, Being a Dad...

I read 'Green Eggs and Ham' to my 7-year-old daughter at bedtime. Probably the highlight of my day...

For Those Of Us Who Voted Regarding Gay Marriage

As I sit in Priesthood Executive Committee meeting on Sunday morning, we go over the names of those who are less-active in the ward, the bishop asks about home-teaching efforts to those homes. It is interesting how a few of those who were only less-active a few months ago are now more hostile, and have asked (in noticeably increasing numbers) to have their names removed from the records of the church. I have found that the reason for many of these people is because of the Church's position on gay marriage. I personally find that to be disheartening for a couple of reasons. First, they are so distant spiritually not only from the Church as an institution, but from the Savior's plan of happiness and salvation. Gay marriage is an institution of this world, and cannot, by design or by natural law, be part of God's eternal plan for us. The bottom line always seems to come down to having the selfish, worldly perspective as opposed to the eternal perspective - the two are mutually exclusive. Secondly, and not surprisingly, there is a great correllation between those who go less active and tendencies toward political and social liberalism. Unless they have been offended by someone in the Church, their reasons for not attending are often that the Church is too restrictive, too stuffy, not up with the times, etc, all of which are signs of liberalism. It means to me that these less-active members are trusting the news media rather than the prophet, apostles, and local leaders. Interesting how the two paths of religious conviction and social/political philosophy never really parallel.

Humbling...

I spent most of my day volunteering at the local Deseret Industries thrift store. I paid attention to the people who work there. I took notice of the people who shop there. I looked closely at some of the merchandise - much of it with broken, worn out or missing pieces. I watched as small children played with broken or incomplete toys with almost as much excitement as if they had just opened it on Christmas morning. A lot of those toys were purchased. I actually saw some stuff that I had donated some time back. My heart sort of melted. I realized what a blessing it can be to see how life is for others. Just when I think life is tough, the Lord has a way of showing me how blessed I am. Someone always seems to have a bigger cross to bear than I do. So I smile at them, offer to help them, load the oversized items in their car, thank them for coming...and thank my Heavenly Father for my blessings.

Pepsi and The Word of Wisdom

There are certain gospel topics that are handled with the utmost of care. One of the most interesting and controversial, if not avoided, of these topics is that of caffeinated soft drinks. I suppose like anything else, I should only pass judgment on myself and let others be their own judges. Here, I will detail my own experience and the conclusion I arrived at.

I am a convert to the Church, having grown up attending the Presbyterian and Methodist churches. I was baptized at age 11 with my parents. And although 11 years old seems so young as to have been raised in the church, please keep in mind that I did not have the chance to learn the gospel in primary, or learn primary songs, or have family prayer or family home evening as a young child. Because of this I really didn't develop a testimony of the gospel until I was about 17 years old. The point here is that I grew up drinking a lot of Coke and Pepsi (and some beer before conversion), and thought nothing of it.

When I got to be in my late thirties and early forties, I began noticing the effects of drinking Pepsi.

First, there's the issue of addiction. Here is what I discovered about myself:
1. The more I drank, the more I wanted.
2. It got to the point where I was drinking up to four 44-ounce cups of Pepsi in a single day.
3. Sometimes I would look forward to the next morning so I could go buy another Pepsi.
4. I tried half-heartedly to quit several times, but always ended up going back to it.

Second, the issue of lifestyle:
5. I gained about 35 pounds. I lost that weight, but put it back on when I went back to drinking Pepsi.
6. I was always tired. I spent a lot of time resting when I should have been busy.
7. I found that the caffeine caused me to lose sleep at night, which contributed even more to always feeling tired.
8. The increase in my heart rate caused by the caffeine would cause me to breathe heavier. At night, the heavier breathing would cause me to snore.
9. I got sick more often when drinking a lot of Pepsi.

Finally, the physiological effects:
10. I found that when I drank a lot of Pepsi, my joints would ache more. I wondered if it was eating up the cartilage in my joints.
11. The increased heart rate can't be good. It makes me wonder how much sooner a person's heart might actually give out from being overworked earlier in life. I have had two close friends die of heart attacks in the last few years. They were 36 and 48. From all the tests I have had, my heart is fine, but how long would that last under the circumstances?
12. I found that I always had 'bathroom' problems when drinking a lot of Pepsi. I wondered if that could lead to future incontinence problems.
13. I found that my sexual drive and performance were affected when I was drinking a lot of Pepsi. That alone should make me kick the habit, right?

Despite all of this, I was one who would defend my drinking of Pepsi, claiming that the prophet has never said caffeinated soft drinks were prohibited, and was never specifically mentioned as were coffee, tea and alcohol. Recently in General Conference, President Boyd K. Packer spelled out five specific things which are prohibited by the Word of Wisdom: coffee, tea, tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and harmful drugs. Pepsi was not listed. Or was it?

First, I had to finally admit that I had become addicted. Addiction to anything would certainly fall under the spirit of the Word of Wisdom.

Secondly, I was not feeling energetic, motivated, or even well as often as I should. I could not 'run and not be weary', as promised by obedience to the Word of Wisdom.

Finally, I felt like I was slowly destroying my body. If my body is a temple of God, then willfully destroying it would be wrong.

In a recent Ensign article by Dr. Thomas J. Boud, who consults the Church on missionary medical issues, entitled "The Energy Drink Epidemic", found in the December 2008 issue. Although Pepsi is not an energy drink, it was interested in finding out Dr. Boud's findings on caffeine. The article is very interesting - here's the link to it:

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=30952f9318fcd110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1

In a New Era article from October 1975, Bishop H. Burke Peterson say this about caffeinated soft drinks: "We know that cola drinks contain the drug caffeine. We know caffeine is not wholesome nor prudent for the use of our bodies. It is only sound judgment to conclude that cola drinks and any others that contain caffeine or other harmful ingredients should not be used."

So my personal conclusion is that, for me personally, Pepsi is history. I know that sounds silly to some who will read this. You might say you knew it all along. I fought the battle between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, until I finally gained enough spiritual maturity to accept the higher law - the spirit of the law in this case. This is not to juge others who may still drink caffeinated soft drinks. It's a personal decision. But for me to say, under the circumstances I have presented, that I was obeying the Word of Wisdom while being so addicted to Pepsi, and experiencing all of the negative effects, was nothing more than a lie.

I have been off of caffeinated Pepsi for several months. As a New Year's resolution, I also decided to quit drinking the caffeine-free pepsi/coke as well. I found in the past that it was too easy to slip back to the caffeinated variety. I want to create a greater distance from it.

The result so far is that I feel much healthier, the problems mentioned earlier are gone, I'm sleeping better, and the weight that I put on with the Pepsi addiction is coming off.

And to think that some people say that I will never grow up...

Following the Prophet? Really!!!

Recently a poll was conducted in our stake to find out who was really following the prophets' counsel in several areas. It was alarming to find out just what percentage of the families actually hold family scripture, family prayer, have family home evening, have their food storage (or least a respectable start on it), and so on.

When you are in a leadership position, you get a bird's-eye view of who is struggling in their faith and who is not. There seem to be direct connections between those who attend church, whose children are active or are on track to stay active, who hold temple recommends and use them - and those who follow the counsel given by our modern prophets. I find there is a close correlation between following the prophet, and those who have well-taught, well-behaved children, who attend their meetings consistently, who show up on ward/stake temple day, and who show up at service projects and help. Of course there are exceptions, lest anyone reading this should get offended. But they are exceptions, not exemptions.

In contrast, those who always seem to struggle with activity are those who give a casual ear to the prophets' counsel and fit it into their lives when convenient. I was recently home-teaching a sister who was so proud of the fact that she and another sister in our ward had just come home from a weekend in San Diego. They had a blast. The went shopping and laid on the beach - on Sunday. She was oblivious to the idea that others don't think it's cool or positive to break the Sabbath. I wondered if she has never actually experienced the peace and increase in spiritual strength that a 'day of rest' can bring. Long story short, this sister struggles with her faith and activity, as does the sister that accompanied her to San Diego that weekend.

I'm not perfect, but I try to follow Elder Oaks' example and not study law on Sunday. It really cramps the rest of my week, but I have come to believe that it's worth it. And, I don't sacrifice the time that I need to read scriptures or other uplifting books on Sunday.

Having visited with many of these families in their homes, you can also feel the Spirit in their homes, and you just know... it's about real faith.

I have also been amused by those who have recently purchased a new flat-screen TV. I'll bet the old TV worked fine, but it just wasn't as phat (that's cool, far out, or groovy for us older folks) as the neighbor's new home theater thingy. And, of course, they have cable TV, which they pay for each month. Not dissing cable, but...

I know a lot of people who haven't bothered to get their year's supply, or even get a good start, and yet they have the latest flat screen TV with a cable TV subscription. So it's a choice that they are making, in my opinion. They are choosing the world instead of the Lord. Jacob 2:18-19 teaches us that before we seek for riches, we should seek the Kingdom of God. Then, if we seek riches, we will seek them to glorify God. So am I wrong in detecting a lack of faith in those who would rather follow the neighbor and spend their year's supply money on a big fat TV, as opposed to those who would follow the prophet, get their year's supply first, use a perfectly good TV for another year or two, then get the big TV?

By the way, I don't have a big screen TV, but I DO have my year's supply.