Change in the Church of Christ

We need not worry about changes which are made in the Church of Christ, for this Church has a history of change. Moses, for example, was given a lower law and Christ, years later, repealed that law. If God could have His way, I believe that He would only give one law to mankind, which law is, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind and strength”. Because of mankind’s inability to understand this one overarching law, however, God gives us lower laws to help us understand that one law better. Thus, the lower laws may be adjusted to meet the needs and understanding of the people for whom they are written. We are those people, and are members of the Restored Church of Christ, and yet we still do not understand that one important law. Therefore, we should expect change still. There will always be change until we live the law.

All Things Come to Light

It doesn't concern me very much whether the Gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutely true or not in the short term because of the fact that all truth comes to light in the lens of time. If the Gospel is false, then one day I'll know it, but until that day comes, what need have I to hastily make a change of my beliefs? There is no hurry to know the absolute truth for we are eternal beings, and we will need all eternity to learn it. If we are not eternal beings, then this little time of life is rather insignificant, isn't it? It seems improbable that a man could comprehend all truth while still in this mortal state regardless of how much he studied or thought, so it must take eternity to do.
In the New Testament, the Pharisee Gamaliel made a very strong case for the idea of truth coming to light at a trial of Peter and John in Jerusalem shortly after the resurrection of the Savior. The body of the Chief Priests desired to take the apostles' lives for preaching of Jesus Christ, and in midst of the rapture of such bloodlust Gamaliel stands and warns,

Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

It is clear from the text that Gamaliel believed this same basic principle: all truth is known in time. If Christ's doctrine was true, it would grow and be known. There are plenty of modern examples of such truth coming to light. Here's a simple one: There are people in the world who believe that because Eve was created with one of Adam's ribs, all men have one less rib than their female counterparts. For hundreds of years, this idea was taught as a doctrine and everyone believed it until someone actually counted the ribs of people and found that it wasn't true. Was it immoral for people with this understanding to believe in it? No, it wasn't! Now, however, it's a very well documented fact that the number of ribs is the same, so why would we keep believing the old idea?

I really like this idea that truth is known in time because it gives me liberty to explore, read, think, and know. Even if I do believe in something that is false, eventually it will be shown to me and I will know the truth! When I have this idea in mind, I can talk to anyone about anything and not be afraid because I know that at the end of the conversation I'll understand something that is more true and probably something that is more false. When I don't remember this principle, it becomes difficult for me to talk about things that I don't agree with because I feel uncomfortable with the new ideas. We mustn't fear new ideas, friends, we must put them on trial.
Christ said, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." That is how we know: we try, and under trial all things come to be known--whether they be of darkness or of light. So what is the light that you've found, and how did you come to find it? What truths do you yet desire to know? How would your life change if you knew what you want to know, and how could you help others with it?

A Strange Species

As I sit here alone, my thoughts come in a blinding clarity of light. Could I ever be as honest to your face as I am with myself when I'm alone? Could I ever tell you to your face that I think that lots of physical contact in dating is lots of fun too, but also that I'm not comfortable with all of it and that I'd rather not get too involved in that way with you? Could I ever tell you when we're together that I feel awkward about relationships and dating and that I'm not as confident in dating as I am in other aspects of my life? Could I ever tell you that I've never had a girlfriend before and that I don't know how all of this begins or ends and what role I ought to play in it?
It's amazing how your presence changes my thoughts. What once was clear so quickly is muddled, and I find myself struggling to remember anything but how nice it is to be with you. Oh, woman. I am a strange species indeed.

Love Is

There was once a single lady with two children who worked very hard to maintain them, traveling a long distance and working long hours every day to do so. Her little family didn't have much, in fact they barely made it from one day to the next, but somehow they made it each day.
One day she was offered a job in a closer city, perhaps even a job with better pay, and as she went into the interview she spotted another woman who clearly was in dire need of a job. "We really like you, you've got the job!" said the interviewer to the lady as the interview closed. She paused for a moment and replied, "No, I think you should give it to the other woman. She'll do it just fine, and she needs it more than I do."
This lady had the power to improve her life, and the only cost would have been to say yes. She had no moral obligation to turn the job down like she did, the other woman probably could have found work elsewhere. Nevertheless, having the power to take the job she used it to bless the other woman.
That's what love is, I think.

Love is to have power and to give it away so that someone else may be blessed.

RootsTech, Repentance, and a Letter to Mr. Obama

Today I was thinking about RootsTech and the amazing things that are happening there. Following that train of thought, I began to wonder about what RootsTech could do to bring an even more interesting presenter and a wider audience to their venue in years to come. Then I thought, what if Barack Obama were to present at RootsTech? He's certainly got an interesting family history story, and he'd bring a wide venue of spectators to the conference.
Then I thought, oh no. He could never present at RootsTech. The outspoken conservative members of the Church may just boo him off the stage, and even if they didn't, they'd probably criticize him whether what he said at the conference had to do with what he did as president or not. That led me to another interesting question, one that has lead me to some introspection.

If Barack Obama were to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, would we accept him?

Would I accept him? Would my family accept him? If he showed up on our doorstep asking for help, would we give it to him? In my family, we're certainly not his political supporters, but could we be his brothers and sisters?
What about on a local level? What would be said of him in the ward that he would attend? What if he were called as bishop or elders quorum president? Would the members sustain him? Do we as members of the church have the moral strength to love and serve someone who most of us so strongly disagree with in such a profound way?
We should. Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
My friends, I have to repent. Perhaps we as a church need to repent. Even if it wasn't Barack Obama who joined the church, what if Hillary Clinton did? How about someone like Alex Jones, who is so disgustingly far on the other side of the political spectrum? Would we compromise our morals and values and promises to love God and our fellowmen in order to exclude these people? What kind of people does that make us then? Who would we become?
"Love thine enemies", Christ said.

Mr. Obama,
I disagree with you on a fundamental level that we may never see eye to eye about. I think that you did bad things to the country that my family and I love and live in. I think that because of you, I am less free as an American and that bothers me because I worry about the freedom of my unborn children. What will American freedom look like for them in 30 years? I think that you made it worse for them, but you are my brother and I am determined to love you.
I'm really sorry for all of the rude comments and jokes that I've made about you since you ran for president. I'm sorry that I criticized you. I'm sorry that I didn't look harder for something good about you.
I promise that if you ever come to my church or show up at my doorstep, I'll help you out how I can and I will treat you as my brother. Maybe while we're at it, we can go backpacking too and we can talk in the mountains where men can really speak and be heard, and maybe we could understand each other. Maybe we could even be friends, and maybe not. I'll love you anyway.
Take care, Mr. President. You're welcome in my home and my church, and I do hope that one day you get the chance to visit. Just don't plan on getting a cup of coffee with me.
Regards,
Dallin Ward

Textual Conversation

One of the things that I really don't like about texting is that there is seldom an actual end to the conversation. Instead of ending like an in-person conversation where two people say goodbye and walk away from each other, the textual conversation may end because one person drops their phone in the sink just as well as it may end with that same person being angry at the other, or maybe they just got bored and stopped replying. You never know because there is not really a beginning or an end. Shouldn't conversation be better than that?

I'm Trying to Dream Again

Odd things have happened to me since I've last written on this blog. I'm definitely a very different person than I was in 2016, and when I got back from serving as a missionary I didn't want to come back here to this blog because I wanted to be a new man - a different man than I was before. Like an old page in a beloved diary, I thought that this place was out of space to write anything more on.
Now I've come back, however, because there's something about the old posts that makes my insides stir with excitement and my mind begin to wonder and marvel at the world again like it used to. Really what I'm trying to say is that the things I have written here make me want to dream again because they are the dreams of my youth and I feel like I've forgotten how to dream as I've grown.
Have you ever thought of what it would be like to lay in a field of dandelions in full bloom? I can see it in my mind if I try. The picture that I see is of a landscape with rolling hills covered in yellow blossoms that smell sweet when you lay down in them and leave little green indents in the yellow carpet as you walk through. If you lay down, it's almost as if the carpet envelops you, hiding you, sheltering you from the eyes of those who would not understand your dreaming. This is what it's like to dream.
I've come back to this blog because I want to remind myself what it is to dream up a field of dandelions and fall in love with a woman with my heart. I feel like I've put away my ability to do both of those things, and I think that this was a fair and just thing to do as a missionary. But I am not a missionary anymore. Sometime I'll have to let myself fall more in love than my typical cycle of getting to know somebody just well enough to prove to myself that I should move along before I risk getting hurt.
The pain, I think, comes from commitment to action which is made impossible by the actions of somebody else and that's terrifying because I can't control it. What's worse is that there is no formula for love which means that I can't make a girl fall in love with me; she has to do that on her own. There are things outside of me which no amount of thought or worry can control, yet I can influence those things and I do every time I act.
There's another matter which has weighed upon my mind recently. It's a matter of eloquence and romance. I'm terrified of saying things that aren't true to a woman. I don't think I've told any woman since I left on my mission that I love her, except those who are members of my family and maybe two or three others who are dear friends of mine and have been for a long time. Not even in a friendly way have I said it. I don't think I've given hugs to more than a few women since I've been at BYU, and most of those are also old friends or acquaintances and that's odd for me because before my mission I hugged people like a minute hand moves. Now I don't. I just don't want to lie about how I feel. The thought of someone falling in love with me because they misinterpreted my communications to them is a thought that I don't like very much. I'm far colder in my interactions with women than I was before. Is that a good thing? I don't know.
What I do know is that I don't get excited about my relationships like I used to and when I say excited what I mean is that I don't dream because that's what excitement really is. Nobody is more excited than the wide-eyed dreamer. To him the heavens open and the Earth is beautiful. That's what I'm going for here. I want to be like that again. I know it won't be the same - there are things about me that should not go back to the way they were - but dreams and wide-eyed wonder are the shining attributes of children and lovers, and someday I'll be both of those. I'll be wise like an old man, too.
As for right now, it just feels good to write. I'm really thankful for having a blog to write on.
Have a nice day.
-Dallin