The Homeschooling Decision

Before Rico was born both J and I had a talk about homeschooling.  Neither of us truly remembered how the conversation started, but immediately we both agreed we should probably homeschool.  Our conversations turned from "If we homeschool..." to "When we homeschool..." rather quickly.  We have known for over two years that we were going to homeschool.  Because J has a full time job to support our family, I knew the responsibility for teaching would fall heavily on me.  I have devoured several books that may be helpful to people questioning whether or not the homeschooling route is for them.  If you are at all interested in the idea, I would recommend The Homeschooling Option: How to Decide When It's Right for Your Family, by Lisa Rivero.  You can most likely get this at your local library.  It is VERY unbaised and will serve as an overview and dispel common myths.  If you aren't sure homeschooling is right for you but would like to continue the learning process in your own home, Gureilla Learning: How to Give Your Kids a Real Education With or Without School is great.  If you have any specific questions in regards to homeschooling, ask away.  Maybe I can answer them, or point you to the answer.  J decided to write an article for LDS Liberty about our decision to homeschool and some common myths that we homeschoolers seem to be bombarded with once people find out about their decision.  If you would like an LDS perspective, it is a great article.  You can view the original post here or read on.

Fleeing the Bondage of Public Schools:

Imagine a building where all who enter are screened for drugs and weapons.  The halls are regularly patrolled by police and their canines.  Uniforms are required to be worn by the individuals within the building to prevent bullying, discrimination, and classification.  Even with a full-time law enforcement staff, approximately 3 million crimes and 185,580 crime-related injuries are being committed annually in this and all other similar buildings nationwide  (National Crime Survey, 2004).  Inappropriate behavior may result in having to spend more time in the building.  While many of the officials within the building are honest and truly have a desire to help make the world a better place, there are some who commit unspeakable crimes against those whom they oversee.  Everyone within the building adheres to a strict schedule.  Any deviance to the schedule could result in punishment.  Is this building a correctional facility?  No.  It is a public school.  Public schools are becoming increasingly plagued by crime and atheism, resulting in a physically and spiritually unsafe environment for educating children.  This is one of many reasons why the homeschooling movement is growing at a rapid rate in the United States.

Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated: “In many places it is literally not safe physically for youngsters to go to school.  And in many schools – and it’s becoming almost generally true – it is spiritually unsafe to attend public schools.  Look back over the history of education to the turn of the century and the beginning of the educational philosophies, pragmatism and humanism were the early ones, and they branched out into a number of other philosophies which have led us now into a circumstance where our schools are producing the problems that we face.”
This writing is not an attempt to slander public school teachers; rather, it is a response to the misconceptions and other questions surrounding the decision my wife and I have made to homeschool our children.  Hopefully this may serve as a tool for others in defense of their decisions as well.  This writing does not apply to those who, because of divorce, death of a spouse, etc., cannot homeschool.  However, there are many options outside of public education for people in that circumstance.  For those who have chosen to homeschool, it is well known that opponents of homeschooling are quick to criticize and have many misconceptions with little or no foundation.  I, like many others, was educated in public schools and will be the first to say that some public school teachers are angels from heaven.  Unfortunately for today’s public school teachers, they have been placed in an impossible situation where they are expected to raise gobs of children and teach them language, reading, math, and science.  Too often, they become scapegoats for an irresponsible society that relies upon the Department of Education, a godless institution, to teach their children morals, values, and responsibility.

Our society has become one which relies almost entirely upon the government for its sustenance.  By doing so, we have become completely susceptible to the government in ways many people do not even realize.  Public education is simply another form of government reliance which strips us of our liberty to educate our children from “the best books” as we have been counseled by the prophets.  It does not allow our children to freely progress; rather, it hinders them by only allowing them to progress as fast as the slowest individual in their age group.  Public education imposes additional taxes upon our properties and educators are always asking for more.  There are approximately 2.04 million homeschooled children in the United States which represent over $16 billion that taxpayers do not have to spend (Ray, 2011).  If we truly want to free ourselves from taxation and the ever-increasing federal deficit, we can begin by homeschooling our children.

Another example of reliance upon the government comes from parents who say they do not think they could homeschool because they lack teaching or child development credentials.  When God entrusted us with creating mortal life, he granted unto us the ability care for the lives which we create.  He gave us the Holy Ghost to aid us in receiving inspiration.  No one, no matter what their credentials, can understand a child better than parents who earnestly pray for, and seek divine guidance in the raising, teaching, and nurturing of that child.  The saying “a mother knows best” applies here, which is precisely why homeschoolers are so successful.  Parents know their children and how they learn best.  A parent can tailor their teachings to each of their children, which will never be possible in public classrooms.  In A Parent’s Guide published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it states: “The Lord has placed on you as a parent the primary responsibility to teach your children.  Though this is a great responsibility, it is also a divine privilege to have Heavenly Father’s children entrusted to your care.”

A very common misconception associated with homeschooling is that homeschooled children lack socialization and, therefore, are social misfits unable to communicate with others.  Anyone who has raised multiple children can attest to the fact that all children are born with different personalities.  We are all very different beings, physically and spiritually.  Some of us are born with a need to socialize with those around us in order to feel accepted.  Others seclude themselves and are perfectly content having few or no friends at all.  One is not any more correct than the other.  This misconception creates an assumption which eliminates any room for the belief that we are children of God with unique personalities and talents.  It also stands as proof of just how reliant upon government our society has become, to think that we cannot even function socially, without government assistance.  It assumes that the Department of Education is responsible for our personalities and that all publicly educated children are social butterflies anxiously awaiting their next conversation with a complete stranger.  I can attest to the inaccuracy of this assumption.  Having been publicly educated, I have never enjoyed social interactions and have always secluded myself when possible.  I simply am not a social person and my public education did not change that fact.
In truth, public education has proven to be quite detrimental to those students who do not enjoy social interactions.  They become outcast by their peers and begin to harbor deep sentiments of shame, worthlessness, and self-loathing.  We have witnessed extreme situations where students have been driven to such desperately low levels as to take their own lives and/or the lives of other students by acts of extreme violence.  Take a moment to ponder what would be different had the perpetrators of such acts of violence been homeschooled by a loving mother and father.

Many homeschoolers join homeschooling groups that share their same beliefs.  The children within those groups frequently interact.  There are also sporting leagues, music conservatories, theatres, and many other activities outside of the public school system in which homeschoolers can take part.  Studies indicate that homeschooled children actually have a social advantage over publicly educated children, being that homeschooled children interact with all age groups as opposed to only interacting with students their age.  This teaches them to become more adaptable in social settings than their publicly educated counterparts.

It is another common misconception that those who are homeschooled are naïve as it pertains to worldly things.  This is not any truer of homeschooled children than it is of publicly educated children.  I resort again to my personal life.  Although I avoided social interaction at school, I did have friends.  I also became employed at a grocery store when I was thirteen and had many coworkers who were very well versed in the things of the world.  However, even with my public education, my friends, and my coworkers, I managed to graduate from high school a very naïve person, worldly speaking.  I knew that a lot of bad things existed in the world, but I did not know, or even care to know, the details.  Naïve as I was, I still managed to keep a job all through high school, graduate from high school, serve a mission to Guatemala, get a degree, and now act as sole provider for my wife and children.  My naïveté never was cause for me to falter and fall into forbidden paths.  I do not state this to boast, but to show that one can lead a normal, successful, and satisfying life, without knowing all the gory details of what goes on around them.  It also shows how a publicly educated individual can be naïve and that naïveté is not a trait reserved only for homeschooled children. Whether a child is homeschooled or publicly educated, all live in the same world with eyes and ears that can observe what is going on around them.

The final misconception that I want to address is that homeschooled children are ill-prepared for college.  This could not be any further from the truth.  It is a fact that many homeschooled children graduate from the high school equivalent with an associate’s degree.  Studies have also shown that homeschooled children out-perform publicly educated children by 30 to 37 percentile points in all subjects (Ray, 1997).  If one truly desires to provide their children with the best possible education, statistics indicate their response should be to homeschool their children.

In fact, many of the most brilliant minds to ever grace the human species were homeschooled as children.  Some of the more well-known include Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), Charles Dickens, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Brigham Young, Claude Monet, Albert Einstein, and fourteen U.S. Presidents.  This is an abbreviated list, but it helps one to realize that homeschooling is a legitimate means of educating children and preparing them to become productive members and future leaders of our society.

By homeschooling our children, we free their minds so they can reach their true potential.  We opt them out of the “No child left behind” policy which is disturbingly similar to the plan Satan sponsored in the pre-existence.  Just as Satan’s plan would have hindered our spiritual progression, the “No child left behind” policy hinders the educational progression of our children.

We have been charged with raising spirit sons and daughters of God.  Much is expected of us as parents.  David O. McKay, former President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated: “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.”  We only have 18 years to raise our children and prepare them to become responsible adults who know the ultimate goal of this life, which is to gain eternal life in the presence of our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  As important as it is for our children to obtain a secular education, it is of greater importance that they know why they are on this earth, and to what end.  Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated: “If we will keep spiritual learning in its proper place, we will have to make some hard choices of how we use our time.  But there should never be a conscious choice to let the spiritual become secondary as a pattern in our lives.  Never.  That will lead to tragedy.  The tragedy may not be obvious at first, nor may it ever be clear in mortal life.  But remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life.  When you see that reality clearly with spiritual sight, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning.  In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision.”  In a homeschooling environment, children can be taught truth in the light of the gospel as opposed to being taught theories which try to compensate a lack of deity.

By homeschooling our children, we reduce the amount of temptation they would have to face as compared to the amount they would face by being publicly educated.  I have heard some people argue that we should send our children to public schools so they can gain more experience in the face of temptation.  President John Taylor, former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated:  “Parents . . . do you surround your sons and daughters with every safeguard to shield them from the arts of the vile? . . . Or do you leave them in their ignorance and inexperience to mix with any society they may choose, at any hour that may be convenient to them, and to be exposed to the wiles of the seducer and the corrupt?  These are questions you will all have to answer either to your shame and condemnation or to your joy and eternal happiness.”  If that is not clear enough, Matthew 26:41 reads: “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  The prophets have counseled us to avoid temptation by all means.  Why, then, would we send our children to public school with the intent to enter them into temptation?  As parents, we have the sacred responsibility to protect our children from the adversary that they may focus on their own betterment, rather than trying to free themselves from his binding chains.  If that means homeschooling our children rather than sending them to school, then that is precisely the action that should be taken.

Let the Lord’s words be ever-present in our mind as we seek the ability to teach our children in all things.  From D&C 88:78–79 he counsels: “Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
“Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—.”

Sources:
National Crime Survey. (2004). Crimes committed on school grounds. Washington, DC.
Ray, B. D. (2011). Research Facts on Homeschooling, National Home Education Research Institute. Retrieved from http://www.nheri.org/research/research-facts-on-homeschooling.html
Ray, B. D. (1997). Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America, National Home Education Research Institute.

 

Health Through Divine Inspiration Before The Arm of Flesh

This was originally published at LDS Liberty. You can view it here.

“Ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men.” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:7)

It is harder now than in times past to eat from the land.  It is possible, however, to grow your own herbs and find the ones, with the Lord’s help, that you think would be most useful for your family and will help to prepare for famine, sickness, and pregnancy.  Does not everything the Lord created have purpose?  So then, each herb has a specific purpose.  Doctrine and Covenants 89:10 states: “And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man.” To those who disregard the healing properties of herbs, they would do well to re-read the previous scripture.  The Lord ordained, or in other words, intended, destined, or fated herbs for our use.

While on Earth each of us is tried with emotional, spiritual, and physical difficulties.  Does the Lord expect us to fight these things alone?  No; and in these trials if we seek his help and guidance will he not surely give us the things that we need in order to heal ourselves?  This is not to say all illnesses need or ought to be healed ourselves, but there is great satisfaction in caring for ourselves and for our families.  By living the Word of Wisdom, we are promised we “…shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” (Doctrine and Covenant 89: 19).  This promise, especially in times of sickness, can help a mother feel as though she is truly fulfilling her calling as a mother and not relying upon the arm of flesh—but rather upon the Lord and the knowledge she has been privileged enough to receive.

In Brigham Young’s Journal of Discourses, he stated:  “Learn to take proper care of your children…If any of them are sick, the cry now, instead of ‘Go and fetch the Elders to lay hands on my child,’ is, ‘Run for a doctor’…you should go to work to study and see what you can do for the recovery of your children… It is the privilege of a mother to have faith and to administer to her child; this she can do herself.”  We are the stewards of our children and as such, we have a divine right to revelation.  This revelation does not only apply to teaching our children, but also to caring for them emotionally, spiritually and physically.  It takes a lot of effort to learn how to care for our families.  But this effort, guided by the Spirit and with the help of the Lord, enables us to fulfill our callings as mothers.

Why would one have to go to a doctor for an illness that could be treated with herbs from a pantry?  What is the need to visit the doctor multiple times per year to have them say that a child is growing and developing correctly and quickly?  Should not the Lord be who we turn to regarding the well-being of our children?  James 1:5 states: “If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”  Should not He be the one from who we receive confirmation that we are indeed raising our children correctly and that they are reaching the “milestones” in the time the Lord has set for them and not those set up for an earthly purpose?  Do those milestones truly have a purpose?  Does knowing what percentile in which a child’s weight is categorized really have a purpose?  No.  This is an average, and each parent knows that every child grows at different rates and at different times.  There are the over achieving babies (like my first) who learn to walk by 10 months and those (like my second) who still decide they would rather sit than put any weight on their legs for standing.  The Lord will help us to know that our children are developing at their own pace, and we can be comforted by Him.

The Lord has repeatedly stated when it is appropriate to use a physician, and when he speaks more than once on a topic, we would do well to give heed:

Matthew: 9:12 states: “…They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”
Mark 2:17 states: “…They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick…”
Luke 5: 31 states: “…They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.”
Moroni 8:8 states: “…the whole need no physician, but they that are sick…”

From the Journal of Discourses, Brigham Young stated in 1872: “The study and practice of anatomy and surgery are very good; they are mechanical, and are frequently needed.  Do you not think it is necessary to give medicine sometimes?  Yes, but I would rather have a wife of mine that knows what medicine to give me when I am sick, than all the professional doctors in the world… It is that man or woman, who, by revelation, or we may call it intuitive inspiration, is capable of administering medicine to assist the human system when it is besieged by the enemy called Disease; but if they have not that manifestation they had better let the sick person alone.”

How many doctors in the world today practice medicine by the Spirit?  Why do we trust everything that comes from the mouths of doctors?  We oppress ourselves by relying on the opinions of professional doctors rather than upon the Lord.

Mark 5:25–26 states: “And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.”  We trust a group of individuals who say, “Yes, we can treat you. You have such and such disease, but before that treatment can happen, you will have to sign here stating that you will pay for the treatment and that you will not be able to hold us accountable for any negative side effects.  You will be in bondage to us for a very long time to pay for this, and, most likely, you will have side effects from the treatment that you will have to be treated for in the future.  Oh, and there is no guarantee that the treatment will work.”  How many people have been deceived!  Is this the way of the Lord?  No.  The Lord never withholds help from people nor does he force people to comply with his will, unlike the medical establishment.  He allows us our agency to choose for ourselves.

Should not the medical establishment be likening itself to how the Savior healed on the Earth instead of forcing people to comply with their will, and, at the same time, forcing us to dig ourselves deeper and deeper into debt, a lot of the time for “treatments” that don’t even work and/or are unnecessary?  Although it would be nice to blame the medical community for these faults, the blame lies with us.  We are the ones that politely and blindly comply, while, at the same time, seem to take no responsibility for what ails us.  Matthew 7:3 says: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye.”  The medical establishment cannot be blamed when we are ignorantly supporting them.

The Lord also stated in Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Has the medical establishment really proven that they can deliver us from all of our ills?  Or have they provided treatments that generate more disease?  Herbs, on the other hand, are proven.  Just as we learn from the testimonies of those at church, it would do parents well to read testimonies of the powerful effectiveness of herbs.  Each time we have an illness in our family, which is not often, we do not run to the doctor for antibiotics to kill every living bacteria (even the good ones) in our bodies.  Instead, we “help” the illness along by receiving a priesthood blessing and allowing our bodies the chance to heal themselves—as they were designed to do with the assistance of herbs.
Doctrine and Covenants 59:17–19 states: “Yea, and the herb, and the good things which come of the earth, whether for food or for raiment, or for houses or for barns, or for orchards, or for gardens, or for vineyards; Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea, for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell, to strengthen the body and to enliven the soul” (emphasis added).  This is the Lord’s way.

Now is the time to take back our rights and responsibilities as mothers.  Our children are bestowed to us as gifts, things to treasure and to take care of.   We should not rely on the arm of flesh to care for our children before going to the Lord to seek his counsel and healing power.  Just as with all things pertaining to the Gospel, learning to care for our families requires effort.  It is effort that will not go unnoticed and will yield good fruit.

When we rely on the Lord in all things, we free ourselves from the bondage within which we have placed ourselves.  Learning about the wonderful herbs the Lord has given us for our use will edify anyone who desires to acknowledge the Lord’s hand in their creation and their usefulness for humankind.  He has given us these herbs; let us use them “with prudence and thanksgiving!”

Prayers are Answered

Doctrince and Covenants 19:38 "Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing"

Since I have become a member of the church there are many times I have wondered "Where are the women like me?"  Why can't I find women I can truly relate to and learn from?  Yes, we can learn something from everyone and I do get along with women generally.  What I am talking about are the deeper connections to women.  You know, those women who come into your life and it seems like you must have known them in the pre-existence or something and almost everything seems to click. 

I have a hard time relating to women.  Once people find out I cloth diaper, don't circumcise, exclusively breastfeed, tandem nurse (I don't mention that in public), use herbs, don't go to the doctor with every illness...the list goes on, it sometimes seems like that's where the friendship doesn't progress any more.  That doesn't mean we aren't nice and polite, but it never seems to get any deeper.  Each ward I have lived in I have been able to make at least one "deeper" friendship and I am so happy to have those women in my life.  Women I can talk to and not be judged.  Women I learn SO much from and make me re-question things and give me a drive to be healthier and give my boys a healthier life. 

There have been a few times that I have broken down to J about this and wondered why I haven't been able to find women to connect with, why aren't there any women that are on the same page?  We are all different, I get that.  Why aren't we more outspoken about the things that are passionate to us?  With these women I can be passionate.  I can cry about my boys' births and all of the many decisions that J and I have made while raising them.  I can raise my voice with the frustration I feel about the way our country is headed and they know it isn't directed at them.

If you haven't found anyone around you that thinks the way you do.  Think again and pray.  The Lord will bring them into your life right when you need them.  I hope this blog will help you know you are not alone in your thoughts.  There are women like you--we just don't live in the same ward.

A Mother's Perspective: Sorting the Political Laundry

This was originally published at LDS Liberty.  

“And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”  1 Nephi 4:6
One of the hardest things in this life for me to understand is how best to parent.  My greatest source of strength is having the influence of the Holy Ghost and knowing that Heavenly Father will direct me towards the path he wants for my family, if I allow.

Allowing the Lord to dictate what I should be studying is a very enlightening task.  Not long after my husband and I were married I had a strong prompting to prepare to be a stay-at-home mother.  That prompting was later followed by another which led me to pursue a natural birth (which was successful, as was the birth of our second son).  I then became interested in herbs and other forms of natural medicine.  I am now preparing to homeschool our children.  In addition to all these things, my husband and I have a renewed interest in politics and we are educating ourselves on the different infringements of rights that are occurring in our country.  We have found that some of our former values and beliefs were not quite in line with the gospel.

We did not know what it meant to be true, active participants in politics.  Yes, we voted.  Yes, we studied who we wanted to vote for; but those votes were misguided.  They were significantly influenced by the personalities of talk radio and other conservative media, rather than by study and prayer.  D&C 98: 10 states: “Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil”.

Can we continue to ignore the Lord once we have read the above verse?  Can we continue to act lazily in our political lives when our Constitution is indeed “hanging by a thread?”  As my sons grow up, I want to be able to say I was a diligent mom and did my best to elect honest men; thus, allowing my sons the opportunity to grow up in a prosperous nation where they may achieve their goals without government restraint.

We are commanded to seek wise men diligently.  It is my view that this presidential election is one of the most hopeful elections we have ever had.  At this time, we have the opportunity to elect a man who stands for liberty.  He is a man who loves this country and has voted to uphold its Constitution throughout his years as a congressman.  He stands for the ideals of the gospel and he is the wise man that we, if we have been doing our duty, have been searching for.  Ron Paul is the only man in this presidential race that is willing to be peculiar.  He stands out from the rest because his principles are sound.

We should cast our vote for the one man who stands for liberty and this man is Ron Paul.  The following are just three reasons why I believe Ron Paul supports liberty and is the honest and wise man we have been searching for.

Ron Paul will protect my right to homeschool my children.  He not only voted for legislation that supports homeschoolers by giving tax breaks, he also strongly supports giving the control of education back to parents.  Private schooling is too expensive when the majority of children attend state-run schools.  If the Department of Education were to be dissolved (which Ron Paul is highly in favor of) it would allow for more competition between schools which would create an affordable education alternative for those who choose not to homeschool.  Past prophets have stated that we should not support “free” education through taxation.  Brigham Young said, “I am opposed to free education as much as I am opposed to taking property from one man and giving it to another who knows not how to take care of it.”  By supporting Ron Paul we may soon be able to do as we have been counseled.

Ron Paul also supports the elimination of the income tax.  This may sound foolish to some people, but who does our money belong to?  The scriptures do not teach that we should be in bondage to our government; rather, they provide examples of leaders who have been deemed as “wicked” who enslave their people through taxation.  Mosiah 19:15 states: “Therefore the Lamanites did spare their lives, and took them captives and carried them back to the land of Nephi, and granted unto them that they might possess the land, under the conditions that they would deliver up king Noah into the hands of the Lamanites, and deliver up their property, even one half of all they possessed, one half of their gold, and their silver, and all their precious things, and thus they should pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites from year to year.”   Our money first belongs to the Lord and then to ourselves.  When the government unconstitutionally takes money from us it burdens our lives.  As an example, we had to pay out of pocket for both of the births of our sons.  Although the midwives were less expensive than the hospital, it was still more than we could afford.  The extra money that we paid in taxes, Social Security, and Medicare would have covered the cost with money to spare.  If the income tax was eliminated and Social Security and Medicare were optional programs (or eliminated altogether), this would place money back into the market which would greatly improve our struggling economy.

I am ashamed to say that when my husband and I were first married, we relied upon the words of Glenn Beck and other talk radio hosts more than we relied upon the scriptures and the spirit.  We thought they knew what was best for our country and we supported the senseless wars that the United States is continually involved in.  However, we have been inspired to recognize that their beliefs are not in harmony with the following law given from our Lord.  D&C 98: 33–36: “And again, this is the law that I gave unto mine ancients, that they should not go out unto battle against any nation, kindred, tongue, or people, save I, the Lord, commanded them.  And if any nation, tongue, or people should proclaim war against them, they should first lift a standard of peace unto that people, nation, or tongue; And if that people did not accept the offering of peace, neither the second nor the third time, they should bring these testimonies before the Lord; Then I, the Lord, would give unto them a commandment, and justify them in going out to battle against that nation, tongue, or people.”  Ron Paul has stated that he will not go to war with any nation without the consent of congress as is stated in the Constitution.  We know that our Constitution was divinely created and it is Ron Paul who has tried to maintain it throughout his years as a congressman.  It is Ron Paul who will not carelessly deploy our military for any agenda other than the protection of American citizens, and only then, with permission from congress.

Now it is your turn to study the candidates for yourself.  It is your turn to be diligent and use the Holy Ghost to guide you as you research the candidates.  We are commanded to uphold the Constitution and our vote for President gives us the opportunity to do just that.  For the sake of our children and the world they face, it is our responsibility to seek out the most wise and honest candidate for President.