A story about the Houston Temple

This is a story that was forwarded to me via email.  I found it interesting so I'm posting it here for future reference.  The author is unknown.

A few months after my accident, I got a call from a headhunter telling me that he had a position for which he wanted me to interview. I was a little surprised by the call since I wasn't actively looking for a job at the time. As a matter of fact, I was still learning to walk again and use my reconstructed hands. I politely declined and thought that was it. It wasn't!

The man kept calling me and every time I told him why I was unable to accept a job at the moment, he kept telling me that it wasn't important. After a while I decided to go on the interview. If nothing else, it would stop the annoying phone calls every couple of days.

The interview was with one of the largest HVAC contractors in Houston. I've never worked for a contractor before and, quite frankly, contractors and engineers often find themselves at complete odds with each other. I knew for a fact that, in my years of experience, I had been in more than one shouting match with a few project managers at this firm.

The interviewer brought me into a conference room and expressed his thanks for me coming in. He told me that I had come recommended to him as someone uniquely qualified for the job he had. He described the job and, I had to admit, it sounded like a pretty good gig. As a matter of fact, if I had to describe my dream job, this would be it.

I started asking questions about the firm...what kind of projects they were working on and so forth. They were one of the biggest contractors in Houston and so he ran down a pretty impressive resume of projects. Then he said, "Oh...and we're doing this church. It's the strangest church you've ever seen" I'd designed some pretty strange churches in my time. One of them was made entirely of pink glass. When you're especially bored some time, you should try and run down the thermal transfer properties of pink glass. If you find out, get back to me on it because I never was able to figure it out.

The interviewer continued with his description of the strange church. "Another weird thing is that they're spending WAYYYY too much money on this thing. You know how, whenever we do a church, we're asked to figure out ways to cut costs? Well, not on this job. In fact, they keep asking us for ways we can make it even better."

(It's called 'value engineering'. It happens on almost every job when the owner gets hit with the sticker price of the project and we have to go back and try and work with contractors to hold down prices and yet still keep in a modicum of quality…that's where the shouting matches usually occur. Churches are especially notorious at this game and the end result is usually a facade of flash over substance. You build this really impressive looking church and pray that the next big wind won't come along and blow it all down.)

Then the interviewer said something that sealed the deal. "...and the strangest thing of all is that we're not going to even be allowed back in this church to fix any problems. Only members with a special piece of paper will be allowed in."

I fished into my wallet and pulled out my temple recommend, "Is this the piece of paper you're talking about?", I asked.

And so I went to work on helping to build the Houston Temple.

The first job meeting was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. We all met in a little shack on the temple building site. It was an odd sensation to look out at earth moving equipment shoving mounds of dirt around and get tears in your eyes.

I didn't tell anyone at the meeting that I was LDS. For one reason, I didn't want them to think I was going to come off as a know-it-all. Another reason is that there were some pretty strong protests against building this temple and I wanted to see where everyone stood on the issue. You kind of want to know where all the land mines are before you go traipsing off into the clover.

You may or may not know this but the church sends its own project manager to the site when a temple is built. It's his job to make sure that the specifications are followed in every way. As it happened, the church's representative, a man named Leon, was called away to Salt Lake and so the project manager for the general contractor got up and started the meeting.

"Leon's been called away to Salt Lake and so I'll be running the meeting." He looked around and his eye settled on the Plumbing Contractor, "Gill, why don't you offer us an opening prayer?"

My jaw dropped. First of all, prayers just aren't the standard way that construction meetings are called to order. And another thing is that, I'd known Gill for fifteen years and anyone even mildly acquainted with the man was aware that he was incapable of stringing four words together without cussing twice.

"This is going to be some prayer", I thought...it was. Gill bowed his head and folded his hands and gave a prayer like he'd been giving them in sacrament meeting his entire life. We were grateful for the opportunity to work on the temple. We were mindful of the sacrifices of The Saints. We prayed for safety and harmony among the builders and we consecrated and dedicated our actions to The Lord.

Gill ended his prayer and the General Contractor went on with the agenda. I wasn't really paying attention, however, because I was still dumbstruck, staring at Gill, and wondering what had happened to him. I was still staring at Gill when the agenda came to me and I was asked to introduce myself to the group.

There was a bit of a pause when I got caught still staring, openmouthed, at Gill. Then everyone started to laugh.

"It's in the specifications", explained the general contractor, "we have to pray before every meeting"

Knowing the crowd, I asked, "And none of you tried to negotiate out of that?"

"Well, we did grumble for a while and then Leon started making us sing an opening hymn as well."

I wished I had accepted the job sooner, I might have been able to see that.

I soon found out that I didn't need to tell anyone I was LDS, they all knew and many times a contractor would sidle up to me to ask me something about my religion or the significance of something in the temple.

"What's up with the twelve cows and the big Jacuzzi?", one would ask.

"Is that Gabriel up there with a trumpet?" (Oh...little known fact but if you'll take a pair of binoculars with you and get far enough away so you can see it from the proper angle, you'll notice a lightening rod sticking out of Moroni's head.)

I took to bringing my scriptures with me so that I could explain the significance of different things and point to their Biblical foundation.

One question was my personal favorite, "where's the counting room?". Remember the churches I told you about that I'd designed? Well one thing that never got 'value engineered' was the counting room. It was where they kept and counted the donations and it was always built like a bank vault.

"We don't have a counting room in temples", I said."

"Why not?"

"We don't take in any donations at the temple"

"You mean to tell me that you put all this money into a building and you don't ever get a nickel out of it?"

 

The contractor went away shaking his head. No doubt wondering how anyone as foolish as these Mormons had ever amassed enough money to build such wonderful buildings.

Of all my experiences, only one was what I would have categorized as 'odd'. With an opening prayer at each meeting, design conferences went about pretty much like PEC meetings. There was a spirit of brotherhood that just wasn't normally present in construction shacks.

One day, however, the meeting got a little out of hand. Some voices were raised and anger entered the room. When it made its appearance, I was surprised to notice a letdown that I recognized as The Spirit leaving the room. It made me sad. I looked about the table and I could tell that others were experiencing the same letdown.

It was then that the copier behind me started spitting out blank sheets of paper. Nobody was at the copier and yet it churned out about a dozen sheets of paper and then stopped. It took everyone by surprise and it completely diffused the argument that was going on. Someone made a small joke, everyone laughed and the meeting went on. Little by little I felt the warmth of The Spirit return.

After the meeting, I was going over some items with the General Contractor. I had to make a few copies and so I went to the copier. There was a sign over the copier instructing the sub-contractors to write down the number of copies they make so that their companies can be backcharged. Thinking that I was making a joke, I pointed to the sign and said, "Are you going to give the angels a discount on the copies they made today?" The general contractor looked at me and said, "You know? Strange things like that happen around here quite often."

As the temple neared its completion, the general contractor and I had occasion to chat one more time. I knew that he was a staunch Baptist, one of the churches, in fact, that was so vocal in its protest over our building a temple in Houston. Over the months, we had become friends, and so I felt no qualms in asking him just what his feelings were, as a Baptist, building a Mormon temple. I'll never forget what he told me.

"In ancient times", he said, "building work was overseen by guilds. The guild masters were the ones who saw to it that the integrity of the craft over which they labored was the best it could be. If you wanted to enter the guild you had to begin as an apprentice and dedicate long years with little or no pay. The master under whom you labored, gave you room and board and your tools. Eventually, you became a journeyman in the guild and you got paid. However, if you wanted to become a master of the guild, you had to present a sample of your work to be judged by the other masters. It had to be a work of outstanding beauty and flawless quality for it was the work by which your skills would be judged. It had to be a work that would weather the ages and it was called, 'a masterpiece'"

The contractor continued, "Every building I've ever built has been one where money won out over quality. I've never been able to do the best I'm capable of because of budget restraints. If I'm grateful for one thing, it's that you Mormons don't skimp when it comes to your temples. For once, I'm able to build to the quality I'm really capable of".

 

Then he looked out over the temple and his gaze came back to me.  His eyes were tearing up a bit and he swept his hand back towards the temple and his voice got a little reverent.  "This is my masterpiece", he said.

 

"I've been building buildings for almost thirty years. I've been doing it so long, in fact, that they are beginning to tear down buildings that I was sure would live as a testament to my presence long after I was gone from this earth."

 

"I'm really grateful I had a chance to work on The Houston Temple."

Lost Generation

This is a great, clever video entitled "Lost Generation".  Enjoy.

Things I Love About...

Here is a quick idea for a family home evening activity that I read about in the Ensign magazine a little while ago (see PDF).  My wife and I are going to try it with our kids and see how it goes.  I think they'll do ok - although AJ might need some help.

Slumdog Millionaire

While I was in DC after my trip to India, my parents and I went to see the movie Slumdog Millionaire.  It was a great movie and a terrific bookend to my India trip.  The story is amazingly told and the imagery is also fantastic.  Not everyone in India is as enthusiastic about the movie (see this article, for example) but I found it fairly realistic based on my experience there and what I had read in preparation for the trip (see this post, for example).  I would highly recommend this movie to anyone.

The Other Part of Forgiveness

There was a great one-page article in the December 2008 issue of the Ensign entitled "The Other Part of Forgiveness" (see also scanned PDF).  Since it's a relatively short piece, I've included it all here:

I was struggling to forgive some acquaintances who had hurt me. Each time I thought of the situation and how sad I was, I felt angry all over again. I decided to talk with a friend, a fellow Christian of a different faith, about my struggle.

I told him that I wanted to retain the lessons I had learned but not the pain or anger. I asked, “How can I let my bad feelings go—not just ignore them but actually let them go?”

He responded with another question: “What did Jesus tell us to do with our enemies?”

“Forgive them,” I said, “but I can’t seem to follow through with that, even though I want to.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Jesus did teach us to forgive, but He told us to do something else, something that I think makes it possible for us to forgive.”

My mind went blank. I couldn’t think of anything. My friend reminded me that the Savior taught us to pray for our enemies. He then pointed out that if others are having a bad enough time that they are ready to hurt us, they too must be hurting inside. When we pray that they will be able to resolve their difficulties, that they will be able to find happiness, he said, we can’t help but feel kindness and love toward them.

A peaceful assurance fell over me. That was it! The Savior’s words—“pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44)—were the answer I was searching for. I took those teachings to heart. I found that in praying for the people who I felt had wronged me, I was able to feel peace rather than anger or resentment. Each time I remembered my hurt feelings, I said a prayer in my mind for my acquaintances, and I immediately felt better. In time, I actually started to feel concern and compassion for these people. I even had a desire to help them if I could.

I am grateful to have had this gospel-centered conversation with my friend of a different faith. It increased my desire to openly speak about my beliefs so that I could have more enlightening experiences like this one. I had been guided and comforted and was blessed to find an answer to a challenge.

I have tried to apply this teaching in my life as well and can testify that it is a true principle.

Poor but Cheerful

Here is another article that my mother sent me before my trip to India.  The subtitle of the article is "a day spent on a mountain of trash in the Philippines inspires a young man to ponder the meanings of privilege and deprivation".  This person's experience certainly supports the fact that a big part of how we evaluate our own situation, circumstances, and happiness is in comparison to other people.  If none of the people around us have much, we are content without those things also.  Where problems start coming in is when others around me seem to have more and I - by comparison - have less.  In business school, I remember having a conversation with one of my classmates where I noted how lucky we were.  Most of us would make more money per year than >99% of the world population.  In response, my classmate told me that he didn't compare himself to 99% of the world population.  He only compared himself to the people at HBS (and would only be happy if we did better than the rest of us).  A sad commentary on the human condition.

Color Connection

Before my trip to India, my mother shared this article with me.  It discusses the fact that India is still a color-conscious society.  I didn't experience this myself while I was there but I wasn't looking for it either.  It, unfortunately, doesn't take me by surprise and India certainly isn't unique in this regard.

How Faith Can Heal

Time magazine just did a special issue focused on "How Faith Can Heal" regarding how faith and medicine intersect (see PDF of articles).  It was a reasonably interesting set of material but I wasn't terribly blown away.  Posting the articles here in case I want to revisit it in the future.

The Character of God

I just read an interesting sermon called "The Character of God" on ExploreFaith.org.  It compares and contrasts two different models for viewing the character of God: (1) the monarchical model of God as King and Lord vs (2) a model of God as Divine Lover.  The author advocates for the latter model - one of compassion and deep love for all His children - providing this challenge: "For just a moment think of the difference in your life if you knew that at the deepest level of your being that God is besotted with you, that God yearns for you, yearns that you turn and be in relationship with God as the beloved of God."  I certainly agree with this view of God's character but also agree that our behavior and actions towards other matters and will influence in some way what happens after we die.

Deeper waters

My wife's aunt NG sent this to me via email.  It was written by Mitt Romney.

I don't remember when it was exactly that I finally went past the sandbar. My family had a summer cottage on the shores of one of the Great Lakes.  For the first forty or so feet, the lake is shallow, warm, and protected from big waves by the sandbar.  That's where I spent most of the  hot summer days as a boy.  I liked it there.  One day, my brother got me up on water skis.

Perhaps fearing that a turn would make me fall, he drove the boat, and me, straight out into the deep.  By the way, this lake is over 100 miles wide.

I screamed at him the whole terrifying ride.  He took me about a half mile out.  But ever after, the deep water was where I wanted to be: surfing in the breakers, water skiing, diving.  I got out of the shallow water for good.  Over the years, I have watched a good number of people live out their lives in the shallows.  In the shallows, life is all about yourself, your job, your money, your house, your rights, your needs, your opinions, your ideas, and your comfort.

In the deeper waters, life is about others: family, friends, faith, community, country, caring, commitment.   In the deeper waters, there are challenging ideas, opposing opinions, and uncomfortable battles. Almost every dimension of your life can be held to the shallows or taken into the deeper water.  Your career, your involvement with others, your spouse and your children, your politics, each can be lived with you comfortably at the center.  Or, they can draw you out of yourself, into service and sacrifice, into selflessness.

At some point in your life, a few of you may be presented with the opportunity to step off your career path, to give yourself fully to some kind of service. When I was asked to leave my investment company to run the Olympics in Salt Lake City, I dismissed the idea out of hand.  I was making too much money, I didn't know bupkes about running a sports event.  The job would pay me nothing.  The organization was in the worst condition of any I had ever seen.  And, after the Games were over, the position would lead nowhere.  It was a dead end.

I took it.  It was the highlight of my professional life.  I gave more of myself than I ever had before.  I came to know and respect remarkable people.  There are currencies more lasting than money.  It can be enormously rewarding to take the unobvious course, to jump into the deep water.  Bias is shallow thinking and shallow water.  Read widely, particularly from people who disagree with you.  Argue to learn rather than to win.  If you don't respect, I mean really respect, the views of people who disagree with you, then you don't understand them yet.  There are smart people on both sides of almost every important issue.  Learn from them all.  If you have life all figured out in neat little packages, you're in Neverland, not the real world.  And it's boring there.  There's one more thing I've seen in the people who swim in the deep waters of life.  They don't fashion their values and principles to suit their self-interest; they live instead by enduring principles that are fundamental to society and to successful, great lives.

I learned important lessons about those principles from some of the Olympians I saw in Salt Lake City, like bobsledder Vonetta Flowers. Vonetta was brakeman on USA sled two.  All the attention, however, was on sled one, the sled that had taken the World Cup and was a lock for the Olympic Gold.

But just before the Olympics, the pilot of sled one dropped her partner and invited Vonetta Flowers to join her.  Vonetta had a tough decision.  On sled one, she'd get a gold medal for sure; the first Olympic gold to be won by an African American in the Olympic Winter Games.  Those of us rooting for US medals hoped she would jump to sled one.  She didn't.  She decided that friendship and loyalty to her longtime teammate on sled two was more important than winning the gold. Of course, sled one did well.  But when sled two beat them all, coming in first, the crowd went nuts.   And tears dripped off Vonetta's cheeks.

Friendship and loyalty above gold.

You live one time only. Don't spend it in safe, shallow water.  Launch out into the deep.  Give yourself to your family, to your career, to your community.   Open your mind to diverging viewpoints.  And live, not by what suits the moment, but by the principles that endure  for a lifetime.

Jump in, the water's fine!

Over the last couple of years, I've certainly been trying to launch out into the deep.  The process continues.

Facebook Is for Old People

There's a funny article in the February 23, 2009 issue of Time magazine called "Facebook Is for Old People" (see PDF).  I've recently gotten into using Facebook and a lot of people my age use it too.  I've found it a pretty good way to (at least superficially) keep in touch with people and know what they're up to.  It's also fun for photos and exercises like this.

Hugs

I think the graphic to the left is hilarious (click the image for a larger version).  It's from a Time magazine article (in the February 23, 2009 issue) called "Are Hugs the New Handshakes?" discussing the increasing popularity of hugs in our society.  I've certainly noticed this trend and embraced it myself.  I totally do the "Hip-Hop Hug" with my brother and my brothers-in-law.  And I do the "Ass-Out Hug" with my sisters-in-law, especially HG.  I especially like the names of the different hugs.

Quote of the day

Not sure if any of you have noticed the quote of the day widget I added to my blog a little while ago.  If not, scroll down a bit and look on the left side of the page.  Today's quote was great: "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday" - Proverb.  Love it.

Meeting God

While preparing for my trip to India, I checked out Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion from the library.  It's a great book that takes an intimate look at Hindu religious practices, supported with amazing photography.  In the foreword, it says:

In this presentation of Hinduism, I deeply appreciate the coming together of two potent spheres: the hard work of daily survival and the limitless imagination that gives such vitality to ritual, story, painting, shrines, statuary, temples, and gestures, to note just a few elements of puja.  Here religion is colorful and entrancing. It is practiced by ordinary people on ordinary days and usually in ordinary places, but all that ordinariness is transformed by an imagination for the infinite that is vivid, passionate, and remarkably sophisticated, and articulated with great subtlety.

The preface goes on to say:

For the average Hindu, the Divine is personal and approachable. The most common word describing worship is darsham, literally translated as "seeing and being seen by God." My own rich experiences in India during the past three decades have led me to a deep understanding of this process of "meeting God." In writing this book, I have attempted to convey the transformative intensity of worship in India as it evokes the heart as well as the mind, and as it involves the active use of all the senses ... Hinduism is a religion of strength, vitality, innovation, and balance. By opening our hearts and minds to its messages, we can enrich our own lives.

I won't try to get into every aspect of Hindu belief or devotion in this post.  I covered some of it in a prior post.  I'll provide this excerpt, though, since I think it does a good job of summarizing some of the key concepts from the book:

Puja is the ceremonial act of showing reverence to a God or Goddess through invocation, prayer, song, and ritual. An essential aspect of puja for Hindus is communion with the Divine. The worshipper believes that with this contact she or he has established direct contact with the deity. Most often that contact is facilitated through an image: an element of nature, a sculpture, vessel, painting, or print. When the image is consecrated at the time of its installation in a shrine or temple, the deity is invited to invest the image with his or her cosmic energy. In the eyes of most devotees, the icon then comes the deity, its presence reaffirmed by the daily rituals of honoring and invocation. Certainly most Hindus recognize that the magnitude of a God or Goddess is far greater than any image. Nevertheless, most also believe that divine power is so magnificent that it can be present anywhere in the world at any time. In other words, while one image of Shiva in a small town temple is believed by his devotees to be the God incarnate in stone, it is nevertheless consistent in Hinduism that every other sculpture of Shiva in each of hundreds of thousands of shrines throughout the world also contains his divine presence and power. Many Hindu sages have remarked that very few are able to understand the abstract, formless essence of the Absolute. Most individuals, they state, need to approach God through images and with rituals specific to that deity, not so much because the deity requires it but because of the limitations of the devotee. They believe that humans need something concrete on which to focus in prayer. Hinduism fulfills that need through innumerable manifestations. Although many images are exquisitely and elaborately fashioned by sculptors or painters, and, for the devout Hindu, artistic merit is important, it is secondary to spiritual content. Images are created as receptacles for spiritual energy; each is an essential link that allows the devotee to experience direct communion with the Gods.

The principal aim of any puja is this feeling of personal contact with the deity. Darsham, literally translated from Sanskrit as "seeing and being seen by God," is that moment when the worshipper is receptive to recognition by the God or Goddess. Darshan may be achieved in a variety of ways. It may be felt by an individual during his or her daily household pujas or meditations, when the contact is made alone. A person may experience darshan simply by viewing a particularly sacred sculpture or holy spot, perhaps during a pilgrimage or at a festival. Or the individual may feel a special communication with the deity through the intervention of a priest during a strictly regulated temple ritual. Through whatever means it comes, darshan brings both peace and blessing to Hindu devotees, and through it, they believe, miracles can and do occur frequently.

Hinduism is not in general a congregational religion. Its adherents worship singly or in small family units. Most sacred rituals take place in the home or in temples or shrines that may be visited at any time from early morning until late night (in some parts of the country they may be closed for several midday hours). Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no sermons. Priests are trained to act as liaisons with the Divine, learning the complex prescriptions of rituals that must be enacted precisely to show proper respect to the Gods and to facilitate darshan for the devotee. Learned priests and holy scholars may conduct discussions on sacred texts and philosophies, but there informal meetings are held outside the temple's sanctum. The closest parallel to Judeo-Christian services are bhajanas, in which followers of the Bhakti movement join to sing hymns and praises to their Lord Krishna, yet there still is no preaching as it is known in the West. Although anyone may worship in a temple at any time, there are auspicious times during the day when many people gather to perform pujas. The format is not congregational in the Judeo-Christian sense of the word; instead, each person lines up to get as close as possible to the image of the deity in order to have his or her darshan.

In spit of its focus on the individual, Hinduism still provides many occasions for group activities. Perhaps the most common are the numerous religious festivals held each year, usually joyous celebrations involving the entire community. Although some festivals are centered on the home, most involve special pujas at the appropriate nearby temples, which are thronged with devotees in their finest apparel. Others revolve around huge parades in which consecrated processional images of the deities are brought out once each year for public darshan by the elderly and infirm, who might not be able to visit the temple. Through pilgrimages a large group of devotees from one community can visit sacred spots in other parts of the country, gaining darshan and subsequent merit by performing pujas in these distant shrines and temples. Finally, recitations and reenactments of sacred stories are often held within and outside the temple, and they may be followed by discussions led by scholars and priests.

One of the most popular deities in Bengal (where my father's family is from) is Kali.

To the outsider, Kali is perhaps Hinduism's most confusing deity. She is often envisioned as a hideous black crone with pendulous breasts and lolling tongue, her neck adorned with a string of human skulls, her many hands brandishing weapons (one holding the bloody head of a demon), while she dances upon the seemingly lifeless form of Shiva. Kali is Shiva's wife in her most horrific form. According to legend, she has assumed her terrible role to annihilate evil is all of its guises, but in her rage she devours all existence, even trampling the body of her husband, in order to re-create life. She symbolizes the absolute power of the Divine Feminine (Shakti) for action and change. For her devotees she is uncompromising and direct, demanding total surrender of the ego and detachment from materialism. She is intolerant of complacence and vanity, requiring from her followers rigorous self-honesty. But to her millions of devotees, Kali is also the Divine Mother, the nurturer, the provider. To them, she is beautiful and beloved, enriching and fulfilling the lives of those who follow her path.

Little wonder that Kali is my deity (via my family in India) given the focus on action, change, and surrender.

In closing, perhaps the thing that I most admired about Hindu devotion is how integrated it is into the daily existence of its adherents.  While I was in India, I saw religious symbols and shrines everywhere.  I saw people doing puja at a small public shrine on a busy sidewalk.  There was no separation between one's spiritual life and the rest of their life.  That's something everyone - regarding of their religious affiliation or beliefs - can admire and benefit from.

Melchizedek Priesthood

The Bishop (leader) of my ward (congregation) asked me to start thinking about receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood.  Since folks think about the "priesthood" a little differently in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I thought I'd start by explaining the priesthood before diving specifically into the Melchizedek Priesthood.  This chapter from one of our lesson manuals provides a good introduction to the priesthood.  It explains:

The priesthood is the power and authority of God ... Our Heavenly Father shares his priesthood power with worthy male members of the Church. The priesthood enables them to act in God’s name for the salvation of the human family. Through it they can be authorized to preach the gospel, administer the ordinances of salvation, and govern God’s kingdom on earth.

We must have priesthood authority to act in the name of God when performing the sacred ordinances of the gospel, such as baptism, confirmation, administration of the sacrament, and temple marriage. If a man does not have the priesthood, even though he may be sincere, the Lord will not recognize ordinances he performs (see Matthew 7:21–23) ... 

The Lord has prepared an orderly way for his priesthood to be given to his sons on the earth. A worthy male member of the Church receives the priesthood “by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof” (Articles of Faith 1:5).

This is the same way men received the priesthood long ago, even in the days of Moses: “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron” (Hebrews 5:4). Aaron received the priesthood from Moses, his priesthood leader (see Exodus 28:1). Only those who hold the priesthood can ordain others. Men cannot buy and sell the power and authority of the priesthood. Nor can they take this authority upon themselves. 

The following chapter in the same lesson manual explains that the priesthood is divided into two parts: the Melchizedek Priesthood and the Aaronic Priesthood.

The greater priesthood is the Melchizedek Priesthood. Long ago it was called “the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God.” But the name was changed so the name of the Lord would not be used so often. The Church in ancient days called the priesthood “the Melchizedek Priesthood” after a great high priest who lived during the time of Abraham. (See D&C 107:2–4)

The lesser priesthood is an appendage to the Melchizedek Priesthood. It is called the Aaronic Priesthood because it was conferred on Aaron and his sons throughout all their generations. Those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood have authority to administer the outward ordinances of repentance and baptism. (See D&C 107:13–14, 20)

Those holding the Melchizedek Priesthood have the power and authority to lead the Church and direct the preaching of the gospel in all parts of the world. They are in charge of all the spiritual work of the Church (see D&C 84:19–22). They direct the work done in the temples; they preside over wards, branches, stakes, and missions; they heal the sick, bless babies, and give special blessings to Church members. The Lord’s chosen prophet, the President of the Church, is the presiding high priest over the Melchizedek Priesthood (see D&C 107:65–67).

A lesson in a different manual clearly lists the duties and powers of the Aaronic Priesthood (of which I'm currently a priesthood holder) versus the Melchizedek Priesthood (of which I'm currently not).

Power of the Aaronic Priesthood

1. Prepare, administer, and pass the sacrament.

2. Baptize (priests only).

3. Receive the ministering of angels.

4. Go home teaching.

5. Look after the physical needs of the Saints.

6. Collect fast offerings.

7. Ordain other priests, teachers, and deacons (priests only).

8. Take charge of meetings in the absence of elders.

Power of the Melchizedek Priesthood

1. Confer the gift of the Holy Ghost.

2. Name and bless infants.

3. Administer to the sick.

4. Consecrate oil for anointing.

5. Dedicate graves.

6. Confer the Melchizedek and Aaronic priesthoods and ordain to offices in those priesthoods.

7. Look after the spiritual needs of the Saints.

8. Preside at meetings.

9. Enter the temple and receive all temple ordinances.

10. With the proper keys, officiate in all temple ordinances.

11. Have power and authority over all the offices in the Church (see D&C 107:8).

12. Do all things an Aaronic Priesthood bearer can do.

That lesson goes on to explain that "the Apostle Paul once referred to Jesus as having been 'called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec' (Hebrews 5:10). Jesus was the Great High Priest of the Melchizedek Priesthood. He is the true example of what it means to have and use the Melchizedek Priesthood ... when a young man becomes an elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood, he will have the power to act for and on behalf of Christ in spiritual things. Elder Bruce R. McConkie spoke about elders in the following way: 'Elders are ministers of Christ.'" (Note: the word "elder" has two meanings in the Church. It can refer in a general way to a holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood.  It also refers to a specific office in the Melchizedek Priesthood).

In a Church magazine article, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains that "priesthood means service".  He goes on to say that "all who hold the priesthood of God are joined together in a common bond of service ... regardless of your priesthood office or your years of membership or service in the Church, you always can do more. To receive the priesthood is to make an eternal commitment to serving others."

One way we can serve others is by administering priesthood blessings.  In this Church magazine article, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains:

In a priesthood blessing a servant of the Lord exercises the priesthood, as moved upon by the Holy Ghost, to call upon the powers of heaven for the benefit of the person being blessed. Such blessings are conferred by holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood, which has the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the Church (see D&C 107:18, 67).

There are many kinds of priesthood blessings. As I give various examples, please remember that priesthood blessings are available for all who need them, but they are only given on request. Blessings for the healing of the sick are preceded by anointing with oil, as the scriptures direct (see James 5:14–15; Mark 6:13; D&C 24:13–14; D&C 42:43–48; D&C 66:9). Patriarchal blessings are conferred by an ordained patriarch.

Persons desiring guidance in an important decision can receive a priesthood blessing. Persons who need extra spiritual power to overcome a personal challenge can receive a blessing. Expectant mothers can be blessed before they give birth. Many LDS families remember a sacred occasion where a worthy father gave a priesthood blessing to a son or daughter who was about to be married. Priesthood blessings are often requested from fathers before children leave home for other purposes, such as school, service in the military, or a long trip...

Blessings given in circumstances such as I have just described are sometimes called blessings of comfort or counsel. They are usually given by fathers or husbands or other elders in the family ... Priesthood blessings are also given in connection with a priesthood ordination or with the setting apart of a man or woman for a calling in the Church. These are probably the most frequent occasions for priesthood blessings ...

What is the significance of a priesthood blessing? Think of a young man preparing to leave home to seek his fortune in the world. If his father gave him a compass, he might use this worldly tool to help him find his way. If his father gave him money, he could use this to give him power over worldly things. A priesthood blessing is a conferral of power over spiritual things. Though it cannot be touched or weighed, it is of great significance in helping us overcome obstacles on the path to eternal life ...

It is a very sacred responsibility for a Melchizedek Priesthood holder to speak for the Lord in giving a priesthood blessing. As the Lord has told us in modern revelation, “My word … shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C 1:38). If a servant of the Lord speaks as he is moved upon by the Holy Ghost, his words are “the will of the Lord, … the mind of the Lord, … the word of the Lord, … [and] the voice of the Lord” (D&C 68:4). But if the words of a blessing only represent the priesthood holder’s own desires and opinions, uninspired by the Holy Ghost, then the blessing is conditioned on whether it represents the will of the Lord ...

In modern revelation, parents who are members of the Church are commanded to bring their children “before the church,” where the elders “are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name” (D&C 20:70). This is why parents bring babies to a sacrament meeting, where an elder—usually the father—gives them a name and a blessing ...

Brethren, young and old, do not be hesitant to ask for a priesthood blessing when you are in need of spiritual power. Fathers and other elders, cherish and magnify the privilege of blessing your children and the other children of our Heavenly Father. Be prepared to give priesthood blessings under the influence of the Holy Ghost whenever you are requested in sincerity and faith.

Finally, priesthood holders are called upon to magnify their priesthood (see D&C 84:33-34,38).  In this Church magazine article, it explains that requires at least the following three things: (1) that we obtain a knowledge of the gospel, (2) that we comply in our personal living with the standards of the gospel, and (3) that we give dedicated service.  By doing these things, "a man can make the maximum progress towards eternal life, for which mortality is designed, [and] obtain and magnify the Melchizedek Priesthood." But we're not alone in this effort.  In D&C 84:42, the Lord says that "I have given the heavenly hosts and mine angels charge concerning you."

Only time will tell when I will receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and when I will later receive the blessings that the temple has to offer.  But when that time comes, I intend to cherish the trust that God has placed in me and use those blessings to bless the lives of others. Of this I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

25 Random Things About Me

I just posted this as a note on my Facebook account.  One of my friends tagged me in his list saying "GNP confuses me. He rocks very hard though."  I can't imagine my list will leave him any less confused.

Once you've been tagged, you are invited to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 (or so) people to be tagged. Please tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

*To do this, go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, then click post. Go onto your 'profile' page, and open the note. Then 'tag people in this note'.

1. I never used to understand people who were deeply religious - and secretly looked down on them. Now I'm one of them and can't get God out of my every thought (nor do I want to).

2. I'm a pretty serious perfectionist and wish I weren't so mediocre at being mediocre - but I'm improving over time.

3. I'm serially obsessive about stuff - being totally focused one something for a couple of hours, days, or weeks and then moving on to something new to focus on.

4. I've always wanted to dunk a basketball and do an unassisted pull-up. Perhaps I can get obsessed about working out and make those things happen.

5. I believe that everything happens for a reason. Others disagree. So even though I'm still dogmatic that everything in *my* life happens for a reason, I'm willing to acknowledge that chaos may rein in other people's lives (or at least appear to).

6. I love my wife more and more each day - as if that were possible. She's my soul mate and a true blessing in my life.

7. My wife refers to me as "Yahoo Serious" sometimes - because I'm too serious, not because I have long hair.

8. I hate the parable of the Prodigal Son. I identify with the responsible elder son.

9. I've always wanted to be more eccentric. Perhaps my eccentricity can be wanting to be more eccentric.

10. I miss having a creative outlet at work. I need to figure out how to justify having a creative department or a talent show at a biofuels startup.

11. I get along well with people but generally consider myself anti-social.

12. People have trouble figuring out my ethnicity. A co-worker calls me an International Everyman.

13. I have a fear of being stung by bees/wasps, getting burned while taking things out of the oven, and using toilets in public bathrooms. In my own defense, though, who in their right mind isn't afraid of using toilets in public bathrooms?

14. The Dallas Cowboys played in the first football game I watched as a kid. I was about 6 years old and living in Germany at the time. They've been my favorite team ever since - although I don't watch much football anymore.

15. I voted yes on Prop 8 but continue to go back and forth on whether I still agree with that decision.

16. Sometimes I lament the amount of stuff I've learned in my life that I've since forgotten. But perhaps I need to make space for new stuff to learn.

17. I aspire to being an early-bird but continue to be a night-owl.

18. I look forward to wearing magic underwear (GC's term, not mine) - not because it's magic but because of the commitments it would represent.

19. I enjoy spooning with my wife but sometimes her body-pillow gets in the way.

20. In the last couple years, I discovered I have the parents I always wanted.

21. I just met my paternal grandmother in India for the first time in my life. It was my best approximation of what it will be like to be reunited with family members in heaven.

22. I want to travel to lots of places around the world during my life. As a kid, I traveled all over Europe and the US/Canada with my family but don't remember much of it now. 

23. I've been writing in a blog for almost three years now (http://gnp30.blogspot.com/).

24. My favorite number is 24 and my favorite TV show is 24. Coincidence?

25. I hope to be the father that my kids deserve.

Random event or message from heaven?

This morning, I was up in San Francisco for a conference.  Right after parking my car and walking out of the parking garage (at about 7:45am), I noticed a person walking towards me carrying a sign.  I couldn't quite make out what it said but one of the words appeared to be "Jesus".  As I looked up a bit, I noticed that the person was wearing a bright yellow shirt that said "Jesus Christ Loves You".  He walked by very matter-of-fact and didn't say anything to me.

Here's the question that's been going through my head since then.  Was that a random event without any meaning or was it a message from heaven?  I'm inclined towards the latter but I could certainly see people arguing for the former.  I'm of the opinion more and more these days that God is sending us messages all the time but we just don't pay attention or attach significance to them.  We convince ourselves that God wouldn't take a personal interest in us. But I just don't think that's the case.

Always Remember Him

A week ago, one of my home-teachers gave a great talk at church about what it means to always remember Jesus Christ (see PDF).  My favorite part is the following excerpt:

The word remember means to bring an image or idea from the past into mind. It implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled. To witness to the Father in the Sacrament prayer that we will always remember Jesus Christ implies that we have memories, knowledge of, or a relationship with Christ on which we can think back, otherwise, what else are we remembering? In other words, we cannot maintain an active memory of Christ if we know nothing about him, his life or his teachings. In order to remember him, we must know him.

That last sentence really hit me: "In order to remember Him, we must know Him." To know Him, we must be willing to have an active dialogue with Him through prayer and we must read about Him and His teachings in scripture. Reading this again makes me more motivated to want to do those things.

Recording dreams

I've often thought that it would be very cool to be able to record dreams and then play them back and analyze them later. It appears that maybe that will be possible at some point. Awhile ago, I saw this article about how scientists have been able to extract images from the brain. The beginning of the article says:

Researchers from Japan’s ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories have developed new brain analysis technology that can reconstruct the images inside a person’s mind and display them on a computer monitor, it was announced on December 11. According to the researchers, further development of the technology may soon make it possible to view other people’s dreams while they sleep. The scientists were able to reconstruct various images viewed by a person by analyzing changes in their cerebral blood flow.

I was a bit skeptical of whether this could be for real so I consulted a friend of mine who has done research in a related field. Here is what he said:

The research is certainly for real, and I can see why it would work. That said, I'm a little bit skeptical about some of the extrapolation (say to reading dream images). The optic nerve heads into the visual cortex, and I think the individual nerves in the optic nerve bundle maintain a geometric configuration similar to the rods and cones on the back of the retina. So when the electrical signals for an image hit the visual cortex, there is going to be a fair amount of spatial localization. I'm guessing that there is then a pretty distinct brain activation footprint in the visual cortex when these stark black-and-white images are shown, yielding a strong correlation between an images shape and the "shape" of the activation pattern in the visual cortex. And that's what they are exploiting. Very cool.

Now take the case of extracting images from memory. I don't know how much involvement there is from the visual cortex in calling up an image from memory. If the visual cortex is involved in the same way as when the image is actually being viewed, then I believe it might be possible. If other areas of the brain are involved and not the visual cortex, I doubt there would be such a distinct "footprint" on an fMRI scan. (In other words, it isn't clear that thinking about an image of the letter "n" would activate a section of the brain in a distinct spatial pattern different from thinking about any other letter). (But maybe this has already been proved---it's not my area.)

On applying fMRI to the "reading" of people's emotions, that can totally work. There seem to be pretty distinct activation patterns for different rough emotions across the brain. As the technology gets better, we'll see a lot more of that.

Very cool stuff.

So perhaps I will be able to record my dreams someday. Not sure if that will be a blessing or a curse but it would certainly be very cool technology.

Mindfulness

About a month ago, a friend of mine sent me this true story.

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin. It was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds - and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping - continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention, was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried - but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk - turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world - playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

This is a good reminder to "stop and smell the roses" as we do not know where blessings may come from unexpectedly.

Bengali bag

Yesterday, AJ and I went up to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I backed some supplies and put them in a bag I brought home from India (see photo to the right). The writing on the bag is in Bengali - one of the many languages spoken in India. While I was pushing AJ on the swing at the large children's playground, I looked down at the bag and realized that most people wouldn't recognize the writing as Bengali. Without knowing better, they might have thought the writing was Arabic and assume that I was Muslim - I am an International Everyman after all (see prior post). All of a sudden, I became very self-conscious of what people might be thinking and kept expecting parents to pull their children away from me as if I were a terrorist. That feeling persisted for the rest of the time we were at Golden Gate Park - a couple of hours. I'm not proud of my response and, as far as I could tell, no one noticed the bag or thought anything of it if they did. But it did give me some small appreciation for what it must feel like to be a victim of racial profiling and the assumptions people sometimes make based on little or no information.

Fireproof

Last night, my wife and I watched the movie Fireproof (see official web site along with Wikipedia entry).  I heard about the movie the other day while listening to Catholic radio and was able to get it at a local DVDPlay location.  The movie is super-cheesy and a bit predictable but it has a great message regarding marriage and God.  In particular, the movie speaks to the need to never leave your marriage partner in a fire (much like firefighters in a real fire). Also, making something "fireproof" doesn't mean that the fire will never come.  It means that the object (in this case, marriage) will be able to withstand the fire when it does come.  As a follow-up to the movie, there is a Web site called fireproofmymarriage.com.

My wife tells me that I'm too serious - and that's certainly true.  But one thing that I'm incredibly serious about - and hope I never get less serious about - is my marriage.