Talk 1/12/2025

         In Sunday school last week an interesting discussion arose about the nature of the God who we are supposed to use as an example for our conduct and character. As you know, in the scriptures we are admonished to be the kind of person that God the Father and our Savior Jesus Christ are.

Pres. Nelson has said: “To reach your highest destiny, emulate the Savior. He proclaimed, “What manner of men ought ye to be? … Even as I am.” (3 Ne. 27:27.) Our loftiest hope is to grow in spirit and attain “the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children.” (Eph. 4:13–14.)” (Self-Mastery, October 1985, Russell M. Nelson.)

In our Sunday School discussion it was pointed out that there are examples in the Scriptures where the Lord, acting either as Jehovah of the Old Testament and as Jesus Christ the leader of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acted harshly. Even in the “latter-days” the Lord has sometimes needed to be very stern and sometimes harsh with people who needed it. We are all familiar with many of the instances in the Old Testament when Jehovah orders the destruction of a people or city both by natural disasters and military action. Words like “wrath,” and “vengeance,” and “judgment” are often employed to describe what Jehovah plans to do or does to a person or a group that are not keeping the commandments or who are mistreating the Lord’s chosen people. We know that the God who did these things is Jehovah, and that Jehovah of the Old Testament is our Savior Jesus Christ.

So the question is, what example are we to follow as we try to be like Jesus so we can be worthy and comfortable some day to enter the Celestial Kingdom and be with Jesus and Heavenly Father. I think that the answer to this question is obvious but the explanation for why that is the answer isn’t quite as obvious  

I think the person we all should try to be like is Jesus Christ of the New Testament. That’s pretty obvious, isn’t it, especially if you have read President Oaks’ talk for Priesthood and Relief Society today?   Specifically, we should follow the example of Jesus when He was teaching the “Highter Law” as found in the Sermon on the Mount. Examples of such Higher Law teachings are turning the other cheek, giving your coat and your cloak, going the extra mile, giving to those in need, loving your enemy, and praying for those who despitefully use you. By contrast, the old, “lower law” of Moses in the Old Testament included such things as “an eye for an eye,” and to hate and kill and resist and curse your enemies. So, the deity we should try and be like is the Savior Jesus Christ when he was teaching us to love our enemies and turn the other cheek.

Another good place to find the attributes of the Higher Law is in the scriptures that describe the “pure love of Christ,” also known as “charity.” In Moroni chapter 7:45 we learn that “charity” “suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”

 

In D&C 121 we read of the following characteristics of “charity” in the exercise of the priesthood: “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile.” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-43).

Another good list of Higher Law attributes is found in D&C 4:5-6, which is often memorized by departing missionaries: “And faith, hope, charity, and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.”

The New Testament Jesus was as we are now – a mortal, human being, trying to do the best he can under mortal conditions while dealing with mortal people. Except for a couple of calculated cleansings of the rabble in the Temple, the Mortal Jesus was not a person of wrath, vengeance, or violence. The example he set for us as His mortal brothers and sisters was in things like getting baptized and healing and teaching and, of course in the completely selfless act of the atonement, sacrificing everything for us, His brothers and sisters.

It would be very inappropriate for us to be vengeful or violent and try to justify our actions by saying we were just following Jehovah’s example and the scriptural mandate to be like Him. We are not now as Jehovah was when he was acting as the God of the Old Testament. He was then God Jehovah. We are not now as Jesus is as he reestablishes His restored Church in the Latter Days. Jesus in most of the scriptures is acting as Jehovah, the God of the universe. He was and is a little rough at times, but we should always remember that Jehovah/Jesus acts the way He does because He loves all His children, and He is always working to bring about the exaltation and eternal life of all the Father’s children. Jehovah does what He does to help us keep His commandments and honor the covenants we have made so that we can some day return to live with Him in the Celestial Kingdom. We do that, for our part, by acting like he taught us to act in the New Testament. If we learn to live the Higher Law and achieve the Celestial Kingdon, then and only then will it be appropriate for us to begin to act like God because we will then, at some point, be learning to be gods! If we are in Heaven, training to become gods, it may be appropriate for us to act in an Old Testament manner at some point, but not before then and certainly not in this life.

Thus, in this life, the example of the Savior that we should try to follow, and the godly person we should try to be like, is the Jesus we read about in the New Testament in the Sermon on the Mount and not the Jesus who finds it necessary at times to be a stern Jehovah. We are blessed in the Church to have many righteous, Christ-like leaders and members whose examples we can also follow.

One final thing, when we are trying to be like Jesus we run into this scripture: “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” 3 Nephi 12:48. Just before Jesus said this He said: “Therefore those things which were of old time, which were under the law, in me are all fulfilled. Old things are done away, and all things have become new.” 3 Nephi 12:46-47. This reinforces what has been said above about the Higher Law replacing the “Lower” Law of Moses. Some people seem to get hung up on the idea that we can only be like Jesus if we are perfect, as He is.

Pres. Nelson reminded us in October 2022 that we are not expected to become flawlessly “perfect” in this life. He said: “Now, overcoming the world certainly does not mean becoming perfect in this life, nor does it mean that your problems will magically evaporate—because they won’t. And it does not mean that you won’t still make mistakes. But overcoming the world does mean that your resistance to sin will increase. Your heart will soften as your faith in Jesus Christ increases. Overcoming the world means growing to love God and His Beloved Son more than you love anyone or anything else.” (Overcome the World and Find Rest, October 2022, General Conference)

As Moroni said at the end of the Book of Mormon: “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.” Moroni 10:32.

That is how we do it: Try the best we can to think Celestial and follow the example of Jesus in the New Testament, and then rely on Christ’s grace to fill in the rest. That will make us “perfect in Christ,” and as it says in D&C 121:45, “then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God, …”

In the name …

 Here is a scriptural example for the gung-ho, “power of positive thinking,” rugged individual crowd who believe that everyone is responsible for his or her own welfare and that government should mind its own business and stay out of the lives of the people:

 “every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man conquered according to his strength.”

    Oh, wait. This is part of the teaching of the Anti-Christ Korihor in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Korihor’s teachings, including the foregoing, were exactly opposite to the teachings of the Lord’s prophets at the time. See Alma chap. 30.

   I prefer the ‘taking care of one another’ approach in Book of Mormon, Mosiah chap. 21, even if it means the government is involved:

       “17 Now there was a great number of women, more than there was of men; therefore king Limhi commanded that every man should impart to the support of the widows and their children, that they might not perish with hunger; and this they did because of the greatness of their number that had been slain.”

Discuss.

 I came across this sad, political story in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ that reminded me of current political affairs. Liken this:

“5 Nevertheless, it came to pass that Pahoran was appointed by the voice of the people to be chief judge and a governor over the people of Nephi [think Biden in the 2020 election].

6 And it came to pass that Pacumeni, when he saw that he could not obtain the judgment-seat, he did unite with the voice of the people [think most Republicans].

7 But behold, Paanchi [unsuccessful candidate, think Trump], and that part of the people that were desirous that he should be their governor, was exceedingly wroth; therefore, he was about to flatter away those people to rise up in rebellion against their brethren [think Jan. 6 mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol].

8 And it came to pass as he was about to do this, behold, he was taken, and was tried according to the voice of the people, and condemned unto death [think House Jan. 6 Committee and Special Counsel]; for he had raised up in rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people [think Jan. 6 Committee Report].

9 Now when those people who were desirous that he should be their governor saw that he was condemned unto death, therefore they were angry, and behold, they sent forth one Kishkumen, even to the judgment-seat of Pahoran, and murdered Pahoran as he sat upon the judgment-seat [think the “Hang Mike Pence” efforts on Jan. 6].” Helaman, chap. 1.

This is a stark reminder of what can happen when those who think they have been wronged in an election lose sight of democratic traditions and ideals. Those who have risen up in rebellion and sought to destroy the liberty of the people in our day should also assume that they will be held legally accountable, as some have been already. Hopefully, when such legal accountings continue to occur in our time, we will not see any more attempts at retribution by the disappointed followers of the leader of the rebellion, as occurred in the Book of Mormon and almost occurred on January 6th.

Love to everyone!

Miscellaneous Word, Phrases, etc.

Words

--Peripatetic - going from place to place

--Wu-shih - nothing special

--Sine die - indefinitely

--Futz - to trifle or meddle; fool around

-- primum non nocere - First, do no harm 

--Ersatz - serving as an inferior substitute

--Flummox - baffle 

--Feckless - feeble and incompetent; irresponsible

--Troglodyte - ancient cave dweller 

--Luddite - 19th cent. English workmen who destroyed labor saving machinery as protest   

--Pareto Principle - the trivial many and the critical few; 80% of the value is achieved by 20% of the effort

--Ignorage  

--Banal - Commonplace

--Mojo - a magic spell, hex, or charm; broadly : magical power 

--Descant - a melody played as an accompaniment to the main melody 

--stoichiometry - science of proportions and conservation of matter and energy

--detritus  Pronunciation [di-trahy-tuhs] -noun 1. Rock in small particles or other material worn or broken away from a mass, as by the action of water or glacial ice.  2. Any disintegrated material; debris.  

--poseur [po zúr] (plural po·seurs) noun; pretentious person: somebody who behaves or dresses to impress others

--poindexter -  An extremely intelligent but socially inept person.

--Billingsgate - foul language.

--Emolument - the wages or perquisites arising from office, employment, or labor.

--Gainsay - to contradict; to deny; to oppose.

--nosophobia (nos-uh-FO-bee-uh) noun  - An irrational fear of contracting diseases.

--schadenfreude -Take malicious satisfaction in the misfortune of others.

--Zeitgeist  The spirit of the time; the taste and outlook characteristic of a period or generation.

--sangfroid \sang-FRWAH\, noun; also sangfroid: Freedom from agitation or excitement of mind; coolness in trying circumstances; calmness.

--Phlegmatic - having or symptomatic of a calm or sluggish temperament; showing little emotion; not easily excited

--snogging - (British informal) cuddle and kiss

--omerta - Mafia code of silence

-- cognoscenti - connoisseurs or experts: people who have a refined and superior knowledge of a subject, especially the arts

--Contra preferendum - presumption against drafter

--Nonesuch - a paragon; a person or thing that is unrivaled. 

--Flapdoodle - foolish talk; nonsense

--Fantods - A state of extreme nervousnes or restlessness.

--Marfan Syndrome - long bones, eye problem

--Eloi - peaceful; 

--Morlocks - savage cannibals

--ROUS - rodents of unusual size

--Apotheosis - The highest point of glory, power, or importance; the best example; transformation into a deity

--Feng shui (fung shwa) 

--Consigliere  [kòn seel yé ray] advisor to organized-crime boss: somebody who advises the leader of a crime syndicate  

--QED - which was the thing that had to be proved

--f/u = follow up

-- Peckish -  Hungry; crotchety 

-- Fibonacci numbers - the elements of the sequence of numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21. . . each of which is the sum of the two previous numbers 

-- Golden mean (or section) - aesthetically satisfying ratio as the division of a line so that the shorter part is to the longer as the longer is to the whole (approximately 8 to 13, or 1 to 1.6)

--Pusillanimous - timid, cowardly 

--Dissemble - to conceal one's true feelings; pretend

--Pater familias  -  head of the family

--Tempis fugit - time flies

--postictal - a state of mind after a person has a seizure.  When one is postictal, they are delirious, and often may have neurological deficits.

--dotage - weakness of mind caused by old age

--Grossly non-focal = normal

--Hegemony- dominant leadership, esp. one state over another

--Flapdoodle – nonsense

--Lugubrious- dismal mournful

--Ditsy - mildly confused or eccentric

--Vitiligo

--Alopecia

--anecdotal

--Ebenezer – a reminder of God’s love.

--copacetic -- Very satisfactory; fine.

 

 

 

Silly Words

--Dinkeldorfs (Garrison Keillor)

--Transplendant; heavyosity  Annie Hall 

--Yikes!

--Defamiliarize

--Declarify

--Floffer

--ZOUNDS, sir, ye art robbed. 

--Pish 

--Hideosity

--Dear me alas by jove; Indeed by jove no 

--Hot diggity 

--Speckled crud

--Weisenheimer

--Hunker down

--Acabadabera 

--Bunji; ninny; weenie 

-- Nitwit 

--Touch basketball

 

 

 

Phrases

--Dear diary 

--Evil twin

--Attention on deck 

--Cover me

--Dog years

--Kodak moment

--Adult supervision 

--Wacky sidekick

--Be still my feet- keep my heart from dancing 

--Death cannot stop true love 

--Quantity has a quality of its own  VI Lennin

--In your own words 

--Stroll down memory lane 

--All creatures great and small 

--Check please 

--Filthy swine 

--Monster truck pull 

--Targets of opportunity

--Yar 

--Toe jam

--Designer ___ 

--Halfway house for ___ 

--Ortho ___ spray 

--Purina ___ chow 

--Conspiracy to commit ___ 

--Alleged ___ 

--Department of ___ 

--___ Bloopers 

--Ninja ___ 

--Tupperware ___ 

--Chocolate covered ___ 

-- ___ of the Kalahari or Serengeti 

--___the wonder ___ 

--Teenage Mutant ___ 

--Another senseless ___ 

--No ___ were harmed in the making of this ___

-- Son, _______

--___display

--"Worst _____ ever."

--Mystery ____

--Captain Billy's Whiz Bang (Bag) 

--Spit spot

--Flux Capacitor

--Mr. Thingy (Far Side) 

--The Circle of Life  

--Headquarters

--Venue

--Captain's log 

--Wardrobe malfunction 

--"Comely to behold." 

--Hive mind.

--En fuego, seniorita. 

--House arrest

--"Last one in's a _______" (Freemason?)  Strongbad

--High yield, low maintenance.

-- A rat mask in room 101.

--Provided by the management for your protection.

--A brochure on assisted suicide 

--Cartoon noises 

--A la familia; que bella luna 

--The cliffs of insanity 

--The pit of despair 

--The cloak of invisibility 

--Ten felony convictions for fraud; that raises a red flag 

--Warp 9 - engage! 

--All rise 

--Seven-day waiting period 

--Degree of difficulty

--Style points 

--Nipped in the butt. 

--Break out the fire hoses

--Repel boarders 

--Xena the Warrior Princess

--Coloring outside the box 

--Family by affection 

--Scratch and sniff 

--Happy trails 

--Beyond here there be dragons 

--Low hanging fruit 

--Resistance is futile; freedom is irrelevant

--Make it so 

--Ming the Merciless 

--Some assembly required 

--Way back machine. 

--Great honk 

--Watch your phraseology 

--Flying monkeys 

--A resistance to iocaine powder 

--Therapeutic dose 

--Permanent file 

--Sequential stress  Elder Nelson 

--Save yourself 

--Cover me 

--Fibonacci numbers 

--That dingo ate my baby 

--Palooka 

--Medicinal - Uncle Willie 

--Vampira 

--Caterwauling 

--Prime directive 

--Dot every comma 

--As far as you know 

--Thinning out the herd 

--Frau Blucher (whinney)

--Mother ship

--Abducted by aliens 

--Through the looking glass 

--Man for all Seasons 

--Filthy swine

--A deep cleansing breath 

--Centered 

--Ninny; loony 

--Oh, the humanity

--Degree of difficulty 

--This is the place! 

--Adult supervision 

-- Munchkins 

--Ferengi

--Klingon 

--Dead meat on a hook 

--Dim bulb 

--The witness protection program 

--Glinda the nice witch from the North 

--Sonya Henny's tutu 

--Beauty and the beast 

--The likes of you 

--Bucky the dull uninformed dunderhead 

--Gross national product 

--Humiliations galore

--To the pain! 

--Frickin’ laser beams

--Tag you’re it

--Naturopathic dose

--True love’s kiss

 

 

Sayings

--Shopwork - should be done in the back room

--We are not savages  Insp. Clouseau? 

--We keep you alive to serve this ship - row well and live 

--We're closed

--Out to lunch 

--Please return your seat backs and tray tables to their full upright and locked position

--Make goodness look attractive 

--I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too! 

--Its always best to start at the beginning 

--Keep your hands in the car at all times 

--Oh, the places you’ll go

--The law is a windy river! 

-- Love-a silly complication of a pleasant simplicity

--Now is always the best time - King of Siam 

--Go and sin no more

--A barren source of amusement (radio - Inherit the Wind)

--The time to make up your mind about people is never 

--Nature is what we were put on this earth to rise above

--Belay that command!

--How can we hope to achieve perfection when we are not willing to engage in daily acts of self-improvement

--Ding dong, the witch is dead 

-- What the gumdrops! 

--A rit of felous gage

--When one does not know what to say, it is the time to be silent 

--Wallowing in freakish misery forever. 

--My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father; prepare to die. 

--Miracle Max; Dred Pirate Roberts 

--I gotta save Bubba 

--To infinity and beyond! 

--Gertitate Swirling liquid (to eat)

--Leave a trail of bread crumbs 

--Better too late than never

--Now, now, Carla, stop your blubbering 

--There is a very fine line between being a nice guy and an idiot

--Life is ova before it begins 

--When the phone don't ring, you'll know its me 

--How can I miss you when you won't go away 

--I'm so miserable without you its almost like having you here

--Platinum Rule - Treat others the way they would like to be treated, not as you would like to be treated. 

--How many angels can dance on your head? 

--Don't let yesterday hold tomorrow hostage 

--Pick up your handcart and head west 

--Well begun is half done  MP  

--Figures lie, and liars figure.

--"The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she is treated." Eliza Doolittle 

--"If you can't appreciate what you have got, get what you can appreciate." Henry Higgins 

--I see you have replicated 

--Pubescent ceremonial garb 

--Those who will not learn by precept or example must learn by what they suffer (by experience) 

--The modern world, like the ancient, is a world peopled largely by zombies. H.Nibley

--There's not much money in revenge - Princess Bride

--If you want to get to the Promised Land, you must be willing to leave the comforts of Egypt. 

--I think that I will have a nice day

--Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof - Sagen 

--Caterpillar sheds its skin to find the butterfly within 

--"What's that boy? Timmy has fallen in the well?"

--OK., whose prayer was answered? 

 --Don't mistake something you have heard of for something great 

--Just because you can speak does not mean you are intelligent

--Houston we have a problem 

--"By my hand and for the good of the State the bearer has done what has been done."   

--You can never get enough of what you don't need.

--Help me Obi Wan Kanobi, you're my only hope 

--The force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded

--Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death - Auntie Mame

--Chinese Proverb: A man must sit in a chair with his mouth open for a very long time before a roast duck will fly in

--"Somewhere off in the distance, a dog barked."

--You can't squeeze money out of a beet, and especially not out of a deadbeat 

--Violence is not strength; compassion is not weakness - Camelot 

--Ask the patient where it hurts

--I do all of my own stunts 

--To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven; the same key opens the gates of hell.

--Business should be transacted in a business-like manner - Maltese Falcon (Sidney Greenstreet)

--Just because you are anorexic doesn't make you a super model.   Joseph Pugsley

--Well, raise my rent!  Bl Sad

-- In the land of the blind a one-eyed man is king.

--Its a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart

--That's an interesting fact; I'll have to remember it in case I'm ever on Jeopardy 

--If by "yes" you mean "no," then .... 

--Speak dummy, speak 

--Rudolpho, you dirty pig.  Producers

--Shaking things up like a magic 8 ball at a sixth grade slumber party 

--You do this right, and I will get you an old dog to kick.  Butch Cassity 

--A man should be very secure in his faith before he persecutes another for his faith

--If one purpose fails, it is good to have another.  Ben Hur 

--If you want to rise, do the difficult 

--The way to fight an idea is with another idea 

--Is there anything as sad as unrequited love? 

--The world is more than we know 

--Brigham Young to Samuel Clemen's brother, referring to Samuel (Mark Twain): Your child, I presume.  Boy or girl?

--When the student is ready, the master appears 

-- ...Not minding that it hurts 

--Big things have small beginnings 

--My name is for my friends 

--My fear is my concern 

--The English have a great hunger for desolate places 

--Nothing is written ... unless they write it themselves 

--"I am a river to my people."  L of Arabia

--Classic blunders (Princess Bride) 

  1. Never get involved in a land war in Asia; but only slightly less stupid is 

   2. Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. 

--Death cannot stop true love; it only delays it for awhile. 

--You are only saying never because no one ever has (survive the fire swamp) 

--"A few more steps and we'll be safe in the fire swamp."  Pbride

--"I swear it will be done." 

--"We are men of action; lies do not become us."

--The best way to catch a fox is through her cub. 

--In affairs of the heart, even the greatest hero can be a consummate idiot 

--The things we can touch have no permanence.  Crouching Tiger etc. 

--The tithing we pay today is an investment in a mansion on high.

--"Dealt with, not helped."  FCCRB 

--Earn more sessions by sleaving.  Roxanne 

--The Buddha's law is simple: Eat your rice, drink your tea, wear your clothes.

--"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the best you've got anyway." Mother Teresa 

--Certainty of death; small chance of success; what are we waiting for?  Gimli 

--Its a gasser!  High Society 

--Fool of a took! Gandolf. 

--"Whats the worst that could happen? Our beta product could turn into an evil robot that annihilates the galaxy." Dilbert

--"An overwhelming sense of iciness." Clueless

--"There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures."  James Thurber  

--"The palest ink speaks louder than the strongest recollection."  Sherlock Holmes

--"Things are more like they are now than they have ever been."  Gerald R. Ford

--Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.  Neils Bohr

--The spirit of the law comes from repeatedly following the letter of the law.

--"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

--When you are eight years old, nothing is any of your business. Lenny Bruce

--"If you don't have anything nice to say, then keep your big, fat, ugly mouth shut."

--"Lawyers spend a great deal of their time shoveling smoke." Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

--"Chance favors the prepared mind." Louis Pasteur

--"Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience." Geo. Washington

--“Cheryl’s Law: No rule should be followed off a cliff.

--"Through revelation we know that there will be perils, calamities, and persecution in the latter days, but through righteousness the Saints may be spared. The promise of the Lord in the Book of Mormon is sure: "He will preserve the righteous by his power." (1 Ne. 22:17.)" Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, Jan. 1991

--"If you don't think too good, don't think too much."

--"The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."   - Frank Zappa

--"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." -- Plato,

--"The Internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck. It's a series of tubes." Sen. Ted Stevens

--Age is all in the mind of the beholder or, perhaps, in the behind of the minder.

--Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich. Napoleon

--Kids, just because I don't care doesn't mean I'm not listening. Homer Simpson  

--"Think P.I.G. -- that's my motto. P stands for persistence, I stands for integrity, and G stands for guts. These are the ingredients for a successful business and a successful life." Linda Chandler

--"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

--Don't forget to pack your angry eyes.  Toy Story 2

--"... [W]hen obedience ceases to be an irritant."

--"In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra." - Fran Lebowitz

--Lizard people are running the world.

--Humility is the embarrassment you feel when you tell people how wonderful you are. - Laurence J. Peter

--I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something. - Jackie Mason

--Political freedom cannot exist in any land where religion controls the state, and religious freedom cannot exist in any land where the state controls religion. -Samuel James Ervin Jr

--Save time by waiting.

--The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease. - Voltaire

--Are you the one they call "Wally"?

--Defer to the lord high executioner.

--Chance is the fool's name for fate. Gay Divorcee

--Say, which one of us is crazy? same

--When it is not necessary to make a decision, it is necessary not to make a decision.  Lord Falkland 

--Optimism about providers' likely responses to hortatory appeals to "do the right thing" should be distinguished from pie-in-the-sky Pollyannaism.

--"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." Benjamin Franklin

-- I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."  Martha Washington, former U.S. first lady. 

--Watch it, Buster!

--Necessity dispenseth with decorum.  Thomas Carlyle 

--90 per cent of everything is crap.   Sturgeon's law

--"You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie." GWB

--"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake."  - Napoleon Bonaparte

--"There's nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster."  Austin Powers

--"So long, and thanks for all the fish."  Hitch Hikers Guide etc.

--"Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough."  Abraham Lincoln 

--People are highly reliable.  They will always let you down.

--"Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold." Leo Tolstoy 

--"I'd horsewhip you if I had a hose."  Groucho

--"(to the Judge) You're next bubbles." - Peter Venkman 

--Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute maliciousness to that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

--This isn’t rocket surgery!

--“If A is success in life, then A equals X plus Y plus Z. Work is X; Y is play; and Z is keeping your mouth shut." -- Albert Einstein

--I’m the finest person you know!

--The Springfield town motto: "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man." Miss Hoover, another teacher, replies, "I don’t know why; it’s a perfectly cromulent word."

--I can’t pretend to care.   Dogbert

--You have the stink of unimportance.  Pointy-Haired Boss

--Don’t taze me, bro.

-- Let me be a free man - free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself - and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty.      Chief Joseph 1879

--"It does not require many words to speak the truth"  Chief Joseph  (1840-1904) Nez Perce

--"I wonder what ever became of me."  Groucho

--"A warrior's ultimate act is to lay down his sword."  Movie "Hero."

--Barney Fife:  You think you're kidding.  Listen, an IQ can be a mixed blessing sometimes.  Some people want it and can't get it.  I got it and had to get rid of it.  Life's funny that way, you know? 

--Love is really unpredictable; Haircut that passes as a man; If Jesus came back and saw what was going on in his name, he would throw up; the heart is a very resilient little muscle - Woody Allen-Hannah etc.

--Tell them the truth Loretta, they find out anyway.   Moon Struck 

--Love don't make things right; it ruins everything.  Moon Struck 

--I do my own stunts 

--If one purpose fails it is good to have another 

--There is always a bigger fish

--Silence whippersnapper! W of Oz

--Love don't make things nice; we are here to love the wrong people and ruin ourselves and die 

--Do you love him? No. Good, because when you love them they drive you crazy because they know they can.

--Nothing can replace the family, Loretta

--Dumber than a bag of hammers

--When you are going through hell, keep going.  Churchill

--Fear knocked at the door; faith answered and there was no one there.

--"I'll be dashed" Col. Pickering 

--Call me mint jelly, 'cause I'm on the lamb.

--Jim said he believed it was spirits; but I says: "No; spirits wouldn't say, `Dern the dern fog.'  Huck Finn 

 --Cato, you fool!

--The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.

--"When last seen" Nathan Detroit 

--"A woman convinced against her will is of the same opinion still"

--Don’t look directly at it.  Alice in Dilbert

--Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Give a fish a man, and he'll eat for weeks!

--"Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." Henry James

--"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" Martin Luther King, Jr.

--"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maya Angelou 

--"I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another." Thomas Jefferson 

--"It is difficult to give away kindness. It keeps coming back to you." Cort Flint

--“If we have faith, it will all work out.” Pres. Hinckley

--That’ll do donkey, that’ll do

--Hold the phone

--Onion boy – layers

--Really, really Schrek

 

Words to Live By

Never buy a coffee table you can't put your feet on. 

Believe in miracles, but don't depend on them. 

Don't forget that we are ultimately judged by what we give, not by what we get. 

When you hear a kind word spoken about a friend, tell him/her so. 

Don't work for recognition, but do work worthy of recognition. 

Start the standing ovation at the end of school plays. 

When someone lets you down, don't give up on him. 

Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow. 

Remember that nothing important was ever achieved without someone's taking a chance. 

When a friend is in need, help him without his having to ask. 

When someone gives you something, never say, "You shouldn't have." 

Remember that cruel words deeply hurt. 

Remember that loving words quickly heal. 

Frame anything your child brings home on his first day of school. 

Seek respect rather than popularity. Seek quality rather than luxury.  Seek refinement rather than fashion. 

Never be too busy to meet someone new. 

Remember that when your mom says, "You'll regret it," you probably will. 

Never let the odds keep you from pursuing what you know in your heart you were meant to do. 

To help your children turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money. 

Remember that life's most treasured moments often come unannounced. 

When you see someone sitting alone on a bench, make it a point to speak to her. 

Be willing to accept a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement. 

Protect your enthusiasm from the negativity of others. 

Remember, it's not your job to get people to like you; it's your job to like people. 

Rebuild a broken relationship.

 

 

Scriptures

--He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.  Pro. 11:29

--PROVERBS 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  

--PSALM 127:1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 

--HOSEA 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. 

--Pro. 11:29 He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.  

-- Alma 7:11-13 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. 

            12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. 

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.

-- Luke14:10 Friend, go up higher

 

Common Sense Compliance

 

Be nice. 

Always tell the truth. 

Respect everyone. 

Cooperate – no one here is your enemy. 

Compliance with the law is business as usual. 

Compliance is the job, not an impediment to the job. 

The Compliance Officer is your friend, not your enemy. 

Do what is right even if it is hard (then let the consequences follow). 

Important business should be in writing. 

Make good records and keep them in a safe place. 

Never backdate anything. 

Business should be conducted in a business-like manner. 

Don’t discuss business with competitors. 

Don’t discuss business matters with non-business people. 

Respect other’s privacy and confidentiality. 

Don’t sign anything unless you have authority to do so and know what it says. 

Don’t use business time or supplies for personal business. 

If you don’t know what to do, ask for help. 

Get help when you need it. 

When in doubt, stop and think. 

Don’t start until you know what to do. 

Know your job; ask if you don’t know. 

Follow established policies; if you don’t know the policy, look it up. 

If you don’t understand the policy, get help. 

If there isn’t an established policy, consult your superior. 

If you make a mistake, correct it and report it, don’t cover it up. 

If someone else makes a mistake, help him or her learn to do it right. 

Speak up if something seems to be going wrong. 

If things don’t feel right, stop. 

The way things have always been done may not be the way things should be done. 

If somebody’s lawyer calls, politely refer him or her to the company’s lawyers. 

Never talk to reporters – always politely refer them to the PR department. 

If you don’t know the answer to something, look it up, don’t make up an answer. 

Acting illegally is never an option. 

When in doubt, save the patient. 

Stay within the budget. 

Follow established guidelines; don’t innovate at someone else’s expense. 

Report problems promptly and accurately. 

Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. 

Share experiences with coworkers; learn from others. 

Be careful; be extra careful with things that really matter or are dangerous. 

Don’t rely on common sense or intuition when government rules are involved. 

Be careful what you say – anything you say can be used against you. 

Always put off until tomorrow what you shouldn’t do today. 

Means matter, not just how things end up. 

How would you feel if this were on the front page of the paper?  

Would your mother approve of you doing this? 

E-mail is forever. 

The opinions of patients and their families matter most. 

Service is a privilege, not a chore. 

Don’t take things personally. 

Don't talk business in elevators. 

Never assume  - check you sources; double check if it is important.. 

Regulators are people, too. 

How good do you look in orange? 

If you don’t have something nice to say, keep your big ugly mouth shut!