Moralia Human decency-plasticized humans

Mea Culpa = My fault, my blame, or my responsibility

If I do not speak out about this,
I am responsible for it to some extent even though
I would not do this to anyone.
I do not regard myself as being without vice
or above those who commit disrespectful acts.
I am saying that I don't condone those acts
whether committed by myself or others.
I am saying I will not support them.

Plasticizing human beings and
displaying them publicly is educational.
There is no denying that point.
The value of that education is
a point to be debated however.
Is the value of the information obtained
worth the price we must pay
for degrading human social structure and values?

Which humans today
want to be plasticized
and placed on display
their hidden insides,
their skin cut away
for curious eyes
incompassionate gaze
whose income supplies
the need for displays
presented for eyes
of those who will pay
to view the insides
the skin cut away
of others who died
the victims, the prey
of those who will sell
your soul away?

Where's our sense of decency?
Where the human soul
that fought for right to privacy
not too long ago?
Where the rights of people?
Does anyone know?
Where did our freedom
and morality go?

Each day new atrocities are publicly made known.
Each day we find someone making their living
at someone else's expense.
What happened to respecting dead people
and giving them a decent burial?
Who are the plasticized humans presented for display
at these abominable exhibits now touring the world?
Who is safe from being plasticized and publicly displayed
if we allow this despicable practice to exist among us?
These people were once someone's sons, daughters,
brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers.
Where are their families?
Who are the people making money from
displaying these dead people?
When is the price of an education too high to pay?
Even with prior consent, would the owners of these
bodies have wanted this treatment?
Would they have treated others this way?

Maybe these people were homeless while living.
Maybe this was the only way for them
to be allowed the right to occupy space in our world.

Even though those who patronize these exhibits
aren't eating these bodies, they are
consuming them in another way.
They are using them to feed their greed
for information, their boundless ambition
to view the unseen.
Is there no end to cannibalism in this world?

Is this responsible use by those who have
legal power over these deceased people?
WHO OWNS OUR DEAD?

How many of you who patronize the exhibits
of plasticized humans would want your
parents or grandparents or children or
grandchildren or brothers or sisters
or cousins treated this way?
Or your neighbors?

You are making millionaires of people
who will treat you no better.

I will not come to see you if you suffer a similar fate
to those whose bodies are now displayed.
I will respect your right to privacy.

If I do not speak out against this utterly foul practice,
protest in some way, I am allowing it to exist among us.

Where are the thoughts and feelings of our leaders?
Have they become so immune to the needs of people
that they will ignore the inevitable results of treating
human bodies in this manner?
Should any human being ever be displayed this way?

People of the world, of the nations, of my community
and of my church I address and beseech you to stand
against this accursed practice.
Nothing good can come from it.

If God were to be present among us,
would we treat Him that way?

Leges sine moribus vanae = Laws without morals are useless.

Mores sine legibus vagi, = Morals without laws are unstable.

http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/v50/n34/bacc_jp.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4291334&page=1

Alicubi

Somewhere in a dream
exists the me I might have been
Someone good and kind
great of heart, and bright of mind

Somebody I hoped I'd be
but when I look back all I see
are things not right
endless sins as black as night

Living with regrets.
Living in despair.
Not trying to forget,
just longing to repair

Damage I've caused in this world
wanting to save my boys and girls
from mistakes they'll make later on...
inevitably as life goes on...

Colloquium

Yesterday and Saturday was Stake Conference.

Saturday, we discovered which church our ward will be meeting in after the remodeling of one church is completed and the building of the new one.

I took notes at the Sunday Sessions.  These are the main highlights I heard as I listened to the sessions.

Stake Conference:

Prayer

President Wolfert took care of business.  Presented Burton, Clegg, Warnock, Johnson, Oldham, Collard and others for callings.

Hymn:  High on the Mountain Top

Prayer

Choir:  Come Follow Me

Marlin K. Jensen

Be kind to those who are different
All things will be restored to their proper oreder and perfect frame.
morays:  morally binding rules and customs
ideals and expectations can be cruel and tear people down
Jesus seeks to gather all of us.  In some way or another we are all lost sheep.
We must seek to obey all commandments in order to receive spiritual gifts.
Jesus does not do anything except that which benefits the world and His people.
Empathy: "feeling your pain in my heart"
Song quote:  I will walk with you, Hugh Nibley & etc.

Ann Dibb:  Day of counterfeits, we are living in the day of counterfeits

We must be obedient to the teachings of those we sustain
must read scriptures,
pray daily
live by the articles of faith.

In doing good to all men we develop good relationships.

Do not build relationships on lies.

Used her parents to exemplify the building of good relationships through the

daily expression of love, acceptance and admiration without seeking personal gain.

Do not be satisfied with that which is counterfeit.  Choose to live a real life.

Testimony

Boyd K. Packer

Greeting

In 1954 appointed seminary teacher, had six children, lived in Utah Valley.Three married children and 8 grandchildren live in this area.

Yesterday dedicated monument with name and information of every fallen officer since
the turn of the century. One for Charles Badger. Charles Badger rescued mother and four
children at the cost of his own life when a wagon overturned.
Boyd K. Packer’s Grandmother Christina Olssen left Denmark.  Left everything and used a handcart.
One daughter was determined not to walk into the Salt Lake Valley barefoot, carried shoes around
her neck.  Handcart nearly floated away in the river, eighteen year old boy saved it.

Packers settled on the Provo river. Indian trail where horses can still be ridden in Provo Canyon to Midway.
Provost trapper trader set up trading post in this area and this is why we are Provo, because of this mountain man.
Provost survived  a Shoshone Indian peace pipe ambush.

Jim Bridger: chin music, telling tall tales, Provost more accurate than Jim Bridger

Ten years after they established the trading post, Boyd K. Packer’s grandmother came to Utah, about the same time as Johnstons army came to bother the Saints.  Some had lost as many as five homes even though they had broken no laws and caused no ill to anyone.

He wondered how the Spirit could exist in meetings conducted by broadcast.  But he thought it was better
having people near their homes, and taking care of their children.

Talks about his travels and how Conference broadcasts work.  Some broadcasts are sent through and from
different places all over the world.  Personal interviews are almost impossible to keep now except through
video interviews for the general authorities for the purpose of missions.

Revelations came and some of them were not understood.

Joseph knew the Lord was saying stuff to him, but could not always understand
why He was saying it.

The weak things of the world would come forward and overcome the strong.

Each Wednesday, General Authorities meet on the fifth floor to discuss different options and region, but authority must be conveyed in person.

Speaks of callings, and how informal they can be.  Speaks of the evil one being more successful at deceiving than ever before.

Joseph Smith says any body who has a body has power over those who don’t have bodies.  We will always be warned when we are doing something wrong by our feelings.  The day will come when we will be everywhere on the earth.  He invokes the power upon us and says that fear is the opposite of faith.  He invokes that blessing, bears that witness in the name of Jesus Christ.

Hymn: Redeemer of Israel

Dieter Uchdorf

Thank you for beautiful morning hymn, Spirit, love and kindness.  Feels impressed to bear testimony that this is the true Church of Jesus Christ and that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of God.

You who are assembled today are truly the United Nations of the Church.  We are joined together by technology, but especially by faith in Jesus Christ.

Jokes about being in charge.

gratitude to missionaries and their way of blessing lives.

4,400 missionaries serving but many who have not decided to do so.

Stay worthy and be ready and don’t underestimate your influence and your ability.
Don’t judge if peoples lives differ from yours, invite them and make them part of the kingdom of God.

What are you personally doing to increase your faith in our Heavenly Father and in His Son Jesus Christ?The Spirit of the Lord will send you the inspiration and teach you everything you need to take care of and teach your family.The Lord promised that everything you need will come to you from on high. You have to follow the promptings befor e God will increase your faith.  Usually answers will come through the Scriptures.

When you are assembled together you shall instruct and edify one another.

Hard to focus on the most essential matters of life and have the right goals.

Use time wisely.
Set goals that will increase faith in the Savior and achieve.
Calm periodic reasonable assessment of what we choose to do with our time.
We must set our spiritual goals to ensure we reach our destination safely and on time.

Increasing faith in God and strengthening marriages and families.

The Lord will bless you.

Evaluate where you are, calmly periodically and reasonably focus your evaluation and efforts to change.

Commandments of God are not restrictions.
They are a plan for a safe and direct path to the destination you seek.
He wants to help us to succeed in this life and throughout Eternity.

Use the Church websites.  Be careful.
New technologies can bring dangerous things into our homes.

Use the help and the systems and the counsel available.
Let virtue garnish thy thoughts.
All of these are available at lds.org.

Don’t be ashamed of being a church member.
Accept and live the commandments of God.
Share testimony and enthusiasm with children, grandchildren and spouse.
Complete conversion comes after many trials and much testing.

Become personally converted unashamed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

·         Have a current temple recommend
·         Live worthy to hold a temple recommend
·         Trust the Lord

Choose the right/Current temple recommend

Study the word of God daily.  Teach by example.
Nothing can divide a family who is willing to serve the Lord and keep His commandments.
While reading ponder the things that need resolving in your lives and the Lord will send you answers.

Speak with your Father in Heaven daily.  Nothing can take the place of prayer.
You must set your own house in order through regular scripture study and prayer.
The whole world urgently needs the message of Jesus Christ, the moral values and the strength of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Strengthen marriages and families.

Choir: I Stand All Amazed
Prayer
@6:00p.m. There will be a fireside broadcast by Jeffrey R. Holland.


Tenax propositi = tenacious of purpose