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‘Sasse Leads the Way’
By being one of the first of his party to push back against the president’s suggestions for Ukraine and China to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Sasse bravely marked a path, one that we hope more Republican senators and representatives will pursue as elections draw closer.
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Awareness Wednesday :: Unintended Consequences — Mandatory Minimum Sentencing
The Old Testament is a fascinating read. The first five books, known as the Torah, lay out the Mosaic Law. There are various punishments prescribed for all types of offenses, the most severe being death. For instance, if there were a dispute between two men, and one of them was judged to be in the wrong, that man could be beaten. Or, if a woman intervened in an argument between her husband and another man in an unseemly way, her hand could be cut off (Deuteronomy 25). Did you know that according to the Law of Moses, a person could be put to death for the following offenses? • Hitting,…
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MWEG Members in Action
Hot on the heels of the 68th United Nations Civil Society Conference and with voter registration in full swing, MWEGers have been busy keeping up with current political events, while doing their part to engage in civil discourse online and in person. Members were called to action regarding the lowering of refugee resettlement to an all-time low of 18,000 by the current administration, along with a call to contact their representatives to make the full copy of the whistleblower complaint available to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees (the complaint was released to the public on September 26). These calls to action keep our representatives accountable to their constituents and…
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My Top 10 Takeaways from the UN Civil Society Conference
In his 2018 BYU commencement address, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “So go out there and light a candle. Be a ray of light. Be your best self and let your character shine. Cherish the gospel of Jesus Christ and live it. The world needs you, and surely your Father in Heaven needs you if His blessed purposes for His children are to prevail. You have entered to learn. Now go forth to serve and strengthen. If correcting all the world’s ills seems a daunting task, so be it. Go out there and be undaunted.” Be a ray of light.The world needs you.Go out there and be undaunted. The 68th…
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Peacemaking on Social Media
When we enter a conversation online with the intent to try and force a change of opinion, we elicit defensiveness and frustration. But when we bring a peacemaking mindset to these interactions, we offer posts and comments that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy. As MWEG members have learned about the Six Principles of Peacemaking and practiced using them in our Facebook discussion group, they have been inspired to apply them in their personal social media use as well. Here are a few examples: “I have a friend who recently started sharing a lot more unkind memes about politics, ones that say ‘How dumb are you if you believe xyz??’ or…
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Awareness Wednesday :: Unintended Consequences — The Castle Doctrine
When I was a child I dreamed of having a castle. As I got older I realized a more realistic goal would be an English Tudor. Today I am happy to have a comfortable, small house of my own. Houses — our homes — are the symbol of our prosperity and comfort. The symbol of the good life. The Bible gives us an indication of the emotional connection we often have to our houses. The promise of a wonderful future is described in this way: “And they shall build houses, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another…
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Volunteering at the Southern Border
The U.S. has seen an unprecedented surge of asylum seekers along our southern border in the past several months. Most come through the process weary and confused. They carry no personal possessions and require assistance to carry on with their travels. Respite centers in key border towns have become safe and welcoming shelters for these vulnerable people. Rio Grande Valley Catholic Charities Respite Center in McAllen, Texas, for instance, offers a hot meal and clean water, basic hygiene necessities, a fresh set of clothing, and access to medicine and basic medical attention for those in need. Families can enjoy a hot meal together in the dining hall. There are spacious…
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Refugee Resettlement — We Must Do More
Can we talk about refugee resettlement? One of the most common arguments I hear against resettlement is that we should help people where they are rather than try to help them move to the U.S. This attitude is particularly concerning as the U.S. proposes to again cut refugee resettlement, this time to only 18,000 people in 2020. Only about 1% of refugees worldwide are resettled in a third country, although those are the refugees an American or European is most likely to have met. If the U.S. cuts its resettlement program again, it will have a noticeable impact on worldwide refugee resettlement in 2020, and that is very troubling.Most refugees…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Spiritual Gifts
For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God (Doctrine and Covenants 46:11). Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4). There are many people in my life who would tell you they have always had a testimony of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel. They have always believed or known the Church is true. They have never wrestled with overwhelming doubts or experienced a crisis of faith. This doesn’t mean they are blind followers or their testimonies aren’t valid. Rather, it indicates some of the beautiful…
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Sabbath Devotional :: Room in my Heart
In December 2016, two months after I began volunteering for Refugee Services of Texas, I saw an opening for a position teaching English to recently arrived refugees. I hadn’t worked outside the home in years, but felt teaching was part of God’s path for me. I never could have imagined how interacting with such an incredible group of people would change me. Making room in my heart for those who suffer unimaginable burdens has made a lasting impact on me, and I am forever grateful. A few days before class began, I received a list containing all my students’ names, ages, marital statuses, levels of education and countries of origin.…
