Book Give-Away

Or, it could be called, "He Told Me So." Because Andy told me that the holiday weekend was a rotten time to be giving things away: folks are doing things on holidays, rather than playing with their blogs. So, as there were no entries, I'm offering the book again.

Up For Grabs:

One copy of A Glorious Standard: For All Mankind, by Christopher S. Bentley, with an inscription by the author.

A little about the book: It is a compilation of quotes and commentary about the Constitution and government, made by prophets such as Isaiah, Jacob, and Moroni, as well as modern prophets and apostles such as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, John Taylor, Ezra Taft Benson, and many more. These quotes have been compiled by the author from a variety of sources ranging from many General Conference reports and Journals of Discourses, as well as church magazines, messages of the First Presidency, and the History of the Church, among others. Bentley has gathered them up and organized them along the lines of four different themes:

1. "First, the Lord Himself has stated unequivocally that He is the Constitution's Author. Indeed, almost all of the latter-day prophets have declared that the Constitution is a document created through the inspiration of the Spirit." (Page 1)

2. [A]lmost every prophet in this dispensation has emphasized the vital importance of defending, upholding and adhering to the Constitution." (Page 2)

3. [S]everal prophets have warned that we have apostatized in various ways from the Constitution... (Page 2)

4. [T]he Constitution's role goes beyond providing a free nation in which the gospel and true Church could be restored to the earth once again. ... The principles of that great charter will eventually spread over the whole world, and all who are living [during the Millennium] will abide by them. (Page 2)

These four themes become the basis of the four sections of the book, with an amazing variety of quotes from Joseph Smith's time to Gordon B. Hinckley, who was President of the Church at the time the book was published, as well as quotes from the scriptures referencing things that ancient prophets said.

This book is a major factor in my own awakening to the vital importance of the Constitution, and I highly recommend it!

Check back for a sampling of the quotes in the book, as I'll post a few between now and when the giveaway is done.


How to Enter:

Post about the give-away on your blog, then leave a link in the comments section, so I can visit you.

Deadline:

All posts must be up, and comments left, by 11:55pm on Saturday 18 July 2009.

New Look

I've been playing with my blog, and I've got a new look! It's a fun process, but one that takes a good deal of time. I'm not finished yet, but the overall idea is in place, I think. It's a fun process, at least partly because I get to learn lots of new things, not just about the programming, but also about Photoshop. This is the first time I've been able to make my own graphics! Here are some of the tools that I've used so far in my redecorating:

Blogger Buster's 3 Column Layout

Once I had the new sidebar, it became clear that I badly needed to add some margins and padding, which Blogger Buster also had a tutorial for.

I'm trying Link Within, though I'm not convinced that I love it. What do you think?

Blogger Buster also helped me remove the "nofollow" tags from my template, allowing the big search engines to follow the links to my friends.

I didn't end up using this Photoshop tutorial for overlapping text, but it looks good, and I'd like to in the future.

The new header is from a photo that I took and used this halftone border tutorial on it.

Anyway, it's not finished, but I'm happy with it so far.

Male Bonding

Sunday Scripture

...I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto gall those who diligently seek him, as well in times of hold as in the time that he should manifest himself unto the children of men.

For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him.

For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.
-1 Nephi 10:17-19

Happy Independence Day!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
-Declaration of Independence

Patriotic Thought

"May we pledge anew that the divine principles embodied in the inspired documents that govern our country be written on the tablets of our own hearts. I pray that our eyes might be single to the will of God, that we might thereby bless our families and our country and that we shall, with increased devotion, work for less government, more individual responsibility, and, with God's help, a better world."
--Ezra Taft Benson, quoted in A Glorious Standard, page 103. See my give-away for a free copy of the book.

Mystery Solved

This cute little bunny told me something I've been wondering about.



Turns out the spot in my flower bed is a bunny-shaped spot. I'd thought I got those flowers moved out far enough that the roof shouldn't be pounded down by the rain.

Feeling Patriotic

Knowing as we do that God set up this Constitution of ours and that He declared it "should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles" (D&C 101:77), it is the duty of every member of the Church to protect and defend the Constitution against any attack. In this country our lawful political allegiance runs not to any man, not to any party, not to any "ism," but to the Constitution of the United States and to the free institutions set up under it. There can be no tampering with the "just and holy principles" in the Constitution. No true Latter-day Saint can or will do other than reverence the Constitution; each will do all in his power to save it from pollution or destruction. -J. Reuben Clark.
(April 1941, General Conference. Quoted in "A Glorious Standard" page 90. See my give-away for a free copy.)