Friday, January 15, 2010

Garbage!

Joyce has a brother who uses a special word when he accidentally bangs his thumb with a hammer.  He shouts out, "GARBAGE!"  It's a good word to use in place of those other words...



 Garbage in our inner-cities is a fact of life.

One day you clean it up, the next day it's back

I have little confidence in the impact and effectiveness of government programs to solve the problem of urban blight.  The proof seems to be in the pudding.  But there is a way out.  Consider these words from Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994), former president of the Church:

"Some may ask why we as a people and church quietly and consistently seek to change individuals while there are such large problems about us. . . . But decaying cities are simply a delayed reflection of decaying individuals. . . . The commandments of God give emphasis to improvement of the individual as the only real way to bring about the real improvement of society" (A Plea for America [1975], 18).

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of the people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. . . . Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature" ("Born of God," ENSIGN, Nov. 1985, 6).
at 9:25 PM

4 comments:

  1. One of my most favorite quotes right there! Happy 2010!
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  2. President and Sister Murray, I came across your blog a while back and have enjoyed reading your adventures and experiences in Philadelphia. I served under President Joseph V. Cook in 2002 and 2003. I will continue to view your postings, they are often just the boost I need. Thank you for your service. Chris Sutherland, California.
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  3. Whenever we had zone conferences or district meetings at that chapel, I always thought that it would be a good idea to remove those bushes altogether. It would be much prettier and easier to keep clean.
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  4. Somehow we've lost sight of the fact that WE are the government. WE have the responsibility as individuals, but government programs are there to lead us sometimes in the ways we are too selfish or too distracted to do on our own. The church is a "government" too that provides programs to assist us. And WE are the church. Yes, lasting change can only come from within, but our governments can help to maintain that change, and encourage those who haven't achieved all they can internally head in the right direction. The Civil Rights movement comes to mind. (Yes, we have a long way to go, but good governance, both church and civic, facilitates and supports individual transformation.
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