The Sublime Roundabout

Here's the definition of "marriage" from m-w.com: Definition of MARRIAGE 1 a (1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) : the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage marriage > b : the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock c : the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage 2 : an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected; especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities 3 : an intimate or close union marriage  of painting and poetry — J. T. Shawcross I have struggled with this. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we are encouraged to support marriage as being exclusive to definition 1.a.(1) above. The concerns regarding same-sex marriage revolve around a couple of different things: 1....

Switches. They're binary. You're on, or you're off. Some people think like this. Either something is absolutely right, or it is absolutely wrong. That if something is tainted at all, it is not worth having. As a case in point, my son and I were enjoying an episode of Top Gear - our favorite show to watch together (Dr. Who is a close second) - and the featured guest star was Slash. If you don't know who Slash is I'm not talking to you any more. But it struck me that Slash is the kind of dude that many would look at - both his outward appearance and his chosen lifestyle - and think that he's, well, something he's probably not. And that's a shame, because it represents a loss on both parts. I do not necessarily think this is true. I think of things more in terms of a potentiometer. A potentiometer sends electricity through a resistive material at different and varying levels, depending on the position of the dial. As you turn the dial one way ...

My heart is broken. The world is less bright today than it was yesterday. One wonders why the young are taken. Why couldn't they live and have a full life? Why? WHY? There are no answers. There is reassurance and hope coming from the Rock of our salvation. Yet, it hardly seems fair. Maybe that's the point. Life is NOT fair. Life is a constant and perpetual struggle against the darkness that would overwhelm us like a tide. Life is so, so hard. So hard. And treading water can be exhausting. My heart aches. Just aches and aches. I pray God our Heavenly Father to bless Amulek's family. And I pray that He will welcome home and comfort the troubled soul. Oh, I can hardly bear it. I love you.