Responce to Mike's letter

I recently received a latter from someone identifying him self only as "Mike" with a P.O. Box as a return address. I found the letter quit interesting, describing someone who had lived a sinful life and finally found the saving power of Jesus' Atonement. I decided to respond, and sent him the following in an e-mail:

Dear Mike,

Thanks you for your sincere letter. It is hard to find time to read and reply to such things these days with all that I have going on, but I wanted to applaud you in your efforts to take them time to compose and distribute such a letter. I hope that you can find the time to also read my sincere response. I believe that one of the biggest problems our country faces today is lack of people willing to share their beliefs and values. Instead we seem to be losing faith to secularism, charity to socialism, chastity to self-gratification, morality to wickedness, and so on.

However, amid all this I do find hope, in a very strong and growing group of people, from many faiths, who truly accept Jesus as their Lord and savior. These people don’t just go to church once a week, and say pray’s expecting to be saved while doing nothing more to achieve that salvation; “[these] people draw near unto [the Lord], and with their mouth, and with their lips do honor [him], but have removed their heart far from [him], and their fear toward [him] is taught by the precepts of men” - Isa. 29: 13, 2 Ne. 27: 25. No, the people I refer to, truly have charity, “the pure love of Christ” - Moro. 7: 47, and love their fellow men because they understand how much their savior also loves them.

They are more concerned with giving then receiving, more concerned with helping others then trying to make their own way to the top. They give freely of their means; paying tithing that helps build up God’s Kingdom on this earth, and even more to help the sick and the needy. They also give of their time and talents, while working hard to become perfected thru Christ’s Atonement.

It is much more than just acknowledging wrongdoings. It is a change of mind and heart that gives us a fresh view about God, ourselves, and the world. Satan wants us to think that we cannot repent, but that is absolutely not true. The Savior has promised us forgiveness if we will do what is required. The sooner we repent, the sooner we will find the blessings that come from forgiveness.

My belief in repentance includes the following steps:

1. Sorrow for sin with a sincere desire for change and a willingness to submit to every requirement for forgiveness.

2. Abandonment of sin with an unyielding, permanent resolve to not repeat the transgression.

3. Confession of sin. You always need to confess your sins to the Lord. If they are serious transgressions you may need to be confessed to a bishop or other priesthood leader who as the proper authority.

4. Restitution for your sins to restore as far as possible all that which is stolen, damaged, or defiled.

5. Obedience to all the commandments. Full obedience is the only thing that can bring the complete power of the gospel into your life.

6. Of all the necessary steps to repentance, the most critically important is for you to have a conviction that forgiveness comes because of Christ’s Atonement.

I too believe that God has a plan for us. Our lives do have a purpose. He is the father of our spirits, and as such we are all brother’s a sisters. If more people could truly understand that on simple concept, I believe this world would be a much better place. I encourage you to continue to share your testimony of this to all those you meet.

Sincerely,

SJ Hollist.

LDS Chruch Presidency gives Christmas Message

The 2009 Christmas Message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints, was presented on Sunday to millions around the glob.

President Thomas S. Monson reminisced about Christmases past and urged those in attendance to remember the spirit of the season saying, "Finding the real joy of the season comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done or in the purchasing of obligatory gifts,” said President Monson. “Real joy comes as we show the love and compassion inspired by the Savior of the world, who said, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.’"

What is a Mormon Chapel Like?

The LDS Newsroom recently revised a message about LDS Church Meeting houses. You can even take a virtual tour of a fairly typical meeting house of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the article, it also gives first hand accounts of people visiting an LDS meeting for the first time.

Having grown up in the church myself, I've not had many experience out side the church, so it interesting to get a perspective from someone visiting it for the first time.

The article also mentions the 151 LDS Temples that are currently in use, are undergoing construction or have been announced. LDS Temples are not to be confused with the over 17,000 meeting houses that can be found threw out the world, and are always open to visitors looking to join in on a Sunday worship service.

Religious Freedom Being Threatened

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said religious freedom is being threatened by societal forces intimidating those with religious points of view from having a voice in the public square.

Elder Oaks made the comments while addressing to Brigham Young University-Idaho students on the importance of preserving the religious freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

He said we should not be deterred or coerced into silence by threats. “We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues, and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice.” He also offered five suggestions:

• Speak with love and show patience, understanding and compassion to those with differing viewpoints.
• Do not be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation from opponents, insisting that churches and their members be able to speak out on issues without retaliation.
• Insist on the freedom to preach the doctrines of their faith.
• Be wise in political participation, remaining respectful of those who do not share their religious beliefs and contributing to reasonable discussion.
• Be careful to never support or act on the idea that a person must subscribe to a specific set of religious beliefs in order to qualify for public office.

“Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms,” Elder Oaks concluded. “I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our ‘First Freedom,’ the free exercise of religion.”

This message is particularly important today as 2009 elections are right around the corner, and many are already in full campaign mode for the 2010 elections.

Must Babylon Fall?

I was listening to Conference Talks from October 2008, and then heard a related song by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It made me wonder if the troubled times we keep seeing in the world today are somehow necessary or inevitable. Are they are all part of God's plan to disprove and push aside the things of the world so that Zion may rise for Christ's 1000 year reign on earth?

I put them together in this video to help others get a feeling for what made this question come to my mind:



The fall of Babylon the great has been foretold:

"Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." - Revelation 18:21

". . . which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall." - D&C 1:16

However, as Babylon ripens in iniquity, a great latter-day Zion will be established:

"And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety. And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another. And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand." - D&C 45:68–70

". . . and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest." - Moses 7:64

Though there are certainly governments and nations that seek to destroy freedom and each other; perhaps the fall of Babylon is not so much a physical destruction of governments and nations, but rather more of a spiritual destruction of wickedness in general. On the other hand, such wickedness is certain to cause some hardship and destruction:

“In prophetic imagery, Babylon is the world with all its carnality and wickedness. Babylon is the degenerate social order created by lustful men who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. Babylon is the almighty governmental power that takes the saints of God into captivity; it is the false churches that build false temples and worship false gods; it is every false philosophy . . . that leads men away from God and salvation. Babylon is false and degenerate religion in all its forms and branches. Babylon is the communistic system that seeks to destroy the freedom of people in all nations and kingdoms; it is the Mafia and crime syndicates that murder and rob and steal; it is the secret combinations that seek for power and unrighteous dominion over the souls of men. Babylon is the promoter of pornography; it is organized crime and prostitution; it is every evil and wicked and ungodly thing in our whole social structure” (McConkie, Millennial Messiah, 424).

In Revelation Chapter 8, we begin to read of the seventh seal, or the seventh thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence; known to us as the 2000 A.D. Millennium. During the early part of this period is when judgments come upon the earth in a final attempt to turn mankind’s heart to God. The earth will then be cleansed, Christ will return, and his reign will begin. (see D&C 77:12–13 for further explanation).

One interesting part from Rev. 6:12–17 is the Great Earthquake that John sees. The sun also darkens and the moon turns to blood. Stars appears to fall and the Wicked Mistake these signs for the end of the world. (See also JS—M 1:33; D&C 29:14; D&C 88:87.) Compare this to the concerns may people today are having about what will occur near the end of the year 2012, mainly due to the end of the seemly accurate Mayan Calendar. Often thought to point to a "Galactic Alignment" that some fear may spell certain doom for planet earth.

Another interesting coincidence surrounding this is the 144,000 to be sealed in Rev. 7:1–8, and how the Mayan Calendar is based on cycles of 144,000 days.

Regardless of whether or not Dec. 21st 2012 will be an eventful day or not, "see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet" (Matt. 24:6). It is true that we live in a glorious time, greater then any other time in earth's history, and "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38: 30), but "Woe unto wicked! it shall be ill with him" (Isa. 3: 11).

For more study references on this topic see: Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual Chapter 35, and “Book of Revelation Overview,” Ensign, Oct 1983, 50.

LDS, Islamic Leaders Share Relief Efforts

LDS, Islamic leaders share relief efforts
By Scott Taylor
Deseret News
Published: Friday, July 31, 2009 11:12 p.m. MDT

"Islamic Relief USA is part of the larger Islamic Relief Worldwide family, the latter celebrating its 25th anniversary and the former being founded in 1993. Islamic Relief is one of some 1,500 officially registered non-government organizations and charitable agencies across the world with which the LDS Church partners in welfare and humanitarian efforts."
"'We know the area, we know the people — and the church had the commodities,' said Sufian, who long has been Islamic Relief's primary contact with the LDS Church. 'The church said 'Let's do it.' And they did, with no strings attached, no price tag and no attempts at conversion.'"

LDS Newsroom:

"In 2004 the Church and Islamic Relief USA worked together to fly medical supplies, hygiene kits and clothing to areas stricken by the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia. In 2006 the two organizations worked together to provide relief to earthquake victims in Indonesia."

Barack Obama Gets a History Lesson

Family History Presented to President Barack Obama by Church President Thomas S. Monson - LDS Newsroom

"President Barack Obama was presented with five large leather-bound volumes today by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that detail his family history going back multiple generations covering hundreds of years."


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid commented saying, “I thank President Monson and Elder Oaks for sharing our religion’s tradition of genealogical research with the president and his family.”

The White House responded with a Press Statement saying, "I enjoyed my meeting with President Monson and Elder Oaks. I'm grateful for the genealogical records that they brought with them and am looking forward to reading through the materials with my daughters. It's something our family will treasure for years to come."

Proposition 8 hits home

Proposition 8 survived the courts, but new lawsuits have already been filed that may find their way to the U.S. Supreme Court (FRC comments) where a potentially new "empathetic" judge could be waiting.

And the Homosexual agenda is being pushed in other states as well:

"New Hampshire lawmakers unexpectedly rejected a bill on [Wed May 20, 2009] that would have made the state the sixth in the United States to authorize gay marriage.

The state's Democrat-controlled House of Representatives voted down the bill in a 188-186 vote, hours after its Senate approved the legislation 14-10 along party lines. An earlier version of the bill passed the lower chamber on March 26."

- Thomson Reuters 2009

What ever happened to what I used to hear a decade or two ago; that they just wanted tolerance? It turned into a plea for so called "equal rights", and is now ending up in a demand that we give them our blessing. It's one thing to tolerate something you find contrary to your core beliefs while having empathy for those who struggle with it, but it's quite different to be required to approve of the behavior.

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NARTH released a comprehensive overview of 125 years of scientific literature on this topic: "The evidence overwhelmingly refutes the claims . . . that change is impossible, attempting change is damaging, and there is no reason to change anyway, because homosexuality is harmless."

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My previous comments on this issue:

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The LDS Church just released a statement that It made no monitory contributions to the "ProtectMarriage.com Coalition", but did file a report showing "in-kind donations totaling $189,903.58".

Read the Full Press Release here...

Further, the LDS Church has posted commentary on it position over Proposition 8...

Also see this article showing that this is entirely about protecting Marriage and NOT about persecuting people because of their lifestyle choices.

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I grew up in a less then idea family setting. My mother was sick, and wanted nothing to do with my father who wasted all of his savings and our livelihood to help her; only to later have no choice but to end the marriage. My brother and I were deeply affected by it. I went looking for love in all the wrong places, and my brother has had a great deal of struggles in his life; including his choice for a homosexual lifestyle. I can't say for certain if his choice is directly linked to our troubled childhoods, but I can say that he, and I, have had many difficulties in our lives that likely could have been avoided, or at least lessened, if we had been raised in a better home environment.

I've never agreed with my brothers lifestyle choice, but I have always called him my brother, and always wished I could help him in some way. I've even at times wondered if my childish behaviors towards him, when we were younger, were to blame for some of his problems, but he once told me that they didn't. I sometimes wonder if we fully understand how our childhood experiences might have affected us.

My brother has been part of a group that wants our commonly shared church to change its views on same-sex marriage; which is something our church would never do as the very idea goes against some deeply held church doctrines. It's been one of the hardest things for my brother to deal with and certainly one of the biggest areas that we disagree with each other on.

More recently I found out that one of my cousins also struggles with homosexuality, but seems to me to be dealing with it better then my brother has been (not that it's an easy thing for either of them to deal with). My cousin has an interesting statement about the issues surrounding California's Proposition 8:

While I'm certainly a supporter of traditional marriage, I've often wondered what business government has in an institution that I believe should be purely religious in nature; however, I also feel that without the few laws we currently have protecting and supporting traditional families, we would be much worse off then we already are.

In the LDS Church's publication "The Family:A Proclamation to the World" it also warns of problems that come to society when families are destoryed: ". . . we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."

It's understandable to me why so many in my own and other churches see homosexuality as a great threat to traditional families and society in general, but I also hope that we don't get so caught up in any of the threats facing all of us today, that we loose sight of how important it is to have a Christ-like attitude towards our fellow men.

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Was (s)he born that way? Was it environmental?

I don't know, and I don't believe focusing on those questions helps deal with the real issue. The truth is that we all have struggles in our lives; whether they are caused by environmental issues, physical traits, genetics, or even the personalities and desires of our spirits, we all have them (some more so then others).

I've heard of studies claiming to show that certain genetic traits "cause" people to be one way or another, but is that really an excuse for violent behaviors, serial killers, rapists, or even homosexual behaviors? Certainly it's clear to most of us that these things are big problems to a society trying to promote peace, tranquility, and good family values; however, is homosexuality really a problem and/or detriment to society?

In a secular society that tells us to "do what feels good" to be free and open with our sexuality and express ourselves freely, homosexuality certainly isn't going to be viewed as a problem, any more then fornication or "sleeping around" would be. So what's the problem with all of this, if everyone involved is a consenting adult?

I could argue about how more and more of our younger and younger children are being forced into knowing more and more about sex and so called "safe-sex" practices as they are bombarded by the sexual innuendos of our society as it tell us to "do what feels good", and I could talk about how pornography and disrespect for our bodies promotes many of the other socially destructive behaviors I mentioned before; however, I don't believe these arguments even being to tell the real story of what all this does to destroy our spirituality.

How does homosexuality play into all this? We'll any kind of sex out-side of marriage is called Fornication. It's a sin spelled out in black and white in the bible (see: Exodus 20:14; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20. Also see: Alma 38:12; 3 Nephi 12:27–30, and look up Chastity). So would allowing same-sex marriage fix that aspect of homosexuality so it's no longer a sin?

It might if it weren't for one other very important thing: the nature of Marrage as ordained by God (see: Gen. 2: 24, Matt. 19:4-5, 1 Cor. 11: 11, Eph. 5:31, and D&C 131:2). Marriage is clearly stated through out the bible, and other scriptures, to be between a Man and a Woman, but it's much more then that (or at least it should be). It is a convent that is also made with God. One that can lead to great happiness, not just in this life, but in the life to come. Two men together, or two women together, cannot obtain this level of exaltation. One must have a spouse of the opposite gender to truly enjoy the eternities. Why? Because this is the way families work. They will not endure the eternities in any other way.

In fact, when it really comes down it, it truly is all about family, and not just our families here on this earth, but our larger family that we are all a part of, resided over by our Father in Heaven. A family we were part of before this life as spirits, and one we will continue to be a part of after this life, if we chose so.

- We are not mere mortals trying to have spiritual experiences, rather we are spiritual beings having a mortal experience.

179th Annual General Conference

How would you like to go back in time and talk to one of the Prophets mentioned in the Bible? Which prophet would you want to talk to, and what would you ask him? What kind of advice could he give us today to help us with our troubled world?

Your in luck. Next week, you can have such an opportunity when the prophet of our time will address the world along with his two counselors, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other church leaders.

The 179th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 4-5, 2009.

See the broadcast schedule for worldwide broadcast times and options.

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Thousands to Attend 179th Annual General Conference

"More than one hundred thousand Church members, friends and invited guests are expected to attend the 179th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with millions more watching or listening to conference proceedings via television, radio, satellite and Internet broadcasts..."

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Photos, News Releases and Video from General Conference

Conference talks are now available on-line.

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Apostle's Ester Message Became the Top Internet Video

Purpose of Mormon Temples

Sacred ceremonies - By Peggy Fletcher Stack of The Salt Lake Tribune

Just as temples were part of Christ Ancient Church, they are a part of his church today. Here's some other things that are the same in Christs True church today that were also practiced in his ancient church:

Baptism by immersion by someone having authority:
Matthew 3:13,16 - D&C 20:72-74

Living Apostles and Prophets:
Eph. 2: 19-20, Matthew 10:2-4 - D&C 21:1, Current Church Leaders

Current Revelation:
Amos 3:7 - D&C 21:5

Sacrament:
Luke 22:19-20 - D&C 20: 75

Authority From God:
Luke 9: 1-2, Mark 3: 14, Acts 1:24 - D&C 20: 2, D&C 81: 1

Performing Ordinances for the Dead:
1 Peter 3:18-20, 1 Peter 4:6, 1 Cor. 15: 29 - D&C 138:32-34

Spiritual Gifts:
1 Cor. 12: 8-11 - Moroni 10:9-19

- Posted by S.J. Hollist

Obama the Evil Scientist

Yesterday's Obama made yet another Executive Order making good on his promise to reverse the federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell (ESC) research. According to the FRC "the final order turned out to be far more extreme than ESC's biggest proponents had hoped. Most believed the President would maintain some semblance of restraint and allow experimentation only on those embryos discarded by fertility clinics. Unfortunately, no such limits exist. The President not only cracked ajar the door to ethically-challenged research, he flung it wide open--leaving the very scientists who demanded this money potentially in charge of its limitations."

Despite President Obama justifications for his policy, the truth remains that ESC research has produced nothing more then cancerous tumors, and a continued cheapening of human life.

Robert George, a professor at Princeton University, commented a little bit ". . . this opens the door for human beings for research in which they are destroyed and that's just contrary to the basic principles not only of the Judeo-Christian moral tradition but of the American tradition that says each of us as human beings throughout our lives has dignity and worth and cannot be reduced to the mere status of an object or disposable research material . . . Jamie Thompson . . . was the first person to isolate human embryonic stem cells . . . he went down another path and created a technology for which he's likely to win the Nobel Prize called induced pluripotent stem cells which can be created without using embryos or destroying embryos or killing embryos. So yes, even somebody like Thompson recognizes that there's a huge ethical issue here. But President Obama's just swept past it, just swept past it."

Even Ian Wilmut, the creator of Dolly the cloned sheep, turned away from human cloning to iPSC research.

HBO's Big Love or fake?

HBO series Big Love was touted to depict polygamists with no association to the LDS church; however, more and more Mormon themes are now being woven into the show and according to TV Guide, it now seems the show’s writers are planning to depict their understanding of sacred temple ceremonies.

From the LDS Church Newsroom:

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as an institution does not call for boycotts. Such a step would simply generate the kind of controversy that the media loves and in the end would increase audiences for the series . . . The Church’s strength is in its [13.5 million] faithful members in 170-plus countries, and there is no evidence that extreme misrepresentations in the media that appeal only to a narrow audience have any long-term negative effect on the Church.

Examples:

During the Mitt Romney election campaign for the presidency of the United States, commentator Lawrence O’Donnell hurled abuse at the Church in a television moment that became known among many Church members as “the O’Donnell rant.” Today, his statements are remembered only as a testament to intolerance and ignorance. They had no effect on the Church that can be measured.

When the comedy writers for South Park produced a gross portrayal of Church history, individual Church members no doubt felt uncomfortable. But once again it inflicted no perceptible or lasting damage to a church that is growing by at least a quarter of a million new members every year.

When an independent film company produced a grossly distorted version of the Mountain Meadows Massacre two years ago, the Church ignored it. Perhaps partly as a result of that refusal to engender the controversy that the producers hoped for, the movie flopped at the box office and lost millions.

In recent months, some gay activists have barraged the media with accusations about “hateful” attitudes of Latter-day Saints in supporting Proposition 8 in California, which maintained the traditional definition of marriage. They even organized a protest march around the Salt Lake Temple. Again, the Church has refused to be goaded into a Mormons versus gays battle and has simply stated its position in tones that are reasonable and respectful. Meanwhile, missionary work and Church members in California remain as robust and vibrant as ever, and support for the Church has come from many unexpected quarters — including some former critics and other churches.

Now comes another series of Big Love, and despite earlier assurances from HBO it once again blurs the distinctions between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the show’s fictional non-Mormon characters and their practices. Such things say much more about the insensitivities of writers, producers and TV executives than they say about Latter-day Saints."

- Posted by S.J. Hollist

Jews, Muslims, and Mormons singing together

Faiths Join for Musical Tribute in Salt Lake Tabernacle - LDS Newsroom

"A children’s choir representing both the Jewish and Muslim faiths joined other performers in sharing their common beliefs during the Interfaith Musical Tribute to the Human Spirit held at the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. The concert, a culminating event in a seventh annual, weeklong celebration of religious harmony and understanding sponsored by the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, filled the historic building with the sounds of bells, bagpipes, drums, chants and choirs representing more than 15 faith groups and hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."


"The Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable was established in 1999, in conjunction with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and under the umbrella of the Olympic Charter requirements to provide “religious support for athletes and their families.”"

Full story here....

- Posted by S.J. Hollist

7 Steps to Financilal Freedom.

We live in a society based on consumption and fueled by capitalism. Neither of which are necessarily bad at face value, but can often became enslaving and even destructive when mixed with greed and/or frivolity. Our entire financial system is based on the expectation of inflation: mortgages are designed around the expectation that the properties value will go up; credit cards are given out and limits increased to keep people at the edge of there speeding ability and indebted to their creditors; annual "Cost of Living" raises are expected by employees so the cycle can continue on indefinitely.

What happens when inflation is no longer the constant, and deflation sets in? We start hearing words like "Mortgage Meltdown" and "Financial Crisis". Houses are no longer worth the "100% financing" loans they have on them. Businesses that have leveraged dept to get ahead can no longer sell there products for enough, or in high enough volumes, to pay their lenders. This results in layoffs that cause people to loose their ability to pay their numerous bills. In an attempt to "fix" the perceived "problem" the federal Reserve starts pumping trillions of dollars into the financial markets hoping to regain inflationary momentum; encouraging cheap loans to people who can't afford them. In the mean time, people like you and me, stuffer in the crossfire.

So what do we do about it? Try to play the game with the big boys, the way they want it played, with tax shelters, Limited Liability Business shelters, and other businesses dealings that you can trash when things get tough and they go under - hopefully without trashing your own credit and reputation? Maybe try catching the benefits of a government bailout along the way?

Perhaps what we should do is avoid the quick and easy "got'a have it now" attitude that leads to indebted slavery and despair, and instead follow the council that Modern Prophets have been giving us over the last century:

"Joseph F. Smith advised . . . 'get out of debt and keep out of debt, and then you will be financially as well as spiritually free' (In Conference Report, Oct. 1903, p. 5) . . . there are certain basic principles that we . . . can apply, such as: 1. Live within your income. 2. Prepare and use short- and long-term budgets. 3. Regularly save a part of your income. 4. Use your credit wisely, if it is necessary to use it at all . . . 5. Preserve and utilize your assets through appropriate tax and estate planning." - Franklin D. Richards, “Personal and Family Financial Preparedness,” Ensign, May 1979, 38

I've many times been thought in church about living within our means and staying out of debt, but for some reason I never really got it until I listened to a man who had a very specific and detailed plan: Dave Ramsey. While his plan works extremely well for anyone willing to put in the effort, I find myself wanting to take a slightly different approach, and believe there are people who need a little more flexibility in their planing. Either way many of the same principles apply, and go right along with the council I quoted above.

Here are my steps to financial freedom. The order of these steps is important, but depending on your situation you might find yourself able to skip one or two of them; not because you don't have to do them, but because you're already doing them.

• Step 1: Get caught up
  

Heber J. Grant said, “If there is any one thing that will bring peace and contentment into the human heart, and into the family, it is to live within our means, and if there is any one thing that is grinding, and discouraging and disheartening it is to have debts and obligations that one cannot meet” (Relief Society Magazine, May 1932, p. 302).

This mean having a budget. Before you catch up with your finances you must first make a budget. This is essential because if you don't know where your money is, where it's coming from, or were it's going, you'll never know if you're getting ahead or further behind.

I don't care what kind of budget you use, as long as it works well for you, and you can do it consistently, at least once every month, for the rest of your life (Dave Ramsey has a couple of excellent methods for tracking budgets). The first thing I put at the top of my budget is tithing (and other Charitable contributions) that I pay at least every month. As I've done this, I've always had enough to take care of my needs.

See my notes on a speech I gave about paying tithing.

The key to being successful financially relies entirely on budgeting, or in other words, telling your money what to do for you, instead of being a slave to it.

• Step 2: Sell and dispose of vices


". . . people are heavily in debt for things that are not entirely necessary . . . build a modest home . . . pay off the mortgage as quickly as [you can] so that, come what may, there [will] be a roof over the heads of [your] wife and children. I urge you . . . to get free of debt where possible and to have a little laid aside against a rainy day." - Gordon B. Hinckley, “The Times in Which We Live,” Ensign, Nov 2001, 72

This step sometimes needs to be done before step 1 can be fully completed, but you likely will not understand what your vices are until you've at least started step 1; in fact it may take a few months or more of working hard at step 1 before you truly understand what needs to be done in step 2 so that step 1 can start working for you.

So what is your vice? For some it's a big expensive house. For others it's a nice car, a boat, or even credit and consumer cards used for shopping any time one feels a little down or thinks they "need" that new pair of overly expensive shoes. What ever it may be, you need to shelf it long enough to get a grip on reality and get to where you can be more responsible about it.

I would even go so far as to say, anything you cannot get paid off in the next few of years needs to be sold; excluding any real-estate - unless that real-estate is just too expensive for your budget. Any credit cards you cannot pay off every month, without fail, need to be cut up. If you do not have the discipline to use credit cards appropriately, they need to be closed; ALL of them. Try using a debit card instead, but if you really have a hard time keeping track of expenditures, you may need to go to an all cash basis; Just as Dave would advise. And I don't care who told you credit cards are safer, if you can't handle the, they are extremely dangerous to your finances.

• Step 3: Emergency fund
  

This step should be completed as soon as possible; however, it's listed 3rd because it usually requires steps 1 and 2 to be done before one can get a good enough handle on things to be able to complete step 3. In fact the first three steps can be done simultaneously if you like, but its usually best to take things one step at a time.

Setting aside a little for a rainy day can bring more peace to you financial perspective then just about anything else you can do. Plus, once you're able to set aside some money and save it, you start to find saving money comes much easier. The amount you should save should be significant enough to cover any insurance deductibles or co-payments and/or unexpected repairs or other expenses that might come your way.

However, don't save up so much that it unnecessarily delays moving on to step 4. A thousand dollars is probably a good place to start, and I would recommend at least this much, but no more then a few thousand, even if you can save it quickly. If you end up using this fund, you'll need to come back to this step until you replenish it, so be sure to budge wisely enough that your emergency fund is only used for true emergencies; not something you just forgot to budget for, or think you "need".

• Step 4: Dept Pay-off
  

Some people spend all kinds of time trying to figure out how best to minimize how much they will end up paying in interest, or find fancy ways to pay of a mortgage faster by paying extra or paying early. The problem with all this is that it gets very complex, and usually ends up not helping very much if at all. In fact focusing on the highest interest rate loans first, is rarely the fastest way to get out of debt for one main reason: most loans have a minimum payment amount that includes some principle as well as the interest.

Eliminating that principle payment as quickly as possible, by starting with loans with the smallest balances first, frees up extra money in your budget much faster so it can then be re-applied sooner to other loans, and of course the sooner you pay of a debt, the less interest you end up paying on it. It also helps you gain a quick win which can be very motivating.

Personally, I like Dave Ramsey's theory of Focused Intensity were you start with the smallest balance and work your way up to the largest. It start with finding as much extra money as you can from your budget, by living on as little as possible, to use exclusively for paying extra on your smallest debt. The more you do without extras, luxuries, entertainment, etc. the more extra money you'll have to pay things off with. Once that smallest debt is paid off, move onto the next smallest debt using the extra money from your budget, and the money you are no longer paying to the debt you've paid off. Continue this cycle until you have everything paid off, except your house (and any other real-estate you own that is paying for its self - if it's not paying for itself you might consider it as part of step 2). By the end of this step you may find yourself paying a thousand dollars or more a month on you highest balance, high interest rate, loan.

• Step 5: Security Blanket(s)
  

When many of us were little kids, we had a blanket that as we got older we didn't want to give up. Often called a Security Blanket because it helps you feel safe. So how much money would you need saved up to feel safe from a catastrophic event, such as loosing your job? How much do you need to survive for a year?

That's right, how much would you need to pay for basic necessities for an entire year? If you have a lot of debt and monthly obligations, this is probably a full years salary for you; however, if you are out of debt, no "same as cash" obligations, or other monthly subscriptions/installments, you'll find you can survive off of very little, and very little for an entire year isn't all that much. I'd suggest saving 20-40% of your annual pay in an easily accessible money market or savings account (with a decent rate of return of course). You don't have to do it all at once, but if you start saving the money from your debt snowball, you'll have it faster then you might think. This should help you realize how quickly the money (not over night, or get rich quick of course) can build up just by using your income from you're regular job; with no gimmicks or risky investments needed.

"'. . . Plan to build up your food supply just as you would a savings account. Save a little for storage each paycheck . . . Make your storage a part of your budget . . . If you are saving and planning for a second car or a TV set or some item which merely adds to your comfort or pleasure, you may need to change your priorities. We urge you to do this prayerfully and do it now.' (Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 33.) . . . One of the important keys of home production and storage is the acquisition of skills. Sometimes we may be able to buy food inexpensively, but the skills and intuitive wisdom gained through gardening and other home production projects are worth more than the time and effort they require. In a sustained emergency, basic gardening, sewing, repair, construction, and production know-how are invaluable. Provident living helps us develop these skills—and build family unity by doing it—before an emergency." - “Catching the Vision of Self-Reliance,” Ensign, May 1986, 89

This safety blanket doesn't have to be just money, but it does have to be something that you can use to survive with, such as food storage, or even a garden. If you have enough food storage to last a year, then you don't need as much money saved up to last for a year without any income. Some say Gold, sliver and other precious metals are also good insurance against monitory problems (I have some myself); however, keep in mind that gold (or cash) isn't very tasty or nutritious. If I could choose between gold (or cash) and food when both were hard to come by, I'd stick with the food.

• Step 6: Invest
  

To truly grow wealth, you have to make your money work for you, so that you don't end up working your whole life for your money. Still the best way for anyone to grow wealth is with the income they will earn over your life time of work. All I can really suggest here is to be wise in your investments, and look for investments with good track records of longevity and stead returns.

Get to a point were you are saving at least 10% of your income, which shouldn't be hard at this point if you've done all the steps in order. Certainly the more you can save and invest the more money you will have working hard for you. However, I must give a warning: don't try to save every last penny and turn yourself into Scrooge. Just as being in debt causes you to be a slave to your money, so can wealth if you get too greedy.

Try putting some of your savings aside to invest in your kids education. Give a little extra to charities, and even save up for a new car or house (see how much fun it is to pay for it with cash) or some other vice that you've had to do without for the few short years it took you to get to this point (that's right, Dave has testimonials from people who get to this point within a couple of years when they are truly focused on it). Just make sure you keep your expenditures within your budget without compromising your ability to continue giving and saving at least 20-30% of your income.

• Step 7: Pay Off the house
  

It may take many years to get to this point, depending on how dedicated you are to getting out of debt, but once you are here, it shouldn't be too difficult to complete this step. If you do find it difficult, then you haven't learn anything from completing the previous steps.

You'll hear a lot of people talk about how you "need" to have a mortgage to save on taxes, or to keep a good credit score. These statements have some truth to them, but if you take a closer look at the amount you'll save on taxes you'll likely find it's only a fraction of what you are paying in interest charges on the mortgage. Not to mention the extra risk, obligation, and financial bondage you are in any time you finance anything - including a house.

What about a credit score? If you've gotten to this point, you might find that really don't need one because you'll never buy anything with credit again! At least that's how truly rich people do it (read the Millionaire Next Door). The only problem I've found with this is that some employers want to see a good credit score before they will trust you. (Some bussnesses do the same, but they aren't impossible to avoid). However, it really doesn't take much to keep your credit score looking half way decent, and can be done without compromising your financial freedom; or having a large risky mortgage payment (take out a small loan every few years and pay it off after six to nine months, keep a credit card open that you never use, and keept your bank or credit union happy with you, and you'll be just fine).

Also check out my list of money related scriptures.

- Posted by S.J. Hollist

The right to life and choice

At the time of this posting, the Family Research Council was hosting the fourth-annual Blogs for Life event. Blogs for Life is the premier gathering to discuss online activism in the pro-life community. At www.frc.org they will have a live webcast of the event from 8:30-11:30 am featuring prominent pro-life voices such as Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kans.), Amanda Carpenter, Jill Stanek, Danny Glover, Peter Shinn, Michael New, Ph.D, Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., Michael Illions, Chris Gacek, J.D. and Martha Shuping, M.D.

Recently I've had discussions with a couple of people about the right of a woman to choose vs. the right an unborn child has to it's life. In both discussions we agreed that a simple blanket statement of "Pro-Life" does not do justice to our points of view on the matter, though we would most likely be lumped together into this "Pro-Life" group. Certainly I believe life is very  precious and that the experiences we have in this life are extremely important to Gods plan for us; however, were does that right to life begin to interfere with the right of an individuals free agency?

Free agency is of course a whole other discussion, but I've always believed that ones rights stop when they starts to interfere with another's free agency. In other words, I can choose to do what I want so long as those choices do not have a significant impact on someone else's ability to choose for themselves. What this means for the life of an unborn person, is that the unborn do not have the right to threaten the life of their mother. Likewise, nobody should not be allowed to deny the unborn their right to life.  A life I believe each of us chose to embark on.

So who gets to decide what constitutes if the right of he women is more important, or if the life of the unborn is more important? We'll in most countries the law is very clear about killing someone. It usually cannot be done legally without some kind of a trial. Why should it be any different for the unborn? Certainly a full on trial isn't something a rape victim who is trying to put the ordeal behind them wants to endure, or someone with a life threatening complication has time for.

My suggestion is not a full on trial, but rather a certificate or acknowledgment, much like a warrant, signed by either a doctor or a judge that signifies the abortion is not simply for selfish reasons. Rather, that the abortion is being done because the life or livelihood of the woman is at significant risk.

Certainly I would hope that we could find better ways to deal with the things that lead up to these issues, such as exercising restraint, and not giving up on tomorrow for a little fun today. I would hope that we'd see sexual activities as something reserved from married couples who truly love each other; as apposed to a lustful and disrespectful recreational activity driven by hormonal passions that are often misunderstood as love. For those who mess up, I would hope they would take responsibility for their actions and consider alternatives, such as adoption, or even starting a family when possible.

- Posted by S.J. Hollist

Destruction of the Family

Neal A. Maxwell, “A More Determined Discipleship,” Ensign, Feb 1979, 69–73

". . . [future] events are likely to require each [church] member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. (See 1 Kgs. 18:21).

"President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life' (in Conference Report, Apr. 1941, p. 123). This is a hard doctrine, but it is a particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked . . .

". . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions . . . resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened . . .

"Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. . . Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, “summer is nigh” (Matt. 24:32). Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat!

". . . God, who foresaw all challenges, has given to us a precious doctrine which can encourage us in meeting this and all other challenges."

---

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

". . . we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
"We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

- Posted By S.J. Hollist

The end of the world as we know it?

I don't know about you, but I feel fine...

Elections are over and the people appear to have spoken in this certainly historic event, but how historic is it really? Certainly the U.S.A. has overcome a very dark chapter in it's history, and helped to realize the dream of Martin Luther King Jr., or so one would think that Affirmative Action no longer needs to be compelled upon us.

In the first few days after the election, signs of racism reared its ugly head, as a few hateful people vandalized and protested over President-Elect Obama, just because of his skin color. Others have also shown fear towards Obama's expected agenda that is expected to be very liberal and socialistic, as illustrated by a drop in stock prices the day after the elections. Many in the largely conservative state where I live have been out buying guns and ammo for fear that Obama will support initiatives to make them much harder to get; or possibly even try to take them away. Many also fear his socialistic programs and how they will affect the economy. I've even heard people go so far as to call Obama some kind of Anti-Christ. Of course I have a slightly different view of what/who is the ultimate Anti-Christ.

The big question I have is what can we really expect to change? Will we see the government stop spending billions more then it takes in? Will we see it become smaller, simpler, and more in favor of the people, rather then special interests? I don't see how with Obama's promised "Universal Health care" and the already 50+ Trillion in future obligations thanks to Medicare and Social Security; not to mention the friends he keeps that would cause anyone else to fail a top security FBI background check.

The last 8 years, with one of the most liberal Presidents we've probably seen since FDR's "New Deal" (especially for a supposedly conservative Republican) we've seen:

* The largest new entitlement in decades -- the prescription drug program
* Social engineering like "No Child Left Behind"
* Gutting of constitutional liberties in the name of "Homeland Security"
* Running-up vast deficits

Will Obama undo any of these? I doubt it. In fact I expect these things to only get further reinforced and promoted under Obama, and the now even more dominantly controlled Democratic Congress (they've had control for the last two years). Maybe we should have elected McCain? We'll actually he supported most of these things too. In fact most politicians support the same thing: bigger and more intrusive government as promoted by the special interests that pay for their election campaigns.

Who really voted for Obama? Out of about 300 million U.S. citizens, about 2/3 are eligible to vote, but only about 65 million of them actually voted for Obama. Is that true representation, with only about 1/3 of eligible voters actually voting for the new President-Elect? Is Obama really what most people in the U.S.A. want, or is he just the guy who convinced 7 million more people to vote for him then the next closet Candidate? My question has always been, "How do you get the 1/3 of the population that rarely votes to come put in a protest vote for an alternative party, so that their voice may at least be measured in some way?" I really don't care who they vote for, so long as they vote, even in protest so that we'd have some way to measure their discontent.

Despite all the doom and gloom that so many seem to think is just around the corner, and the fact that my vote for President sat along side just over 100 thousand others (less then 1% of the overall vote), I really don't feel a need for panic (I also voted for a handful of republicans, and for the first time a Democrat - because I was too upset with the 700+ Billion bailout to vote for the republican incumbent who won anyway).

I survived the Clinton gun bans (it really didn't ban guns, but rather cosmetic appearances and insignificant features), and bought my first guns when the ban was still in force. I live in an area that is booming economically, and were housing prices have actually gone up about 1% in the last six months. Why is all this? It's called stability. We didn't have unruly housing price increases fueled by risky government programs, we didn't have a work force entirely dependent on a single industry that has been hit very hard, and we have a truly conservative grass roots base. Not to say we don't have problems, but I get calls almost every week, off a nine month old resume posting, from recruiters asking me if I want to leave me cushy job for one that's out of state.

Don't get me wrong, I certainly have seen the signs that the economy has been weakening over the last couple of years (since the Democrats took majority control of Congress), and I do believe things could get much worse, especially depending on what Obama decides to do with his first priority of the economy.

The truth of it all is that the world is always changing, and often times that means some people have to find new jobs or even new careers. Other times is due to the constant threats of "wars, and rumors of wars" (JST Matthew 23-28). Despite what might go wrong, I try to remember the words of Christ that run rampant through the scriptures: "Fear not" for "the triumphing of the wicked is short". Personally, I am not afraid.

We should be more focused on the positive things in this world, such as: even with Democrats having majority control of Congress, they still don't have a supper majority that would allow for filibuster proof control; also, this control is only guaranteed for the next two years, when the people of this country - who after a long drawn out and highly televised election cycle have a much better idea of how to get involved early enough that they can truly make a difference - will have a chance to elect someone who truly supports them, instead of being left to choose between the lesser of evils.

On another positive note, at least as far as us traditional family supporters are concerned, the made up need for "gay rights" has had a very definite line draw in front of it. California for the second time has spoken out against same sex marriages, this time with an amendment to the states constitution, as dozens of other states have also done in the last few years.

Gas prices are down to their lowest this year, interest rates are once again at their lowest in history (although I don't think that's really such a good thing), stock prices are no longer over-inflated and some are even bargain priced. We can expect other prices to also come down as shipping and transportation costs also drop, and people lean up on their spending to hopefully start paying off all their debt. Some companies may even start making a prophet again as their expenses drop, and help with unemployment (although it still has a ways to go to hit the high of the mid 80's and much further to hit that of the Great Depression). Many of the financial companies have also hopefully learned their lessons about risky lending practices which should also help them to become stronger in the long run (if the government doesn't screw it up again).

". . . see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." - Matthew 24:6.

- Posted By Seth Hollist

---

"Left Protests the Church's Winning Ways" by Tony Perkins from the Family Research Council - Nov. 7th 2008:

". . . The [LDS] Church's donations, estimated at roughly $22 million, fueled the hundreds of ad placements across the state that ultimately tipped the scales in the amendment's favor. Yesterday, 2,000 homosexual activists vilified the church, huddling outside the gate of an L.A. temple with profane signs and rainbow flags . . . At LDS headquarters in Utah, leaders called for a ceasefire with gay activists and "goodwill" on both sides. Unfortunately, that message has yet to stick with the "No on 8" crowd, which has lashed out with unprecedented aggression against the faith community . . . Once again, the Left is proving its unwillingness to practice the very "tolerance" they preach. FRC is proud of the example that the interfaith community has set on marriage. . ."

The LDS Church also Issued a statement on Proposition 8 protests

As well as a fallow up askingfor civility.

- Posted By S.J. Hollist

Self Governance

I was reading an LDS produced church magazine called the Ensign, and in particular the message from Dieter F. Uchtdorf, 2nd counselor in the First Presidency, on Developing Christlike Attributes. President Uchtdorf grew up in Germany and had a career as an Airline Pilot, and as such always seems to have a good analogy between flying a plan and living correct principles, but what really caught my attention in this message was the following:

"The Prophet Joseph Smith explained, 'I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.'1 To me, this teaching is beautifully straightforward. As we strive to understand, internalize, and live correct gospel principles, we will become more spiritually self-reliant. The principle of spiritual self-reliance grows out of a fundamental doctrine of the Church: God has granted us agency. I believe that moral agency is one of the greatest gifts of God unto His children, next to life itself."

I've always found myself feeling the same way about government. "The best government is self-government or in other words, freedom to chose for ourselves, and understanding the natural laws [and consequences] that God has set forth." While we need good laws to help us live together in harmony, and to help route out the "bad apples", we will always be better off if we can live in such a way that we take care of each other and be respectful of others; very much like living our lives based on Christ like attributes.

Socialism, or even worse, communism, I see as direct opposites to this ideology of self governance. As "We the People" govern ourselves in such a manner as to care for one another, help each other to lift each other, and as a consequence have very little crime or poverty among us, we need and expect very little from our government. On the other hand, as we become complacent, irresponsible, or down right immoral and unrighteous in our persons and action, we find an increasingly greater need for more laws, more government subsidies and programs, and as a result we become increasingly less free and more in bondage and servitude to the government and it's laws.

How do we obtain such freedom? I hinted at this in my post on "Life's Little Influences", but I also liked what I once heard former President Hinckley (1910-2008) call it: Self Mastery. Our natural tendancy is to ask "what's in it for me" or "nobody else is doing it, so why should I?" Our time in today's busy world is made to seam increasingly more valuble, but we need to remeamber that Christ tought "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." - Matt. 16: 25. Likewise if we give our freedom to help others, we will find it, otherwise we will loose it to an overbaring and terrantical government.

President Uchtdorf finished up his message with:

"By becoming more like the Savior, we will grow in our ability to “abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13). We will “lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better” (D&C 25:10).

This leads me back to my aerodynamic analogy. I spoke of focusing on the basics. Christlike attributes are the basics. They are the fundamental principles that will create the wind beneath our wings. As we develop Christlike attributes in our own lives, step-by-step, they will “bear [us] up as on eagles’ wings” (D&C 124:18). Our faith in Jesus Christ will provide power and a strong forward thrust; our unwavering and active hope will provide a powerful upward lift. Both faith and hope will carry us across oceans of temptations, over mountains of afflictions, and bring us safely back to our eternal home and destination."

- Posted By S.J. Hollist

Mormons & Catholics Vote

Mormons and Catholics tend to disagree on a number of basic doctrinal points, but we also agree on a lot of important issues. Take this video for example. It has a very good message that I can stand behind.

- Posted by S.J. Hollist

Listen to a Prophet of God

How would you like to go back in time and talked to one of the Prophets mentioned in the Bible? Which prophet would you want to talk to, and what would you ask them? What kind of advice could they give us today to help us with our troubled world?

Your in luck. In just a couple of weeks, you can have such an opportunity when the prophet of our time will address the world along with his two counselors, and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and other church leaders.



Direct from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah: it's the 178th Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sessions start Saturday morning, October 4th
Saturday Morning - 11am Central Daylight Time.
Saturday Afternoon - 3pm CDT
Sunday Morning - 11am CDT
Sunday Afternoon - 3pm CDT

Sessions can be watched on the following channels:
Dish Network - 9403
Verizon FIOS - 265
Direct TV - 374
Any Cable provide that offers BYU TV

Also available via the Internet at http://www.byu.tv/ or http://www.lds.org/.

For additional broadcast information and world wide broadcast information see: http://www.lds.org/broadcast/gc/0,5161,8176,00.html

It will also be broadcast via satellite to all LDS Stake Centers world wide that have satellite feeds.

Come join us, or tune in to any or all of the sessions.

- Posted By S.J. Hollist

Identity Protection

In this digital world it has become increasingly easy to copy just about anything; including your identity. So how do you protect yourself? Here's some tips:

• Review your credit card and bank statements regularly for suspicious activity.
• Request your Credit report at least once a year. Examine it for accounts you did not open.
• Keep sensitive hard copy information in a fire and watter proof safe, or a safe deposit box.
• Dispose of sensitive information by destroying it completely (i.e. cross-cut shredder).
• Get a P.O. box or locking mailbox, and deposit sensitive outgoing main directly at the carriers office.
• Use anti-spyware and virus protection on all Windows computers, or just get a Mac.
• Encrypt sensitive files on your computer and removable media.
• Keep your computer's software up to date, especially the Operating System.
• Dispose of old computers and media securely. Deleting files or formatting the drive is not enough.
• Change your passwords and pins regularly. Use a password utility to auto-generate strong passwords.
• Never give out personal information over the phone or Internet unless you initiated the contact.
• Never send any kind of personal information threw e-mail, even to people you trust.
• Never click on links claiming to be from financial institutions. Go to their web-sites directly your self instead.
• Reduce the amount of sensitive mail you get, including statements, credit card offers, etc.
• Remove yourself from pre-approved credit offers, junk mail, and telemarketing lists.
• Sign the back of your credit cards, and question the checkout person if they don't check it or your identity.
• Get a freeze put on your credit for yourself and your children. This will also help you be more responsible with getting new credit.
• Incurage your doctor to stop asking for your SSN and using it as the primary ID for their records.

If you believe your information or cards have been stolen:

• Notify your card issuers immediately.
• Have card issuers correct any unauthorized transactions.
• Correct incorrect reports submitted to the credit bureaus.
• Change your PIN and passwords immediately.

If your SSN is being used without your authorization:

• Notify the credit bureaus and establish a fraud alert.
• Use a unique identification number assigned to you credit report for all communications.
• Send mail items as certified and with return receipt requests.
• File a report with the local police where the identity theft took place. Keep a copy of the report.
• Close the accounts that have been compromised or that were opened without your consent.
• Put a freeze on your credit, to prevent anyone from accessing your credit files.

Here's some helpful web-sites:

Federal Trade Commission: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Free Annual Credit Report: http://www.annualcreditreport.com/

Credit Bureaus:
Equifax - http://www.equifax.com/
TransUnion - http://www.transunion.com/
Experian - http://www.experian.com/

Stop Pre-Approved Credit Card Offers: http://www.optoutprescreen.com/
Get off Junk Mail Lists: http://www.dmachoice.org/MPS/proto1.php
SS ID Theft Info: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10064.html
Do Not Call List: http://www.donotcall.gov/ or 888-382-1222 from the number you want on the list.

Anti-Spyware:
Sypbot - http://www.safer-networking.org/
AdAware - http://www.lavasoft.com/
A real OS - http://www.apple.com/macosx/

Password Utilities:
KeePass - http://www.keepass.info/
KeePassX (for Mac) - http://www.keepassx.org/
Password Safe - http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/

Disk Wiping:
Darik's Boot and Nuke - http://dban.sourceforge.net/
Heidi Eraser - http://www.heidi.ie/node/6

File Encryption:
Included with Apple computers
PGP - http://www.pgp.com/products/desktop_home

Anti-Phishing:
Google Toolbar for FireFox - http://www.google.com/tools/firefox/toolbar
IE 7 - http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp.safety/technologies/antiphishing

- Posted by S.J. Hollist

The 6 accounts to good credit

First of all, what's the whole point to having a good credit score? To borrow money of course. It may also help with setting up other accounts such as for TV or utilities, but they will just require a deposit if you don't have good credit. The only real reason is to get good rates on loans, but if you have too many loans that's not good either. It's really and balancing act, and despite popular belief it really is optional. If you're good enough with your money to never need a loan, then there's really no need for credit or a good credit score.

For those of you who insist on having good credit, here's a good six account formula that I've come up with from reading about credit and from personal experience that I believe will help anyone maintain an excellent credit score while still allowing you to achieve financial peace and freedom. Please keep in mind that I'm not a financial expert or financial counselor, and I really do believe that the ultimate goal should NOT be to get perfect credit, but rather to achieve financial peace and ultimately financial freedom and independence.

First of all, the basics: Don't make late payments, avoid bankruptcy and judgments at all cost, have 2 major credit accounts, don't even come close to maxing anything out, make regular monthly mortgage or rental payments, and check your credit reports at least once a year to make sure they are accurate. If you don't plan to use your credit history any time soon, you should contact the credit reporting agencies and have them put a freeze on your credit report so that you (or anyone else) cannot use it on a whim. Every time you allow a potential lender to look up your credit, it shows up on your credit history, and too many of these will hurt your score. Freezing you credit history can also prevent a lot of those annoying letters for pre-approved credit cards, as well as help to prevent identity theft and fraud.

If you don't have all of these accounts right now, don't feel rushed to go out and get them right away. If you are just starting out, be patient, as building really good credit takes a long time and very careful planning. If you have too many open accounts start closing them, but one at a time until you get a good feel for what you truly need. You don't want to close the one's you've had the longest either (unless you have a poor history with them), as a long stable relationship with your creditors will actually help your credit score.

Remember, you really only need a good credit score if you plan to finance something, so if you're going to an all cash basis, as Dave Ramsey suggests, you really only need the first two or three accounts. With that in mind, here's the 5 to 6 accounts I recommend (in order of importance):

1 - Savings.

We all need to save money, and this account will help you get started with that. This will give you a safety net for when emergencies come up. It should not be used for anything else. It doesn't need to be huge either, in fact once you've saved the enough to cover a year's worth of basic necessities, you probably have way more than enough, and should be already be investing into higher yield investments such as mutual funds (Investment funds are not included here because they don't affect your credit score, though they can help when taking out large loans such as a mortgage).

Just about any lender will lend you as much money as you have saved regardless of your credit, because they at least have some collateral that can be used to pay back the loan. Of course I wouldn't recommend buying anything on credit in the manner as you'll probably end up with a very high interest rate for something you could have just as easily pay cash for.

2 - Checking.

If you have a long standing checking account in good standing this will help your credit. You'll want to keep a minimum balance in it (some banks require this to avoid maintenance fees), and you'll want to manage it well so that you never bounce checks or incur overdraft fees. The more money you keep in this account as a minimum balance, the better it looks, but don't keep so much that you're losing out what could be well invested money (not to mention safety issues). I'd suggest between $1,000 to $10,000 for a minimum balance, depending on your situation, plus however much you need to cover what you're paying for with it.

3 - Mortgage or Rent (or any long term high dollar loan).

Certainly an affordable mortgage is going to help your credit, if you make your payments on time religiously every month. On the other hand if you are upside down on your house, paying more for it then anywhere close to what you can really afford, or not making payments on time, this will very likely destroy your credit. Be wise when buying a house, save up a good down payment, and buy something that's much less (not more) then what you can afford.

What if you are a Renter? Many rental facilities will report your payment history to the credit reporting agencies, but even if they don't they should at least be willing to give you good reference letters stating that you've made your payments on-time every month; as well as how much you were paying. Make sure you understand the landlords policies on this matter before renting from them. Any good lending institution with a good underwriter should be able to use these letter effectively, especially when you are applying for a mortgage.

4 - Line of Credit.

To truly have good credit you need at least one revolving credit line, such as a major credit card; though many credit consolers will recommend two major credit cards to obtain perfect credit, but I think having financial peace and decent credit, is far better than being constantly tempted by your credit cards in an effort to obtain perfect credit (Personally, I've never had perfect credit, but I've also never had trouble getting excellent loan rates). This account is not needed to show that you can make payments, but rather that you are responsible with credit, and aren't the kind of person who pushes their available credit to its limits. I would suggest a small line of credit of no more than $1000.

This line of credit should be tied to a debit card threw your checking account as an overdraft protection. The Debit card should also be tied to a major credit card company so it can be used as a credit card with all the protections that come with it. The thing you want to watch out for is that you never actually use the line of credit, but if you end up doing so only do it because it's an emergency and with the determination to immediately pay it off using your emergency funds in your savings account.

If you bank doesn't provide this type of product or protect, find a good Credit Union that does. My Credit Union actually lets me setup it up so that it pulls from my savings first before hitting the Line of Credit.

5 - The payment history loan.

This loan can be almost anything. It is where you get your secondary payment history from (after rent and mortgage payments, but if you still live at home or in a collage dorm, this may be your primary payment history). It could be a student loan, a car loan, a credit card or credit at your favorite store.

Be sure to use this account very responsibly. The key to having this load without destroying financial peace is to be conservative. If it's a line of credit, religiously pay it of every month, and do some research to find a good credit card that you feel comfortable sticking with for the long term. If it's a structured loan, don't borrow anywhere near to more than you can afford, or even more then you can pay off quickly and easily should the need arise. Also, be sure to find the best interest rate you can, as this could save you thousands over the life of the loan.

You actually only need to have this loan open for a minimum of six months (the longer the better), and you only need one of these loans every few years for it to show up on your credit report and improve your score. Make sure you close these accounts when you are done with them, as having a too many open accounts will hurt your credit score, even if you never use them.

6 - The Optional accounts

Having as many savings, checking and/or investment accounts as you want is probably ok so long as you can actively manage all of them responsibly, so they really don't apply here. However, some of you may want an additional credit card or store card, and you'll probably find that responsibly using one or two of these additional credit accounts will further improve your credit score. My suggestion to you is to use them wisely, and don't have more than one or two of them open at a time. Pay them off every month, and make sure you get good rates (less than 10% interest) on any balances.

Some credit councilors actually recommend carrying a balance of about 10-25% of your after tax income on credit accounts, but that sounds like slavery to me. Remember every bit of money you pay to interest charges, is that much less money you have to purchase with or save. On the other hand, ever bit of interest you make on your savings and investments brings you that much closer to true wealth. If you truly want to build wealth you'll need to stop borrowing, and start making your money work for you as hard as it can; instead of going towards making someone else rich.

P.S. Yes, co-signing also counts toward these accounts. I would suggest that the only reason to co-sign is so that you and your spouse are both on the loan so there's no confusion as to who the assets go to in the event of a tragedy. On the other hand, if you want to keep your finances separate, and still want everyone to have good credit, then you and your spouse should each have these five to six accounts. In such cases one of you can replace #3 with an additional #6 type account, but #3 is likely to be the one you'll both want to be on. Likewise, you can share some of them, and have others be separate, so long as each person only has their name on 5 or 6 accounts.

-Posted By S.J. Hollist