Tree in a Frame

One of the revelations that followed the Sony email hacking was that actor Ben Affleck lobbied to delete a slave-owning ancestor from his PBS Finding Your Roots episode, “Roots of Freedom.” I think it would have been a more interesting show if they’d ignored his request. The other progenitors mentioned were a mom who marched for civil rights in the 60’s and a great-great grandfather who claimed to speak with the dearly departed. (Nice man! He “comforted the bereaved!”) To his credit, after his actions were exposed Affleck offered an apology. “I was embarrassed,” he wrote. “The thought left a bad taste in my mouth. We deserve neither credit nor blame for our ancestors. We are, as a nation, still grappling with the terrible legacy of slavery.” I suspect in the journey to discover our own stories, we must be prepared to find chapters we’re not proud of. That doesn’t make the search any less worthwhile.

Sunday Supper

There’s a very old saying that goes something like, “Wood warms a person thrice: once when he chops it, once when he stacks it, and once when he burns it.” Generally speaking, I don’t do any of these. The fireplace in my house runs on natural gas. But I think I can relate. It’s exactly how I feel about going on holiday. I’m warmed, at least in a spiritual sense, by a trip while I’m taking it. I love to drink in new sights, sounds and smells. Waking up in a different place, breathing different air, always fills me with a sense of excitement and adventure. Once I’m home I love browsing through pictures I’ve taken and sharing stories I’ve gathered. But my favorite vacations are always the ones that haven’t happened yet. It’s such a thrill to decide how we’ll get there, who will come with us, what we’ll see. Holidays, while you’re still planning them, are always perfect.

Royal Star

1. Many desirable things are not feasible.

2. Individuals and communities face trade-offs.

3. Other people have more information about their abilities, efforts and preferences than you do.

4. Everyone responds to incentives, including people you want to help. That’s why social safety nets don’t work.

5. There are tradeoffs between equality and efficiency.

6. In an equilibrium of a game or an economy, people are satisfied with their choices. It’s difficult for well-meaning outsiders to change things.

7. You respond to incentives. Before making a promise, think about whether you’ll keep it if circumstances change.

8. Governments and voters respond to incentives, too; they sometimes default on promises made.

9. One generation can shift costs to subsequent ones.

10. When a government spends, citizens eventually pay.

11. Most people want other people to pay.

12. Because market prices aggregate traders’ information, it’s difficult to forecast stock prices, interest and exchange rates. – Thomas Sargent to the 2007 graduates at Cal-Berkley

My Best Bows

“Some might say, ‘I know a member of your Church who is a hypocrite. I could never join a church that had someone like him as a member.’ If you define hypocrite as someone who fails to live up perfectly to what he or she believes, then we are all hypocrites. None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin. With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If these are your desires, then regardless of your circumstances, your personal history, or the strength of your testimony, there is room for you in this Church. Come, join with us! Come, join with us! – President Dieter F. Ughtdorf

The Mother Road

I wrote two days ago about Larry Pressler’s baptism. I said he's a former senator, but there’s more to his story than that. It occurs to me much of my audience isn’t old enough to remember the event that first put him in the limelight. Senator Pressler was new to D.C. in 1980 when undercover F.B.I. agents offered bribes to members of Congress. (If you’re curious about it, Google “Abscam Sting.”) Pressler was the only member contacted who turned them down flat. “I turned down an illegal contribution,” he later said. “What have we come to if that's considered heroic?” Larry Pressler also served his country in the military (he served two combat tours in Vietnam), in the law, and as a teacher. You don’t call this sort of person a politician. You call him a statesman.

String Star

Tiny dogs tend to be bossy, whiny and even a bit neurotic. Nala, a black teacup poodle was no exception. Her behavior got her washed out of a nursing home therapy dog program. Nala ended up with Doug Dawson, a medications assistant. When he started work at a different care center, he brought the tiny dog with him. He was convinced Nala just needed a bit more maturity and less time in a kennel. Now she makes her rounds from room to room at the Lyngblomsten senior care center in St. Paul Minnesota. She knows where she’s going and whose lap she’ll sit in next. She even rides the elevator on her own in the four-storey facility (as long as a member of the staff pushes the buttons for her). She has a marked preference for victims of Alzheimer's. The residents all appreciate her patience and compassion. I guess all Nala needed was a second chance.

Double Windmill

When I find a scripture or talk that touches me I like to share it here. Otherwise I seldom share my faith outside chapel walls. I could probably count the times I’ve given a Book of Mormon to a friend on the fingers of one hand. My testimony is my most precious possession; I may be afraid it will be met with scorn. Former Senator Larry Pressler is lucky to have known Mormons with more courage. Early in his political career, Pressler hired Richard Wirthlin as a pollster to help with his campaign. As a three-time senator from South Dakota, he discussed religion with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Nevada Senator Harry Reid introduced Pressler to the Book of Mormon and encouraged him to read it. Last Sunday Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen baptized the former senator and Harry Reid confirmed him a member of the church.