My Mormon Third Eye: I See... Getting Beyond Memorial Daze

Sunday, May 29, 2011

I See... Getting Beyond Memorial Daze

Tis' the season to memorialize. A dedicated few patriots contend that the Memorial Day should be a serious time to deeply reflect on the ultimate sacrifice everyday heroes made on battlefields to uphold our freedoms. An overwhelming majority celebrate nothing but a three-day break from work to shop and recreate. As I sit here on a calm Saturday morning waiting for the delivery of a new fridge obtained at a deep discount via a Memorial day weekend sale, I wonder how much of me falls into which category. Have I fallen prey to the Memorial Day daze?

The Mormon Third Eye boldly proclaims the answer. To see beyond a daze, you need a filter that sorts out the truly meaningful from the merely tangible. The MTE proposes living this weekend with the following phrase assessing each action: “We honor the dead in the way we live.”

Honoring the dead in the way we live calls for reaching higher, working harder, and living more fully motivated by a sense of gratitude and awe for the lives lost on our behalf. Ironically, everyday heroes did not rise to heights of uncommon valor to fight and die for us so that they could be remembered as heroes. They did what they did to protect our privileges and rights that permit us to live in the most successful country on earth... ever.

So, honoring the dead in the way we live calls for us carry on with our barbeques and appliance sales, as well as our visits to war cemeteries somberly decorated with American flags. It requires us to enjoy them, however, more thoroughly and with purpose.

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The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

"As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Priesthood Session Conference, October 2012

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

When I politely excused myself in the middle of dinner to make a bathroom stop, how did Mom know that I had uneaten peas in my pocket to flush down the toilet? When I came home late from a youth dance and slid quietly into bed to avoid waking parental units, how did Dad know, without looking at the car, that I smashed in the front bumper? When I watch my daughter play a video game, how do I know that she's not ready for her Geometry final?

Its the Third Eye. The notorious eye in the back of the head, the extra view of life that God blesses parents striving to do the right thing so they can see more of life than the children they chase after.

Our third eye also permits us to see things and feel emotions that are too refined, too far on the edge of our standard two-eyed peripheral vision to enjoy in its fullness. I've learned that I have a Mormon Third Eye; that is, as a life-long, fully-dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have unique perspective on how the doctrines of the gospel and the demands of my faith in them intersect every other part of my mortal existence to create the entertaining, self-deprecating kaleidoscope of my life.

So... for those of you bold and bored enough to read this far, every so often I'll be sharing here what my Mormon third eye sees. Third eyes are relatively huge; they see the humorous, the entertaining, the embarrassing, the beautiful, the inspirational, and even the moral and political; however, they tend to ignore the evil, depressing and destructive: there is enough of that in world already!

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Always Go Where There is Free Food - This includes ward and work parties, wedding receptions and missionary open houses; the money you spend to buy the ingredients for the world-famous triple chocolate cake you bring doesn’t count.
Never Pay Full Price for Anything – See my posts on Black Friday escapades for more information on this.
Never, Ever Press the Red Button - Usually, if you are faced with a red button somewhere, don’t press it – it usually means trouble. For example, the red button launches the missiles. Do yourself a favor and don’t press it.
Any Problem You Face Can Be Solved With Bungee Cords and Duct Tape - Bungee cord and duct tape technology has saved many marriages and ward parties. I’m not just talking about problems with plumbing or keeping groceries from bouncing around the trunk; I know of relationship and family issues that have been solved with creative applications of these two substances.