I like peace. I like avoiding conflict. But I believe in defending my nation, my liberty, my family, and myself. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I don't feel that I am required to stand by and allow someone else, exercising their own agency, to hurt me or the people I love. I was often on the receiving end of attacks when I was younger, until I learned to defend myself. I believe in being allowed to defend myself and my family.

With that, I am not a fanatic about hoarding guns. I never have been. My favorite defensive weapon has always been the staff, or bo, which was used by the compassionate Shaolin monks to deter and defend, rather than to attack and kill. Unfortunately, I never learned to use a staff.

I don't ever want to stand before my Father in Heaven and have Him tell me that I chose to kill someone when the situation could have been alleviated more peaceably, but generally speaking, He also does not require His faithful followers to lie down and be slaughtered like sheep.

As law-abiding citizens and humble followers of the Lord, we have a responsibility to protect our country, our families, our freedoms, and our religion (The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ: Alma chapters 46 & 48, in reference to Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty).

I love it when people attack my personal views and my faith, when it has no bearing on them and even though I have respected their faith. I just feel so loved... though it makes me wonder why I'm not afforded the same level of tolerance and respect that I, myself, am expected to give others. I fail to see how this fits the dictionary definition of being "liberal" with all. It seems very sad that so much time is spent arguing and telling other people what they think and believe, and so little time spent listening to people, to understand what they really believe. Very sad.

Two step process for maintaining peace:

1. Listen without requiring agreement.
2. Share without requiring acceptance.

Many people speak of a desire for peace, but peace must start with us, within our own associations, before it can spread to the rest of mankind. The process is simple, but if we aren't willing to follow it in our own lives, how can we expect others to?

Bought a dumb, little, plastic grasshopper lure the other day. Went fishing with it Saturday morning (yesterday)... I caught 10 or more fish in the creek near our house. Didn't keep any of them (three of them were only four inches long, but the rest were decent size), but still... 10 fish on the hook and landed in one morning. I'm not complaining (even the little ones can be fun to get on the hook, especially when the lure is half their body length, because you humorously wonder, "What the heck were they thinking????").

A few nights prior, I caught at least 12 with that same, dumb, little, plastic grasshopper.

I could have restocked the pond at my daughters' old pre-school with just those two fishing trips, if I had bothered throwing any of them in the bucket!

Jesus did not debate. He focused on teaching those who were open to learning. If someone wasn't open to learning, He would give a pointed response or ask a few question to discern the situation and level of understanding, but He did not stand toe-to-toe and volley back and forth with them. I do not debate. I do not enjoy debates. I do not enjoy the contention and conflict it invokes. I not enjoy conflict and try very hard to avoid it. This does not mean I am always successful or that I am not willing to stand my ground when a situation arises, but I do not enjoy the feelings that conflict and debate create. I feel there are far better uses for my time, like by finding ways to serve, help, and comfort others who are in need. This is what brings me joy.