In Defense of All that's Holy

In defense of all that's holy
Which has been fought for so nobly
We speak up at this season
For our right to religious freedom

Let all the churches now stand
And unify with faith at hand
Honorably with brotherhood
To promote God's laws and all that's good

Mormons are entitled to defend their freedom of religion
By Joe Cannon
Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009 12:10 a.m. MDT

Let Us Not Feel Apprehensive

Let us not feel apprehensive
As we are privileged to speak of faith
(But, not in a way that's offensive...)
For these words should be spiritually framed

I am confident in my belief
In our beloved Lord and Savior
For He has helped me in trial and grief
And to not share His love, I'd feel a failure

I try to follow His teachings
And pray in His name each day
Humbly to Him I'm now reaching
For He helps me to form words to say

Let us speak spirit to spirit
And feel His love within stir
That as I speak you'll more than hear it
But, feel your heart swell and concur

Now, let me tell you where I go to be strong-
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
It's where I have been led and know I belong
As His countenance to my soul weekly He paints

There we follow Jesus Christ
And try to live as He taught
Continually, He lights my life
And without Him, and His church, I'd be lost

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/705323254/Dont-apologize-for-faith-BYU-grads-are-urged.html

Don't apologize for faith, BYU grads are urged
LDS shouldn't be on the defensive, Elder Ballard says
By Marc Haddock
Deseret News
Published: Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 9:39 p.m. MDT
Stop being defensive about your religion.
That's the message Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve delivered to 2,422 BYU graduates at the Marriott Center Thursday during commencement exercises for the Class of June 2009 and August 2009.
Ballard recounted the early struggles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns the university, and a resulting sense that church members need to adopt a defensive posture. Things have changed, he said.
"This isn't 1830, and there aren't just six of us anymore," Elder Ballard said. "Constantly anticipating criticisms or objections can lead to an unhealthy self-consciousness and a defensive posture that doesn't resonate well with others. It is inconsistent with where we are today as a church and as a great body of followers of Jesus Christ."
He said the church's rapid growth has given the religion, now the fourth largest in the United States, a higher profile than ever, and that church members would find themselves in more discussions about their beliefs than in the past.
"You need to be honest, open, forthright, engaging, respectful of others' views and completely non-defensive about your own," Elder Ballard said. "If we want to be respected today for who we are, then we need to act confidently — secure in the knowledge of who we are and what we stand for, and not as if we have to apologize for our beliefs.
"That doesn't mean we should be arrogant or overbearing," he said.
Elder Ballard offered two suggestions to remaining non-defensive in conversations.
"Don't let irrelevant issues drown out the more important subjects," he said, mentioning polygamy as a specific example.
"This ended in the church as an official practice in 1890. It's now 2009. Why are we still talking about it?" he asked.
His second suggestion: "Emphasize that Latter-day Saints follow Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ teaches."
"Whenever you are having a conversation about the church, you should try to make this a point. We follow Jesus Christ. We try to live as he taught," Elder Ballard said. "That's the basis of our faith and our lives. This is the strongest non-defensive position you can take."

this brings to mind a poem I wrote earlier this year based on
...
To speak or write of Jesus
Who is the author of good news
Is always timely, for anyone of us
For it's the best message one can choose

Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge
February 10, 2009