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Why would a guy write about religion and go to all the work of putting it out on the internet, if he's not some sort of minister* or something? Well, I think the message is very important, but I'm also afraid. Afraid someone might think I'm pushing my religion on an unwilling audience, and yes, I suppose I'm afraid of rejection. I'm not sure exactly why, but that's the way I feel. On the other hand, it's hard to understand intellectually why we can't talk about religion the same way we do other things. If I get a great deal on tires at Sears, I don't think anything of sharing that news with a friend. I'm not saying his tires are bad, or that he got a bad deal on them. I'm only sharing what I think is some good news. I wish we could talk about religion that openly, but it's much harder. Anyway, by putting it out on the web, I'm sort of saying "This is important enough to me that it's worth the effort to present it - feel free to take it or leave it, as you wish." I hope it leads the reader into some serious thought & maybe even an exchange of ideas, but if not, at least I feel better for having presented it.
OK, so why does it matter so much? Well, I've had a pretty serious side from as early as I can remember. Part of that came from having an abusive father which led to a divorce way back in the early 50s when divorce was rare compared to today. Shortly after that my father was killed in a hunting accident, so I grew up really without a father, and that whole scene caused me to do a lot of serious reflection throughout my youth. Death was the big reality that hit home. I can remember kissing my dad's cheek as he lay in the ornate casket, and later accepting the big, folded-up American Flag from the Marine officer, and thinking even at the tender age of eight, "This can't be all there is." So I took my religion very seriously, eventually coming to know for a certainty that "No - this isn't all there is." It's interesting how God prepares us, sometimes for years in advance for the trials that will purify us - burn off the dross to get to the precious gold that we humans are so good at hiding. Little did I know that these early years of building a strong testimony of the love of God and the continuation of our being beyond the grave were only a shadow of things to come. Until you've had children, you can't even begin to understand, and unless you've lost one you've still a long way to go to comprehend the feeling that your very heart has been ripped out. That's as close as I can come in just a few words, to express how it felt to loose a precious little child. I don't know how parents can survive such a loss without God in their lives. In a sense, I'd been studying death for most of my life, and had come to a pretty good understanding with God on that issue, so I survived. Still, when your heart gets ripped out, it hurts a lot, and it doesn't stop completely any time that I've yet discovered. That final comfort, I'm sure, has to wait until I take that journey myself to a joyful reunion with my little angel.
Anyway, that's a long way of saying why I think religion is important. Our mortal life isn't all there is - in fact, it's a very tiny but nonetheless a vitally important portion. I believe true religion can teach us things pertaining to that larger portion, and how this life bears on all the rest. I've also found by way of study that my views on religion are strikingly different than those taught by the traditional clergy. That's why sharing those views is important to me - to maybe add another dimension to what the reader already believes. My overall message is that Jesus Christ is just as he claimed to be - the Son of God, and the Savior of all mankind. These essays are an attempt to deepen and expand the readers knowledge of and appreciation for the Savior. He has blessed and enriched my life so, that I can hardly do less than to share what His gospel means to me.
* I originally wrote this preface on 1 June 1998. Amazingly, on 13 September 1998, I was ordained the Bishop of the Sun Prairie Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I never dreamed that I would some day become a bishop, but like they say, with God, all things are possible. The reader may well wonder how someone without formal schooling in the ministry could presume to take on such a responsibility. If you're interested in my answer to this question, and maybe some other details, check out this link.