Kelly is the mother of 5 adorable kids--4 boys and a girl. The girl came in a package with a boy (twins).
Kelly is married to a charming young man who lives and breathes computers. They are also guardians for three nieces and a nephew.
She is active in the community having served as PTA President of a local elementary school,
on the board of the Salt Lake Mothers of Twins, as a district round-table trainer with the Cub Scouts, as a volunteer for Sidelines (a support network for Women on bed rest during pregnancy) and she and her husband are active in the LDS Church.
Salt Lake LDS Temple Centennial with a full 3D model of the building in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
This Single Image Stereogram was done at the 100 year anniversary of the building's completion.
"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer,
who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea,
his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to
drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation,
a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."
Paperclippings is branching out. I have joined forces with Phelonius to produce Res Civitatis. With so much to talk about in the political arena it was only a matter time before that subject should get its own forum. Res Civitatis is a place where we can discuss our shared Conservative values and yet still keep our respective blogs for what we had originally intended them for...more trivial matters.
We promise not to eat you for dinner...unless you are a troll, mmmmm, trolls are yummy.
For those who are LDS this picture will be somewhat familiar. Someone sent me this picture of Captain Moroni and his Title of Liberty with a current day twist.
Whether you believe in the Book of Mormon or not...these words are fitting.
Alma 46:10-13
10 Yea, we see that Amalickiah, because he was a man of cunning device and a man of many flattering words, that he led away the hearts of many people to do wickedly; yea, and to seek to destroy the church of God, and to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them, or which blessing God had sent upon the face of the land for the righteous’ sake. 11 And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of theNephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah. 12 And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. 13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land—
On July 4th 1976 I was just 10 years old. Many of my family traveled to a central Utah town of Richfield, where my cousins lived, to participate in the celebration of the big Bicentennial observance of our nations birth. There was a parade, of course, with lots of candy, a picnic in the park and, of course, the grand fireworks show that capped the day off.
Two of my uncles brought the contraband firecrackers (still illegal in Utah) and bottle rockets (also still illegal in Utah). They set up two alluminum cans with a sparkler laying across like a bridge between them. They then set up bottle rockets up against the sparkler...they lit one end and we watched them all shoot one or two at a time into the sky in rapid succession.
In other years my parents would pile all the kids into the back of a pick up truck (open bed) with couch cushions for padding and set out for Salt Lake City to see the big fireworks display at the local ballpark. We had the best view as we sat in the back of the truck with the ballpark just across the street.
Several years after I got married we invited my parents over for a holiday bbq. My dad brought a few empty 2 liter pop bottles and some dry ice. This, along with some water make up the ingredients for dry ice bombs. I repeat the account as I wrote it a couple years ago here at Paperclippings.
Several years ago we had my parents over for a 4th of July picnic in our back yard. My Dad liked to make "dry ice bombs". These are made by using a 2-liter pop bottle, dry ice and water. Usually they go off sending the pop bottle several feet into the air. On this particluar day, one of the "bombs" failed to go off.
This makes for a tricky situation as it still could go off at any time and so handling it is not very safe. (Note to anyone thinking of doing these: I believe they are illegal for this reason...well and they are considered an explosive.) If my Dad had been at home he would have pulled out his shot gun and diffused it in that manner. But we were at my house and the only thing my husband had of the kind was a sling shot with metal pellets.
So, he pulls out his sling shot (wrist rocket), aims at the undiffused "dry ice bomb" and fires. The pellet flew from the wrist rocket, bounced off the dry ice bomb and flew back hitting my husband squarely in the forehead.
He and my Dad made a trip to a medical facility and found that he did not need stitches. But upon being asked how this happened my Dad replied that my husband had been cleaning his sling shot when it went off.
Since that time my pyro-technic [read maniac] husband has decided to keep it legal...with a twist. He mounts several rather noisy and colorful grounder fireworks onto a board and connects them with either cannon fuse or magic whips. He lights one end and sits back to watch it with the rest of us.
But the 4th of July is more than just for blowing things up.
As the song, America the Beautiful says:
"Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine."
and the Star Spangled Banner:
Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust!”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
A sample of the work my husband put together for the 4th of July:
In the early spring of 1988 we (two LDS missionaries) were on our way to an appointment in Amelia County, Virginia when we noticed a plaque next to a house on the side of the road. In the background was a lone cannon. This kind of thing was not uncommon as I had seen many Civil War and Revolutionary War era sites over the previous months. This was, afterall, Virginia.
We got out of the car to see what the plaque said. It read:
Battle of Sailor's (Sayler's) Creek
This is the Hillsman house, used by the Unionists as a Hospital in the engagement of April 6, 1865. From the west side of the creek the Confederates charged and broke through the Union infantry. But were stopped by the batteries along the hillside here. A mass surrender followed, including a Corps Commander, Gen. R.S. Ewell, several other Generals, many Colonels, about 7000 rank and file and several hundred wagons. It was the largest unstipulated surrender of the war. (over)
The other side said:
At the same time another engagement took place two miles north, on the main Sailor's (Sayler's) Creek, where Gen. John B. Gordon repulsed pursuing Union troops. He lost most of his wagons but saved the majority of his men. At this same time Gen. Robert E. Lee was tretreating from Petersburg toward Danville, closely followed by Gen. Grant. Lee lost half of his troops in these two memorable rearguard actions, which foreshadowed the surrender at Appomattox three days later.
Though it did not give the exact casualty count, I knew that it was no small number of men (young men, mind you) who had lost their lives on that spot of ground adjacent to the Hillsman house. The reality of what this piece of land, in the middle of rural Virginia, meant sunk into me. The Civil War was no longer just something found in high school text books. Real men lost their lives in that war. Real families lost their sons, fathers, and brothers.
Less than one month later, as I was moving from Farmville, Virginia to Roanoke, we stopped by the McLean House in Appomattox, CH. This was the culmination of the events that were set in motion on April 6, 1865 on a rural plot of ground in the middle of Virginia.
That was the beginning of my quest to learn all I could about that piece of history.
I must thank Patrick at Born again Redneck for bringing this to my attention.
ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on District of Columbia v. Heller:
"Today, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on District of Columbia v. Heller, a landmark case for all Americans who believe as I do that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms. I am proud to have joined in an amicus brief to the Court calling for a ruling in keeping with the clear intent of our Founding Fathers, which ensures the Second Amendment rights of the residents of District of Columbia are reaffirmed."
I had read about this case last evening. As a long avid supporter of the Second Amendment, I find McCain's statement as yet another reason for giving my support to him.
Liberty is not 'given' by the rulers of the people, but protected by the people. If the people are not able to protect themselves...there is NO ONE to give them liberty.
I will be the first to admit that I do not like McCain. I am not happy with yesterday's turn of events. Nonetheless, I give you one reason to vote for McCain. It's called the war, baby, the war!
In yesterday's speech to the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Mitt Romney let us all know that he was bowing out of the race.
""If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney told the crowd."This is not an easy decision for me," Romney continued. "I hate to lose. My family, my friends and our supporters ... many of you right here in this room ... have given a great deal to get me where I have a shot at becoming president. If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country."
At first I was doubtful that McCain would be supportive of our efforts in the war. Then I read what Patrick said over at Born again Redneck. He quoted McCain:
"Senator Clinton and Senator Obama will withdraw our forces from Iraq based on an arbitrary timetable designed for the sake of political expediency, and which recklessly ignores the profound human calamity and dire threats to our security that would ensue. I intend to win the war, and trust in the proven judgment of our commanders there and the courage and selflessness of the Americans they have the honor to command. I share the grief over the terrible losses we have suffered in its prosecution. There is no other candidate for this office who appreciates more than I do just how awful war is. But I know that the costs in lives and treasure we would incur should we fail in Iraq will be far greater than the heartbreaking losses we have suffered to date. And I will not allow that to happen."
I especially liked what Patrick said of this, "Of course I know that McCain is a double-dealing two-faced lying politician but he's OUR double-dealing two-faced lying politician and maybe - just a small maybe - us Republicans can hold his feet to the fire. " Emphasis added by me. We cannot do that with the Democrats.
Hillary or Obama will have us out of that war faster than you can blink an eye and you think things are bad now. McCain is right on this one....so is Mitt.
During an Interfaith Conference on War and Peace in Salt Lake City the idea was presented that Mormons (members of the LDS Church), who are deeply patriotic, won't protest the war in Iraq because it would be unpatriotic to speak out against the Bush administration about the war.
It is true that members of the LDS faith tend to be patriotic. One of the Articles of Faith, written by Joseph Smith, states, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." Members of the faith also believe that this land was set aside as a land of promise.
But, for the most part, they do not blindly follow the POTUS simply because he is the leader of this country.
Case in point 1: Harry Reid. Reid, a Democratic Senator from Nevada, is a member of the LDS faith and a PROMINANT opponent of said war.
Case in point 2: Since most of the LDS membership tend to be conservative they were not likely to be very supportive of a POTUS like Bill Clinton.
Case in point 3: In Utah, where the majority of residents are LDS, Bush's "No Child Left Behind" law has been highly disliked.
The Conference does point out:
"The LDS Church has taken no official position on the war in Iraq, Birch said, leaving its members to make up their own minds regarding the justification of the war. The invasion and occupation of Iraq has been renounced by nearly all major Christian denominations, he said, with the exception of the LDS Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.
That leaves people to speculate as to the reasons for the LDS Church's silence. The practice of church leadership has been to not make a statement on a particular topic unless there is unanimity among the church's First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Birch said."
The LDS Church usually takes a neutral stand in regards to politics unless it involves an issue that will directly affect the Church and its values.
Brian Birch, an associate professor of philosophy and director of the religious studies program at Utah Valley State College, added.
"In a democracy, we can renounce war and proclaim peace," President Hinckley said. "There is opportunity for dissent. Many have been speaking out and doing so emphatically. That is their privilege. That is their right, so long as they do so legally.
"However, we all must also be mindful of another overriding responsibility, which I may add, governs my personal feelings and dictates my personal loyalties in the present situation."
President Hinckley later added, "It is clear ... that there are times and circumstances when nations are justified, in fact have an obligation, to fight for family, for liberty and against tyranny, threat and oppression."
But that doesn't mean people who oppose the war aren't faithful members of the LDS Church, Birch said.
As a member of the LDS Church it is my decision to either support or protest the war. I base that decision on my own personal view of the issue.
My husband and I were walking around an Armed Forces memorial near my home. I saw a quote by John F Kennedy. I thought that his words were as apropriate today as they were then.
The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards, as all paths are. The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.
I looked up other quotes by JFK and found even more applicable quotes. I wonder what JFK would think of the liberal of today.
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President, who happens also to be a Catholic.
The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution
In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom...
Whether you believe the Book of Mormon or not there is a great story in there that can be compared to what is happening in our country today.
Here is the setting: There are two basic groups (or nations) of people who fight against each other from time to time—the Nephites [nee-fites] and the Lamanites [lay-man-ites]. The Nephites have a chief judge and judges who make up their government. Prior to this they had had a king for their leader.
For the first few years of the ‘reign of the judges’ there is relative peace. This story takes place 30 years into the reign of these judges. There are many dissenters who want to go back to the days when they had a king.
At this same time there is a war going on between the two nations. The leader of the Nephite army is asking for supplies from Zarahemla (the capital of the Nephite Nation). He is becoming frustrated that those much needed supplies are not coming. In a fit of anger he writes to Pahoran, the chief judge, and warns him that they will storm the capital if they don’t get the supplies they need.
As it turns out, the “king-men” as they call themselves, have taken the Capital and Pahoran is in hiding. Not only have these king-men taken over Zarahemla, but they are in league with the enemy (the Lamanites).
Prior to this war Captain Moroni (the leader of the Nephite army) had already had to deal with the dissenters. In doing so he had inspired many to join him in his fight.
And now it came to pass that when Moroni, [who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites], had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.
And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole. Italics inserted.
I wish we could do as they did in this story. The leader of the Nephite army, with the permission of the chief judge storm the Capital, take the king-men captive, and return Pahoran to the judgment seat. The king-men who will not give up their fight are put to death.
At this time in our own country we have dissenters who are trying to usurp our leaders. They appear to be in league with the enemy. They are traitors. They are undermining our sovereignty by weakening our ability to defend ourselves against our enemy.
This evening I sat down with my family to watch "A More Perfect Union". This 2-hour motion picture is the first comprehensive recreation of those stirring, heated debates during the sweltering summer of 1787. Filmed on location at Independence Hall, Williamsburg, Virginia, and other historical sites, it dramatically chronicles how America became a nation and those underlying principles that guard our freedoms today.
Toward the end of that movie they read parts of the newly created Constitution of the United States. I heard the words, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." I quickly wanted to know where that was found within this Constitution.
Article VI Claus 3 reads,
"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. " (Italics added)
I thought of Mitt Romney, current candidate for US President. Though there has been no official requirement of this nature, much of this country holds his religious affiliation as a test against him. In the minds of many he has been given the test. He doesn't pass their test of belonging to an accepted religion.
This clause was included in the Constitution even before the Bill of Rights. This was included in our Constitution for a reason. Many people had come to this land for religious freedom...so that they could worship God the way their conscience dictated and not be required to belong to a particular religion as was the case in England.
Mitt Romney has that right just as any other candidate for any public office. I think we as a nation should focus on where he stands on the issues rather than on his religion. We need to be careful not to make religion a litmus test for any candidate for any office.
I will admit that I adhere to the same faith as Mr. Romney. But I know quite well that there are other prominent members of my faith who I would not extend my vote. I have not yet made up my mind if he is the man for the job. But, I will be looking at the issues not the litmus test of religion...because I know that if his religous affiliation was all that mattered I would vote for him.
Lets look at all the candidates and their position on the issues.
Paperclippings is branching out. I have joined forces with Phelonius to produce Res Civitatis. With so much to talk about in the political arena it was only a matter time before that subject should get its own forum. Res Civitatis is a place where we can discuss our shared Conservative values and yet still keep our respective blogs for what we had originally intended them for...more trivial matters.
For those who are LDS this picture will be somewhat familiar. Someone sent me this picture of Captain Moroni and his Title of Liberty with a current day twist.
