Ye are my sister, my brother, indeed....

Over the past few years I've been blessed with enough peace in my life that had enabled me much needed time in order to analyse the years of abuse I have endured at the hands of two husbands.  Included in this are the years I've been subject to and witnessed some pretty vicious bullying both in and out of the church.  It is always good to analyse and debrief - it clears the cobwebs so to speak as well as allowing me to understand the circumstances that brought it about and recognise the intentions and behaviours of the perpetrators and those who stood by.

When under attack it is easy to feel angst against the abuser stuffing them into a bag labelled "Rotten" and dismissing everything about them as ill-intentioned (if this is not a word it should be).  Whilst in fact, if one is to take the old adage that there is good in all of us, then it would be safe to say that while in the heat of the battle, this good can seem deeply buried and unable to be located.  Today I wanted to get inside the head of someone who justifies abusing others - here's what happened.

Upon reflection this morning I took on the role of a challenger (such as a barrister in court would be) and in my mind I role-played what I would say to a certain man who is presently abusing his wife and as I did so I learnt a valuable lesson - people abuse others who they see (or want to see) as less than themselves.  They see them as broken, not good enough, annoying, damaged and worthless - herein lies a clue - if we ever feel this way about someone then we are probably abusing them in some small or maybe huge way.  This is how my role-play panned out (I shall use fictitious names):-

"So John, you have been looking after your wife Jane for a long time now?  How hard you have worked to keep her in a home and still she is so ungrateful.

You come home from a hard day's work and there she is, in front of the television doing nothing.  To make matters worse, Jane has no concept of how hard it is at the office working away 8 hrs a day under such pressure.  She can't possibly recognise the sacrifice you put in to ensure there is food on the table, bills are paid and the odd holiday here and there.  There's no money tree - you are that money tree.

In order to save money you forgo driving your brand new $50,000 luxury car to take the hot, uncomfortable bus where you are crammed up like sardines in a can for 45 long miserable minutes twice a day rocking too and fro barely able to stand upright.  It is rare you get a seat and this makes it more uncomfortable.  And there Jane is, sitting on a comfy sofa all day watching television, surfing the net, glued to Facebook and living the easy life.

Jane has no concept of what it is to slave away or work for a living - no - she just wants to spend your hard earned money like it is her right to.  There she is, every weekend in the supermarket stuffing chocolates, luxurious jars of sauces on special and biscuits along with other foods you will never see or taste again but it is you who is paying for it all.  It is you who is providing the bacon and living on the lean whilst Jane gluts on the fats of your labour - how disrespectful of her - how cruel and dismissive she is of all your work.  What right does she have doing this?

In fact, you resent the very thought of her sitting there in your comfy home that you provide each and every luxury for but you only get to enjoy it after work and on weekends - but you can't enjoy it can you John?  Because she is there as a constant reminder of what you cannot have - freedom. 

You are trapped in this money earning carousel to support a lifestyle that only your wife and daughter get to enjoy - it is unfair isn't it John?  And it is unfair.

You try to make her see reason.  Time and time again you turn that air conditioner or heater off when you come home from work because why does she need it?  Surely if you can put up with it she can at least try to; after all, it is really not that hot or cold and all that money that is being burned up in electricity costs - the money that you have to earn - and you are not benefiting from.  It is clearly understandable why you feel the way that you do about Jane and her lack of admiration for your gallant efforts in keeping her in such luxury.

And the fridge - it just chews up at that pay packet - it doesn't need to be that cold, just those few degrees higher and the cost cuts show on the electricity bill.  That $20 saving each quarter makes such a difference in the scheme of things.  After all, you are saving on petrol money not using your car - at a cost of $7 per day on the bus times 5 days means that I am forced to part with $35 a week just for the pleasure of my going to work to earn money so that you can spend it.  They didn't have fridges in the old days and did very well thank you very much!

So John, you must be very disappointed that you have to provide for Jane and your daughter.  Even though your daughter has fully grown now she has failed to get a job and help pay for her own way in life.  She is just like her mother - does nothing all day and even goes out on weekends and doesn't tell you where she is going!!!  How disrespectful! 

John you are not respected in your home at all are you?

Oh how difficult it must be for you to put up with this.  No wonder you refuse to sleep with Jane anymore.  I can clearly see why you must be strict with her.  No wonder you have gone to all your friends and neighbours looking for somebody, anybody who will understand how hard it is for you.  Thank goodness you have Roger and Annie - they know how hard it is for you and even try to tell Jane she must be a more considerate loving wife to you - she needs to obey you and make life easier for you, you hard working poor, poor man.

How simply horrible it must have been for you when you realised that Jane could no longer walk on your arm but had to be pushed in a wheelchair; a broken woman.  Now the whole world will see just how broken she is.  Her fractured body displayed for the world to know you have a broken wife.  No wonder you walk away from her in the shopping centre when she wants to make ridiculous purchases like kitty litter for the new kitten.  Yet another mouth to feed!  And obtained without your approval!

Oh John, if only you realised how many men face the same miserable realisation every day - that their wives are broken.  They are not the perfect woman you married.  They have flaws and as the years go by, those flaws become more obvious.  They think for themselves - you find it harder and harder to control what they say and do.  They find all sorts of ways to annoy you.  How frustrating it must be that they are not what you want them to be.

I can only imagine your pain and disappointment seeing the woman you married have her own opinions, her own ideas, her own goals, all on your pay packet."

I know the above seems patronising but you know, after 2 husbands and witnessing so much in others, I truly think that there are men who think this way.  I think that abuse stems from feelings of disrespect.  That the respect that is expected doesn't materialise so what do you do with a dog or a child that is not respecting you?  You mistreat it!  Well, I don't and you probably wouldn't, but many people would and do.

Whip it into submission!  Beat it until its obeys you!  Elvis Presley and John Wayne did this and the women respected them for it - didn't they?

How easy it can be to slip into the role of abuser if all we have to do is to start thinking we have a right to demand respect and/or be admired for what we accomplish in life.  How easily this transitions into feelings of resentment towards those who do not see our greatness ... our efforts and our magnificence.  Even God himself destroys nations because they reject him!!!  So why can't we destroy others who reject us?

Even children have this innate need to be respected, appreciated and loved and act-out if they feel rejected.

I think that by adjusting our thoughts to realise that we are all equal in the eyes of God and are willing to submit to his ways we can overcome these feelings of rejection by learning just how loved and valued we are by an omnipresent and omnipotent being - a loving father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ.

When we truly understand our heritage then we can bypass all the tricks and lies of the adversary.  We no longer desire or need to look for acceptance from others because we know that they are in the same position as we are - they lose power over us and therefore we are no longer pulled or swayed by their actions or intentions towards us.

Can John and Jane's marriage be salvaged?  I believe it can.  When and if John realises that Jane is not his responsibility she will no longer be a burden in his eyes and he may learn to love the goodness that she has to offer.  When he starts treating her as a beautiful whole person and not some broken piece of furniture that no longer fulfils his needs then he will begin to see her strengths and passions.  He may even begin to play an active role in allowing her to live a life beyond the bounds of her house where he has kept her prisoner for many years due to her disability.

When John embraces Jane as a whole person with her own personality, wants and needs, then decides to be willing to work with rather than against her needs, he will be a happier, healthier man and even learn to contribute to their marriage rather than sabotage it.

Likewise, when we contribute to others lives we are better for it - it doesn't take much to smile and brighten another's day even if they are miserable - it is their misery, not yours.  This week, let's decide to allow the love and kindness that is in our hearts to overcome the temptation to react to others miseries - let's stop expecting others to appreciate us.  Let's stop doing things for others with the thought of them returning the kindness - we don't need their accolades - after all, we're not doing anything for them - we are doing it for ourselves - and they benefit also.

Nature vs nature

I raised 3 boys and 3 girls. I am a person who does not think that only girls should play with dolls or only boys should run around like mad things shooting each other with plastic pistols. I witnessed all 6 children intermingle - sometimes my daughters would be grooms as they walked down the hallway next to their sister dressed in old curtains (the bride). My son had a cabbage patch doll (which he nicked from my bed) which he "breast fed". Not one to encourage violence my sons used sticks or Duplo to make guns with (where did they even conceive the idea I don't know) but they did. Apart from having an abusive father and a mother struggling to raise all of them on my own, I think they had a pretty good childhood all things considered.

Now I read how one particular political party wants parents to buy non gender specific toys for their kids this Christmas.  So, politics is further intruding in the home.  Their motto - No Gender December - is a little worrisome - is it their eventual goal to diminish gender differences?  Are we women going to lose our feminine identity?  Men are already getting the raw deal as they are emancipated through strong so-called feministic voices (I say so-called because part of being feminine is embracing the masculine - a yin and yen kind of thing).

 

I took great delight reading Tony Abbott's comment about their "madcap idea" (no, this doesn't mean I support any political party) in the Daily Telegraph this morning on page 9 (and no, I don't always read the papers) "And you wonder why the parliament's difficult, when you've got people like that with the balance of power in the Senate."

Putting these together, we have the country's decision makers telling parents to ungender their children (that's right pregnant ones - no more wondering whether it's a girl or a boy - it will just be a baby), they run around like chooks without a head chasing whale killers (not arguing that someone has to do it), they get into power to put in place their own agendas then retire (you thought we missed that didn't you Mr Brown?).  Little wonder Aussies turn to beaches and booze - (not that I support alcoholic drinking) - but let's get real - Women are the best gender for being women and men are the best gender for being men - God didn't get that wrong - so why change what nature created?  Are they saying nature got it wrong?  Then why are the majority of these non-gender people tree hugging, nature loving delegates?  Are they saying that nature got trees and whales right but got mankind wrong?  Me thinks they have sucked on that whacky-tabbacky a little too much and their brains have left their bodies.

 

In the 60's we had the revolutionary hippy movement - flower power - free love - drugs, load music, combi vans, will history refer to this confused human hating nature loving movement as the Post-Hippy Revolution? And in 100 years will a child ask their teacher what does Hippy stand for?  And will the reply come that it comes from the same root word as Hypocrite?  Now THAT explains it well!

Disclaimer

My blogs are written without prejudice or malice. Please know that personal experiences and feelings expressed herein are not intended to cause embarrassment or hurt to anyone. Thank you, Icy Bones.

CLANDESTINE BULLYING; Thoughts on spiritual nakedness.

Not so long ago there was a young LDS woman who posted a full frontal naked photos of herself (she had skin coloured nickers) revealing extensive damage and scars she received after undergoing life saving surgery for her cancer. For days I was bombarded with these images on my FB page as mutual friends "Liked"  and "Shared" her images, sometimes multiple times a day. The first time I saw the images I was shocked that she would think that others were interested in seeing her body, now disfigured with enormous scars where her breasts used to be.

 

After three days of this I requested that I be excluded from the lists when "Liking" or "Sharing" the post and included instructions on how to do this. I was mindful to be sensitive not to reveal who the post was referring to other than saying that there was a post of a naked woman being shared that I don't want to see and could you please ensure that I am not included when sharing it. There were a few comments on my post that agreed it shouldn't be on FB, obviously they had seen it too.  Whoa, then the mother posted a most aggressive and attacking argument.  She was furious and interpreted my request as a personal attack then publicly told me off and unfriended me. I read later that over 100 people had been unfriended by both mother and daughter for objecting to these images. I'm not going to discuss the contradiction or ambiguity of their rights to publish naked images over my rights to not see them - that is another story for another time maybe - probably not.

However, it seems that apparently the Woman's Day or Woman's Weekly or some tabloid offered her money for her story, the Cancer Foundation pounced on her to use her images in their advertising as well as some TV show wanting to tell her story - or so I was told. The world thrives on such sensationalism and I felt a twinge of concern that this elevation to celebrity status would not fair well on her later on down the track as her children grow and witness these images - they may not recognise the intent she had when she published them. And knowing the media market as I do, their interests would not be rooted in concern for her survival of a traumatic event(s) but rather driven by how much money and public interest can be drawn from this and how much money will it bring in?

Disturbing to me, I now read that this young woman has been asked to speak at an LDS women's conference to be held at the Sutherland Entertainment Centre and is sponsored by an LDS book shop from Brisbane - clearly she has become a celebrity within the church membership. What message is this sending our youth - that naked photos of themselves are okay so long as they are done professionally and are to show disfigurement and scars?

Today I read the following letter from a non-LDS father to his young daughter:- “The world wants you to take your clothes off. Please keep them on. But take your gloves off. Pull no punches. Say what is in your heart. Be vulnerable. Embrace risk. Love a world that barely knows what it means to love itself. Do so nakedly. Openly. With abandon.”

Could not this young woman have put her point of view across (whatever that is because it is unclear to me why she even did it) in a way that was not repulsive or confrontational?  Would it not have been better to demonstrate to women undergoing the same tragedy how they can still look beautiful after it all?  Frankly, if I were a young beautiful woman having to face the prospect of ending up with the scars and disfigurements that these images depict I think I would be tempted to forego surgery. 

I'm not without compassion - it must have been an extremely difficult time for her family, loved ones and friends - and it is a miracle and blessing that she is around to tell the tale. It is in the telling that I find disturbing.

We do not need to show our scars - we all have them. Instead of exposing our nakedness to others, including spiritual nakedness, we could focus on the lessons learnt and the blessings that have come. Share our strengths and testify of the Lord's goodness in healing us, the marvels of science and the wonderful staff who walked through it all not to mention supportive family and friends. The blessings from the Holy Ghost for his constant companionship and guidance, the amazing way that our Heavenly Father maintains close vigil as we walk through the many trials and tribulations that are inherent in our mortal experience.

Maintaining dignity and respecting our bodies through modesty in both externally and internally will mean we never need be ashamed. I have been guilty of this from time to time. Forcing our woes on others can cause feelings of discomfort and in it's own way, may even seem intimidating, like in these images. When I rejected them I was bullied for doing so.  My point of view opposed theirs - therefore I needed to be publicly humiliated and unfriended. Bullies try to make everyone else as miserable as they are; when we share our woes, are we sharing our misery? Are we wanting others to feel the pain that we feel? There is only one person that I know of who can make us feel better, who has shared our sorrows and has the ability to take away our pain - and he is only a prayer away.

We don't need to force anybody to see our point of view - even tragic ones.  Now I think I understand why people returning from war don't share their stories - they have dignity and respect. They don't want to put others through what they have been forced to endure. Perhaps this is true humility - true heroism.  The Saviour offers his hands and side not to freak us out - not to get points or to show off.  He exhorts the blessings and teachings of heaven, he doesn't dwell on his experiences in Gethsemane although, who could blame him right? 

Following his example let us keep our clothes on, let us share the lessons learnt rather than the lesson lived - keeping that for those closest. From here on in I will make the effort not to discuss the attacks or the attackers but rather what the Lord did to protect, guide and lead me through it and what I have learned as a result. I will not glorify or make myself a celebrity or hero by acknowledging the scars but rather I will cover my nakedness and not be ashamed. The lessons in the Garden of Eden are becoming clearer the longer I live in this mortality - let us all cover our nakedness with the shield of faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Gethsemane by Carl Bloch
I took the Angel's wings out. In a very real way, we can "mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who need comfort" - we are angels - all of us.

Wise Men Indeed

So here we are in December - the time of year we prepare to celebrate the birth of our dear Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Since I was a little child I sang Happy Birthday to Jesus in my prayers each Christmas day and found it strange that we gave gifts to other people but not to Jesus. I know I wouldn't like it if, on my birthday, everybody else got a present except me.  My father used to say that we give gifts to others to show that we love Jesus but this didn't make sense because I still couldn't get my head around the fact that it is He who should be receiving gifts because of the wonderful gift He gave to us.

Speaking of gifts - I was pondering on the wise men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, all very expensive gifts even at that time.  We all know what gold is for - spending right?  Of course!  Every king should receive gold at their birth but did you realise the deep symbolism represented in their other gifts - frankincense and myrrh?  I knew there needed to be a deeper, more significant meaning behind these gifts.  Not only because they would have had to obtain them from "afar" - no department stores back then.  Being kings they likely sent servants out to merchants or further to seek them out - there was great thought behind these gifts.  They then traveled great distances to present their gifts and pay homage to their king.  So why Frankincense and Myrrh?  

Let me share my findings.

Both Frankincense and Myrrh are derived from a resin that is obtained from differing plant species found in Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa respectively.  The gum produced from the myrrh resin is not just used for perfume but also as an aromatic wound dressing with healing properties and is referred to as the Balm of Gilead in Genesis 37 and Jeremiah 8 and 46 as well as in hymns and other sacred writings.  There is also suggestion that myrrh was among the bitter herbs used in the preparation of the original Passover meal in Egypt, symbolic of their covenant with Jehovah.  

I would like to think that the wise kings were in fact wise enough to discern and acknowledged that this babe they were visiting was, in fact the Balm of Gilead to Israel symbolic of how this babe of Bethlehem's atonement heals us.  I would also like to think that in their gift of Frankincense they were acknowledging that this humble birth was that of the Great Jehovah, the Great I Am, in that Frankincense was the incense burnt in the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple, symbolic of the divine mediatory role the Messiah plays between the Father and us (see Malachi 1).

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said,

"Faith in Jesus Christ is the conviction and assurance of:-

1. His status as the Only Begotten Son of God,
2. His infinite Atonement, and
3. His literal Resurrection."

Like the wise men that cam from the East, we also can know of a surety that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world, the God of the Old and New Testaments - even Jehovah - the Great I Am, the Balm of Gilead, the Mediator who saved us.

So as we enter this Christmas period and prepare to celebrate with the Christian world the birth of our Saviour, let us think what gifts we may give him.  There's a clue in the scriptures that can be found in Psalms 51:17 - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart" see also 3 Nephi 9:20.

As children of a loving eternal Heavenly Father let us rejoice in the knowledge that He loves us so very much and through our humbling ourselves to receive of His love we open our hearts to also receive of His healing power - the Balm of Gilead.  Just as the incense sent sweet perfume up to Heaven in the Temples of old, He pleads continuously to our Heavenly Father on our behalf.

May we think upon the words of the beautiful carol - O Little Town of Bethlehem -

"How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv'n!

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav'n.

No ear may hear his coming; but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in."

May the Lord's blessings be upon you and your families and may His peace, love and joy be in your hearts this Christmas Season and throughout the coming years.  May we administer the Balm of Gilead to all who will receive of it and thus bless others with the healing power of the Atonement.

Abraham smashes his father's idols - naughty or nice?

Been reading the Book of Jasher.  You may well ask - Why have you been doing that Bones?  To which I would reply - Because there is a heap of information in there that we miss out on if we exclude it from our studies.  You may ask - What possibly could it benefit us - after all, we have the Book of Mormon, the Holy Bible, the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants - what more could we want?  My answer to that is - ALL the facts - or at least as many as I can get my honey little hands on.

I first came across the Book of Jasher a while back via BYU's Neal A Maxwell Institute whilst researching another subject.  I discover, much to my delight, a wealth of knowledge that neatly sewed together all the snippets of info I had access to in the Book of Genesis regarding many of the early Patriarchs.

So what am I learning?  I am learning what an inspirational man Abraham was, his personality, his sheer determination, his (whacky) sense of humour, as well as how he became so wealthy, who his father was, why he ended up on the altar to be sacrificed, how he was thrown into the furnace and although his brother, who was thrown in with him died, Abraham walked three days until the king called him out.  Was the king converted?  Read Chapter 11 - 14.

I now know who the first Pharaoh was, how he got the title, what the title means and what a great con artist he was.  It also reveals the instigation of death taxes!

Perhaps one of my favourite parts by far is how Abraham smashed his father's idols and put the hatchet in the hands of the head idol then his magnificent response to his father's questioning.  Oh, this little act led him to the furnace but no more spoilers!  Read Chapters 11 - 14.

Oh, and who really was this Melchizedek - The High Priest of Salem who Abraham paid tithes to?  No other than Noah's son Shem, known also as Adonizedek.

Noah died in the days of Abraham and they had spent a lot of time together, Abraham staying at Noah's home for long periods of time.

It's important as you read the Book of Jasher that people lived a very long time back then, none of this 100 years your a Centurion thing - nope, they were on their way to a millennium!  Imagine the birthday candles?  You'd need a truly big bonfire!

There is so very much more but this is just a teaser. I hope to have whet your appetite.  You can start your own journey into the live of Abraham and discover history in a way than makes sense.  Follow this link for your free online copy now!  If the link doesn't work then google The Book of Jasher.  Easy peasy!

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/apo/jasher/11.htm

Easter! What a truly marvelous concept!

For some time it has been apparent to me that my comments, at times, spark some hot reactions.  I don't mean to, it just happens.  Today in class was one of those times. 

The discussion turned to the spirit prison prior to Christ's attendance during the time of his death (for the sake of clarity, whilst his body lay in the tomb).  Of course we all know that it was during this time of his visit that he organised for his Gospel to be taught by those spirits who had lived righteously to those who had not.  We also know from the scriptures that those who were wicked and rebellious at the time of Noah looked for the day when this would occur - meaning, they had to have some idea that it would occur and that it would be a good thing.  From this I conclude there was some discussion between those disembodied persons as to this promised time hence, from this I also conclude they had to be in a similar vicinity so as to communicate.

From non-canonised scripts (canonised meaning those used or generally accepted as a standard or measuring rule in a religious organisation), I have learned that Jesus literally broke the gates of hell, not an easy task by the account, and that the ruler of the kingdom of Shoel (Hebrew) or Hades (Greek) was not impressed with the victory.  It even goes on to discuss a fight with Lucifer (Satan) for not destroying the Messiah in his mission.  According to Hebrew texts, Shoel was the 'holding place' for the wicked and the righteous who held hope in the promised Messiah to free them from the bonds of death.  These bonds were literal and very real, not meaning chains as in metal links but certainly literal enough to prevent anyone from leaving - i.e. moving past death's gruesome gates.  I can't recall exactly the text but I do know I found it through the BYU Neal A. Maxwell site.  When I rediscover it I will reference it here.

Jesus said to the man on the cross beside him that "today thou wilt be with me in paradise".  From this we can ascertain that paradise was a place and that when he died, he would meet the Saviour there.  So, herein lies the dilemma.

When it was said that the prophets of old were not among those who were wicked I opened my mouth and suggested that yes, they indeed were in exactly the same predicament as the wicked.  That is to say, they were bound by the chains of death, unable to progress beyond the gates of hell and awaiting the promised Messiah to free them from this damnable state.  Immediately there were hushed tones and murmurings amongst the group.  What a ridiculous claim!  That such holy and perfect men and women could be trapped with the wicked.  Well, I agree that it is a horrible thought.  To think one has overcome so much in mortality to be stuck with such awful loathsome creatures that rebelled at the time of the flood.  Surely there would have been a special place just for them.  But was there?

Just as on earth we have suburbs and communities that we gather to according to our beliefs, morals, behaviours and actions.  You are mean, people won't like you and will stay away.  You are kind, people will be attracted to you and want to be around you.  People are people, dead or alive, and I believe this is how hell naturally separated into sections where really, really bad people hung out and other areas, far from there, where the nice people gathered.  Just as we call our place of gathering Zion, it seems the term Paradise is descriptive of the dead alternative.

It wasn't until Christ broke down the gates of hell that the first resurrection began and we are told in numerous places in both canonised and uncanonised scripts that for a time they walked among the living before being taken to another place.  We do know that many of the righteous leaders were placed in positions of authority to minister unto those that remained in the sad state of prison and that we are commanded to do our bit in searching out our ancestors so we can bless them with the Gospel promises.  We also know that they had been taught during the time from the flood to the time of Christ's visit and common sense dictates that those who told them knew the Gospel promises.  Hence my conclusion that they mingled to a large degree which meant they were in some proximity to be able to do so.

Does it really matter if they mingled or not?  Is it imperative to know if the righteous prophets abided among the wicked?  No, not really.  What is important to know is that Christ broke those wretched bands of death, smashed the gates of hell, destroyed Satan's power of death over us and paid the price for our salvation, both physical and spiritual.

Does it end here?  No, not at all.  Knowing this is the beginning of our progression and our understanding of our relationship with God, our Eternal Father, and where we fit into this life and the next.

May I recommend an interesting publication found at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute site.  The title is "Redemption of the Dead: Continuing Revelation after Joseph Smith" by David L. Paulsen, Kendel J. Christensen, Martin Pulido and Judson Burton, 2011. 

"As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive."  These are the glad tidings of Easter.  This is the hope that billions of souls have held for millennia and continue to hold.  This hope is the basis for all who desire something after this life.  Surely it is not just good news but the greatest news.  Hosanna!  Blessed be the Son of God!

* Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc is owned by Disney Pixar.