There is a great article on why Christians must share their faith by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, this morning.  Elder Oaks is an apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865597383/At-BYU-Idaho-Elder-Oaks-calls-LDS-members-believers-everywhere-to-action-as-witnesses-of-God.html One of his statements is as follows:   "Those who have used human reasoning to supersede divine influence in their lives have diminished themselves and cheapened civilization in the process,".  Personally, I had taken about ten hours to write a similar essay a few weeks ago.  The desire to share why Christians can't be silent was the reason for my establishing this blog.  Some portions of my essay:

I am a Christian.  I want to represent my Savior well and follow his example.  As I have prayed to know how to better do that, I feel the Lord has blessed me with some adversity and trials.  These trials have taught me what I don’t think I could have seen clearly without them.  I am a Christian and a sinner.  I don’t think I have met anyone who needs the atonement more than I do.  The cumulative effect of my self-will, pride and missteps are sufficient to prevent me from achieving eternal life, unless I consistently employ the repentance process and seek to improve every day from this hour forward by adding to my knowledge of gospel principles and laying my doings at Christ’s  feet.  I need to not only follow the Savior by being kind and loving, but I need to emulate the way in which he got his errand.  The Savior’s errand was to do and promote the work of the Father.

Where do I start?  One way is to seek to know truth, to really seek to understand God’s character and attributes and my true relationship to him, as well as the purposes of life.    It is, with the help of heaven, an attempt to see myself as I really am.   When I see myself as more than I am or less than I am, I am terribly handicapped in doing good for others.   I have sought to know these things through the instrument of prayer and study.  I have read the Bible and the Book of Mormon and I believe these books to be the word of God.  When I have tried to implement the teachings and principles contained in the scriptures, I have felt a sense of spiritual progress and a growing knowledge that these principles are true.  I believe that God is both omniscient and omnipotent.  I have sought to find a church which has the authority to baptize and bestow the potential of the perpetual companionship of the Holy Ghost. 

God has knowledge of all things past, present and future and based on that omniscience, he has foreordained individuals to accomplish things in this life that are particular to them.  Neal Maxwell, an LDS theologian and apostle now deceased, authored the following:  “It does no violence to our frail human logic to observe that there cannot be a grand plan of salvation for all mankind, unless there is also a plan for each individual.”   I believe we had a pre-mortal existence and that there was a war fought in heaven that included the spirits of all those who would be assigned to this earth.  We were given volition to choose Satan’s plan or God’s plan.  The war was fought over agency.  Though God is omniscient, his omniscience did not and has not violated the agency of man in the least degree.   I believe that this earth life is a test, actually part two of a two part test.  The first test was to choose either the Father’s plan or Satan’s plan.  Those who chose the Father’s plan now get to enjoy mortality.   Now, we get to live by faith, having forgotten all we learned there, but when truth is presented to us, we have the capacity to remember it, if we are honest truth seekers.  We are currently being tested to see if we will keep the commandments of God and prepare for eternity.  At the conclusion of this life we will be judged by him who is completely fair and receive a designation and ultimate condition of existence based on how we performed.    Faith in true things can only be awakened and obtained by hearing true concepts, by hearing the testimony of those who have faith.  That is why the ancients were commanded to write.  It is why those who profess knowledge of God are commanded to share.  It is the economy of heaven.  Just as evil is hastened by the collective efforts of those who are evil, such as in gang activity, good is promoted by gathering and sharing with others of faith.   We will be judged greatly as Christ declared, in relation to how we interfaced with others, how we treated them, how we judged them, and how we ministered to them.  Many will come to that judgment believing they served well, only to be told they never knew Him, nor applied His doctrine.   

Because I am a Christian and I believe the Bible to be the word of God, I have come to define certain behaviors as sins.  They are those things which offend God and make us unclean.  There are certain behaviors that please God and when those behaviors, beliefs and attitudes are not present, they constitute sins of omission.  Anyone who has, through revelatory experience, determined that there is a God and that Jesus Christ is our Divine Redeemer, has been commanded to promote such.  For example, if you had knowledge of a calamity that was about to threaten your neighborhood, you would be remiss for not acting on that knowledge or sharing that knowledge with your neighbor.  Thus if someone believes in the Bible and believes that sexual impurity,  in any of its forms, would impact one’s condition in the world to come as well as happiness, peace and safety in this life,  and that person doesn’t promote that belief, God would hold him accountable.  The Bible is clear that premarital sex, (sex outside of marriage) and adultery, (which is sex with someone other than your wedded spouse), and homosexuality are sins before God, (I Corinthians 6:18, Proverbs 6:32 and Leviticus chapter 18).  It stands to reason that anyone who promotes or encourages sexual immorality as  being  acceptable before God, would be not be considered as one who is valiant in the testimony of Christ.   Sharing these things is based on a basic premise, as promoted by Paul in the New Testament,  that God is a “rewarder” of those who keep his commandments, (Hebrews 11:6).  In other words, good things will follow living a life of righteousness.  Paul was also astute in the following observation recorded in Hebrews 1:9:  “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”    The goal here is not, as many suppose, to make everyone feel comfortable with their current state of righteousness and not make any waves.  But, often it takes someone who doesn’t see themselves as above reproach to really impact others for good.  Again, the words of Paul in Hebrews indicate that God needs those “who can have compassion on the ignorant, (those unaware of the laws of God), and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity, (Hebrews 5:2, Italics added).”

 

Some maintain that it isn’t Christian to define certain behaviors as sinful.    They argue, “It makes people feel uncomfortable and wasn’t he the Prince of Peace?” Christ didn’t mince words and he wasn’t afraid to offend others when it came to doctrine or need for change.   He did ask others not to throw stones, figuratively or literally, for none are without sin.  This didn’t mean they weren’t to promote what was good and identify what was sin according to His doctrine.  For a Christian to say there is no sin is to deny there is a God, to deny their faith and be counted as in infidel.   Both Ezekiel 3 and Ezekiel 33 both describe a variety of scenarios concerning those who are willing to raise a warning voice and those who are not.  Christ and Moses were two who were described as having attributes of meekness, (Numbers, 12:3).  Yet, these two were extremely bold and willing to offend.  Inherent in biblical definitions of meekness, one must include obedience to God and faithfulness to his words.   Prophets were frequently stoned for preaching.  Almost all of the original apostles were murdered for promoting their beliefs.  Can we hope to enjoy the same glory as the ancients who were willing to give their very lives if we are unwilling to promote the things that they did.

Isaiah taught that there would be those who would call good evil and evil, good, (Isaiah 5:20).   Isaiah 3:9 relates how in the last days, there would be those who would “declare their sin as Sodom and hide it not” and Paul prophesied that there would be those “without natural affection” . . .  lovers of their own selves.   Peter 2:2 stated that “the way of truth would be evil spoken of”.   I believe the “way of truth” is to seek knowledge through the vehicle of personal revelation.   Paul explained that the things of the spirit can only be spiritually discerned and to all others, it will sound as foolish traditions.   But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned, (1 Corinthians 2:14)”.  As Americans, we have come a long way in overcoming prejudice, but does that include and presuppose that we should promote evil as acceptable, inconsequential behavior?

I believe that Satan’s greatest tactics involve adding to or taking away from truth.  The adversary is incredibly subtle.   The Prophet Daniel speaks of the abomination of desolation and that abomination which maketh desolate where it ought not to be as signaling the proximity of the last days and great calamity, (See Daniel, chapters 11 and 12).  Could that possibly be a description of a formerly god-fearing nation that  kills its unborn when it is inconvenient to bear and makes it illegal to promote moral values?   The word of God, as recorded in Leviticus 26, rehearses the consequences of a godless nation.  It is not a pretty prophecy.  I believe we live in a promised land and God makes clear that those who forget Him cannot continue to live in a promised land in peace and safety.  Paul spoke of that which is essential to the role of a woman, who “shall be saved in child bearing, (1 Timothy 2:15).” and God, according to Genesis, commanded Adam and Eve to “multiply and replenish the earth,” (Genesis 1:28).  If the bearing and rearing of children is perhaps the most important work or achievement of human beings, as established in the beginning by our first parents, then homosexuality and abortion would not be activities leading toward that end.   It is understandable that the more crucial the principle, the greater Satan’s campaign against it. 

Horrific things have been done to those believed to be homosexuals.  Horrific things have been done to individuals because of their beliefs and practices.  Horrific things have been done to individuals because of their gender.  But for an individual to say that a practice is not in keeping with the word of God and that word of God is contained in what they consider a holy book is not an act of bigotry or prejudice.  It is simply a declaration of their faith.  Efforts to force all members of society to speak, act, and promote as though there is nothing inherently wrong with any form of sexual impurity is in itself an act of bigotry.   It is also bigotry to force others to behave morally.   It is also a sin to reinforce negative patterns of behavior.  Webster defines a bigot as “one who is intolerant of others.”
 

I have concluded that no individual can wait to speak until they are perfect.   I believe, as I stated, that there is a God and that one of the purposes of life is to establish an enduring, permanent relationship with an individual of the opposite sex and raise children.  In raising children I believe it is crucial to teach them what I believe to be true.   I believe that exposure to things that are not wholesome is not wise.  After investigating child abuse, I saw the fruits of alcohol and drug abuse.  I saw that it was  extremely difficult for meth users to overcome their addictions, once having experienced its addictive effects.   I saw the fruits of pornography manifest in domestic violent tendencies.  I saw tender concern for spouses and children diminish as the addictions increased.   I saw the incredible toll that divorce had upon children.     I have and will continue to encourage my children to choose close friends and associates who encourage them in moral integrity.  I will discourage them from watching shows that promote immorality in any of its forms.   I believe that this life is a time to prepare to meet God and that no unclean thing can endure His presence.  I believe that there is life after death.  I believe that a connection with heaven is possible and essential.

Several things are certain:  Either there is a God or there isn’t.  Either the scriptures contained in the Bible are true or they are not, even given errors in translation.  If they are true, then God has established a way for individuals to come to the knowledge of their truthfulness.   Matthew 11:28-30 invites, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”   I simply encourage you to seek Him.  I am currently reading the Bible again from cover to cover.  The important thing is not where we have been, but where we are going.   Isaiah’s words bring great comfort for the repentant sinner, (Isaiah 1:18).  Those who do not think the Bible establishes clear guidelines about morality have not read the scriptures or simply choose not to believe them.   You simply cannot read the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Paul and a host of others and not conclude they didn’t see our day with exactness. 

I am not here to get you to accept my interpretations of the Bible, nor dictate what you should do when and if you determine that the Bible contains the word of God.    I want you to read the scriptures and then prayerfully decide what your course of action is to be.   But, what is of great concern to me is that increasing numbers who believe in the Bible have rendered themselves silent and encourage all others to be silent in the name of righteousness.  Were that righteous protocol, there would be no holy scriptures, there would be no standard by which to judge our doctrine, there would be no promotion of that which is good and no means by which to improve our condition here or rid our garments of the blood and sins of this generation.   We daily watch shows in our living rooms that promote immorality as acceptable and normal, with little if any negative consequence.  Then, we wonder why our children enjoy premarital sex and our legislators pass legislation that protect and encourage the immoral among us. 

 

In conclusion:

 

With all of my heart, I feel the words of Christ are worthy of careful and prayerful consideration and that there is no better time than the present to do so.  As in the beginning, we are again in a war for the salvation of souls.  We cannot force others to be righteous, but we can put on the whole armour of God, which by in large, we haven’t done. 

  Ephesians chapter 11:

 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

With Love,Vicki Robinson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lights, Camera, Action

We have never been a very musical, performing family, though some of us can sing on key and country dance with the best of them.  Thank goodness for the musical talent of our sons and daughters in law.  But we are admitted hams.  The minute the children got their hands on a video camera, they began filming themselves.  This has led to  wonderful family tradition called the Robinson Family Film Festival.  Even the young children write, cast and direct short films.  One of our first was called, A Horse Named Jasper. 

 

 

 

We thought the children might actually be good enough to do this professionally.  We experienced some beginner's luck with that.  Corinne's first gig was a Ford commercial.  She was compensated about $1400 for 20 minutes of work getting in and out of a Ford SUV.  Instead of the cast being powdered between takes, the car was polished.  We actually did land roles for feature films, commercials and industrials. 

 

One of our very first as a couple was an Intellibed commercial:

Though we don't sing and dance we have been in two great music videos.  Ace Ender's, When I Hit the Ground video involved Bryan, Vicki, Briana and Alyse:

 

 

We also participated in the following video:  Finding our Cousins

 

 

 

https://www.lds.org/youth/video/find-our-cousins?lang=eng&cid=email-shared

 

We especially enjoy being involved in film projects that promote family values:

Our grandson, Cameron and his mother were involved in this Foundation for a Better Life Commercial:

 



 



 

http://www.values.com/inspirational-stories-tv-spots/127-Change-the-World

 

 



 

 

Doritos Always There Debate

Baby Blues

A love story

 

Bryan and I came from very different backgrounds.  He came from a church going family with six children.  His father was a bishop, (this is someone who has responsibility for a congregation of  Latter-day Saint members called a ward in a certain neighborhood or city), for the majority of his growing up years.  I came from an inactive family, (an inactive family consists of individuals who were once members of a Latter-day Saint ward, who have stopped attending church).  I was raised as only child as as my only sibling, Carol Jeanne, got married when I was two and a half.

Carol Jeanne and John Ehlers with Vicki

Bryan's family seldom went out to dinner and we went out to dinner at least three times a week.  My parents had a drink of alcohol with potato chips and dip at the end of the day and Bryan said he had potato chips on rare occasions.   Despite the differences in upbringing, we both enjoyed our childhoods. 

 

Bryan, center, with brothers Kirk and Kent

When I was around twelve years old, my sister shared a simple, but profound Christian doctrine, that changed my life forever.  It was that there are commandments authored by God, that if complied with, bring forth blessings or positive consequences to one's life.   She basically said,  "If you want to enjoy a certain blessing, you must keep the law upon which that blessing is predicated or based".  She gave me an example as she read to me the 58th chapter of Isaiah.  She explained that there were sixteen specific blessings promised to those who kept the Law of the Sabbath which included, but were not limited to, some of the following:  Verse 8:  "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily. . . "Verse 9:  "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am."  Verse 11:  "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not".  She told me that your light breaking forth as the morning meant that those who kept the Sabbath Day holy would be smarter and that several of these scriptures promised an increased ability to feel the guidance and influence of God in your life. 

Well, I was determined to see if these biblical assertions were valid.   I loved the thought of an unchangeable being who governed and blessed according to set laws, that he didn't capriciously bless and punish according to his whims of the moment.  I was just a student in middle school and I was an average student.  I decided to try to make my Sundays more holy and one thing I decided to avoid was doing homework on Sunday.  I also began fasting as this chapter suggested and paid tithes and offerings.  Much to my surprise, and the surprise of my fellow students, my grades improved dramatically.  At the end of the very next quarter I had made the high honor roll.  I didn't remember studying harder.  Not only did my grades improve, but I began to feel guided in some of my choices in life.   I recalled wondering if church attendance and affiliation were actually important to the Lord.  I decided to read the Book of Mormon at this point as my sister was an active Latter-day Saint and had a strong conviction of its truthfulness.  I knew one of two possibilities existed.  Either the Book of Mormon was of divine origin or it wasn't, because of the claims by Joseph Smith.  There was nothing in between.   I read this book from cover to cover and prayed to know if it was true.  As I prayed,  I had never felt so simultaneously large and small.  I felt a pulsating feeling of warmth and peace that I had not heretofore known.   I had an answer, one that I could never deny and then came a postscript, a tangible thought to my mind:  "And because it is true, you will attend church for the rest of your life."  That was the rub.  That was something that caused me great consternation.  I didn't have friends in my ward boundaries.   It seemed that I had two distinct peer groups:  Good youth with strong values who sat with their parents and those who sat by each other at church, but did things they shouldn't do the rest of the week.  I just didn't fit with either group.  I was the embodiment of pure awkwardness and as such was an easy target for teasing and taunting, the worst of the tormenters among youth who attended my very ward.  But, from that time forward, I went to church.  I felt lonely a lot of the time and began to pray that one day I would be able to attend church surrounded by my own family.  All I can say, is be careful what prayers you pray. 

Vicki, age 12, with her mother and five nephews

                                         

I continued to read and study scriptures, as well as reading every church book I could get my hands on.  I read the Bible, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, the Doctrines of Salvation, Jesus the Christ, etc., etc., etc.   I got what is called a Patriarchal Blessing.  This is a blessing given by an ordained  male patriarch who through inspiration places his hands upon your head and rehearses information that is peculiar to you, including but not limited to, the tribe of Israel you descend from.  This blessing promised me, if I proved faithful, that I would marry, and that my husband would love me and sustain me in raising the "sons and daughters" reserved for our home.   It also stated I would be blessed in securing a good education.  I wanted to get that over with so I could go on to the "finding the right person to marry" course.  I went school year-round and found myself a senior at age 19.  I graduated when I was 20, but marriage wasn't for several years.  I dated and dated, and somewhat grew in confidence, but I found it hard to imagine actually falling in love with someone and having that person love you in return.   When I graduated from college receiving several scholastic honors, my mother's response was:  "This really surprises me, you weren't particularly bright as a child, even slow to walk and talk."  She was always very honest.  I simply attribute my scholastic success to my desires to keep the law of the Sabbath.  I determined to find and understand other gospel laws and blessings tied to those laws.   

 

 

Vicki, center, while a student at the University of Utah

One night, after a day of teaching middle school students, I felt exhausted and was just excited to relax at home, in peace and quiet.  I was a first year teacher and I had not mastered the art of discipline  But that voice, the one that I was beginning to recognize as distinct from my own thinking, had something else in mind.  I heard the words, "Go to Family Home Evening. The young man you are going to marry is there."   Family Home Evening is something that Latter-day Saints are encouraged to hold each Monday night.  It is a time to gather in uplifting activity or share a gospel lesson in an effort to strengthen families.  We are encouraged to reserve that night for this purpose.  Young adults, especially those in college and living away from home or in single's wards were divided into Family Home Evening groups by their ward leaders, so they can mingle with other single adults to maintain this tradition.   Though this was a random thought that seemed to come out of nowhere, I considered that I made it up.  I didn't care about meeting anyone new that night,  it was very cold outside and I was very tired.  Still, I couldn't be certain that this inspiration wasn't of the Lord, so I went.  When I arrived at our Family Home Evening activity, I met a sea of single women and one solitary young man, our Family Father who was assigned to lead this group in mingling, socializing and gospel study.  As he was the only young man in attendance, I thought to myself, "If this is an impression from the Lord, He certainly doesn't want me confused".  I suppose the rest is history.  I had met the man of my dreams that night.

Bryan, playing soccer

I think I dreamed of Bryan a few weeks prior.  I had dreamed of a blond haired young man brought me home from a date and hugged me good night at the door.  In the dream, I had an amazing realization.  It was the hug that I never wanted to end.  In my dream, I looked over his shoulder and saw the most beautiful array of stars in the sky above us.  Suddenly, the stars rearranged themselves forming three words: "Heaven is pleased."  That dream gave me hope that someday I would meet a young man and that heaven would approve of this match.  Thirty seven years later, we are still companions, but oh!  What a journey.   We began a family unit on December 11, 1976.

Bryan and Vick's Wedding Announcement

Our willingness to consider that there is a plan for individuals and believing in the omniscience of God, has brought us to consider things we would never have considered.   God knew that I needed both the blessings and trials that would be ours throughout our marriage.  One of those things had to do with our having a baby in our old age.  Had our youngest been born near her due date of January 7th, we would have had children in four different decades!  However, she came early on December 21st thus we only had children in 3 decades.   One of my favorite articles about the role of foreordination, agency and discipleship was written by Neal A. Maxwell, entitled "A More Determined Discipleship":  https://www.lds.org/ensign/1979/02/a-more-determined-discipleship?lang=eng . This blog is about a husband an wife, their ten children and how a very ordinary  and imperfect Mormon family attempts to live consecrated lives in a modern world.

 

 

Bryan and Vicki with their ten children on daughter Kristin's wedding day

  

 

Shanelle and Craig Stark Family

 

Daughters, Audrie, Rochelle and Briana

 

 

 

Son, Brett, serves in the JAG Corp.

 

 

Richard and Maddi's wedding day

 

 

Briana and Drew Petersen

 

Audrie and Alyse are the blondes in this photo.

 

 

Richard arriving from his mission to Brazil

 

Rochelle in midair

 

Family Members on set for "The Birth"

Jeanette was pregnant at this time

 

 

The real birth of Alice Joy 

 

 

Rochelle and Taylor Oborn

 

 

Jeanette and David Pulley and Family

 

Corinne returning from her mission to Brazil