Current Events

"I recognize that, on occasion, some of our most fervent prayers may seem to go unanswered. We wonder, 'Why?' I know that feeling! I know the fears and tears of such moments. But I also know that our prayers are never ignored. Our faith is never unappreciated. I know that an all-wise Heavenly Father's perspective is much broader than is ours. While we know of our mortal problems and pain, He knows of our immortal progress and potential. If we pray to know His will and submit ourselves to it with patience and courage, heavenly healing can take place in His own way and time." (Russell M. Nelson, "Jesus Christ--the Master Healer," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 86)

Parents may use these timely articles for teaching their children to discern right from wrong, in settings applied directly to their lives, for instruction in the art of debating, to help identify the pros and cons of crucial issues, for analysis of rhetorical biases and logical fallacies, for political insights, and for stimulus to further research on topics. Parents whose children are at present too young for such studies may want to enjoy the articles to educate themselves.

Write to your Congressman! The Capitol Connect site will provide addresses and help you print letters on crucial issues facing our legislators. Make your voice heard today!

Read transcript of speech given by President Bush 12/18/05.

Wall Street Journal free online section, www.opinionjournal.com. Conservative viewpoints, reliably articulated with precision. Sign up for the free Best of the Web.

Meridian Magazine: The place where latter-day saints may go for news and views.

Stay current on News from the Church. Also check out the LDS Newsroom or read LDS Humanitarian Services updates.

Visit the School of Abraham compilation of online Constitutional studies.

List of recommended books on the Constitution.

Cradles of Eminence: Childhoods of More Than 700 Famous Men and Women The favorite classic edition, with additional biographies.

Character and the Destiny of Free Government. This is an outstanding 13 page essay for discussion with older students.

Video: Siege of Western Civilization. Produced by a former CIA agent, this 42 minute video exposes the continuing assault on the very underpinnings of Western civilization, and discusses what we can do.

Free Online Classes Some of these college-level online classes have lecture notes, some have interesting subject-related links to explore, and others are outlines of a course of study for which the required text and materials would need to be obtained. Have an adventure.

The Teaching Company. Enjoy taped lectures of especially selected instructors for high school and university level classes in dozens of subjects.

Moneyopolis.com is an informative web site for kids to play and learn the essentials about money and finances.

The Illinois Loop website is dedicated to identifying in detail the many academic problems of the Illinois public schools -- a poster website for reasons to homeschool.

Defend Marriage: A Message from Richard Wilkins

All Entertainment All the Time by Mark Edmunson. Excerpted from Why Read?

Presidential Prayer Team. Join others in prayer to preserve our country.

Call to stand up for righteousness and decency amid a decaying world.

Become a Junior Secret Service Agent. Receive a badge and certificate for completing the program.

Comprehensive site on US Presidents and presidential resources.

Links to organizations that defend marriage

How Does Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Hurt Marriage, Children and Society?

Now Is the Time: We must do what we can to win this war. A heart-felt essay by Peggy Noonan. Peggy exemplifies what it means to be a statesman and patriot today.

A tribute to our soldiers in combat.

2004 Consumer Action Handbook. Use this free 180-page guide from the Federal Consumer Information Center to address consumer problems and complaints. Protect your privacy and yourself from fraud. Lists consumer contacts at hundreds of companies, trade associations, government agencies, and consumer organizations.

George Washington's Rules of Civility.

Stand to Reason - dedicated to building righteous Ambassadors. Chock full of great commentary and opinion pieces.

America at the Crossroads: Impacting the 21st Century. Teaches personal responsibility as a Christian and as a citizen. Interactive.

National Intelligence Council: Center of strategic thinking within the US Government, reporting to the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and providing the President and senior policymakers with analyses of foreign policy issues that have been reviewed and coordinated throughout the Intelligence Community.

Roots of Freedom - resources to aid you in celebrating Constitution Day.

To Those who Teach in Troubled Times, by Boyd K. Packer

The American Story: Why Failing to Teach History is Bad for Democracy, by John Fund, writing for the Wall Street Journal.

Honorary Unsubscribe recognizes the unknown, the forgotten and the obscure people who had an impact on our lives. Very interesting short biographies.

Concerned Women for America - The nation's largest public policy women's organization.

Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House (Paperback) Includes the original survey, plus a foreword by William Bennett, an essay on each president, and a series of thematic essays on presidential leadership.

The Sisterhood, Defrocked: Women Who Make the World Worse
Kate O'Beirne provides a reality check for anyone who thinks "feminist" means "pro-woman."

Download Learning

Download Learning offers free software lessons on "common knowledge" in social studies, science, fine arts, language arts and more. For example, which president wrote the Declaration of Independence? What country is the birthplace of the Olympics?

"These questions are examples of common knowledge," write the friendly folks at Download Learning, "Knowledge that we all know. Or do we? What we consider common knowledge often is not -- especially for our children." Download Learning offers their free download service without cost or obligation. No subscription is required. Knowledge cannot be common unless it is shared. Over the past few years, more than 70 titles have been posted here for free download.

Just for fun, check out your common knowledge.

Click here for the download calendar.

"I say unto you there is a test, a test, a TEST coming, and who will be able to stand?"

"I feel a good deal, or at least I imagine I do, like a man does when held up by a burglar and he is looking into the muzzle of a six-shooter. I would quietly and willingly hold my hands up, but during the time would think very profoundly of what I would do if given my liberty. We are in a similar position today, but all the men in the United States cannot prevent a man from thinking. There are not Apostles enough in the Church to prevent us from thinking, and they are not disposed to do so; but some people fancy because we have the Presidency and Apostles of the Church they will do the thinking for us.

"There are men and women so mentally lazy that they hardly think for themselves. To think calls for effort, which makes some men tired and wearies their souls. Now, brethren and sisters, we are surrounded with such conditions that it requires not only thought, but the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Latter-day Saints, you must think for yourselves. No man or woman can remain in this Church on borrowed light. I am a strong believer in the following statement made by my father in the House of the Lord in 1856:

"'We think we are secure in the chambers of the everlasting hills, but the time will come when we will be so mixed up that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall; for I say unto you there is a test, a test, a TEST coming, and who will be able to stand?'

"I think we are able to decide these matters for ourselves, through the grace and favor of the Lord. We ought to know where we stand. There are a multitude of thoughts springing up into the minds of the people regarding our present condition, and as for myself, I believe if we, as Latter-day Saints, those of us who have a testimony, will testify that Jesus is the Christ and Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, it will bring us all the trouble we can stand. At least, that has been my experience. Our special mission and calling is to see to it that all peoples and nations hear the glad tidings of great joy." (Elder J. Golden Kimball, Conference Report, April 1904, p.28).

Never in the entire history of the world has there been anything to compare, even in slight degree, with the great flood of worldly knowledge that has swept the globe in modern times. Marvelous advances have taken place in every field -- scientific, historical, sociological, artistic, medicinal, governmental, economic, inventive, atomic, judicial, and so on ad infinitum -- all of which has been according to the great foreordained plan for man on earth. These advances were withheld and reserved for the final age of the earth's temporal continuance (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.724, Signs of the Times).

I think it is incumbent upon us to rejoice a little more and despair a little less, to give thanks for what we have and for the magnitude of God's blessings to us, and to talk a little less about what we may not have or what anxiety may accompany difficult times in this or any generation (Howard W. Hunter, An Anchor to the Souls of Men, Classic Speeches, p.129).

These really are our days, and we can prevail and overcome, even in the midst of trends that are very disturbing. If we are faithful the day will come when those deserving pioneers and ancestors, whom we rightly praise for having overcome the adversities in their wilderness trek, will praise today's faithful for having made their way successfully through a desert of despair and for having passed through a cultural wilderness, while still keeping the faith.

We can make of these days ahead 'days never to be forgotten' in the history of the Church. Ours can be 'a voice of gladness' even amid the stern but foreseen days of 'gloominess,' while being 'alive in Christ' in the living Church. (Neal A. Maxwell, If Thou Endure It Well, pp. 28-29; see Joseph Smith-History 1, footnote to verse 71; D&C 128:19; 2 Nephi 25:25)