Blogger of Jared

When shopping online, is it honest to use promotional/coupon codes found via Google?

Let me explain.  While shopping online for Christmas gifts this year, I found that many websites had a field on the order form for promo codes.  Having seen promo codes on mailers and catalogs (including the last Deseret Book catalog we received), I thought I’d search Google for promo codes of sites like Amazon.com, Best Buy, Avon, and even Deseret Book.

Amazingly, I learned that a host of websites allow people to post promo codes they learn about.  I tried a few of the codes people posted and found they worked!  I could save 5% or more off the total price or get free shipping.

But then I started to wonder if this was completely honest.  One could argue they are like coupons you use in the grocery store.  I see no problem with clipping and sharing coupons.  Manufacturers typically print a fixed number of coupons in various geographic markets to encourage people to buy their products in retail stores.  They don’t allow copies of coupons, only originals.  Manufacturers then track the redemption rate to see how effective the coupons were and adapt their marketing campaigns accordingly.

However, promo codes are not exactly like traditional coupons.  The main difference lies in the fact that promo codes can be so easily copied and distributed electronically.  If a manufacturer or retailer develops a promotional campaign and wants to track its effectiveness, sharing promo codes online can skew the results.  For example, if a company advertises on a radio program and encourages listeners of the program to use a particular promo code on the company’s website, sharing the code with non-listeners could artificially inflate the success of the radio ad program.

In a 2004 General Conference address, Elder Wirthlin reminded us that “We are a people of integrity. We believe in honoring our debts and being honest in our dealings with our fellow men.”  Am I overthinking this?  Is it OK to use any promo codes I can find online because manufacturers know they can be easily copied and shared?  Or should I restrict my use to only those codes I receive or hear about in an ad?

I’m conflicted….

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What is hope?

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf answers this question beautifully in his General Conference address entitled, “The Infinite Power of Hope.”  Sprinkled throughout his talk are the following statements on hope:

Hope is

• One leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity
• A gift of the Spirit
• Both a principle of promise as well as a commandment
• Continue reading »

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Earl sat alone in the hospital waiting room. All he could do now is worry and wait. He had been a total wreck since his dear wife had passed out. The men in the ambulance were not sure what had happened to her. Was it a heart attack? A stroke? Earl had not been given any instructions other than to stand back, and wait here.

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I’ve been thinking recently about the situation of people who live in poverty, particularly given the current recession.  Several related issues in the press have factored into my thoughts.  One issue is the share of taxes that the wealthy should bear.  Another issue, at least in Maryland where I work, is whether the state should allow slot machines, ostensibly to raise money for education, and whether it amounts to a regressive tax.

These issues lead me to think about tithing and whether it’s fair to ask all people, regardless of income level, to pay the same percentage of their income to the Church.  I have always believed tithing to be a true commandment of God and have always believed in the reality of the blessings promised in the scriptures.

But these recent political issues lead me to think more about the temporal blessings of faithful Church activity and obedience to all the laws of God including tithing.  After reviewing these blessings, I’ve come to the conclusion that on a temporal level alone, obedience to these laws which necessarily includes tithing is not only fair but may end up being a greater benefit to those in lower income levels.

I’ll list below many of the temporal benefits offered to faithful Saints by the Church.  These are difficult to quantify, so my conclusion is largely subjective.  Nevertheless, if one were able to add up the value of the temporal blessings gained by faithful Church activity of Saints living in lower income levels, it would likely outweigh the cost of tithing paid by those Saints.

1. Word of Wisdom savings.  This may be the easiest to quantify on a personal level.  Those who join the Church and give up coffee, tea, alcohol, and tobacco can easily add up the savings.  In Bankrate.com’s list of Top 10 money drains, coffee, cigarettes, and alcohol made up the top three.  According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.  However, coffee drinkers averaged 3.2 cups per day.  That works out to $1,611 per year!  Cigarette smokers pay even more.  According to Bankrate.com, the average price for a pack of cigarettes is $4.54. Smoking one pack a day costs $1,660 a year at that price.  The cost of alcohol can top both coffee and tobacco.  While the price of drinks varies by type and location, assuming an average of $5 per beer (with tip), buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar.  Clearly, for people in a lower tax bracket, giving up these three vices can easily save more than what they would pay in tithing.
2. Church welfare assistance.  Many wards in the U.S. have members who may need assistance from time to time due to job loss, economic crisis, divorce, or death.  The value of groceries provided by the local bishop’s storehouse can easily add up into the thousands over the period during which the member received assistance.  During this period, members are encouraged to pay tithing even if their income is meager.
3. Perpetual Education Fund loans. In many parts of the world where a higher percentage of Saints live in poorer circumstances than do Saints in the U.S., the PEF offers a step up to a better life financially.  While these are loans, not grants, and must be paid back, the long-term value of these loans can easily exceed the value of the tithing paid by those who use them.  Note that PEF loans for school are only available to faithful members of the Church and may be the only opportunity many will have to obtain a better education.
4. Job assistance.  Wards and stakes have employment specialists who can assist members in finding work if unemployed or better work if underemployed.
5. Prophetic warnings and counsel.  Perhaps the greatest temporal benefit of faithful Church activity is the counsel provided by living prophets.  When a prophet warns that we must be prepared, following that counsel can lead to inestimable financial blessings.  This also applies to the counsel to become more self-reliant, to live within our means, to avoid all but the most necessary debt, to pay off debt as soon as possible, and to get a good education.

Paying tithing is a critical component of this blessings of Church membership.  In some cases, the benefits are only available to full-tithe payers.  In other cases, one doesn’t have to pay tithing to benefit, but the faithful payment of tithes will help one to have the guidance of the spirit necessary to fully enjoy the blessings offered.

In addition, while financial wealth is not promised, the Lord truly does prosper his people by opening the windows of heaven.  Faithful members of the Church sometimes lose their jobs, incur terrible debt from medical problems, lose their homes to fire and other disasters, or suffer from economic downturns.  However, paying tithing may help some to avoid such difficult circumstances and will certainly help members to better cope with these challenges should they arise.  President Joseph F. Smith said:

“… one of the best ways that I know of to pay my obligations to my brother, my neighbor, or business associate, is for me first to pay my obligations to the Lord. I can pay more of my debts to my neighbors, if I have contracted them, after I have met my honest obligations with the Lord, than I can by neglecting the latter; and you can do the same. If you desire to prosper, and to be free men and women and a free people, first meet your just obligations to God, and then meet your obligations to your fellowmen. Bishop Hunter used to put the matter in these words: “Brethren, pay your tithing and be blessed”, and that is just what I mean.” (Conference Report, Apr. 1903, p. 2)

More recently, Elder James E. Faust said:

“One of the greatest lessons I have learned during my lifetime about doing the best things in the worst times is that people who pay their tithing in both difficult times and good times get along better. They simply have fewer problems; there are fewer family problems and fewer financial problems. Their outlook is more positive, their ability to do and function is increased, and they prosper spiritually as well as temporally.” (“Doing the Best Things in the Worst Times,” Ensign, Aug. 1984, 41)

My conclusion, then, is that paying a full tithe is fair to ask of everyone, rich and poor alike.  All are blessed in innumerable ways, but more especially the poor relative to their current condition temporally.  The law of tithing has been a great blessing to me and my family throughout my life during periods of poverty and prosperity and continues to bless my life.  I know it is a true principle of faith and power.

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As a member of the HP Group Leadership, I accepted an assignment to work with ward leaders to identify individuals on the ward roster who nobody seems to know – the “Lost Sheep” – so that we can reach out to them. What I thought would be a quick problem to solve turned into a complex and ongoing challenge. As many wards probably face this same problem, I’ll share my experiences here.

I don’t know how these individuals fell through the cracks exactly, but I think it happened in one of two ways. First, institutional knowledge has disappeared over time. It seems that over the years, as ward leaders were released and new leaders called, our knowledge of some less-active members left with leaders who were released. Second, as records of less active members were transferred to our ward, for whatever reason, ward leaders never made contact with these individuals.

My challenge was to find out who nobody knows. I learned quickly that in many cases, a less active family or individual was known to one organization (usually the Relief Society) but not to the others (usually the Priesthood quorums). To tackle this problem, therefore, I took the current ward roster and invited the R.S., Elders Quorum, and High Priest Group leaders, along with former leaders, to review the roster with me.

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“The Anderson’s are sure a nice couple”, said Earl’s wife.

“Yes they are”, replied Earl.

“They moved here from California, you know”, she added.

“What part?”, asked Earl.

“San Francisco, I think. I wonder why they don’t have any children?”

“Maybe they can’t.”, Earl suggested.

“Or maybe they don’t want children yet.”, she offered.

“It’s really none of our business.”, Earl concluded. His wife was often talking about people. So much of it was idle speculation and gossip. But what else is an old couple, married this long, supposed to talk about?

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In my previous post about certainty, I wrote that the feeling of being certain, of having the right answer, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have that right answer–that feeling certain is an emotion, one which can get in the way of humility and learning.

It’s natural to ask how this squares with having a testimony of the gospel.  After all, the gospel isn’t something which can be rationally proven, right?

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[Earl is sitting in the middle of a couch with a full time missionary on either side. A distinguished looking man named Philip Silver sits in a comfortable chair across the room. An elegant coffee table separates them.]

“Do you have any questions Mr. Silver?”, asked Elder Gorda.

“Well, there has always been a question I have had about religion.”, replied Mr. Silver, “How can you believe in a God, when there is so much evil going on in the world?”

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Coach Bronco Mendenhall was on the Jim Rome Show, a national sports radio show, earlier this month.  His interview showed how great a tool BYU football is for missionary work and it reflects Bronco’s awareness of his responsibilities as the head coach of BYU’s football team.  During the interview, Bronco said, “Football here is such a visible part of the institution, and maybe … the flag-bearer … of the institution.”

Throughout the interview, Bronco made several references to the Church, the gospel, and the principles that BYU represents.  Except where specifically quoted, the following examples are paraphrased from Bronco’s interview: Continue reading »

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So, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we know that we know things.  Not how we prove them, but how we internalize that knowledge, how we accept that something’s correct.

It seems to me that certainty is an emotion, that we “feel” certain about something the same way we might feel anger, or joy, or sadness.  It’s part of how our mind communicates back to itself something about its current pattern of thought; you might think of a driver who cut you off this morning, and feel angry about it, or you might have some philosophical insight, and feel certain about it.

Like anger, the fact that one feels certain about something doesn’t mean that logically, that certainty is justified–many things might set off that emotion.  You can cultivate certainty, and you can cultivate uncertainty, the same way one might cultivate an angry or a peaceful response towards different situations.

Some amount of certainty is useful–otherwise it’d be hard to pick out shampoo at the grocery store (which is what got me started on this. :-)  But there’s a downside, too.

Once you feel certain about something, you’re less likely to keep learning.  You’re more likely to reject competing points of view.  My hunch is that people who cultivate certainty and decisiveness are more likely to be ignorant and foolish.

The antidote, as usual, can be found in the scriptures, where we’re admonished to be humble, to be teachable.  I realized last night a little more of what this means: that at the moment we feel certain about something, we have sinned, for certainty is a lack of humility and teachability.

So the best course is to cultivate humility as a response to that feeling of certainty.

That’s not to say we can’t make decisions; life must be lived.  What it means is that we need to be at peace with our decisions, going forward as best we can, while still remembering that those decisions may not be correct.  It means we must stay open to competing points of view, that we must stay humble and teachable, no matter how much we’re tempted in our certainty to shut out everything which might contradict our feeling.

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