The great and spacious building and me

When one gets to my age you often reflect on the past. Probably because there is more time in the past than there is in the mortal future.

I often think, what could I have done differently? Because of the veil of forgetfulness, which is drawn, we do not know things or see things as they really are. We are here to learn by our experience.

The great and spacious building represents the pride of the world. Babylon is also a representation of worldliness and we are urged to separate ourselves from it.

When I was growing up I was always active in the church. I did not voluntarily read the scriptures like many young people do today. It was not stressed. We did hold family night, but not like it is outlined today. We knelt in family prayer in a circle. We went to church. We occasionally had gospel-centered discussions, usually when the missionaries came to eat dinner. We read the Book of Mormon sitting around the dinner table.

We lived in the world and did not realize how much of an impact it had on the lives of the people around us. The distinction between evil and good was not as crass as it is now. Thus many of the things were considered acceptable, which in retrospect, were things which I would not accept today.
 
Living in Lander where the church was not established allowed me to attain a spiritual growth that was best for me. Yet the great and spacious building and its influences were there. What I was missing was the iron rod. I now realize more than ever before how much spiritual strength and insight one can gain from consistent scripture study.

I went away to college and even though there were many members of the church around me and I was still active in the church, there was more of the influence of the world, which went unrecognized.
It was not until I went to Germany on my mission that I made an effort to grasp the iron rod. It seemed as though I wanted to know every thing about the church and the gospel. I read the scriptures with my companions. I read by myself. They call that personal gospel study now.

This did not suddenly get me along the straight and narrow path, but it kept me out of the river of filthy water.

Still there were the temptations, which are part of our mortal existence. That is why we are here.
The mocking of other people of my beliefs started on my mission. We went to a Lutheran bible study class to explain our beliefs. We read the articles of faith to them and the person who represented the other faith mocked the wording of third article of faith. The great and spacious building was alive and well in Hildesheim, but I heeded not.

There was a plethora of anti-Mormon literature in the German language. One of the books was "Mysten, Maurer, und Mormonen". Translated into English the title is Mystics, Masons, and Mormons. Then there was an article in a national magazine called "Westwart zogen die Mormonen". This article caused at least one of the members that I knew to seriously doubt the truthfulness of the church and the restored gospel. I read these attacks against the church. I wanted to be prepared to defend the church and the restored gospel of Christ. There were other books” Seher Grübler und Enthusiasten” and “Was Galuben Die Andern” that put the church in a bad light.

In Flensburg I read "The teachings of the prophet Joseph Smith" in German. It was a book that I didn't know about previously. I have since read it in English.

While I was in Goslar I found a stash of old Improvement Eras and discovered a series of articles by Hugh Nibley. They outlined the apostasy from the true church of Christ. I could not get enough. I decided that I would take a class from Nibley when I got home from my mission.

I had previously read the “Great Apostasy” by James Barker when I was a junior and senior in high school. Since there were not many priesthood bearers in Lander all the priesthood bearers met together and brother Farthing taught the lessons.
 
Although these readings helped me to gain a better understanding of the great and spacious building, it was reading the scriptures that kept me from being led off the straight and narrow track.

I have since read many articles and books by those opposed to the church and its teachings. If I had questions, I would go to the revealed word in the scriptures to find my answers.  I had been given an extra measure of the spirit of discernment.  I could tell if something was false without knowing why. 

When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden they partook of the fruit of a tree, which gave them the opportunity to know good from evil.  They never were beguiled again and so we as their descendants are given that gift, if we choose to inquire of the Lord.

Now, my beloved grandchildren, you will probably come up against the teachings of Babylon and the influence of the great a spacious building in your life.  I have written these letters to you to help you know that the church and its teachings are true.  Pay no heed to the philosophies of men and the detractors and those who mock from the great and spacious building.  Build your testimony on the Iron Rod of the word of God and you will never be lead astray.

Use the gift of discernment.  It is your right to cultivate it.

Love,

Grandpa

A family mission statement

Last month I attended Roots Tech conference. One of the speakers there talked about the fact that each large corporation or business had a mission statement. This gives direction to the company and a guide to where decisions will lead.
Each of us should have received an individual mission statement. We call it a patriarchal blessing. This is not like going to a fortuneteller. It is a declaration of possibilities and occasionally a warning of things that may cause problems in our lives.
For my eightieth birthday my children put together a book, which probably defines our family mission statement as well as anything, I could have put together. I am sorry that we did not do this earlier in our family life, but I think we gave each of our children the impression of what we expected of them.
We had a number of family rules. Two or three times a year we would hold a family home evening and rehearse the rules. Every one knew what was expected of them.
The Lord has a mission statement for us as outlined in the scriptures. “ And we will prove them I think it is better for each of us to fashion our family mission statement that is congruent with the gospel.
Here are the things that are in our family mission statement. These are listed not necessarily in order of importance except the first.

Faith in God and in his son Jesus Christ
Being married in the temple, then always have a current temple recommend.
Serving a mission
Learning a foreign language
Having a college education
Having family home evening
Reenacting the nativity at Christmas
An extra ordinary interest in food

There are other things that could be added to the Gee Family Mission Statement.

What is your personal mission statement?  What will you have for your family mission statement?

Think about it!

Love Grandpa

What it means to be a Gee

I was asked to write this in 2014 when I turned eighty and it was included in the book prepared by my children entitled " What it Means to be a Gee". 

Future generations will not have access to the book.  This may be then made available to my future descendants who will not have this little essay. These are not necessarily ranked in order of importance.  I could probably add to this, but this will suffice.

Recently they ran a series of articles in the Deseret News on the Ten Commandments. In one article on the ninth commandment written by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach he said, "A man or a woman can be stripped of every possession save one: their good name, their most prized possession of all."

Brigham Young in speaking about being a good father said,” Take this course and you will secure to yourselves an honorable name on earth among the good and the pure; you will maintain your integrity before heaven, and prove yourselves worthy of a high state of glory when you get through with this world.” 14:200.

It is difficult to discuss this without giving some examples from the lives of my predecessors. It means that I have descended from a long line of noble ancestors. Because they paved the way, I am indebted to them and the example they set.

It means I believe in God the Eternal Father. 

Solomon Gee our first American ancestor believed in a God and wrote a poem so stating. As far as I can determine his Gee line for nine generations have had that belief. It means I believe in God

It means I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and as such I should try to emulate His example.

It means I am not perfect, but I am striving to keep the commandments so that I can be perfected in Christ.

It means I can be trusted.

It means I am honest in what I say and in my dealings with my fellow men. My grandfather Gee was a trusted public servant. He ran for public office after he was eighty years of age.

It means I will follow the prophet. When Salmon Gee was dying he admonished his children to follow the church wherever it went.

It means I support the general and local authorities of the church. Lysander Gee risked being caught by the mob around Liberty jail to deliver a message from the prophet Joseph Smith to the leaders in Far West.

It means that I will serve where I am called and do what I can to build up the kingdom of God. Salmon Gee was a general authority in the early days of the church. He was released from that position to serve elsewhere.

It means that I have no favorites among my children or grandchildren or their children.

It means that I try to be refined in my language and behavior, because I have a Heavenly Father who is refined.

It means that I enjoy good music. My parents and grandparents enjoyed listening to good classical music including opera and had recordings of this music when they could afford it. My parents supported community concerts in Lander to bring in talented artists to the city. I helped to bring in the Utah symphony orchestra to play in Lander. All my Gee uncles had good voices and sang.

It means that I love my wife with all my heart.

It means that I am interested in seeing those of my posterity and my family obtain an education commensurate with their desire. My grandparents were educated for their time and saw all their sons graduate from college. Three of the five had advanced degrees. My brothers both had doctorate degrees.

It means that I will never stop learning new things. My father learned to turn spindles on a lathe to create a railing for the house in Paris when he was in his later years.

It means that I am not afraid of physical labor. I will give a days work for a days pay. All of my ancestors worked doing physical labor most of their life. My father had a garden until he moved to Bountiful. Lysander was a plasterer and did construction work until he became an attorney and labored as well.

It means I am true to the principles of liberty and to the constitution of the United States. Solomon Gee served in the French and Indian war. William Gee was in the revolutionary war. Lysander was a justice of the peace. I served in the navy.

It means that I enjoy well-prepared food and enjoy eating it.

It means that I enjoy art and have some paintings and other art in my home to appreciate.

It means that I oppose tyranny. Solomon Gee jumped ship and came to the United States because the captain if the ship that he was on whipped his men.

It means that I am trusting but not gullible.

It means that that I am self reliant with the Lord's help and do not ask people to do what I can do for myself.

It means that I will try to be compassionate to those around me.

It means that the service that I render will never be convenient. It means that the fasting in behalf of others and myself will never be convenient.

It means that I will strengthen those around me and lift them to a higher plane.

It means I have been given a good name.

God's scoreboard

God's scoreboard

As I have been pondering a statement made by someone recently, I have come to the conclusion that there is a misconception about deeds that we do in this life.

It is often represented is a phrase from a hymn, "do what is right". The phrase is "angels above us are silent notes taking of every action, then do what is right."

We get a picture from this that there is a scoreboard in heaven for each of us and that our assigned angel is marking down each good thing we do and every time we make a mistake or do something bad up comes a black mark on our heavenly scoreboard.

Then there is a scripture in D&C 127:4 indicating that if we do the right thing we will not loose our reward.

It is my feeling that the scoreboard is not kept in heaven, but within our souls. We term it our heart for want of a better term. Not the four-chambered muscular organ that beats within our thorax, but as the scriptures put it the fleshy tables of our heart.

The Egyptians represented this in hieroglyphics by a scale and the heart was placed on the scale and weighed.

 
Our spirit, or to be somewhat incorrect our souls, become the repository of our actions. When we do a good turn or help someone in need, it changes our heart and makes us more like Christ. If we do not continue to practice that virtue, then it is like the parable of the talents. It may be taken from us.
Because we are living, we have to make those virtues within us living as well.

The same is true of that evil that we do. It becomes part of us and of our character. Thus we are the literal scoreboards of our actions both good and evil.
 
A quote from Shakespeare might well fit here. “The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves…”

Abrahamic tests did not stop with Abraham. The prophet Joseph Smith said that every righteous person will undergo the Abrahamic test. This is an individualized challenge to each of God's children here on the earth to see if we love the Lord and no two challenges are the same for we are all different.

Thus, we are building our own house so to speak, brick by brick and we are the results of the experiences and deeds done in this life. We are the results our actions.

So, my beloved grandchildren act well.

Love,
Grandpa

Proverbial Proverbs

Recent events have caused me to think about something that I have wanted to write about for a long time. There is in the book of Proverbs some advice that transcends time and the place where it was written. This particular chapter was attributed to Solomon the son of king David, who was granted, by the Lord, the gift of wisdom.

In the book of proverbs in the Old Testament there is a statement of things which the Lord hates and are an abomination to Him.

Proud look
Lying tongue
Shedding innocent blood
Wicked imaginations
Running into mischief
Speaking lies (Here the Luther translation gives it as swearing a false oath)
Sowing discord among the brethren

Proud look
In the news today there was a man called to testify before congress. He was anything but humble. He sneered and refused to answer the questions and derided the congressmen on social media.

Lying tongue
If you note lying is mentioned twice. A good definition of lying is; any communication with the intent to deceive.
Although this man refused to answer, he was lying. The Fifth Amendment to the constitution allows us to not say anything that would incriminate us, but if he had not done anything wrong, he would not have to have had to take that dodge from the truth.

Shedding innocent blood

Most of us will never have to worry about shedding innocent blood in the sense of taking another persons life. But there is another meaning that most people do not think about. It is assenting to the crucifixion of Christ and putting Him up to open shame. We are to bear witness of Christ at all times and in all places. We bear witness verbally and silently by our actions. When we covenant to keep the commandments, we are expected to be an example of the believers.

Wicked imaginations

One need only look on the Internet to see the plethora of wicked imaginations. They invite and entice us to wander on wicked paths. One of the prominent plagues of our day is pornography. This is a wicked imagination of huge proportion. Movies and television now declare that it is acceptable to have premarital sex and engage in immoral behavior with members of the same gender. Even House Hunters, which is a relative innocuous show on the Home and Garden Channel will show same sex couples looking for homes together and unmarried couples who are living together looking for a new place to live.  This gives the impression to those watching that such behavior is socially acceptable, but it is not in the Lord’s sight and will eventually lead to misery and woe as the Lord has declared.

Running into mischief

I cannot leave this train of thought without mentioning the fact that many of us run into mischief. The greatest ill of the day in this regard is public criticism of each other. A quote from the movie "Bambi" seems appropriate here. "What did your father say Thumper? If you can't say somthin’ nice, don't say nothin’ at all!"  One only needs to watch the political debates to see hate and vitriol spew from the mouths of certain of the candidates.

Speaking lies (Luther translation gives it as swearing a false oath)

We had a president of the United States whose wife is now running for president appear before congress and swear that he did not commit adultery, when in fact he perjured himself. This seems to be a blot on the character of many in our nation.

Sowing discord among the brethren

I read today in the anti-Mormon newspaper that they wanted people to post online if they had gone through a crisis of faith in the LDS church. If this is not sowing discord, I would be surprised. In a recent movie there was a line that stood out to your grandmother and me. "Would it help?" That reminded me of a reply that I got from Elder Packer when I asked him about a personal problem that a member of the stake was having. He responded, "What good would it do?" What good will sharing your personal problems on social media or on a comment page of a newspaper do?  Would it help? Things like this only destroy faith and testimony; they do not build individual commitment.
There will always be people around you who fit into one or more of those categories. The opposition will be more and louder to try and get you to loose your focus on Christ and His gospel.
Let us remember the things that are an abomination to our Heavenly Father and order our lives accordingly.

Love,

Grandpa

The man on the frontrunner

The man on the frontrunner

The other night we were riding the frontrunner. The frontrunner is an intercity train running from Ogden on the north to Provo on the south.

On the train was a man facing us. He was disheveled and unshaven. We could hear him conversing with a man facing him. His language was crude and loud.

I thought to myself that he really did not know or appreciate who he really was. Each and every person here on the earth is a child of God and as such has the opportunity to become like him.

What would you do if someone came up to you and told you that you were in reality a prince or a princess, the son or daughter and heir or heiress of a king?  How would you feel? Would you act any differently? Would you dress any differently? Would your language be more refined?

What would have happened if I had approached this man on the frontrunner and addressed him as "Your Highness". He probably would have thought I was crazy and called the police or train security. If I told him that God was his father, he would have thought I was delusional.

The fact that I would have been right would have made no impression on him and would not have changed his behavior, because he did not know who he really was.

I have to revert to my high school English class for a quote that seems appropriate here.

“O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An' foolish notion.”

Robert Burns

I have altered this quote to read as follows;

Oh would some power give us the gift to see ourselves as God sees us.  It would free us from many blunders and foolish notions.

I have found that this is one of the most difficult things to do in this life.  We cannot keep the perspective in mind that we are a child of God and that everyone around us is as well.

Learn who you really are. (And act accordingly)

Love,

Grandpa

The Natural Man

Background for this Blog post:

Some years ago my daughter was concerned because one of the missionaries from her mission committed suicide.  He found he was attracted to persons of the same sex.

There has been a lot in the news recently about same sex marriage and gay rights.  I wrote this as an answer to her question.  Since that time I have made some additions and corrections.  In this world we are given agency.  We can keep the commandments or we can disregard them and be much like the three-year old child and say, “Me do it my own way.” There are only two ways in this world, the right way or the Lord’s way and the wrong way.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell put it this way; the commandments are given to us to keep us from hurting ourselves and other people. He also said, “Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel.”

Just because we have allowed people to sin by entering into homosexual relationships does not make it right in the eyes of our creator.  There are dire consequences to this behavior, which cannot be avoided in this life and in the life to come.

I sensed that the suicide of one of the elders from your mission who was having an identity problem may have troubled you and I have tried to write down some of my thoughts about this with perhaps a different sort of approach that is usually taken. 

We were over in the Czech republic visiting with the mission president and his wife and the subject somehow turned to a mutual acquaintance who also happened to be a physician.  He had recently been to visit the mission president and had told the sad story of how he decided that he was gay and couldn’t help it.  He lost his family and membership in the church and although he had been a stake president, he failed to understand fully the plan of the Lord and the simple truths taught in the Book of Mormon.  The mission president was also a bit confused and upset about the state of his friend.
There are two scriptures in the Book of Mormon that come to mind that are worthwhile examining in depth.  The first is found in Mosiah and is well known and quoted often.
|v18 For behold he judgeth, and his judgment is just; and the infant perisheth not that dieth in his infancy; but men drink damnation to their own souls except they humble themselves and become as little children, and believe that salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

|v19 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

|v20 And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come when the knowledge of the Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.

|v21 And behold, when that time cometh, none shall be found blameless before God, except it be little children, only through repentance and faith on the name of the Lord God Omnipotent.
    (Book of Mormon: Mosiah 3:18-21)
I have some thoughts on the scripture a natural man is an enemy to God.  The main points are that since the fall of Adam a change came over man and he will be cut off unless he putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint and yield to the enticings of the spirit.  He will be estranged from God.
The combination of mortality and a spirit allow men to be able to experience and then to choose.  In 2 Nephi, Lehi explains that in order to be able to choose that we must be enticed by the one or the other.
Mortal bodies are not all the same.  Some are more responsive to certain stimuli than others.  Examples of the differences in response to stimuli are; pain tolerance, ticklishness and hunger.  There are also different tastes and different appetites.  Some like asparagus and some cannot abide it.  The human nervous system is made to respond to stimuli.  Therefore some are pleased and enjoy tennis and some do not find it enjoyable at all.  Each one is different in his response to that which is enticing.
The statement that some people make “That is the way I am.” is a rationalization or excuse for unacceptable behavior and it is to a certain extent true.  The natural man or mortal man is carnal, sensual and inclined to do evil.  He must learn to rely on the Lord for instruction and guidance.  Those are His commandments, which will point man the way to happiness.  (Man is that he might have joy).  If left to his own desires without the guidance by the spirit from God, man will seek to satisfy the mortal body and its urges and desires.  Thus we have all manner of transgressors of the law who yield not to the enticings of the spirit, but to their own mortal nature and desires.  They become confused because they seek the answer to their problems outside the framework of the gospel and its principles.  They fail to ponder and thus are as Laman and Lemuel and say, “The Lord revealeth no such things unto us.” 
They then cannot understand their own natures or the nature of the atonement. They, as a consequence, become disillusioned with life and with their state.  They cannot understand that without the strength given by the Lord they remain a captive or in a bondage state or in other words in the bondage of sin.  Captivity seems to be a theme in the scriptures. Thus the numerous references to the captivity in Egypt and also the various times the Nephites were held captive.   Without the Lord and the atonement we remain held captive and it is only the Lord that can break those bonds.  It is only the Lord who can plant in us the desire never to do evil and to look upon sin with abhorrence. We are not able to do it alone.
There are many ways to sin.  The scriptures tell us that we cannot tell how many ways there are.  The reason for this is that man and his weaknesses are so varied.  Let us here mention a few that come immediately to my mind. The following are things that all play upon the stimulation of the sensations of the mortal body and have been proscribed by the Lord; the word of wisdom (alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea), drugs, pornography, adultery, fornication, violence (including murder), masturbation, and homosexuality.  We are to learn to control these feelings and to make our body responsive to the spirit who takes its strength and guidance from the Lord.  For some people these may not even be a temptation, but they have other weaknesses. We all have weaknesses and are in a mortal and fallen state.
The following scripture is interesting in that it tells us first what kind of sins and transgressions there are in the world and then uses the same word enticings to relate the fact that not only can the Lord through his spirit entice us to do good, Satan can also entice us to do evil and prey on the weakness of the flesh.
|v23 And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.

|v24 And if they will not repent and believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they must be damned; for the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has spoken it.

|v25 Wherefore, he has given a law; and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them, because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him.

|v26 For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them, that they are delivered from that awful monster, death and hell, and the devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment; and they are restored to that God who gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

|v27 But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!

|v28 O that cunning plan of the evil one!  O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men!  When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not.  And they shall perish.

|v29 But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

|v30 But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world.  For because they are rich they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore, their treasure is their God.  And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also.

|v31 And wo unto the deaf that will not hear; for they shall perish.
|v32 Wo unto the blind that will not see; for they shall perish also.
|v33 Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart, for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day.
|v34 Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell.
|v35 Wo unto the murderer who deliberately killeth, for he shall die.
|v36 Wo unto them who commit whoredoms, for they shall be thrust down to hell.
|v37 Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them.
|v38 And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.

|v39 O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one.  Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.
|v40 O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words.  Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.  Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker.  I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.
|v41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One.  Remember that his paths are righteous.  Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

|v42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches--yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

|v43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever--yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.
    (Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi 9:23-43)

The Lord gives men weaknesses:
We really should understand that we came into this world mortal and we will go out mortal.  The Lord has so decreed it, but we were commanded to come unto him so that our mortality could put on immortality and in addition eternal life.
|v27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

|v28 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me--the fountain of all righteousness.
    (Book of Mormon: Ether 12:27-28)
We often look at this scripture as an explanation of our minor imperfections and to give us a hope that the Lord will strengthen us and nothing more.  It means much much more.  It is an explanation of the basic doctrine set forth in Mosiah.  We are imperfect (mortal) and were meant to be after the fall.  We have to understand that a combination of a mortal body and an immortal spirit requires a refinement, which can only be accomplished by the Lord.  We can try, but we cannot succeed without the atonement of Christ.  Too often we leave this important element out of the equation.
Why do some respond to homosexual exposures and others not.  The sexual desire is one of the strongest in man.  Not everyone has the same level of sexual desire, just as some have larger physical frames than others.  Like any appetite, it can be stimulated by reinforcement.  If the repetitive reinforcement is not there then it will be dormant and diminish.  We could use the same argument to explain the chronic liar, the thief, the adulterer, the murderer, and any other person who is at odds with the commandments of God.  At first we are given light and truth and we have the words of the prophets.  Then when we disobey.  Satan commeth and taketh away the light and truth through disobedience (D&C 93).  We are then left to respond to the enticings, which come over our mortal body.  We can respond to the enticings of the spirit, who leads us to the Lord through the atonement, or we can respond to the enticings of the devil and respond to the mortal body and its desire for stimulation and deny the atonement.  There is no middle ground in this battle.  A Lamanite king who was responsible for the murders of many of his servants and perhaps many other people put it better than I can express it.  “I will give up all my sins to know thee.”  And the great thing was, that it happened.  He did give up all his sins and he knew the Lord. We also have to give up our sins.  When we teach in the church all the wonderful doctrine and the history and try to convince people to live in a certain way, if we do not teach them that without the cleansing power of the atonement we cannot overcome mortality and its attendant tendency to make us less than we would like to be, then we have failed and people like your missionary lose hope and do not see a way out of their dilemma.  And thus he (Satan) binds them with his awful chains and leads them carefully down to hell.
The model, which is portrayed by the children of Israel out in the wilderness, is a type and shadow of our relationship with the Father.  Jehovah came down and offered to be their God and to sustain them in a spiritual sense.  As it were, they would have died in the wilderness had he not provided nourishment (Manna) and water.  That many people out in the Sinai desert without food or water was a travesty.  The Lord provided for them and they had to rely totally upon Him. 
We are also, as it were, in a desert.  The Lord provides us living water and the bread of life.  We have to learn to put our total trust in Him and listen to his counsel..  The manna that he gives to us is the gospel to nourish our souls.  Without that we die spiritually because we are enticed to do evil rather than good.

So my grandchildren keep the commandments and know that without them we are left to our appetites and ourselves and we will not avoid the consequences of our behavior. Also be acquainted with the scriptures.  They will never lead you astray.

Love,

Grandpa