The USA Immigration Problem - Not Enough Immigration

One of the bigger complaints we hear on immigration, is that the USA lets in more immigrants than any country in the world (oftentimes illegally), and therefore need to 'control' the volume of immigrants coming to our country. Or sometimes the argument is that we have too many 'illegal' immigrants already in our country and need to 'control' them further.

Senator Robert Bennett summarizes our challenge very well: "America's current immigration laws have been a failure. They have had the effect of either keeping out or disrupting the lives of people whom we want in our country. At the same time, they have been ineffective if not unenforceable with respect to those we don't want, such as criminals and those with no job prospects".

Let's take a look at some facts and history. 

Motivating Our Youth to Marry

With four daughters and one son about to exit their teen years - I have a big word always on my mind - MARRIAGE. I know that my kids have a built-in desire to marry; that doesn't concern me. What I find disturbing are the societal trends that are compelling more and more of our youth not to marry, or delay marriage until later in life - or worse yet, choose relationship alternatives to traditional church-sanctioned marriage.

If you don't believe me look around and see the massive demographic shift is happening before our eyes that is, by almost all accounts, unprecedented and unsustainable. Young people are postponing marriage and parenthood in such large numbers that our whole society is feeling the effects. Watch these videos to see how chronic the problem is.

Lesson in Honesty Worth $50,000

I missed this story when it came out last year, but it's worth repeating. It's remarkable because only the family new about this when it happened, and is an amazing example of how a small and simple decision to be honest can have great consequences.

Can you put a price on telling the truth?

For a hockey family in Minnesota, the cost turned out to be $50,000. After 11-year-old Nate Smith made an incredible, $50,000-winning shot in a hockey contest, his dad, Pat, admitted that his twins had made a switcheroo: Nick was supposed to take the ice.

They won't get the prize money, said the company that insured the event on Wednesday, but Thursday on TODAY Pat Smith said teaching his twin sons the right thing to do was priceless.

Don't forget the Small and Simple Things

I love and have great respect for Elder Russell M. Ballard. I met him while serving my mission in Texas in 1990. Ever since then I have benefited from his wise counsel in General Conference addresses. This is one of my favorites, and provides the theme for my blog. Coincidentally, he gave this address in April 1990, about the time I met him for the first time. It puts in perspective how small and apparently simple events have the largest impact on our lives.