Signs of a possible pedophile

I've made a list of a possible signs of a pedophile and how he or she may groom a child. Use your own judgment and the Spirit to determine what is useful from my list. The important element from all this is that the pedophile wants to isolate the child so he or she can abuse the child.

1. He or she may have a children's mecca away from people's line of sight.

2. He or she may obsessively volunteer to babysit children.

3. He or she may "change diapers" without informing a parent, or put the child to bed alone. This also prevents others from discovering any genital damage done to a baby.

4. He or she will isolate a child physically and emotionally.

5. He or she will manipulate and subtly threaten a child.

6. He or she may give away candy or toys in a secluded place.

7. He or she may host parties where children will be secluded in some way, like sitting on Santa's lap in a low visibility area.

Often, spouses or other loved ones will sometimes collaborate or try to hide the truth.  Family members are afraid of the truth because it will change their entire world view. The abusers and family members may orchestrate situations where someone else looks guilty.

Pedophiles are expert liars and manipulators. Their goal is to look trustworthy and deflect blame onto others. Anyone can be an abuser--the jolly-looking neighbor or relative, church leader, repairman, counselor, teacher, another child, etc. Most victims know their abuser.

Follow your gut instinct and the Spirit when protecting yourself and children. Children are so vulnerable. Stay calm if a child tells you anything. Get help from someone you trust. This is such a personal journey for each person.

If I Could

Christus Statue

Eighteen years ago, my mom received a call at 9 PM from a police officer that a relative was at the police station. This relative had been attacked at a job he was starting two hours away from us. In the middle of the night, we sped in almost half the time to the police station. My relative was highly perturbed when we arrived. After the attack, he had more difficulty, which leads me to believe he had PTSD.

On the drive home that night, I plotted a story in my mind for a new novel. I wrote it during and after school at the end of my senior year. The main characters were an orphan in a foster home and his female friend. The foster boy had been attacked by a football teammate. His friend wanted to help heal him, but she didn’t know how. The story has morphed over the years and I have yet to finish it. But I wrote a poem about how hopeless the friend felt to help her friend.

I realize that my teenage mind was processing how I felt toward my relative. I felt hopeless in helping him. I felt that only Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ fully knew his pain. Others have had similar suffering who can relate on a human level and can help. Yet only Jesus Christ understands my relative’s pain on an intimate and divine level (see Alma 7:11–13).

In general, this is for anyone who feels inadequate to help others through their pain and for those in pain.

If I could reach you, I would;
If you beseech me, I could.
If I could spare you the pain;
If you could share me your bane.

If I could free you from grief;
If you could see your belief.
If I could heal you I would;
If I could feel you, I could.

If I could save you this hour,
If I could have the right power.
If I could do all for you,
But I can’t do all for you.

Only Christ can heal your heart.
Only He can feel your part.
Only He can reach your soul.
Only he can make you whole.

For a poetical analysis, I created internal rhyme for the first two stanzas in addition to the end rhymes. The third stanza has save/have which look similar but have different vowel sounds. The next two have do on both lines. The first two lines in the final stanza have internal rhyme too. The internal rhyme emphasizes the verbs, the actions that the narrator can’t do, but what Jesus can do.

I employed anaphora, or repetition at the beginning of a phrase/sentence, for for most of the poem. I created a juxtaposition of if I could to but in line 12 and the fourth stanza initial repetition of only to emphasize Jesus’ power.

Looking at the first formant in vowels sound frequencies, I emphasized more high pitch vowels like /i/ in the beginning. The frequency changes to low vowels such as /u/ and /o/. The fourth stanza particularly has a rise and fall in the rhyming vowels. The /i/ in heel and feel change to mid-frequency vowel /a/ in heart and part. The final lines go from high frequency /i/ in he and reach to the low frequency of /o/ in soul and whole. The lower frequencies feel more soothing to my ear, so I wonder if I chose the final rhyme subconsciously to represent Jesus Christ’s healing power.

Jesus' Life from the Perspective of Pre-mortal Spirits

Narrator:

"Golden Angel" by George Hodan

At this time Christ descends,

I bid farewell to Him, my Friend.

As we tenderly embrace,

The tears roll down my swollen face.

Father: 

I love thee, my dear Son;

Our divine purpose makes us one.

Christ: 

Father, I love thee too;

I’ll share thy word in all I do.

Spirits: 

Goodbye Brother!

Goodbye Friend!

We wish thee well

‘Til thy journey’s end.

Goodbye Brother!

Goodbye Friend!

We love thee; we love thee!

To thy journey tend.

When Christ claims His birthright,

With joy, we illuminate the night!

Through a heavenly window,

We watch our Brother learn and grow.

Our hearts rejoice and sing

As John the Baptist baptizes our King.

Narrator: 

By the touch of His hand

Many do learn to understand.

Through faith He heals the blind

And those without a peace of mind.

Spirits:

At this moment in time—

Precious, vital, sublime—

Our Savior is put to the test,

To do His very best.

He could give up,

Not drink from the bitter cup.

After all, it’s His choice.

Humbly softly speaks His voice:

“Father thy will

"Jesus in Prayer" by Waiting for the Word

I will fulfill.”

Those words, that conviction,

This story, non-fiction.

He bleeds from every pore—

Not just a drop or two, but much more,

Every sin, every pain—

For many a worlds’ reign.

Narrator: 

Within Gethsemane,

Jesus the Christ lets out this plea:

Christ: 

Dear Father, can it be

This bitter cup can pass from me?

Father: 

But this work must be done

By thee my perfect elder Son.

Christ: 

Not my will, but thy will

Which I do my best to fulfill.

Father: 

Yes, my Son, yes that is right.

Thou canst do it; Thou art the Light.

Narrator:

 Upon His back lies our sin;

 He suffers so that we may win.

 No one can cry to sleep.

 Heavenly Father and Mother weep.

Pilate: 

King of Kings is the news;

Art thou then the king of the Jews?

Narrator: 

This reply from the Lamb:

Three Crosses

Christ: 

Thou sayest that a king I am.

I was born to this end

To bear of the truth to all men.

Narrator: 

“Crucify him!” they cheer.

No! Not my elder Brother dear!

They spit out such mean scorns.

They press on His head a crown of thorns.

How can they disdain

A love so clear, so great, so plain?

Yet I hear past their lies

Their spirits howling painful cries.

The Roman soldiers nail

Christ to the cross who paid their bail.

Christ: 

Dear Father, please forgive them

For they know not that they condemn.

I send my spirit into thy hands.

Father: 

Thou hast obeyed all my commands.

Now my heart extends to thee

In gratitude eternally!

Spirits:

In our hearts we agree,

Dear Savior, we thank thee!

Narrator:

The earth shudders.

Someone utters,

“Truly this was the Son of God.”

His body is not yet risen,

Mary at Tomb

He visits departed spirits in prison.

Mary Magdalene finds the empty tomb

And her heart fills with gloom.

But the risen Lord comes to Mary

For a short time to tarry.

We now know--

We are no longer bound to death.

We will have our second breath.

So begins a new story,

When he returns in full glory.

Prayer for Rain Answered

"Desert Rain" by Ronald Carlson

In scriptures, God has brought droughts in order to humble his people. In humility, they pray for life-giving water in the name of the Living Water.

I wrote this poem when I was in middle school or college as a response to the repeated prayers for rain in the red rock and juniper country of San Juan County, Utah. Sometimes, we had fasts for “moisture,” not even holding out for snow or rain all the time. We were thankful for sprinkles and a humid day. We really gave thanks to God when it rained or snowed. One time there was no rain or snow for six weeks during the winter. After a countywide fast and prayer, rain came from the heavens.

A blessing from heaven
Falls to the desert sod
Bringing to life
The creations of God.

The earth baptized
Renewed, immersed.
Many prayers answered 
To those with thirst.

I find it ironic that we ask for more rain in a desert. Of course, we need rain. God also knows not to give too much water to a desert because it just all washes away. The soil can only handle so much rain. To address that, nature brought beavers to damn rivers to store the water. Now humans build reservoirs to store the water.

But there are great reasons to live in the desert too!

Slimy Sucker

"Candy" by Parshotam Lal Tandon

The little worm slowly and painfully dies

As I penetrate its outer disguise.

Eaten bit by bit, three by three

Chomp                                    Chomp                                    Swish                          Swish

Slimy sections slide silently

                                          into

                                             the

                                              dark

                                               abyss.

I’m sure by now no life still lingers

In its squishy tail I roll between my fingers.

My eyes dance and glimmer and scoff

At the shiny end where I just bit off.

Before its utter destruction, I pause

Then into my mouth the last bit draws.

I wrote this poem as an assignment my sophomore year of high school. We were told to describe what it felt like eating a gummy worm.

Princess in Disguise

"Cinderella Looking at the Stars" by Jourden C

I can see it in your eyes;

You’re a princess in disguise—

A princess searching for a prince

To establish a new province.

Ever since your mortal birth,

You search for him here on earth.

Just when your chances seem too slim,

Unexpectedly, you meet him.

You two seal for eternity

In the sacred temple of God.

Your souls fill with serenity

As you raise children on gospel sod.

Together you create worlds

And bring about salvation

For your many boys and girls

Settling new nations.

I bet you never knew

What could unfold from you.

During high school, I wrote this poem after seeing the animated movie Anastasia. I struggled as a teenager to see my worth as a daughter of God. Writing this poem helped me remember there was more than just the trials of teen angst. I was of divine heritage. 

The poem is quite simplistic. I read the part "your souls fill with serenity" because of children. Where's the serenity when boys chase each other in the TV room? My children fill me with peace when they are asleep.

I know some of us women never marry or are divorced. In my religion, we believe that we can still marry when we are resurrected. I look back and feel this poem lacks a woman's reality I now understand better. I wrote another poem here to reflect women's roles that we can't always control.

Moses Told Gold: "Man Is Nothing"

by Eileen Davis

"Chain" by George Hodan

What a boost to my ego!

So what am I—a zero?

A zero times zero forever—

Will it equal anything ever?

The infinite root of infinity

Equals zero eternally.

Therefore, as nothing

One day, I will be everything.

My potential as zero

Is that of a goddess hero.

I wrote this in college after my roommate mentioned a calculus principle she learned--the infinite root of infinity is zero. I couldn't find this exact principle, but I found a similar calculus principle on this website. Basically, 1 divided by x by greater numbers approaching infinity will be closer to zero, but never zero.

The reference to Moses is found in the LDS scripture, The Pearl of Great Price (Moses 1:10). This is revelation Joseph Smith received while he was studying the Bible. Moses had beheld all the creations of God and realized that man is nothing compared to God. This experience taught Moses that because of God, we could all one day become like Him.