I can’t begin to tell all of you how much joy summertime means to all NTB’ers.  Along with shorts, flip flops, sunglasses and rising temperatures comes more and more shows on our NTB calendar.  ”On the road again . . . the life I love is making music with my friends” (Thank you Willie . . . no one could say it better).  The best news is that we will be announcing a new Nashville Tribute Band show EVERY Wednesday in May.  Posts will be added to the website, Facebook page and will be sent out via email, so make sure you are signed up on one or all of those lists to get the latest news.

Secondly, a new video about the beginnings of NTB and how it all got started has been finished by our fabulous media team.  I think they did a superb job, so please take a minute and check it out.

Let me start today’s blog by saying . . . I’m no political expert.  In fact, the subject of politics is low on my brain’s totem pole.  There are many people much smarter than me who live and breathe this stuff.  For the most part, I’ll stick to music.  I was once in DC having lunch at a hip little restaurant and I suddenly had the realization that everyone in the entire establishment was talking about politics.  No one was talking about this new artist or that publisher, or this songwriter or that new album.  I was not in Nashville, for sure.  Those people might as well have been speaking Chinese.  I was a fish out of water.  However, this is a political year and I believe that Mormons should be thinking about a few things.  I will not express my political preferences here, for that is not the point.

And then there were two . . . Obama vs Romney.  I am not sure that members of the LDS Church fully realize the heat that soon could be placed on our religion by the world media.  Sure we have seen a little here with the Olympics and a little there with Prop 8, but not the inferno that may be on it’s way in the coming months.  The Obama camp, and Obama ally’s in the media, will certainly do all that they can to attack everything about Mitt Romney.  Romney’s record, his views and certainly his religion’s views on every sensitive subject that could sway public views.

My prayer is that we as members of the Church stand firm in our faith, with a sure knowledge that such silver-tongued scrutiny and persecutions are nothing new to believers; King Mosiah faced such opposition, the Apostles of Christ faced it, Alma faced it, the early Saints certainly faced it, our missionaries on the streets of the world today face it and we too will face our share.  What do we do?  We testify and we pray and we surrender our will to be instruments in the hands of God, however He may need us.  What better time than now to get our houses in order, to live sinless lives, to charge forward in our faith and be obedient to the will of our Father.  These are exciting times!  Opposition always brings to light everlasting truth.  And truth always prevails.  We can shrink and cower, avoiding any conversations that are difficult.  OR, we can be honest and truthful and testify of the things we know to be true.  And if there are things that we do not know, we simply say, “I don’t know, but let me see if I can help us find an answer and get right back to you.”  Honesty always has been, is and will always be the best policy.

A few things that I have found to be helpful:

The Book Of Mormon - No better resource in times like these.  It’s pages are filled with examples of how to triumph in times of opposition.

The Gainsayers - A book by a former anti-Mormon who was converted and discusses some common anti-Mormon tactics and ways that we can handle those seemingly difficult subjects when they come up.  My favorite advice in the book is to NEVER bash, for “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil” (3 Nephi 11:29).  Always be willing to discuss a subject, but only one subject at a time, with the rule set forth up front that the discussion will not move on to another subject until both parties have agreed that they are done discussing the subject at hand.  This eliminates the frustrated ping-ponging of subjects that so many will try.  At any rate, I find THIS BOOK interesting.

The PBS Special on Mormons - I have heard some say that they didn’t like this series.  I LOVED it.  I thought that for the most part that both sides of most issues were very well covered.  Some of the most sensitive issues in LDS history are discussed.  I love to pay particular attention to the way the brethren handle themselves when questioned about these sensitive issues.  As always, they are stellar examples.  You can view some of the footage here:  Interviews or The Entire PBS Special

I am as thankful as ever that I am a member of The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  There is nothing that I love more than gathering with others who share my convictions; at conference, at church at an NTB show or wherever we find ourselves.  The truth we share is a beautiful thing!  Let us all stay anxiously engaged in THE WORK!

Jason Deere