Women are victims of abortion

Women who have had abortions but are now fighting to outlaw the practice say their numbers are growing and so will their influence, especially after many of them stepped forward to support South Dakota's new abortion ban law.

"The women are coming forward. They're feeling like there's hope," said Leslee Unruh, president of the Abstinence Clearinghouse and a key homestate player in the approval of the law, which was signed last month by South Dakota Gov. Michael Rounds, a Republican.

Before approving the law, which bans abortion, except to save the life of the mother, a state task force on abortion took testimony and collected nearly 2,000 statements from women nationwide, 99 percent of whom said their abortions caused them pain, emotional damage and health problems and shouldn't be legal.

Many say their side of the story has been ignored in the broader abortion debate until recently.

"It's not a popular voice ... but it's one that needs to get out," said Karen Bodle, of Harrisburg, Pa., whose story was among those submitted to South Dakota. Mrs. Bodle had an abortion at age 18 and for years afterward, she said she "suffered from chronic depression, feelings of shame and worthlessness" as well as miscarriages and troubled pregnancies.

"I was in denial over the truth of abortion for over 20 years," said Mrs. Bodle, who feels she was "lied to and deceived" when she was told that the fetus wasn't a baby and that the abortion would allow her to fully live her life.

"I believe that information still is denied to women," she said.

The women who support banning abortion say they know not all women share their negative experiences. But Cynthia Collins, who had her first abortion as a 19-year-old and then took a "downward spiral," said the nation has "only heard one side" of the debate.

"We were sold a bill of goods that abortion is a good thing, and when we find out that it's not, we're told to be quiet," said the Louisiana resident, who also told her story to the task force. That mentality is finally starting to change, she said, and "as those voices are heard, then we're going to see the true picture."

Russell Stover, D.D.S.

I just started reading a book called Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau. I don't care for his writing style at all, but I suspect I would have to agree with one of his basic tenets: that the Food and Drug companies work hand in hand to make us sick with overly-refined and often unwholesome foods, in order that we might then seek out medication to try to "heal" our unnatural state. The Doctrine and Covenants speaks of just that kind of conspiracy in the beginning of the "Word of Wisdom":

D&C 89:4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—

The title of this post is in reference to a sign I saw once back in Texas. I was driving by, and saw a huge sign that read "Russell Stover, D.D.S." I had to actually drive into the shopping centre and and see the dentist's office for myself. I was cracking up with laughter...Grampa rots out their teeth with his candy, and Grandson makes a killing trying to keep the candy-rotted teeth in quasi-repair. I told lots of people about it, but they hadn't seen it. The next time I went by, the sign was gone. I drove to the back again, and this time, there was a tiny sign that read merely: General Dentistry, R. Stover, D.D.S. Why they changed it, I dunno. Perhaps lots of people had made the same joke that had occurred to me, or maybe they were just overrun with people who thought they'd found the candy store.

The food that grows in nature was given to us by God to sustain our health. When we think to "improve" it by overprocessing it into an less-wholesome state, we do ourselves no favors. And it is so easy to reach for ready-made food. This is a real struggle for me, as I have never been much of a cook. I am learning to reach for fresh fruit, and to make salads I actually enjoy. It's hard. But I believe that we are all meant to enjoy health, and that we can, if we learn to live according to the Word of Wisdom, not just the "don'ts", but the many things that we are told to do. Wholesome herbs, grains, fruits. Chocolate is a problem for me, and sugar, really. How do I eat well, and keep turning down the constant stream of proffered goodies? I don't want to be obsessive about this, but where is the line? The Church once had a sugar factory, I believe, and several of the foods in the Bishop's storehouse contain sugar. I don't want to be a foodnazi. I would appreciate any advice or support, thanks!