![]() Ever wonder why car washes provide free vacuums? Well, in Utah, it is likely because car washes do not want to collect and pay sales tax. Basically, if you only pay for the cleaning of the outside of your car, then the car wash does not have to charge or collect sales tax. Getting practice reading the law is always helpful. Utah Code 59-12-104 states (read this with a double negative in mind): Exemption from the taxes imposed by this chapter [that require sales tax] are as follows: … (85) sales of cleaning or washing of a vehicle, except for cleaning or washing of a vehicle that includes cleaning or washing of the interior of the vehicle. Yes, Utah code lists over 85 things (96 actually) that are exempt from sales tax, plenty of which must be super important (please read this and the following with some sarcasm), such as molten magnesium (no sales tax), sales of “rail rolling stock manufactured in Utah” (this gives Utah’s rail rolling stock a boost over other state’s rail rolling stock), and “construction materials used for the construction of a qualified stadium” (yep, you read that right, we like our ‘qualified’ sports stadiums). Getting back to the all-important car wash though, if you purchase the cleaning of just the outside of your car, it is exempt from sales tax. So, all of the school groups that you see out with their car wash signs and buckets of water do not have to collect sales tax when they do their fundraisers. How nice. But, if you charge to clean the outside and the inside of the car, then you have to charge and collect sales tax as the code lists an exception to the exemption (a double negative, in other words). So, if you purchase a car wash and you obtain the ability to use the vacuums as a result of your purchase (meaning that you could not use them unless you paid), you will need to pay sales tax, as that would include paying to clean the outside and inside of your car. But, if the vacuums are always free (regardless of whether you purchase a car wash or not), then you are not paying to clean the inside of your car when you purchase a car wash, and so no sales tax is needed. So, in Utah, you can be grateful for the legislative grace (or someone’s lobbying efforts) that helped make our car wash vacuums free. Apparently, it is less work and cost to offer free vacuums then it is to deal with collecting and paying sales tax. If you don’t believe that taxes shape the way we do things, you should think again. Laws and taxes have impact, and each one will affect what takes place in some way or another. Check back often for additional updates on laws and the way that they impact our society.
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![]() Why are American politics so bad? It is because we, as Americans, have let fear dictate our political decisions. Fear is a strong power; it is one that can be used to control large groups of people. It is, more importantly though, a power that causes us to make bad decisions. As the government has grown in size, so too has its power, including the power of the President. All of us have felt some inkling of the government’s sheer power, and it can cause us to feel that we have no influence or say in what is taking place. When we start to feel powerless, we start to become afraid of the power. When we become afraid of the power, we start to fear who may gain that power. When we fear who may gain that power, we will inevitably vote for anyone other than the person we fear the most. When we vote this way, we are often upholding “the lesser of two evils,” a phrase commonly used by many to describe a voter’s choices with potential candidates. While many dispute whether God exists or not, most people readily agree that evil exists. If two choices of candidates are both bad, evil doesn’t care which one you choose. Either will feed the power of evil. Why do any of us consciously vote for “the lesser of two evils”? Why do any of us vote for someone we know is bad? It is because we fear, and we fear because we have accepted the lie that our choices and actions do not matter. Fear is not logical. When we accept the notion that we are powerless to make a difference, we then become convinced that we have to vote for someone bad to stop the other “more evil” candidate from winning. In other words, fear tells us that we cannot make a difference, and therefore must make a difference by ensuring that the more evil option does not win. There is no logic to this, only fear. The reality is that we have the option to choose good. There are many good people that run for office, most do not make it far. Instead, they are met with the question “how do you plan to win?” Good people don’t lie, they don’t make promises they can’t keep, and they don’t play the victim card, stir others up to anger, or point fingers of blame. In other words, fear tells us “don’t support them, that would be a waste of your time and money. Only support those that have a chance of winning.” What if, instead of living by fear, politics was faith-based instead? What if we each accepted that we can and do make a difference, and that there are many good options? What if we chose to put some time and effort into supporting good principles, good people, and good things, even if we didn’t see how they would win? What would happen is that we would experience a radical transformation in politics. We all implicitly know this, yet we say “I can’t do it though, as nobody else will do it, so it will be a waste of my time, efforts, vote, or money.” If you require seeing others do good to choose to do good yourself, you are part of the problem. You cannot sit and wait for others to vote a certain way before you vote a certain way. That is fear at its finest. Good does not ask how many others are doing it, good simply acts and does what needs to be done. The following questions can help you recognize if you are making decisions by fear instead of faith:
The antidote to fear is faith. Faith naturally encompasses personal responsibility to act. Good is powerful, and when we act on and embrace good, it grows and it can overcome all evil. We have to make the decision that we will do and be good. We will sacrifice, we will live by faith, and we will stop making decisions based on fear. We will believe, and we will accept that we have the power to change our country, for good. We would love to have you join us as we work to live by faith, not fear. Our country's best days are still ahead.
![]() Who shapes the future? Who defines what is possible? Those that believe and work towards something that does not exist yet are those who shape the future. Believing is a powerful force. It opens our minds up and allows us to create. Future possibilities can only be seen by a mind that believes they are possible. In other words, a lack of belief shuts our mind to seeing, exploring, or finding the possibilities that may exist. For example, if I were alive before the Wright Brothers’ era, my mind would not see the possibility of flying if I did not believe it was possible for a human to fly. My range of options to choose from would have been limited to those on the ground, as I would not have even considered that which I did not believe. In our current world, we can see and feel the negativity that comes from politics. We may feel that we lack the ability to do something about the problems, especially because politics often brings out the bad that exists in human nature. Humans, while they may have natural tendencies to a number of bad things, also have natural tendencies to do and be good. Good is a strong force that has propelled humankind forward and that has helped shape America. America is a great country. A great country consists of great people, people who sacrifice, work, and give to do and be good. We would not be able to go to the store and buy what we needed, or drive on the roads, or feel safe in our homes, if it were not for the fact that there are more good people than bad in our country. Despite this, we may lose hope at times, or feel that the problems that do exist are too big to overcome. America, though, has made great strides forward throughout its history, and I fully believe it will continue to do so. I believe it is possible to clean up politics, our political culture, and the corruption that may exist. I believe it is possible to do this, even if all of the political players are not themselves inherently good. The Founders fully recognized that people and vice would always go together. Unchecked power would lead to corruption. Interestingly, the Founders didn’t restrict public office to only moral people, or people who only said nice things. Instead, the Founders set up a system that forced some level of checks and balances on human vice. Our economic system, which is based on capitalist principles, takes the vice of human greed and uses it to propel innovation, development, and technological progress. The ‘check and balance’ on greed is competition, and the laws in the United States, at least for many years, promoted a fairly healthy system of competition. This forced prices down, promoted quality and progress, and spurred intense innovation. Placing this system over the vice of human greed has helped make America the richest country in the history of the world. We have all benefited from the technological developments that have come about after thousands of years of very little progress in systems where greed was not checked and balanced as it has been in America. Similarly, the Constitution placed ‘checks and balances’ on the political system. Amazingly, regardless of the person in office (whether corrupt or virtuous, wise or inept), America is still chugging along as an amazing nation. America is incredibly resilient and has survived many bad politicians. Over the years, important pieces of the checks and balances have been removed from the system. The 16th and 17th Amendments, for example, created significant shifts in the check and balance system. Some Supreme Court cases have not fully protected the checks and balances that are necessary to keep those in power checked. Technology has changed the landscape as well, and individuals have also changed their moral code. All of these factors have led to an increasingly negative political culture. The good news, though, is that systems can be changed. There are ways to shore up the system of checks and balances to bring about a much better political culture. There are reasons that the political system produces candidates that are not viewed as a great option by many Americans, and the reasons underlying these results can be changed. There are people that understand this, and they work to change laws, culture, and society in ways that benefit them even if it doesn’t benefit us. They have been at work for some time, and there is certainly some work to do to bring America back to where it was. However, there are also people that understand what needs to be in place to keep the system healthy and working well, and there are many strong solutions to help address many of the problems. I strongly believe that we can fully redefine what is possible in politics. I am running for Attorney General of Utah to help bring about these changes. I will provide content, highlight issues and provide solutions, and strive to educate you and others on the political issues of the day and how we can be a force for good in our world. One of the immediate things you can do to create a check and balance that will promote healthier government and politics in Utah is to change the way you vote. There are two positions in the Utah government that have the potential of being a healthy check and balance. One is the position of Auditor. The State Auditor has the potential to alert us to incorrect uses of funds, overspending, budget issues, etc. Yet, despite this important role, we often elect a Republican to audit the Republicans. Wall Street isn’t permitted to have a connected party audit a corporation. Auditors have to be independent to comply with law governing the business world, yet in politics, we appoint the same party. What incentive does a Republican have to highlight issues with other Republicans? Similarly, what incentive does a Republican Attorney General have to enforce the laws against other Republicans? The office of Attorney General has great potential to help enforce laws and stop playing favorites. To do so though, it needs to be independent of the Parties and just able to focus on the laws. This November, you have the opportunity to vote to place two important checks and balances on our government by voting non-Republican for Auditor and Attorney General. Regardless of how much you like the Republican Party, it is human nature that unchecked power leads to corruption or problems. Putting in healthy checks and balances helps to keep the Party operating well. I fully believe that candidates should provide substantive information to those who vote for them. You can see how I feel about issues and what I believe. I have many videos, podcasts, and articles that are out or will be coming out soon. I strive to be transparent and provide meat and real workable solutions instead of nice sounding soundbites that lack substance. If you have questions for me, feel free to reach out or schedule me to come and present to your group. We are not just passengers along for the ride in America. We are the drivers of our own destiny, and it is time for us to take the wheel and redefine what is possible. I invite you to join in this journey as we work to redefine possible and correct the system at its foundational level. I am Austin Hepworth, and I believe that we can redefine what is possible. Our beliefs will dictate the things we see, think, and feel. We have the power to shape our State and Country, and I would love to have you join me in shaping our future, for good. ![]() Sometimes praying can be frustrating, especially when I do not understand how God works. “What do you want?” is the consistent question I kept getting in response to my prayers when I was asking for help to know what I was supposed to do. I was confused by this response, and so I talked about it with a few other people. Surprisingly to me, I learned there were others being asked the same thing in response to their prayers. “What do you want?” This question has forced me to evaluate my view of myself and of God. It has led me, though, to understand more about the significance of agency, hard work, and individuality, as well as more about God. This question causes me now to think of some of the following things: God is Not a Genie in a Lamp As I reflected on my prayers and what I was seeking when I prayed, I began to realize that many of my requests in prayer were similar to asking for wishes to be granted from a genie in a lamp. For example: “Please bless this food to nourish and strengthen my body,” even though I was about to eat junk food. “Please bless me with health and strength,” even though I hadn’t been exercising. “Please help me to be safe,” even though I hadn’t done anything to improve my own safety. “Please help me to find a good job,” even though I wasn’t actively pursuing any new skills and hadn’t for a few years. “Please tell me what I should do with my life,” even though I wasn’t following direction that had been given, such as sharing the Gospel, ministering to the sick and afflicted, or even keeping a journal. When God asked me “What do you want?”, it forced me to stop and think about what my prayers were reflecting about me. I realized that many of my prayers were asking for a wish to be granted, where I could have something without working for it. Or, to put it another way, I wanted a magic carpet to take me to health, for example, without going on the journey or putting in the work to get there. Life is a Journey Our time on this earth is a journey. We are headed somewhere, even if we have no idea where that is. Every day we meander through 24 hours of time. We may watch a show, work in exchange for pay, spend time with family or a friend, develop a skill, etc. We are so rich that we have countless ways to spend our time. YouTube alone has billions of choices for how to spend our time. Each choice we make about how to spend our time is a step in our journey. When God asked me “what do you want?”, I realized that He was asking me where I was heading. What goals did I have? What direction did my choices reflect about what I wanted inside? What was I doing with what God had given me? Ultimately, “what do you want?” is synonymous with “where are you traveling to?” Our desired destination determines the path we travel, and not having a desired destination leaves us wandering in circles, where we often find ourselves asking God for fulfillment as we wander aimlessly. God Has Already Given Many Gifts I remember praying once that I could get better so that I wouldn’t have to go to the doctor. Another time I also prayed that my car wouldn’t break down so that I would not have to take it to the mechanic and spend money I was trying to save for other things. We live in a day and age when information is readily available, when solutions are readily available, and where many things can be fixed if we invest some time and money. Yet, many of us do not take the time to learn the information or pursue the opportunities that are there. We pray that God will give us answers or solutions, even though the answers or solutions have already been given. In a world full of riches, knowledge, time, and other opportunities, what does our use of those riches, knowledge, time, or other opportunities say about what we want? If we truly want something, how much time and effort are we putting into it? How much are we learning about it? What do we cut out of our life that keeps us from the things that we want most? In a world such as ours, where we have significant amounts of time to spend on entertainment, sports, leisure, etc., our use of time becomes a significant measure of the level of commitment we have to something. If we don’t do the work for it, why should we expect God to care about something that we don’t fully care about ourselves? God Wants Me to Pursue Good Things That I Care About I fully believe that we have callings, missions, or purposes that are given to us by the Divine. We are not just here without a purpose. When we seek to understand what the purpose is, God may ask us first to do something that we care about that is good for others or the world around us. Our world today is full of problems. Do we really need God to spell everything out for us? Can we not pick a problem and do something about it? I do not believe that God wants robots as subjects who respond to His every command. Rather, I believe that God wants us to experience the true measure of life, the measure that can only be experienced when we choose to do something. Picking a goal and working towards it brings fulfillment. It shapes us and helps us to become creators ourselves. God doesn’t want to do everything for us, like a genie, He wants us to become like Him. God acts and is not acted upon. He sees a need and does something about it. He creates worlds without end without being asked or commanded to do so. If I want to become like God, I must learn to act, to create, to shape the world around me. God is not a genie in a lamp, He is a living, loving being that wants me to experience what He has. Because of that, He lets me choose something, He lets me work on it, and He lets me experience the joy and fulfillment that comes from having set a goal and having worked to accomplish it. God has given me riches that haven’t existed for most of the world’s existence. He has given me time and talents. What am I choosing to do with them? The answer to that likely is found in what I truly want. Work is a Part of Our Journey Ultimately, I think that one thing I am learning is that God doesn’t save us from work. God blesses us with great miracles, but He expects us to do our share as well. Work is a refining gift that helps us cut out the things that detract us from the things we really desire. Work forces us to decide what we really want, as it is the act that shows what we care most about. If I am not willing to work for something, perhaps it isn’t honest for me to expect God to give it to me. Work is a means that we cannot skip in pursuing the things that we really desire or want the most. Praying to avoid the work required to achieve what we want is like praying for a magic carpet to help us avoid the journey to the place we most want to be. The Servant In the Book of Mormon, there is an allegory about an orchard or vineyard that produced good fruit for a time. Eventually though, the vineyard became fully corrupted and only produced bad fruit. The Lord of the vineyard is saddened by the loss of the good fruit and discusses burning the vineyard with His servant. Prior to God asking me what I wanted, I had never really understood how the next part of this allegory plays out. After discussing burning the vineyard, the Lord of the vineyard wept and asked His servant “What could I have done more for my vineyard?” Jacob 5:41, 49. God is all-powerful, which made that question hard for me to understand. Why was God sad and asking what else He could have done? Did that infer that there was some type of limit on His power? Is evil simply something that God cries about, but doesn’t know what to do with it? “What do you want?” This repeated question as I prayed caused me to see this exchange with God and His servant differently. When God asked His servant “What could I have done more for my vineyard?”, I realized He was asking His servant “What else do you need me to do to change the world? I have given you riches, I have given you talents, I have given you time, what else do you really need?” The servant, after having God ask, “What could I have done more?”, and after reflecting on it, responded with: “Spare it a little longer.” Jacob 5:50. The servant realized, I think, that God had already given Him what was necessary to improve the vineyard. The servant also realized, I think, that He had not fully put his work and effort into the vineyard, so the servant prayed for more time, and then went forward with a renewed commitment to put the servant’s time, talents, and efforts into making the vineyard good. Maybe God Has Already Given What Is Needed What if God already gave you the answer to your prayers? What if the answer is found in pursuing something good that helps to shape our world? What if the answer lives in you? In a world of a billion choices, what do we choose? We choose that which we desire most. If I truly want health, I will eat healthy and exercise. If I truly want a purpose, I will work to achieve that purpose. If I want money, I will work for it. If I want knowledge, I will pursue it. We have many things to choose from. Are we choosing the better part? Are we living up to the potential that we have, based on what God has already given us? To me, when I hear the Spirit of God whisper to me “what do you want?”, I realize that there are still things to cut out of my life, things to change, and goals to set and pursue. God has given me everything necessary to accomplish many things, and it is now my turn to pursue those. Perhaps my prayers will be better answered by praying for a greater resolve to do or be good, a greater motivation to work, or an increased desire to do something about the problems I see in the world. M. Russell Ballard, an Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has stated: “Praying for justice, peace, the poor, and the sick is often not enough. After we kneel in prayer, we need to get up from our knees and do what we can to help—to help both ourselves and others.” Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always, M. Russell Ballard, October 2020. To me, true faith is believing enough to ask, but then going to work and making use of what God has already given to us and those around us. When we do our part, I believe that God will then do His. As He has given us much to start with, it may be up to us, at times, to pick a direction and do something good with what we have been given. In other words, to become agents and act to bring about good with the time, talents, resources, and opportunities available to us. I am Austin Hepworth, and I believe that God has given us many things that we can use to change our world, for good. Let's work together to make good a reality and address many of the problems of our day. If we want good, are we willing to work for it? |
Austin Hepworth
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