Why I am a Mormon

The rest of the Lord

2011-01-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

Of this rest President Joseph F. Smith said: “To my mind, it means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else, we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. We know of the doctrine that it is of God, and we do not ask any questions of anybody about it; they are welcome to their opinions, to their ideas and to their vagaries. The man who has reached that degree of faith in God that all doubt and fear have been cast from him, he has entered into ‘God’s rest’” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], 56).

The journey

2010-09-19T13:14:00.000-07:00

"The abundant life isn't something we arrive at. Rather, it is a magnificent journey that began long, long, ago and will never, never end."
Elder Joseph B. Worthlin, Ensign, May 2006, p. 102

The most important question in human history

2010-03-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

"The most important question in human history is one which echoes down through the corridors of time; it will not go away: “Jesus asked them … what think ye of Christ?” (Matt. 22:41–42.) Sooner or later, this will be the vital question for all mortals, including you, my friends! A failure to answer this question is an answer. "

-Elder Maxwell, "Our Acceptance of Christ" 5 January 1984

Another cheesy chain email

2010-02-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

*** My friend David Huddy sent this to me today and thought it was blog worthy. I do admit it’s a little cheesy but I like the message it’s trying to portray. Our Heavenly Father wants to us struggle and grow on our own but there are still some attributes we can’t develop without His help. ****

I asked God to take away my habit.

God said, No.

It is not for me to take away,
but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No..
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience.

God said, No. Patience is a byproduct of tribulations;
it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness.

God said, No.

I give you blessings;
Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from
worldly cares
and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No..
You must grow on your own,
but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked God for all things
that I might enjoy life.

God said, No.
I will give you life,
so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said... Yes,
you are starting to get the picture.

Minister Joe Wright

2010-02-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

When minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new sessions of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good,," but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess:

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the Name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Plato's version of Charity

2010-01-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

— Plato

great and spacious building

2010-01-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

"If there is anything manifestly evident about the doings of the great and spacious building, it is the hollow laughter and silly pretensions of the people in it."
— Hugh Nibley

The Truth of God Shall Go Forth

2009-12-22T13:59:00.000-08:00

"This is God's work, and God's work will not be frustrated. But there is still much to be done before the Great Jehovah can announce that the work is done. While we praise and honor those faithful Saints who have brought us to this point of public prominence, we cannot afford, my brothers and sisters, to be comfortable or content."We are all needed to finish the work that was begun by those pioneering Saints over 175 years ago and carried out through the subsequent decades by faithful Saints of every generation. We need to believe as they believed. We need to work as they worked. We need to serve as they served. And we need to overcome as they overcame."Of course, our challenges are different today, but they are no less demanding. Instead of angry mobs, we face those who constantly try to defame. Instead of extreme exposure and hardship, we face alcohol and drug abuse, pornography, all kinds of filth, sleaze, greed, dishonesty, and spiritual apathy. Instead of families being uprooted and torn from their homes, we see the institution of the family, including the divine institution of marriage, under attack as groups and individuals seek to define away the prominent and divine role of the family in society."This is not to suggest that our challenges today are more severe than the challenges faced by those who have gone before us. They are just different. The Lord isn't asking us to load up a handcart; He's asking us to fortify our faith. He isn't asking us to walk across a continent; He's asking us to walk across the street to visit our neighbor. He isn't asking us to give all of our worldly possessions to build a temple; He's asking us to give of our means and our time despite the pressures of modern living to continue to build temples and then to attend regularly the temples already built. He isn't asking us to die a martyr's death; He's asking us to live a disciple's life."

-M. Russell Ballard

Bill Cosby thought of the day

2009-12-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

“I want to die before my wife, and the reason is this: If it is true that when you die, your soul goes up to judgment, I don't want my wife up there ahead of me to tell them things.”

-Bill Cosby

What child is this?

2009-12-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

Because I have been given much

2009-11-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

"Because I have been given much, I too must give; Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live; I shall divide my gifts from thee With every brother that I see Who has the need of help from me. Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care, I cannot see another’s lack and I not share My glowing fire, my loaf of bread, My roof’s safe shelter overhead, That he too may be comforted. Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord, I’ll share thy love again, according to thy word. I shall give love to those in need; I’ll show that love by word and deed: Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed."

-- Grace Nowell Crowell

Deep Roots

2009-11-01T14:58:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I had the chance to go spend some time with my family camping near Payson Arizona. On the way home my dad shared with me an interesting analogy. He explained to me how the drip system (AKA trickle irrigation) works. Desert areas that would have very limited vegetation are able to grow beautiful plants that otherwise never could have grown. This limited amount of water can keep very large trees alive even during Arizona summers. After the drip system was introduced in Tucson Arizona many years ago, people were noticing a trend. A healthy looking cactus or tree would all of a sudden tip over and die. After doing a great deal of research plant scientist discovered that the vegetation falling over was due to small roots. The drip system was providing too much water so the roots never had the need to dig deeper looking for more moisture. When the summer came the heat and wind would easily knock them over. After testing some plants they realized that it's better to give a smaller amount of water to the plants so their roots grow deeper and stronger by digging deeper into the ground looking for natural moisture. My dad compared this to our faith in Christ and the gospel. If we have small roots we are more likely just to "fall over" when hard times come. I've seen this with several friends and coworkers. The economic situation we are in has caused many people to “fall over” while others have had their roots strengthened. I have had very limited adversity in my life so I don’t know if I will fall or grow stronger when the heat and wind comes. Hopefully I still have many years of strengthening my roots before my real tests come.

Come Thou Fount

2009-11-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

Give me liberty, or give me death.

2009-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.

-Patrick Henry

Opposition will only push us forward

2009-10-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about Elder Oaks comments about "not be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation from opponents." Lately the most common opposition shown to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been our position on gay marriage. I have a feeling this opposition and hatred for the Mormon Church will not let up any time in my life. If it's not this subject, it will be another in the future. I'm sure we'll lose some battles with the marriage debate but in the end we'll always win. What those who fight against the Church need to know is that they are often helping us. The reason I feel they are helping us is that opposition only makes the LDS church stronger. The Missourians thought that by Governor Boggs’ (above picture) extermination order (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extermination_order) they would be able to put an end to the Mormons. Many also thought by killing the early converts and Joseph Smith would intimidate us into leaving the church. But to their dismay, they found that the church continued to grow stronger. Persecutors pushed the Mormons out west where they would grow stronger and better established. Opposition will cause members of the Church to question what they believe and get them off the fence. The Lord is in control and has always been and will always be. His kingdom on earth will be built up despite those who do not want it. Just as wind will make a tree's roots become stronger, opposition will cause members of His Church to have more faith and be willing to give up all they have for what they believe to be true. Those who push against the Mormons will only find out in time that they were pushing them in the right direction.

Apostle Says Religious Freedom Is Being Threatened

2009-10-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

Elder Oaks has had a front-row seat in observing what he calls the “significant deterioration in the respect accorded to religion” in public life. Prior to his appointment to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Oaks had an illustrious law career. He served as a justice on the Utah Supreme Court, was a professor at the University of Chicago Law School and Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School and clerked for Chief Justice Earl Warren of the United States Supreme Court.
Although his address on religious freedom was not written in response to the Proposition 8 battle over same- sex marriage in California, Elder Oaks likened the incidents of outrage against those who prevailed in establishing marriage between a man and a woman to the “widely condemned voter-intimidation of blacks in the South.”
He said members of the Church should not be deterred or coerced into silence by threats. “We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues, and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice.”
Elder Oaks also said religious freedom is being jeopardized by claims of newly alleged human rights. As an example, he referred to a set of principles published by an international human rights group which calls for governments to assure that all persons have the right to practice their religious beliefs regardless of sexual orientation or identity. Elder Oaks said, “This apparently proposes that governments require church practices to ignore gender differences. Any such effort to have governments invade religion to override religious doctrines should be resisted by all believers.”
Noting that the students he was addressing were among the generation that would face continuing challenges to religious freedom, Elder Oaks offered five points of counsel:
• Speak with love and show patience, understanding and compassion to those with differing viewpoints.
• Do not be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation from opponents, insisting that churches and their members be able to speak out on issues without retaliation.
• Insist on the freedom to preach the doctrines of their faith.
• Be wise in political participation, remaining respectful of those who do not share their religious beliefs and contributing to reasonable discussion.
• Be careful to never support or act on the idea that a person must subscribe to a specific set of religious beliefs in order to qualify for public office.
“Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms,” Elder Oaks concluded. “I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our ‘First Freedom,’ the free exercise of religion.”

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/

Which dog to feed????

2009-10-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

There’s an old Native American parable, about a young brave is brought before the tribal elders, who are concerned about his aggressive tendencies. One of the tribal elders is assigned to teach this young man that his anger is understandable, but he needs help. So he tells the young brave all humans have within them two dogs. One dog is good and peaceable. The other dog is angry and evil. The two dogs are in a constant battle with one another, since neither is powerful enough to destroy the other. The young brave asks, ”If they are of equal power, which dog will win?” The elder replies, “The dog you feed the most.”

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/elder-bruce-c-hafen-speaks-on-same-sex-attraction

How Inspiration Comes

2009-09-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

“While testimonies can come as dramatic manifestations, they usually do not. Sometimes people think they need to have an experience like Joseph Smith’s vision before they gain testimonies. If we have unrealistic expectations of how, when, or where answers come, we risk missing the answers which come as quiet, reassuring feelings and thoughts that most often come after our prayers, while we are doing something else. These answers can be equally convincing and powerful.
“Over time we will receive answers and learn how inspiration comes. This is something each person learns for himself.”

Allan F. Packer, “Finding Strength in Challenging Times!” Ensign, May 2009, 18

James E. Faust thoughts on self-doubts

2009-08-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

"I have, on occasion, felt a terrible aloneness of the wounds of the heart, of the sweet agony, the buffetings of Satan, and the encircling warm comfort of the Spirit of the Master.
I have also felt the crushing burden, the self-doubts of inadequacy and unworthiness, the fleeting feeling of being forsaken, then of being reinforced an hundredfold."

-James E. Faust (2001. Special Witnesses of Christ)

Jim Elliot Quote

2009-08-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

-Jim Elliot

Background of Jim Elliot: http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b4jelliot6ra.htm

Lessons learned from Shea-Shea

2009-07-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

So I'm finally getting more personal on my blog due to a reprimand from my mother. She told me that she would like to hear more of my opinions rather than quotes from other people. My mother mentioned that she would like to hear some of my thoughts on becoming a father, so here they are. I would like to list the top three things that I have learned from Shea thus far. #1. Becoming a parent brings the Spirit more into my life from all the opportunities I have to serve her. One of the happiest times in my life I can remember is serving a mission. I realize I was happy because my day was full of thinking and serving other people and not worrying about my wants and needs. Since I've been home I did a dramatic flip of that way of thinking and mostly think of myself. Shea provides and endless amount of service for both of us. (At this point Chels is hogging the majority of the service blessings ;) #2. I've gained a better understanding of how our Heavenly Father feels about us. He loves us more than I can ever understand. I have only gained a glimpse of how He feels towards me. I want Shea to live a happy and successful life and stay away from things that might deter from living in such a way. I understand that she will have to experience pain and sorrow so that she can grow and improve, but I want to limit that as much as possible. I want her to reach her full potential. When she is older I will give her rules to follow so she will be safe and happy. Heavenly Father's does the same thing for me, only he calls them commandments. By following these commandments it will limit sorrow and pain. #3. I've gained more respect for my parents and all parents in the world who step up to the responsibility of parenthood. It would be so easy to be like the million of loser dads in the world who abandon their wife and child because they don't want the responsibility of a child. They choose the path of least resistance, which usually is not a very fulfilling one. I sometimes daydream of living on a beach in Tonga surfing every day, with no responsibilities, but I know deep down that would never satisfy me. I would live a easy life, but it would be meaningless. Many sacrifices are made by parents. Shea is now usually first before our wants and needs. I am very grateful for my father who has worked the hardest he could to provide for his 7 kids and stuck it out during the hard times. Being a parent is a sanctifying experience and I've only scratched the tip of the iceberg. I look forward to learning new lessons from Shea and becoming more selfless as I strive to live up to the responsibilities be being a father.

Deep thoughts with Will Rogers

2009-04-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

"When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car."

-Will Rogers

He will comfort and lead you

2009-04-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

"Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. In order to be tested, we must sometimes face challenges and difficulties. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel's end—no dawn to break the night's darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea 'Is there no balm in Gilead?' (Jeremiah 8:22). We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. If you find yourself in such a situation, I plead with you to turn to our Heavenly Father in faith. He will lift you and guide you. He will not always take your afflictions from you, but He will comfort and lead you with love through whatever storm you face."

-Thomas S. Monson

"Looking Back and Moving Forward," Ensign, May 2008, 90

Christos video

2009-03-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

The Loneliness of Leadership

2009-03-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

"I have been thinking this morning of a friend of mine whom I knew when I was on a mission in London thirty-six years ago. I remember his coming to our apartment through the rain of the night. He knocked at the door, and I invited him in.
He said, “I’ve got to talk with someone. I’m all alone. I’m undone.”
And I said, “What’s your problem?”
And he said, “When I joined the Church a little less than a year ago, my father told me to get out of his home and never come back. And I’ve never been back.”
He continued, “A few months later the cricket club of which I was a member read me off its list, barring me from membership with the boys with whom I had grown up and with whom I had been so close and friendly.”
Then he said, “Last month my boss fired me because I was a member of this church, and I have been unable to get another job and I have had to go on the dole.
“And last night the girl with whom I have gone for a year and a half said she would never marry me because I’m a Mormon.”
I said, “If this has cost you so much, why don’t you leave the Church and go back to your father’s home and to your cricket club and to the job that meant so much to you and to the girl you think you love?”
He said nothing for what seemed to be a long time. Then, putting his head down in his hands, he sobbed and sobbed. Finally, he looked up through his tears and said, “I couldn’t do that. I know this is true, and if it were to cost me my life, I could never give it up.”
He picked up his wet cap and walked to the door and out into the rain, alone and trembling and fearful, but resolute. As I watched him, I thought of the loneliness of conscience, the loneliness of testimony, the loneliness of faith, and the strength and comfort of the Spirit of God. "

-GORDON B. HINCKLEY 4 November 1969

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=11131

Mike Wallace on President Hinckley

2009-03-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

" Four years ago I was taken aback by an unexpected invitation to a luncheon at the Harvard Club in New York City. From prior experience I figured the food would be mediocre at best, but since I'd been asked to break bread with the hitherto mysterious octogenarian president of the Mormon Church, and because the invitation was tendered on the president's behalf by a Jewish-owned public relations firm, it was too tantalizing to pass up.
I'd been trying for decades to get some top Mormon leader, any top Mormon leader to talk to 60 MINUTES about himself and his church, and I'd regularly been turned down. Mormon friends of mine had volunteered to put in a good word; they'd let the Salt Lake hierarchy understand that an investigation was not what I had in mind, but rather an exploration of what kind of individual led the Mormons, how did he get his job, what about Mormons and polygamy, what about Mormons and black folks, and did the leaders of the Mormon Church really believe that tale about Joseph Smith finding himself anointed at the age of fourteen on a farm in upstate New York? Merely the kind of nosy questions we regularly put to all manner of highly placed figures on 60 MINUTES. We hardly expected "Yes" for an answer, any more than we expected "Yes" for an answer to our similar invitations to the Pope of the... Catholic Church.
So I was totally unprepared for a cordial, even a sunny greeting at the luncheon from Gordon B. Hinckley. And I was still hesitant when, following his postprandial remarks, he threw the floor open for questions from any and all of us. Timorously, I wondered aloud to him if he might entertain the notion of an interview-cum-profile for 60 MINUTES. President Hinckley's bespectacled eyes literally twinkled as he good-naturedly allowed that it sounded like an appealing notion, that after all he really had nothing to hide, and that he imagined he'd have little difficulty handling whatever queries I loosed at him. He'd heard and answered worse, he was sure, during his young missionary years in London where he'd taken on whatever the skeptics and nonbelievers had thrown at him in his Hyde Park appearances and/or confrontations.
So all the necessary details and arrangements were quickly made. He put at our disposal just about anyone we wanted to talk with from the Salt Lake infrastructure, he put up no objections to our talking to his critics inside and outside the church, he gave us all the camera time we needed, and when we asked for a second sit-down some weeks after the first, so that we could put some questions we'd missed in the first go-around, he was perfectly agreeable. It turned out he was as good as his promised word back at the Harvard Club.
As a result, we came away with a fascinating profile of a genuinely remarkable man. Which confounded more than a few Mormon friends of mine who let me know, later, how chary they'd been when they first learned what I'd been up to. Their original take: Hinckley's going to talk to Wallace? Is he dotty? Doesn't he understand what can happen when 60 MINUTES sets out to do one of its hatchet jobs?
Well, what happened was that my 60 MINUTES colleagues and I learned, from the time we spent with Gordon Hinckley and his wife, from his staff, and from other Mormons who talked to us, that this warm and thoughtful and decent and optimistic leader of the Church fully deserves the almost universal admiration that he gets. I know that may sound more than a trifle corny coming from a dyed-in-the-wool, jaded, New York-based reportorial cynic. But it was difficult not to arrive at that conclusion after talking not only with him, but about him with hard-headed folks such as Orrin Hatch and Bill Marriott and Steve Young and Dave Checketts. The last-named individual runs Madison Square Garden in New York and was one of the Mormons who had worried about what could result if President Hinckley laid himself open to our abrasions. Checketts was so surprised when he saw our piece on the air that he told me (I mention this only in the interest of full disclosure) to call him any time I had trouble getting tickets to a fight or a basketball game at the Garden.
Further in the interest of full disclosure, as an 81-year-old myself, perhaps I can be excused for recalling the exchange I had with President Hinckley near the end of that 60 MINUTES profile.
WALLACE: There are those who say: "This is a gerontocracy... this is a church run by old men."
HINCKLEY: Isn't it wonderful to have a man of maturity at the head? A man who isn't blown about by every wind of doctrine?
WALLACE: Absolutely, as long as he's not dotty.
HINCKLEY: Thank you for the compliment.

He is far from dotty. As you read on you'll find an agile, thoughtful, and engaging mind bent on persuading us to ruminate, along with him, on old-fashioned values: by name, Virtue and Integrity. "

-Mike Wallace

The Man in The Arena

2009-03-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the
strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them
better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives
valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is
no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive
to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who
spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the
triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at
least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be
with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

- Theodore Roosevelt

One of my many heros from Hawaii: Father Damien

2009-02-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

On March 19, 1864 Father Damien landed at H0nolulu Harbor in down town Honolulu as a missionary for the Roman Catholic Church. There, Damien was ordained to the priesthood on May 21, 1864 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, a church established by his religious order. In 1865, he was assigned to the Catholic Mission in North Kohala on the island of Hawai‘i.While he was serving in several parishes on the island of Oahu, the Kingdom of Hawaii was facing a public health crisis. The Native Hawaiians became afflicted by diseases inadvertently introduced to by foreign traders and sailors. Thousands died of influenza, syphilis and other ailments which had never before affected them. This included the plight of leprosy, today called Hansen's disease. Fearful of its spread, King Kamehameha V quarantined the lepers of the kingdom and moved them to a settlement colony known as Kalaupapa the north side of the island of Moloka'i. Kalawao County, where the village is situated, is divided from the rest of the island by a steep mountain ridge, and even today the only land access is by a mule track. The Royal Board of Health provided the quarantined people with supplies and food but did not yet have the resources to offer proper health care. According to documents from the time, the Kingdom of Hawaii did not plan the settlement to be in disarray but did not provide sufficient resources and medical help. They planned on the inhabiting sufferers to grow their own crops, but due to the nature of the environment and their sickness, it was nearly impossible. By 1868, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia (1911), "Drunken and lewd conduct prevailed. The easy-going, good-natured people seemed wholly changed." While Monsignor Louis Maigret, vicar apostolic, believed that the lepers at the very least needed a priest to minister to their needs, he realized that this assignment could potentially be a death sentence. After prayerful thought, Damien asked Monsignor Maigret for permission to go to Molokai. On 10 May 1873, Father Damien arrived at the secluded settlement at Kalaupapa, where Bishop Maigret presented him to the 816 lepers living there as "one who will be a father to you, and who loves you so much that he does not hesitate to become one of you; to live and die with you." Damien's first course of action was to build a church and establish the Parish of Saint Philomena. His role was not limited to being a priest: he dressed ulcers, built homes and beds, built coffins and dug graves.Damien's arrival is seen by some as a turning point for the community. Under his leadership, basic laws were enforced, shacks became painted houses, working farms were organized and schools were erected.

Father Damien died of leprosy he contracted while serving the people of Hawaii on 15 April, 1889, aged 49.

More information on Father Damien: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien

Saints and Soldiers

2009-01-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

I recently watch a movie called Saints and Soldiers. I occasionally like watching "the religious channel" just out of interest in how others interpret the Bible and different religious beliefs. For the most part I found that they are usually pretty similar to what the LDS church believes. I was surprised to see a movie made from a LDS film company being played on a channel who has been know to speak against the Mormon faith. I think everyone should watch this movie. There are some scenes that might not be appropriate for children due to violence but other than that it's a very inspiring movie. It's about a group of soldiers who are trapped behind enemy lines. The soldiers come across a English pilot who has been shot down that holds vital enemy intelligence that could save many lives if given to the American front lines miles away. I won't ruin the ending for anyone who has not seen it yet so I'll stop there. It's a great movie about finding faith in God despite being in some of the worst warfare conflicts possible.

C. S. Lewis

2009-01-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

"I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for joy."

- C. S. Lewis

Reavis Ranch, Arizona

2009-01-25T12:05:00.001-08:00

Trail-head with Apache Lake in background.

World renowned explorers Mike and Rebecca.

Slow pokes.

Brad could not wait for lunch so he decided to eat some 500 year old pottery.

Indian ruins.

Exploring the pet cemetery.

The Gang.

Lessons on how not to drive.

Maka Feke of Excessive Debt

2009-01-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

"The final maka-feke I wish to mention today is one which can crush our self-esteem, ruin relationships, and leave us in desperate circumstances. It is the maka-feke of excessive debt. It is a human tendency to want the things which will give us prominence and prestige. We live in a time when borrowing is easy. We can purchase almost anything we could ever want just by using a credit card or obtaining a loan. Extremely popular are home equity loans, where one can borrow an amount of money equal to the equity he has in his home. What we may not realize is that a home equity loan is equivalent to a second mortgage. The day of reckoning will come if we have continually lived beyond our means.
My brothers and sisters, avoid the philosophy that yesterday’s luxuries have become today’s necessities. They aren’t necessities unless we make them so. Many enter into long-term debt only to find that changes occur: people become ill or incapacitated, companies fail or downsize, jobs are lost, natural disasters befall us. For many reasons, payments on large amounts of debt can no longer be made. Our debt becomes as a Damocles sword hanging over our heads and threatening to destroy us.
I urge you to live within your means. One cannot spend more than one earns and remain solvent. I promise you that you will then be happier than you would be if you were constantly worrying about how to make the next payment on nonessential debt. In the Doctrine and Covenants we read: “Pay the debt thou hast contracted. … Release thyself from bondage.”

-President Thomas S. Monson

(“True to the Faith,” Ensign, May 2006)

Flat Iron, Superstition Mountains

2009-01-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from a recent hike I went on with a couple of friends to Flat Iron. We chose a very good day to hike it. It had rained a good amount the day before so we were able to see a few waterfalls and streams. We also saw snowflakes falling toward the summit. For those who may want to do the hike someday here is a link about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition_Mountains

Taking up the Cross

2008-12-31T12:06:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of days I have been pondering the scripture Moroni 10:3 which reads, " Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. " Not only should we ponder how merciful the Lord has been to God's children since Adam but think of how many "2nd chances" the Lord has given us in our own lives. Throughout history we see how many chances our Heavenly Father has given His children to repent and follow His commandments and each time it seems like they do not want to take it. Our Heavenly Father will never give up on us. His children can curse His name, kill His prophets, destroy His places of worship, and not believe in Him and he will still love us and receive us with open arms if we choose to come to Him. But it is not always clear to us that He feels this way; sometimes it's not until our faith is tested that He is willing to bless us with a "witness" that this is true. (Ether 12:6) In my own life I have seen the tender mercies of the Lord. I have fallen many times in my life but the Lord has always been willing to give me another chance. I came across a really good talk by Neal A. Maxwell called "Taking up the Cross" given at BYU. It is definatly worth the time reading it. Here is a short portion of it that I enjoyed:

"Our individual experiences may not always be unique, but they are always authentic. God will even take into account our perceptions of, as well as our responses to, our trials. For those of us who do not, for instance, find claustrophobia a challenge, it is difficult to measure the terror that comes to those for whom it is such a challenge. Thus, a friend may seem to struggle unnecessarily long before finally prevailing with regard to a particular principle of the gospel. But for that individual, the struggle was real enough! We need, particularly, to understand with kindness those who are asked to go out to do battle again on a familiar field--on the very battleground where they have already suffered defeat several times. Yet some of our most difficult victories will occur on new terrain--like Joseph's in Egypt--when we do not have the equivalent of a "home court" advantage.
We must remember that, while the Lord reminded the Prophet Joseph Smith that he had not yet suffered as Job, only the Lord can compare crosses! "

I strongly recommend reading the entire talk:

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6139

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

2008-12-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Monday night, age 91.
Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age. His oldest daughter, Jane Wirthlin Parker, was present. A member of the family had been staying and caring for Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, Elisa Young Rogers Wirthlin, died in 2006.
He had continued to work at his office right up until the Thanksgiving holiday.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/joseph-b-wirthlin-oldest-apostle-dies-age-91

Here is a part of my favorite talk from him. It's from the October 2006 General Conference:

"And that brings me to my wife, Elisa. I remember the first time I met her. As a favor to a friend, I had gone to her home to pick up her sister, Frances. Elisa opened the door, and at least for me, it was love at first sight.
I think she must have felt something too, for the first words I ever remember her saying were, "I knew who you was."
Elisa was an English major.
To this day I still cherish those five words as some of the most beautiful in human language.
She loved to play tennis and had a lightning serve. I tried to play tennis with her, but I finally quit after coming to the realization that I couldn't hit what I couldn't see.
She was my strength and my joy. Because of her, I am a better man, husband, and father. We married, had eight children, and walked together through 65 years of life.
I owe more to my wife than I can possibly express. I don't know if there ever was a perfect marriage, but, from my perspective, I think ours was.
When President Hinckley spoke at Sister Wirthlin's funeral, he said that it is a devastating, consuming thing to lose someone you love. It gnaws at your soul.
He was right. As Elisa was my greatest joy, now her passing is my greatest sorrow.
In the lonely hours I have spent a great deal of time thinking about eternal things. I have contemplated the comforting doctrines of eternal life.
During my life I have heard many sermons on the Resurrection. Like you, I can recite the events of that first Easter Sunday. I have marked in my scriptures passages regarding the Resurrection and have close at hand many of the key statements uttered by latter-day prophets on this subject.
We know what the Resurrection is—the reuniting of the spirit and body in its perfect form.1
President Joseph F. Smith said "that those from whom we have to part here, we will meet again and see as they are. We will meet the same identical being that we associated with here in the flesh."2
President Spencer W. Kimball amplified this when he said, "I am sure that if we can imagine ourselves at our very best, physically, mentally, spiritually, that is the way we will come back."3
When we are resurrected, "this mortal body is raised to an immortal body. . . . [We] can die no more."4
Can you imagine that? Life at our prime? Never sick, never in pain, never burdened by the ills that so often beset us in mortality? "

-Elder Wirthlin - Sunday Will Come

What the world needs now, is. . . .

2008-12-04T07:14:00.000-08:00

“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.”

-Pres. Ezra Taft Benson

The Civil War: A Ken Burns Film

2008-11-22T21:19:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine from work recommended watching The Civil War: A Ken Burns Film. I have always loved history, especially US history. Lucky enough I was able to find the whole documentary on youtube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyzW2cAl0gQ After watching part one there will be options to watch part two, and so forth. Since yesterday I have watch Part 1 though part 18 and can't get enough of it!! It is a terrible and depressing thing to watch but at the same time inspiring. It's humbling to learn about the amazing men and women during that time and see the miracles they were a part of. I personally have direct ancestors who fought in the Civil War for both the North and the South, so these films really hit home for me. In the documentary they share a letter one of the solders wrote to his wife, which I wanted to share.

"My very dear Sarah:The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days -- perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure -- and it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine 0 God, be done. If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing -- perfectly willing -- to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows -- when, after having eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children -- is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country?

I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, before that of death -- and I, suspicious that Death is creeping behind me with his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, and thee.I have sought most closely and diligently, and often in my breast, for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I loved and I could not find one. A pure love of my country and of the principles have often advocated before the people and "the name of honor that I love more than I fear death" have called upon me, and I have obeyed.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me -- perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar -- that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more. . ."

-Sullivan Ballou

Sullivan died in battle the next day.

No neutral ground.

2008-11-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

There is no neutrality where the truths of salvation are concerned. A man by the name of Behunnin once told the Prophet Joseph Smith that if he were ever to leave the Church, he would not do as others had done and turn and fight against it. "I would," he said, "go to some remote place where Mormonism had never been heard of, settle down, and no one would ever learn that I knew anything about it." Joseph Smith's response was immediate: "Brother Behunnin, you don't know what you would do. [Then, referring to apostates who were fighting against the Church, he said:] No doubt these men once thought as you do. Before you joined this Church you stood on neutral ground. When the gospel was preached good and evil were set before you. You could choose either or neither. There were two opposite masters inviting you to serve them. When you joined this Church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left the neutral ground, and you never can get back on to it. Should you forsake the Master you enlisted to serve it will be by the instigation of the evil one, and you will follow his dictation and be his servant" (Juvenile Instructor 27 [15 August 1892]: 492).

Those who once were strong in the Chuch can leave the Church, but they can't leave it alone.

Finally, an positive article on Mormons!!!

2008-10-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

The Mormon work ethic
Oct 23rd 2008 The Economist

Why Utah’s economy is soaring above its neighbours

NOBODY knows quite how the contagion that broke out in Wall Street will affect the rest of America, nor how deep or how long the likely recession will be. What is certain is that some places will suffer more than others. So far Utah, a state best-known for Mormonism and pretty rocks, is looking unusually healthy. “We’ve got a lot to be proud of,” says Jon Huntsman, the governor. “Certainly more than many of our neighbours.”
Indeed, Utah has more to be proud of than any other state in the West. In September its unemployment rate was just 3.5%—less than half of California’s and the second-lowest rate in the region after oil- and gas-rich Wyoming. Last month the Milken Institute declared Provo, a sprawling settlement south of Salt Lake City, America’s best-performing city for technology output and job and wage growth. Salt Lake City itself came third.
Hardly a month goes by without Utah announcing a corporate relocation or a new factory. The state has experienced a minor semiconductor boom in part because of its cheap, coal-fired power. Ogden, until recently a decaying railway town north of Salt Lake City, has quietly become the world centre of winter sports equipment. Mike Dowse, who oversees brands such as Atomic and Salomon for Amer Sports, gives three reasons: “the mountains, the mayor and the money”.
The mountains are the Rockies, which lure young workers who like to go skiing. The mayor is Matthew Godfrey, a business-minded man who has aggressively recruited several companies to Ogden (Mr Huntsman, a former chemicals executive, likes to work the phones, too). The money, which comes partly from the city and partly from the state, is a mixture of relocation grants and tax breaks tied to the creation of well-paying jobs.
Utah’s housing market is relatively healthy, largely because it did not heat up too much in the middle of this decade. In August its foreclosure rate was lower than the national average. Nevada, Utah’s neighbour to the west, had America’s highest rate of foreclosure filings, according to Realtytrac. California had the second-highest rate and Arizona the third. Colorado’s front range, which includes Denver, is also littered with abandoned houses. Such areas have suffered from sharply falling property prices, reduced consumer spending and job losses among construction workers.
Another, hidden, source of strength is Utah’s strange demography. Mormons tend to start families young: the average Utah woman marries at just 22. That means the “echo boom”—the peak of childbearing by baby boomers—took place not around 1990, as in the rest of America, but ten years earlier. One reason unemployment is rising across the West is that a wave of teenagers is crashing onto the job market. Utah, by contrast, has few teenagers and lots of productive people in their late twenties and early thirties. “The timing is pretty good for a recession,” says Pam Perlich of the University of Utah.
The “cultural thing”, as businessmen from out of state delicately refer to Mormonism, helps in other ways. Utah’s almost universal conservatism makes for stable, consensual politics. It took the state legislature just two days last month to plug a $272m hole in the budget. By contrast, California’s budget was 85 days late. Nevada’s politicians are preparing for a nasty fiscal fight next year.
Mormons do not come to work nursing hangovers, and they are inclined to stay put in the promised land rather than pursue better-paying jobs elsewhere. Matthew Donthnier, who is hiring for a new Procter & Gamble plant, has only one complaint about the local workforce: it can be a little difficult to persuade people to toil on Sundays.

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12480476

(Before anyone understands the "good fruits" of Mormonism, they will need to understand the "roots")

I love Monsoon season!!!!

2008-10-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few favorite Monsoon pics I've taken

Pres. Hinckley warned us about our economy

2008-09-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

"The economy is particularly vulnerable. We have been counseled again and again concerning self-reliance, concerning debt, concerning thrift. So many of our people are heavily in debt for things that are not entirely necessary. When I was a young man, my father counseled me to build a modest home, sufficient for the needs of my family, and make it beautiful and attractive and pleasant and secure. He counseled me to pay off the mortgage as quickly as I could so that, come what may, there would be a roof over the heads of my wife and children. I was reared on that kind of doctrine. I urge you as members of this Church to get free of debt where possible and to have a little laid aside against a rainy day.

We cannot provide against every contingency. But we can provide against many contingencies. Let the present situation remind us that this we should do.

As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect. And, above all, my brothers and sisters, let us move forward with faith in the Living God and His Beloved Son.

Great are the promises concerning this land of America. We are told unequivocally that it "is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ" (Ether 2:12). This is the crux of the entire matter—obedience to the commandments of God.

The Constitution under which we live, and which has not only blessed us but has become a model for other constitutions, is our God-inspired national safeguard ensuring freedom and liberty, justice and equality before the law.

I do not know what the future holds. I do not wish to sound negative, but I wish to remind you of the warnings of scripture and the teachings of the prophets which we have had constantly before us.

I cannot forget the great lesson of Pharaoh's dream of the fat and lean kine and of the full and withered stalks of corn.

I cannot dismiss from my mind the grim warnings of the Lord as set forth in the 24th chapter of Matthew.

I am familiar, as are you, with the declarations of modern revelation that the time will come when the earth will be cleansed and there will be indescribable distress, with weeping and mourning and lamentation (see D&C 112:24).

Now, I do not wish to be an alarmist. I do not wish to be a prophet of doom. I am optimistic. I do not believe the time is here when an all-consuming calamity will overtake us. I earnestly pray that it may not. There is so much of the Lord's work yet to be done. We, and our children after us, must do it.

I can assure you that we who are responsible for the management of the affairs of the Church will be prudent and careful as we have tried to be in the past. The tithes of the Church are sacred. They are appropriated in the manner set forth by the Lord Himself. We have become a very large and complex organization. We carry on many extensive and costly programs. But I can assure you that we will not exceed our income. We will not place the Church in debt. We will tailor what we do to the resources that are available."

-Gordon B. Hinckley Oct. 2001

Read full article at: http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-225-27,00.html

The Standard of Truth.

2008-09-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

-Joseph Smith 1842

The Wentworth letter was a letter written in 1842 by Latter Day Saint founder Joseph Smith, Jr. to "Long" John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat. It outlined the history of the Latter Day Saint movement up to that time, and included Mormonism's Articles of Faith.

The letter was written in response to Wentworth's inquiry on behalf of one of his friends who was writing a history of New Hampshire. The letter was first published on March 1, 1842 in the Times and Seasons in Nauvoo, Illinois.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wentworth_letter)

Malcolm Muggeridge

2008-09-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

"When I look back on my life nowadays, which I sometimes do, what strikes me most forcibly about it is that what seemed at the time most significant and seductive, seems now futile and absurd. For instance, success in all of its various guises; being known and being praised, ostensible pleasures, like acquiring money or seducing women, or traveling, going to and fro in the world and up and down in it like Satan, exploring and experiencing whatever Vanity Fair has to offer. In retrospect all these exercises in self-gratification seem pure fantasy, what Pascal called "licking the earth." They are diversions designed to distract in this world, which is, quite simply, to look for God, and, in looking, to find Him, and, having found Him, to love Him, thereby establishing a harmonious relationship with His purposes for His creation." [Thomas Nelson, A Twentieth Century Testimony (New York, 1978)]

All things denote there is a God

2008-09-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite chapters in The Book of Mormon is Alma 30. This chapter takes place about 74 years before Christ's birth. It's the story of Korihor, the Antichrist, debating with Alma that God does not exist. For those that don't know the story you can read it at http://scriptures.lds.org/en/alma/30.
After preaching to the people that there is no Christ and that all of the prophecies concerning his birth were false, he was brought to Alma. While debating with Alma, Korihor says, "If thou wilt show me a sign, that I may be convinced that there is a God, yea, show unto me that he hath power, and then will I be convinced of the truth of thy words." Then Alma says, "Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

When I was younger and struggled with whether I believed there was a God or not, this verse really helped me. I use to pray for some kind of vision or miracle to happen so that I could know 100% that everything I had been taught at church was true. After reading the scriptures I realized that seeing does not always result in believing. It's by having the Holy Ghost testify of truth that builds solid testimonies. There are many times in the New Testament and Old Testament that people will see miracles and then forget about them soon after. A good example is during Christ time here on earth. There were many people who saw the different miracles he preformed, but many people still did not believe. The story of Moses leading the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt shows that people do not gain a testimony of God by seeing miracles. Even after all they had seen, they forgot and turned away from God. Then I asked myself, what does it take to be a miracle? I realized that I did not have to see an angel to experience a miracle. I now view things such as the scriptures and modern day prophets to be a miracle. There are many prophesies that have come true from both the Bible and Book of Mormon. And the Earth's position to the Sun and its rotation is a miracle to me. After studying DNA I now think that this complex piece of our existence is a miracle.

A child's birth is a miracle to me. My dad made a good point a while ago that dirt is a miracle to him. He said that people want tangible evidence that there is a God but they don't realize that dirt is evidence. People are able to invent amazing things but no inventor has ever been able to invent dirt. We can only change the form of minerals into what we want but we can not create the minerals.

One of the many reasons I love to hike is seeing all that God has created for us to enjoy. On my last hike in Flagstaff I remembered a class I took my freshmen year of high school. The class was Biology and the teacher was Mr. Holmes. He was very clear in his teaching that God did not exist and that life on Earth was just by chance. At the time it made me question my faith. I look back and I am now grateful for this experience because it made me think hard about what I really did believe in. I'm amazed how many people find the Big Bang Theory to be truth. I think it takes more faith to believe in the Big Bang Theory than it does to believe in God. According to the theory, Earth was created from objects in space colliding until an atom was formed. Somehow, a single cell became two, then three and over time we have a fish. And from a fish everything else evolved . . . . And those who believe in this theory think Christianity sounds like a fairy tale? Either way a person has to practice faith to believe in both sides of the argument. I personally agree with Alma, we have signs enough.

Humphreys Peak Elevation 12,633

2008-08-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Brad Hawes and I were able to climb Humphrey's Peak in Flagstaff AZ. For those of you who are looking for a relatively challenging hike, this is a good one. The total hike is about 9 miles round trip with the last mile and a half above the timber line and very rocky. There was even snow still on the ground in Aug. We were told to head back if we saw any storms coming in but we were blessed with perfect weather in the 70's F. Going from Mesa's elevation, which is 1,241 ft, to 12,633 in a about 8 hours does crazy things to your body. I got elevation sickness for the first time in my life. Some symptoms I experienced were: nausea, fatigue, dizziness, light headed, shortness of breath and a bad head ache. These symptoms only last about three days but it was well worth the beautiful hike. I would recommend to those who might want to climb it to stay in Flagstaff for at least a day before you hike Humphrey's Peak so you body can adjust to the elevation first. And beware of the cute squirrels, one bit me on the hand.

There were tons of mushrooms all over the mountain.

Awwww. Doesn't that picture just entice you to do the hike?

A tree.

A flower.

A Brad.

The last mile to the summit. Brad is mocking my pain.

I'm not as excited.

This is where we leave the timber line.

He's not as friendly as he looks, trust me.

The Grand Canyon is in the distance if ya look real close.

The summit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Experiences Worth Remembering

2008-08-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

I love listening to old BYU talks! The only chance I usually have to spare the time for listening to these talks is while running on my lunch breaks at Papago Park. Today I listened to a talk by Gordon B. Hinckley called, "Experiences worth remembering." I would recommend this talk to anyone. http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=11434 Below is a section of the talk that has made me ponder of the different sacrifices I have made in my life for the Gospel. I have never experience any kind of sacrifice or pain that is in comparison with what the early pioneers went through. I wish there was a way that I could thank them. I am so grateful for what they went through to help build the Church so I can enjoy the blessings of the restored gospel.

"No series of vignettes drawn from Church history would be complete without reference to the handcart pioneers of 1856—150 years ago at this very season.
My wife’s great-grandmother, Mary Penfold Goble, was baptized in England. The family joined the Hunt Wagon Company, which accompanied the Martin Handcart Company. Her daughter’s account is written in the simple, matter-of-fact manner of a young girl, but behind those plain words is stark tragedy. She wrote:
We traveled from 15 to 25 miles a day. . . .
We traveled on till we got to the Platte River. . . . We caught up with the handcart companies that day. We watched them cross the river. There were great lumps of ice floating down the river. It was bitter cold. The next morning there were fourteen dead. . . . We went back to camp and went to prayers. We sang the song “Come, Come, Ye Saints, No Toil Nor Labor Fear.” I wondered what made my mother cry. . . . The next morning my little sister was born. It was the 23rd of September. We named her Edith, and she lived six weeks and died. . . . [She was buried at the last crossing of the Sweetwater.]
When we arrived at Devil’s Gate it was bitter cold. . . . My brother James . . . was as well as he ever was when he went to bed. In the morning he was dead.
My feet were frozen [also my brother’s and sister’s]. It was nothing but snow. We could not drive the pegs . . . for our tents. . . .
. . . We did not know what would become of us. One night a man came to our camp and told us . . . [Brigham] Young had sent men and teams to help us. . . . We sang songs, some danced and some cried. . . .
. . . My mother . . . never got well. . . . She died between the Little and Big Mountains. . . . She was 43 years old. . . .
We arrived in Salt Lake City [at] nine o’clock at night the 11th of December 1856. Three out of [the] four that were living were frozen. My mother was dead in the wagon. . . .
Early next morning . . . Brigham Young . . . came. . . . When he saw our condition—our feet frozen and our mother dead—tears rolled down his cheeks.
The doctor amputated my toes . . . [while] the sisters were dressing mother [for her grave]. . . . That afternoon she was buried. [Life of Mary Ann Goble Pay, autobiographical sketch, typescript, LDS Church Archives, Salt Lake City; also, “Mary Goble Pay Autobiography,” in Arthur D. Coleman, comp., Pay-Goble Pioneers of Nephi, Juab County, Utah (Salt Lake City: n.p., 1968), 78–81; text modernized]
What a story in a few brief words. "

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Fossil Springs AZ

2008-08-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Brad Hawes, my brother Shaun, Chels and I all hiked Fossil Springs. It was so beautiful. The hike is about 4 miles down into a canyon. At the bottom of the 1,600 foot deep canyon there are a number of natural springs that pump a total of 20,000 gallons of pure water a minute. We were lucky enough to encounter two tarantulas, a garter snake and a large beetle while there. I am still a little sore from the hike but it was well worth it. Here are some of the best pictures from the 149 pics we took while down there. I can't wait to go again. If anyone is interested in going themselves, here is a link on how to get there.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/fossil-spgs-wild.shtml

2 + 2 = 4

2008-07-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

The last message my Mission President Mark Willis gave to our mission was a math equation. He wrote on a chalk board that said 2+2= 5. He told us that when we come home from our missions that many people would lie and tell us that 2 + 2 = 5 and not 2 + 2 = 4. I wish I could remember his exact words but the message he wanted to give us is that "wickedness never was happiness" (Alma 41:10). The world would want us to believe that happiness is found in money, fame or in sex. It's sad to see that after returning home, many are convinced of the lie that 2 + 2 = 5. While these things can bring temporary enjoyment, they can not bring lasting happiness and peace. While speaking to people on the streets or in their homes on my mission I would ask them what is the one thing they are looking for in life. It surprised me to hear that most of them wanted peace of mind and happiness. I then told them that we shared a message that could lead them to peace and happiness by following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Some people would invite us in gladly, while others were convinced that their peace and happiness was found in wealth, fame or sexual fulfillment. It seems to me that 50 years ago morals were black or white when now they are grey. Things that were not accepted in the past are now the norm and ok. America is moving towards a society that believes if something makes you feel good than it must be ok. But the truth still is 2 + 2 = 4. The only way to lasting happiness is by following the principles taught by Jesus Christ.

Article on Mark Willes: http://www.minneapolisfed.org/info/mpls/history/willes.cfm

Cheesy Chain Email

2008-07-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

On my mission in Hawaii I was given a printed out chain email from a friend. I liked it so much I used it for "dinner messages" with members who fed us. Lately I have found myself dwelling on the negative things that happen in my life. They are usually very small things such as a flat tire, engine problems, letters being lost in the mail, not knowing what career I want to choose, lack of time to get everything done in one day, gas prices, stress at work etc. etc. Something reminded me of this chain email I use to share with others, so I went through my mission papers and found it. I am now trying harder to focus on all of the good things I have going on my life. I have an amazing wife. I was born into a great family and married into another great family. I have my health. I have a steady income. I have a "kind of" reliable car. I love my calling in the Elders Quorum. I was called to serve a mission in the most beautiful place on this planet with some of the best people in the world. I was born and raised in the Church. And I have been blessed with many good friends from all walks of life and cultures. So the next time you hear me complaining, I give anyone the permission to kick me in the leg and remind me of this cheesy chain email.

"If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege. Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for years. Should you despair over a relationship gone bad, think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return. Should you grieve the passing of another weekend, think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children. Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance, think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity. Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness, or insecurities, remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!! "

-Unknown

What does temptation mean?

2008-07-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

“No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because he was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means–the only complete realist.”

- C.S. Lewis

True Believers in Christ

2008-06-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

So, last Sunday I gave a lesson in Elders Quorum. I was lucky enough to choose my own topic, so I picked a talk by Neal A. Maxwell that I had recently listened to on my MP3 player while working out. The talk is called, True Believers in Christ and it was given back in 1980 at a BYU fireside. I focused on a part of the talk about the 13 different traits of a true Christan due to the lack of time. I have been thinking of these traits a lot for the last couple of weeks and have been trying to use them in my daily life. They are not easy things to learn, but being a Christan should never be an easy thing. I feel that many Christans in the world do not understand what the doctrine on grace means. I have a good friend who claims to be a Christan but feels that she does not need to follow any of the principles taught in the New Testament. She feels that the commandments taught in the scriptures do not apply for our day. She told me, "I've accepted Christ in my life and that is all I need to do. I am saved by grace." While it is true that no one is perfect and that we need grace to be saved, it is important that we do our best to live a Christ-like life. Christ will make up the difference after all we can do. I believe in most cases (including mine) it will be about 3% our works and 97% His grace. On that note, here are the 13 characteristics of a true Christan that Neal A. Maxwell discussed in his talk. I would strongly recommend reading the entire talk on BYU's official web site.

1. The true believer has struck a balance between being too content with himself and being caught up in the equally dangerous human tendency of wishing for an enlarged and more important role. Alma said, "I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me" (Alma 29:3).
2. The true believer has some Jethros in his life to give him needed and sometimes hard counsel. And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou are not able to perform it thyself alone. [Ex. 18:17-18
3. The true believer has a sense of proportion so that Martha-like anxieties do not crowd out the Mary-like choices.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, “Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” [Luke 10:4142; see also verses 3840]
Martha was not the last conscientious Church member who was confused about priorities.
4. His personal prayers are not the easy, casual petitions--like the one of which the Lord said, "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me" (D&C 9:7). The true believer's prayers, at least some of the time, are inspired petitions.
5. The true believer has both right conduct and right reasons for that conduct. He is so secure in his relationship with the Lord that his goodness would continue even if he were not seen of men. He would fill his role in the Church even if there were no mortal taking of the roll: Take heed that ye do not alms before men, to be seen of them. [Matt. 6:1; emphasis added]
6. When professionally, associationally, or even in Church service, he may seem to have been "put out to pasture," the true believer can still say of the Lord (and mean it), "He maketh me to lie down in green pasture" (Ps. 23:2).
7. When he is misrepresented, misquoted, or misused, he still loves and prays sincerely for those who despitefully use him.
8. When someone seems to surpass him spiritually and does his "thing" even better than he, he genuinely rejoices and gives them heartfelt and sincere praise. He never regards colleagues as competitors.
9. The true believer remembers that forgetting is a dimension of forgiving. It is Lordlike: "I [will] remember [their sins] no more" (D&C 58:42). He really helps others to get deservingly reclassified, and, like the Lord, does not "mention" their past mistakes to them (Ex. 18:22).
10. The true believer is careful about giving offense or causing others to stumble.
11. The true believer insists that within deprivation there may be opportunity. He can wait for the unfolding of opportunity hidden within tragedy, as did Joseph anciently. When in their later Egyptian rendezvous, Joseph lovingly reassured his anxious brothers, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Gen. 50:20). So often, before we can save others, however, we must first be shaped and refined.
12. The true believer is growing in his patience, including being patient in following the living prophets. He knows that trying to get ahead of the Brethren is a sure way of falling behind.
13. He is ready to follow the Lord into soul-stretching experiences even if it means enrolling the schooling of suffering and paying his tuition.

Kuzco

2008-06-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

For those of those who know Chelsea and I well, you know that we are nerds when it comes to wildlife shows and going to the zoo. (Among many other things) We love pets and would probably have larger ones if it was not for the size of our Townhouse. My last pet was a Pink Toe tarantula named Shelop. We had Shelop a little over 2 years when she passed away back in March of this year. (RIP) I was wanting to get a Rose Hair tarantula but Chelsea recommended getting something that was more hands-on that we could play with. So we decided to check craigslist for a pet snake. We got a really good deal on a Sonoran Kingsnake, the only catch was I had to drive to Glendale to get him. We decided to name him Kuzco after the movie The Emperors New Groove. He is only about 9 months old now and only 18 inches, but should be about 5 feet long once he is full grown. We are really getting attached to him. Our last adventure with Kuzco was giving him his first bath. He loved it!! He did not want to get out. I hope our first child loves baths as much as Kuzco does.

The Articles of Faith

2008-01-27T18:12:00.000-08:00

1 We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
3We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
4We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
6We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
7We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
8We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
10We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
11We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
12We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
13We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Joseph Smith

17 points of the True Church of Christ

2008-01-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

17 Points of the True Church of Christ

1. Christ organized the Church (Eph 4:11-14)
2.The true church must bear the name of Jesus Christ (Eph 5:23)
3.The true church must have a foundation of Apostles and Prophets (Eph 2:19-20)
4.The true church must have the same organization as Christ's Church (Eph 4:11-14)
5.The true church must claim divine authority (Heb 5:4-10)
6.The true church must have no paid ministry (1 Cor 9:16-18; Acts 20:33-34; John 10:11-13)
7.The true church must baptise by immersion (Matt 3:13-16)
8.The true church must bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17)
9.The true church must practice divine healing (Mark 3:14-15)
10.The true church must teach that God and Jesus are seperate and distinct individuals (John 17:11; 20:17)
11.The true church must teach that God and Jesus have bodies of flesh and bone (Luke 23:36-39; Acts 1:9-11; Heb 1:1-3)
12.The officers must be called by God (Heb 4:4; Ex 28:1; 40:13-16)
13.The true church must claim revelation from God (Amos 3:7)
14.The true church must be a missionary church (Matt 28:19-20)
15.The true church must be a restored church (Acts 3:19-20)
16.The true church must practice baptism for the dead (1Cor 15:16&29)
17."By their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt 7:20)

How many churches today include all of these??????????

The Profile of a Prophet- HUGH B. BROWN

2007-12-31T07:27:00.000-08:00

(This is my favorite talk by Hugh B Brown. This talk was given at Brigham Young University on 4 October 1955.)

Perhaps I can do this more quickly by referring to an interview I had in London, England, in 1939, just before the outbreak of the war. I had met a very prominent English gentleman, a member of the House of Commons, formerly one of the justices of the supreme court of England. In my conversations with this gentleman on various subjects—“vexations of the soul,” he called them—we talked about business, law, politics, international relations, and war, and we frequently discussed religion.
He called me on the phone one day and asked if I would meet him at his office and explain some phases of the gospel. He said, “I think there is going to be a war. If there is, you will have to return to America and we may not meet again.” His statement regarding the imminence of war and the possibility that we would not meet again proved to be prophetic.
When I went to his office he said he was intrigued by some things I had told him. He asked me to prepare a brief on Mormonism.
I may say to you students that a brief is a statement of law and facts that lawyers like President Wilkinson prepare when they are going into court to argue a case.
He asked me to prepare a brief on Mormonism and discuss it with him as I would discuss a legal problem. He said, “You have told me that you believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. You have said to me that you believe that God the Father and Jesus of Nazareth appeared to Joseph Smith. I cannot understand how a barrister and solicitor from Canada, a man trained in logic and evidence, could accept such absurd statements. What you tell me about Joseph Smith seems fantastic, but I think you should take three days at least to prepare a brief and permit me to examine it and question you on it.”
I suggested that we proceed at once and have an examination for discovery, which is, briefly, a meeting of the opposing sides in a lawsuit where the plaintiff and defendant, with their attorneys, meet to examine each other’s claims and see if they can find some area of agreement, thus saving the time of the court later on.
I said perhaps we could see whether we had some common ground from which we could discuss my “fantastic ideas.” He agreed to that quite readily.
I can only give you, in the few minutes at my disposal, a condensed and abbreviated synopsis of the three-hour conversation that followed. In the interest of time I shall resort to the question-and-answer method, rather than narration.
I began by asking, “May I proceed, sir, on the assumption that you are a Christian?”
“I am.”
“I assume you believe in the Bible—the Old and New Testaments?”
“I do!”
“Do you believe in prayer?”
“I do!”
“You say that my belief that God spoke to a man in this age is fantastic and absurd?”
“To me it is.”
“Do you believe that God ever did speak to anyone?”
“Certainly, all through the Bible we have evidence of that.”
“Did He speak to Adam?”
“Yes.”
“To Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Joseph, and on through the prophets?”
“I believe He spoke to each of them.”
“Do you believe that contact between God and man ceased when Jesus appeared on the earth?”
“No, such communication reached its climax, its apex, at that time.”
“Do you believe that Jesus was the Son of God?”
“He was.”
“Do you believe, sir, that after Jesus was resurrected, a certain lawyer—who was also a tentmaker by the name of Saul of Tarsus—when on his way to Damascus talked with Jesus of Nazareth, who had been crucified, resurrected, and had ascended into heaven?”
“I do.”
“Whose voice did Saul hear?”
“It was the voice of Jesus Christ, for He so introduced Himself.”
“Then, my Lord—that is the way we address judges in the British Commonwealth—I am submitting to you in all seriousness that it was standard procedure in Bible times for God to talk to man.”
“I think I will admit that, but it stopped shortly after the first century of the Christian era.”
“Why do you think it stopped?”
“I can’t say.”
“You think that God hasn’t spoken since then?”
“I am sure He hasn’t.”
“There must be a reason. Can you give me a reason?”
“I do not know.”
“May I suggest some possible reasons? Perhaps God does not speak to man anymore because He cannot. He has lost the power.”
He said, “Of course that would be blasphemous.”
“Well, then, if you don’t accept that, perhaps He doesn’t speak to men because He doesn’t love us anymore and He is no longer interested in the affairs of men.”
“No,” he said, “God loves all men, and He is no respecter of persons.”
“Well, then, if He could speak, and if He loves us, then the only other possible answer, as I see it, is that we don’t need Him. We have made such rapid strides in science and we are so well educated that we don’t need God anymore.”
And then he said—and his voice trembled as he thought of impending war—“Mr. Brown, there never was a time in the history of the world when the voice of God was needed as it is needed now. Perhaps you can tell me why He doesn’t speak.”
My answer was: “He does speak, He has spoken; but men need faith to hear Him.”
Then we proceeded to prepare what I may call a “profile of a prophet.”
Perhaps you students would like to amplify what I must condense today and draw your own standard or definition of a prophet and see whether Joseph Smith measures up.
We agreed between us that the following characteristics should distinguish a man who claims to be a prophet:
1. He will boldly claim that God had spoken to him.
2. Any man so claiming would be a dignified man with a dignified message—no table jumping, no whisperings from the dead, no clairvoyance, but an intelligent statement of truth.
3. Any man claiming to be a prophet of God would declare his message without any fear and without making any weak concessions to public opinion.
4. If he were speaking for God he could not make concessions, although what he taught would be new and contrary to the accepted teachings of the day. A prophet bears witness to what he has seen and heard and seldom tries to make a case by argument. His message and not himself is important.
5. Such a man would speak in the name of the Lord, saying, “Thus said the Lord,” as did Moses, Joshua, and others.
6. Such a man would predict future events in the name of the Lord, and they would come to pass, as did those predicted by Isaiah and Ezekiel.
7. He would have not only an important message for his time but often a message for all future time, such as Daniel, Jeremiah, and others had.
8. He would have courage and faith enough to endure persecution and to give his life, if need be, for the cause he espoused, such as Peter, James, Paul, and others did.
9. Such a man would denounce wickedness fearlessly. He would generally be rejected or persecuted by the people of his time, but later generations and descendants of his persecutors would build monuments in his honor.
10. He would be able to do superhuman things—things that no man could do without God’s help. The consequence or result of his message and work would be convincing evidence of his prophetic calling: “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).
11. His teachings would be in strict conformity with scripture, and his words and his writings would become scripture. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).
Now I have given but an outline that you can fill in and amplify and then measure and judge the Prophet Joseph Smith by the work and stature of other prophets.
As a student of the life of the Prophet Joseph Smith for more than 50 years, I say to you young men and women: by these standards Joseph Smith qualifies as a prophet of God.
I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God because he talked like a prophet. He was the first man since the apostles of Jesus Christ were slain to make the claim that prophets have always made—viz., that God had spoken to him. He lived and died like a prophet. I believe he was a prophet of God because he gave to this world some of the greatest of all revelations. I believe that he was a prophet of God because he predicted many things that have come to pass—things that only God could bring to pass.
John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, declared, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). If Joseph Smith had the testimony of Jesus, he had the spirit of prophecy. And if he had the spirit of prophecy, he was a prophet.
I submit to you, and I submitted to my friend, that as much as any man who ever lived, he had a testimony of Jesus, for, like the apostles of old, he saw Him and heard Him speak. He gave his life for that testimony. I challenge any man to name one who has given more evidence of the divine calling of Jesus Christ than did the Prophet Joseph Smith.
I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith was a prophet because he did many superhuman things. One was translating the Book of Mormon. Some people will not agree, but I submit to you that the Prophet Joseph Smith in translating the Book of Mormon did a superhuman work. I ask you students to undertake to write a story on the ancient inhabitants of America, to write as he did without any source of material. Include in your story 54 chapters dealing with wars, 21 historical chapters, and 55 chapters on visions and prophecies. And, remember, when you begin to write on visions and prophecies, you must have your record agree meticulously with the Bible. You must write 71 chapters on doctrine and exhortation, and here, too, you must check every statement with the scriptures or you will be proven to be a fraud. You must write 21 chapters on the ministry of Christ, and everything you claim He said and did and every testimony you write in your book about Him must agree absolutely with the New Testament.
I ask you, would you like to undertake such a task? I would suggest to you too that you must employ figures of speech, similes, metaphors, narrations, exposition, description, oratory, epic, lyric, logic, and parables. Undertake that, will you?
I ask you to remember that the man who translated the Book of Mormon was a young man who hadn’t had the opportunity of schooling that you have had, and yet he dictated that book in just a little over two months and made very few, if any, corrections. For over one hundred years some of the best students and scholars of the world have been trying to prove from the Bible that the Book of Mormon is false, but not one of them has been able to prove that anything he wrote was not in strict harmony with the scriptures—with the Bible and with the word of God.
The Book of Mormon not only declares on the title page that its purpose is to convince Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, but this truth is the burden of its message. In 3 Nephi it is recorded that multitudes of people testified, “We saw Him. We felt of His hands and His side. We know He is the Christ” (see 3 Nephi 11:14–15).
Joseph Smith undertook and accomplished other superhuman tasks. Among them I list the following:
He organized the Church. (I call attention to the fact that no constitution effected by human agency has survived 100 years without modification or amendment, even the Constitution of the United States. The basic law or constitution of the Church has never been altered.)
He undertook to carry the gospel message to all nations, which is a superhuman task still in progress.
He undertook, by divine command, to gather thousands of people to Zion.
He instituted vicarious work for the dead and built temples for that purpose.
He promised that certain signs should follow the believers, and there are thousands of witnesses who certify that this promise has been fulfilled.
I said to my friend, “My Lord, I cannot understand your saying to me that my claims are fantastic. Nor can I understand why Christians who claim to believe in Christ would persecute and put to death a man whose whole purpose was to prove the truth of the things they themselves were declaring; namely, that Jesus was the Christ. I could understand their persecuting Joseph if he had said, ‘I am Christ,’ or if he had said, ‘There is no Christ,’ or if he had said someone else is Christ. Then Christians believing in Christ would be justified in opposing him.
“But what he said was, ‘He whom ye claim to serve, declare I unto you,’ paraphrasing what Paul said in Athens: ‘Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you’ (Acts 17:23). Joseph said to the Christians of his day, ‘You claim to believe in Jesus Christ. I testify that I saw Him and I talked with Him. He is the Son of God. Why persecute me for that?’
“When Joseph came out of the woods, he had at least four fundamental truths, and he announced them to the world: first, that the Father and the Son are separate and distinct individuals; second, that the canon of scripture is not complete; third, that man was created in the bodily image of God; and fourth, the channel between earth and heaven is open and revelation is continuous.”
Perhaps some of you are wondering how the judge reacted to our discussion. He listened intently; he asked some very pointed and searching questions; and, at the end of the period, he said, “Mr. Brown, I wonder if your people appreciate the import of your message. Do you?” He said, “If what you have told me is true, it is the greatest message that has come to this earth since the angels announced the birth of Christ.”
This was a judge speaking—a great statesman, an intelligent man. He threw out the challenge: “Do you appreciate the import of what you say?” He added, “I wish it were true. I hope it may be true. God knows it ought to be true. I would to God,” he said, and he wept as he said it, “that some man could appear on earth and authoritatively say, ‘Thus saith the Lord.’”
As I intimated, we did not meet again. I have brought to you very briefly some of the reasons why I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. But undergirding and overarching all that, I say to you from the very center of my heart that by the revelations of the Holy Ghost I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

Some things in life matter more than others.

2007-12-30T16:23:00.000-08:00

Wow, I never thought I would be creating my own blog but here I am and I'm loving it!!!!!!!! Like many others out there I like talking about myself. But not only will I plan talking about my life, I also plan on sharing reasons why I believe in the Mormon faith. Another reason I am creating this blog is to remind me why I believe during the times my faith waivers. I had the privilege to be a full time missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Hawaiian Islands from the years 2003-2005. I plan on sharing journals entries as well in this blog. I hope those who are not of my faith can read this to try to get a better insight why we are different as a people, and for those who are Mormon, I hope this can strengthen their own testimony. I do not claim to have all of the answers to everything, but I know where to find them. I do not claim everything on this blog will be Mormon doctrine, just my own beliefs and thoughts. The official web site of the Mormon church is lds.org.