These are some of the various adventures of my life.
Focus on Humanity
This morning my sister sent our family a discourse from Elder David A. Bednar at BYU-Idaho in 2009. In the talk, he references the power of our human bodies and how much Satan desires to attack these bodies. He is never going to receive a body and with a body is a key...
Perfect As He Is
When Jesus stood on the mount near Jerusalem and proclaimed His timeless sermon He included the call to all to "be ye therefore perfect" (Matt 5:48). In like manner, He related the same message to the Nephites in His sermon at the Temple as recorded in 3 Nephi....
All Are Invited
While reading the Sermon at the Temple in 3 Nephi, I noticed a key difference from the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew. The Nephite account uses the word all in several of the Saviors be attitudes. A seemingly small difference stood out as profound to me....
Prayer
Prayer ~~ Each morning when I arise I turn to my Father in Heaven. I look to him to help me through each and every day. I give thanks for many of the blessings that I have. I have found a great amount of peace and tranquility in prayer. All throughout scriptures we...
Knowing
Knowing ~~ Growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I heard a lot of people stand and profess to know. As a youth, I professed the same thing. At the time it was probably more of a belief and an act of faith to profess such knowledge. There are...
Humility
Humility ~~ I follow up my thoughts on pride from yesterday with the great antidote. One of my favorite Hymns is Be Thou Humble. As we choose to be humble we are able to be lead by a loving Heavenly Father. We have more meaning to our overall existence. We are better...
Pride
Pride ~~ The world that we live in is fraught with the desire to have more, no matter the cost. Whether it is a get rich quick idea, the desire to gain sponsored opportunities by sharing a lavish lifestyle, or becoming all-consumed in our careers it can often be a...
My Thoughts on Black Freedom
Yesterday was a day to be celebrated by Black Americans. It was the day that the last slaves experienced emancipation over 150 years ago. Freedom may have come through the Thirteenth Amendment, and the symbol of liberty for Blacks was given through this action on this...
The Door Thereof Towards the Temple
“The people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the temple to hear the words…And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses; And also...
Isaiah’s Understanding of the Atonement and Resurrection
As we celebrate Easter today throughout the Christian world, we have great reason to turn to the New Testament accounts of what is commonly referred to as Holy Week. Beginning with Palm Sunday is commemorated Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. During this week,...
Some Ideas On Branding
I was asked by a friend to answer some questions on branding, so I decided that I would write up this post on my thoughts and ideas to creating a strong brand. Building a recognizable brand is more than just spending a lot of marketing dollars to get your name out...
Time For Us To Rethink Things
Dealing With Changing Tides This time away from the routine has caused a shift in my thinking, as it probably has for so many of you. It has been great to spend more time with my family. I have tried not to make it a time to just binge watch TV. After all, I still...
The Word of the Lord is Verified
When reading through chapters of scripture there are often little gems that strike you at certain times. Right now, the passage in Jarom stood out to me where he expressed in his writing that “the word of the lord was verified” (Jarom 1:9). It was timely as I looked...
Keeping My Spirits Up – Optimistic
These are unprecedented times that we are in. Last week my wife and I returned from traveling along the Central California Coast. We were not concerned when we left, but things got real in the middle of our trip. The Church canceled church services around the world...
A Day Trip to Pinnacles National Park
Good Adventures Require Early Mornings Sometimes great adventures require some sacrifice. When we are traveling, I enjoy being able to relax and sleep in and not have to worry about getting up and getting ready for work. However, sometimes those plans have to go, and...
A Quick Trip to Moab and Two National Parks
Over the past few years, I have been enjoying the desert much more. I am a big fan of alpine rivers and high peaks. But at this time of year, those are not accessible in the Northern Hemisphere without skis. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy skiing, but sometimes the cold...
Obtaining the Word of God: A Look at 1 Nephi 3-4
As sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, He wants us to learn of Him. He desires that we understand what we need to do to become like Him and return to Him to obtain a fulness of joy. As we study As we studied 1 Nephi 1-7 these past weeks in Come Follow Me,...
Partaking of the Tree of Life: Based on Lehi’s Dream in 1 Nephi 8
When Nephi recounted the dream that his father had of the tree of life, he shares a description of four distinct groups and how they responded to their surroundings. How we react to the events of our mortal lives has as much to do with how we developed in the...