Author Archives: Tyson Alexander

Death by Water

14 Thursday May 2015

Posted by in Baptism

≈ Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago I had the wonderful privilege of speaking at a baptism for my nephew.  He is awesome and I love him.  I also love his parents.  I only had a few minutes to speak there, and I tried to convey the thoughts that I had into those few precious moments because nobody except me wanted to hear a 25-minute talk on baptism.  So, in an effort to more fully process the thoughts I had leading up to that night, I have written them down here.  I thought about sending this letter to my brother (and obviously his son) as an email or personal letter, but decided on posting it here in the hopes that it will be of some assistance to someone somewhere – not to mention the hope that someday Tyler will read it and remember that special day.  What follows then, is the non-readers digest version of a baptism story addressed as a letter to an 8 year old boy (on his actual 8th birthday):

Dear Tyler,

Today something awesome gets to take place.  You get to have a birthday.  Not the normal kind of birthday (the mommy birth) – because you’ve already had a bunch of those.  You get to have a heavenly birthday too.  And we all know that the best part of having a birthday is getting presents.

Now, tonight, your amazing dad gets to walk down into the water and look up at you.  In that instant, as he looks up into your smiling face, all 8 of the incredibly long and incredibly short years of your life will flash before his eyes as he sees you standing there.  His heart will burn.  He will hold his hand out to gently invite you into the water with him.  As you slowly step down into the water, he will wonder if he’s taught you well enough.  He will wonder if he explained exactly what to expect.  He no doubt has practiced the technique with you in the pool or at home in preparation for this day.  He probably even showed you exactly how and where he will hold you, how to bend your knees, how to hold your breath, and to close your eyes.  More than once he reassured you that everything will be fine and that he will be right there with you the whole time.  He will feel love and your mother will feel love because they know how important tonight is.

As you stand there in the water, you may get a bit nervous.  The long awaited time of your baptism is so close now. You’ve thought about it, talked about it, planned for it, and dreamed about it, but now that you are standing in the water, you may be just a bit unsure how this is all going to happen.  Then your dad will grab your left arm and put it into his.  Then, he will position your right arm in just the right place so that you can plug your nose.  After your dad speaks some amazing words, you will – If you pay attention – notice that his hands are placed both in front of your chest leading you and behind your back supporting you.  You will need this support because despite your nerves, he is going to bury you.

Your dad is going to bury you in the water. That means that the water will be completely covering you.  Every single bit of you.  There won’t even be a little piece of you that is allowed to breathe (two people will make sure of that!).  You are left to trust your father, after all, he is the one that invited you down into the water and assured you that this would be for your own good.

Next, something amazing will happen while you are buried in that water.  You, little man – get to die.

Death.  A lot of people think it’s the end – but we know a secret, we know that death is only the beginning – or at least the beginning of something much better.  Because, during your death, the short time that you are completely buried in the water, your awesome dad will still be holding on to you – with both hands, and I promise you, he will not let go.  In fact, after what may seem like a long time, he will pull you right back up from that watery grave, and you will be a whole new man.

You may not notice it tonight, and you may not ever even think about it in the future, but I can promise you that there isn’t a single person in the room tonight that won’t have their eyes on you when you come out of that water – and you will look glorious to them.  You will be a shining light of happiness, love, and innocence that makes everyone remember something and somewhere better.

Now, I want you to think of another father and son who had a very similar experience.  Think of a father who talked about, practiced, and explained this same type of death to his son.  The son, without having experienced baptism was a little nervous when the time came to walk down into the water. In fact, this son became “sore amazed” at the thought of being completely under all that deep, heavy, painful water.

Yet, just like you, he trusted his father, and knew that when his father would bury him under that water – he would die.

But, this son also knew that his father would still be holding on with both hands, leading him and supporting him and that after just enough time being dead, he would pull him right back up and he would be resurrected.

And, just like you tonight, when that father pulled that son up out of the water where he died, there were lots of eyes that were looking right at him, and he was glorious.  He was (and still is) a shining light of love, happiness, joy, and perfection.  He is Jesus Christ and he invites us all to keep looking at him, to keep our eyes on him, and to keep watching him and doing all the things that he does.

That father and that son are the perfect examples for all of us, and you little man, get to show them that you love them by following their example and getting baptized.  I am so happy for you and for your family.

I know that you are making the right choice, and that Jesus Christ is real.  I know that the scriptures are true, and that if we read them we will be happy.

Love,

Uncle Tyson

A Man Among Them

05 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by in Humility, Silence

≈ Leave a comment

There are over 7.3 Billion people on earth.  Just to illustrate with an actual number, that’s more than 7,300,000,000 people living right now and each one of us is “a man among them”. 1   We have all been asked to “let our light so shine” and to “stand with brightness”. Yet, with that many people in the world, we might feel like our lights just aren’t what they need to be sometimes because even when we unite ourselves with the other 15 Million Latter-Day Saint members, we realize that 1 Million is only one-thousandth of 1 Billion.  Too often we feel like we are too small even (and maybe especially) if we live in an area with a higher concentration of members.  We may feel like we are just one person among so many or that there is no way that the Lord can use us to bring about a change – let alone a “mighty” change.

We may think or feel something like; “I am just one person, among so many, what can I do”?  If we feel that way, we are not alone.  I imagine that everyone at some point has felt that they were just “a man among them” – because that’s exactly what we are, and that’s exactly what the Lord wants us to be.

I love the story of Abinidi.  It is a popular story; one which most of us remember clearly from primary because of it’s PG-13 rating.   Yet, there is so much to this story that we don’t know yet.  We know the results of the story (his martyrdom), and the effect of his willingness (Alma’s change of heart) and we can understand why it is in the Book of Mormon.  Yet, there is something at the very beginning of the story that we should also understand.  It is in the verse in which Abinidi is introduced to the reader – which we may skip far too easily.

Chapter 11 of Mosiah explains that the kingdom was conferred from Zeniff to one of his sons (Noah), and that Noah did not walk in the ways of his father.  Verses 2-19 outline the horrible things Noah did as king to burden and tax the people and if we are observant, we will notice that the conditions of that kingdom as explained pretty much mirror the conditions in which we live today.  They also include a victorious mini-battle which contributes to Noah’s pride and boasting, which all set the stage for Abinidi.

Verse 20 reads “And it came to pass that there was a man among them whose name was Abinidi…that’s it.  That’s the extent of our introduction to one of the greatest heroes in the book of Mormon.  The Lord wouldn’t have it any other way.  We never learn, but Abinidi was very likely a simple, humble and righteous soul (probably normal in every sense of the word) who tried his best every day to live according to the principles of the gospel as ‘a man among them’.  One man among a city and community full of wicked priests, idolatrous and wicked people.  I imagine that Abinidi had vowed long before this call came from the Lord to serve in whatever capacity he was asked to fill.  I imagine that the oil of Abinidi’s lamp had been slowly filled over many years of devoted scripture study, prayer, obedience, and hard work.  I imagine that Abinidi had teachers, friends, family, and numerous struggles just like the rest of us.  Yet, when the call came  – he was ready to serve – and “he went forth among them” and did the will of the Lord.

We all know the story; the people are filled with wroth and naturally want to take away Abinidi’s life because he testified of their wickedness.  The people try to kill him, but the Lord “delivered him out of their hands” (the first time).  This put Abinidi on their hit list, and “they sought from that time forward to take him”.

I like to think that the Lord used that first assignment as a test for Abinidi to see if he would “do all things whatsoever the Lord [his] God shall command [him]”.3  It couldn’t have been easy for Abinidi to rise up and preach to the people, especially since he was “a man among them”, yet he did it.  The Lord may have also been providing some additional instruction and preparation (temporal and spiritual) to Abinidi because it’s not for two more years that he returns (disguised) and gives his amazing testimony to king Noah and his priests.  No doubt these two years consisted of fervent prayer, trust in the Lord, willingness to submit to his will that led to an unflinching willingness to seal his testimony with his life.  Abinidi’s amazing testimony, teachings, and witness is then outlined in chapters 12-16.

As humble and simple as that introduction was for Abinidi, being “a man among them”, let’s remember the amazing and “mighty” change which was the result of this testimony.  In chapter 17 (verse 2) of Mosiah we are introduced to the lone young man who “believed the words which Abinidi had spoken”.  This introduction is strikingly similar, which reads “there was one among them whose name was Alma”…

We know that this “one among them whose name was Alma” believed and acted to change his life, and the life of his posterity which blessed many people and provided us with lots of great reading material – for which we are all grateful.

Before we think that Abinidi and Alma are the only two with simple introductions, let’s remember Amulek who is introduced to the reader (when Alma came upon him) by the glorious and wordy “he said to ‘a man‘” (Alma 8:19).

We all live in a world filled to the brim with all sorts of iniquity, and we feel like we are just “one man among them”.  But, we can be patiently and humbly obeying and doing our best to be ready for when the Lord calls us to “perform a work” – whatever that work may be.  That work may only affect “one among them”, but that one has the potential to become many.   We can also help those who are in our care (children, spouses, etc.) to patiently and humbly do their best to be ready, because the Lord will call us.  Let us strive to be men and women of God, patient and humble enough, that our introduction and story can simply be “there was a man among them” named (enter your name here) who did the will of the Lord.

General Note:

In regards to emphasis as outlined in my previous post. We can also place more focus on the term ‘man’1 – especially as it causes us to ponder on what a real man or woman is.  For example, we could read it “And it came to pass that there was A MAN among them”.  This denotes that Abinidi was a true man of God2 among the people.   This thought is strengthened when read in context of John 19:5 (Behold, the man!) as that indicates the ultimate goal of true manhood.   One other thought to consider while reading these passages, is the difference between the use of son of man, and Son of Man (with capitalization).  This second usage is “A title that Jesus Christ used when speaking of himself (Luke 9:22; 21:36).  It meant the Son of Man of Holiness.  Man of Holiness is one of the names of God the Father.  When Jesus called himself the Son of Man, it was an open declaration of his divine relationship with the Father”. 3

Notes

1 I will use ‘man’ here, but do not infer any difference in characteristics between males and females, especially as it relates to righteousness.

2 See “Be Men!” by Carlos E. Asay, April 1992 (click here)

3 The Guide to the Scriptures – Son of Man

Emphasis

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by in Language

≈ Leave a comment

I served my mission in Brazil, and during that time (in Brazil) Pokémon was fairly popular among the children.  This was new territory to me, so while participating in the ‘develop a relationship of trust’ mode, I only learned how to say Pokémon with a Brazilian accent.  Therefore, whenever I said Pokémon, it sounded like Poke-EH-moan but happened to be a very pronounced EH, so it was more like Poke-EH!-moan (If I am honest, I trailed the moan a bit for dramatic flare, so it sounded a lot like some alien-Jamaican version of moan).  I then came home to America, and the first time I ever said Pokémon to Amanda (my wife), she laughed and asked me to repeat myself over and over again.  This hasn’t gotten old for her, since apparently in English it is pronounced Poke-e-mon.  No emphasis, no flare, just a plain old robot word.  I guess in America we ignore the little thingy above the e which stands for ‘I am important, please emphasize me and my syllable while you say this word’.    If nothing else, it provided a chance for my wife and I to discuss the differences between Poke-e-mon and Poke-EH!-Moan to see which was correct and which one felt more natural as it rolled off our tongues and into the air (Hint: it’s Poke-EH!-Muahon or something like that).

That example was with a single word, but sometimes we read or hear a phrase that can have the same affect on us, or we can skip right past a phrase because we have only ever heard it pronounced by C3PO’s cousin.   A simple emphasis on a word or syllable here or there can dramatically affect the meaning of a phrase.  There are several scripture phrases that can be better understood if we try and pronounce them more like a gringo Brazilian than a sophisticated English major.  One that I have found recently is found in 2 Ne. 9:44 (particularly the phrase at the end which reads “I stand with brightness”.

If we just play with the emphasis for a little bit, we may read it completely differently, and perhaps by evaluating all the different syllables or meanings for emphasis, we can truly understand that it may actually mean all of them are true – all at the same time.

STAND with brightness

At first glance, or in a simple reading, (or perhaps taken all on it’s own without context for which Jacob used it) the phrase “stand with brightness” seems to fit the same idea as ‘stand ye in holy places’ (D&C 87:8, 2 Chron. 35:5, Ps 24:3) or ‘let your light so shine before men’ (Matt. 5:16. 3 Ne. 12:16) suggesting the idea of being an example or ‘standing for something’ – especially when we include the ‘brightness’ at the end of the phrase – after all, do men light a candle, and then hide it under a bushel (Luke 11:33, Mark 4:21)?  No, they share it (or they are supposed to).

Stand with BRIGHTNESS

This reading may be similar to the first one, with a bit more emphasis on the degree of light coming from our stance.  This may have more focus on our own internal testimonies, etc. in order to get the soft, 15-watt glow that we are sharing ramped up to a solid 60 or 100-watt output.  I think the charge here is to bring it up as high as we can.  If we are to stand with ‘brightness’, let’s make sure that we understand the difference between a 40 W standard incandescent, a 17W LED, and a 23W CFL bulb on the lumens scale.

Stand WITH Brightness

At first reading, this might be the simplest and most easily discounted arrangement, mostly because this can easily be rolled into one of the first two arrangements – and it does mean those things, but – when we stop and think about what this could also mean we are open to the other possibilities.  What if instead of using ‘with’ as a transition to ‘brightness’ we use it as a description of who else is coming to the party?  What if the brightness is more of a someone than a something?  What if we read this sentence with John 8:12, 9:5 and D&C 11:28 in mind?  Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I am the life and the light of the world” whose “countenance shone above the brightness of the sun” (D&C 110:3).   Then, we could read it with the understanding that brightness may have been standing there strong and firm all along – and we just decided to join the party ourselves.

Now, with all 3 of these different pronunciations of the phrase, we are ready to understand what it means, and then combine all 3 meanings into a single understanding of what it means to truly ‘stand with brightness’.  Standing tall, firm, and resolute ‘having a perfect brightness of hope’ (2 Ne. 31:20), with a determination to grow ever more brighter, all made possible by the actual brightness, which is above the brightness of the sun.  And the nearer we stand with brightness, the brighter we become.

Jesus Christ is truly the absolute middle of everything in our universe.

Let us stand up for him, resolve to stand firmly with him, and in so doing he will lend his brightness to us little by little so that we can obey the charge to stand with brightness.

Grandma’s House

09 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Temples

≈ Leave a comment

Just like the rest of the world, I remember going to grandma’s house when I was younger.  We’d go and eat all her treats, she’d cook us bacon and then fry eggs in the leftover bacon grease, she’d let us run downstairs and spend hours on end exploring the amazing and completely unfathomable amount of weird things, objects, boxes, toys, tools, and random stuff downstairs, only then to run rampant in her trailer parked outside.  There were so many things to do – and so little time.  I would look at or play with something for 13 seconds, get bored and then move on to the next thing, and on an on and on.  We’d eventually come back upstairs and avoid getting wrapped up too much in ‘old person stuff’ like letters, books, looking at her old and weird furniture, antique pictures, old stories, and the creepy dolls that sat on their little custom made chairs on the shelf next to the TV that we tried to ignore while we were watching cartoons.

At times, especially during the ‘old person stuff’ (times) when the TV wasn’t on, and I wasn’t running free in the basement exploring, it had the tendency to become a bit awkward – or even totally weird, and maybe even smelled funny.  This might have been because grandma was a lot older than me and she just didn’t understand what a 9-year old wanted all the time, or it could have been the opposite, that I didn’t know everything that grandma had to offer a 9-year old, and was therefore unprepared to really get the most out of that precious time.

Think of your grandparents’ house, it has a unique smell, a unique feel, and a unique presence which all scream ‘grandma’.  We all know what it is, and it is different for every home, but they all have that ‘feel’ and can still recognize it instantly.   I may be alone in the fact that there is some awkwardness there, but the fact of the matter is – that awkwardness might be due to the infrequent visits that we’d made over the years growing up.  My grandparents lived a fair distance away and short visits every few months were just enough to rekindle the excitement of her basement and her treats, but they weren’t enough to last past the few hours that we would spend there during that time.  Soon enough, I was bored and found myself looking forward to returning to my own home where I felt more comfortable.

If I am being honest – which I am – going to grandma’s house when I was younger was all about me.  I looked at it as an event to get what I wanted out of it, which was treats, bacon, and some good times in the basement or trailer.  Once I’d had my fill, I was ready to go.  I was young, and I think that is the normal purpose for children at grandma’s house.  I knew then, and I know now, that grandma loved having us there.  She went out of her way to make us feel welcome, loved, and taken care of.  I also know inside her heart of hearts that she wished we had come more often, and that she wished we had spent some more time doing ‘old person stuff’ because that’s where she really saw the magic, even if we didn’t.

Now, as I am older, I understand that I missed a lot of opportunities.  If I had really wanted to get to know grandma (instead of visiting her for my own selfish reasons), to understand who she really was – I needed to spend time with her, and the best way to do that was to go to her house just to see her (and not the bacon).  If I never visit her, and never really get to know her and spend time with her – especially doing some ‘old person stuff’, it may feel awkward, a bit unknown or even weird to me, and I might find myself looking forward to going back to my own home where I feel more comfortable.

As we spend more and more time there – and as we grow up a little – we become familiar with her house, then we realize by asking a couple of questions, we can learn that the weird cabinet in the corner with the creepy dolls on it isn’t really that weird – because it has an amazing story behind it.  Grandma can tell you who built it, why they built it, where they got the wood, why he made the dolls, and that it was a gift made out of love, and we suddenly realize that it’s the most amazing cabinet that has ever been built, and we were so foolish to not see it previously.  We realize how much that cabinet means to grandma, and amazingly, it now means something to us.  Slowly our eyes begin to open, and we realize that everything in grandma’s house tells a very real story of grandma – and not only grandma, but grandpa too.  The stains in the garage, the rocking chair on the porch, the squeaky screen door, the sloping hill in the backyard, the paisley couches, various letters that always seem to be on counter from friends and family, and even the dishes in the sink that are full of bacon grease and egg yolks, we may even learn why they always have bacon when we come.  Everything in the house helps me to learn about who they were, who they have become, what they’ve been through together, how they got there, about their family, their love, what they’ve done for their children, how they spend their time, and at the end of the day what is important to them.  Now, that awkward and sort of stinky smell becomes sweet and inviting.  I can start to feel grandma’s house.

And it doesn’t stop there – soon enough we realize that the whole neighborhood and town start to belong to grandma and somehow always did and still do remind us of her and the time we spent at her house.  We recognize landmarks, streets, and trees only because they are close to grandma’s house and they let us know that we are ‘almost there’ – and only later do we understand that there is no other reason in the world that these particular items would be even remotely recognizable, unless they remind us and point us to our destination – grandma’s house.  Then, if we listen, she can tell us about the neighborhood, the town, the trees, the roads, and somehow knows all the answers to all the questions about her house and her history, we just have to ask the questions.  Then, the mere mention of the town evokes memories of grandma’s house.

This same story is true about the Lord’s house.  If we go there when we are unprepared, or if we go there infrequently we may go only with the purpose of getting something for ourselves or to fill our own needs and meet our own goals.  We may go looking for the treats, the bacon, the trailer, or the organ, and miss (or even avoid) the ‘old person stuff’ that makes us feel a bit awkward because we don’t understand it or haven’t had it explained to us yet.  But, if we have the intent and ask the right questions; to ask the Lord to explain his story to us, (and this can happen as we spend more time there with the only intention of getting to know Him), we can learn about the weird furniture, the strange smells,  the old newspapers, and realize that they aren’t strange at all, in fact, they are the most beautiful things that have ever been crafted, and somehow they seem to be alive.  We learn about the dolls, the antique photos, the letters that have been and are still being written, we learn about the struggles, the trials, and the absolutely amazing story that is the Lord’s family and we can begin to understand who He has been, who He is, and who He will be.

And it won’t stop there.  As soon as we’ve tasted the magic of the ‘old person stuff’ that is in the Lord’s house – we will develop a sense of awe and reverence for it, that will make the bacon and the organ and the trailer seem insignificant.  We can remember the happiness they gave us, but we will also be so very  thankful for the day that we got tired of the organ and came upstairs just to sit with grandma on the couch, because she was able to give us true joy.  Then, we can come to grandma’s house to see grandma, and to feel of her love, and to share our love with her.  Then, we can begin to understand the power of influence – and we want to spend more and more time with just her, and let her love wash over us because it is real, and because it is constant, and because it is warm and because it is love – because that is what home feels like.

I wish I could really go to my grandma’s house again – but I take comfort in knowing that I can go to the Lord’s house through his amazing spirit I can feel her, and that someday I will see her and hug her and she will understand that I was only 9 and I didn’t quite understand what I was missing.

“Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways…”(Isaiah 2:3, Micah 4:2, 2 Ne. 12:3)

Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice

02 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in General Conference

≈ Leave a comment

“And it came to pass that after [the prophet] had made a proclamation throughout all the land, that the people gathered themselves together throughout all the land, that they might go up to the [TV] to hear the words which [the prophets] should speak unto them.

“And there were a great number, even so many that they did not number them; for they had multiplied exceedingly and waxed great in the land…

“And it came to pass that when they came up to the [TV], they [laid their blankets and pillows and couches and bean bags] round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another.

“And they [arranged their blanket forts and couches] round about the [TV], every man having his [blanket fort or couch] with the [opening] thereof towards the [TV], that thereby they might remain on their [couches] and hear the words which [the prophets] should speak unto them;

“For the multitude being so great that [the prophets] could not teach them all within the walls of the [conference center], therefore he caused [the media] to be [utilized], that thereby [the] people might hear the words which [they] should speak unto them.

“…[And they] caused the words which [the prophets] spake should be written and sent forth among those that were not under the sound of [their] voice, that they might also receive [their] words”. 1

“[Now] behold, angels are declaring [these words] unto many at this time [April 4-5, 2015] in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his coming in his glory [date TBD]”. 2

“[For we] shall live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God.  For the word of the Lord is truth”. 3  “Give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto [us]…for [their] word [we] shall receive, as if from [His] own mouth”. 4 And “When we hear the counsel of the Lord expressed through words of the President of the Church, our response should be positive and prompt”. 5

“The simplicity of this [word] may cause us to overlook its significance.  [This word – receive – is] not a passive pronouncement; rather [it] constitute[s] a priesthood injunction  – an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon.  The [words spoken by the prophets during conference do] not become operative in our lives merely because [our ears have heard them].  As we receive [these words], each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed receive [the words] and [their] attendant spiritual [blessings].  For ‘what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?  Behold he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift’ (D&C 88:33)”. 6

“Behold, he sendeth and invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you”. 7

“Come, listen to a prophet’s voice and hear the word of God,

And in the way of truth rejoice, and sing for Joy aloud.

Then heed the words of truth and light that flow from fountains pure.

Yea, keep His law with all thy might till thine election’s sure,

Till thou shalt hear the holy voice assure eternal reign,

While joy and cheer attend thy choice, as one who shall obtain”. 8

Notes

1 See Mosiah 2:1-8

2 Alma 13:24

3 D&C 84:44-45

4 D&C 21:4-5

5 See “His Word Ye Shall Receive” by M. Russell Ballard – April 2001

6 The scripture quoted is D&C 88:33, but the paragraph quoted is used in “Receive the Holy Ghost” by Elder David A. Bednar – October 2010

7 Alma 5:33

8 Come, Listen to a prophet’s Voice, Hymn 21 (verses 1 and 4), 1985.

Tradeshow Discernment

23 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by in Discernment, General

≈ 1 Comment

The company I work for offers PSM software and services.  That won’t mean much to any of you, so here is a brief description of PSM (please don’t go to sleep): it stands for Process Safety Management.  It is a single regulation found in the massive OSHA Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR 1910.119).  It requires companies that store or use hazardous chemicals to comply with a number of different elements in order to protect worker safety, maintain the integrity of the actual process (piping, etc.) and continually ensure that updates, changes, and additions are done appropriately.  Within this single regulation, there are 14 elements, each of which integrate and overlap each other (on purpose) so that the overall chemical process is kept up to date.  Some of these elements include employee participation (the need for everyone to be involved and on the same page), process safety information (technical information related to the process, calculations, drawings, etc.), operating procedures, management of change, incident investigation, emergency response planning, major studies and analysis, and at the end of the day, it really is quite a bit of work that is required of each plant location to comply with the regulations.  On top of this OSHA retains the right to show up at any time (to any location) and perform an inspection to verify compliance with this regulation.  If any deficiencies are found, there could be citations, notices of violation, and potentially forced closure.

The point of our software is to capture the work that any one plant or group of plants has already done to address this regulation, process and analyze that data, provide the individuals with email notifications to address upcoming and overdue tasks, notices and/or approvals, track recommendations to closure, and manage any and all changes properly so that the various elements truly work together in a way that is efficient and effective.  Simple right?  We certainly think so.

This regulation has been in place for over 20 years, but the majority of plants that we deal with, still struggle to meet the intent of this regulation.  There are some plants that don’t really try at all – they just try to avoid being inspected by OSHA, and look exhaustively for any way possible to be exempt or hide from the regulations.  There are others who give a fair effort and do some of the basics, expecting OSHA to  ‘justify them in committing a little non-compliance’, thinking ‘there is no harm in this’, and only ‘beat them with a few stripes’ and ultimately extend leniency in the event of an inspection (see 2 Ne. 28:8).  There are companies who try pretty hard, but are limited in their resources, so they never really meet the standard, and then there are still others (the vast minority) who make it a top priority and don’t settle for anything less than the best that they can do.  To be fair (and honest) the majority of those who are honestly trying may be motivated by fear (hefty fine or even worse nowadays is bad publicity) more than the motivation to be the best that they can be and just do what is right, but there are a few who are motivated for the right reasons.

Since I am in the thick of an annual conference where PSM is a factor, this divisive topic brings up the following question to most of the attendees (at least where I am concerned); “what kind of feelings are stirred up within us when we hear the word PSM?”  Imagine with me for a moment, the interactions that I get to see daily when I am representing my company at this industry trade show.  The name of my company (APSM), and our slogan (PSM Software and Services) is displayed on our booth and scores of the end users walk by and silently answer that question based on their reaction to just reading my sign.  It breaks down to something like this…

75% pretend that my booth doesn’t exist.  They see the word PSM and they feign ignorance or disinterest (some might even actually become angry inside).

10% view the booth, see what we offer and actually move further away from me.

10% see my booth and our literature, watch the looping PowerPoint slide for a moment, and appear to be somewhat interested, only to then meander away avoiding eye contact at all cost hoping that I don’t speak to them.

5% read the slogan, watch the PPT, start to look at the brochures that explain our product, and think to themselves; ‘this software is totally awesome and could really help me in my ongoing quest to keep up with my PSM program’. 1

The reasons as to why the 95% don’t express any interest at all in our product are likely many – but here are a few possible explanations…

  1. They see the words PSM and ‘fear exceedingly’ because they know that their existing PSM program is in horrible shape – but them even considering talking to me (or us) would be an acknowledgement of their failure in that regard.So, they stay away from help, not realizing that by staying away from help (my company, our software) they actually are making things increasingly worse as time goes on.  Ignoring the problem doesn’t seem to fix it.  Then, in a panic they call us when they get audited by OSHA and ask for a miracle….
  2. They see the words PSM and don’t worry because they have been ‘pacified or lulled away into PSM security’ by someone who has little to no actualPSM knowledge.  These are they who actually think that their 3rd grade PSM program is good enough to stand up against OSHA’s inspection criteria.  These are they who were ‘flattered away’ by the cunning and false words of others.
  3. They see the words PSM, and are at least semi-interested.They watch the video thinking to themselves – “I should probably know about the things that this slideshow is outlining, and I should probably investigate this product to see if, what, and how it can help me” only to then reach a point where it seems to require too much of their time and attention and reach one of two conclusions 1) someone else has probably taken care of it, or 2) that’s a good product for others, but it would never work for me (budget reasons, more work than I want to think about, etc.).
  4. They see the words PSM and avoid us because they already have a PSM vendor (or even worse another PSM software product).They see us and yell in their minds “PSM software!  PSM software!  We have got a PSM software and there cannot be any more PSM software vendors!” This is a difficult customer to talk to because they are completely against anything that would upset this thought – no matter what we try.2

On the positive side, there are the 5% that are interested, ask good questions, take my business card and a brochure with real intent.  Of those 5%, maybe 1% will respond to follow up and actually progress past the tradeshow – in order to see if our product really could help them, and these are the ones we like to talk with anyway.  Even though only 1% will really progress, we still applaud them for pursuing the idea of betterment.

There is yet another category of conference-goer that I have not included in the percentage breakdown, and they are existing clients (or clients that have progressed from interested conference-goer or software product investigator to existing client at some point in the past).  These clients come over confidently, we greet each other by name, and then we proceed to discuss how much the software has helped them over the months or years.  They invariably indicate how much they’ve learned, how many things have improved, and how much of a difference it really has made.  Sometimes this even bleeds into a discussion of what exciting changes are coming to the software in the future.  Without fail the more the software is utilized by an individual or a plant, the more successful the PSM program and that company have been.  If the software product is unused and/or misunderstood it will quickly be tossed out and forgotten.

That’s great Tyson, but what does PSM have to do with anything?  I was bored 10 minutes ago.

A few weeks ago in Elder’s quorum, we had a lesson on repentance and the first question the instructor asked was “what kind of feelings are stirred up within us when we hear the word repentance?”   It was an interesting question, and the answer is different for each of us as it is directly related to the level of our individual confidence ‘in the presence of God’ (see D&C 121:45) and our current need for repentance.  If the word repentance immediately forms beads of sweat on our brow, and brings on visions of Spencer W. Kimball’s book (you know the one I’m talking about) we may naturally have some panic at the mere word – but, if we are honestly striving to do our best, and have repeatedly and humbly embraced repentance  – we will have a different, much sweeter reaction to it.3

In other words, how we respond to the word repentance is the same to how my conference-goers respond to the sign PSM Software and Services at my booth.

Do I see or hear the word repentance and ‘fear exceedingly’ because I know that my existing repentance program is in horrible shape – and by thinking about it I acknowledge my deep failure in that regard?  Do I then stay away from help and true repentance, not realizing that by staying away from help (bishop, family, the Lord) I am actually making things increasingly worse as time goes on.  Ignoring repentance (or guilt which is the natural encouragement the spirit gives us to repent) will not make it’s necessity go away and problems can’t get fixed until they are identified and acknowledged (as problems).

Do I see/hear the word repentance but not worry because I have been ‘pacified or lulled away into carnal security’ by someone who has little to no real repentance knowledge.  These are they who think that 3rd grade repentance program is good enough to stand up against God’s inspection criteria.  These are they who were ‘flattered away’ by the cunning or completely wrong advice of others or our own rationalization or justifications.

Do I see/hear the word repentance and act semi-interested?  Do I think to myself – “I should probably know more about the things that this class/instructor/book is outlining, and I should probably investigate this topic to see what and how it can help me” only to then reach a point where it seems to require too much of my time and attention and reach one of two conclusions 1) someday later I will probably take care of it, or 2) that’s a good idea in theory, but it would never actually work for me (personal reasons, family wouldn’t approve, more work than I want to think about, I’ve done too much wrong, etc.)

Do I see/hear the word repentance and avoid it because I already repented?  Do I yell in my mind “repentance!  repentance!  We have repented and there cannot be any more repentance!”

On the positive side, if we find ourselves in the percentage that is continually interested in repentance, and we are currently asking good questions, let’s take it to the next step and get a business card and a brochure.  Then, let’s continue to be the 1% that will actually respond or even initiate some follow up and actually progress the sale past the tradeshow – in order to see if repentance really can help us.  Even though that progress might be slow, tedious, and potentially painful.  Remember, we can’t know real joy or peace unless we know real misery and turmoil.

Then, we can count ourselves a part of the category of conference/church-goer that was not included in the percentage breakdown, (let us be existing and continuous repentance clients).  Then we (as existing repentance clients) can come over to the Lords booth confidently, He will greet us by name, and then we can proceed to discuss how much repentance has helped us over the years.  We can invariably tell him how much we’ve learned, how many things have improved in our lives, and how much of a difference it really has made – somehow much more than we ever thought it could.  Without fail, the more repentance is utilized, the more successful the life program and that person will be.  If however, the repentance process (just like PSM software) is unused and/or misunderstood it will quickly be ignored and forgotten.

Notes

1 You may ask how I came to arrive at these very scientific numbers and/or percentages, and there is no answer.  I have no scientific studies, data, charts, or even lists to substantiate the percentile claims in this blog post, but they are correct.  I just know.  I liken this to how your bishop and/or other priesthood leaders or your parents just know if/when you’re lying about worthiness or preparation or tithing or anything else important.  I have been doing this job for 8 years now and have attended over 30 tradeshows and every single one of them has the same people who give me the same runaround.  I am not fooled.  I have developed the talent of PSM discernment (a coveted gift in the pre-existence to be sure).  I know very easily when our software solution could help someone.  I know how much it could help them, and I know how thankful they would be for it IF they just listened to me and implemented it.  Fathers and mothers feel this way about their children when they give them advice and the same fathers and mothers are not fooled when their children try and tell them that they brush their teeth every night before bed.  We just know better.

2 I have (on many occasions) had to explain to people that there is more than 1 software provider out there, and just because you have one PSM software in use at your company doesn’t mean you have the best one, or even a good one at all.  They should know that ‘there are more softwares than one’….and they should not ‘murmur because that ye shall receive more of my software [help].  They need not suppose that their software contains all the requirements for PSM; neither need they suppose [that He hath not] caused more to be written’ (see 2 Ne.29:6-12).

3 See ‘Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence’ by Elder Jorg Klebingat of the Seventy from the October 2014 Conference.  It is amazing.

Big Brother

17 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by in TV, Types

≈ Leave a comment

A few years ago, my wife and I used to watch ‘Big Brother’ pretty regularly.  Hopefully most of you are familiar with the show (or others like it) – only because it will allow this comparison to be clearer, but for those of you who are not familiar with the show, I will include a brief summary.

Big Brother is a reality TV show (but it’s also very much a game).  The premise of the show involves a select group of people, called ‘houseguests’, living together in a specially constructed large house. During their time in the house they are isolated from the outside world and are not commonly aware of outside events (no TV, no internet, no social media, no letters, etc.).  In-house television cameras as well as personal audio microphones continuously monitor the contestants during their stay and record every word and action between contestants. Each game (involving the house guests) lasts for about three months, with at least ten contestants entering the house. To win the final cash prize, a contestant must survive periodic (usually weekly) evictions and be the last housemate or houseguest remaining in the house by the series’ conclusion.  Similar to other game shows like survivor, biggest loser, etc. there are challenges, competitions, and prizes for various events, but the basic idea is to be the last one standing at the end.

This show (similar to other TV game shows) was developed primarily for TV viewers, so naturally it is jam-packed with drama (intrigue, deception, alliances, conniving, lies, false promises, and every other tactic that contestants can come up with) in order to win, which obviously gets people to watch.

The fundamental purpose of every single contestant is to win the $500k prize.  Let’s be clear on that point.  Otherwise, why enter the game?  A subtle secondary purpose might be to become famous, so let’s just assume that’s a part of the overall purpose). Each individual is trying to win the individual prize.  There are no team prizes, as it is not a team game.  It is every man for himself, yet as it has always been (and always will be) the contestants enter into ‘alliances’ with other contestants in order to improve their individual chances, help eliminate other strong contestants, or to create some type of a team.  This is where it gets tricky – and exciting.

Once the alliances start to form (which is usually right away), the viewers have an advantage over the contestants, because the viewer can see the entire game all at once (at least what the network wants to show us – which if we are honest is just enough to make the drama reach it’s absolute maximum point).  The viewer is privy to both sides (or all sides) of the story.  The viewer can see that the alliances that are formed don’t have an ounce of loyalty – at least not when it comes down to ‘you or me’.   Because we can see one contestant enter into 2 or 3 alliances and promise or (or swear) loyalty to each.  The viewer knows (and can easily see) that each contestant is only loyal to the alliance if (or as long as) it is beneficial to him/her.

Inevitably, we all see the episode where one of the alliance members is ‘blindsided’ and voted out, and then acts hurt or emotional and completely surprised about it.  Let’s remember our first fundamental here – each contestant entered the game to win.  The contestant cannot be surprised when another contestant turns on them can they?  Is that possible?  How is that a difficult concept for the contestant to understand?  That doesn’t make it easier to swallow when you’re the one that was blindsided, but you had to expect it at some point right?  It’s not even strange to see an alliance within an alliance – or alliances all over the place, because every contestant is trying to put him or herself in the best position overall – to end up on top.

After the contestants are eliminated, the orchestrator(s) of the eviction is always found saying something like this: ‘no hard feelings (contestant name), I had to get you out before you got me out’ or ‘you were such a strong competitor, we had to get you out as soon as we could’.   Meanwhile, the eliminated contestant is sitting there in shock (while watching this all play out)– angry and bitter and hurt – wondering what happened.  Then the show host asks that question “what happened”?  “Didn’t you see this coming”?  With rare exceptions they quietly sob and say, “no, I guess I trusted them.  I thought we were a team.  I really did believe that they had my back, and that they would look out for me.  I thought that we had an alliance.”

If the orchestrators and schemers could hear those words (of the dejected contestants) – they would likely laugh and say something like this; “oh that’s cute, you actually thought I cared about you”.  Or if they are honest it would be something like this “that is so cute that you actually thought I had any plans of bringing you with me, because I didn’t.  None.  I used you just like I plan on using everyone else here to get what I want.  But I’ll take it as a compliment that you believed me, because that means I played a good game”.

We’ve all seen it a hundred times right? And as a viewer of the show it is so easy to see it coming.  We can yell at the screen, we can groan and ask them if they are blind, and we can even wonder to ourselves if they’ve every actually watched the show before (because it happens every single season, literally over and over again).  But then we see the face of the dejected and evicted houseguest and realize – they actually believed the schemer.  They really did think that he had their back.  They actually and honestly believed it.  And then you understand – and you get a little sad for them.

Now, if we have ‘eyes to see and ear to hear’ we can see the exact same things happening in our game of life.  We can hear those who would like us to join their ‘alliance’ and they speak softly and encouragingly: “Unite with us and become acquainted with our secret works, and become our brethren that ye may be like unto us – not our slaves, but our brethren and partners of all our substance” (3 Ne. 3:7).  Come and be part of our alliance.  It looks like you don’t have many on your team, and/or your team is made up of weak old-timers and stiffs.  We are strong and you can be a partner with us.  We have money, we have power, and we have a solid backing of sponsors and supporters.   These are the orchestrators, who claim to have our back, yet will toss us away as soon as it fits their (unspoken) strategies.  And, as I mentioned, if we have eyes to see, we too can see it coming from a mile away.

There will be many who will speak ‘flattering words’, and yet are full of ‘cunning devices’.  They have learned this art from the master liar and if we don’t think that’s true – then we are naïve.  So, to illustrate the past in order to understand the present and future – let’s encapsulate the entire big brother premise in a single concise statement – based on someone playing that game in 72 B.C. – which happens to be a chapter heading from the Book of Mormon (Alma 47) which reads “Amalickiah uses treachery, murder, and intrigue to become the king of the Lamanites”.    Since there is no way to adequately capture or explain all of that intrigue – I will encourage you to read chapters 46-51 of Alma for the full story as it’s much better than any season of big brother. 1

In summary: Amalickiah dissents from the Nephites (because they didn’t elect him to be their king) – so he became ‘wroth’ and convinced his cronies (who happened to be lower judges in the land who also “were seeking for power” which is the hallmark of bad guys.  He led his ‘alliance’ with flatteries that “if they would support him and establish him to be their king that he would make them rulers over the people”.  So they run away and convince the (existing) king of the Lamanites to go to battle against the Nephites  – because if that happened (war with the Nephites) it would be beneficial to Amalickiah  – so he (Amalickiah) “being a very subtle man to do evil”… laid a plan in his heart to dethrone the king of the Lamanites”.  He takes the army that the king gives him (the king gave him orders to compel the other Lamanite armies to go to battle), but had absolutly no intention of actually fighting (or compelling the other Lamanite armies to fight with them) because he actually surrenders to Lehonti (a Lamanite chief) as a ploy to become #2 in charge (of now two armies), poisons Lehonti to become the chief commander of both armies, and then comes back with a larger army to the real king and under the guise of  ‘bowing down as if to reverence him because of his greatness’ has one of his cronies stab the king, cause a distraction, blame the existing servants of the king and become the king of all the Lamanites.  “Thus, by his fraud, Amalickiah gained the hearts of the people”.  It was quite the show.  He was able to ‘gain the hearts’ of people with false promises and cunning treachery.  Another telling truth about this ‘leader’ is found in the statement that Amalickiah “did not care for the blood of his people”.  He was in it for himself.   As I read these stories I wonder how the Lamanites missed it…

The Book of Mormon is literally full of examples just like this.  How many times do we read about individuals and/or groups that dissent or revolt because they (the dissenting group) want to see themselves in power?  Like 683.  It seems that every few years there is another group that wants to have a king (which is code for “I want this guy to be king so that he can give me more power”).  And in each case, this revolt starts with a fancy talker who convinces many by flattery, that if they elect him to be the king he will put them in power, somehow convincing everyone that they really will defeat everyone else (even though everyone else is the whole city) and somehow take over (sound like big brother yet)?  They honestly believe that when the battle has been won, they will share the loot or that they really will be put in power and everything will be awesome.  Not likely.

The point of all of this is to highlight the fact that these secret bands, or alliances that promise security and protection are so ridiculously unloyal.   Because truth is truth, and truth says that (speaking of the devil) “the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell”  (Alma 30:60).  Interestingly enough, this scripture comes after a fancy talker was left on his own after joining an ‘alliance’ with the sweetest talker of them all.  If you think I’m joking, just imagine the devil in the diary room after your eviction from heaven (because you joined his alliance because of his ‘pleasing words’ only to then be stabbed in the back when you needed him most) where he says something like this: “oh that’s cute, you actually thought I cared about you”.  Or if he’s brutally honest it would be something like this “that is so cute that you actually thought I had any plans of bringing you joy, because I didn’t.  None.  I used you just like I plan on using everyone else here to get what I want – which happens to be your misery.  But I’ll take it as a compliment that you believed me, because that means I played a good game”.

The best example of these ‘alliances’ being made of lies, comes from the book of Helaman, when the prophet Nephi is lamenting the people’s wickedness on his garden tower and the people wonder what he’s doing.  He tells them in chapter 8 (among other things) to “go ye into the judgment seat, and search, and behold your judge is murdered, and he lieth in his blood; and he hath been murdered by his brother who seeketh to sit in the judgment seat.  That pretty much sums up the whole reason that alliances don’t last – because everyone that belongs to that alliance is after the same thing – power (or in this case, the judgment seat).   Yet Nephi continues “behold, they both belong to your secret band”.   What?  How is this possible?  How is it that everyone in our secret little band is not loyal to the cause?  Especially to one’s own brother within the secret band…oh yeah, it’s because every single person who belongs to our secret little band wants to be in charge of our secret little band, and as soon as they see a window of opportunity – they will throw their ‘oaths’ out the window and do whatever they can for their own individual benefit.

The hard part is trying to figure out how they ever think their deception and scheme will last.  They were part of the same ‘alliances’ when they schemed to murder the chief judge, but somehow think that other ‘alliances’ within their overall alliance will somehow stop trying to ‘get gain’ once they have become the chief judge.  Only to be disappointed (put this cycle on repeat) because the people in this alliance are only interested in themselves.  Shocker right? Yet, we see it over and over again and we want to scream at the TV or the book – how did you not see this coming?

These secret bands are the people who will do “all in their power, by whatever means available, to bring us down, to woo the people with sophistry, and to take control of the society”. 2   These are the people that will step on others to get on top.  These are the people that will say anything and everything (knowing full well that it’s not true) in order to get ‘followers’ or people to believe in their cause, their projects, or their purposes (code for give them money), while having completely different intentions all along the way.   These are the people that do not care for the blood of their followers.  And, if we think that secret bands or alliances are only to be found in reality TV game shows, we are naïve.  These secret bands are found everywhere in life.  They have been for a long time (see Moses 5:51) and they are among us now (see Ether 8:20).

It seems so easy for us to see these things playing out when we read them in the Book of Mormon, or we watch big brother on TV, but for some reason it is a bit more difficult when we are ‘in the game’.  Somehow we miss the ‘tells’ or some of the seemingly insignificant things that help us realize that these groups may not actually have our best interests at heart.  In fact, they may be out to abuse us entirely – regardless of what their slogan(s) or outward appearances may be.   When we watch the game from the outside – we are able to see the true intent of the schemers, and wonder with that same prophet Nephi – “HOW could [these participants] have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo?”… “Behold, he shall scatter you forth that ye shall become meat for dogs and wild beasts” (Hel. 7: 16-21).  How indeed.  Doesn’t everyone know that Satan an his followers do not have good intentions – despite what they are telling you?  Somehow everyone seems to miss it – perhaps because we are trying so hard to ‘play the game’ to get our own schemes in place – that we miss out on the fact that we’ve been hooked.   How many movies have this as a premise?  Lots.

This same amazing prophet (Nephi), includes a phrase that I absolutely love in verse 25 of chapter 7 (still in Helaman) which says “wo be unto you because of that great abomination which has come among you; and ye have united yourselves unto it, yea, to that secret band…”.  I cringe when I think of all of us who are so busy getting on with life, constantly making choices, choosing sides on hot button issues within and without the church, aligning ourselves with the ‘right’ people, groups, or activities (playing the game of life) only to realize that the greatest evil in the entire world (that great abomination) has quietly come among us and has become the most pervasive thoughts, groups, organization, or ideas in our society and not only have we allowed it, but we have ‘united ourselves unto it’ because they sounded so reasonable and logical (not to mention the social pressure, conforming thoughts and the widespread acceptance they receive).  What an awful thought.  Imagine sitting on the wrong side of that eviction (after being completely blindsided) and wondering how this all came to be (asking yourself – what happened?).

So, let us have ‘eyes to see’ so that we “suffer not that these combinations get above [us], which are built up to get power and gain.  When we shall see these things come among us (and they are among us now), that we shall awake to a sense of our awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among us…. For whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies.” 3  

Let us not think that these groups, people, ideas, organizations, thoughts, etc. will be labeled as clearly as we would hope.  No doubt they will come packaged in very enticing ways that seem to fit the mold of goodness and justice and rights and fairness and privileges.  They will all claim to be good, and they will all claim to lead us to safety.  Let us be ever dependent upon the spirit and the truth, and the chosen leaders of the church.

Notes

1 When you read these chapters, I have found it very helpful to see the ‘types’.  For example, Amalickiah is a fascinating ‘type’ for Satan and how he fought in the premortal world, and how he works today, and Moroni is a type for Christ and/or Michael in leading the forces against Satan both then and now.  I think we can learn a lot by assuming that these ‘types’ are some of the reasons the war chapters are included in the Book of Mormon for us to read – today.

2 Gordon B. Hinckley, ‘The Times in Which We Live’ – January 2002

3 See Ether 8 (the whole chapter)

What You Know vs. Who You Know

12 Thursday Mar 2015

Posted by in Knowledge, Testimony

≈ Leave a comment

When I was in college (and then after I graduated and was looking for a job/career), several people used to say “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.  I knew that pretty well, since that’s how I had secured 4 of my 5 previous jobs up to that point in time. But once I was a college graduate, and had the ever-impressive initials B.S. (Bachelor of Science) that I could use as a deal-breaker I thought the world would treat me differently.  It didn’t.

I applied for like 87 jobs and had about 15 interviews (it seemed like that many) – which all resulted in my continued employment at Questar Gas.  This also increased my frustration with the true statement above; “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” – until at long last someone else that I knew (my grandpa), asked me if I would be interested in a job opportunity.  Bingo.  This means that now of the 6 jobs that I have ever had, 5 of them came because of who I knew.

The fact that I knew stuff certainly mattered, and as time passed (in each of these jobs) it was and is a continual and increasing use and reliance upon what I know, combined with a continual and increasing network of who I know that leads to salary increases, bonuses, efficiency, productivity, expansion, new clients, increased responsibilities, etc.  So, the fact of the matter is that both what you know and who you know make all the difference, yet the familiarity of who seems to be extremely significant – especially if that’s the factor that allows us to get in the door.

This thinking may help us to understand two important and related gospel topics, which are really 6 gospel topics in similar sets of 3 progressive steps.  The first 3-part topic is the relationship between knowledge, understanding, and intelligence (based on Elder Bednar’s exhaustive treatment of these principles).  These 3 words are sprinkled throughout the scriptures in various ways, and we can study them in great detail in order to fully grasp their intended meanings, but for our purposes, let’s list the basics.

Knowledge is what we know.  It is the facts, stories, principles, and items that we have learned about.  Knowledge is based in our minds, and is largely made up of things that we have learned through books, schooling, classes, etc.   Knowledge (by itself) is not sufficient, just ask Laman and Lemuel (they were taught and knew tons of stuff), or many of the Lamanites who ‘dissented’ from the Nephites (after they had knowledge of the ways of God).   There are a lot of people on earth who are ‘learned’ or ‘educated’.  See 2 Ne. 9:28 (when they are learned they think they are wise…supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not).

Understanding occurs only when knowledge (as defined above) is confirmed by the influence of the Holy Ghost in our hearts.  It happens when we pray for an answer, or when we feel the spirit testify of truth when someone else is teaching or testifying.  In essence, understanding helps the truth (our knowledge) get copied from our minds and pasted into our hearts so that it resides in both places – essentially becoming twice as strong in us.  Understanding helps us to know the Holy Ghost and Him who sent the Holy Ghost – and thus can be likened to who we know and is a confirmation of what we know since any understanding is a manifestation of the reality of the Lord, his spirit, and everything else that entails.  See Mosiah 12:27 (ye have not applied your hearts to understanding).

Intelligence is the repeated and consistent use of knowledge and understanding.  It is both knowing and understanding, and acting upon that knowledge in a repeat pattern.  It is knowing that tithing is a commandment, feeling the truth of it in our hearts, and then paying it consistently.  It is knowing that home teaching is important, feeling the benefits in your life and/or the lives of those you teach, and then continuing to act as a home teacher in a consistent way (forever).   It is the repeated acting on gospel principles.  Take Nephi vs. Laman and Lemuel – Nephi knew, understood, and was intelligent.  Laman and Lemuel knew, understood (at least once they indicated that they had ‘felt’ the power of the Lord – See 1 Ne. 17:55) but I’m not convinced they ever let that feeling take hold – and certainly weren’t too intelligent about it’s staying in their hearts by repeatedly following it’s promptings.  See 1 Ne. 17:45 (ye were past feeling) and 2 Ne. 9:29 (to be learned is good IF they hearken unto the counsels of God).

Even though these three principles are in a progressive order, sometimes intelligence may actually be required before a full understanding comes.  As Alma explains in chapter 32:27 (of Alma) “even if you have no more than a desire to believe, let this desire work in you” – or in other words – act on your knowledge to gain an understanding.  He promises results “for it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me”. Once we’ve tried this experiment a few times, you’ll understand, and the repeated acting will result in increased intelligence.   This is a trial of faith – or when we are asked to act on something (demonstrate at least one or two instances of intelligence) before we have a full understanding.  Then, once we have felt an understanding, we can demonstrate our ongoing intelligence by repeating those actions over and over and over.  If we think of our faith as intelligently acting in order to perform an experiment it doesn’t seem so abstract does it?  Let us “awake and arouse our faculties”.

Now we come to the second 3-part topic, which is a listing of the elements that make up our testimonies (based on Bruce C. Hafen’s explanations in his book ‘Spiritually Anchored in Unsettled Times’).  These three elements are reason, feelings, and experience.  It shouldn’t take us too long to make the connection between the first three elements (knowledge, understanding, and intelligence) and these later three, (reason, feelings, and experience) and in many cases they reference the exact same idea/principle but I think that too often we think of our testimonies as what we know, but forget how it is that we know it (all of the parts) – or who we know that makes the what so important.

Reason is reason.  It makes sense.  Heavenly father loves his children (is there anything in the world that makes more sense than this)?  He wants us to be happy.  He wants us to be a family forever.  The fall required an atonement.  Mercy can’t rob justice.  Wickedness never was happiness.  A child can grow to be a parent.  Reason is something that we have ‘studied out in our mind’ or given serious thought and pondering.  It is something that we’ve investigated, something that we’ve read about, something that we’ve learned about, or something that people have taught us.  It is a vital component to any testimony and has a striking similarity to knowledge (as described above).  Every testimony is made up of some reason AND similar to knowledge, reason is not enough by itself. We need more.  Examples are D&C 88:47 and Alma 30:44.

Feelings are the ‘inward parts’ that Jeremiah (and Christ) spoke of (see Jer. 31:33, Luke 11:39, Ps. 51:6) and is ultimately represented by our hearts.  Our emotions and how we ‘feel’ about something is hard to deny, and maybe even harder to explain.  It’s just something that we feel.  This is an integral part of our testimony, and builds off of our reason and our knowledge.  We teach our kids, and they feel good about it, and we hope that we put them in many situations where the spirit can confirm that truth.  We also help reinforce and recognize feelings when they come.

Experience is the compilation of both positive and negative feelings over time.  In other words, experience is the sum total of all of our acts of intelligence (or non-acts of intelligence).  How many years of choices (good, bad, better, worse, leaps of faith) and feelings (anger, resentment, forgiveness, peace, anxiety, depression, joy, love) do we have under our belt?  Where did these feelings come from?  As we grow older (and hopefully more intelligent) we certainly become more experienced, and these experiences absolutely play a part in our testimonies.  A testimony made up of 35 years of home teaching experience carries a bit more weight than a testimony of 1 month of home teaching experience – even if the feelings of that one home teaching moment were ‘off the charts’.  Since all of us are going to make mistakes, we all should have good and not so good experiences that have helped shape our testimonies.

Although these three topics are also progressive, the idea that some experience may be required prior to our working through our confirming feelings is consistent with this thought.  Many times we need to take a step in the dark before we are blessed with the light.

With all 6 (both sets) of these gospel topics, the idea is that there are several interrelated things going on with our minds, our hearts, and our overall beings that make up our testimonies and our conversions.  No two of us are the same – and we can begin to understand the process (and help others) when we better understand the pieces that are involved.  After all, that’s the point of going to church, family home evening and scripture study, and girls camp, and the temple and home or visiting teaching, and everything else that we do – to feel the spirit confirm the truth that we’ve taught (or been taught) and participate in the ordinances that we need and then repeat that process over and over and over again until our actions are consistently intelligent, which means that we have become something better.  Something that the Lord intended us to become all along, and the only way to get there is by learning, feeling, and acting as he would.  That is the intended process of mortality.

I Can, I Will, I Must

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Motivation, Sports

≈ Leave a comment

1

When I was a sophomore in high school, we were playing a basketball game at Provo High.  Their teams always seemed to beat us.  Call it better coaching, call it better players, call it better facilities, support, boosters, etc.  Call it whatever you want, but they always beat us – always.  I remember one particular game in which they were beating us just like normal and we limped into the locker room for our half-time pep talk.  Our coach (Jared Nielson), bless his heart was a 18 year old recent graduate and pre-mission friend of our varsity head coach (he had finished his high school career the previous year), and was likely frustrated with us for a million different reasons.  He tried to give us some strategies, some motivation, and some encouragement (and also a little tough love), but then something happened that had never happened before; the head coach came in and started yelling at us.  He usually didn’t even come in the locker room, and he never came in to get after us. sophomores.  Yet, on this particular day he asked/yelled a certain question for all of us to answer.  He said “how many of you came into this gym today, knowing that you were going to win?” Only one hand went up in the air – just one.  And it was not mine.  For reference, there were 10 players on the team (plus the assistants and maybe a ball boy).  The head coach couldn’t believe it (he also let us know how disappointed he was), and that was all he needed to say.  Needless to say, we lost by about 320 that game but I will never forget the lesson that taught me.  If I am being honest with myself, I probably thought (at that time) that our team could win, but I also knew that our team would lose.

2

A couple of years later, when I was a senior and was in yet another basketball game – the game was coming down to the wire.  It had been close all game long, and with 7 or 8 seconds left in the game PG had scored a bucket to tie the game.  Rather than call a time out our coach let us wing it and our point guard brought the ball up the court.  I flanked to the left wing and yelled at him to pass the ball, because I knew 2 things without any shadow of a doubt; 1) I was going to shoot it, and 2) It was going in.  He heard me scream, passed me the ball and then I shot it.   It went in and we won by 3 (it was a 3 pointer).  I knew I would make it.  There was not an ounce of doubt in my mind.

3

Many years later (2007), when I was washed up, old, and carrying more adipose tissue than I care to admit it was my privilege to play in the Class D softball world championships in Detroit, Michigan.  During our first game, there were some jitters, and some tightness that were uncharacteristic of our team.  We were normally a very loose and very good team, and we expected to go quite far in the tournament.  Imagine our surprise then, when in the last inning we were down by a run with little to no momentum going forward.  The thought of losing our first game was terrifying for all – which only made the tightness worse.  This is probably another symptom of nerves since there is not a bigger tournament that the world championships and unless you’re a 15 year softball tournament veteran, I imagine there are some nerves.  This is to say nothing at all of the ridiculousness of a softball world championship).  I was slated to be the first batter of that last inning and it was my responsibility to get on base and start a bit of a rally so that we could avoid losing.  I distinctly remember thinking to myself as I walked up to the plate – I absolutely have to get on base – not that I can do it, not I will do it, but there is no alternative.  I must get on base.  I would rather have died than been retired in that at bat.

There must be a point to these amazing sport stories right?  Yes, and not just to reflect upon my former days of semi-glory.  The point is that there is a very big difference in the attitude and confidence of thought – and preparation.

When any of us are placed in a situation that is challenging, we are stepping up to the plate, or we are given the ball in the last few seconds.  In essence – it’s up to us and I hope that we’ve already gone over that scenario in our minds (hopefully several times).  Because if that situation is just thrown in our lap, we will likely find ourselves in the locker room at Provo High, convincing ourselves that we could have handled temptation, adversity, trials, or challenges differently, but we didn’t because of any number of factors.

If, on the other hand, we visualize ourselves rising to the occasion, coming through, being victorious, etc. well in advance of the actual event, it seems to create a confidence within us that cannot come except from planning and experience.

This is NOT to say that visualizing an event in our minds, and then actually experiencing it are the same – they are not.  Imagining yourself parting the red sea is very different than actually doing it – especially when the opposing armies are hot on your heels with their angry faces.

If you don’t think that’s true for everyone, just ask anyone who looks cool and calm in the face of adversity, or who acts like they’ve been there many times before.  Chances are – they have.  Those who have won a championship seem to be better prepared to win another one because they know what it takes. Those with life experience, and gospel experience, and wisdom, and the spirit can provide some excellent examples of faith in action – but many things can only learned by actually experiencing them.  That’s in large part why we are here on this earth.  We need to actually feel the pressure of a screaming crowd, chants of “hey batter batter” or the thunder sticks while we shoot our free throws while we struggle to control our own emotional turmoil, fear of failure, hopes for success, etc. all while realizing that how we fare in that situation affects much more than just my own little universe.

How we act, how we perform, how we control ourselves in that moment defines who we are, it defines what we want, it defines what we love, and over the process of time (repeated situations) – we become who and what we are.

There were likely some that thought that they could traverse mortality with its plethora of choices and experiences and make it back to our father’s presence.  No doubt there were others who knew that they would succeed.   Then, there may have been others of us still, who thought as we learned, lived, loved, and started to comprehend what was at stake here in mortality that I must get back.  There is no alternative.  I will absolutely do whatever it takes to get back here.

Ask the savior, who no doubt visualized Himself in the garden of Gethsemane thousands (if not millions) of times prior to actually walking there that awful and most glorious night.   He had known for as long as we can imagine that He was the one that we all relied on for salvation.  He had known in His mind the logistics of the situation, and as Elder Maxwell termed it “the arithmetic of the atonement”.  He had known in His mind all along and had prepared Himself for that moment, but when it actually came, and He began to experience it, He became “sore amazed, and very heavy”, and His soul was “exceeding sorrowful unto death” (Mark 14:33-34).   This means that even though Christ had gone over the situation in his mind before, and He had prepared as well as anyone had prepared for anything ever – it still made Him “awestruck” when he actually experienced it.

Luckily for all of us, the savior not only knew that He could atone for us, but He also knew that He would atone for us.  To further the point – especially when we consider his plea to the Father – he knew that he must atone for us.  There was no other way.  His love for us won.

The question then for each of us to answer is “How do I feel”?  Do I know I can make it?  Do I know I will make it?  Or have I ruled out the possibility of failure and working under the thought that I must make it?

Where’s the Next Food?

05 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Food, Journeys

≈ Leave a comment

A few years ago, a good friend (and co-worker) of mine told me of a frequent occurrence related to meal time at their house; his son – who was age 10 at the time – would finish his plate of food, and immediately ask “dad, where’s the next food”?  It didn’t matter if it was breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, helping 1 or 2, the question came…”dad, where’s the next food”?  Apparently he was always on the lookout for the next food.  However, over the years as my friend and I have laughed over this recurring story, I have wondered if the question is only partly based on physical hunger (legitimately asking “where is the next food” because I am still hungry), but also partly based on knowledge and planning (for his mental preparation and ease, he needed to know where the next food fit into his day, so that he didn’t get overly anxious about not knowing where the next food is).  Maybe he just wanted to know the plan for ‘the next food’, or maybe just an assurance that there would indeed be a ‘next food’.  The point is – he was always eagerly awaiting ‘the next food’, and he was not satisfied with being full – even in that moment.

Another story related to ‘the next food’ is one that we are all likely familiar with; it’s called a vacation.  For me, 85% of the fun of vacationing is searching for, strategizing, planning, looking forward to, and then waiting for ‘the next food’.  Even if you are in the act of consuming ‘the current food’ or so full from ‘the last food’ that you are ill.  On vacation, we longingly ask the question “where’s the next food”?  This is pretty much what Disneyland is right?  At least for me it is.  Walking from the churro cart to the pretzel stand, only to be distracted by the ice cream shop or the frozen slushies.  This also happens to be a great activity to engage in while the children (or everyone else in the party minus the baby) are in line for 30-45 minutes.  This is likely why it is called the happiest place on earth.  Once, while vacationing with Colby and Catie a couple of years ago, we made it a goal to find the best fish tacos.  This led to an exhaustive search of the entire local area, and by necessity a taste test at nearly every location.  It didn’t matter if we were hungry or not, we were in constant search of ‘the next food’.  This process naturally culminated with the four of us being seriously ill (nigh unto death) for most of the vacation and then at our final destination (our last meal before we left) we found the best fish tacos.  They were delicious, and Colby made the perfect observation while we were forcing the food down; “just think of how good these tacos would be if we were actually hungry”!   The point is – we were always eagerly looking forward to ‘the next food’, and we were not even close to satisfied with just being full.  We wanted to be stuffed to the brim, and then start planning ‘the next food’.

Why is either of these stories important?  I think the answer is in the process of always looking for what’s next and never thinking that you’ve made it.  We should always ask the question, “where’s the next food”?  Whether that’s a meal, whether it’s a certain job or responsibility in the church, whether it’s a task that we’ve been sent to earth to accomplish (no matter where we live), whether it’s a person we need to affect, whether it’s something we need to experience and learn, whether it’s a situation at work, or even if there seems to be a noticeable lack of clearly orchestrated situations, we need to ask the question “where’s the next food”?  What can I learn from this situation or experience?  Even if we are spiritually full, let’s seek out and look for ‘the next food’.  Because after all, we don’t want to consider ourselves ‘satisfied’, lay on the couch, fall asleep, and then wake up 4 hours later with a rumbling stomach and no idea where ‘the next food’ is or where it will come from.

There are many stories of ‘journeys’ captured in the scriptures.  Journeys (by necessity) include tribulation, trials, murmurings, afflictions, struggles, successes, sickness, death, and every other possible thing.  That’s what makes them interesting right?  Yes.  But one important element of a journey is that sometimes the participants of these journeys think (or thought) that they were done ‘journeying’ (the point where they felt ‘satisfied’ or even ‘stuffed full’ of food), and thought  “yes, we made it.  I can stop looking for the next food because here it is in abundance”.

For example, in 1 Ne. 17, Nephi picks up with yet another journal entry in verse 1; “And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness”… this is like the 86th time since leaving Jerusalem that they’ve stopped and rested, only to pick up and leave again.  He then starts listing all the fun they’ve had along the way (he cites much affliction, women bearing children, raw meat, murmurings, etc. along with many of the blessings they’d seen) then he gives us a fact check in verse 4: “And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness”.  Eight years.  Eight.  When Lehi told them that they were leaving Jerusalem to find the promised land, I’m not sure any of them had eight years in mind. I bet they were pretty tired of looking and searching for ‘the next food’.  In verses 6-7 they arrive in what they called ‘Bountiful’ because of its much fruit and wild honey, and other things which were prepared that they might not perish (not to mention it’s on a beach).  My guess is that they all looked around (at the much fruit, honey, beachfront property, lack of murderous colleagues, etc.) and thought; “Okay, I can do this place.  We made it.  We can stop searching for the promised land because we are here.  I guess dad wasn’t totally crazy.  This place is for sure the promised land, so the journey is over.  No more looking for ‘the next food’.

Another example is found in Ether, where we find the Jaredite party on a journey from the great tower to their own promised land.  They have a remarkably similar story (journey through lands ‘where man had never been’ likely filled with many afflictions, struggles, successes, etc.) through the wilderness until they reached the seashore.  It may be that they had the very same thoughts as Nephi and Lehi’s party (we made it).  So, they pitched their tents and they dwelt there upon the seashore (Ether 2:13).

In each of these two examples (and logically in all of our indivudial and familial journeys through the wilderness, which is code for our lives here in mortality), there is a theme of continual and repetitive movement, progress, struggles, blessings, trials, murmurings, etc. with the overall goal to arrive at the promised land.  Its something they are continually seeking, looking for, being led to, and hoping for, but if and when we think we have made it (when we stop asking where’s the next food), that’s when the Lord needs to jolt us out of a rut and remind us that we haven’t quite made it yet, because somehow it’s always just over the next ridge or just past that river on the horizon.  It might also be a part of the journey to ask ‘are we there yet’? 495 times to which the short answer ‘no’ is given…. all along the way (but that’s a post for another day).

In Nephi’s case (1 Ne. 17:7-8), it was after many days that the voice of the Lord came to him…and basically said “you may think that you’ve made it, and I know 8 years seems like quite a long time to wander, but I actually want you to build a boat and cross the sea, any questions?”  To Nephi’s credit, and as a fantastic example of obedience he said (again), “I will go and do, but where should I go to find ore to make some tools”? (vs. 9).

In the case of the Jaredite party, there is an interesting difference in the Lords presentation of ‘the next food’ to the brother of Jared.1 In Ether 2:14 we read that (4 years after the Jaredites had arrived at the seashore) ‘the Lord came to the brother of Jared and for the space of three hours did talk with him and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord’.  Three hours of chastisement is bad enough, but three hours of chastisement directly from the Lord probably felt longer to Mahonri than the 8 years that Lehi and Nephi wandered through the wilderness.  The phrase ‘no longer called upon the name of the Lord’ seems a lot like ‘stopped looking or asking about the next food’ to me.  I think that 4-year period of seashore lounging might have started to look like a permanent vacation to the Jaradites, and they might not have wanted ‘the next food’, because they were satisfied with the food that they already had (and that they’d already spent enough time ‘looking for more food’).  This might have had something to do with them ‘not calling upon the Lord’.  I would guess that during that three hour chastising party the Lord let Mahonri know that he hadn’t quite arrived at the real promised land.  He might have also mentioned that 4 years is a long time to not ask ‘where’s the next food’?  This thought is strengthened by the Lords direction in verse 16, which says “Go to work”….2

For each of us and our mortal journeys the Lord will continually provide us with ‘the next food’ – especially if we are looking for it and asking for it.  Sometimes ‘the next food’ is disguised as a tricky situation at work that can teach us patience or give us an opportunity to show love to someone who really needs it. Sometimes ‘the next food’ is dressed up as a more than difficult home teaching assignment or partner.  Sometimes ‘the next food’ is an absolute shower of blessings that overcome you and fill you right up.  Sometimes ‘the next food’ is a tender mercy that could be considered a quick snack or power bar for the hill that you may or may not know you need to climb right around the corner.   Sometimes ‘the next food’ looks exactly like ‘the last food’, which you threw in the trash (didn’t eat) because you hate broccoli. Sometimes ‘the next food’ doesn’t look like what you ordered at all…. and in a huff you flag down the waiter and say “excuse me garcon, I ordered the filet mignon with mashed potatoes, and this looks like sautéed mushrooms and asparagus…. I think there has been some mistake”3, and the waiter looks at you with some pity, some humor, and much understanding and says “sir, this is the chef’s special prepared just for you, I think that you’ll find it most enjoyable…. if you’ll try it.4  Then, after you’ve completed this course, he will prepare for you the house special, a dish that the chef calls ‘the next food”.

Notes

1 Even though Nephi’s guidance (to build a ship) was ‘after many days’, it appears that these ‘many days’ were considered a typical period of rest for their party, because there was no chastisement from the Lord indicated in the record, nor did it appear that Nephi had ‘failed to call upon the Lord’ during those ‘many days’.

2 This story (the brother of Jared’s chastisement) has a very successful ending, as we all know.  Shortly after this mega chastisement, the Lord shows himself to the brother of Jared in one of the most amazing scripture stories that we have – ever.  The veil is completely removed, faith is done away with, and the Lord ‘could not withhold anything from him’ and the brother of Jared sees everything that had been, and all that would be (Ether 3:25-26).  Sounds pretty awesome to me.  It would also appear that the 3-hour chastisement was effective to bring the brother of Jared down to the depths of humility – which unlocked some serious power (see Ether 12:27 and 2 Cor. 12:9-10 for a review of how weakness is strength), and we’ve already covered here how failure is a necessary ingredient for success.  All of this indicates Mahonri’s humility, understanding, and action – because he listened when the Lord said ‘Go to work’, which is what all of us should do when we’ve been chastened.  Listen, understand, (and as Casey put it so well here), ponder, and then go to work. Don’t forget the secret ingredient.

3 This idea (‘the next food’ being the same ‘food’ we’ve seen time and time again, but have repeatedly thrown away or discounted for whatever reason) or not being ‘served’ what we think we’ve ordered is cause for thought (and serious pondering) because the Lord does not make mistakes, and there is most definitely a plan and purpose to each serving of ‘the next food’.  If I am continually being served  ‘food’ that I don’t want, don’t try, or turn away, I may have some questions to answer – especially when we are brought face to face with ‘the chef’ attempting to explain why we didn’t try the ‘food’ that he prepared especially for us.

4 As you grew up, your parents serve you vegetables right?  Yes.  No kid really likes broccoli and asparagus, but they are healthy and the parents understand that even though it may not be pleasant, they do your body a service and provide valuable nutrition, and this is why they serve them to kids.  Miraculously, the child grows up and learns to love asparagus and broccoli, and cannot fathom a time when this was not so, potentially losing sleep over the many times in past years that they’ve thrown delicious asparagus right into the trash can (with joy).  What a horrible thought.