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.

Turn on the Lights

24 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by in Light

≈ Leave a comment

Photo courtesy of Your Mom, with permission from Tyson

When we are kids, sometimes we learn things the hard way.  My brother Tyson, coincidentally the founder of this blog, learned a valuable lesson when he was younger. This was rather unfortunate for him, but hilariously fortunate for all of us. Here is the story of the photo seen above.

He was playing the game “prison break” one night in a basement with no lights on. Apparently, there is a reason its not called “prison break in a well lit basement” Not just any basement, but another friend’s basement that he was not familiar with.

In his adrenalin fueled excitement, and while running full speed, escaping capture and certain death, he proceeded to collide, at full speed, into Jared Bennett’s thick head, who also happened to be running at full speed in the exact opposite direction, thus doubling the force. It would have made any  fighting ram or linebacker proud. But, being ill equipped in the helmet or horn department, His soft cartilaginous nose took the whole brunt of the force from the head on collision.

As many street hardened fighters know, your nose is not the hardest part of your body, nor does it tend to hold up well when it is the leading part of your body mass slamming into an oncoming object such as someone else’s forehead. Needless to say, Jared Bennet’s forehead walked away victorious and relatively unscathed, other than some rather significant blood spatter. Tyson’s nose, on the other hand, became somewhat larger, flatter, and bloodier that night.

During the ensuing weeks we were treated with a daily reminder of this spectacular event. Each time we gazed upon his swollen countenance, this moment was relived over and over again. It is still funny. With two eventual black eyes he could hardly open, and a large swollen nose, he was quite a stunning reminder of the fragility of nasal cartilage.

The moral of the story?

Either wear a helmet when running around playing in the dark, or….Turn on the lights!

Even a little light is better than no light.

Darkness is part of life. Its part of our daily life. Every day the sun comes up, and the darkness recedes, only to once again give way to the light of the morning. Man has dealt with darkness since the beginning by trying to maintain some form of light to be able to see in times of darkness.

In the early days, it was torches, or fires. Later, man graduated to lamps, and lanterns. Then, on to light bulbs and electricity. Now, there are cities that never sleep.

But, how often do we still run around in the dark, hoping to avoid running into each other and bloodying our noses?

In the scriptures we can learn a lot about spiritual darkness, its perils, and also the benefits of staying close to, and benefiting from the light.

In the Book of Mormon we learn about Lehi’s vision of the tree of life, and the “dark and dreary waste” through which he must wander. In Lehi’s dream, that represented the course of our lives. In that same vision, even those who were attempting to hold on to the iron rod were also surrounded by the “mists of darkness“.

In the days preceding Christ’s visit to the Nephites, the whole land was covered in literal darkness, so dark they could feel it. It was described as a “vapor of darkness” so that “there could be not any light at all”.

Joseph Smith experienced pure darkness immediately before he experienced his vision. He described being seized upon by some power and that felt a “thick darkness gathered around [him]”.

In all of these accounts, we learn about the inevitability of darkness. We can’t completely avoid it, so how do we defeat it? We do it, just as man has always done it- with light.

Physically, we make torches, lanterns, fires, and turn on the lights! We do what it takes so that we can see clearly, so we don’t lose our way, and run into speeding objects and break our noses.

Spiritually, how do we do it? Joseph Smith’s experience demonstrates how spiritual darkness is defeated. He said that in the very moment he was about to succumb to the darkness and be destroyed, that he saw “A pillar of light..above the brightness of the sun” In that pillar of light was God the Father and Jesus Christ.

That is how we defeat this type of darkness. We invite the light of Christ in. This light becomes our torch, our lantern, our fire, or our sunshine. Then, we keep it going to last through the night, or darkness in our life. In the very moment that Christ comes, the darkness is gone. Its exactly as the hymn says, “The morning breaks, the shadows flee!”

The scriptures explain this concept even better than I can.

“The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light”

Mathew 6:22 

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 8:12 

“Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God… I am the light which shineth in darkness…“

D&C 6:21

Sometimes, when its dark, and we feel isolated, alone, or even scared, or we just can’t seem to see whats in front of us, we need to just…..turn on the lights, and invite Him in.

Have Done with Lesser Things

19 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by in General, Motivation

≈ Leave a comment

When I was a kid, one of my favorite foods was the frozen Totinos pizzas, you know, the ones that cost 99 cents, and are made out of cardboard? they had about 14 strands of pretend cheese, and hot dogs chopped into small pieces pretending to be pepperoni. They were amazing.

As time passed, though, my tastes changed, and I graduated to the luxurious world of Little Caesars pizza. What a difference! It had round pepperoni, a product resembling actual cheese, and only turned into cardboard after it cooled down. Unbelievable.

But, as time continued to pass, I again graduated to better, more advanced pizzas, Papa John’s, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and finally- The Pie, Fat Jack’s, and Barro’s. I had reached the top, the pinnacle of pizza. Or, so I thought.

A few months ago, my wife and I discovered the best pizza on the planet, it was in a Tom Douglass (famous chef) restaurant in Seattle called Serious Pie. It just serves custom made pizza made from all fresh local ingredients, and my mind was blown. How could anything taste that good? When you have experienced celestial pizza, you no longer need or want telestial pizza (Totinos has since been moved to outer darkness pizza).

Experiencing something that amazing made me forget all about Totinos, Caesars, Fat Jack, and Barros. I was no longer interested. It was a lot like eating a steak from Mastros City Hall (Tyson can attest), and then trying to chew on a rubber steak from chuck-o-rama. Having experienced something better, I didn’t want anything less.

This principle applies in all aspects of our life. Sometimes it’s just time to grow up, and grow out of those things in our childhood. Its all a part of developing ourselves into the best we can be. The scriptures talk about this principle as well….

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

1 Corinthians 13:11

So what are the “childish things” that we need to put away? Totinos pizza is a good start, but beyond that, I think it all has to do with our mindset. We need to stop worrying, thinking, obsessing, about things that don’t matter. Things that may seem important and mean a lot to us now,  but in reality, are below our potential.

As a man, I think this means that we need to start acting like one. So what does that mean? It means knowing, really knowing who we are.  If we understand exactly who we are, we begin to act differently. Listen to what the Lord explains to us if we stand up, become a man, and start to put Him first in our life…

 “And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them.”

D&C 35:14

What bigger privilege could there be- than to grow up, stand up, and fight manfully for Jesus Christ? Sign me up. Do we want to be on the winning side in the most lop sided battle ever? Absolutely! But, we have to first “put away our childish things.”

When we rise up, and put away the lesser things that muddy our lives, we become closer to what we are supposed to become. Closer to who we are supposed to be- literal sons of God. We become closer to God, more like Him, and eventually we can become one with Him….

“I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was crucified for the sins of the world, even as many as will believe on my name, that they may become the sons of God, even one in me as I am one in the Father, as the Father is one in me, that we may be one.

DC 35:2

It may seem like a big deal to leave behind what we perceive as important. But, after serious pie, I forgot all about Totinos pizza. The person we become is a happier person, and a much more satisfied, and full person.  A person who hungers for more….

“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…”

1 Timothy 6

Hymn number 324 sums up perfectly the idea of getting up, forgetting the crappy cardboard pizza, realizing who we are, and acting like it!  Be a Man!

Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things
Give heart and soul and mind and strength
To serve the King of Kings.

Rise up, O men of God,
In one united throng.
Bring in the day of brotherhood
And end the night of wrong.

Rise up, O men of God!
Tread where his feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
Rise up, O men of God!

Health in the Naval, Marrow in the Bones

18 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by in Temples

≈ Leave a comment

“And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;”

D&C 89:18

We usually talk about this scripture when we are referencing the Lord’s health law, and talking about how beer, cigarettes, coffee, tea, and caffeinated diet coke (the last one only applies to BYU campus) are the stuff we should stay away from. This part of the scripture is where we are told that we will have physical health and strength if we obey the word of wisdom.

It is a bit interesting that the promised blessings for health are not strictly given by obedience to “these sayings” meaning the word of wisdom, but keeping the word of wisdom AND walking in obedience to the commandments. So, we can’t just eat brussels sprouts, carrots and spinach and expect to be perfectly healthy, its a little more than that.

But I want to concentrate a little more on the next two phrases in the promise, “health in their navel”, and “marrow to their bones”

Does this phrase sound familiar? Is there anywhere else that we hear this promise? If this promise does sound familiar to us, then it is likely that we are, in fact, “walking in obedience to the commandments” by being where we ought to be as often as we can, in the Lord’s house.

The temple teaches us what we are ready to learn, when we are ready to learn it. If we are casual visitors to the Lord’s house, we tend to learn and understand things taught there in a more straightforward way.  Like any relationship, it starts in a simple get to know you kind of way. We may feel a bit nervous when we speak, and we are worried about saying the right thing etc. But, if we go often, and attend regularly, the familiarity with what we listen to and say, allows us to concentrate more on the feeling we get there. We look for deeper understanding that comes when our “confidence waxes strong” This, in turn, allows our spirit to be the learner. We then maybe start to see or hear, or even say things a bit differently, in a way we didn’t quite grasp before.

Lets take the first one, “health in their navel” and think about it for a minute. Does this seems a bit odd for a belly button to be the body part associated with good health? I guess all the cool body parts were taken already? Health in their colon didn’t quite have the same ring to it, I guess. But maybe not. What is just below the surface? Could it mean anything a little more?

What is the navel anyway? besides an awesome place to collect lint, and a great place for kids to stick peas they don’t want to eat, it is a permanent reminder of the umbilical cord. That essential lifeline that once connected us to our mothers, this lifeline fed us, took care of us, helped us grow and develop. From a mother’s perspective, it is a connection, or link, to “posterity”.  Maybe “health in the navel” can mean more than a tummy that doesn’t hurt, or overall health. Maybe we can look at it as a healthy connection, or link to our “posterity”, or a “healthy” connection or link to those who have gone before us? We do learn about these important links in the temple each time we go.

Now, what about the second promise? “Marrow to their bones”. Most people know the basics of bone marrow. It is hugely important in many different ways for our bodies.  It produces red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and also where certain stem cells can be harvested.  If our body were a society, the bone marrow would be the only place where every car, or transport vehicle was built.  That would include all the cop cars (complete with police officers ready to arrest and execute bad guys) and every delivery truck that carries food, and fuel. It would also be where all the garbage trucks are made. It would also be where all the universal spare parts are produced that would be needed to repair any item anywhere. Without bone marrow, you are in a world of hurt. Having marrow in our bones, is really more like having life in our body.

These two blessings are just a drop in the bucket of what we can receive through God’s power and His priesthood. But, if we continue to be where we need to be, and do what we need to do, and visit His house often, He will bless us with His power, and we will be forever connected to our families both in the past and for the future. Just imagine the eternal chain we are creating! Next time we are in God’s house, lets pay special attention to the words we say, and contemplate and ask ourselves, “how do my words affect both me and my posterity”?

The Hypocrite’s Mirror

10 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by in Poems, Pride

≈ Leave a comment

 In 1820, the country was full of religious crazies. This pressure cooked environment was the catalyst for Joseph Smith’s desire to pray to know which of all the competing churches were true.  For each of them preached christianity, yet would privately, and not so privately, denigrate and attempt to disprove each other.

     We now know, that in response to his simple prayer, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith and told him that “all of the churches were wrong”, and that he should join none of them. The personage who addressed Joseph also loosely quoted two scriptures to describe the men who were leading the churches in 1820. Isaiah 29:13, and 2 Timothy 3:5.

Isaiah 29:13

  “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”

2 Timothy 3:5

  “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

     Those churches leaders were not genuine. They were all bark, and no bite. All fluff, no substance. I’m sure they said all the right things, appeared to live the right way, but were not motivated by the proper end goal. They wanted more parishioners filling their churches. They wanted to be the winners, or the ones with the biggest congregation. It was a competition. They were hypocrites.

     To a certain extent, we are all hypocrites, because we know what we should be doing, how we should behave, how we should treat each other, and how we should be within the church.  But, we all fall short.

     What is the difference between ourselves, and the preachers in 1820? We have the truth, but do we live it? do we pretend to live it? Have we tried to make the gospel who we are? All these questions are ones we should ask ourselves, and see if we can take one step closer to getting rid of our hypocritical tendencies, because we all know how much the Lord loves hypocrites….

 

Hypocrite’s Mirror

When I stop and look at me
What exactly do I see?
Do my actions every day
mirror what I teach? or say?
Do I see a child of God?
Or just elaborate facade?

Am I who I claim to be?
Or, am I like the Pharisees?
Who loudly preach humility,
with proud and boastful piety,
Who say the words, and play the part
Yet stray from God within their heart.

Does my appearance matter most?
Or, worthiness for Holy Ghost?

When God looks deep inside of me,
Will He be pleased with what He sees?
A phony hypocrite, am I?
Or truthful, honest, free from pride.

For after all, it’s WHO we are,
Not WHAT we do, that gets us far
Tho’ worldly praise may man impress,
It falls well short in Heaven’s test.

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)

The Garden

06 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by in Poems, Resurrection

≈ Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to live during the time of Christ, and to have actually witnessed those important events that took place to change the world?

Imagine what it must have been like to witness the excruciating final hours of his mortal life. We would have watched as he was beaten, scourged with 39 lashes from a whip embedded with rocks and sharpened bone designed to tear and rip apart the flesh as it pierced His back.

We would have witnessed the Man we saw heal the sick, raise the dead, give sight to the blind, and do nothing but show absolute love to everyone around him, collapse under the weight of the very cross from which he would hang.

Imagine the sense of utter unfairness that we would have felt, as He was subjected to an illegal court and sentenced by the very ones who should have been preaching His gospel.

Imagine the despair we would have felt when the man we came to believe as the Son of the Almighty God, allowed himself to be mocked, and nailed to a cross, and left to suffer for hours hanging there, as evil, self-righteous men laughed at him.

Imagine the anger, confusion, dismay, and helplessness that we would have felt. We would have pleaded with Him to lift His hand, and stop the injustice! We would have wondered why, why, would he allow those evil men to win?

We would have felt just as He did, that we were abandoned, and forsaken by the very God of whom He testified. How could such an injustice be allowed to occur to His own Son?

How would we have felt when we could see, through those men, the devil himself claiming victory over the God of all creation?

imagine what it would have felt like seeing the only hope for mankind hanging lifeless on the cross, seemingly defeated by flawed, mortal men. How trying on the faith of His followers must it have been?

Imagine seeing the one who you had gained a testimony of, bloodied and bruised beyond recognition. The eyes that had emitted pure Godly love to you personally, now swollen shut and lifeless.

Imagine how difficult it would have been to maintain your faith through that day, let alone for the days and years to come.

There could be no darker feeling of hopelessness and total despair. He was laid in a borrowed tomb, and forgotten by many. Even His apostles went back to their former lives.

Until the third day.

Imagine that the storms and tumult have ended. The sun returns, and quiet has been restored. Imagine being in that secluded humble garden where, just as He did when He was born to the earth, He returned with humility and power.

Imagine the hopelessness being instantly replaced with hope, the despair replaced with absolute joy!

This was the third day, the resurrection. He had taken up again His body and was glorified.

This is exactly why He is so integral in our life. It’s through him that all the sorrow is replaced with hope. Through him, death is not the end. Through him happiness can be eternal. This is why we need Him- So this contrast of dark and light can take place within ourselves.

This is the message of the resurrection, that darkest night of sorrow and dispair can lead to brightest happiness and hope.

The Garden

The beaming sunlight of the day,
spilled over mountain, through the haze,
and bounced upon the flowers’ bloom
to warm the rocks of Jesus’ Tomb

The peaceful morning’s quiet light,
had ended restless, violent nights,
When earthquakes came, with lightning’s fire,
As nature’s God unleashed His ire,

Now heaven’s hand would end the night,
From garden, now, would spring its light,
The Roman guards had run away,
When Angel hands their strength displayed

Removing stone that tomb had sealed,
Unveiling power once concealed,
The garden’s peace, now bathed in light,
rejoiced with Heaven at the sight!

Of Risen Lord! In perfect form!
Resurrected from the storm,
of death and sorrow’s loneliness,
With Peace, and Hope, and Righteousness!

The Son of God, The Prince of Peace,
To whom all bow on bended knee,
God’s brightest light, and Eldest Son,
had darkest night and tomb o’ercome,

That all, through him, may live again,
and shed the shackles placed by sin,
To once again, with tear-streamed face,
Enjoy our Father’s warm embrace.

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.

Lowering the Boom on Food Storage

31 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Food Storage, Preparation

≈ Leave a comment

A couple of days ago while talking to my niece about food storage she told me what one of her friends had told her about a Stake Fireside she had gone to. The topic was on preparedness and food storage. The time came to start the meeting which was well attended. There was one intended speaker and after the prayer, song and person conducting outlined the layout of the meeting the speaker walked to the pulpit as he was scheduled to. He said “by the raise of hands who here has a 72 hour kit” to which quite few raised their hands. He then said “how many here also have a 3 month supply of food” many of those hands went down. He continued “by the raise of hands who also has a 6 month supply of food?” Many more of those hands went down. Lastly he said “by the show of hands who here has a 72 hour kit and 1 year supply of food and water?” At this point only “a few” hands remained raised from the entire congregation.

He then said “if you won’t listen to the apostles and the prophet, why would you listen to me?” and promptly sat down. The fireside was over.

That is lowering the Boom on food storage!  It’s hard to imagine a more effective lesson on food storage than that. One sentence, a simple question that hit every person there like a 50# bag of refried beans with a 30+ year shelf life.

If I were to count every time we’ve been counseled to get our food storage I would probably be in the bazillions or gazillions by now. We’ve heard it a before, and for years and years, but really, let’s get real about this right now! Imagine just for a second what you would do if RIGHT NOW a natural disaster hit and the supply chains were cut off. Let say in 5 minutes you would be left with no running water, no power, no gas, no way to get to the store for warm clothes, sleeping bags, heaters, gas, or a generator (which the stores would be looted anyways) and you’re left with only what you have at your home right now.

If right now you’re thinking about how long the bag of Cheetos in the pantry could sustain you nutritionally and if it’s possible to quench your thirst with Ketchup… you’re in trouble. Let’s say the disaster is actually a string of disasters and the entire state or even half the country is involved. In that case, help would be extremely slow IF it ever came at all. We’re counseled to get a year worth of food storage… sounds a little ominous no?

If that situation were the case, how much more important to you would food and water storage be than it is to you right now? How valid then would the common excuses of “I can’t afford it”, “I don’t know how” or “I don’t have room” be than they are now? Would you have done things differently? I would hope sustaining your life and the lives of your families would be on top of the list. In some cases families have to make sacrifices to prepare properly. That might mean sacrifices on expenditures, cars, vacations, and more. Sure, it sounds like a total downer, but in the end it comes down to what means more to you? Would you rather chew on the muffler of your brand new car you splurged on… or some delicious 12 year old macaroni noodles with powdered cheese? Sure that’s a horrible comparison but have you tasted muffler?

Lately, I’ve been feeling the need to prepare more and build more onto what I already have. I’ve been thinking about it nonstop all day long for weeks now and basically obsessing over it. I may be slow, but even I know when I’ve being prompted. It’s on my mind so much, I figured I’d even write a blog post on it, and share some ideas. I’m not saying my method is the best, or that there’s only one way to prepare, but this is just what I think may be a good idea or place to start. After all, the only wrong way to prepare is not to prepare at all.

I started with the easy stuff that takes no brains to do: Pre-prepared freeze dried meals. The pros are there is a variety, they pack light, they fit everywhere, they taste more like real food, they come in stackable reusable bins, they can last 30 years, and they require only water to cook. The cons are that it tends to be much more expensive, however the more you buy the cheaper they become.

I started by looking at multiple different companies including  Lindon Farms, the Wise Company, Food Legacy, Mountain House, Dailey Bread, and Shelf Reliance. (Since then Numanna has become a very good option too)

I found which one I thought was the best value and highest food quality and decided on a family package. I then called about 10 distributors of the brand I chose (various stores and websites) and simply told them I was comparing prices and would be purchasing from the cheapest source with the most perks. I was amazed at the discounts, free food, free shipping, other supplies and other freebies I was able to get just by asking… I ended up getting more food for a ton cheaper than I originally planned!

Then, I got my bulk stuff. If you needed even more proof that our Church is awesome, go to the Church cannery. The food is ridiculously cheap, and it’s not just for members of the Church. Even on a budget, a very small budget in fact you can start stocking up. There is no excuse not to start. It’s dirt cheap. Here is a link to their pricelist and where you can find your nearest location.

https://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-order-form?lang=eng

You can buy in bulk to take home to can or put in buckets, you can use their canner for free at their location, or you can buy it canned already at cost for them to do the labor for you. Yeah, you read that right, you can buy pre-canned stuff that they have done for you at cost without added labor. That’s like the neighbor kid mowing your lawn every week for the cost of gas. It’s Crazy simple and they have multiple people there to help you.

I bought only the items in bulk in the giant bags, and only the items with 30 year shelf life. Think about it, buying food with a 30 year shelf life means you never have to rotate it, EVER, for 30 years. There really is no excuse… food storage is as easy as you make it.

So, now with my bulk food I wanted a way to organize it better as well as keep it fresh, waterproof and easily accessible so I opted to put them in buckets instead of leaving them in the bags that would be wasted and ruined in the case of a flood, or a small tear. I also like buckets more than #10 cans because they are way more convenient and easy to move around. Trust me, after moving a family member with nothing but #10 cans, there is a much more efficient way to store food! Rather than the regular bucket lids however, I opted for Gamma lids which are way easier to work with, they are water tight, air tight, don’t require a bucket tool to open, and won’t break your hand in 12 places every time  you try to open them, plus, they are available in 7 colors which helps in color coding things.

So, I organized the food into colors, so even just looking at the buckets I would know what the contents were even if they weren’t labeled which they also are. This will help in separating and evaluating inventory quickly. Lastly, with gamma lids, it’s easier to reuse the bucket for another purpose when your delicious 18 year old potato flakes are gone. Mmmm… just thinking about that makes my mouth water.

That’s just where we started. You can start wherever and however you want… just start! As of now it’s not too late. I can’t think of a worse feeling than waking up one day and realizing it IS too late.

The Mirage of Stuff

29 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by in Poems, Treasure

≈ Leave a comment

In a talk I listened to recently, it mentioned a story about greyhound dogs. These dogs are the slick racing dogs that are trained to race after a mechanical rabbit. The only problem is, its a mechanical rabbit. These dogs, because of the time they spend in training, and their experience, don’t even recognize a real rabbit when they see one. They have been completely fooled by the mirage of a fake rabbit, or a pharisaic (inside joke) rabbit if you will. One that looks like a rabbit, runs like rabbit, but when you peel off the furry outside, its nothing but cold steel inside. 


In the race of our lives, we need to catch ourselves before we get caught up in the mirage of chasing fake rabbits, and be able to look at things through the perspective of the big questions…


1. Where did we come from? 

2. Why are we here? 

3. Where are we going after this life?


We need to guard against the constant barrage of temptations that may, on their face, not seem so bad. For instance, is it so bad to want a larger, nicer home for your family? Wouldn’t a nicer car be so much safer for my family to drive around in?  All these questions are rhetorical and not meant to pass judgement on anybody at all, but this is exactly how we get caught up in the treasures of the world. Sometimes that stupid mechanical rabbit looks super realistic. Is there anything wrong with working hard, earning a good living, and providing for the family? Of course not! Quite the opposite is true.  It is our duty to do so. But, not at the expense of losing sight of what a real rabbit looks like. 

Proverbs 11:28 “He that trusteth in his riches shall fall: but the righteous shall flourish as a branch”

D&C 6:7 “Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.”

Mathew 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasure upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

The Mirage of Stuff

We hunt for treasure endlessly,
a brand new car, new phone, TV,
a bigger house, expensive clothes,
A fancy boat or quad, or both.

The race for all the nicest things,
does nothing but frustration bring,
And wastes the effort we invest,
to pile up treasure, to impress
the other racers in the game,
determined to do just the same.

The worldly treasures that we seek,
act as mirage, just out of reach,
that disappear as we draw near,
now dust, where diamonds once appeared.

For THINGS do not bring happiness-
but heart that’s proud and covetous,

But, BEING righteous, kind and true,
honest, faithful through and through,
Will lay up treasure that endures,
And Heaven’s mansions will be yours.