Sep

27

After Nephi delivers the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel in 2 Nephi 31, he teaches us in how to obtain eternal life:

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:20)

The first words that typically stand out in my mind from this scripture are “press forward”, “steadfastness”, “feasting”, and “endure to the end”. As scriptures have a way of doing, a new phrase stood out poignantly to me, “a perfect brightness of hope”. I’ve read that a thousand times, but only now does this question enter my mind: What is hope, and how do we achieve a perfect brightness of it?

In a talk by our beloved Elder Maxwell (Gen. Conf., October 1998), he distinguishes between two types of hope. “Ultimate hope” is what we should seek for, and is distinct from “proximate hope”, such as hoping to get a pay raise, hoping for a visit from a loved one, or hoping your team wins the game. This proximate hope is readily disappointed. Real hope, ultimate hope, is not placed in temporal matters, but is placed in the Savior and His Atonement, the only one true source we can rely on. Real hope can only be deflated by our own choices, as God will always deliver on His promises.

Perfect Brightness

As I think of brightness, I think of the spectrum of light. When all colors are combined, together they make the color “white”, the brightest of all the colors we see. Hope, like light, has many aspects, but when combined in our lives forms one color above the brightness of any other, an “anchor to [our] souls” (Ether 12:4), firmly grounded in our Savior Jesus Christ and his Atonement.

In the scriptures, “brightness” is used to describe how personages look (JS-H 1:16-17, 1 Ne. 1:10, D&C 65:5, D&C 110:3), to describe the “justice of God as the brightness of flaming fire” (1 Ne. 15:30), to portray the state of Jacob’s standing before God (2 Ne. 9:44), as a metaphor of how the scriptures will last forever (“they will retain their brightness“ Alma 37:5), and to define the detrimental effects to the wicked from the ”brightness of [the Lord’s] coming“ (D&C 5:19).

Think back to a time when you were having a picture taken outside, facing directly into the sun. It burns to have your eyes open, and when you do force yourself to get that brief moment of having your eyes open for the camera, your eyes sting and begin to tear up. Now, don’t think of the ”brightness“ per se, but the intensity of the experience and listen to the words of Joseph, after wrestling with the adversary and surrounding darkness:

”When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.“

It was not that the brightness of the personages was blinding or overwhelming, but the magnitude of his vision of the Father and Son was to the utmost degree of being indescribable and impossible to capture with speech. If our own hope is to this same degree, it will seep into every corner of our lives, and emanate from our whole souls as we help others in the service of God.

The Holy Ghost Delivers Hope

In order to have a perfect brightness of Hope, we need to know how we can gain hope at all. Paul to the Romans declared, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 15:13)”. In Moroni 8:26 we are instructed that the “Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love”. Among the more well-known roles of the Holy Ghost, as Comforter, Witness, and Teacher, comes His role as a giver of hope.

To obtain this hope from the Holy Ghost, we must seek a remission of our sins, which “bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart” (Moroni 8:26). With the meekness and lowliness of heart “cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost”. With the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we can seek for an increase of hope in our lives by pursuing spiritual experiences.

Hope is Gladness

In Proverbs 10:28, David declares that the “hope of the righteous shall be gladness”. In Romans 5:5 Paul tells us that “hope maketh not ashamed”. We all know people that radiate cheerfulnesss or gladness. I married one! It is truly a gift, but not one without a foundation of hope. Hope gives us something to smile about, that no matter the stormy seas we cross or the burdens we bear, we know that it will all work out. If we trust in the Savior and put Him in the center of our lives, He has promised that the world will “have no power over you to drag you down”, that we “cannot fall”, because of the foundation of Christ we have planted ourselves in. If we are truly founded in Christ, we have hope in His power to save us from sin and death, hope that His teachings are remedies to the challenges we face in our lives, and hope that we can truly become like Him.

Hope Begets Faith, and Faith Begets Hope

In Hebrews 11:1 Paul says “faith is the substance of things hoped for” and likewise in the famous “Faith” chapter, Alma 32:21 says faith is realized when “ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true”, in Ether 12:4 we read that “hope cometh of faith”, and Moroni also says in Moroni 10:20 that “if there must be faith there must also be hope”.

Hope Leads to Obedience and Good Works

In Ether 12:4 we learn that hope (stemming from faith) strengthens our foundations in obedience and truth, and leads us to do good and to glorify God.

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God. (Ether 12:4)
Our souls, which includes both our minds and our hearts, can be grounded and trending towards heavenly pursuits, if we carry true hope, for the healing and perfecting power of Christ, for the continuation of our family relations forever, and for answered promises of blessings and strength. What better blessing for instilling faith in Christ in our children that they can be “built upon a rock”, and a “light on the hill”.

Hope is Putting God First

In Jacob 2:18-19 it states:

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good–to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

I intentionally made those two verses into one paragraph. Notice the first sentence, it tells us to seek for the kingdom of God first. Then the very next sentence says “And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ…”, which logically is equating the two together. If we seek the Kingdom of God first in our lives, we are obtaining hope in Christ. This then prepares us for serving others.

How do we put God first in our lives? We surrender our will, our desires, and replace them with the will of God. What does He want me to be doing, pursuing, achieving, serving, loving? What am I doing now that offends the Spirit, and how can I guard myself from falling into temptation in the future?

Hope Purifies Us

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John. 3:3)

Hope not only helps us to find gladness and to do good continually, it purifies us along the way. As we obtain more hope, we become more pure. We flush out that which is wrong and inconsistent in our lives, and add new armor to keep our souls shiny and bright in God’s eyes. The process of seeking hope and obtaining hope aligns us with the life of the Savior, who lived a pure, sinless life.

It is our hope in Christ, and our journey in obtaining such hope, that helps us to become like Him.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Mar

3

1 Nephi 2:19: “And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Blessed art thou, Nephi, because of thy faith, for thou hast sought me diligently, with lowliness of heart.”

Nephi gained his own faith and testimony over time, as evidenced in 1 Nephi 2:16:

“And it came to pass that I Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.”

Laman and Lemuel went to “Church” like his brothers did, they heard a Prophet of God (Lehi) speak often. And yet, “they did murmur because they knew not the dealings of that God who had created them.” (1 Nephi 2:12) Nephi, on the other hand, sought to know the truth, and prayed to know. Nephi underwent a change, from the “natural man”, like his brothers maintained, to a saint, a disciple of Christ, a new man. Stemming from Nephi’s transition to believing his father (a Prophet) and coming closer to the Spirit, he shared his testimony and faith with Sam, his younger brother, who then believed all the words of Nephi (which would also include Lehi’s words).

Moroni 7:43 instructs us that we cannot have faith and hope unless we are meek and lowly of heart. To be meek means to be humble in spirit, to submit ourselves to the will of God, and to be compliant with His laws, His will, and His timing.

One of my favorite passages of scriptures comes from D&C 88:63: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” It is clear from the scriptures that we must do our part. Our Savior has fulfilled his part, in making an infinite and eternal sacrifice for us. Now we have the choice of living after the manner of perfection that He has shown us, and repenting where we fall short, or suffering after the manner of his suffering (D&C 19:16-17) if we choose to remain as the natural man.

The adjective, “diligently”, is included in both the Savior’s words to Nephi (1 Nephi 2:19) and to Joseph Smith (D&C 88:63). What is the difference between going to Church to “go to Church” and sincerely going to Church with an open heart and mind, and a desire to love and serve your fellow men? In our callings, duties, and responsibilities, do we merely check off the list what we are supposed to do, or do we serve with all our heart, might, mind, and strength?

Nephi, commenting on how the pointers of the Liahona worked, said: “they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them (the pointers).” (1 Nephi 16:28) The writing on the Liahona also worked “according to the faith and diligence, which we gave unto it” (1 Nephi 16:29).

To seek the Lord diligently is to live a celestial life, to “overcome by faith”, to be “sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise”, and “are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus” (D&C 76:53, 69).

To seek the Lord diligently is to “be anxiously engaged in a good cause”, to “do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27).

To seek the Lord diligently is to “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him”, and to “deny yourselves of all ungodliness” (Moroni 10:32).

To seek the Lord diligently is to do as Nephi did, and declare “my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them…my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard” (2 Nephi 4:15-16).

To seek the Lord diligently is to “cry unto him for mercy”, to “let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you” (Alma 34:18, 27).

Our Savior loves us, as evidenced by His atoning sacrifice for each of us. He has paved the path for our perfection. Now each of us must pursue His path in meekness and diligence. We must seek Him diligently. We must learn of Him, continually partake of His words and live after His example.

Popularity: 37% [?]

Aug

31

When I showed a good friend of mine my iPhone, he told me when he got his iPhone he wanted a special ringtone. You remember the game from last year, BYU vs Utah, Beck with all the time in the world but no time on the clock, and Harline in the endzone. And the famous Greg Wrubell, BYU Football’s radio voice now, shouting, “Caught for the touchdown, caught for the touchdown, caught for the touchdown!”.

Now you too can have it on your iPhone! And just in time for the first BYU Football game!

BYU Football Free iPhone Ringtone

Installing it is super easy now with iToner by Ambrosia. Just go here and download it:

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/iToner/

Download the ringtone to your desktop, open up iToner, connect your iPhone, and drag the ringtone to the application. You’re done!

Gooooooooooo Cougars!

Popularity: 23% [?]

Jul

26

We hear or read the word “sacred” probably every day. It applies to our homes, temples, chapels, our bodies, our covenants, and so much more. A marvelous talk by Elder Dennis Neuenschwander titled Holy Place, Sacred Space gave me some great insight this morning while on my run.

The phrase that caught my ear was the title of this post, “Sacrifice sanctifies the sacred.” Think of all the things we consider, and then consider the sacrifice put forth to institute, create, build, or make those things.

Temples
Each temple is a symbol of sacrifice. In the early days of the modern Church, the temples were made by the hands of the members of the Church, using materials produced and donated by the members of the Church. Remember the china that was used for the Kirtland temple, for example. Think of the 40 years of labor to build the Salt Lake Temple. Now, each new temple is built by a contractor (none of which ever make a profit because after it is bid out and finished it takes such significant work to make it perfect and acceptable, based on a conversation with the builder of the DC temple). But the money that goes into building that temple is from the members of the Church, from a donation based on our own income that we earn with our hands and heart. Think of those who serve in the temple, the temple presidency, all the thousands of workers, and the millions of matrons and patrons that attend. Those chambers are sacred because of the sacrifice that is made to maintain it as the House of the Lord.

Our Covenants
I love to reflect on covenants, it is something the world is missing. The world says, “nah, it doesn’t matte what you do or say, whatever you feel like is okay”. Our covenants guide us in the direction we should go AND they enable us to achieve the blessings promised in our covenants. But our covenants are only sacred and important to us if we work to keep them, if we sacrifice and set aside the world in our lives, seeking His will and not our own.

Our Homes
We are huge BYU football fans, so last season we got a Satellite Dish service (living in Missouri). It was great, and we could actually watch some other neat channels like PBSkids, HGTV, and Discovery. Despite watching only a few channels, and pretty good ones at that, the world still had its way of seeping in. Mostly from advertising, and some things just creep into “good” shows. Before this we didn’t watch much TV, but as it was readily available we readily watched TV. It was the vegging machine. Well, we turned it off a few months after BYU football, and it has been night and day. We are more productive, the kids aren’t asking for the next toy/doll on the market (read: brainwashing), and I find myself more spiritually active. Now I’m making a commitment to only watch G or PG movies, as a new family decision (okay, my oldest is only 6…), despite the Bourne Ultimatum coming out next week. I really don’t need the violence and language that most PG-13 movies bring, and I don’t want to tell my kids (anymore) that it’s a “Daddy” show. My wife is such a good example to me on this one, bless her for being so patient with me. And thanks to the Quade’s for being an amazing example (I think they just watch G…). Sacrifice? Well, you could call it that I think, but in reality we are so blessed by being more in tune with the Spirit that in the end it is hard to call it sacrifice. For now though, yes, it’s sacrifice.

What needs to be sacred in your life that some sacrifice will make it be? A great question all of us can ask ourselves periodically.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Jul

9

Soon after finishing teaching Seminary I was called to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher (despite moving in just a month or two). I love the challenge of teaching, there is so much to learn from not only the material and the class (which is substantial), but from the Spirit as I teach.

This week’s lesson was the first part of the Atonement lessons, covering the suffering of Christ in Gethsemane. The lesson manual is always very well done, and this time the greatest lesson I learned was right from the manual.

I have always been very interested in the symbolism of the sacrament and its representation of the two parts of the Atonement. The bread symbolizing Christ’s body that experienced death and Resurrection so that we too may be resurrected. The water symbolizing Christ’s blood that he bled from every pore for our sins. The third part though, not symbolized by the tokens of the sacrament, is His suffering for our infirmities.

In Alma 7:11-12:

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may lose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. (emphasis added)

The third part of the Atonement is that He suffered pain, afflictions, and sorrow so that He can come to our aid. He can comfort us, strengthen us, empathize with us. He knows what we are going through, from firsthand experience. Do we seek Him in those moments?

I love the word “succor”. A sister pointed out how tender that word is, how it reminds us of a mother and her child. Christ will succor us if we but come to Him.

I went back to thinking about the Sacrament, and I thought that perhaps we could attach some symbol to the “infirmities” aspect of the Atonement, but what? I thought of the Priests, the Teachers, and the Deacons, in place of the Savior in preparing, breaking, and passing the Sacrament to His disciples. They represent Christ in the Sacrament ordinance. Christ even washed their feet, very well knowing Himself the paths that they have and will walk, and the temptations and challenges that they would face.

The Atonement is not just Christ’s suffering, but it is also His death and resurrection, and it is also His suffering for our infirmities. He helps us physically, spiritually, and emotionally through the Atonement.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Jul

4

This morning I ran a 4 mile run called the Parley P. Pratt Memorial Freedom Run, here in Columbia, Missouri. On this day, July 4th, in 1839, Parley Pratt, King Follett, Morris Phelps, and Lyman (?) escaped from the Boone County jail, which was located on the West part of the block of the current court house. In short, the escape came in a vision and they were able to overcome the guard as he stuck a coffee pot into the cell. King Follett was recaptured, but Parley and the others got away.

We are so blessed to enjoy our freedom and liberties. Even here in America there have been times where the freedom was not given, and had to be gained by the captive. We are so blessed. Oh that precious flag that symbolizes the lives lost and courage given to gain and protect the freedom we now enjoy. May we never take that freedom for granted.

The full story of Parley’s escape is recorded in chapter 32 of his autobiography. Here is an excerpt:

The prison at Columbia was situated in the same square with the courthouse, being on the north edge of the town. Between it and the wilderness, where our friends held the horses in waiting, there were several fields and fences, say for the distance of half a mile, consisting of meadow and pasture land, and all in full view of the town. The prison consisted of a block house, two stories high, with two rooms below and two above. The keeper and his family occupied one end, and the other was used as the prison–the only entrance being through the lower room of the dwelling part, which was occupied by the family, and then up a steep flight of stairs, at the head of which was a heavy oaken door,ironed, locked and bolted as if to secure a Bonaparte or a Samson. On the inside of this was still another door, which was but slender, with a square hole near the top, of sufficient size to hand in the food and dishes of the prisoners.

The large, heavy door had always to be opened when food, drink, or other articles were handed in; and while open, the inner door served as a temporary guard to prevent prisoners from escaping, and was not always opened on such occasions, the food being handed through the hole in the top of the door, while the door itself remained locked. However, as a fortunate circumstance for us, the coffee pot when filled would not easily slip through the hole in the door, and, rather than spill the coffee and burn his fingers, the keeper would sometimes unlock and open the inner door, in order to set in this huge and obstinate pot; and once in, the door would immediately close, and the key be turned, while the outer door would perhaps stand open till the supper was finished, and the dishes handed out.

Now, our whole chance of escape depended on the question, whether the inner door would be opened that evening, or the coffee pot squeezed in at the hole in the top. Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Gibbs were in the upper room of the keeper’s apartment, near the head of the stairs, and only a log or timber partition between us and them, and several open crevices in the same, so that we could easily communicate with them. One of them was waiting the issue of the great scene about to be enacted with almost breathless interest and feverish anxiety, as on the good or ill success of that moment depended her future hopes through life, while the other was totally ignorant of the whole affair. In a far corner of our prison sat Luman, the old apostate, entirely ignorant of the whole plan, and with no other anxiety than a slight wish for the sun to go down, that he might enjoy his supper and the society of his dear Phila in his curtained bed in the upper room, while we were locked in the dungeon below to sleep on an oak floor, amid cobwebs and filth.

The citizens of the town were now some of them gathering in small groups outside of their doors to enjoy the quiet of a summer evening, to smoke a cigar or chat over the merits of the celebration; while others were on horseback, to enjoy an evening’s ride or to return to their homes. Bands of music, or rather an occasional beat of the drum, or blast of the bugle, was still to be heard in the distance; while a few soldiers, or rather militia in uniform, were hurrying to and fro. Groups of boys were playing about the square, and last, though not least, our flag was still on high, with Liberty and the eagle in bold colors waving to the night breeze. This had so attracted the attention of the little fellows that once and again they begged of us to make them a present of it; but we told them we could not spare it till the next morning–the fact is, we were not willing to surrender our castle before the time, or till we made good our retreat.

As the sun began to decline behind the long range of forest which bounded the western horizon, and the lengthened shadows of the tall trees were thrown over our prison, we called upon the Lord to prosper us and open our way, and then sang aloud the following lines:

Lord, cause their foolish plans to fail,
And let them faint or die:
Our souls would quit this poor old jail,

And fly to Illinois–
To join with the embodied Saints,
Who are with freedom blest:
That only bliss for which we pant,

With them awhile to rest.
Give joy for grief–give ease for pain,
Take all our foes away;
But let us find our friends again
In this eventfull day.

These lines were sung several times over, with the spirit and with the understanding also, and very loud and distinct-being heard by the old apostate and his wife, and by the keepers of the prison; but the doctrine of spiritualizing had become so prevalent that neither this, nor the flag of liberty, nor any other Scripture seemed to them to have any literal meaning, till they found too late the true interpretation by the fulfillment.

The sun was now setting, and the footsteps of the old keeper were heard on the stairs–the key turned, the outer door grated on its huge hinges, while at the same moment we sprang upon our feet, hats and coats on (rather an unusual dress for a hot day in July–for, by the bye, my hat proved to be a fur cap, which I wore when first taken in November previous), and stood by the door to act the part of waiters in receiving the dishes and food for supper, and placing them on the table. Dish after dish was handed in through the small aperture in the door, and duly received and placed upon the table by us, with as much grace and as calm countenances as if we thought of nothing else but our suppers. And I will now venture to say that famishing men never watched the movements of a coffee pot with more anxiety than we did on this occasion. At length the other dishes all being handed in, the huge pot made its appearance in the hole in the top of the door, but one of us cried out to the keeper–”Colonel, you will only spill the coffee by attempting to put it through, besides, it burns our fingers; it will be more convenient to unlock and hand it in at the door.” With this it was lowered again, and the key turned on the inner door.

In this, as in most other fields of battle, where liberty and life depend on the issue, every one understood the part assigned to him and exactly filled it. Mr. Follett was to give the door a sudden pull, and fling it wide open the moment the key was turned. Mr. Phelps being well skilled in wrestling was to press out foremost, and come in contact with the jailer; I was to follow in the centre, and Mr. Follet, who held the door, was to bring up the rear while Sister Phelps was to pray.

No sooner was the key turned than the door was seized by Mr. Follett with both hands; and with his foot placed against the wall, he soon opened a passage, which was in the same instant filled by Mr. Phelps, and followed by myself and Mr. Follett. The old jailer strode across the way, and stretched out his arms like Bunyan’s Apollion, or like the giant Despair in Doubting Castle, but all to no purpose. One or two leaps brought us to the bottom of the stairs, carrying the old gentleman with us headlong, helter skelter, while old Luman sat and laughed in his corner of the prison, and Mrs. Phelps exclaimed, “O Lord God of Israel, thou canst help.” Old Mrs. Gibbs looked on in silent amazement, while the jailer’s wife acted the part of the giant Despair’s wife, Diffidence, and not only assisted in the scuffle, but cried out so loud that the town was soon alarmed. In the meantime we found ourselves in the open air, in front of the prison and in full view of the citizens, who had already commenced to rally, while Mr. Phelps and the jailer still clinched fast hold of each other like two mastiffs. However, in another instant he cleared himself, and we were all three scampering off through the fields towards the thicket.

By this time the town was all in motion. The quietness of the evening was suddenly changed into noise and bustle, and it was soon evident that the thrilling scenes of the great drama of the 4th of July, and of the Columbian celebration of liberty were yet to be enacted. The streets on both sides of the fields where we were running were soon thronged with soldiers in uniform, mounted riflemen, footmen with fence stakes, clubs, or with whatever came to hand, and with boys, dogs, etc., all running, rushing, screaming, swearing, shouting, bawling and looking, while clouds of dust rose behind them. The cattle also partook of the general panic and ran bellowing away, as if to hide from the scene. The fields behind us also presented a similar scene. Fences were leaped or broken down with a crash; men, boys and horses came tumbling over hedge and ditch, rushing with the fury of a whirlwind in the chase; but we kept our course for the thicket, our toes barely touching the ground, while we seemed to leap with the fleetness of a deer, or as the young hart upon the mountains.

Our friends who had stood waiting in the thicket, had watched the last rays of the sun as they faded away, and had observed the quiet stillness of the evening as it began to steal over the distant village where we were confined; and had listened with almost breathless anxiety for the first sound which was to set all things in commotion, and which would say to them in language not to be misunderstood, that the struggle had commenced. For some moments after the last golden beam had disappeared they listened in vain. The occasional lowing of a cow as she came home from the woodland pasture, impatient for her calf and the milkmaid to ease her of her rich burthen; the mingled sound of human voices in the distance in common conversation, the merry laugh of the young beaux and their sweethearts, the quiet song of the whippoorwill, mingled with the merry notes of the violin, the thrill of the bugle, or the soft and plaintive notes of the flute, stole upon the silence of the evening, and were occasionally interrupted by the clatter of hoofs, as a few of the citizens were retiring from the enjoyments of a public day to their own peaceful homes in the country. These, and the beatings of their anxious and almost bursting hearts, were the only sounds which fell upon their ear, till suddenly they heard a rumbling and confused noise, as of footsteps rushing down the stairs of a prison, then a shrill cry of alarm from Mrs. Diffidence, the giantess, and soon followed by the shouts and rush of men, dogs, horses and prisoners towards the spot where they were located. They then sprang forward to the edge of the fields and ran back again to the horses, and again returned, as if the using of their own limbs would serve to add nimbleness to those of the prisoners, and to quicken their speed. As soon as the prisoners drew near, they were hailed by their friends, and conducted to the horses. They were breathless and nearly ready to faint; but in a moment they were assisted to mount, and a whip and the reins placed in their hands, while the only words interchanged were–”Fly quickly, they are upon you!” “Which way shall we go?” “Where you can; you are already nearly surrounded.” “But what will you do? They will kill you if they cannot catch us.” “We will take care of ourselves; fly, fly, I say, instantly.” These words were exchanged with the quickness of thought, while we were mounting and reining our horses; in another instant we were all separated from each other, and each one was making the best shift he could for his own individual safety. I had taken about the third jump with my horse when I encountered a man rushing upon me with a rifle, and, taking aim at my head, he said, “G–d d–n you, stop, or I’ll shoot you.” He was then only a few paces from me, and others were rushing close in his rear, but I turned my horse quickly in another direction, and rushed with all speed into the thickest of the forest, followed for some minutes by him and his dog; but I soon found myself alone, while I could only hear the sound of distant voices, the rushing of horsemen in every direction, with the barking of dogs. What had become of my companions or our friends, I knew not. I rode on at full speed for a mile or more, when the woods terminated, and no alternative was left for me but to go either to the right or to the left into one of the public highways where I would be every moment exposed to my pursuers, or go over the fence and pass through the open fields to the wilderness beyond, or, on the other hand, to turn back into the heart of the forest, partly towards the town and prison from whence I had escaped. As horses’ feet and men’s voices were already heard along the highways which lay on each side of me, I determined upon the latter. I, therefore, changed my course, took my back track, and plunged into the depth of the forest. I then dismounted, tied my horse in a thicket, walked some distance from him and climbed a tree–intending to wait in this situation amid the concealment of the thick foliage till the darkness of evening would enable me to proceed with safety. Seating myself in one of its forked branches, and placing my arms in two other similar forks, I was supported from falling, although in a moment after I had ceased my exertions I fainted away. In this situation I remained for sometime, without the least power to change my position or help myself; my breath was gone through over exertion, and my mouth and throat parched with a burning thirst, my stomach sickened, and as I began to breathe I was seized with vomiting, and threw up nearly all the food which my stomach contained. I then gradually recovered my strength till I could speak, when I began to call on the Lord, saying, “O Lord, strengthen me this once, deliver me from my persecutors and bring me in safety to a land of liberty, and I will praise thy name and give thee all the glory, and the remnant of my days shall be wholly devoted to thy service; for surely my life is now at stake, and if preserved, it is thy gift, therefore I shall owe it all to thee.”The darkness of evening was now fast setting in, and every moment seemed to increase my safety and security from immediate discovery, although I could still hear the distant sound of tramping horses, and the voices of men and dogs in pursuit, and sometimes so near that I could distinguish some of their words. It was a dark and moonless evening, the sky was only lighted by the glimmer of a few stars partly obscured by the clouds, and the thick foliage of the forest increased the gloom, and served to render the darkness nearly complete. I now came down from the tree and felt my way to the place where I had tied my horse, but as good or ill luck would have it, he had loosed himself and gone, leaving me to my fate. I then groped my way amid the dark shades of the forest to a small stream of warm, muddy water, and, stooping down, partly quenched my thirst. I then made my way to the highway and commenced my journey on foot, carefully watching on either hand lest I should be surprised and taken. I was an entire stranger to the country–having no guide but the polar star. My road lay nearly northward, and upwards of a hundred miles of a wild country, peopled only by enemies, still lay between me and a State where the principles of freedom yet prevailed in a sufficient degree to insure my safety. If I could make my way through this wilderness of enemies, on foot, after the weakness and debility caused by eight months’ confinement, and after the fatigues of my evening’s race, and neither inquire the way nor make my appearance at any house for entertainment and refreshment, then I should still have the great Mississippi River to ferry over, and be liable to be discovered and retaken in the act, while in sight of liberty. The thoughts of these dangers the inquiries of my mind as to what had become of my fellow prisoners and friends, which I had no means of satisfying, and the hopes and expectations of soon meeting my family and friends in a land of liberty, alternately occupied my mind as I slowly pursued my solitary way during that dark and, to me, eventful night.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Jul

3

I was reading in 1 Ne. 19 and was amazed at the assurances Nephi was given to the righteous for their eventual reward, and the consequence (destruction) to the wicked. Nephi then in 1 Ne. 19:18 says:

And I, Nephi, have written these things unto my people, that perhaps I might persuade them that they would remember the Lord their Redeemer.

I emphasized the word “remember” because I find it interesting. Often times as I read the scriptures I step back and ask, “what else could have been said?”. Nephi could have said that he writes these things to help them “believe” in the Lord. But Nephi knew that, despite the problems of Laman and Lemuel, ultimately they believe in the Lord. Their problem, and ours too in times of our lives, is that we forget the Lord. We forget that He has blessed us abundantly before. We forget that the Lord has given us all that we now enjoy. We forget that He has rescued, helped, saved, and comforted all those who have asked for it throughout the scriptures. We forget that He has always lived up to His promises. We forget that He has the power to heal, to comfort, and to guide. If we could just always remember, we would find ourselves always doing what is right.

In Seminary this year I gave my class the “Perfect Day Challenge”. The basis of this challenge is upon “remembering” in that in order to be perfect (as perfect as we can) for that day, we have to remember all throughout the day to not mess up, and to do the things we need to do. If we can but remember, we will live our lives better.

The structure and organization of the Church is designed to help us remember. We take the Sacrament, not once or twice a year, but every week! The symbols of the Sacrament are bread and water, the two staples of life, that should be a reminder to us every day. We are asked to study the scriptures every day and to pray every day (always actually). We have Family Home Evening on Mondays, we have Mutual on Wednesdays. If we not only attend and obey these things, but seek to get the spiritual reward they offer, we will find ourselves remembering the Lord and living His commandments more often. And if we do that, we’ll find the peace, happiness, joy, and eternal rewards that come with it.

Popularity: 24% [?]

Jun

9

Seth Godin is a marketing genius, and his books, blogs, and other musings make any marketer salivate for more and more. I’ve been listening to a recent book of his, “All Marketers are Liars”. The main idea behind this book is that marketers need to tell a story, an authentic story, to make a product, service, or company remarkable.

One of the chapters deals with the authenticity of a story. One of the principles is that a story must be authentic, and must withstand the probing of its audience. As he gave several examples, like one of a company that said if you call you’ll talk to the enthusiastic and helpful founder of the company, even though he died 50+ years ago. Not only that, but when you did call it was neither enthusiastic or helpful.

Millions have read the Book of Mormon, and from the standpoint of marketing, if this was all just a story, it would not have stood the test of time. Millions have read it, and millions believe it.

I believe it, not just because of its contents, stories, and principles, but because it has benefited my life and that the Spirit has told me so. Good fruits come from good trees.

This led me to also think more about the impact of marketing on Religion. Recently I saw an ad on facebook.com for the Church, about how truth has been restored and this truth helps us to understand the answers to difficult questions (where did we come from, why are we here, where are we going). The Church is remarkable and the blessings that come in our lives because of it make it remarkable, enough to be remarked about to everyone I can.

Popularity: 14% [?]

May

23

A family from the Ward we were in a few years back had a family motto, “I can do hard things”. Ever since hearing this motto, I have adopted it for myself, and have taught it to my own kids. In our age of “convenience” and “immediacy” hard things are almost a thing of the past. Our kids are taught by the world that if it is too hard, that is okay, just move on and do something else. No! Hard things are hard for a reason, because the challenge of overcoming them is part of the experience and a level of growth comes with hard things.

In years past when everyone had their own farm, people understood hard work and that things take time. Crops have to grow and mature, and harvest is hard work, but with a great result. The crops won’t plant themselves, and the cows won’t milk themselves, you have to go out and do it, initiate it, and see it through to the end.

As I was reading in 1 Nephi 15:3 (also 1 Nephi 15:8-11) I put two things together, hard things and hard hearts. Laman and Lemuel were “disputing one with another” about what Lehi had said. Nephi comments that the things his father, Lehi, had said were “hard to be understood”, and that understanding them required actually receiving revelation (by “inquiring of the Lord”). Laman and Lemuel, having hard hearts, did not even think to ask God for help in understanding. Thus, the hard things were hidden because of their hard hearts.

It wasn’t until Laman and Lemuel started hearing the word of the Lord from their brother, Nephi, that they started to become humble (1 Ne. 15:20-21), at least for the moment. After experiencing humility, they then ask questions. They now want to understand.

For us, we must take the initiative and find out for ourselves right off the bat. That requires humility, to realize that we can’t just depend on our own knowledge, experience, and understanding. We need to go out and search further and inquire about it. Asking specific questions in prayer will guide us to answers and understanding. If we encounter hard things, they are typically meant to be overcome and to gain from going through the experience. For many things in life there are no shortcuts, only uphill battles with treasures of experience along the way. Let us all have softened hearts, open to the Lord’s help, and open to experiencing even hard things. Christ did hard things, and he became, step by step, who He is. We too must become like Him, and not without challenges and difficulties to overcome.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Apr

17

This morning in seminary we discussed the life and legacy of President Wilford Woodruff. What a wonderful and likable man, even in words only. On his ninetieth birthday he spoke to Sunday School children and described that when he was 10 years old he went to a Protestant Church and learned about prophets and apostles. He prayed that one day he would be able to be in the midst of prophets and apostles. His prayer was answered, and then some!

One of the legacies of Wilford Woodruff was his contribution to genealogy, family history, and temple work. He started the Genealogical Society that eventually became the Family History Department of the Church. He was the first President of the St George temple, and he dedicated the Manti and Salt Lake City Utah temples. He had the vision of the founding fathers asking for their work to be done, and performed that work for them, including for Christopher Columbus and others even before the restoration.

One of our activities was to mingle around the room and come up with a list of 10 things we can do to progress family history and temple work in our lives. The youth came up with a wonderful list, and here are the 10 ways:

1) Keep a Journal
2) Keep a running Pedigree chart
3) Talk with older relatives about their life and record it
4) Keep an artifact box
5) Do baptisms for the dead and other temple work
6) Do the genealogy merit badge
7) Read the journals of ancestors in your family
8) Organize and put together the work done by others in your family
9) Be enthused and excited to do genealogy
10) Stay in Church, sing hymns and primary songs about pioneers and family history

I was remembering a fantastic genealogy program, Geni.com, that I started using the other day. It makes it simple and easy to add your pedigree, it’s addictive even. They have done a fantastic job of making it simple and easy. I hope they have API’s in the future for exporting, etc.

I want to be involved in my family history. In August or September when I am done with my PhD I would like to start gathering what has been done and what I can do to contribute, as a number of my family is already working on my ancestors.

Popularity: 13% [?]


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