Today in our adult Institute class, Sister Jackie Poulsen challenged us to pray to the Lord and ask, “In what way is Zion not in me?” I recently read Neal A. Maxwell’s Of one heart : the glory of the City of Enoch, which includes fictional letters from Mahijah, a curious, then faithful, follower of Enoch, to his non-believing friend, Omner. Elder Maxwell’s deft way of exploring and explaining the cultural and philosophical basis of Enoch’s Zion had already challenged... Read more
Pentecost Sunday reminds us that the Holy Spirit filled those who gathered to hear the Apostles during the Feast of Firstfruits, or Pentecost. This celebration of the harvest occurred fifty days after Passover or fifty days after Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. It’s an amazing story in Acts 2. 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and... Read more
The world’s cacophony grows ever louder. My soul runs to stillness and seeks peace. Is it possible to live inside my self-made bubble? Experience says no. So while turmoil heightens and contention spreads, I turn to God for solace. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (2 Corinthians 4:8) Jesus distilled the law down to love Jesus taught His disciples that while they lived in the world, they must not be part of it. I look to their example, as... Read more
Trying to understand the story of Nephi slaying Laban at the Lord’s command caused me to mentally construct some law of Moses justifications for Nephi, really based on Nephi’s recollection of the event. I found several. I’ve also read scholars’ amazing, thoughtful analyses of the story. Ultimately, though, I landed on an answer Nephi gave for something he didn’t comprehend either. I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. God commanded... Read more
Doctrine and Covenants 20 became the foundational Articles and Covenants for The Church of Christ (known from 1838 to the present day as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) organized on April 6, 1830. Section 20 includes core doctrines, ordinances, and structure and was used to unify the Church’s understanding as members joined the fledgling church with their preexisting beliefs and biases. While studying the section for a Sunday School class, I noticed verbiage that sounded a lot... Read more
As the moon turns to blood tonight, I can’t help but think of somber prophetic warnings that this heavenly sign portends Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. During creation, the God of Heaven appointed heavenly luminaries as signs and seasons. Israel marked new months by the new moon and planned their important feast days accordingly. Prophets used the sun, moon, and stars in conjunction with important future events like Jesus Christ’s birth, death, and future Second Coming. Joel, Peter, and Joseph Smith... Read more
On today’s family group thread, my brother alerted us to the fact that Tropical Cyclone Jude hit landfall in Mozambique and spun across that country towards Malawi, directly towards the city his missionary son was transferred to this week—Blantyre. To say that I hadn’t considered Bryce experiencing a hurricane/cyclone in Malawi, Africa, is an understatement. That thought never, ever crossed my mind. Suddenly, I’m googling Tropical Cyclone Jude and watching videos about its horrendous impact on Mozambique. It tore across Mozambique at... Read more
Pondering the Anti-Nephi-Lehies’ oath made me consider if that oath involved receiving their calling and election. After receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ preached by Ammon, Aaron, and companions, the Lamanites buried their weapons of war deep in the earth as a token of their conversion. For they became a righteous people; they did lay down the weapons of their rebellion, that they did not fight against God any more, neither against any of their brethren. After they joined the... Read more
It’s refreshing to see teenagers stand strong in their beliefs, especially in a place where those beliefs aren’t generally understood or appreciated. Meet Solomon Wylie, daring to stand for truth, alone. Daring to Stand Alone To those who don’t know me, my name is Solomon Wylie. I am still in 8th grade and very excited to leave it soon. I am part of a generation that contains many who are starting to fade away from religion. Who have been trained... Read more
It was 9:30 Saturday night as I drove toward our temporary house. The rental house is slightly out of town with a couple of dark roads before reaching the subdivision. As I drove in the dark, I suddenly spotted some recent roadkill—a skunk. That scene always makes me sad. Trying to avoid the carcass, I steered to the left. Suddenly the pungent skunk smell enveloped me. It dissipated as I continued homeward. I pulled into the garage and the odorous... Read more
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