I’ve been evaluating my relationship with the Holy Ghost. I’d seen how I ignore and then do better with a second chance and then recognize that “trial” can actually be blessings in disguise. I also experienced an amazing miracle in the form of a test. And it shall come to pass that power shall rest upon thee; thou shalt have great faith, and I will be with thee and go before thy face. When I turn to God in my weakness, He... Read more
President Russell M. Nelson called the new focus on ministering a “new and holier approach.” Listening to his description of what ministering can be, I realized the key, for me, is absolute reliance on the Holy Ghost. Since General Conference, I reflected on my relationship with the Holy Ghost. Three varying experiences came to me. Heard the Voice but Didn’t Listen On Monday, while packing for a trip, I had the distinct impression to pack an item. “I don’t need that!”... Read more
I was 13 years old the first time I met someone who had actually been to Jerusalem. I couldn’t believe it! She’d recently been a student at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. I didn’t even know that existed! I sat transfixed as she told a few stories. She served as a sister missionary in our stake. My Beehive advisor asked the sister missionaries to talk to us on a Mutual night. She shared a few stories about gaining... Read more
My internal conflict came to a head as I drove up an interstate onramp towards a vivid sunset. I don’t remember where I’d been or where I was going, but I remember everything about that moment. I can wind it down in total slow motion. Passing the tiny misshapen tree on the left as I vocalized the faith crisis. Checking my right shoulder of the onramp to see if I needed to yield to onramp traffic as I prepared to... Read more
During Old Testament times, the Day of Atonement occurred once a year on the tenth day of the seventh month. This holy day was the most holy day. Day of Atonement Ritual Leviticus 16 describes the intricate ritual to release Israel from the bondage of sin. The High Priest approached the Holy of Holies, the most holy place in the tabernacle and temple, only when commanded by the Lord, “that he die not.” The Day of Atonement was one of... Read more
How do you apply the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your life? When is the last time you did apply it? I hope all of you answered today or the last time you partook of the Sacrament. I’ve been thinking a lot about being connected to the Savior’s atonement, but not altered by it. [A lady] had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the twentieth century. She was quite wealthy but also quite frugal. ... Read more
In 3-A Triangle and Two Brothers, James and John, I briefly explored the powerful symbolism of a triangle and my journey as I applied ideas about triangles to gospel truths, specifically in pondering the whys of James and John’s names. John means “Jehovah is gracious.” And James, or Jacob, means “supplanter, heel, to substitute by reason of superior excellence or power, or filling of a place once occupied, lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.” This post continues that... Read more
During a three day training I attended, the number three shouted at me from every concept and nearly every page—restrictions lasting 3 years, 30-year commitments, 3 contract segments. One mnemonic device provided was “Three 3s and a B-I-N.” I’ve been thinking about triangles over the past few weeks, and three’s ubiquitousness reminded me to revisit a train of thought. “All was divided into three.” ~Homer “A whole is that which has a beginning, middle and end.”-Aristotle Three, to me, represents... Read more
Do you have anything(s) in your life that you just tell yourself you cannot do? Listening to my self-talk reveals my conscious and subconscious limits. One item on the “cannot do” list is Koko Head Crater Peak. It’s a trail of 1,048 misshapen railway ties, aka steps, straight up Koko Crater. The trail is easily visible from the road. I’ve looked at that mountain with its railway ties since 2010 when we moved to Oahu. Actually, I saw it while vacationing... Read more
I recently discovered something called “The Hymn of Jesus,” words of Jesus just prior to His crucifixion from a disciple’s view. G. R. S. Mead translated the short writing from the Leucian Acts of John. I thought of this scripture in Matthew and Mark: And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. The tone and verbiage are so reminiscent of things sacred to me and caused me to really consider the Gospel authors’ brief, understated verse.... Read more
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