…I’ve written are quite important. Those ideas are worth time, even a good deal of time, spent in careful contemplation. Some things I’ve been privileged to write are important enough that a careful soul will make it a matter of prayer, as well. But me? That’s just a waste of time. There’s nothing about a man worth anyone’s time as a topic of gossip, speculation or discussion. Apparently some number of folks have come to this blog for a week or so to find what I’ve said about President Boyd K. Packer. He’s someone I’ve quoted more frequently than perhaps… (Search hits: 3 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 16.54)
…and went a block off the road, found a gas station, hopped off, and there was a fellow there who owned… he owned a Moto Guzzi, which in northern Idaho is a pretty rare motorcycle to be driving. (It’s a V-twin, but unlike a Harley Davidson, which is an inline V-twin with a front and a back, this one has V’s that go out either side. It’s still a V. It’s not like a BMW; that’s a Boxster, horizontally opposed.) So we acted like we’d been there all week. And the police came through, making their noise, and they went… (Search hits: 3 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 16.54)
…Tom Lynn blew the head off a fellow at the Rendezvous. My father was chosen for jury duty on the trial of Tom Lynn, and Tom Lynn was convicted, and he went off to the penitentiary. And he finally came home, and he became one of the poker players in the weekly poker game that my dad participated in. Well, so a juror who had sent the guy off to the penitentiary and the guy who had been convicted played poker every week. And one evening at the poker table, Tom Lynn leaned over and put his head on the… (Search hits: 3 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 16.54)
…because of our last meeting, and I said I had. We discussed a missionary from our stake who had returned home early from his mission and he asked if I would work with him. I said I would. I stopped at the young man’s house on my way home from the stake office and invited him to come to my house. I began that Sunday to meet with him weekly to address his issues. I thought the conflict was over and the church was going to leave me alone. In February 2013 President Hunt informed me he continued to “be… (Search hits: 3 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 14.32)
…this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of [my] heart. I reflected on it again and again[.]” Joseph did not act hastily when the impression came to him. He couldn’t shake it. It persisted. He reflected upon it again and again. I don’t know whether that’s days, weeks, or months, but I can tell you before the Prayer for the Covenant was offered, for me it was months because if it isn’t of God I have no right to step forward and do something. I ought not be volunteering for things of that… (Search hits: 3 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 14.32)
…at stake: Eternity. Or at least God’s judgment. It’ll be embarrassing to return to Him unimproved and un-added upon. Particularly when His hand was stretched out to us all the day long. Gentiles who do as they are asked are given all the blessings of the chosen people. Those who do not are rejected and destroyed. As a friend and I discussed last week, Hindu’s advise us to get off the wheel and return to God. They may be onto something with that thought. One eternal round, indeed… It is of note that Christ points to the Father in all… (Search hits: 3 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 14.32)
…ourselves up” by tearing our own brothers and sisters down, or is there a Code of Conduct that might enable a broader net to be cast? Just a few thoughts as I have had as I’ve prayed in behalf of my family and fellow brethren concerning this message, and as I have overcome my skepticism toward the messenger. Would appreciate other’s thoughts on how we can best and most lovingly cast this important net to gather in all those whom we should earnestly love. Moses could have left Israel to arrive at the Promised Land in about two weeks. Rather,… (Search hits: 3 in body, 0 in title, 2 in comments. Score: 13.12)
Elder Oaks spoke to law and divinity students at Harvard this week. The talk was recorded and may be broadcast between General Conference sessions. He spoke for about 45 minutes then took questions. Among the comments he made was that neither the Church nor Evangelicals would identify Mormons as Evangelicals. He also noted the hostility of higher education to religious values and beliefs, despite the widespread religious convictions of Americans…. (Search hits: 2 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 10.29)
When trying to understand how God touches us, it is better to start with His many works instead of a vocabulary. In fact, we often are misled into believing that once we know a vocabulary term we then understand what the term means. Last week the “Holy Spirit” and the “Holy Ghost” were used both in selected scriptures and in my comments. Forget for a moment what term applies to what attribute, and focus on attributes first. God’s many works are held together and organized by His power. A description of this is given in Section 88, which states the… (Search hits: 2 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 10.29)
…been my purpose to point to Him, never to myself. I have fully recovered from the last surgery. I lift weights; I walk several miles a week, and I am in better physical condition than I have been in some time. I have no “fold” and I am not a shepherd of anyone. Even my own children are asked to find Christ and His truth for themselves. My “heart” is not “fearful” of anyone, or of anything. I am at peace with God, and I hope others will become similarly at peace with Him. I have been asked to accomplish… (Search hits: 2 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 10.29)
…week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:10-14). God can only exalt the meek because only the meek can be trusted. This is what it means to sanctify yourself. Our idea of purity and Christ’s idea… (Search hits: 2 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 10.29)
…fist back saying, “No, no, no, no! This is the standard God has planted!” And no one seems to realize that the same God that said the one thing, said another. As a consequence, God, who is unchangeable, didn’t contradict himself. The problem is that you’re not getting the point. It’s like saying today is Friday, and it is nearly 9:30 in the morning. That statement will be true at this moment and exactly one week from this moment. And in between there will be a Saturday, a Sunday, a Monday. Everything is in motion; everything is in the process… (Search hits: 2 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 10.29)
…seems to be speaking spontaneously when he uses one. That is a great gift, unfortunately not shared by many other public speakers. When a talk is read off a teleprompter and sounds like reading, the speaker sounds insincere, even robotic. I wonder why we see them used so often anymore, even at BYU Education Week, among small audiences. When you rob a speaker of spontaneity, you deprive the audience of a connection which might have been made. I can’t read a talk. I can try, but I always drift off into a conversation and leave the script behind…. (Search hits: 2 in body, 0 in title, 0 in comments. Score: 10.29)
…from Parley’s writings: “We halted for a few days in Illinois, about twenty miles from St. Louis, on account of a dreadful storm of rain and snow, which lasted for a week or more, during which the slow fell in some places near three feet deep. …In the beginning of 1831 we renewed our journey; and, passing through St. Louis and St. Charles, we traveled on foot for three hundred miles through vast prairies and through trackless wilds of snow–no beaten road; houses few and far between; and the bleak northwest wind always blowing in our faces with a keeness… (Search hits: 1 in body, 0 in title, 3 in comments. Score: 7.46)
…destroyed, as we have earlier seen. This verse reminds us what is at stake: Eternity. Or at least God’s judgment. It’ll be embarrassing to return to Him unimproved and un-added upon. Particularly when His hand was stretched out to us all the day long. Gentiles who do as they are asked are given all the blessings of the chosen people. Those who do not are rejected and destroyed. As a friend and I discussed last week, Hindu’s advise us to get off the wheel and return to God. They may be onto something with that thought. One eternal round, indeed…….. (Search hits: 1 in body, 0 in title, 2 in comments. Score: 7.06)