Today I had some random thoughts that I thought I would share.
First of all, this morning while I was getting ready, Mom and I watched a talk on BYU TV by Terry Ball. I found it quite interesting and insightful. Believe it or not I took a whole course in institute on Isaiah. I don’t remember much, sadly. But the talk this morning was all about Isaiah and I learned quite a bit.
One thing I found interesting is how Isaiah distinguishes the mortal Messiah from the millennial Messiah. In speaking of the mortal Messiah, Isaiah speaks of a tender plant.
Isaiah 53:2
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
The Savior’s first coming was not in power and glory as His second coming will be. But, He was born in humble circumstances. He was raised by mortal parents. Many people did not believe Him. Yet He was the Messiah, the Savior of the world. I liked Isaiah’s analogy using a tender plant when referring to the mortal Messiah. Yet when speaking of the millennial Messiah, Isaiah speaks of reining in righteousness and all people will know who He is. The second coming of the Savior will be much different than the first.
Another interesting reference from Isaiah is from Chapter 33. Brother Ball in referring to verse 15 mentions the phrase, “stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood” and “shutteth his eyes from seeing evil”. I have included versus 14 through 17 for completion.
Isaiah 33:14-17
14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
So what do these two phrases that Isaiah uses mean? Brother Ball suggests that Isaiah is referring to violence and more specifically our desire for or even acceptance of or tolerance of violence and other evil practices portrayed as entertainment.
Brother Ball mentioned that perhaps Isaiah saw Temple recommend holding members of the Church standing in line at the movie theater waiting to see violent and/or otherwise evil practices.
I think this is a big problem within the Church. For some reason, members of the Church still flock to the movie theaters and/or video rental stores and watch movies that we’ve been counseled numerous times to avoid. I’ve already done a blog post about this subject but let me reiterate that if a movie is not conducive to the spirit and is “good except for…” then we should not be wasting our time watching it. Not only is it idling our time away, but it drives the spirit away and desensitizes our own spirits. If “bad parts” of movies don’t bother you, then you need to change your behaviors because they should bother you.
On another note, in Sunday school today we jumped ahead one week because we had a substitute and the teacher had already prepared lesson three so she asked the substitute to teach lesson four. Anyway, the subject came up about Facebook. Now, those of you who know me, know what I think about Facebook. This probably isn’t an appropriate subject to discuss in gospel doctrine, but nonetheless, it was discussed.
The teacher said that she thinks Facebook is a tool of the devil. And I have to agree wholeheartedly. We did have some Facebook freaks pipe up and defend Facebook and say they use it for posting Mormon messages etc. But anyway, the teacher’s point was that even if you are a stellar member of the church, Facebook, at best, is idling your time away.
She mentioned one of her nieces or someone she knew who is the mother of three young children. Her Facebook page said “so-and-so needs three sheep” or whatever it says when you play those time wasting Farm games. And the Sunday school teacher thought to herself, “no, so-and-so needs to feed her three kids lunch”.
I understand that Facebook can be a good way to keep in touch/get in touch with friends and relatives but far too many people spend way too much time idling their life away, or worse. Many families have been broken up because of Facebook.
My last random thought of the day is how grateful I am to have the gospel. There are so many people in the world who have no purpose to their life.
I was talking with my brother about his gig the other day. He mentioned that the same people were there in the casino that were there last time he was there playing a gig with his band. It’s really quite sad that people have nothing better to do with their lives than to go to casinos every weekend.
Even before I talked with my brother I was thinking about some of my relatives who are not members of the church. Their whole lives revolve around sports and other useless selfish endeavors. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like sports but, my life doesn’t revolve around sports. Once in while it is good to have a recreational outlet. We all need to relax and relieve stress once in a while. But, to have that be the focus of your life, is just plain sad. I know there are people whose self-worth and self identity are tied to and determined by whether “their team” wins or loses. That’s pretty pathetic.
But, most of these people don’t have the gospel, and therefore have no real purpose to their life. Their lives are focused on self gratification. I know there are a lot of people who do much good in the world, whether members of the church, or not. There are a lot of people who give of themselves and help others. But, there are also a lot of people who selfishly idle their time away because they have no real purpose in life. It makes me sad.
It also makes me extremely grateful to have the gospel. I’m so thankful for my testimony of Jesus Christ. I’m grateful for the plan of salvation. I feel extremely lucky to be one of the very few people on earth who are members of the true Church of Jesus Christ. I’m so thankful for my knowledge and understanding of basic Gospel doctrines. I am truly blessed.
These are just a few of my thoughts on this Sabbath Day.
That’s my two cents.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Apostles Emphasize Education
Those of you who know me, know that, like Grandma Sabin, I highly value education. As you know, I spent the majority of my life receiving formal education.
Because of recent family events, education has been on my mind the past couple of days. Today, I was perusing LDS.org and Dragon inadvertently clicked on something and took me to a page entitled “Apostles Emphasize Value of Education” I decided to post the text on my blog.
It's a good reminder of what we've always been taught in the Church. If you want to go to the original article you can click on the title or link in my blog post. There are also some links to other articles about education in the article on LDS.org. Enjoy!
From LDS.org:
Apostles Emphasize Value of Education
The importance of education is a recurring theme both in the scriptures and in the teachings of latter-day prophets and apostles. Church members have repeatedly been counseled to obtain all the education they can and to prepare themselves to contribute wherever they are.
President Eyring
President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, who spoke at services dedicating two buildings at Brigham Young University–Idaho on December 17, said that education, particularly gospel knowledge, doesn’t come all at once or without effort.
“We cannot see the future with precision, but we can know what the Lord intends to accomplish and what it will take [for] each of us to qualify personally to participate,” President Eyring said. Education is a subject he has often addressed, during his tenure as President of Ricks College (now BYU–Idaho), while serving as Church Commissioner of Higher Education, during his service as an Apostle, and as a Counselor in the First Presidency.
In a message published in the New Era magazine in April 2009, President Eyring said, “The Lord and His Church have always encouraged education to increase our ability to serve Him and our Heavenly Father’s chlidren. For each of us, whatever our talents, He has service for us to give. And to do it well always involves learning, not once or for a limited time, but continually.”
For this reason, he said in that same message, “true learning must have a powerful spiritual component. That spiritual element, when it is effective, refines and uplifts the aims of our total education. . . . Remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision.”
He also cautioned that “your education must never stop. If it ends at the door of the classroom on graduation day, we will fail. And we will need the help of heaven to know which of the myriad things we could study we would most wisely learn. . . .
“The real life we’re preparing for is eternal life,” President Eyring said. “Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does.”
Elder Nelson
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who also participated in the dedicatory assembly, has stressed the importance of education many times in his ministry. For example, on January 26, 2010, at a BYU–Idaho devotional, he explained to students that obtaining an education is not just an opportunity, it’s also a religious responsibility.
“Your mind is precious! It is sacred,” he said at that time. “Therefore, the education of one’s mind is also sacred. Indeed, education is a religious responsibility. Of course, our opportunities and abilities will vary a great deal. But, in the pursuit of one’s education, individual desire is more important than is the institution you choose; personal drive is more significant than is the faculty.
“Our Creator expects His children everywhere to gain an education as a personal endeavor. He issued this commandment: “Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118; emphasis added). When you leave this frail existence, your material possessions will remain here, but the Lord has declared that the knowledge you acquire here will rise with you in the resurrection (see D&C 130:18–19). In light of this celestial perspective, if you impulsively drop out or otherwise cut short your education, you would not only disregard a divine decree but also abbreviate your own eternal potential.”
Elder Bednar
While he was serving as president of Ricks College before it became BYU–Idaho, Elder Bednar addressed audiences at one of the campus-sponsored education weeks. In that address given in 1999, he addressed the importance of parents teaching their children.
“Parents are not simply to teach their children,” Elder Bednar said. “Rather, they are to teach them to understand. And understanding is a gift from God.
“. . . Within a Christ-centered home, love, trust, and confidence invite the presence of the Holy Ghost. In such a home the Holy Ghost can teach children to understand. Ultimately, it is not parents who do the teaching. Certainly, parents must diligently and effectively explain basic gospel doctrines, teach true principles, and share sacred experiences. But who truly does the teaching and certifies the truthfulness of what we come to know? The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead. He is the Comforter who knows all things. He is thereby able to search the minds and hearts of all of us and then tailor a blessing to us, according to our individual needs and circumstances. And it is teaching and certifying by the Spirit that produces understanding. Parents in Zion have the responsibility to establish and maintain that type of Christ-centered and spirit-filled home.”
Scriptures about Education
The scriptures contain many exhortations for the Lord’s people to educate themselves. Here are some to consider:
D&C 130:18–19: We will keep the knowledge we gain in this life when we go to the next life.
Proverbs 1:5: Those who are wise will seek learning.
D&C 88:118: We should seek learning by study and by faith.
D&C 90:15: We are to be familiar with good books, languages, and cultures.
© 2011 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved
Because of recent family events, education has been on my mind the past couple of days. Today, I was perusing LDS.org and Dragon inadvertently clicked on something and took me to a page entitled “Apostles Emphasize Value of Education” I decided to post the text on my blog.
It's a good reminder of what we've always been taught in the Church. If you want to go to the original article you can click on the title or link in my blog post. There are also some links to other articles about education in the article on LDS.org. Enjoy!
From LDS.org:
Apostles Emphasize Value of Education
The importance of education is a recurring theme both in the scriptures and in the teachings of latter-day prophets and apostles. Church members have repeatedly been counseled to obtain all the education they can and to prepare themselves to contribute wherever they are.
President Eyring
President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, who spoke at services dedicating two buildings at Brigham Young University–Idaho on December 17, said that education, particularly gospel knowledge, doesn’t come all at once or without effort.
“We cannot see the future with precision, but we can know what the Lord intends to accomplish and what it will take [for] each of us to qualify personally to participate,” President Eyring said. Education is a subject he has often addressed, during his tenure as President of Ricks College (now BYU–Idaho), while serving as Church Commissioner of Higher Education, during his service as an Apostle, and as a Counselor in the First Presidency.
In a message published in the New Era magazine in April 2009, President Eyring said, “The Lord and His Church have always encouraged education to increase our ability to serve Him and our Heavenly Father’s chlidren. For each of us, whatever our talents, He has service for us to give. And to do it well always involves learning, not once or for a limited time, but continually.”
For this reason, he said in that same message, “true learning must have a powerful spiritual component. That spiritual element, when it is effective, refines and uplifts the aims of our total education. . . . Remember, you are interested in education, not just for mortal life but for eternal life. When you see that reality clearly, you will put spiritual learning first and yet not slight the secular learning. In fact, you will work harder at your secular learning than you would without that spiritual vision.”
He also cautioned that “your education must never stop. If it ends at the door of the classroom on graduation day, we will fail. And we will need the help of heaven to know which of the myriad things we could study we would most wisely learn. . . .
“The real life we’re preparing for is eternal life,” President Eyring said. “Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does.”
Elder Nelson
Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who also participated in the dedicatory assembly, has stressed the importance of education many times in his ministry. For example, on January 26, 2010, at a BYU–Idaho devotional, he explained to students that obtaining an education is not just an opportunity, it’s also a religious responsibility.
“Your mind is precious! It is sacred,” he said at that time. “Therefore, the education of one’s mind is also sacred. Indeed, education is a religious responsibility. Of course, our opportunities and abilities will vary a great deal. But, in the pursuit of one’s education, individual desire is more important than is the institution you choose; personal drive is more significant than is the faculty.
“Our Creator expects His children everywhere to gain an education as a personal endeavor. He issued this commandment: “Seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118; emphasis added). When you leave this frail existence, your material possessions will remain here, but the Lord has declared that the knowledge you acquire here will rise with you in the resurrection (see D&C 130:18–19). In light of this celestial perspective, if you impulsively drop out or otherwise cut short your education, you would not only disregard a divine decree but also abbreviate your own eternal potential.”
Elder Bednar
While he was serving as president of Ricks College before it became BYU–Idaho, Elder Bednar addressed audiences at one of the campus-sponsored education weeks. In that address given in 1999, he addressed the importance of parents teaching their children.
“Parents are not simply to teach their children,” Elder Bednar said. “Rather, they are to teach them to understand. And understanding is a gift from God.
“. . . Within a Christ-centered home, love, trust, and confidence invite the presence of the Holy Ghost. In such a home the Holy Ghost can teach children to understand. Ultimately, it is not parents who do the teaching. Certainly, parents must diligently and effectively explain basic gospel doctrines, teach true principles, and share sacred experiences. But who truly does the teaching and certifies the truthfulness of what we come to know? The Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead. He is the Comforter who knows all things. He is thereby able to search the minds and hearts of all of us and then tailor a blessing to us, according to our individual needs and circumstances. And it is teaching and certifying by the Spirit that produces understanding. Parents in Zion have the responsibility to establish and maintain that type of Christ-centered and spirit-filled home.”
Scriptures about Education
The scriptures contain many exhortations for the Lord’s people to educate themselves. Here are some to consider:
D&C 130:18–19: We will keep the knowledge we gain in this life when we go to the next life.
Proverbs 1:5: Those who are wise will seek learning.
D&C 88:118: We should seek learning by study and by faith.
D&C 90:15: We are to be familiar with good books, languages, and cultures.
© 2011 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sacrament Meeting Talk
Today I had the privilege of speaking in Sacrament meeting. I was surprisingly not that nervous. I get more nervous teaching relief society. I guess it's because I had it all written down and just had to read it.
I was actually quite worried about the time and actually did go over five minutes :-(. I tried to read it pretty fast towards the end but I didn't really want to cut anything out, because I thought all of the quotes were excellent. In fact, there were many quotes that I wanted to use but just didn't have time. So I didn't include them in my talk. But I will add them at the end. You may notice that the footnotes are somewhat discombobulated. And some footnotes are listed which I didn't end up using but they are the quotes I will add at the end of this blog post.
Thanks to Michael for letting me borrow his boom stand and for lending his "industry" expertise on setting up the microphone.
Thanks to Lisa for doing an excellent job as my page turner.
And thanks to all my family members who came to support me and listen to my talk.
Good morning Brothers and Sisters. A short time ago I mentioned to some of my family members that I have never been asked to speak in this Ward. About three days later I got a call from the Bishop inviting me to speak in Sacrament meeting. So here I am.
I am grateful for this opportunity to speak to you today. The Bishop left the topic up to me but did ask if I would tell you a little bit about myself and share some of my life experiences with you. I don’t like talking about myself. So, writing this talk was somewhat difficult for me. Lest you start thinking this talk is an autobiography, I will correlate my experiences with a gospel principle.
To help you understand me a little better, I will start at the very beginning. I started walking at seven months. I was walking quite well at nine months. My mom tells me when she would take me to the store and let me walk down the aisles that people’s jaws would drop when they saw me walking at such a young age. They would always ask my mom, “How old is she?” So, even as a baby, I was ambitious.
When I was six years old I decided I wanted to become a doctor when I grew up. I never wavered from that. My favorite toy was my Fisher Price doctor‘s kit with the toy stethoscope, syringe, neuro hammer, and so forth. When I was in sixth grade we had to write a short essay on what we wanted to be when we grew up. I don’t remember if it was the teacher or some of my classmates who told me I would never become a doctor. But, that just made me want to prove them wrong. And I did. I always believed I could do anything I set my mind to.
Since this is the first of the year, I’m sure many of you have made New Year’s resolutions. Everybody should have goals to work towards. I was never one to make a list of goals but I always had several goals in the back of my mind.
Some of my major goals included graduating from college, serving a mission, becoming a doctor, and marrying in the temple and raising a family. I accomplished all those goals except the latter.
I received my bachelor of science in biology, with a minor in psychology from Utah State University. I served a full-time mission in Tampa, Florida. I received my Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, in San Francisco and began a residency program at a small hospital near Texarkana, Texas.
I was on my way to accomplishing the last goal on my list, which was to marry in the Temple and raise a family. While in Texarkana, I became engaged to be married. My life couldn’t have been better.
Then, one day, two or three weeks after I became engaged, my fiancée and I traveled to Dallas to shop for our upcoming wedding. It’s about a three-hour drive from Texarkana to Dallas. On the way home, we were involved in a single car rollover accident. I’m told the vehicle rolled at least six times. My fiancée was ejected from the vehicle but suffered apparently minor injuries. I, on the other hand, suffered severe, life-threatening trauma. I was airlifted back to Dallas because the first hospital they took me to was not equipped to treat my injuries. I was unconscious and comatose this entire time. So the story I’m relating is what I was told by my family.
Around three o’clock in the morning, my parents received a call from the hospital stating that if they wanted to come and say goodbye to me, they had better hurry. The medical staff would try to “keep me warm” until they arrived. My parents called my three siblings and they all were on the next available flight to Dallas, Texas from three different states.
They all arrived within a couple of hours of each other. The ICU nurse tried to warn them that I would not look like myself. But, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw. I was so badly swollen from the severe trauma I suffered, that I was barely recognizable as human, let alone as an individual. My sister tells me the only way they could recognize me was my fingernails.
The injuries I sustained were not compatible with life. My life expectancy at that time was measured in minutes and hours, not days or weeks or even months. But, apparently my mission on earth was not complete.
My sister called everybody known to the family, and asked them to pray for me. One of my nurses even had Billy Graham praying for me.
During the time I was comatose my family would come talk to me and tell me some inside jokes. When they did, my blood pressure would skyrocket and my life support machines would alarm. They knew I heard and understood what was said.
About two weeks after my accident I came out of my coma, and regained consciousness. But, I was so heavily medicated that I don’t remember anything. I was still unable to speak because I was on life support and had tubes down my throat.
My family didn’t know until a couple of weeks later, when I was well enough to get an MRI, that I suffered a cervical spinal cord injury. Which meant I would be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of my life.
About 10 days after the accident, my fiancée took a turn for the worse and left this mortal existence. Ironically, he is the one who suffered seemingly minor injuries and was supposed to make a full recovery.
Whereas I was never expected to live. But here I am, eight years later.
There are some experiences I feel are not appropriate to share in this setting. But I will share with you some of the miracles which occurred.
First miracle: The fact that I’m speaking to you is a miracle. Because I was not expected to live, I was intubated for too long. The doctors decided they better do a tracheotomy so that I could be extubated. They told my family that my vocal chords were probably scarred beyond repair from being intubated for so long. And I would probably never speak again. It was several weeks later that my feeding tube was removed and I could try to speak. During that time my vocal chords were healed and I was able to speak.
Second miracle: My spinal cord injury is at the borderline level of being ventilator dependent. My family was told that I would probably be vent dependent for the rest of my life. But once again, I proved them wrong. I was able to get off the ventilator and breathe on my own. I do have some recollection of how difficult and scary it was to not be able to breathe when they were weaning me off of the ventilator. My ability to breathe is weaker and sometimes difficult because I don’t have the use of my abdominal and intercostal muscles to assist in breathing. But I am so grateful to not be dependent on a ventilator to breathe for me.
Third miracle: I suffered severe head trauma. Without being too graphic, while the vehicle rolled, my head took some severe impact. So, the fact that I didn’t suffer major brain damage is another miracle.
Fourth miracle: I’m not blind in my right eye. When I was in intensive care, my right eyelid would not close. So the doctors had to suture my eyelids together for a few weeks, to prevent my cornea from scarring from desiccation. I do have a blind spot on my right eye. But my other eye compensates, and I don’t notice it usually.
The aforementioned miracles are only a few of the daily miracles that occurred while I was in the ICU. I know it was because of the faith and prayers of my loved ones that these miracles occurred. I testify to you that I would not be alive today were it not for the faith and prayers of others in my behalf, for priesthood blessings, and for my knowledge and testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And more specifically, The Plan of Salvation.
My testimony and tenacity gave me the will to live. But the faith and prayers of others in my behalf are the reason I’m alive today. Genetics and tenacity will only get you so far. There is no way I could have overcome the severe trauma I endured without divine intervention.
Because prayer played such an integral part in the many miracles which have occurred in my life, I have chosen prayer as the subject for the remainder of my talk.
Prayer is how we communicate with Our Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father, in turn, communicates with us via revelation through the Holy Ghost.
Elder Richard G. Scott said, “I wonder if we can ever really fathom the immense power of prayer until we encounter an overpowering, urgent problem and realize that we are powerless to resolve it. Then we will turn to our Father in humble recognition of our total dependence on Him.” 1
People tend to turn to God in times of trouble. But we also need to turn to Him, and rely on Him in times of prosperity.
Pres. Henry B. Eyring said this, “Such a turning to fervent prayer when the world seems out of joint is as old as mankind. In times of tragedy and danger, people turn to God in prayer…
Those who submit like a child do it because they know that the Father wants only the happiness of His children and that only He knows the way. That is the testimony we must have to keep praying like a submissive child, in the good times as well as the times of trouble.
With that faith, we will be able to pray for what we want and appreciate whatever we get. Only with that faith will we pray with the diligence God requires. When God has commanded us to pray, He has used words like “pray unceasingly” and “pray always” and “mighty prayer.” 4
What are some ways we receive answer to prayer?
Pres. Boyd K. Packer said, “Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration. The promptings will be clear and unmistakable.” 5
Missionaries often pray for teaching opportunities. There were several times during my mission when teaching opportunities arose. Had I not been obedient and diligent in my morning scripture study I would not have been prepared to teach effectively. Because the answers to the questions being asked, were things I studied in the Scriptures that morning.
I was actually surprised at how often this occurred. And I was amazed at how the Lord had prepared me, as his servant, to be an instrument in his hands. There’s no way I could have known what questions were going to be asked of me that day. And I would not have known the answer to those questions had I not studied it in the Scriptures that morning.
Pres. Henry B. Eyring said, “We can and must go often and carefully to the word of God. If we become casual in our study of the scriptures, we will become casual in our prayers. We may not cease to pray, but our prayers will become more repetitive, more mechanical, lacking real intent. Our hearts cannot be drawn out to a God we do not know, and the scriptures and the words of living prophets help us know Him. As we know Him better, we love Him more.” 4
Sometimes our prayers are answered immediately. But most often the answers to our prayers come after much patience and diligence.
“President David O. McKay testified, “It is true that the answers to our prayers may not always come as direct and at the time, nor in the manner, we anticipate; but they do come, and at a time and in a manner best for the interests of him who offers the supplication.” Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. Your character will grow; your faith will increase. There is a relationship between those two: the greater your faith, the stronger your character; and increased character enhances your ability to exercise even greater faith.” 1
I would like to share an experience I had with prayer not too long ago. I don’t consider myself to be a very compassionate person. Upon learning that one of my relatives, who is a member of the church, was making poor choices that were not in accordance with church standards, I became quite upset and judgmental. I wondered how this person who was once active in the church, and held several different leadership positions, could be so stupid. So, I decided I should pray for this relative. As I was praying for my relative to wise up and make better choices, I suddenly felt a wave of compassion come over me. I began to feel love, sympathy, and understanding towards this individual.
My prayer was not answered in the way I expected. Instead of my relative changing, I changed. I’m sorry to say that this particular individual is still making poor choices, and suffering the consequences thereof. But, my prayer was answered. Instead of judging harshly, I now feel compassion and love towards my relative.
Do we sometimes feel like our prayers are not answered?
President Boyd K. Packer said, “Sometimes you may struggle with a problem and not get an answer. What could be wrong? It may be that you are not doing anything wrong. It may be that you have not done the right things long enough. Remember, you cannot force spiritual things.” 5
Elder Richard G. Scott testified, “It is so hard when sincere prayer about something you desire very much is not answered the way you want. It is difficult to understand why your exercise of deep and sincere faith from an obedient life does not grant the desired result. The Savior taught, “Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.” At times it is difficult to recognize what is best or expedient for you over time. Your life will be easier when you accept that what God does in your life is for your eternal good.” 1
I thought of an analogy to illustrate this point. Think of a young child who approaches a parent and asks for a lollipop. The parent tells the child that they cannot have the lollipop right now because it will spoil their dinner. The parent does not elaborate and explain to the child that the lollipop contains empty calories which will displace nutrient rich calories provided in the meal in which they are about to partake. The parent knows the child will not comprehend a deeper explanation as to why certain nutrients are required to maintain a healthy body. But, the parent knows what is best for the child.
We, as children of our Heavenly Father, do not always know what is best for us. Just like the child in the analogy. There is nothing inherently wrong with the child enjoying a lollipop at the right time. But the parent knows when it is the right time.
If we ask Heavenly Father for a righteous blessing. And he denies it, then we must know that it is not expedient for us to receive the blessing at that time. Like the child does not understand why he was denied the lollipop. We do not understand why we do not receive righteous blessings when we ask for them. But always know that it is for our eternal good. And trust in Our Heavenly Father. For he is a wise parent who always knows what is best for us.
I was listening to an audio book By Sheri Dew the other day. Sheri Dew served In the General Relief Society Presidency a few years ago. She related a story which I will paraphrase. Sister Dew was helping her friend house hunt. They had looked at many homes and finally came across one which Sister Dew’s friend thought was perfect. She liked the house so much that she asked Sister Dew to offer a prayer on the spot that she might be able to purchase that house. Sister Dew graciously offered the prayer and included the words, “or something better”. Sister Dew’s friend was surprised at that inclusion and remarked that she hadn’t thought that there might be something better.
We don’t have the eternal perspective that our Heavenly Father has for us. Our vision is narrow. We tend to seek immediate gratification, what we think is best for us right now. When, there may be something better, something more expedient for us if we are patient.
Elder Richard G. Scott said, “He will always hear your prayers and will invariably answer them. However, His answers will seldom come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. Rather, He will prompt you in quiet moments when the Spirit can most effectively touch your mind and heart. Hence, you should find periods of quiet time to recognize when you are being instructed and strengthened. His pattern causes you to grow.” 1
We live in a world of immediate gratification. Buy now pay later, fast food, on demand movies, etc. When we don’t immediately receive an answer to prayer, we may be inclined to think that we are insignificant, that Heavenly Father doesn’t hear or answer our prayers. Not so!
Elder Richard G. Scott had this to say, “It matters not our circumstance, be we humble or arrogant, poor or rich, free or enslaved, learned or ignorant, loved or forsaken, we can address Him. We need no appointment. Our supplication can be brief or can occupy all the time needed. It can be an extended expression of love and gratitude or an urgent plea for help. He has created numberless cosmos and populated them with worlds, yet you and I can talk with Him personally, and He will ever answer.” 1
Heavenly Father is not a respecter of persons. He loves all of His children unconditionally. It doesn’t matter if you have never prayed before, or if you have a prayer in your heart continually, He will hear and answer every prayer. I think the times we feel least like praying, are the times when we need to pray the most.
Remember Brothers and Sisters that in order to grow, we must face challenges. If all of our prayers were answered immediately, our faith could not increase. In order to progress towards exaltation or Eternal Life we must conquer difficult trials.
Elder Richard G. Scott testified, “If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love.“ 6
Brothers and Sisters, I testify that we have a loving Father in Heaven who hears and answers all of our prayers. He knows what is best for us. He will always do what is in our best interest. The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His true Church were restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives, and guides His Church through His Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Of this, I testify. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Footnotes:
1. Using The Supernal Gift of Prayer - Elder Richard G. Scott, April 2007 General Conference.
2.Ask in Faith - Elder David A. Bedner, April 2008 General Conference
3.Our Father Which Art in Heaven - Elder L. Tom Perry, October 1983 General Conference
4. Prayer - President Henry B. Eyring, October 2001 General Conference
5. Prayers and Answers - President Boyd K. Packer, October 1979 General Conference
6. Trust in the Lord -- Elder Richard G. Scott, October 1995 General Conference
The following are quotes that I liked and wanted to use in my talk but didn't have time.
“The object of our prayers should not be to present a wish list or a series of requests but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing. 2
Elder David A. Bednar said, “Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate.” 2
President Heber J. Grant, in referring to this matter, said:
“I have little or no fear for the boy or the girl, the young man or the young woman, who honestly and conscientiously supplicate God twice a day for the guidance of His Spirit. I am sure that when temptation comes they will have the strength to overcome it by the inspiration that shall be given to them.” (Gospel Standards, Salt Lake City: The Improvement Era, 1941, p. 26.) 3
Elder David A. Bednar said, “I long have been impressed with the truth that meaningful prayer requires both holy communication and consecrated work. Blessings require some effort on our part before we can obtain them, and prayer, as “a form of work, … is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings” (Bible Dictionary, “Prayer,” 753). We press forward and persevere in the consecrated work of prayer, after we say “amen,” by acting upon the things we have expressed to Heavenly Father.” 2
President Heber J. Grant once counseled us:
“The minute a man stops supplicating God for his spirit and direction, just so soon he starts out to become a stranger to him and his works. When men stop praying for God’s spirit, they place confidence in their own unaided reason, and they gradually lose the spirit of God, just the same as near and dear friends, by never writing to or visiting with each other, will become strangers.” (Improvement Era, Aug. 1944, p. 481.) 3
“Second, use the sacred language of prayer. We should always address Deity by using the sacred pronouns thou, thee, thy, and thine. The late President Stephen L Richards gave us this wise counsel:”
“We have discovered … a lack of proper teaching with reference to prayer. I know that I myself have been shocked out in the mission field as I have heard missionaries called on for prayer who seem to have had no experience or training whatever in the use of the language of prayer. …
“I think, my brethren, that in the quorums and in the classes, you would do well, as in the homes also, to teach the language of prayer—‘Thee and Thou,’ rather than ‘you.’ It always seems disappointing to me to have our Father in Heaven, our Lord, addressed as ‘you.’ It is surprising how much we see of this. …
I think you might make note of it, and avail yourselves of any opportunities that may come in order to teach the sacred and reverential language of prayer.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1951, p. 175.) 3
I was actually quite worried about the time and actually did go over five minutes :-(. I tried to read it pretty fast towards the end but I didn't really want to cut anything out, because I thought all of the quotes were excellent. In fact, there were many quotes that I wanted to use but just didn't have time. So I didn't include them in my talk. But I will add them at the end. You may notice that the footnotes are somewhat discombobulated. And some footnotes are listed which I didn't end up using but they are the quotes I will add at the end of this blog post.
Thanks to Michael for letting me borrow his boom stand and for lending his "industry" expertise on setting up the microphone.
Thanks to Lisa for doing an excellent job as my page turner.
And thanks to all my family members who came to support me and listen to my talk.
Tammy’s Sacrament Meeting Talk
January 9, 2011
Good morning Brothers and Sisters. A short time ago I mentioned to some of my family members that I have never been asked to speak in this Ward. About three days later I got a call from the Bishop inviting me to speak in Sacrament meeting. So here I am.
I am grateful for this opportunity to speak to you today. The Bishop left the topic up to me but did ask if I would tell you a little bit about myself and share some of my life experiences with you. I don’t like talking about myself. So, writing this talk was somewhat difficult for me. Lest you start thinking this talk is an autobiography, I will correlate my experiences with a gospel principle.
To help you understand me a little better, I will start at the very beginning. I started walking at seven months. I was walking quite well at nine months. My mom tells me when she would take me to the store and let me walk down the aisles that people’s jaws would drop when they saw me walking at such a young age. They would always ask my mom, “How old is she?” So, even as a baby, I was ambitious.
When I was six years old I decided I wanted to become a doctor when I grew up. I never wavered from that. My favorite toy was my Fisher Price doctor‘s kit with the toy stethoscope, syringe, neuro hammer, and so forth. When I was in sixth grade we had to write a short essay on what we wanted to be when we grew up. I don’t remember if it was the teacher or some of my classmates who told me I would never become a doctor. But, that just made me want to prove them wrong. And I did. I always believed I could do anything I set my mind to.
Since this is the first of the year, I’m sure many of you have made New Year’s resolutions. Everybody should have goals to work towards. I was never one to make a list of goals but I always had several goals in the back of my mind.
Some of my major goals included graduating from college, serving a mission, becoming a doctor, and marrying in the temple and raising a family. I accomplished all those goals except the latter.
I received my bachelor of science in biology, with a minor in psychology from Utah State University. I served a full-time mission in Tampa, Florida. I received my Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine, in San Francisco and began a residency program at a small hospital near Texarkana, Texas.
I was on my way to accomplishing the last goal on my list, which was to marry in the Temple and raise a family. While in Texarkana, I became engaged to be married. My life couldn’t have been better.
Then, one day, two or three weeks after I became engaged, my fiancée and I traveled to Dallas to shop for our upcoming wedding. It’s about a three-hour drive from Texarkana to Dallas. On the way home, we were involved in a single car rollover accident. I’m told the vehicle rolled at least six times. My fiancée was ejected from the vehicle but suffered apparently minor injuries. I, on the other hand, suffered severe, life-threatening trauma. I was airlifted back to Dallas because the first hospital they took me to was not equipped to treat my injuries. I was unconscious and comatose this entire time. So the story I’m relating is what I was told by my family.
Around three o’clock in the morning, my parents received a call from the hospital stating that if they wanted to come and say goodbye to me, they had better hurry. The medical staff would try to “keep me warm” until they arrived. My parents called my three siblings and they all were on the next available flight to Dallas, Texas from three different states.
They all arrived within a couple of hours of each other. The ICU nurse tried to warn them that I would not look like myself. But, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw. I was so badly swollen from the severe trauma I suffered, that I was barely recognizable as human, let alone as an individual. My sister tells me the only way they could recognize me was my fingernails.
The injuries I sustained were not compatible with life. My life expectancy at that time was measured in minutes and hours, not days or weeks or even months. But, apparently my mission on earth was not complete.
My sister called everybody known to the family, and asked them to pray for me. One of my nurses even had Billy Graham praying for me.
During the time I was comatose my family would come talk to me and tell me some inside jokes. When they did, my blood pressure would skyrocket and my life support machines would alarm. They knew I heard and understood what was said.
About two weeks after my accident I came out of my coma, and regained consciousness. But, I was so heavily medicated that I don’t remember anything. I was still unable to speak because I was on life support and had tubes down my throat.
My family didn’t know until a couple of weeks later, when I was well enough to get an MRI, that I suffered a cervical spinal cord injury. Which meant I would be paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of my life.
About 10 days after the accident, my fiancée took a turn for the worse and left this mortal existence. Ironically, he is the one who suffered seemingly minor injuries and was supposed to make a full recovery.
Whereas I was never expected to live. But here I am, eight years later.
There are some experiences I feel are not appropriate to share in this setting. But I will share with you some of the miracles which occurred.
First miracle: The fact that I’m speaking to you is a miracle. Because I was not expected to live, I was intubated for too long. The doctors decided they better do a tracheotomy so that I could be extubated. They told my family that my vocal chords were probably scarred beyond repair from being intubated for so long. And I would probably never speak again. It was several weeks later that my feeding tube was removed and I could try to speak. During that time my vocal chords were healed and I was able to speak.
Second miracle: My spinal cord injury is at the borderline level of being ventilator dependent. My family was told that I would probably be vent dependent for the rest of my life. But once again, I proved them wrong. I was able to get off the ventilator and breathe on my own. I do have some recollection of how difficult and scary it was to not be able to breathe when they were weaning me off of the ventilator. My ability to breathe is weaker and sometimes difficult because I don’t have the use of my abdominal and intercostal muscles to assist in breathing. But I am so grateful to not be dependent on a ventilator to breathe for me.
Third miracle: I suffered severe head trauma. Without being too graphic, while the vehicle rolled, my head took some severe impact. So, the fact that I didn’t suffer major brain damage is another miracle.
Fourth miracle: I’m not blind in my right eye. When I was in intensive care, my right eyelid would not close. So the doctors had to suture my eyelids together for a few weeks, to prevent my cornea from scarring from desiccation. I do have a blind spot on my right eye. But my other eye compensates, and I don’t notice it usually.
The aforementioned miracles are only a few of the daily miracles that occurred while I was in the ICU. I know it was because of the faith and prayers of my loved ones that these miracles occurred. I testify to you that I would not be alive today were it not for the faith and prayers of others in my behalf, for priesthood blessings, and for my knowledge and testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And more specifically, The Plan of Salvation.
My testimony and tenacity gave me the will to live. But the faith and prayers of others in my behalf are the reason I’m alive today. Genetics and tenacity will only get you so far. There is no way I could have overcome the severe trauma I endured without divine intervention.
Because prayer played such an integral part in the many miracles which have occurred in my life, I have chosen prayer as the subject for the remainder of my talk.
Prayer is how we communicate with Our Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father, in turn, communicates with us via revelation through the Holy Ghost.
Elder Richard G. Scott said, “I wonder if we can ever really fathom the immense power of prayer until we encounter an overpowering, urgent problem and realize that we are powerless to resolve it. Then we will turn to our Father in humble recognition of our total dependence on Him.” 1
People tend to turn to God in times of trouble. But we also need to turn to Him, and rely on Him in times of prosperity.
Pres. Henry B. Eyring said this, “Such a turning to fervent prayer when the world seems out of joint is as old as mankind. In times of tragedy and danger, people turn to God in prayer…
Those who submit like a child do it because they know that the Father wants only the happiness of His children and that only He knows the way. That is the testimony we must have to keep praying like a submissive child, in the good times as well as the times of trouble.
With that faith, we will be able to pray for what we want and appreciate whatever we get. Only with that faith will we pray with the diligence God requires. When God has commanded us to pray, He has used words like “pray unceasingly” and “pray always” and “mighty prayer.” 4
What are some ways we receive answer to prayer?
Pres. Boyd K. Packer said, “Some answers will come from reading the scriptures, some from hearing speakers. And, occasionally, when it is important, some will come by very direct and powerful inspiration. The promptings will be clear and unmistakable.” 5
Missionaries often pray for teaching opportunities. There were several times during my mission when teaching opportunities arose. Had I not been obedient and diligent in my morning scripture study I would not have been prepared to teach effectively. Because the answers to the questions being asked, were things I studied in the Scriptures that morning.
I was actually surprised at how often this occurred. And I was amazed at how the Lord had prepared me, as his servant, to be an instrument in his hands. There’s no way I could have known what questions were going to be asked of me that day. And I would not have known the answer to those questions had I not studied it in the Scriptures that morning.
Pres. Henry B. Eyring said, “We can and must go often and carefully to the word of God. If we become casual in our study of the scriptures, we will become casual in our prayers. We may not cease to pray, but our prayers will become more repetitive, more mechanical, lacking real intent. Our hearts cannot be drawn out to a God we do not know, and the scriptures and the words of living prophets help us know Him. As we know Him better, we love Him more.” 4
Sometimes our prayers are answered immediately. But most often the answers to our prayers come after much patience and diligence.
“President David O. McKay testified, “It is true that the answers to our prayers may not always come as direct and at the time, nor in the manner, we anticipate; but they do come, and at a time and in a manner best for the interests of him who offers the supplication.” Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. Your character will grow; your faith will increase. There is a relationship between those two: the greater your faith, the stronger your character; and increased character enhances your ability to exercise even greater faith.” 1
I would like to share an experience I had with prayer not too long ago. I don’t consider myself to be a very compassionate person. Upon learning that one of my relatives, who is a member of the church, was making poor choices that were not in accordance with church standards, I became quite upset and judgmental. I wondered how this person who was once active in the church, and held several different leadership positions, could be so stupid. So, I decided I should pray for this relative. As I was praying for my relative to wise up and make better choices, I suddenly felt a wave of compassion come over me. I began to feel love, sympathy, and understanding towards this individual.
My prayer was not answered in the way I expected. Instead of my relative changing, I changed. I’m sorry to say that this particular individual is still making poor choices, and suffering the consequences thereof. But, my prayer was answered. Instead of judging harshly, I now feel compassion and love towards my relative.
Do we sometimes feel like our prayers are not answered?
President Boyd K. Packer said, “Sometimes you may struggle with a problem and not get an answer. What could be wrong? It may be that you are not doing anything wrong. It may be that you have not done the right things long enough. Remember, you cannot force spiritual things.” 5
Elder Richard G. Scott testified, “It is so hard when sincere prayer about something you desire very much is not answered the way you want. It is difficult to understand why your exercise of deep and sincere faith from an obedient life does not grant the desired result. The Savior taught, “Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you.” At times it is difficult to recognize what is best or expedient for you over time. Your life will be easier when you accept that what God does in your life is for your eternal good.” 1
I thought of an analogy to illustrate this point. Think of a young child who approaches a parent and asks for a lollipop. The parent tells the child that they cannot have the lollipop right now because it will spoil their dinner. The parent does not elaborate and explain to the child that the lollipop contains empty calories which will displace nutrient rich calories provided in the meal in which they are about to partake. The parent knows the child will not comprehend a deeper explanation as to why certain nutrients are required to maintain a healthy body. But, the parent knows what is best for the child.
We, as children of our Heavenly Father, do not always know what is best for us. Just like the child in the analogy. There is nothing inherently wrong with the child enjoying a lollipop at the right time. But the parent knows when it is the right time.
If we ask Heavenly Father for a righteous blessing. And he denies it, then we must know that it is not expedient for us to receive the blessing at that time. Like the child does not understand why he was denied the lollipop. We do not understand why we do not receive righteous blessings when we ask for them. But always know that it is for our eternal good. And trust in Our Heavenly Father. For he is a wise parent who always knows what is best for us.
I was listening to an audio book By Sheri Dew the other day. Sheri Dew served In the General Relief Society Presidency a few years ago. She related a story which I will paraphrase. Sister Dew was helping her friend house hunt. They had looked at many homes and finally came across one which Sister Dew’s friend thought was perfect. She liked the house so much that she asked Sister Dew to offer a prayer on the spot that she might be able to purchase that house. Sister Dew graciously offered the prayer and included the words, “or something better”. Sister Dew’s friend was surprised at that inclusion and remarked that she hadn’t thought that there might be something better.
We don’t have the eternal perspective that our Heavenly Father has for us. Our vision is narrow. We tend to seek immediate gratification, what we think is best for us right now. When, there may be something better, something more expedient for us if we are patient.
Elder Richard G. Scott said, “He will always hear your prayers and will invariably answer them. However, His answers will seldom come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. Rather, He will prompt you in quiet moments when the Spirit can most effectively touch your mind and heart. Hence, you should find periods of quiet time to recognize when you are being instructed and strengthened. His pattern causes you to grow.” 1
We live in a world of immediate gratification. Buy now pay later, fast food, on demand movies, etc. When we don’t immediately receive an answer to prayer, we may be inclined to think that we are insignificant, that Heavenly Father doesn’t hear or answer our prayers. Not so!
Elder Richard G. Scott had this to say, “It matters not our circumstance, be we humble or arrogant, poor or rich, free or enslaved, learned or ignorant, loved or forsaken, we can address Him. We need no appointment. Our supplication can be brief or can occupy all the time needed. It can be an extended expression of love and gratitude or an urgent plea for help. He has created numberless cosmos and populated them with worlds, yet you and I can talk with Him personally, and He will ever answer.” 1
Heavenly Father is not a respecter of persons. He loves all of His children unconditionally. It doesn’t matter if you have never prayed before, or if you have a prayer in your heart continually, He will hear and answer every prayer. I think the times we feel least like praying, are the times when we need to pray the most.
Remember Brothers and Sisters that in order to grow, we must face challenges. If all of our prayers were answered immediately, our faith could not increase. In order to progress towards exaltation or Eternal Life we must conquer difficult trials.
Elder Richard G. Scott testified, “If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love.“ 6
Brothers and Sisters, I testify that we have a loving Father in Heaven who hears and answers all of our prayers. He knows what is best for us. He will always do what is in our best interest. The fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His true Church were restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives, and guides His Church through His Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. Of this, I testify. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Footnotes:
1. Using The Supernal Gift of Prayer - Elder Richard G. Scott, April 2007 General Conference.
2.Ask in Faith - Elder David A. Bedner, April 2008 General Conference
3.Our Father Which Art in Heaven - Elder L. Tom Perry, October 1983 General Conference
4. Prayer - President Henry B. Eyring, October 2001 General Conference
5. Prayers and Answers - President Boyd K. Packer, October 1979 General Conference
6. Trust in the Lord -- Elder Richard G. Scott, October 1995 General Conference
The following are quotes that I liked and wanted to use in my talk but didn't have time.
“The object of our prayers should not be to present a wish list or a series of requests but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is eager to bestow, according to His will and timing. 2
Elder David A. Bednar said, “Every sincere prayer is heard and answered by our Heavenly Father, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate.” 2
President Heber J. Grant, in referring to this matter, said:
“I have little or no fear for the boy or the girl, the young man or the young woman, who honestly and conscientiously supplicate God twice a day for the guidance of His Spirit. I am sure that when temptation comes they will have the strength to overcome it by the inspiration that shall be given to them.” (Gospel Standards, Salt Lake City: The Improvement Era, 1941, p. 26.) 3
Elder David A. Bednar said, “I long have been impressed with the truth that meaningful prayer requires both holy communication and consecrated work. Blessings require some effort on our part before we can obtain them, and prayer, as “a form of work, … is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings” (Bible Dictionary, “Prayer,” 753). We press forward and persevere in the consecrated work of prayer, after we say “amen,” by acting upon the things we have expressed to Heavenly Father.” 2
President Heber J. Grant once counseled us:
“The minute a man stops supplicating God for his spirit and direction, just so soon he starts out to become a stranger to him and his works. When men stop praying for God’s spirit, they place confidence in their own unaided reason, and they gradually lose the spirit of God, just the same as near and dear friends, by never writing to or visiting with each other, will become strangers.” (Improvement Era, Aug. 1944, p. 481.) 3
“Second, use the sacred language of prayer. We should always address Deity by using the sacred pronouns thou, thee, thy, and thine. The late President Stephen L Richards gave us this wise counsel:”
“We have discovered … a lack of proper teaching with reference to prayer. I know that I myself have been shocked out in the mission field as I have heard missionaries called on for prayer who seem to have had no experience or training whatever in the use of the language of prayer. …
“I think, my brethren, that in the quorums and in the classes, you would do well, as in the homes also, to teach the language of prayer—‘Thee and Thou,’ rather than ‘you.’ It always seems disappointing to me to have our Father in Heaven, our Lord, addressed as ‘you.’ It is surprising how much we see of this. …
I think you might make note of it, and avail yourselves of any opportunities that may come in order to teach the sacred and reverential language of prayer.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1951, p. 175.) 3
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Refreshing News
I read some refreshing news on the Internet today. It's reported that Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback, has decided to finish his degree in architecture at Stanford and not go to the NFL until he completes his degree. It was also reported that he was to be the number one draft pick in the NFL. And that the Carolina Panthers, I believe, already said they were going to select him if he declared himself eligible for the draft. So, a lot of money, no doubt, was at stake. It's nice to know that there are still people out there who value education more than money. It's nice to know that money is not the top priority for some people. It's very refreshing to hear that a young man chose to stay in college and further his education rather than chase after the almighty dollar. Kudos to Andrew Luck! I've always liked Stanford, but I will be sure to root for them next year. Go Cardinal!
That's my two cents.
That's my two cents.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
FHE Lesson -- Pride
Tammy’s family home evening lesson -- Pride
January 2, 2011
opening song: Be Thou Humble #130
Scripture: Alma 5:14, 19, 27, 28
special musical number: His Image in Your Countenance, Janice Kapp Perry
object lesson: show an unsharpened pencil. Ask the audience what the useful part of the pencil is, and if this pencil can be used as it is. Explain that the pencil must be sharpened in order to be a useful instrument. Compare the pencil lead to us and the surrounding wood to pride. Explain that we must be stripped of pride in order to be a useful instrument in the hands of the Lord.
Object lesson number two: choose a volunteer to blow up a balloon. Ask the audience to name different characteristics of pride such as greed, vanity, jealousy, etc. as each characteristic is named tell the volunteer to blow another puff into the balloon. Eventually, the balloon will pop. Explain that like the balloon, when we get puffed up with pride it will eventually destroy us.
The following is an excerpt from Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Pride and the Priesthood, October 2010 Gen. conference priesthood session.
“Every mortal has at least a casual if not intimate relationship with the sin of pride. No one has avoided it; few overcome it. When I told my wife that this would be the topic of my talk, she smiled and said, “It is so good that you talk about things you know so much about.”
I also remember one interesting side effect of President Benson’s influential talk. For a while it almost became taboo among Church members to say that they were “proud” of their children or their country or that they took “pride” in their work. The very word pride seemed to become an outcast in our vocabulary.
I believe there is a difference between being proud of certain things and being prideful. I am proud of many things. I am proud of my wife. I am proud of our children and grandchildren.
I am proud of the youth of the Church, and I rejoice in their goodness. I am proud of you, my dear and faithful brethren. I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as a bearer of the holy priesthood of God.
Pride Is the Sin of Self-Elevation
So what is the difference between this kind of feeling and the pride that President Benson called “the universal sin”? Pride is sinful, as President Benson so memorably taught, because it breeds hatred or hostility and places us in opposition to God and our fellowmen. At its core, pride is a sin of comparison, for though it usually begins with “Look how wonderful I am and what great things I have done,” it always seems to end with “Therefore, I am better than you.”
When our hearts are filled with pride, we commit a grave sin, for we violate the two great commandments. Instead of worshipping God and loving our neighbor, we reveal the real object of our worship and love—the image we see in the mirror.
Pride is the great sin of self-elevation. It is for so many a personal Rameumptom, a holy stand that justifies envy, greed, and vanity. In a sense, pride is the original sin, for before the foundations of this earth, pride felled Lucifer, a son of the morning “who was in authority in the presence of God.” If pride can corrupt one as capable and promising as this, should we not examine our own souls as well?
Pride Has Many Faces
Pride is a deadly cancer. It is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses. In fact, it could be said that every other sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride.
This sin has many faces. It leads some to revel in their own perceived self-worth, accomplishments, talents, wealth, or position. They count these blessings as evidence of being “chosen,” “superior,” or “more righteous” than others. …At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of self-glorification.
For others, pride turns to envy: they look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they do. They seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer.
The Laboratory of Sports
Perhaps there is no better laboratory to observe the sin of pride than the world of sports. I have always loved participating in and attending sporting events. But I confess there are times when the lack of civility in sports is embarrassing. How is it that normally kind and compassionate human beings can be so intolerant and filled with hatred toward an opposing team and its fans?
I have watched sports fans vilify and demonize their rivals. They look for any flaw and magnify it. They justify their hatred with broad generalizations and apply them to everyone associated with the other team. When ill fortune afflicts their rival, they rejoice.
Brethren, unfortunately we see today too often the same kind of attitude and behavior spill over into the public discourse of politics, ethnicity, and religion.
My dear brethren of the priesthood, my beloved fellow disciples of the gentle Christ, should we not hold ourselves to a higher standard? As priesthood bearers, we must realize that all of God’s children wear the same jersey. Our team is the brotherhood of man. This mortal life is our playing field. Our goal is to learn to love God and to extend that same love toward our fellowman. We are here to live according to His law and establish the kingdom of God. We are here to build, uplift, treat fairly, and encourage all of Heavenly Father’s children.
We can be grateful for our health, wealth, possessions, or positions, but …when we become obsessed with our status; when we focus on our own importance, power, or reputation; when we dwell upon our public image and believe our own press clippings—that’s when the trouble begins; that’s when pride begins to corrupt.
Pride is a switch that turns off priesthood power. Humility is a switch that turns it on.
Be Humble and Full of Love
So how do we conquer this sin of pride that is so prevalent and so damaging? How do we become more humble?
It is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are filled with charity. “No one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love.” When we see the world around us through the lens of the pure love of Christ, we begin to understand humility.
Some suppose that humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman.
Humility directs our attention and love toward others and to Heavenly Father’s purposes. Pride does the opposite. Pride draws its energy and strength from the deep wells of selfishness. The moment we stop obsessing with ourselves and lose ourselves in service, our pride diminishes and begins to die.
there are so many people in need whom we could be thinking about instead of ourselves. And please don’t ever forget your own family, your own wife. There are so many ways we could be serving. We have no time to become absorbed in ourselves.
I once owned a pen that I loved to use during my career as an airline captain. By simply turning the shaft, I could choose one of four colors. The pen did not complain when I wanted to use red ink instead of blue. It did not say to me, “I would rather not write after 10:00 p.m., in heavy fog, or at high altitudes.” The pen did not say, “Use me only for important documents, not for the daily mundane tasks.” With greatest reliability it performed every task I needed, no matter how important or insignificant. It was always ready to serve.
In a similar way we are tools in the hands of God. When our heart is in the right place, we do not complain that our assigned task is unworthy of our abilities. We gladly serve wherever we are asked. When we do this, the Lord can use us in ways beyond our understanding to accomplish His work.” 1
The following is an excerpt from Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, Beware of Pride, April 1989 Gen. conference.
“The Doctrine and Covenants tells us that the Book of Mormon is the “record of a fallen people.” (D&C 20:9.) Why did they fall? This is one of the major messages of the Book of Mormon. Mormon gives the answer in the closing chapters of the book in these words: “Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction.” (Moro. 8:27.) And then, lest we miss that momentous Book of Mormon message from that fallen people, the Lord warns us in the Doctrine and Covenants, “Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.” (D&C 38:39.)”
Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance.
Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.
Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them. (See Hel. 6:17; D&C 58:41.)
The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others. In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10.)
It was through pride that Christ was crucified. The Pharisees were wroth because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, which was a threat to their position, and so they plotted His death. (See John 11:53.)
Saul became an enemy to David through pride. He was jealous because the crowds of Israelite women were singing that “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:6–8.)
The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. (See D&C 3:6–7; D&C 30:1–2; D&C 60:2.) “What will men think of me?” weighs heavier than “What will God think of me?”
King Noah was about to free the prophet Abinadi, but an appeal to his pride by his wicked priests sent Abinadi to the flames. (See Mosiah 17:11–12.) Herod sorrowed at the request of his wife to behead John the Baptist. But his prideful desire to look good to “them which sat with him at meat” caused him to kill John. (Matt. 14:9; see also Mark 6:26.)
Fear of men’s judgment manifests itself in competition for men’s approval.
Some prideful people are not so concerned as to whether their wages meet their needs as they are that their wages are more than someone else’s. Their reward is being a cut above the rest. This is the enmity of pride.
When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment. The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. The reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God, and the proud let go of the iron rod. (See 1 Ne. 8:19–28; 1 Ne. 11:25; 1 Ne. 15:23–24.)
Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves. Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. (See 2 Ne. 9:42.) There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.
Disobedience is essentially a prideful power struggle against someone in authority over us. It can be a parent, a priesthood leader, a teacher, or ultimately God. A proud person hates the fact that someone is above him. He thinks this lowers his position.
Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride. “How everything affects me” is the center of all that matters—self-conceit, self-pity, worldly self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and self-seeking.
Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.
Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family members away. Contention ranges from a hostile spoken word to worldwide conflicts. The scriptures tell us that “only by pride cometh contention.” (Prov. 13:10; see also Prov. 28:25.)
The scriptures testify that the proud are easily offended and hold grudges. (See 1 Ne. 16:1–3.) They withhold forgiveness to keep another in their debt and to justify their injured feelings.
The proud do not receive counsel or correction easily. (See Prov. 15:10; Amos 5:10.) Defensiveness is used by them to justify and rationalize their frailties and failures. (See Matt. 3:9; John 6:30–59.)
The proud depend upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not. Their self-esteem is determined by where they are judged to be on the ladders of worldly success. They feel worthwhile as individuals if the numbers beneath them in achievement, talent, beauty, or intellect are large enough. Pride is ugly. It says, “If you succeed, I am a failure.”
If we love God, do His will, and fear His judgment more than men’s, we will have self-esteem.
Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression. (See Alma 12:10–11.) The proud are not easily taught. (See 1 Ne. 15:3, 7–11.) They won’t change their minds to accept truths, because to do so implies they have been wrong.
Pride adversely affects all our relationships—our relationship with God and His servants, between husband and wife, parent and child, employer and employee, teacher and student, and all mankind. Our degree of pride determines how we treat our God and our brothers and sisters. Christ wants to lift us to where He is. Do we desire to do the same for others?
Pride affects all of us at various times and in various degrees. Now you can see why the building in Lehi’s dream that represents the pride of the world was large and spacious and great was the multitude that did enter into it. (See 1 Ne. 8:26, 33; 1 Ne. 11:35–36.)
Pride is the universal sin, the great vice. Yes, pride is the universal sin, the great vice.
The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. (See Alma 7:23.) It is the broken heart and contrite spirit
God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble. Alma said, “Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.” (Alma 32:16.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are. (See D&C 38:24; D&C 81:5; D&C 84:106.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement.
(See Jacob 4:10; Hel. 15:3; D&C 63:55; D&C 101:4–5; D&C 108:1; D&C 124:61, 84; D&C 136:31; Prov. 9:8.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us. (See 3 Ne. 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service. (See
Mosiah 2:16–17.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others. (See Alma 4:19; Alma 31:5; Alma 48:20.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. (See D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25–26; Alma 5:7–14, 49.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives. (See 3 Ne. 11:11; 3 Ne. 13:33; Moro. 10:32.)
Let us choose to be humble. We can do it. I know we can.
Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion. I repeat: Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion.” 2
Footnotes:
1.Pride and the Priesthood -- Pres. Dietrich Uchtdorf, October 2010 Gen. Conference
2.Beware of Pride -- Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, April 1989 Gen. Conference
below is a handout I made with some of the above quotes -- to be used with the quiz I wrote. Which was intended to be an open notes quiz.
What Is Pride?
Pride is self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness.
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s.
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled.
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives.
They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Pride is rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.
Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them.
The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others.
Pride is faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.
Disobedience is essentially a prideful power struggle against someone in authority over us.
Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride. “How everything affects me” is the center of all that matters—self-conceit, self-pity, worldly self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and self-seeking
Another face of pride is contention.
The proud do not receive counsel or correction easily.
Defensiveness is used by them to justify and rationalize their frailties and failures.
Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression.
Pride is the universal sin, the great vice.
The scriptures testify that the proud are easily offended and hold grudges.
The proud depend upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not.
Pride is the great sin of self-elevation.
Pride justifies envy, greed, and vanity.
In a sense, pride is the original sin .
Pride is a deadly cancer.
Pride is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses.
Pride is a switch that turns off priesthood power. Humility is a switch that turns it on.
How do we become Humble?
We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are.
We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement.
We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us.
We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service.
We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others.
We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God.
We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives.
Let us choose to be humble. We can do it. I know we can.
Quotes taken from April 1989 and October 2010 Gen. conference talks given by Presidents Ezra Taft Benson and Dieter F. Uchtdorf respectively.
Quiz on Family Home Evening Lesson January 2, 2011
Name:
1. The central feature of pride is:
A. Self-centeredness
B. Enmity
C. Envy
D. Vanity
E. Arrogance
2. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of pride? (may be more than one answer)
A. Rebellion
B. Haughtiness
C. Forgiveness
D. Puffed up
E. Selfless Service
3. _____________is one of the more common faces of pride.
4. True or False: The Proud are not easily offended.
5. True or False: Pride is the universal sin, the great vice.
6. True or False: The Proud receive counsel and correction easily.
7. Pride justifies:
A.: Vanity
B.: Greed
C. Envy
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
8. Pride is a ______________sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses.
9.True or False: Pride is the great sin of self-elevation.
10. Which of the following are ways we can become humble?
A. rendering selfless service.
B. going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others.
C. getting to the temple more frequently.
D. confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God.
E. All of the above
11.True or False: Living beyond our means is a form of pride.
12.True or False: pride does not limit or stop our progression.
13. Pride is a deadly _____________.
14. Pride is essentially ______________in nature.
15.Our will in competition to God’s will allows all but which of the following to go unbridled? (may be more than one answer)
A. Repentance
B. Appetites
C. Desires
D. Passions
E. Charity
16. Which of the following it is NOT included in the definition of Enmity?
A.: Hatred
B.: Stiffneckedness
C.: Hostility
D.: Opposition
E.: none of the above
17. Which of the following is a characteristic of pride?
A. Jealousy
B. Gossip
C. Sign seekers
D. Murmuring
E. all of the above
Key: 1. B, 2.C,E, 3.selfishness, 4.false, 5. True, 6. False, 7.D, 8.Gateway, 9. True, 10.E, 11. True, 12. False, 13. Cancer, 14.competitive, 15.A,E, 16.B, 17.E
January 2, 2011
opening song: Be Thou Humble #130
Scripture: Alma 5:14, 19, 27, 28
special musical number: His Image in Your Countenance, Janice Kapp Perry
object lesson: show an unsharpened pencil. Ask the audience what the useful part of the pencil is, and if this pencil can be used as it is. Explain that the pencil must be sharpened in order to be a useful instrument. Compare the pencil lead to us and the surrounding wood to pride. Explain that we must be stripped of pride in order to be a useful instrument in the hands of the Lord.
Object lesson number two: choose a volunteer to blow up a balloon. Ask the audience to name different characteristics of pride such as greed, vanity, jealousy, etc. as each characteristic is named tell the volunteer to blow another puff into the balloon. Eventually, the balloon will pop. Explain that like the balloon, when we get puffed up with pride it will eventually destroy us.
The following is an excerpt from Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Pride and the Priesthood, October 2010 Gen. conference priesthood session.
“Every mortal has at least a casual if not intimate relationship with the sin of pride. No one has avoided it; few overcome it. When I told my wife that this would be the topic of my talk, she smiled and said, “It is so good that you talk about things you know so much about.”
I also remember one interesting side effect of President Benson’s influential talk. For a while it almost became taboo among Church members to say that they were “proud” of their children or their country or that they took “pride” in their work. The very word pride seemed to become an outcast in our vocabulary.
I believe there is a difference between being proud of certain things and being prideful. I am proud of many things. I am proud of my wife. I am proud of our children and grandchildren.
I am proud of the youth of the Church, and I rejoice in their goodness. I am proud of you, my dear and faithful brethren. I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as a bearer of the holy priesthood of God.
Pride Is the Sin of Self-Elevation
So what is the difference between this kind of feeling and the pride that President Benson called “the universal sin”? Pride is sinful, as President Benson so memorably taught, because it breeds hatred or hostility and places us in opposition to God and our fellowmen. At its core, pride is a sin of comparison, for though it usually begins with “Look how wonderful I am and what great things I have done,” it always seems to end with “Therefore, I am better than you.”
When our hearts are filled with pride, we commit a grave sin, for we violate the two great commandments. Instead of worshipping God and loving our neighbor, we reveal the real object of our worship and love—the image we see in the mirror.
Pride is the great sin of self-elevation. It is for so many a personal Rameumptom, a holy stand that justifies envy, greed, and vanity. In a sense, pride is the original sin, for before the foundations of this earth, pride felled Lucifer, a son of the morning “who was in authority in the presence of God.” If pride can corrupt one as capable and promising as this, should we not examine our own souls as well?
Pride Has Many Faces
Pride is a deadly cancer. It is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses. In fact, it could be said that every other sin is, in essence, a manifestation of pride.
This sin has many faces. It leads some to revel in their own perceived self-worth, accomplishments, talents, wealth, or position. They count these blessings as evidence of being “chosen,” “superior,” or “more righteous” than others. …At its core is the desire to be admired or envied. It is the sin of self-glorification.
For others, pride turns to envy: they look bitterly at those who have better positions, more talents, or greater possessions than they do. They seek to hurt, diminish, and tear down others in a misguided and unworthy attempt at self-elevation. When those they envy stumble or suffer, they secretly cheer.
The Laboratory of Sports
Perhaps there is no better laboratory to observe the sin of pride than the world of sports. I have always loved participating in and attending sporting events. But I confess there are times when the lack of civility in sports is embarrassing. How is it that normally kind and compassionate human beings can be so intolerant and filled with hatred toward an opposing team and its fans?
I have watched sports fans vilify and demonize their rivals. They look for any flaw and magnify it. They justify their hatred with broad generalizations and apply them to everyone associated with the other team. When ill fortune afflicts their rival, they rejoice.
Brethren, unfortunately we see today too often the same kind of attitude and behavior spill over into the public discourse of politics, ethnicity, and religion.
My dear brethren of the priesthood, my beloved fellow disciples of the gentle Christ, should we not hold ourselves to a higher standard? As priesthood bearers, we must realize that all of God’s children wear the same jersey. Our team is the brotherhood of man. This mortal life is our playing field. Our goal is to learn to love God and to extend that same love toward our fellowman. We are here to live according to His law and establish the kingdom of God. We are here to build, uplift, treat fairly, and encourage all of Heavenly Father’s children.
We can be grateful for our health, wealth, possessions, or positions, but …when we become obsessed with our status; when we focus on our own importance, power, or reputation; when we dwell upon our public image and believe our own press clippings—that’s when the trouble begins; that’s when pride begins to corrupt.
Pride is a switch that turns off priesthood power. Humility is a switch that turns it on.
Be Humble and Full of Love
So how do we conquer this sin of pride that is so prevalent and so damaging? How do we become more humble?
It is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are filled with charity. “No one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love.” When we see the world around us through the lens of the pure love of Christ, we begin to understand humility.
Some suppose that humility is about beating ourselves up. Humility does not mean convincing ourselves that we are worthless, meaningless, or of little value. Nor does it mean denying or withholding the talents God has given us. We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman.
Humility directs our attention and love toward others and to Heavenly Father’s purposes. Pride does the opposite. Pride draws its energy and strength from the deep wells of selfishness. The moment we stop obsessing with ourselves and lose ourselves in service, our pride diminishes and begins to die.
there are so many people in need whom we could be thinking about instead of ourselves. And please don’t ever forget your own family, your own wife. There are so many ways we could be serving. We have no time to become absorbed in ourselves.
I once owned a pen that I loved to use during my career as an airline captain. By simply turning the shaft, I could choose one of four colors. The pen did not complain when I wanted to use red ink instead of blue. It did not say to me, “I would rather not write after 10:00 p.m., in heavy fog, or at high altitudes.” The pen did not say, “Use me only for important documents, not for the daily mundane tasks.” With greatest reliability it performed every task I needed, no matter how important or insignificant. It was always ready to serve.
In a similar way we are tools in the hands of God. When our heart is in the right place, we do not complain that our assigned task is unworthy of our abilities. We gladly serve wherever we are asked. When we do this, the Lord can use us in ways beyond our understanding to accomplish His work.” 1
The following is an excerpt from Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, Beware of Pride, April 1989 Gen. conference.
“The Doctrine and Covenants tells us that the Book of Mormon is the “record of a fallen people.” (D&C 20:9.) Why did they fall? This is one of the major messages of the Book of Mormon. Mormon gives the answer in the closing chapters of the book in these words: “Behold, the pride of this nation, or the people of the Nephites, hath proven their destruction.” (Moro. 8:27.) And then, lest we miss that momentous Book of Mormon message from that fallen people, the Lord warns us in the Doctrine and Covenants, “Beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.” (D&C 38:39.)”
Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance.
Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of “my will and not thine be done.” As Paul said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” (Philip. 2:21.)
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled. (See Alma 38:12; 3 Ne. 12:30.)
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives. (See Hel. 12:6.) They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Our enmity toward God takes on many labels, such as rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.
Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them. (See Hel. 6:17; D&C 58:41.)
The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others. In the words of C. S. Lewis: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. … It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.” (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1952, pp. 109–10.)
It was through pride that Christ was crucified. The Pharisees were wroth because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, which was a threat to their position, and so they plotted His death. (See John 11:53.)
Saul became an enemy to David through pride. He was jealous because the crowds of Israelite women were singing that “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” (1 Sam. 18:6–8.)
The proud stand more in fear of men’s judgment than of God’s judgment. (See D&C 3:6–7; D&C 30:1–2; D&C 60:2.) “What will men think of me?” weighs heavier than “What will God think of me?”
King Noah was about to free the prophet Abinadi, but an appeal to his pride by his wicked priests sent Abinadi to the flames. (See Mosiah 17:11–12.) Herod sorrowed at the request of his wife to behead John the Baptist. But his prideful desire to look good to “them which sat with him at meat” caused him to kill John. (Matt. 14:9; see also Mark 6:26.)
Fear of men’s judgment manifests itself in competition for men’s approval.
Some prideful people are not so concerned as to whether their wages meet their needs as they are that their wages are more than someone else’s. Their reward is being a cut above the rest. This is the enmity of pride.
When pride has a hold on our hearts, we lose our independence of the world and deliver our freedoms to the bondage of men’s judgment. The world shouts louder than the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. The reasoning of men overrides the revelations of God, and the proud let go of the iron rod. (See 1 Ne. 8:19–28; 1 Ne. 11:25; 1 Ne. 15:23–24.)
Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves. Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. (See 2 Ne. 9:42.) There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.
Disobedience is essentially a prideful power struggle against someone in authority over us. It can be a parent, a priesthood leader, a teacher, or ultimately God. A proud person hates the fact that someone is above him. He thinks this lowers his position.
Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride. “How everything affects me” is the center of all that matters—self-conceit, self-pity, worldly self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and self-seeking.
Another face of pride is contention. Arguments, fights, unrighteous dominion, generation gaps, divorces, spouse abuse, riots, and disturbances all fall into this category of pride.
Contention in our families drives the Spirit of the Lord away. It also drives many of our family members away. Contention ranges from a hostile spoken word to worldwide conflicts. The scriptures tell us that “only by pride cometh contention.” (Prov. 13:10; see also Prov. 28:25.)
The scriptures testify that the proud are easily offended and hold grudges. (See 1 Ne. 16:1–3.) They withhold forgiveness to keep another in their debt and to justify their injured feelings.
The proud do not receive counsel or correction easily. (See Prov. 15:10; Amos 5:10.) Defensiveness is used by them to justify and rationalize their frailties and failures. (See Matt. 3:9; John 6:30–59.)
The proud depend upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not. Their self-esteem is determined by where they are judged to be on the ladders of worldly success. They feel worthwhile as individuals if the numbers beneath them in achievement, talent, beauty, or intellect are large enough. Pride is ugly. It says, “If you succeed, I am a failure.”
If we love God, do His will, and fear His judgment more than men’s, we will have self-esteem.
Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression. (See Alma 12:10–11.) The proud are not easily taught. (See 1 Ne. 15:3, 7–11.) They won’t change their minds to accept truths, because to do so implies they have been wrong.
Pride adversely affects all our relationships—our relationship with God and His servants, between husband and wife, parent and child, employer and employee, teacher and student, and all mankind. Our degree of pride determines how we treat our God and our brothers and sisters. Christ wants to lift us to where He is. Do we desire to do the same for others?
Pride affects all of us at various times and in various degrees. Now you can see why the building in Lehi’s dream that represents the pride of the world was large and spacious and great was the multitude that did enter into it. (See 1 Ne. 8:26, 33; 1 Ne. 11:35–36.)
Pride is the universal sin, the great vice. Yes, pride is the universal sin, the great vice.
The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness. (See Alma 7:23.) It is the broken heart and contrite spirit
God will have a humble people. Either we can choose to be humble or we can be compelled to be humble. Alma said, “Blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.” (Alma 32:16.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are. (See D&C 38:24; D&C 81:5; D&C 84:106.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement.
(See Jacob 4:10; Hel. 15:3; D&C 63:55; D&C 101:4–5; D&C 108:1; D&C 124:61, 84; D&C 136:31; Prov. 9:8.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us. (See 3 Ne. 13:11, 14; D&C 64:10.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service. (See
Mosiah 2:16–17.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others. (See Alma 4:19; Alma 31:5; Alma 48:20.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God. (See D&C 58:43; Mosiah 27:25–26; Alma 5:7–14, 49.)
We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives. (See 3 Ne. 11:11; 3 Ne. 13:33; Moro. 10:32.)
Let us choose to be humble. We can do it. I know we can.
Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion. I repeat: Pride is the great stumbling block to Zion.” 2
Footnotes:
1.Pride and the Priesthood -- Pres. Dietrich Uchtdorf, October 2010 Gen. Conference
2.Beware of Pride -- Pres. Ezra Taft Benson, April 1989 Gen. Conference
below is a handout I made with some of the above quotes -- to be used with the quiz I wrote. Which was intended to be an open notes quiz.
What Is Pride?
Pride is self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness.
The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means “hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.” It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s.
Our will in competition to God’s will allows desires, appetites, and passions to go unbridled.
The proud cannot accept the authority of God giving direction to their lives.
They pit their perceptions of truth against God’s great knowledge, their abilities versus God’s priesthood power, their accomplishments against His mighty works.
Pride is rebellion, hard-heartedness, stiff-neckedness, unrepentant, puffed up, easily offended, and sign seekers. The proud wish God would agree with them. They aren’t interested in changing their opinions to agree with God’s.
Another major portion of this very prevalent sin of pride is enmity toward our fellowmen. We are tempted daily to elevate ourselves above others and diminish them.
The proud make every man their adversary by pitting their intellects, opinions, works, wealth, talents, or any other worldly measuring device against others.
Pride is faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.
Disobedience is essentially a prideful power struggle against someone in authority over us.
Selfishness is one of the more common faces of pride. “How everything affects me” is the center of all that matters—self-conceit, self-pity, worldly self-fulfillment, self-gratification, and self-seeking
Another face of pride is contention.
The proud do not receive counsel or correction easily.
Defensiveness is used by them to justify and rationalize their frailties and failures.
Pride is a damning sin in the true sense of that word. It limits or stops progression.
Pride is the universal sin, the great vice.
The scriptures testify that the proud are easily offended and hold grudges.
The proud depend upon the world to tell them whether they have value or not.
Pride is the great sin of self-elevation.
Pride justifies envy, greed, and vanity.
In a sense, pride is the original sin .
Pride is a deadly cancer.
Pride is a gateway sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses.
Pride is a switch that turns off priesthood power. Humility is a switch that turns it on.
How do we become Humble?
We can choose to humble ourselves by conquering enmity toward our brothers and sisters, esteeming them as ourselves, and lifting them as high or higher than we are.
We can choose to humble ourselves by receiving counsel and chastisement.
We can choose to humble ourselves by forgiving those who have offended us.
We can choose to humble ourselves by rendering selfless service.
We can choose to humble ourselves by going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others.
We can choose to humble ourselves by getting to the temple more frequently.
We can choose to humble ourselves by confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God.
We can choose to humble ourselves by loving God, submitting our will to His, and putting Him first in our lives.
Let us choose to be humble. We can do it. I know we can.
Quotes taken from April 1989 and October 2010 Gen. conference talks given by Presidents Ezra Taft Benson and Dieter F. Uchtdorf respectively.
Quiz on Family Home Evening Lesson January 2, 2011
Name:
1. The central feature of pride is:
A. Self-centeredness
B. Enmity
C. Envy
D. Vanity
E. Arrogance
2. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of pride? (may be more than one answer)
A. Rebellion
B. Haughtiness
C. Forgiveness
D. Puffed up
E. Selfless Service
3. _____________is one of the more common faces of pride.
4. True or False: The Proud are not easily offended.
5. True or False: Pride is the universal sin, the great vice.
6. True or False: The Proud receive counsel and correction easily.
7. Pride justifies:
A.: Vanity
B.: Greed
C. Envy
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
8. Pride is a ______________sin that leads to a host of other human weaknesses.
9.True or False: Pride is the great sin of self-elevation.
10. Which of the following are ways we can become humble?
A. rendering selfless service.
B. going on missions and preaching the word that can humble others.
C. getting to the temple more frequently.
D. confessing and forsaking our sins and being born of God.
E. All of the above
11.True or False: Living beyond our means is a form of pride.
12.True or False: pride does not limit or stop our progression.
13. Pride is a deadly _____________.
14. Pride is essentially ______________in nature.
15.Our will in competition to God’s will allows all but which of the following to go unbridled? (may be more than one answer)
A. Repentance
B. Appetites
C. Desires
D. Passions
E. Charity
16. Which of the following it is NOT included in the definition of Enmity?
A.: Hatred
B.: Stiffneckedness
C.: Hostility
D.: Opposition
E.: none of the above
17. Which of the following is a characteristic of pride?
A. Jealousy
B. Gossip
C. Sign seekers
D. Murmuring
E. all of the above
Key: 1. B, 2.C,E, 3.selfishness, 4.false, 5. True, 6. False, 7.D, 8.Gateway, 9. True, 10.E, 11. True, 12. False, 13. Cancer, 14.competitive, 15.A,E, 16.B, 17.E
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Relief Society Lesson - The Divine Gift of Gratitude
The Divine Gift of Gratitude
Pres. Thomas S. Monson
October 2010 General Conference
Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.
“When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.” Gordon B. Hinckley
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus
Gratitude is a divine principle.
Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.
If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.
“gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Cicero
A prayerful life is the key to possessing gratitude.
“Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.” Aldous Huxley
“feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward
To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.
Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.
Pres. Thomas S. Monson
October 2010 General Conference
Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.
“When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.” Gordon B. Hinckley
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus
Gratitude is a divine principle.
Regardless of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if we will but pause and contemplate our blessings.
If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.
“gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Cicero
A prayerful life is the key to possessing gratitude.
“Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.” Aldous Huxley
“feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward
To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.
Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!
May we all remember our Savior, Jesus Christ as we celebrate his birth on this Christmas Day.
Friday, December 17, 2010
2010 College Football Picks Winner
This year's winner of the college football picks championship is me!
1: Tammy came in first place six weeks
2: Dad came in first place four weeks
3: Michael came in first place three weeks
4: Lisa came in first place one week
With six wins I am the winner this year. Michael was our winner last year. And the year before that Dad was the winner. It's always very close between the top three. Everyone else gives a valiant effort and once in a while comes out on top. It's a fun family competition that has become a tradition. Thanks to all who participated. We will be holding our annual end of the season football party/award ceremony during one of the upcoming bowl games. In the meantime, I will go ahead and pat myself on the back for being this year's college football picks champion! Yippee!
1: Tammy came in first place six weeks
2: Dad came in first place four weeks
3: Michael came in first place three weeks
4: Lisa came in first place one week
With six wins I am the winner this year. Michael was our winner last year. And the year before that Dad was the winner. It's always very close between the top three. Everyone else gives a valiant effort and once in a while comes out on top. It's a fun family competition that has become a tradition. Thanks to all who participated. We will be holding our annual end of the season football party/award ceremony during one of the upcoming bowl games. In the meantime, I will go ahead and pat myself on the back for being this year's college football picks champion! Yippee!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Survival of the Fittest
We live in a weight obsessed society. More specifically, obsession with being thin. There are a lot of people who harm themselves by trying to obtain the thinness they feel society expects of them. From a biological standpoint, thin is not in.
I did a blog post a while ago which I entitled, “Mutant Bulldogs”. In that post I talked about natural selection. It might be helpful to go reread that because I mentioned several examples of natural and artificial selection.
Let me just explain a little bit about what natural selection is. Natural selection is a term coined by Charles Darwin. In a nutshell, natural selection says that individuals with certain genetic characteristics have the advantage over those without those genetic characteristics. And therefore are more easily able to survive and reproduce.
I will give you an example. Prior to the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom there was a certain species of moth with approximately half of the population being white in color and half being black. After the Industrial Revolution there was a lot of soot that covered the trees in which the moths lived. It became much easier for predators to see the white colored moths. Therefore, being black in color was naturally selected for in these specific moths. The black moths survived to reproduce much more easily than did the white moths. Therefore the population was skewed to favor black moths. This is natural selection.
Another term for natural selection is survival of the fittest. Biologically speaking, fitness refers to the ability to survive to adulthood and produce offspring. More specifically, fitness is measured by how many offspring you leave behind.
When most people think of fitness they think of big muscles, athletic ability, low body fat percentage, etc. All of those things do play a role in physical fitness and perhaps to a small degree in natural selection. When I speak of fitness, I am speaking in biological terms, not physical fitness as you know it.
In the animal kingdom it is quite evident that, for example, in zebras, lions, antelopes, cheetahs, etc. the ability to run fast would be advantageous. Therefore, the ability to run fast is a trait which would be naturally selected for in the above example.
Natural selection is not as important in human populations because, as a species, we tend to care for those who are “not as fit”. For example, people with genetic disorders that cause physical or mental disabilities. Those individuals thus afflicted, are cared for by others. Whereas, in the animal kingdom they wouldn’t survive long.
In times of stress however, you would see natural selection, or survival of the fittest, taking place in human populations. For example, during a famine those individuals with a fat reserve, whose bodies can slow metabolism will have an advantage over those with little or no fat reserve with a high metabolism.
That’s what I want to talk about today. I want to focus on natural selection and specifically the body’s ability to store fat.
One of the traits that would make us less fit, is the inability to store fat. Therefore, those individuals who are extremely thin, who can’t seem to put any weight on regardless of how much food they eat, are less fit, biologically speaking, than those who carry around a few extra pounds. Even though society tells us that thinner is better. Biology tells us otherwise. We need a little “meat on our bones”. Those extremely thin supermodels that you see on magazine covers are less fit than the average person. The other extreme is true as well, those who are morbidly obese, are also less fit.
But I want to focus on our quest for thinness. Biologically, it doesn’t make sense. It might be hard to understand this concept in the world in which we live today, where food is abundant. But, think about times of famine. Who is more likely to survive, a thin person with relatively little fat storage, and a high metabolism, or someone who is carrying around 20 or 30 pounds of excess fat, and has a slower metabolism?
Actually, the ability to slow your metabolism in times of famine is a naturally selected for trait. Have you ever wondered why crash diets don’t work very well? It’s because when you severely restrict your caloric intake, your body slows your metabolism because it thinks there’s a famine. Therefore, making it much more difficult to lose weight. The calories you do eat are stretched farther, and your fat stores are conserved as much as possible.
The most effective and safest way to lose weight is slowly. By slightly modifying your diet; decreasing caloric intake, and increasing your exercise regimen; increasing caloric output. It’s quite a simple formula really. Burn more calories than you consume equals weight loss. Consume more calories than you burn equals weight gain.
Exercise, even a small amount, tends to increase metabolism. That is, if there is enough energy available through daily food intake. This is why you should not restrict caloric intake very much. Because, as I said before, if you restrict daily caloric intake too much, your body actually slows metabolism. You can still lose weight this way, because as mammals we are endothermic (warm blooded) and require a lot of energy to sustain life. But, as soon as the “famine” is over, you’ll much more easily gain weight back. Usually as much or more than you lost. Because your metabolism is much slower than normal and your body is preparing for the next famine.
Since I’m on the subject of diet and nutrition. Let me mention that moderation in all things is always the best policy. A healthy body requires a variety of foods. This is how we acquire the essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, etc. needed.
As I recall, a healthy diet consists of around 60% carbohydrates of which the majority should be complex carbohydrates obtained through grains in the form of bread, rice, cereals, and pastas. 10% of our diet should consist of proteins, these are usually obtained from meats but can also be obtained through dairy products, eggs, and certain legumes like peanuts and beans. And lastly, 30% or less of our daily caloric intake should be obtained from fats. Let us remember that fats contain 9 kcal per gram. Whereas proteins and carbohydrates contain 4 kcal per gram. So a gram of butter contains more than twice as many calories as the same amount of sugar.
Fats seem to get a bad rap. So, let me take a moment to defend them. Not only do fats produce satiety when eaten, they also help you feel satiated longer. Have you ever noticed people who are on a no fat diet always feel hungry? It’s because they are not eating the fats necessary to be satiated.
Let me give you an example. A person on a no fat diet eats a plain baked potato. They don’t feel full so they eat another one. They rationalize that since they didn’t put butter and sour cream on their potato, they can eat twice as much. Whereas the person who eats the same baked potato with butter and sour cream on it feels full after eating just one.
Now let’s compare caloric intake. A plain baked potato has 280 calories. The same baked potato with butter and sour cream has 455 calories. So, the person on the no fat diet who ate two plain baked potatoes consumed 540 calories. And will still get hungry a lot faster because he ate no fat. While the person who ate one baked potato with butter and sour cream consumed 455 calories and will feel fuller longer because of the fat on his potato.
Let’s see, the person on the low-fat diet consumed almost 100 more calories than his wiser counterpart. But he still feels better about himself because he didn’t eat any fat. In the words of Capt. Woodrow F. Call, “That don’t make no sense at all”.
I guess my point in writing this blog post is to say that moderation in all things is the best policy. Don’t deprive yourself of a variety of foods you enjoy. Go ahead and put butter and sour cream on your potato, eat the chocolate cake, enjoy the works on your pizza, enjoy all the goodies during the holidays. And if you put on a few pounds, just be happy that you are more fit, biologically speaking, than the skinny supermodels on the magazines.
That’s my two cents.
I did a blog post a while ago which I entitled, “Mutant Bulldogs”. In that post I talked about natural selection. It might be helpful to go reread that because I mentioned several examples of natural and artificial selection.
Let me just explain a little bit about what natural selection is. Natural selection is a term coined by Charles Darwin. In a nutshell, natural selection says that individuals with certain genetic characteristics have the advantage over those without those genetic characteristics. And therefore are more easily able to survive and reproduce.
I will give you an example. Prior to the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom there was a certain species of moth with approximately half of the population being white in color and half being black. After the Industrial Revolution there was a lot of soot that covered the trees in which the moths lived. It became much easier for predators to see the white colored moths. Therefore, being black in color was naturally selected for in these specific moths. The black moths survived to reproduce much more easily than did the white moths. Therefore the population was skewed to favor black moths. This is natural selection.
Another term for natural selection is survival of the fittest. Biologically speaking, fitness refers to the ability to survive to adulthood and produce offspring. More specifically, fitness is measured by how many offspring you leave behind.
When most people think of fitness they think of big muscles, athletic ability, low body fat percentage, etc. All of those things do play a role in physical fitness and perhaps to a small degree in natural selection. When I speak of fitness, I am speaking in biological terms, not physical fitness as you know it.
In the animal kingdom it is quite evident that, for example, in zebras, lions, antelopes, cheetahs, etc. the ability to run fast would be advantageous. Therefore, the ability to run fast is a trait which would be naturally selected for in the above example.
Natural selection is not as important in human populations because, as a species, we tend to care for those who are “not as fit”. For example, people with genetic disorders that cause physical or mental disabilities. Those individuals thus afflicted, are cared for by others. Whereas, in the animal kingdom they wouldn’t survive long.
In times of stress however, you would see natural selection, or survival of the fittest, taking place in human populations. For example, during a famine those individuals with a fat reserve, whose bodies can slow metabolism will have an advantage over those with little or no fat reserve with a high metabolism.
That’s what I want to talk about today. I want to focus on natural selection and specifically the body’s ability to store fat.
One of the traits that would make us less fit, is the inability to store fat. Therefore, those individuals who are extremely thin, who can’t seem to put any weight on regardless of how much food they eat, are less fit, biologically speaking, than those who carry around a few extra pounds. Even though society tells us that thinner is better. Biology tells us otherwise. We need a little “meat on our bones”. Those extremely thin supermodels that you see on magazine covers are less fit than the average person. The other extreme is true as well, those who are morbidly obese, are also less fit.
But I want to focus on our quest for thinness. Biologically, it doesn’t make sense. It might be hard to understand this concept in the world in which we live today, where food is abundant. But, think about times of famine. Who is more likely to survive, a thin person with relatively little fat storage, and a high metabolism, or someone who is carrying around 20 or 30 pounds of excess fat, and has a slower metabolism?
Actually, the ability to slow your metabolism in times of famine is a naturally selected for trait. Have you ever wondered why crash diets don’t work very well? It’s because when you severely restrict your caloric intake, your body slows your metabolism because it thinks there’s a famine. Therefore, making it much more difficult to lose weight. The calories you do eat are stretched farther, and your fat stores are conserved as much as possible.
The most effective and safest way to lose weight is slowly. By slightly modifying your diet; decreasing caloric intake, and increasing your exercise regimen; increasing caloric output. It’s quite a simple formula really. Burn more calories than you consume equals weight loss. Consume more calories than you burn equals weight gain.
Exercise, even a small amount, tends to increase metabolism. That is, if there is enough energy available through daily food intake. This is why you should not restrict caloric intake very much. Because, as I said before, if you restrict daily caloric intake too much, your body actually slows metabolism. You can still lose weight this way, because as mammals we are endothermic (warm blooded) and require a lot of energy to sustain life. But, as soon as the “famine” is over, you’ll much more easily gain weight back. Usually as much or more than you lost. Because your metabolism is much slower than normal and your body is preparing for the next famine.
Since I’m on the subject of diet and nutrition. Let me mention that moderation in all things is always the best policy. A healthy body requires a variety of foods. This is how we acquire the essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, etc. needed.
As I recall, a healthy diet consists of around 60% carbohydrates of which the majority should be complex carbohydrates obtained through grains in the form of bread, rice, cereals, and pastas. 10% of our diet should consist of proteins, these are usually obtained from meats but can also be obtained through dairy products, eggs, and certain legumes like peanuts and beans. And lastly, 30% or less of our daily caloric intake should be obtained from fats. Let us remember that fats contain 9 kcal per gram. Whereas proteins and carbohydrates contain 4 kcal per gram. So a gram of butter contains more than twice as many calories as the same amount of sugar.
Fats seem to get a bad rap. So, let me take a moment to defend them. Not only do fats produce satiety when eaten, they also help you feel satiated longer. Have you ever noticed people who are on a no fat diet always feel hungry? It’s because they are not eating the fats necessary to be satiated.
Let me give you an example. A person on a no fat diet eats a plain baked potato. They don’t feel full so they eat another one. They rationalize that since they didn’t put butter and sour cream on their potato, they can eat twice as much. Whereas the person who eats the same baked potato with butter and sour cream on it feels full after eating just one.
Now let’s compare caloric intake. A plain baked potato has 280 calories. The same baked potato with butter and sour cream has 455 calories. So, the person on the no fat diet who ate two plain baked potatoes consumed 540 calories. And will still get hungry a lot faster because he ate no fat. While the person who ate one baked potato with butter and sour cream consumed 455 calories and will feel fuller longer because of the fat on his potato.
Let’s see, the person on the low-fat diet consumed almost 100 more calories than his wiser counterpart. But he still feels better about himself because he didn’t eat any fat. In the words of Capt. Woodrow F. Call, “That don’t make no sense at all”.
I guess my point in writing this blog post is to say that moderation in all things is the best policy. Don’t deprive yourself of a variety of foods you enjoy. Go ahead and put butter and sour cream on your potato, eat the chocolate cake, enjoy the works on your pizza, enjoy all the goodies during the holidays. And if you put on a few pounds, just be happy that you are more fit, biologically speaking, than the skinny supermodels on the magazines.
That’s my two cents.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Birthday Surprise
I call Jason my plastic brother. He is my brother's best friend and was always around while we were growing up. And even after we were grown. Michael and Jason would come visit me in college, in Logan. And in San Francisco.
It is always fun when Michael and Jason get together. They are hilarious. Suffice it to say that many laughs were shared last night. Thanks Jason, for flying in for my big day. You made it extra special. And thanks to everyone for the wonderful decorations (I think the napkins were special ordered, they fit me to a T. :-)), dinner, cake, cards and gifts. It was a wonderful milestone birthday.
I have more pictures but it's taken me several hours to put these on so I guess that's all I'm going to do right now.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Happy Birthday!
It's hard for me to believe but twoscore years ago today, I was born. I never thought I would reach this milestone. The funny thing is, I don't feel any older than I did when I hit the one score mark. Perhaps a little wiser, but not older.
So, I guess I will go ahead and wish myself a happy birthday. :-)
Thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes today.
So, I guess I will go ahead and wish myself a happy birthday. :-)
Thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes today.
Monday, December 6, 2010
College Football Picks Results Week 14
1. Dad -5
2. Derrinda -6
3. Tammy -8
4. Michael -9
5. Mom -10 tiebreaker 63 actual 73
6. Lisa -10 tiebreaker 43 actual 73
2. Derrinda -6
3. Tammy -8
4. Michael -9
5. Mom -10 tiebreaker 63 actual 73
6. Lisa -10 tiebreaker 43 actual 73
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Principles from Prophets - Thomas S. Monson
This morning, I watched a BYU devotional given by Thomas S. Monson. He talked about some qualities and interesting facts about the Prophets since he was born. So, I decided to take some excerpts from his talk and post them on my blog. I did not include most of the stories which were very interesting. So I would encourage you to read the entire transcript. I will post a link for you. Principles from Prophets transcript link
Principles from Prophets
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson was President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints when this BYU Devotional was given in the Marriot Center on September 15, 2009.
"The seventh President of the Church, Heber J. Grant. He was ordained and set apart as President on November 23, 1918, at the age of 62.
President Grant’s favorite song was “Do What Is Right.” And let me add the words “let the consequence follow.” Think of that: Do what is right. President Grant lived by the words of that song. His favorite food was bread and milk—very common, simple fare.
A favorite quotation of his is attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our capacity to do has increased.”
What would be the trait of President Heber J. Grant that he would probably have you remember and incorporate in your life? I feel it would be persistence. Persist in all those things which are good and noble.
After 27 years as President of the Church, President Grant passed away on May 14, 1945, at the age of 88.
I move next to President George Albert Smith, the eighth President of the Church, ordained and set apart as President on May 21, 1945, at the age of 75.
President George Albert Smith’s favorite song was “Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words,” which he personified.
His favorite food was apple pie with a little warm milk on it.
What was one of his favorite statements? He always taught, “There is a great tug‐of‐war going on between the Lord and the adversary. Stay safely on the Lord’s side of the line.” Oh, how applicable it is today in our lives! A trait of President Smith’s which he would no doubt encourage us to incorporate in our lives would be compassion. This great leader had a compassionate heart.
President George Albert Smith served as President of the Church for six years, passing away on his 81st birthday, April 4, 1951.
Now we move to David O. McKay, the ninth President of the Church. He was sustained as President on April 9, 1951.
President McKay’s favorite song was “Oh Say, What Is Truth?” His favorite food: Cummings chocolates.
What would be an expression of his? From his own heart and soul he said, “True Christianity is love in action.”
Again, the noble principle from President McKay that I would share with you today is consideration. May we ever be considerate.
President McKay served nineteen years as President, until his death January 18, 1970, at the age of 96.
Next I mention Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth President of the Church. He was ordained and set apart on January 23, 1970, at the age of 93.
His favorite song was “Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire.” And I’ll add the next thought: “uttered or unexpressed.”
And as for his favorite food, I observed him at our luncheon table in the temple on Thursdays, and he seemed to love sweet pickles. I hate them! I would see to it that he got the sweet pickles, and I’d take the dill pickles.
What would be a favorite quotation from President Smith? From the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon he emphasized the scripture “Wickedness never was happiness.” I’ll repeat it: “Wickedness never was happiness.”
What would be his guiding principle for us? It would be gospel scholarship. He was truly a scholar. I believe we could say that he would leave for you and for me this advice: Be studious. I say that to you as student body members too: be studious. When it is test week, you’ll be grateful you were studious!
President Joseph Fielding Smith served as President of the Church for two and a half years, until his death on July 2, 1972, at the age of 95.
Harold B. Lee, eleventh President of the Church, was ordained and set apart as President on July 7, 1972, at the age of 73.
One of President Lee’s favorite songs was “Praise to the Man”—“who communed with Jehovah!” I’ll pause for a moment and say that when I was first called to the Twelve, I noted that Brother Lee was playing the organ. And he said, “Brother Monson, as our newest apostle, would you choose the song you’d like for us to sing today?” And I chose his favorite, and we all sang it with gusto.
A favorite food of his was bread and milk, and a favorite quotation of his was “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.” Remember this. I will repeat it: “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.”
What would be a guiding principle from him? I would say he would encourage us to be in tune with and to be responsive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
Harold B. Lee served just one and a half years as President of the Church. He passed away on December 26, 1973, at the age of 74.
After President Lee came President Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth President of the Church, ordained and set apart as President on December 30, 1973, at the age of 78.
For President Kimball, obstacles became his opportunities. He was totally dedicated, a worker such as one seldom sees. He cared not at all about personal aggrandizement.
President Kimball was totally, completely, unequivocally dedicated to the Lord. He was dedicated to living the gospel.
One of President Kimball’s favorite songs was “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Let’s remember that one particularly. That choice demonstrates his humility.
Concerning his favorite food, I watched him for all the years I was in the Twelve while he was living. He would fill a glass with milk and take some date nut bread and crumble it into the glass until it was thick. Then he would take a spoon and eat it! I did not follow his example.
What was a favorite quotation or a lesson from him? “Lengthen your stride.” We had to lengthen our stride in order to keep up with him! I asked President Kimball what would be a guiding principle from his life. And then I answered it: I believe it would be dedication.
Spencer W. Kimball served as President of the Church for twelve years until his death on November 5, 1985, at the age of 90.
Now I come to Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth President of the Church. He was ordained and set apart as President on November 10, 1985. I had the privilege of serving as his second counselor during the years he was President.
President Benson was a generous leader.
President Benson’s favorite song was “How Great Thou Art.”
His favorite food was fresh raspberries, and we had them as often as possible at our temple luncheons when he was President of the Church.
His favorite quotation was from the Book of Mormon, words spoken by the Lord. It’s in the form of a question, and I pose it to you: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.” That would apply to every man and woman here today: “Even as I am,” said the Lord.
What is a guiding principle from President Benson? I’d have to say it is love. The manner in which he treated his sweet companion and, indeed, all with whom he came in contact provides an example for all of us. Let us love one another.
Ezra Taft Benson served as President of the Church for eight and a half years until his death on May 30, 1994, at the age of 94.
We come now to Howard W. Hunter, fourteenth President of the Church, who was ordained and set apart on June 5, 1994, at the age of 86.
One of President Hunter’s hallmarks was that of courtesy. Whether in a moment of pleasant conversation or in times of constant pain, he was ever courteous.
President Hunter loved all the hymns, but one of his favorites was “Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?”
One of his favorite foods was Alaskan crab.
What would be one of his favorite quotations? He loved the scripture found in Proverbs, chapter 27, verse 2: “Let another man praise thee . . . and not thine own lips.” Modesty, modesty, modesty.
What would be a guiding principle from President Hunter’s life? I believe it would be his ability always to look for the best in people— such an important quality to emulate.
President Hunter died March 3, 1995, at the age of 87.
Finally, brothers and sisters, I come to Gordon B. Hinckley, fifteenth President of the Church, ordained and set apart on March 12, 1995, at the age of 84.
He was a kind man who taught and who lived tolerance,never disparaging another person’s beliefs.
President Hinckley was a wordsmith. I will repeat the word: wordsmith. He was well read and a scholar, and he could put words and phrases together in such a way that it was a pleasure to listen to his messages.
One of President Hinckley’s favorite hymns has words written by Rudyard Kipling— that’s the British in him. The hymn is “God of Our Fathers, Known of Old.”
One of his favorite desserts was pie and ice cream.
He loved the Prophet Joseph Smith; he loved the Savior. A favorite quotation was taken from the words of the Prophet Joseph concerning the Savior: And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father.
What would be a guiding principle from President Hinckley’s life? It is one which we would all do well to follow: Do your best.
Gordon B. Hinckley served as President of the Church for nearly thirteen years until his death on January 27, 2008, at the age of 97.
What can we learn from the prophets whom I have known and about whom I have visited with you today? We can learn that they never wavered, never faltered, never failed; that they are men of God."
I hope you enjoyed these excerpts from Pres. Monson's talk. It would be well worth your time and effort to read the entire transcript. There are many stories about the Prophets that I'm sure you would find enjoyable and uplifting. We would all do well to try to emulate some of the wonderful qualities of these men of God mentioned by Pres. Monson.
That's my two cents.
Principles from Prophets
Thomas S. Monson
Thomas S. Monson was President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints when this BYU Devotional was given in the Marriot Center on September 15, 2009.
"The seventh President of the Church, Heber J. Grant. He was ordained and set apart as President on November 23, 1918, at the age of 62.
President Grant’s favorite song was “Do What Is Right.” And let me add the words “let the consequence follow.” Think of that: Do what is right. President Grant lived by the words of that song. His favorite food was bread and milk—very common, simple fare.
A favorite quotation of his is attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing has changed, but that our capacity to do has increased.”
What would be the trait of President Heber J. Grant that he would probably have you remember and incorporate in your life? I feel it would be persistence. Persist in all those things which are good and noble.
After 27 years as President of the Church, President Grant passed away on May 14, 1945, at the age of 88.
I move next to President George Albert Smith, the eighth President of the Church, ordained and set apart as President on May 21, 1945, at the age of 75.
President George Albert Smith’s favorite song was “Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words,” which he personified.
His favorite food was apple pie with a little warm milk on it.
What was one of his favorite statements? He always taught, “There is a great tug‐of‐war going on between the Lord and the adversary. Stay safely on the Lord’s side of the line.” Oh, how applicable it is today in our lives! A trait of President Smith’s which he would no doubt encourage us to incorporate in our lives would be compassion. This great leader had a compassionate heart.
President George Albert Smith served as President of the Church for six years, passing away on his 81st birthday, April 4, 1951.
Now we move to David O. McKay, the ninth President of the Church. He was sustained as President on April 9, 1951.
President McKay’s favorite song was “Oh Say, What Is Truth?” His favorite food: Cummings chocolates.
What would be an expression of his? From his own heart and soul he said, “True Christianity is love in action.”
Again, the noble principle from President McKay that I would share with you today is consideration. May we ever be considerate.
President McKay served nineteen years as President, until his death January 18, 1970, at the age of 96.
Next I mention Joseph Fielding Smith, tenth President of the Church. He was ordained and set apart on January 23, 1970, at the age of 93.
His favorite song was “Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire.” And I’ll add the next thought: “uttered or unexpressed.”
And as for his favorite food, I observed him at our luncheon table in the temple on Thursdays, and he seemed to love sweet pickles. I hate them! I would see to it that he got the sweet pickles, and I’d take the dill pickles.
What would be a favorite quotation from President Smith? From the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon he emphasized the scripture “Wickedness never was happiness.” I’ll repeat it: “Wickedness never was happiness.”
What would be his guiding principle for us? It would be gospel scholarship. He was truly a scholar. I believe we could say that he would leave for you and for me this advice: Be studious. I say that to you as student body members too: be studious. When it is test week, you’ll be grateful you were studious!
President Joseph Fielding Smith served as President of the Church for two and a half years, until his death on July 2, 1972, at the age of 95.
Harold B. Lee, eleventh President of the Church, was ordained and set apart as President on July 7, 1972, at the age of 73.
One of President Lee’s favorite songs was “Praise to the Man”—“who communed with Jehovah!” I’ll pause for a moment and say that when I was first called to the Twelve, I noted that Brother Lee was playing the organ. And he said, “Brother Monson, as our newest apostle, would you choose the song you’d like for us to sing today?” And I chose his favorite, and we all sang it with gusto.
A favorite food of his was bread and milk, and a favorite quotation of his was “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.” Remember this. I will repeat it: “Stand ye in holy places, and be not moved.”
What would be a guiding principle from him? I would say he would encourage us to be in tune with and to be responsive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
Harold B. Lee served just one and a half years as President of the Church. He passed away on December 26, 1973, at the age of 74.
After President Lee came President Spencer W. Kimball, twelfth President of the Church, ordained and set apart as President on December 30, 1973, at the age of 78.
For President Kimball, obstacles became his opportunities. He was totally dedicated, a worker such as one seldom sees. He cared not at all about personal aggrandizement.
President Kimball was totally, completely, unequivocally dedicated to the Lord. He was dedicated to living the gospel.
One of President Kimball’s favorite songs was “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Let’s remember that one particularly. That choice demonstrates his humility.
Concerning his favorite food, I watched him for all the years I was in the Twelve while he was living. He would fill a glass with milk and take some date nut bread and crumble it into the glass until it was thick. Then he would take a spoon and eat it! I did not follow his example.
What was a favorite quotation or a lesson from him? “Lengthen your stride.” We had to lengthen our stride in order to keep up with him! I asked President Kimball what would be a guiding principle from his life. And then I answered it: I believe it would be dedication.
Spencer W. Kimball served as President of the Church for twelve years until his death on November 5, 1985, at the age of 90.
Now I come to Ezra Taft Benson, thirteenth President of the Church. He was ordained and set apart as President on November 10, 1985. I had the privilege of serving as his second counselor during the years he was President.
President Benson was a generous leader.
President Benson’s favorite song was “How Great Thou Art.”
His favorite food was fresh raspberries, and we had them as often as possible at our temple luncheons when he was President of the Church.
His favorite quotation was from the Book of Mormon, words spoken by the Lord. It’s in the form of a question, and I pose it to you: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.” That would apply to every man and woman here today: “Even as I am,” said the Lord.
What is a guiding principle from President Benson? I’d have to say it is love. The manner in which he treated his sweet companion and, indeed, all with whom he came in contact provides an example for all of us. Let us love one another.
Ezra Taft Benson served as President of the Church for eight and a half years until his death on May 30, 1994, at the age of 94.
We come now to Howard W. Hunter, fourteenth President of the Church, who was ordained and set apart on June 5, 1994, at the age of 86.
One of President Hunter’s hallmarks was that of courtesy. Whether in a moment of pleasant conversation or in times of constant pain, he was ever courteous.
President Hunter loved all the hymns, but one of his favorites was “Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?”
One of his favorite foods was Alaskan crab.
What would be one of his favorite quotations? He loved the scripture found in Proverbs, chapter 27, verse 2: “Let another man praise thee . . . and not thine own lips.” Modesty, modesty, modesty.
What would be a guiding principle from President Hunter’s life? I believe it would be his ability always to look for the best in people— such an important quality to emulate.
President Hunter died March 3, 1995, at the age of 87.
Finally, brothers and sisters, I come to Gordon B. Hinckley, fifteenth President of the Church, ordained and set apart on March 12, 1995, at the age of 84.
He was a kind man who taught and who lived tolerance,never disparaging another person’s beliefs.
President Hinckley was a wordsmith. I will repeat the word: wordsmith. He was well read and a scholar, and he could put words and phrases together in such a way that it was a pleasure to listen to his messages.
One of President Hinckley’s favorite hymns has words written by Rudyard Kipling— that’s the British in him. The hymn is “God of Our Fathers, Known of Old.”
One of his favorite desserts was pie and ice cream.
He loved the Prophet Joseph Smith; he loved the Savior. A favorite quotation was taken from the words of the Prophet Joseph concerning the Savior: And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father.
What would be a guiding principle from President Hinckley’s life? It is one which we would all do well to follow: Do your best.
Gordon B. Hinckley served as President of the Church for nearly thirteen years until his death on January 27, 2008, at the age of 97.
What can we learn from the prophets whom I have known and about whom I have visited with you today? We can learn that they never wavered, never faltered, never failed; that they are men of God."
I hope you enjoyed these excerpts from Pres. Monson's talk. It would be well worth your time and effort to read the entire transcript. There are many stories about the Prophets that I'm sure you would find enjoyable and uplifting. We would all do well to try to emulate some of the wonderful qualities of these men of God mentioned by Pres. Monson.
That's my two cents.
Friday, December 3, 2010
"Dr. Lou" Quote of the Day
I did a post a week or so ago entitled "Dr. Lou". I would like to add another quote from Lou Holtz. This is a quote I heard yesterday on the Dr. Lou segment on ESPN's College football halftime show. It goes something like this:
Promises are like snowballs. They are easy to make, but hard to keep.
Sadly, college football season is coming to a close. So, the days of Dr. Lou quotes are numbered. On the bright side, we still have all of the bowl games to look forward to. And then only nine more months until next season!
That's my two cents.
Promises are like snowballs. They are easy to make, but hard to keep.
Sadly, college football season is coming to a close. So, the days of Dr. Lou quotes are numbered. On the bright side, we still have all of the bowl games to look forward to. And then only nine more months until next season!
That's my two cents.
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