The Soap Box

FACE melting right off the bone...

2010-01-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Currently reading this:

Amazingly amazing.

Idaho is no california (obviously), but it's quite enjoyable. School is good. Roommates are good. Blah blah blah blah.

Happy face.

The Promised Land... (revisited)

2009-12-14T14:21:00.001-08:00

To be able to enjoy a run in the middle of December in just a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt is a tender mercy indeed.

Ahhhhh California... a land "which [is] choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people" (Ether 2:7).

Judge Not

2009-12-09T00:20:00.000-08:00

This is something I have been thinking about for a while now. I have written down thoughts and ideas about this for weeks and have often found myself thinking about some of the elements of this when I didn't have anything else to think about. It started as I was pondering the idea of worth. How we measure worth, and where our worth as humans is derived from. As I began to think through different concepts I realized that before you can get close to that topic it is necessary to understand the process of judgment in a general way.

Now I wrote the following to satisfy a requirement for my english class, but it is not comprehensive or complete. Since I was trying to cover all of it in one paper I didn't go in to detail and was unable to use some of the examples I really wanted to. This, however, would give someone an overall idea of my train of thought. I thought I would just post it and then as I deal with each section in greater depth later on I can post those one at a time. Enjoy.

We tend to think we are very good at judging other people. Maybe we think we’re good at it because we do it so much – practice does make perfect. But how good are we really at judging a given situation, and even more importantly the people involved? Again we may believe that while others are pretty bad at it, and shouldn’t do it, we know what’s going on and it’s not a problem for us.

Big mistake.

What is involved with judging another person, and why is it so often problematic for us? There are several stages of judgment that we go through sub consciously, and as we look at each stage it will become more and more apparent why we should think twice about judging those around us.

The Standard (Theirs and Yours)

Judging always involve a standard. Depending on what is being judged the standard is different. There are objective standards and there are subjective standards. An example of an objective standard would be a multiple-choice test. For every question there is a right answer, and if we all take the same test we will all be graded by the same standard. Standards for behavior are a little different because there are only a few universal rules we all agree on, but the rest is different.

For example, you may have been taught that eating meat is good and wonderful. I may have been taught that eating meat is immoral. If we were hanging out and you were enjoying a delicious cheeseburger, I might make a judgment of you based on the standard I have. Is that fair? Whether eating meat is immoral isn’t really the issue. We usually live and judge based on our frame of reference, our standards. Yet other people do the same thing, and quite often their frame of reference is different from ours. This is one of the first problems we run into when attempting to judge others.

Additionally, almost always our judgment against some standard involves a comparison. That comparison could be against ourselves or others. Jenny got 90% on her test. This is a respectable grade, derived from an objective standard. However, last test Jenny got an 85% (this would be comparing her to her past self). She had the capacity and ability to get 100% (comparing her to her potential self). But everyone else in the class got a 65% on their tests (comparing her to others). She still got a 90%, yet each comparison causes us to look at the fact differently. Perhaps we would like to know how hard the test was, or how much Jenny studied and prepared for the test before we judge her performance. This is what output and input is all about.

Output vs. Input

Consider the following examples: two people slam-dunk a basketball with the same level of skill and intensity. Two university students both have a 4.0 G.P.A. Two men run a mile in seven minutes. A woman drops her books and two men both stop to help her pick them up.

Now what if I told you that with the basketball dunk enthusiasts, one of the individuals was 6’6” and the other was 5’8”? One of the university students has a young child, a part-time job, and a learning disability and the other has no financial worries or other time constraints. The two men running are both 25 yet the one is 170 pounds and the other is 250 pounds. One of the men who stopped to help was already running late for a class and the other had nowhere to be.

All of these examples illustrate the relationship between output and input. Output is the observable action, the result, the product, what the person is doing or has done. Input is related and is usually how we interpret output. The basketball players had the same output – they could both pull off a mighty fine slam-dunk – yet their input (their height) was different. That difference in input affects to a great degree how we look at what they did. Having a 4.0 is an impressive output, yet when we learn what obstacles the one had to overcome (or their input) we are much more impressed by what was accomplished. The same principle applies to the other examples.

Input can be observable, yet in a majority of cases it cannot be with the naked eye. The sheer amount of input involved with any given act or feat is also staggering. Obviously the height of a person is not the only input for dunking a basketball. There are hours spent practicing, the type of ball, shoes, clothing, and court all are a factor. How much sleep they both got would be a part of the input, and there could be emotional factors as well. Perhaps one of the two recently lost a loved one, which could potentially affect performance. There are genetic dispositions, inheritances, limitations, and countless other factors that all play a role in shaping this outcome. If something as simple as a dunk has so many different possible factors, think of the more complicated decisions and questions we face as individuals each day.

We often judge people by their output – by what we can see them do. Yet for every output we can see there are countless pieces of input that went into that – the factors and circumstances that defined that action and allows it to be understood. But we never know all of the input. Most of the time we don’t know most of it, which leaves our ability to judge the action or the person extremely limited.

Motive

While input helps us to interpret output, motive helps us understand and interpret both. Motive becomes important as we are judging other people’s worth as people (he is a bad guy, or she is a good person) and not as something else (as students, basketball players, runners, etc). If the young woman with the 4.0 was trying to gain intelligence in order to take over and enslave the world, it would not change what we thought of her as a student, yet it would affect whether or not we judged her to be “good.”

Motive is part of our input, yet it is so important that it deserves consideration of its own. A good motive can in some cases outweigh bad output and unfavorable input. And as shown directly above, a good output in the face of insurmountable odds can be darkened by a bad motive.

The example of the woman dropping her books and the two men stopping to help her illustrates this concept. We noted that one was late and the other had nothing to do. Many would judge the one who stopped in spite of being late more favorably. However, what if the man had a corrupt motive? What if he stopped because she was pretty and he just wanted an opportunity to ask her out? What if his designs were more sinister and he just wanted to earn her trust and then hurt her later? The other man had nowhere to be, but he stopped merely from a desire to help with no other intention. Motive changes the way we look at both output and input.

We cannot see another person’s motive for action. Regardless of how well we know someone and how much we think we know about the situation, it is close to impossible to be certain. It is possible that the person themselves do not know what their fundamental motivations for acting are. If the person is unaware of the many levels of input and motive, what makes us think that we can understand all of those things about them simply by observing their output?

The Great Leap

Let’s assume that you have super natural powers. Let’s say that you observe a situation and you understood it as it happened. Let’s say that somehow you became instantly aware of every piece of input involved with that action, and you could see into their heart and feel their motive. Would you be an appropriate judge? Of the action, most likely, but what about the person? This is the next big mistake that we make when judging another individual. We make a leap from what a person does to what they are.

This mistake is based on a truth. There is a relationship between what we do and who we are, yet it is not absolute. What we so often do is observe behavior and then make a judgment about who that person is – what their character is like. We hear about the 4.0 and say they are a good student. We see someone run the mile quickly and say they are a good athlete. We see someone stop to help someone with their dropped books and say they are a good person.

How accurate is this reasoning? It’s true that the young lady that got the 4.0 probably was a good student. Does that mean that every person who has a 4.0 is a good student? No. They could have cheated, they may know how to work the system, or they could be a computer hacker and have changed their transcript. Who knows? The man who helped with the books did a good thing, but does that make him a good person? We have considered examples where his motive changed our idea, but what if he had a good motive? Maybe this is the first time he has ever helped anyone in his life. Maybe he is in a good mood and so he feels helpful, but when he is stressed and tired he would be more likely to kick the books as he walked by. Again the possibilities are endless and we simply do not know.

We cannot assume something about a person’s character and make up because of their actions alone. Even if we know someone their whole life and see them act in different circumstances we still do not know all of the different types of input and their motive for acting.

People are complex. Life has never been simple. As we consider all of the factors that come together to make us who we are, and what guides the decisions we make each moment, we begin to see how little we know about ourselves and how much less we know about others. Hopefully this knowledge will lead us to be more understanding, more compassionate, and more accepting of other people and more prone to assume the best and truly see the best in people. Indeed it is sound counsel to “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged.”

Oh sweet Basho...

2009-11-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is basho. He is a sumo wrestler. I saw this wonder in the SKY magazine on my flight from NJ to SLC (where I am currently... bless airport wifi). I was amazed of the beauty of this statue, now it is your turn to be amazed.

Now I know what you're thinking! I can only assume that it is the same thought I had while admiring this magnificent specimen: The only thing that would make this better would be if Basho would bend over and I could use his back as a coffee table. WELL YOU ARE IN LUCK!

I'm in my right mind to get both, then one day when I have a home I will have little Basho in the garden to guard in that area. But wait, there's more! Then Basho DOS would be in the living room, ready to support all of my tably needs. Fantastic.

There were all kinds of cool stuff in this magazine. For example, check out this TELEKINESIS game:

The point of the game is to move the ball around the obstacles with your mind. Jedi training. Yes.

AZ to NJ...

2009-11-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

Wedding was awesome.

80 degrees in november is awesome.

Spider Man 3 was not as disappointing as I thought it was going to be.

Finding out too late that I COULD have watched Undercover Brother was VERY disappointing.

Hanging out with the Jones' is awesome.

All signs point to the fact that thanksgiving is going to be awesome.

Light sabers? Yes, please. This is how sith Lord's are my specialty (pronounced speciality).

Kate Beckinsale in Click was definitely not disappointing.

STATS

2009-11-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

I just finished examining all of my expenses for my time in California so far and it has yielded some interesting data. It's fun to look at the patterns in my fast food consumption. For example for september (the restaurant and how many times I went there):

Taco Bell	4
KFC	2
In N Out	2
Jack in the Box	1
Chipotle	1

But then for October:

Taco Bell	2
KFC	1
In N Out	1
Jack in the Box	4
Chipotle	0
Wendy's	1
Burger King	1
Arby's	2
Gavilan	8

For the month of November I've been eating at school more than any other one place, and haven't been to Jack in the Box once. And while I used to look like the dude from 300 with my shirt off, I now look like this:

Life is good...

CANNOT FOCUS

2009-11-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

History take home exam essay is making me want to reverse life...

"I got scars... yeah, the hardest to remove/ it's like a contest to see who's walked the farthest with the blues."

Now reading this... when I probably should be reading history textbooks and working on independent study assignments. Wups.

The Promised Land...

2009-11-04T00:11:00.000-08:00

Currently reading this:

Awesome would be an understatement. W. Cleon Skousen outlines 28 principles that the founders said must be understood in order for a people to enjoy peace and prosperity. A little taste:

"Justice can never be expected from laws arbitrarily passed in violation of standards set up under the laws of Nature or the laws of the Creator."

"To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea." - James Madison (obviously chimerical isn't good, whatever it means... haha)

"Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." - John Adams

"But neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who, so far as his power and influence extend, will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man." - Samuel Adams

"And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education... reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion to religious principle." - George Washington

And while we're having fun...

"It is a socialist idea that making profits is a vice; I consider the real vice is making losses."

- Winston Churchill

"The vice of capitalism is that it stands for the unequal sharing of blessings; whereas the virtue of socialism is that it stands for the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill

Life Intervention!

2009-10-30T11:25:00.001-07:00

Starts now... that Jack in the Box last night was the last straw.

Perspective...

2009-10-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

It is 9:45 PM and I am hungry for Jack in the Box. There are a few ways I could make this decision:

- Consult an expert (that didn't work)

- The compensatory model

- Write a list of pros and cons

- Rely instinctively on my carnal desires and impulses

The first three take too much time so it looks like I only have one option left!

And I love Lily... she's basically my favorite.

I'm different in a different way...

2009-10-27T16:57:00.000-07:00

"I know I was supposed to change the world and all... looks like the world got to me first. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, then hurt the team by beating yourself... I'm different..."

"Feast Upon That Which Perisheth Not"

2009-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

So a few different times on my mission I was witness to a discussion about this scripture. It is powerful and important.

2 Ne. 9:51 - “Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.”

These discussions would always end up with some list (always similar but usually different) of things that are lasting; things that can be taken with us into the eternities. This led me to ponder and search the scriptures for an authoritative list. In order to feast upon that which perisheth not we need to know what that might be. Only when we understand and internalize what makes something have "no worth" or what activities "cannot satisfy" can we act appropriately and wisely.

A quote I heard by Neal A. Maxwell brings out almost all of these and states something which struck me deeply:

“Remember, we take our knowledge, skills, and attributes with us not only into marriage--but also into eternity. Knowledge rises with us in the resurrection, and the limitations on our luggage then will not be limitations of volume but of kind.” (Taking up the Cross - BYU devotional)

Just let that boldified part simmer a little bit, it's deep stuff.

Here is the list, essentially identified by Elder Maxwell, with some scriptural backing.

1. Intelligence, Knowledge, Memories, Testimony

Obviously the most well known scripture for this category is D&C 130:18-19:

"Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."

Alma 11:43 and 2 Ne. 9:13-14 both speak of the time after we have been resurrected and are about to be judged. From Jacob in 2 Nephi:

"they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect. Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness"

Amulek lays down the law explaining to Zeezrom that "The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt."

So we know that our knowledge and intelligence rises with us. And from these two second scriptures I believe it is suggested that we will remember what we have done and experienced perfectly, whether for good or evil. Testimony is sometimes put in its own category but what is testimony? Dallin H. Oaks defined it:

"A testimony of the gospel is a personal witness borne to our souls by the Holy Ghost that certain facts of eternal significance are true and that we know them to be true. Such facts include the nature of the Godhead and our relationship to its three members, the effectiveness of the Atonement, and the reality of the Restoration." ("Testimony" CR April 2008)

Testimony is knowledge. He later makes that point even more clearly.

So here are things that do not perish. There is, however, a point that needs to be made early on, which applies to all of these. David A. Bednar makes the point:

"A hierarchy of importance exists among the things you and I can learn. Indeed, all learning is not equally important. The Apostle Paul taught this truth in his second epistle to Timothy as he warned that in the latter days many people would be 'ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth' (2 Timothy 3:7)." (Learning to Love Learning - BYU commencement ceremony)

So, while all knowledge will rise with us, that does not mean that any time we are doing anything that increases our knowledge we are "feasting upon that which perisheth not" or doing something of eternal value. And just as all learning is not equally important, so it is with the other categories.

2. Who or what we are (our character, nature, condition, attributes, etc.)

Dallin H. Oaks explained this very well, and as he cited most of the scriptures I found, his quote will get us pretty far:

"In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.... The prophet Nephi describes the Final Judgment in terms of what we have become: 'And if their works have been filthiness they must needs be filthy; and if they be filthy it must needs be that they cannot dwell in the kingdom of God' (1 Ne. 15:33; emphasis added). Moroni declares, 'He that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still' (Morm. 9:14; emphasis added; see also Rev. 22:11-12; 2 Ne. 9:16; D&C 88:35). The same would be true of 'selfish' or 'disobedient' or any other personal attribute inconsistent with the requirements of God....

"From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts--what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts--what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become." ("The Challenge to Become" CR October 2000)

Alma 34:34 communicates a similar idea: "that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."

All of these scriptures describe the fact that our state of being (our character, our nature, or who we are) is not changed by death. Whatever we are when we leave here is what we will be there. What influences and processes govern what we become and how we develop (in either direction) would be a lengthy subject on its own, but for present purposes the important point is that activities that shape who we are, are eternally important.

This is sobering as we realize that everything we do, think, and say shapes who we are and what we are becoming.

3. Family Relationships

D&C 132:19 - "And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood;…. it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world;"

Our marriages and family ties have the potential to be eternal. This is a conditional promise, and requires a lot of effort and work to obtain it. To say that our families are a good investment of our time and energy would be a gross understatement.

4. Talents and skills

Alright... confession time. I could find no scriptures that said specifically that talents or skills were eternal. Those words aren't usually used in the scriptures in those contexts, however I think we can take Elder Maxwell's statement pretty safely. Here, perhaps more than any of the others, the principle outlined by Elder Bednar about the hierarchy of importance holds especially true. There are many talents and skills that we simply do not need, however we are taught that we should identify our talents and abilities and work to improve them and use them to build up the Lord's kingdom.

Understanding what really lasts, and what will have eternal value for me really helps put into perspective how my time should be used. Every activity and thing can be evaluated according to whether or not it has any eternal effects or benefits. This can help us to spend our money on things of great worth, to labor for that which will satisfy, and truly allow us to feast upon that which perisheth not.

2009-10-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

"True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father bears for us.

"We all yearn to experience love like this. Even when we make mistakes, we hope others will love us in spite of our shortcomings—even if we don’t deserve it.

"Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.

"We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin ("The Great Commandment" C.R. October 2007)

Legend... wait for it... dary

2009-10-20T22:56:00.001-07:00

Marshall: "You... you said to me that being single would be like being in a candy store."

Barney: "Well, it's not. It's not like a candy store, it's a lawless, post-apocalyptic wasteland.... That's what being single is."

This is SPARTA!

2009-10-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

So this was basically what I looked like as I was getting in the shower this morning... except for the fact that I am a little more manly with more chest hair, but everything else was pretty much exactly the same.

I'm like a walking commercial for the perfect pushup.

Speaking of Gerard Butler, his new movie with Jamie Foxx looks pretty awesome. Too bad it's rated-R. Lame.

Boondock Saints II... another fml moment.

I've been trying to sell the summer cottage in babylon, but it's not really a seller's market right now, so it's been tough. Hopefully things are looking up though since Obama has infused everyone with such hope. I'm so glad I left socialist Denmark so I could be a socialist in America.

Well at least I look like the dude from 300 with my shirt off.

Big Bertha... The queen of the dolls.

2009-10-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

Big Bertha is the one in the middle. Her posture works for a wide variety of activities. It allows her to do the robot. With palms open she is ready to slap any insubordinate dolls, and this is the same pose she uses when carrying a battle axe.

Bertha informed me on the day of my arrival to her realm, that she was the boss, and that she was graciously allowing me to remain (alive) in the room for the semester.

She warned me however that if I got cute she had an army of dolls at her command.

I realized quickly that she had the power to deliver on this promise. These dolls are constantly watching me as I study, sleep, and watch Grey's Anatomy.

And yes... that is Taylor Swift. Don't judge me.

But lo and behold, I am not without friends. While the threatening army of dolls glare at me all the live long day, I have those who have been sent to protect me.

I have angels above me, singing angelically as angels tend to do, and helping me out whenever the dolls get too menacing. Some of them even have little guitars, which always sprinkles a little flavor to the morning.

I would have loved to put up a few more pictures of my bookshelves (also known as the floor) but it takes a million years to upload these, so this will have to do for now.

The Season of Melted Faces...

2009-10-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

General Conference. I love it. I was in Utah for the weekend and essentially did not sleep the whole time, but here are my initial top five favorite talks, and a few quotes and whatnot (in the order they were given at conference):

Richard G. Scott - To Acquire Spiritual Guidance

I always love his talks about revelation and prayer. He always uses a lot of great personal examples and illustrations which makes it so much easier to relate to. What struck me the most was the pattern he outlined that he uses when seeking revelation on any given question.

"[The impressions] came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn. As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down.... After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.

"Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, “Was there yet more to be given?” I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, “Is there more I should know?” And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance."

This is deep stuff, and very helpful. I found the whole talk to be extremely enlightening and useful.

David A. Bednar - More Diligent and Concerned at Home

He always delivers. My favorite part from this talk was what he repeated twice:

"Each of us already knows we should tell the people we love that we love them. But what we know is not always reflected in what we do. We may feel unsure, awkward, or even perhaps a bit embarrassed.

"As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better."

I also thought the analogy he used about the painting in his office was extremely powerful. A lot of the times I feel with my scripture study or prayers that it isn't quite as edifying as I would like, and I get discouraged, and even miss days at a time. But that helps bring perspective that it's okay if each individual brush stroke isn't a masterpiece on its own; it is the over all picture that's being painted that matters.

Dallin H. Oaks - Love and Law

I just thought this talk was doctrinally brilliant. He just lays down the law every time. That was actually a pun on a few levels, but I claim no glory, since it was kind of obvious. Anyways, I love the clarity and simplicity of the doctrine he teaches, and how powerful the ideas are. So many people in the world get confused about this, and I think it's great that he decided to preach the word on it.

"God’s love is so perfect that He lovingly requires us to obey His commandments because He knows that only through obedience to His laws can we become perfect, as He is. For this reason, God’s anger and His wrath are not a contradiction of His love but an evidence of His love. Every parent knows that you can love a child totally and completely while still being creatively angry and disappointed at that child’s self-defeating behavior."

He also quotes D&C 130:20-21, which lays it out pretty nicely.

Jeffrey R. Holland - Safety for the Soul

I was in the conference center for this one, and all I can say is I am surprised that any of us walked out of there alive, because he brought down the house. What struck me the most powerfully I believe is when he said this:

"I ask that my testimony of the Book of Mormon and all that it implies, given today under my own oath and office, be recorded by men on earth and angels in heaven. I hope I have a few years left in my 'last days,' but whether I do or do not, I want it absolutely clear when I stand before the judgment bar of God that I declared to the world, in the most straightforward language I could summon, that the Book of Mormon is true, that it came forth the way Joseph said it came forth and was given to bring happiness and hope to the faithful in the travail of the latter days."

I also thought it was cool the little insight, almost given indirectly about the prophecy of men's hearts failing them in the last days. He referred to the heart as the figurative center of our faith, the poetic location of our loyalties and our values. I thought that was helpful to put it in those terms as reading many of the scriptures where it is used in that way.

D. Todd Christofferson - Moral Discipline

He is also one of my favorites, this talk is loaded with great stuff.

"By 'moral discipline,' I mean self-discipline based on moral standards. Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service (see Mark 10:42–45). The root of the word discipline is shared by the word disciple, suggesting to the mind the fact that conformity to the example and teachings of Jesus Christ is the ideal discipline that, coupled with His grace, forms a virtuous and morally excellent person."

"The lack of internal control by individuals breeds external control by governments."

"I have heard a few parents state that they don’t want to impose the gospel on their children but want them to make up their own minds about what they will believe and follow. They think that in this way they are allowing children to exercise their agency. What they forget is that the intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth, of things as they really are (see D&C 93:24). Without that, young people can hardly be expected to understand and evaluate the alternatives that come before them. Parents should consider how the adversary approaches their children. He and his followers are not promoting objectivity but are vigorous, multimedia advocates of sin and selfishness."

What could I really add? Precise and concise. I love it.

There were so many other great talks, and as always after I study them and listen to them again I'm sure some others will come to the forefront as my new favorites, but these five stood out to me right now.

After what I just experienced this evening with the missionaries I can't begin to describe my gratitude for the fact that I know there are living prophets and Apostles on the earth who teach us sound doctrine so often. It really is such a gift.

Roast Beef

2009-10-10T12:35:00.001-07:00

I am a little ashamed and disgusted with myself.

Yesterday I couldn't seem to get enough food. Even after I was full I just felt like I had to keep eating, and I make it a rule not to deny my body any gratification it demands. I don't want it to get mad at me.

I started with Jack in the Box (two tacos, a milkshake, and a chicken sandwich), then a few hours later I was on my way home from something and decided I needed a grilled stuft steak burrito from Taco Bell. Shortly thereafter I found myself working my way through popsicles and cupcakes. Finally it's starting to get late, and I'm getting concerned... because I'm still hungry and I'm running out of viable options here. Then I see it. A little plastic container of roast beef that I bought a week ago to make sandwiches with.

"Hmmm, well I don't have any bread, lettuce, or anything like that." I keep looking in the fridge and realize that I do have mustard.

The thought comes to me slowly... what if I just put the meat on a plate with the mustard, and just ate it like that? My mind is telling me no, but my body is telling me yes. It is done, and before I know it I'm out for round two.

Be concerned. I know I am.

In other news I am reading The Time Traveler's Wife right now, and it's making me nostalgic for Chicago... and Rachel McAdams.

Conference highlights to follow.

To know good from evil

2009-10-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

In my studies lately I came across these two quotes about an event in the prophets life that I had never known about before. This is one of the instances where Joseph goes to look at the plates and is given instruction by Moroni. This struck me because this is something I have been thinking a lot about lately; one of the primary purposes of our mortal lives is to learn to distinguish between the good and the evil, by our own experience. This is part of becoming like God (see for example Alma 12:31, Moses 5:11, 2 Ne. 2:18, 26, and so on).

"Repentant, Joseph humbly sought the Lord in prayer and was filled with the Spirit. A vision was opened to him, and the 'glory of the Lord shone round about and rested upon him.... He beheld the prince of darkness.... The heavenly messenger [Moroni] said, "all this is shown, the good and the evil, the holy and impure, the glory of God and the power of darkness, that you may know hereafter the two powers and never be influenced or overcome by that wicked one." ... You now see why you could not obtain this record; that this commandment was strict, and that if ever these sacred things are obtained they must be by prayer and faithfulness in obeying the Lord. They are not deposited here for the sake of accumulating gain and wealth for the glory of this world: they were sealed by the prayer of faith, and because of the knowledge which they contain they are of no worth among the children of men, only for their knowledge.' Moroni concluded by warning Joseph that he would not be allowed to obtain the plates 'until he had learned to keep the commandments of God - not only till he was willing but able to do it....'"

The above was taken from the institute manual on church history, and the first quote within it was by Oliver Cowdery, and the second is from History of Joseph Smith.

"While Joseph remained there, the angel told him, 'Now I will show you the distance between light and darkness, and the operation of a good spirit and an evil one. An evil spirit will try to crowd your mind with every evil and wicked thing to keep every good thought and feeling out of your mind, but you must keep your mind always staid upon God, that no evil may come into your heart.' The angel showed him, by contrast, the difference between good and evil, and likewise the consequences of both obedience and disobedience to the commandments of God, in such a striking manner, that the impression was always vivid in his memory until the very end of his days;"

This was taken from the history written by Lucy Mack Smith.

When we obviously recognize something to be evil, it is easy for us to choose the right path, but it seems that it is more common for people to be confused about what is evil. President Monson said it in a different way: "I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not." (Finding Joy in the Journey, Oct. '08)

What a gift it would be to be so spiritually sensitive that we could see things as they really were, and then have the wisdom to choose accordingly.

And so it begins...

2009-10-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Ripon California, at T.J. Owens's house procrastinating this history exam I could be doing.

As soon as he is done with his math homework we will be off on our all night extravaganza that will bring us to the great Salt Lake valley for conference and the mission reunion. It is 9 PM and I am only slightly concerned about falling asleep on the drive and dying a fiery death.

Oh well... dying on the way to conference has to be close to dying on a mission; you're pretty much safe.

So it's the reunion friday night, conference on saturday and sunday (obviously) and then a little bit of NON STOP EXCITEMENT in between. Needless to say, we are going to have a good time.

I have a few things on my mind that I've thought about writing here, and I think I will. So look forward to some profound thoughts soon. I'm going to get deep like the ocean in this piece.

Okay, history paper, here I come!

Goodness Gracious!

2009-09-26T18:44:00.001-07:00

Well, time certainly does fly when we're having fun. I can't exactly say that I haven't had time to write in this thing, but I've just had better things to do.

Even now, I think I am only posting this because of pride (I didn't want to just leave this un-updated for so long), and not really because I wanted to write something. All of the things I have in my mind I don't exactly want to be public discourse, and the other, less private, things that may be worth sharing would take a lot of time to write down.

So where does that leave us?

Nowhere good, that's for sure. Well, I suppose it could be somewhere good. It turns out that no ones happiness (neither yours nor mine) depend on the maintenance of this blog, so good times all around!

My life is pretty standard. I read a lot. I write a lot. I go to classes three days a week and spend most of my time studying when I'm not in class to stay ahead of the game. Much of my thoughts are occupied with great plans/goals/ambitions for the future, as I try to work out the best option for myself. Often my thoughts revert to those kinds of problems when my mind isn't actively engaged in something else. That's pretty handy, as I've "studied out in my mind" many of these problems by now, and feel pretty confident in making a few choices and taking them to the Lord.

Speaking of the Oakland Temple... pretty much the most beautiful temple ever. You can't beat its location on the hill, and the temple grounds are just pretty. The temple itself is massive and elegant. The inside is reverent and peaceful. I have done the cost and benefit analysis... it's worth the drive.

As I have been contemplating the future two quotations have come back to my mind that have been particularly helpful:

The first is by President Henry B. Eyring given in a CES fireside in Sept. 2006. He describes first that the Spirit knows a little something about mathematics and physics. He says that as he was studying, he felt a direct confirmation that what he was studying was true as he was preparing for an examination. So he knew that the Spirit understood whatever was true about the subject he was studying. He then says the following:

“You can imagine that I was tempted to ask God to send me the Holy Ghost during the examination so I wouldn’t need to study further. I knew that He could do it, but I did not ask Him. I felt that He would rather have me learn to pay a price in effort. He may well have sent help in the examination, but I was afraid that my motive might not be His. You have had that same choice to make often. It may have been when you were to be interviewed for a job. It may even have been when you were preparing for a talk or to teach a missionary discussion. Always there is the possibility that you may have a selfish purpose for yourself that is less important to the Lord.

“For instance, I may want a good grade in a course, when He prefers that I learn how to work hard in the service of others. I may want a job because of the salary or the prestige, when He wants me to work somewhere else to bless the life of someone I don’t even know yet. He surely will have purposes for your hearing me speak tonight. He knows you. I might have a desire to entertain or impress you. But I have tried to suppress my desire and surrender to His.” – Henry B. Eyring (Gifts of the Spirit for Hard Times, Sept. 2006)

The bold portion is what stands out to me... and now it I have made it stand out to you, whether you like it or not.

The second is a statement by Ezra Taft Benson:

“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.” (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988, p. 361.)

That's a comforting thought when you feel prompted to make a decision that doesn't seem ideal to you; this helps when the choice doesn't seem to make sense based on what you know. This statement inspires confidence in God's capacity and motive; we can trust Him completely to take us somewhere we want to go, even if that vision ends up being a little different than what we might have planned or chosen if left completely to our own devices.

Okay, back to school kind of stuff...

Jacob and travels to now...

2009-09-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

So I had intended to give a brief account of my travel experience from when I left home, and my mother's embrace, to the present moment. Having procrastinated the task, I feel more inclined to make a much sharper summary just to get it done and behind me. We'll hit the highlights.

Before all that, however, I wanted to write about my new friend Jacob. I was rewarding myself on the first day of school with some KFC at about lunch time. It is the genius combination of KFC and A&W where it becomes possible for me to enjoy a delicious double-crunch sandwich, and a delightful root beer float in a chilled mug. I was enjoying my scrumptious meal when I saw a young mother and her young son in a booth a little ways across from me. He was staring at me and smiling from ear to ear. He had an ice cream cone and told me so repeatedly.

This kid was cute! I had had my first ethics class earlier in the day and we had discussed basic issues of right and wrong and the discussion of whether or not we are born innocent came up. No one in that class room could have looked into this little boys eyes and not been convinced that all of us are born innocent. The family was hispanic, his mother was sitting on her cell phone ignoring her son, and I found out as they left that his father worked at the restaurant. And there this little boy was smiling at me with his ice cream cone. I couldn't help smiling back, the kid looked so happy.

No kid is so cute, however, to make me forget about my delicious double-crunch sandwich, so I continued my business and was eating quickly so I could make it back in time for my next class. Next thing I knew the little kid was right next to me. I said hi, and asked him how he was, and before long he was sitting at the table with me eating his ice cream. This is where we started to become pals. I found out that he was three years old, that his name was Jacob, and was informed that his ice cream was spilling down the side. I offered some counsel that he might try and eat it faster and he took my advice to heart immediately. I looked over at his mom and it looked like she hadn't even noticed that he was gone, as she chatted away on her phone call.

"Alright, Jacob, I will trade you my mashed potatoes for that ice cream." I told him.

He shook his head in the affirmative, wishing to accept my offer. I was pretty surprised that he had said yes, and had to tell him that I was just kidding. Before I could pull the potatoes back he had stuck his finger in them, and with great delight informed me that he had gotten some. I'm kind of laughing as I remember the scene. Well, as I had plenty of potatoes I thought I might as well share a little bit with him if the kid really wanted some that bad. This is where the mother decided that just in case any psychotic kidnappers were trying to run away with her son, she better look around to see where he was. She came over and grabbed him away and apologized. I had not been bothered, but Jacob was quite upset at not being able to have another bite of my mashed potatoes. I cannot blame him, they were delicious.

Anyways, back to the summary of my life:

Copenhagen to New Jersey:

It's always rough to say goodbye at the airport, especially when you know that it may be a while. This was a strange farewell for me as likely I will never be living at home with my mother in quite the same way again. Ted Helvey, when he first saw me, said that there was "no boy left" in me. As I'm not entirely sure how accurate that is overall, it would seem that I'm becoming more and more of a grown-up. Responsibilities, bills, and work is all very overrated in my opinion, so far, but I suppose it does have its moments.

I arrived in the land of the free and the home of the brave 9 or so hours later. This wonderful trip was made more than tolerable by the fact that I got to watch the new Star Trek movie again. Goodness gracious, it is good!

In New Jersey I got some nice quality time with the grandparents, the cousins, and various aunts and uncles. I bought a phone (which ended up being quite the hassle), and got to see the Time Traveller's Wife. Quality stuff. I also happened to show my dominance in the realm of Monopoly, and almost made both of my younger female cousins cry towards the end of the game. Apparently it was not satisfactory that I took several pieces of their property in exchange for the debt they now owed me since landing on my hotels. I could sympathize, but business is business. It would have violated the principle of justice if I had forgiven them the debt. How else would they have learned... to not land on my hotels?

All in all this was a very enjoyable vacation and break in the travels west; Yet, all good things must come to an end.

Well I guess not all good things, but this is one of those good things that ended.

New Jersey to the FRESH COAST:

This flight was a lot less enjoyable, because Delta likes to play a little game called: "let's make everybody pay for the movies and for the food once they are on the plane." This was a game I did not like. In fact, the only thing saving the entire flight from me going all terrorist on everyone was the in-flight trivia. This was entertaining enough to keep me from having a mental breakdown and flipping out on the stewardesses. I do not think I would ever choose to fly with Delta again if I could help it.

I arrived in CA thursday night, feeling a little bit alone in the world. I had a wonderful ride lined up, but still there was a sense of loneliness about being in such a big place with no family, or friends (really) in the close vicinity. I got to the Press/Chandler residence at about 10:30 PM and found that they were all asleep and the lights were off. I was kind of scared of waking everyone up, but we figured it out and I was led to my beautiful new room and even got to unpack a little bit before I went to sleep.

Friday (Beast Mode Defined):

This is the day where I proved my manhood.

Okay, so that is a huge exaggeration. I did, however, have a nice sense of satisfaction and accomplishment about everything I got done so quickly the first day. I was able to drop off my suits at the dry cleaners, order my transcript so I could get in-state tuition, open up a bank account, and then buy a car and insurance. I think I will have to write separately another time about some feelings related to the whole car business, as this is already getting a bit long.

The next day I worked in Bro. LaPorte's yard so I could eat and buy textbooks. Sunday I went to three sacrament meetings, had a wonderful dinner with the Batey's (I am now considering passing around a dinner calendar in the family wards), and got to see some old friends.

Monday, I ran some errands and then today was the first day of school. Basically I like all of my teachers, I think I will like all of my classes, and I am pretty happy with my schedule. I signed up for a few institute classes and so now as soon as I get my books in the mail I will be good to go.

That is basically my life... having caught us up on some of the mundane details, I can spend a little energy on some more enlightening topics later on.

Hmmm... it would appear I need some sort of sign off, or at least a witty way to end the post. I think I am a little bit too old to just ninja vanish, yet that is what I most feel like doing at this time. I guess until further notice I will just have to request that everyone stays classy.

In the beginning...

2009-08-28T19:42:00.001-07:00

I think I try too hard to be clever sometimes. I'm not going to be clever. There will be nothing clever about this.

The long and short of this business is that I am going to start blogging for the sake of my dear mother. It doesn't get much more big and important than a blog.

The format will be pretty relaxed, and full of hellfire and brimstone. Every now and again I will do a little something I like to call: PREACHING THE WORD. Done with the understanding that I don't have a whole lot of authority to say anything, but I like to anyways. This would be an occasional thought or insight that I've tried to organize the best I could into writing in order to clarify my thinking on the subject. Maybe we'll like some of the same stuff.

I shall also, as my time and patience permit, record a little adventure or two along the way. I am after all a full fledged adult with bills to pay, fighting my way through the big bad world.

I love to underline, highlight, and bracket stuff as I read, and may at times share some of my favorite quotes and thoughts from the books I am reading. I think we have a much better shot at something deep and meaningful here if the words are not my own, so let's all be excited for that.

And you know, maybe I'll just sprinkle a little pixie dust every now and then and surprise you with something completely different than the above.

Now that we all know what to expect...