tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73776158368884760512024-03-18T21:25:39.769-07:00Layne's LunchMy random ramblingsLBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.comBlogger680125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-46569352412025165122023-01-08T08:28:00.000-08:002023-01-08T08:29:17.382-08:00My Green Lizard Sauce<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Layne's Green Lizard Sauce</h1><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ingredients <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMO7-M0EvIyFvg-BAQfqOyIhWL4_nKTLK-FoDMzR4XWpkOPK2vq3kC4mteVoubvJZmQavyAi5Uob_56d12Z5kt8jOLvy5LRahWjalznmmD-xF2f3sfD_H8_rj2WbzeZ0gVHMnhcXCCC87b-tyBPSzsoywYgjVCXXHQfAQXAqJ5r5x-H8_lhUB41VR8g/s3778/IMG_4224.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3778" data-original-width="2047" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMO7-M0EvIyFvg-BAQfqOyIhWL4_nKTLK-FoDMzR4XWpkOPK2vq3kC4mteVoubvJZmQavyAi5Uob_56d12Z5kt8jOLvy5LRahWjalznmmD-xF2f3sfD_H8_rj2WbzeZ0gVHMnhcXCCC87b-tyBPSzsoywYgjVCXXHQfAQXAqJ5r5x-H8_lhUB41VR8g/w173-h320/IMG_4224.jpeg" width="173" /></a></div><br /></h3><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>About a dozen (depending on size) Green Jalapeños seeded and chopped</li><li>4-6 cloves of garlic (peeled)</li><li>1 cup apple cider vinegar</li><li>1 cup filtered water</li><li>3 Tbsp Sugar</li><li>1 Tbsp salt</li><li>1/4 tsp xanthan gum powder</li></ul><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Instructions:</h3><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 1</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Cut up and remove seeds from peppers.</li><li>Place the peppers and the garlic cloves in a 1 quart glass jar. They should be tightly packed</li><li>Place the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a bowl and stir until it is dissolved</li><li>Pour the liquid into the quart jar until it covers the peppers and garlic. Add additional water if needed to cover the peppers</li><li>Place a lid on the jar and let it sit in the refrigerator for 2-6 weeks.</li></ul><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Several Weeks Later</h4><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pour the contents of the jar through a fine strainer.</li><li>Pick out the peppers and garlic, leaving the seeds in the strainer. Save the strained liquid.</li><li>Place the following in a high speed blender</li><ul><li>Peppers and garlic</li><li>1/4 cup fresh lime juice</li><li>2 cups of the strained liquid.</li><li>Up to one cup water</li></ul><li>Blend at high speed until the liquid is very smooth. (It will have a lot of air in it.)</li><li>Add water if you would like a thinner sauce . </li><li>Place the liquid in a sauce pan and slowing bring it to a low boil stirring often to remove the air.</li><li>Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.</li><li>Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum powder in the sauce and whisk vigorously until the sauce thickens slightly. (This will help prevent the sauce from separating in the bottles) </li><li>Let the sauce cool then pour it into glass containers </li><li>Refrigerate at least 2 days before using.</li></ul><p></p><p>Keep refrigerated and shake well before using.</p><p>Note, this is a very mild sauce. Add a few Serrano peppers if you want to take it up a notch. </p><p><br /></p>LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-84960991613301549162019-11-11T19:44:00.001-08:002019-12-07T10:58:04.774-08:00My JournalI have been writing in a journal for many years. The other day someone saw me writing in my journal and asked me about my "system". Here is the current iteration of what I do.<br />
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At first glance, it may look like my journal is a paper-based planner, but it is not. A planner is for what you are planning to do. My journal is for things that have already happened. <br />
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Normally (for most other life changes) I would suggest you get started right now and then adjust your trajectory once you are moving forward. However, in this case, I recommend you get the right equipment first. It will be a much better experience.<br />
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<u>Step 1: Get a good pen.</u><br />
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Yes, this is a bit geeky, but if you don't like your writing instrument then you will be less likely to pick it up and use it. I have a lot of nice pens that get cycled around based on how I am feeling so I don't have one favorite. Get a pen that feels good in your hand and writes smoothly. I prefer gel pens personally, but there are a couple of ink refills that I also really like. You will notice that I focus on the refill, not the pen. Find a pen that you like, then get a better refill for it. Most pens have low quality refills in them when they are sold. My current go-to journal pen is the<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JWQ35S9/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank"> Parker Jotter XL</a>. The standard Jotter is a bit small for my liking and the XL feels nicer in my hand.<br />
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<li>Gel Refills: </li>
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<li>I've tried a lot of gel refills and I keep coming back to the Parker gel refill. They just seem to work better. Also, most of my pens take Parker refills. </li>
<li>I also like how the Cross gel refill flows, but it makes a bit too bold of a line for me. </li>
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<li>Ink pen Refills:</li>
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<li>My favorite ink refill is definitely the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWJ6KGK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Schneider Slider 755 XB Ballpoint Pen</a> refill. It is also a Parker style refill, but has the smoothest flowing ink that I have found. </li>
<li>Another really nice refill is the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FTGCFI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Fisher Space Pen Point Pressurized Refill, Black Bold (SPR4B)</a>. The beauty of this refill is that it fits Parker style pens and well as a bunch of other brands of pens. It writes anywhere and even writes upside down if you happen to be lying down when you write. </li>
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<u>Step 2: Get a good journal</u><br />
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<li>Don't be cheap. You will use it every single day. Get a good one. You won't regret it. The daily marginal cost of a good one is very low. $20 for 90 days is less than 25 cents per day. It is worth it and you will enjoy the writing experience much more. </li>
<li>Things that make a great notebook. </li>
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<li>Great writing paper makes for a great writing experience</li>
<li>Numbered pages (more on that later) </li>
<li>Table of contents </li>
<li>Quality binding so it lasts for three months. </li>
<li>Great colors so you can mix it up a bit each quarter. </li>
<li>Dotted pages, I don't like lined pages, they are too restrictive. Having dots helps keep things neat and orderly </li>
<li>You need at least 180 numbered pages. I would say that 200 is the minimum. </li>
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<li>My favorite of all time is the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leuchtturm1917-Medium-Dotted-Hardcover-Notebook/dp/B002TSIMW4?ref_=ast_bbp_dp" target="_blank">Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook</a>. I have tried several of them including the Moleskine and the much cheaper Minimalist Art (Amazon) the Leuchtturm is superior to both of them. </li>
<li>Also, purchase a stick-on pen loop for the journal. That way you won't have to look for a pen when you want to start writing. You can find them on Amazon. </li>
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<u>Step 3: Set up your journal</u><br />
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<li>Plan on getting a new journal every 3 months (quarterly). You may be able to cram 4 months into one, but it won't leave any extra room. </li>
<li>Put your contact information in the front. Hopefully someone will call you if you misplace it. </li>
<li>Save room for a table of contents. The Leuchtturm has a built in TOC which is a nice feature. </li>
<li>Put your quarterly goals in the front few pages. That's another blog post for another day. I set quarterly goals, not yearly goals. <a href="https://michaelhyatt.com/the-quarterly-review/" target="_blank">Check out Michael Hyatt's discussion</a> about this. </li>
<li>Save a page or two in the back for your quarterly review. </li>
<li>Save a bunch of pages at the end for doodling, pictures, and overflow. </li>
<li>Set up three months worth of dates using the 2-page per day format as shown below. </li>
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<li><b>Today:</b> This is where I record what I did for the day. I found that I wanted to know what I did, not what I planned to do. So this is where I write it down. If you do it this way, then your activity list doesn't get mixed in with your journal-type entries. (Note: I use military time. It is easier for me) </li>
<li><b>Big 3</b>: This is another Michael Hyatt thing. Identify your three must-do activities for the day and write them down at the start of each day. Some people put these in their to-do list, but sometimes the most important activities can get lost in the long list. Also, if I write them down I find that I'm more thoughtful about it. </li>
<li><b>Prayer:</b> A friend of mine gave me this idea. How many times have you said that you would pray for someone, but when you get to a quiet place/time to pray you forget. So, this is where I capture what I'm thinking about and praying for that day. </li>
<li><b>I.A.T.F:</b> This stands for I am Thankful For _______. I got this idea from a post I read about having a gratitude journal. It is very enlightening to pause and count your blessings several times a day. </li>
<li><b>Best Thing:</b> There seems to be a lot of insight gained from pausing at the end of the day to think about the best thing that happened during the day. The frustrations and negativity wash away as I ponder on the good things and try to pick the best one. </li>
<li><b>Journal/Thoughts/Ideas/Notes:</b> This is where I write my traditional journal-type entries. You may ask, "But what if I run out of room?" That's the beauty of using a notebook with numbered pages. Just flip to the back of the notebook, find a blank page and keep writing. Then go back to Today and make a note at the bottom. Continued on page ____. Easy! </li>
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<u>Step 4: Final thoughts</u><br />
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<li>Keep you journal with you as much as you can. You can't write in it if you don't have it. </li>
<li>Write during the day as you go, don't wait until the evening. You will end up with a much better journal if you write short entries multiple times. </li>
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<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-72611103184933692302018-06-19T08:45:00.000-07:002018-06-19T08:45:12.780-07:002 Nephi Chapter 25 - Understanding Isaiah<br />
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Recently I had a nephew ask me a question about the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon. He was concerned that he wasn’t getting much out of the Isaiah chapters and wanted to know if I had any advice. I gave him some of the standard answers like getting a commentary to help and looking for the symbolism, but he didn't seem to be satisfied by my answer. The next day during my morning scripture study I re-read 2 Nephi Chapter 25 and had a bit of an epiphany. I came to the conclusion that the key to understanding the "Isaiah chapters" is contained in Chapter 25. Nephi explained why he included these chapters in the Book of Mormon. Carefully reading chapter 25 and outlining why Nephi said he included these chapters provides a study template as you re-read the previous chapters. Looking at these chapters through the Nephi's eyes will open our own eyes to what is contained in the books of Isaiah.</div>
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In order to fully understand what Nephi was trying to say, a person needs to read the entire chapter. However, verses 4 and 5 are particularly instructive.</div>
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<span style="-en-paragraph: true; font-weight: bold;">4</span> <span style="-en-paragraph: true;">Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father; for behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn.</span></div>
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<span style="-en-paragraph: true; font-weight: bold;">5</span> <span style="-en-paragraph: true;">Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.</span></div>
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As you continue reading chapter 25 you will notice a continued emphasis on how the writings of Isaiah included in the Book of Mormon are targeted at the helping the Jews come to understand and know Jesus Christ. Recall what it says on the title page of the Book of Mormon:</div>
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"Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations”</div>
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Elder David A. Bednar said: </div>
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"The convincing and converting powers of the Book of Mormon come from both a central focus upon the Lord Jesus Christ and the inspired plainness and clarity of its teachings. Nephi declared, “My soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn” (2 Nephi 25:4) The root word plain in this verse does not refer to things that are ordinary or simple; rather, it denotes instruction that is clear and easily understood."</div>
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"The Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth because it centers upon the Truth (see John 14:6 and 1 Nephi 13:40) even Jesus Christ, and restores the plain and precious things that have been taken away from the true gospel (see 1 Nephi 13:26, 28–29, 32, 34–35, 40) The unique combination of these two factors—a focus on the Savior and the plainness of the teachings—powerfully invites the confirming witness of the third member of the Godhead, even the Holy Ghost. Consequently, the Book of Mormon speaks to the spirit and to the heart of the reader like no other volume of scripture. (David A. Bednar, “Watching with all perseverance” April 2010 LDS General Conference)</div>
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With those two thoughts in mind, now, President Nelson's prophetic direction given at the Worldwide Devotional for Youth becomes perfectly clear. </div>
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"My dear young brothers and sisters, these surely <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic!" (Russell M. Nelson, Worldwide Devotional for Youth, 3 June 2018)</div>
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The Book of Mormon is the tool the Lord has provided to help gather Israel in the last days. It was written for then entire world so they (including me) can come to know Jesus Christ. </div>
<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-7535255434577741972018-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:002018-06-01T12:42:00.746-07:00Ministering - Matthew 20:26-28<div>
We are beginning a new era of ministering and many of us are asking questions like, "What does that mean to me?" or "What am I supposed to do?" As we re-evaluate our individual ministering efforts we learn that more appropriate questions might be, "What challenges do my neighbors have? How are they feeling? What are they struggling with? Is it possible for us to shift our focus from what should "I" be doing, to a what "they" need? </div>
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In the April General Conference, President Nelson said: "A hallmark of the Lord’s true and living Church will always be an organized, directed effort to minister to individual children of God and their families. Because it is His Church, we as His servants will minister to the one, just as He did. We will minister in His name, with His power and authority, and with His loving-kindness." (Russell M Nelson, "Ministering with the Power and Authority of God", April 2018 LDS General Conference)</div>
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What does it mean to minister as the Savior did? Perhaps the verses in Matthew 20:26-28 will help us. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;</div>
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27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:</div>
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28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:26-28) </div>
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This mental shift from counting visits to making our service count will help us come to know how we can help meet the needs of others. In the April General Conference Sister Jean B. Bingham said: </div>
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"Sometimes we think we have to do something grand and heroic to “count” as serving our neighbors. Yet simple acts of service can have profound effects on others—as well as on ourselves. What did the Savior do? Through His supernal gifts of the Atonement and Resurrection—which we celebrate on this beautiful Easter Sunday—“none other has had so profound an influence [on] all who have lived and who will yet live upon the earth.” But He also smiled at, talked with, walked with, listened to, made time for, encouraged, taught, fed, and forgave. He served family and friends, neighbors and strangers alike, and He invited acquaintances and loved ones to enjoy the rich blessings of His gospel. Those “simple” acts of service and love provide a template for our ministering today. (Jean B. Bingham, "Ministering as the Savior Does", April 2018 LDS General Conference)</div>
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May we each go forward and minister with greater love, compassion, and service. May we be prepared to respond to the inspiration it leads to faith-filled actions. </div>
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LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-73166105438844635232018-04-02T08:48:00.001-07:002018-04-02T08:49:55.618-07:00D&C 20:73 - Having Been Commissioned <span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">As I listened to the baptismal prayer recently, a thought came to me. What does it mean to be commissioned of Jesus Christ? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">"Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." (D&C 20:73). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">Many years ago I received my commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air force. I knew that my commission appointed me to my rank, gave me authority to perform certain duties, and officially charged me to function in that rank. The Oath of Office is recited upon commissioning and is administered by a higher-ranking officer who will raise his or her right hand and recites the Oath of office aloud while the officer taking the oath repeats the words. That oath states: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">“I [state your full name], having been appointed a (rank) in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">This Oath of Office is required by federal law. But it has a greater meaning than simply reciting some words on a page. When you take the oath, your oath is your word. The Oath of Office serves to remind you of your obligation to serve your country. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">As I reflected on this experience and the statement “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ” I realized that unlike taking the oath of office, I don’t remember standing with my arm raised and taking an oath when I received the Melchizedek priesthood. I do remember sitting with hands laid on my head and having the priesthood conferred upon me. I also remember that there is an oath and a covenant associated with the Melchizedek priesthood. Did I somehow miss taking an oath? </span><br />
<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">We gain some additional insight on this idea of the priesthood oath in this quote by Elder Renlund from the October 2017 LDS General Conference: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">"To each man who receives the Melchizedek Priesthood, God affirms His covenant promises with an oath. This oath pertains only to the Melchizedek Priesthood, and it is God who swears the oath, not the priesthood holder. Because this unique situation involves His divine power and authority, God uses an oath, employing the most forceful language He can, to assure us of the binding and irreversible nature of His promises. (Dale G. Renlund, The Priesthood and the Savior’s Atoning Power, October 2017 LDS General Conference.) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">When we receive the priesthood by confirmation, we are benefactors of the oath God has made with us as well as the blessings of the covenant. So, why do we have the priesthood conferred upon us rather than taking an oath? The Latin root of the word confer has two parts. First “con” which means together and “ferre” which means to bring. With that in mind, confer means to bring together as well as to give or to bestow. So what does this confirmation bring together? It appears to be helpful if we read the first phrase from D&C 20:73. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">"The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." (D&C 20:73)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">Note that it states that the person performing the baptism must be both called of God and have authority from Jesus Christ. The confirmation of the priesthood seems to bring together the call to serve, the authority to act, the appointment to the commission, the binding of God’s oath, and the promises of the covenant. With this confirmation, we then can go forward and use this commission to bless the lives of others. President Thomas S. Monson said: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #441500; font-family: inherit;">"Miracles are everywhere to be found when priesthood callings are magnified. When faith replaces doubt, when selfless service eliminates selfish striving, the power of God brings to pass His purposes. The priesthood is not really so much a gift as it is a commission to serve, a privilege to lift, and an opportunity to bless the lives of others." (Thomas S. Monson, Do your Duty - That is Best, October 2005 LDS General Conference) </span>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-50942487772135859872018-03-26T18:25:00.003-07:002018-03-26T18:25:21.342-07:00Alma 7:24 - Charity<div>
At the end of Chapter 6 in <a href="https://www.lds.org/manual/preach-my-gospel-a-guide-to-missionary-service?lang=eng">Preach My Gospel</a>, there is a self assessment to help you understand how you are developing Christ-like attributes. During a recent priesthood leadership meeting our stake president asked us to each take the self assessment and identify an attribute we could work on. The statements in the self assessment in Preach My gospel say this:</div>
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<li>I feel a sincere desire for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. (Mosiah 28:3)</li>
<li>When I pray, I ask for charity—the pure love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47–48)</li>
<li>I try to understand others’ feelings and see their point of view. (Jude 1:22)</li>
<li>I forgive others who have offended or wronged me. (Ephesians 4:32)</li>
<li>I try to help others when they are struggling or discouraged. (Mosiah 18:9)</li>
<li>When appropriate, I tell others that I love them and care about them. (Luke 7:12–15)</li>
<li>I look for opportunities to serve other people. (Mosiah 2:17)</li>
<li>I say positive things about others. (D&C 42:27)</li>
<li>I am kind and patient with others, even when they are hard to get along with. (Moroni 7:45)</li>
<li>I find joy in others’ achievements. (Alma 17:2–4)</li>
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I’m not proud to say that Charity came up with the lowest score. So I decided to do some scripture study and pondering about charity. </div>
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We all know from Moroni 7:47 that “Charity is the pure love of Christ”. We also learn that we must have charity and we are given the actions of someone who has charity. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have always taken a very pragmatic view of obedience and blessings. I am confident that blessings come from obedience, but I also believe that if you are not receiving the promised blessings from a particular commandment, then you may need to work on improving your obedience. For example, if you are unable to run and not be weary, then maybe the Word of Wisdom needs another look. </div>
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As I read <a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/7.24?lang=eng#23">Alma 7:24</a> "<span style="font-style: italic;">And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.</span>” my pragmatic mind grabbed on to this thought. If I am abounding in good works, then do I have (at least) a portion of charity? This thought gave me, and maybe people like me-who struggle with reaching out with compassion to others, at least some hope that if we try to abound it good works, maybe this is the beginning of developing Christ-like charity. </div>
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Finally, consider this thought by President Monson: </div>
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"I consider charity—or “the pure love of Christ”—to be the opposite of criticism and judging. In speaking of charity, I do not at this moment have in mind the relief of the suffering through the giving of our substance. That, of course, is necessary and proper. Tonight, however, I have in mind the charity that manifests itself when we are tolerant of others and lenient toward their actions, the kind of charity that forgives, the kind of charity that is patient.</div>
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"I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others.</div>
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"There is a serious need for the charity that gives attention to those who are unnoticed, hope to those who are discouraged, aid to those who are afflicted. True charity is love in action. The need for charity is everywhere." (Thomas S. Monson, “Charity Never Faileth”, October 2010 LDS General Conference) </div>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-58238156827648851982018-03-04T17:55:00.001-08:002018-03-04T17:55:52.405-08:00Ether 8:7 - What do you want?<div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
The other day I had the opportunity to sit and ponder on a profound question. I asked myself, "What do you want?”. It caused me to think about what I am praying for. We often pray to have some trial or stress removed from our life. We pray for peace and protection so we can avoid the challenges that might come to us. These are worthy things to pray for. (see Alma 34:218-27). But do our prayers really match the desires of our hearts. What is the greatest desire of your heart? What do you really want? </div>
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There is a great story in the 8th chapter of the Book of Ether about Jared. Now this isn’t the Jared that has a brother and was at the tower of Babel when the languages were confounded. This is another Jared. This is the Jared with the dancing daughter. As you recall, Jared was forced to give up his kingdom in order to save his own life. Then you find this profound statement: </div>
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'And now Jared became exceedingly sorrowful because of the loss of the kingdom, for he had set his heart upon the kingdom and upon the glory of the world.' (Ether 8:7)</div>
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Jared's daughter then put it into his heart to form a secret combination the eventually lead to the murder of the king and Jared being restored to power. However, this secret combination lead to the entire destruction of his people as well as losing his own life. With his heart set on power and glory, he was blinded to eternally appropriate heart-felt desires. </div>
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So, back to the questions. What do you want? What are you exchanging your life for?</div>
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Are our hearts set on the things of this world (D&C 121:35), or is it focused on Jesus Christ? “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:34)<br />
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Some may think that if they had more money then they would be happy. What would you do with it? Money is good for one thing. It is used to buy things of this world. Is that what you want? If you are eventually given all that our Father has, then what good will a few worldly trinkets be?</div>
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Remember this advice: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (3 Nephi 13:33) </div>
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Dale Carnegie once said, “If you are not in the process of becoming the person you want to be, you are automatically engaged in becoming the person you don’t want to be.”</div>
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Finally consider these words by Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf: </div>
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"We know what matters most in life—the Light of Christ teaches this to everyone. We as faithful Latter-day Saints have the Holy Ghost as a “constant companion” to teach us the things of eternal value. I imagine that any priesthood holder listening to my voice today, if asked to prepare a talk on the subject “what matters most,” could and would do an excellent job. Our weakness is in failing to align our actions with our conscience."</div>
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"Pause for a moment and check where your own heart and thoughts are. Are you focused on the things that matter most? How you spend your quiet time may provide a valuable clue. Where do your thoughts go when the pressure of deadlines is gone? Are your thoughts and heart focused on those short-lived fleeting things that matter only in the moment or on things that matter most?” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “We are doing a great work and cannot come down”, April 2009 LDS General Conference) </div>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-70875738538462053922018-02-16T14:54:00.000-08:002018-02-16T14:54:20.270-08:00Efficiency: "The thing that thou doest is not good." (Exodus 18:17)<br />
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As I re-read Elder Eyring's April 2017 general conference talk I came across this little gem. </div>
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". . . the Lord’s work is not just to solve problems; it is to build people. So as you walk with Him in priesthood service, you may find that sometimes what seems like the most efficient solution is not the Lord’s preferred solution because it does not allow people to grow." (Henry B. Eyring, "Walk with Me", April 2017 LDS General Conference) </div>
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This statement reminded me of a quote by Stephen R. Covey that I heard a long time ago. He said. </div>
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“You think effectiveness with people and efficiency with things.”</div>
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— Stephen R. Covey</div>
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Remember the story in Exodus 18:12-26. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, gives Moses some wise council on effective leadership. The problem was that Moses was spending his entire day sitting as the judge of the people. Jethro pointed out to him that "The thing that thou doest is not good." (Exodus 18:17). Jethro then reminded Moses, that as the prophet, his responsibility was to teach and lead the people (vs. 20). He could choose "able" men to judge the smaller matters and leaving only the hard cases for himself. </div>
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This story reminds me that as a priesthood leader to be careful when I start to think that it may be quicker and more efficient if I simply take the responsibility and do the work myself. It often takes longer to teach someone what to do than it is to simply get it done. But as Elder Eyring reminds us, in priesthood service our goal is to help people grow. We may find ourselves starting to look beyond the mark (Jacob 4:14) if we think that we are responsible for the hastening of the work. Re-read the verse about hastening the work carefully:</div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Behold, I will hasten my work in its time. (D&C 88:73)</div>
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Who will do the hastening? He will. It is his work. If he wants it done more efficiently, then he will teach us and show us the way. Our responsibility is not to create and run the most highly-efficient organization, our focus is elsewhere. From that same talk, Elder Eyring made it clear how we should participate in the work. </div>
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"Remember that God’s work and glory is not simply to run an effective organization; it is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39) This is, after all, why He gives His priesthood authority to flawed mortals like you and me and invites us to participate in His work. Our progress <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> His work!" (Henry B. Eyring, "Walk with Me", April 2017 LDS General Conference) </div>
</span><br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-31375662248128482172018-02-01T07:05:00.001-08:002018-02-01T07:05:06.782-08:00I Was Called, But I Would Not Hear (Alma 10:6)<br />
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Many people can relate to Amulek, one of the lesser known people in the Book of Mormon. After Amulek joined Alma in preaching the gospel to the people of Ammonihah he shared his conversion story with the people and made this profound statement. </div>
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"...for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart," (Alma 10:6)</div>
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When I read the portion of this verse that stated "I would not hear", I immediately thought of a similar scripture in Matthew 11:15</div>
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15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 11:15)</div>
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This commandment to "Let him hear" is interesting in light of the discussion in the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants starting in verse 34. </div>
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Many are called but few are chosen. </div>
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Why? Because of their hearts. </div>
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What's wrong with their hearts? They are set on the things of this world and they aspire to the honors of men. </div>
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What are the things of this world? The things of this world is anything you can buy with money. </div>
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That is exactly what exactly what Amulek was saying. His heart was clouded with wickedness and he would not (or could not) hear the call. Consider this quote by Elder Kim B. Clark about having ears that hear. </div>
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"If we will look to Christ and open our eyes and our ears, the Holy Ghost will bless us to see the Lord Jesus Christ working in our lives, strengthening our faith in Him with assurance and evidence. We increasingly will see all of our brothers and sisters the way God sees them, with love and compassion. We will hear the Savior’s voice in the scriptures, in the whisperings of the Spirit, and in the words of the living prophets. We will see the power of God resting upon His prophet and all the leaders of His true and living Church, and we will know with a surety that this is God’s holy work. We will see and understand ourselves and the world around us the way the Savior does. We will come to have what the Apostle Paul called “the mind of Christ.” We will have eyes to see and ears to hear, and we will build the kingdom of God." (Kim B. Clark, "Eyes to See and Ears to Hear", October 2015 LDS General Conference) </div>
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LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-90021224200249788342018-01-15T12:54:00.000-08:002018-01-15T12:54:00.414-08:00Ponderize Mosiah 13:11 - Written in your HeartsWhen Abinadi was calling King Noah and his priests to repentance he made an profound statement. <br />
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11 And now I read unto you the remainder of the commandments of God, for I perceive that they are not written in your hearts; I perceive that ye have studied and taught iniquity the most part of your lives. (Mosiah 13:11)<br />
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This raises two questions:<br />
- What do you have written in your heart?<br />
- What do you study? <br />
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We have difficulty remembering the words of the Lord. That is why we are told to read the scriptures every day. What we read, watch, and listen to goes into our spirit and into our hearts the same way that the food we eat affects our physical body. This is why it is important that we study the best books. If you study iniquity and teach iniquity, then iniquity will be written in your heart. The same goes for what you watch and listen to. Remember these words: <br />
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7 And as all have not faith, 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 109:7)<br />
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Because books were the media of Joseph Smith’s day, it is reasonable that the church members would be directed to seek learning out of the best books. In our day that scripture could say "seek ye out of the best media". Or perhaps the Lord would direct one of his apostles to proclaim:<br />
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"If we do not make good choices, the media can devastate our families and pull our children away from the narrow gospel path. In the virtual reality and the perceived reality of large and small screens, family-destructive viewpoints and behavior are regularly portrayed as pleasurable, as stylish, as exciting, and as normal. Often media’s most devastating attacks on family are not direct or frontal or openly immoral. Intelligent evil is too cunning for that, knowing that most people still profess belief in family and in traditional values. Rather the attacks are subtle and amoral—issues of right and wrong don’t even come up. Immorality and sexual innuendo are everywhere, causing some to believe that because everyone is doing it, it must be all right. This pernicious evil is not out in the street somewhere; it is coming right into our homes, right into the heart of our families.” (M. Russell Ballard, “Let Our Voices Be Heard”, October 2003 LDS General Conference)LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-51971026926757454602018-01-11T12:20:00.001-08:002018-01-11T12:20:32.395-08:00Doin' The BruI'm always on the lookout for a new and tasty warm beverage. I'm not a big chocolate milk fan (because of the milk and the sugar.) I'm more into things like <a href="https://postum.com/">Postum</a>, <a href="https://worldfiner.com/pero">Pero</a>, and <a href="http://shop.celestialseasonings.com/Fruit-Tea-Sampler/p/CEL-055003&c=CelestialSeasonings@Herbal">fruity herbal teas</a>. Knowing my quest for tasty beverages to warm up on a cold winter's night, my sister suggested I try <a href="https://criobru.com/">Crio Bru</a>. So I gave it a go.<br />
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It is a bit more labor intensive that simply heating up some water and stirring in a scoop of powder, but it isn't that difficult. Here is the method that I have developed over the last year.<br />
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First you need a way to heat some water to boiling. For most people their appliance of choice is to use the microwave. However, I like to take a bit more European approach. I love our electric tea kettle and I use it a lot. It is so simple. Water in, push button, dump boiling water out. There are dozens of electric tea kettles on the market and they are not that expensive.<br />
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The second item you need is a french press. Since I had no experience making coffee, this required a bit of research. I finally settled on a nice 30 oz one made out of glass. It has worked quite well. They say you can make Crio Bru with a coffee maker, but I haven't tried it.<br />
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The final item you need is something to drink your delicious Crio Bru from. Of course you could simply dump it into a coffee cup, but what is the fun in that? I want to sip it for a while and a coffee cup just isn't big enough nor will it keep my Bru warm. So what do you do? Easy. You see what coffee drinkers are using. They are the experts on keeping hot drinks hot. My mug of choice is the Stanley Classic 20 oz vacuum mug. I tried a lot of stainless steel containers, and it came down to this one because of the lid. The lid is the best thing about this mug. It doesn't leak, it is easy to clean, has a cool trigger that opens the valve, and it is comfortable to drink from. If my Yeti Rambler Bottle (which is a superior bottle) had this same lid, I would use the Yeti, but the Yeti is really lacking in the lid category.<br />
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Now that you have the proper equipment it is time to brew some bru. But wait! there are several flavors of Crio Bru. Which one should I choose? Let me save you some trouble. Buy the Ghana French Roast. I've tried the others. They aren't as good. The light roasts seem watery and lack flavor.<br />
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Here is what I do.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Bring some water to a boil</li>
<li>Place 1/4 cup of Crio Bru in your French press</li>
<li>Dump the boiling water into your stainless steel mug (20 oz)</li>
<li>Dump the water from mug into the French Press and put on the lid. </li>
<li>Go find something to do for 20 minutes (I don't care what the package says, give it at least 20 minutes) </li>
<li>Push the plunger down very slowly on your french press</li>
<li>Dump the Bru into your mug</li>
<li>Add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite creamer. I like the <a href="https://www.califiafarms.com/shop-products/creamers?offset=0&limit=40&includeUnavailable">Califa Farms varieties</a>. </li>
<li>Put the lid on your mug</li>
<li>Enjoy your Crio Bru</li>
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<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-82623088691689737702018-01-04T13:39:00.000-08:002018-01-04T13:39:02.267-08:00Ponderize Helaman 10:12 - Immediate Obedience<div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
A scripture speaking about the prophet Nephi in the Book of Helaman contains an interesting phrase the we often skip over. In verse 11 of chapter 10, the Lord commanded Nephi to go and cry repentance to the people. His response in verse 12 is very instructive. See if you can pick it out. </div>
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12 And behold, now it came to pass that when the Lord had spoken these words unto Nephi, he did stop and did not go unto his own house, but did return unto the multitudes who were scattered about upon the face of the land, and began to declare unto them the word of the Lord which had been spoken unto him, concerning their destruction if they did not repent. (Helaman 10:12)</div>
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Note the phrase "he did stop and did not go unto is own house, but did return". We often quote the "go and do" scripture (1 Nephi 3:7) as an example of obedience, but this one gives an additional perspective on a new level of obedience. He immediately stopped what he was doing, he didn't go home, and he went and did what he was instructed to do. Sometimes we put the prompting on our "To Do" list rather than simply getting up and getting it done. President Monson reminded us:</div>
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"Don’t postpone a prompting; rather, act on it, and the Lord will open the way." (Thomas S. Monson, "Stand in Your Appointed Place", April 2003 LDS General Conference) </div>
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Another example of this type of immediate obedience is found in Matthew Chapter 28:5-8</div>
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5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.</div>
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6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.</div>
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7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.</div>
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8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.</div>
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Notice how they departed quickly and they ran to fill the commandment of the angel. Finally, this quote by Elder Eyring is a great reminder for each of us to commit to quickly do whatever God asks of us. </div>
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"A loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son have given us all the help They can to pass the test of life set before us. But we must decide to obey and then do it. We build the faith to pass the tests of obedience over time and through our daily choices. We can decide now to do quickly whatever God asks of us. And we can decide to be steady in the small tests of obedience which build the faith to carry us through the great tests, which will surely come." (Henry B. Eyring, "Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady, October 2005 LDS General Conference) </div>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-47140132104096387042017-12-18T13:55:00.002-08:002017-12-18T13:55:53.212-08:00Ponderize John 10:14 - Does He know me? Do I know Him?I had the unfortunate opportunity to be in Times Square in New York City on Black Friday 2017. The details of why I found myself in that crush of people are not important other than to say I had to give up some of my agency to be there. As I looked around and saw the sea bodies a thought came to my mind that is captured in 3 Nephi 18:31.<br />
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". . . I know my sheep, and they are numbered"<br />
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I have come to know through personal experience with the Spirit that I am known of Him, but as I struggled through the press of people I couldn't help but wonder if he can really know the millions of people on this earth? How is that possible?<br />
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As I looked through the cross references for the scripture in 3 Nephi, I re-read John 10:14:<br />
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"I am the good Shepard, and know my sheep, and am known of mine"<br />
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This scripture gives us additional confidence that he knows his sheep, but the second part of the scripture causes me to ponder the questions, Do I know Him?. He he said that he is "known of mine" or from a more pragmatic approach, we would need to know the Savior in order to be counted among His sheep.<br />
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How do we come to know the Savior? Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk in the October 2016 LDS General Conference titled "If Ye Had Known Me". In that talk he gave 4 principles we need to apply in our lives in order to come to know the Savior. He said, "<br />
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"A grand objective of mortality is not merely learning about the Only Begotten of the Father but also striving to know Him. Four essential steps that can help us come to know the Lord are exercising faith in Him, following Him, serving Him, and believing Him."<br />
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He continued:<br />
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"On a future day, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess” (Mosiah 27:31) that Jesus is the Christ. On that blessed day, we will know He knows each of us by name. And I witness and promise we can not only know about the Lord but also come to know Him."<br />
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<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-7269786577114285632017-12-12T15:05:00.002-08:002017-12-12T15:05:17.019-08:00Read the Book of MormonHere are a few of my favorite quotes about reading the Book of Mormon.<br />
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We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. (Thomas S. Monson, "The Power of the Book of Mormon", April 2017 LDS General Conference)<br />
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Last April, President Thomas S. Monson gave a message that stirred hearts across the world, including mine. He spoke of the power of the Book of Mormon. He urged us to study, ponder, and apply its teachings. He promised that if we dedicated time each day to studying and pondering and kept the commandments the Book of Mormon contains, we would have a vital testimony of its truth, and the resultant testimony of the living Christ would see us through to safety in times of trouble. (See “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 86–87.)</div>
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Like many of you, I heard the prophet’s words as the voice of the Lord to me. And, also like many of you, I decided to obey those words. Now, since I was a young boy, I have felt the witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that the Father and the Son appeared and spoke with Joseph Smith, and that ancient Apostles came to the Prophet Joseph to restore priesthood keys to the Lord’s Church.</div>
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With that testimony, I have read the Book of Mormon every day for more than 50 years. So perhaps I could have reasonably thought that President Monson’s words were for someone else. Yet, like many of you, I felt the prophet’s encouragement and his promise invite me to make a greater effort. Many of you have done what I did: prayed with increased intent, pondered scripture more intently, and tried harder to serve the Lord and others for Him.</div>
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The happy result for me, and for many of you, has been what the prophet promised. Those of us who took his inspired counsel to heart have heard the Spirit more distinctly. We have found a greater power to resist temptation and have felt greater faith in a resurrected Jesus Christ, in His gospel, and in His living Church. (Henry B. Eyring, "Fear Not to do Good", October 2017)</div>
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My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions. (Russell M. Nelson, "The Book of Mormon: What would your life be like without it?", October 2017 LDS General Conference)<br />
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Once one is convinced, through the Book of Mormon, that Jesus is the Christ, then he must take the next step; he must come unto Christ. Learning the precepts found in what the Prophet Joseph Smith called the most correct book on earth, the Book of Mormon, is but the first step. Abiding by those precepts found in the “keystone” of our religion gets a man nearer to God than through any other book (see History of the Church, 4:461). Can we not see why we should be reading this book daily and practicing its precepts at all times? (Ezra Taft Benson, "Come Unto Christ", November 1987 LDS General Conference) </div>
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And so, I counsel you, my beloved brothers and sisters and friends everywhere, to make reading the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice. All of us need the uninterrupted association with the Spirit of the Lord. We need to take the Holy Spirit for our constant guide that we be not deceived. I am persuaded by my own experience and that of my loved ones, as well as by the statements of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that one can get and keep closer to the Lord by reading the Book of Mormon than by reading any other book. Don’t be content with what someone else tells you about what is in it. Drink deeply from the divine fountain itself.</div>
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I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness.</div>
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(Marion G. Romney, "The Book of Mormon", April 1980 LDS General Conference) </div>
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Life’s journey is challenging. It’s easy to be distracted, wander off the path, and get lost. Tribulation is an inevitable and indispensable part of our eternal progression. When adversity comes, don’t let something you don’t fully understand unravel everything you do know. Be patient, cling to truth; understanding will come. Trials are like great mists of darkness that can blind our eyes and harden our hearts. Unless we are “continually holding fast”7 to the word of God and living it, we will become spiritually blinded rather than spiritually minded. Search the Book of Mormon and the words of the living prophets every day, every day, every day! It’s the key to spiritual survival and avoiding deception. Without it, we are spiritually lost. (Kevin W. Pearson, "Stay by the Tree", April 2015 LDS General Conference)<br />
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“Scripture study is a family responsibility. Scripture study as individuals and as a family is most fundamental to learning the gospel. Daily reading of the scriptures and discussing them together has long been suggested as a powerful tool against ignorance and the temptations of Satan. … Home is where we become experts and scholars in gospel righteousness. …</div>
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“… We shall indeed find answers to our problems and peace in our hearts. We shall experience the Holy Ghostbroadening our understanding, find new insights, witness an unfolding pattern of all scripture; and the doctrines of the Lord shall come to have more meaning to us than we ever thought possible” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 129, 135).</div>
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From the moment God’s present-day spokesman on earth uttered this challenge with its accompanying promises, every reasonably literate member of the Church was faced with a choice: Heed prophetic counsel or ignore it. Accomplishing it is relatively uncomplicated though most of us find it takes persistent, daily effort. The instruction is strikingly plain and simple – like looking at a brazen serpent on a staff (see Numbers 21:8) or washing in the River Jordan seven times (see 2 Kings 5:10-11). Is it so simple, in fact, that some will risk perishing because they ignore it (see 1 Nephi 17:41)? — President Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, Aug. 2005, p. 6; last paragraph from “Choosing our thoughts,” Church News, Oct. 22, 2005, p. 16)<br />
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“The Book of Mormon contains messages that were divinely placed there to show how to correct the influence of false tradition and how to receive a fulness of life. It teaches how to resolve the problems and challenges that we face today that were foreseen by the Lord. In that book he has provided the way to correct the serious errors of life, but this guidance is of no value if it remains locked in a closed book. (Richard G. Scott, "We add Witness", March 1989 Ensign)<br />
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This early warning system applies to children of all ages and contains three basic components: (1) reading and talking about the Book of Mormon with your children, (2) bearing testimony of gospel truths spontaneously with your children, and (3) inviting children as gospel learners to act and not merely be acted upon. Parents who do these things faithfully will be blessed to recognize early signals of spiritual growth in or challenges with their children and be better prepared to receive inspiration to strengthen and help those children.</div>
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. . .The spiritual discernment and inspiration you will receive from the combination of these three holy habits will enable you to stand as watchmen on the tower for your families—”watching … with all perseverance” (Ephesians 6:18)—to the blessing of your immediate family and your future posterity. (David A. Bednar, "Watching with all Perserverence, April 2010 LDS General Conference) </div>
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“I think that people who study the scriptures get a dimension to their life that nobody else gets and that can’t be gained in any way except by studying the scriptures. There’s an increase in faith and a desire to do what’s right and a feeling of inspiration and understanding that comes to people who study the gospel—meaning particularly the Standard Works—and who ponder the principles, that can’t come in any other way” (Bruce R. McConkie, in Church News, 24 Jan. 1976, 4)</div>
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“I promise you that daily family prayer and scripture study will build within the walls of your home a security and bonding that will enrich your lives and prepare your families to meet the challenges of today and the eternities to come” (L. Tom Perry, in Conference Report, Apr. 1993, 113; or Ensign, May 1993, 92)</div>
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If you would like an app that will help with your daily scripture study, try the <a href="http://www.dailyscripturestudy.com/p/welcome.html" target="_blank">My Daily Book of Mormon Devotional App</a>.</h2>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-37967015007901578112017-12-07T08:00:00.002-08:002017-12-07T08:00:52.381-08:00Projects - Why are they so hard? <div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
Project Planning and executing. Why is it so difficult? </div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.45;">To answer this question I went back to my Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) from the Project Management Institute and looked at the process group interaction diagram. Wow! If anyone looked at this they would immediately get discouraged. </span></div>
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Have we made it unnecessarily complicated? </div>
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This week I have been re-reading the updated edition of David Allen's "Getting Things Done". It is a fantastic book and I would commend it to anyone. </div>
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David Allen’s natural planning model is fairly simple. It contains 5 steps. </div>
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<li>Define purpose and principles </li>
<li>Outcome visioning</li>
<li>Brainstorming </li>
<li>Organizing</li>
<li>Identifying next actions</li>
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As I reviewed it again, I started thinking about my own project model. It took me a few minutes to think through it and capture the essence of it, but here it is, along with a bit of explanation about each step. </div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.45;">My Simplified Project Model (Answer the questions and then get to work.) </span></div>
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<li>Why are we doing this? </li>
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<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Is this project congruent/aligned with our team/family/individual purpose/mission? </span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">If we do this project will it get us closer to that purpose/support our mission?</span></li>
</ul>
<li>What does the outcome look like? </li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Identify the measures of success</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Clearly define what it looks like and what "done" means</span></li>
</ul>
<li>How will we get there? </li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Develop major steps</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">What does the "doing" look like?"</span></li>
</ul>
<li>What are the next actions? </li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Don't spend a lot of time defining all of the actions. At this point, major buckets of work that have not been broken down into specific tasks are good enough. </span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Get a few of the next actions defined and then move on to the next step. </span></li>
</ul>
<li>Act. </li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">The hardest part of this process is moving out of the planning and into the doing. </span>Take a step into the darkness of the ambiguity<span style="line-height: 1.45;"> of ill-defined problems and start working. </span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Set yourself up a regular </span>iterative<span style="line-height: 1.45;"> cycle of </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Identifying next actions</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Planning and assigning the next actions </span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Executing the work</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.45;">Regularly reviewing/evaluating progress </span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ol>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-36447772214559969172017-11-29T07:50:00.000-08:002017-11-29T07:50:10.352-08:00Why are there no Blue Zones in Utah? <div style="-en-clipboard: true;">
Why isn't there a Blue Zone in Utah? This question has been on my mind for over a year. Ever since I heard about Blue Zones I have been wondering why some small town in Utah didn't make the list. But first<span style="line-height: 1.45;">, what is a blue zone?</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Blue Zones</span> is a concept used to identify a demographic and/or geographic area of the world where people live measurably longer lives. The concept grew out of demographic work done by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulin.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The five regions identified and discussed by Buettner in the book <span style="font-style: italic;">The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest</span>:</div>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardinia">Sardinia</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy">Italy</a> (particularly <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuoro_province">Nuoro province</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogliastra">Ogliastra</a>): one team of demographers found a hot spot of longevity in mountain villages where an amazing proportion of men reach the age of 100 years.</li>
<li>The islands of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa">Okinawa</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan">Japan</a>: another team examined a group that is among the longest-lived on Earth.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loma_Linda,_California">Loma Linda, California</a>: researchers studied a group of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh-day_Adventist_Church">Seventh-day Adventists</a> who rank among <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America">North America</a>'s longevity all-stars.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicoya_Peninsula">Nicoya Peninsula</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica">Costa Rica</a>: the peninsula was the subject of research on a Quest Network expedition which began on January 29, 2007.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icaria">Icaria</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece">Greece</a>: an April 2009 study on the island of Ikaria uncovered the location with the highest percentage of 90-year-olds on the planet – nearly 1 out of 3 people make it to their 90s. Furthermore, Ikarians "have about 20 percent lower rates of cancer, 50 percent lower rates of heart disease and almost no dementia."</li>
</ul>
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<img src="file:///C:/Users/packerlb/AppData/Local/Temp/enhtmlclip/Image.png" /></div>
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<div>
So, why isn't Utah a Blue zone?</div>
<div>
If you look at the most significant factors affecting life longevity in the three blue zones, you will see that the culture in Utah supports many of them. The Utah culture that is significantly influenced by the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who make up almost 60% of the population. Family, faith, no smoking, no alcohol, and social engagement are part of the culture. What about the others?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You would think that because of the large LDS population in Utah that a plant based diet would be more prevalent. After all, doesn't Doctrine and Covenants 89:10-17 state that that a diet based on mostly plants is the standard for Mormons? It is difficult to get exact numbers of people who consider themselves plant based eaters, but one study <a href="http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2016_adults_veg.htm">http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2016_adults_veg.htm</a> showed that about 3.3% of people in the US are vegetarian The number is slightly higher in western states at 3.7%. With that small number of people who are eating a plant based diet, it is obvious that Utah is no different from the rest of the country.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What about physical activity? You can see from this chart: <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/downloads/PA_State_Indicator_Report_2010.pdf">https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/downloads/PA_State_Indicator_Report_2010.pdf</a></div>
<div>
That Utah is among the states with the highest rates of physical activity. But you will also note that is it not significantly different from the other states. So, there is nothing to differentiate Utah in this category. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What about legumes. You will probably find more legumes stored in basements in Utah than in any other state but that doesn't mean we are eating them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Could it be that we are obese? <span style="line-height: 1.45;">While Utah has a lower obesity rate than most of the rest of the nation, coming in at #45 overall, it still has about 25% of its residents who are obese. This number is increasing at about 1% per year. </span><a href="http://stateofobesity.org/adult-obesity/" style="line-height: 1.45;">http://stateofobesity.org/adult-obesity/</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How did Utah do with the two most obvious obesity-realated heath issues, Diabetes and Hypertension. The good news is that it ranks #50 in the US in these two categories, but it is really that good? These two health issues are almost entirely preventable, treatable, and in most cases reversible by changing lifestyle. So, the fact that 7% of the population had diabetes in 2015 and 23.6% had hypertension, it is not really that good of news. We tend to ignore that fact that over a half million people in Utah suffered from these issues necessarily in 2015. This doesn't include the other half million people who also suffered from heart disease, arthritis, and obesity-related cancer. Consider that there were "only" 3 million people in the entire state in 2015 and 1/3 of them were suffering from a largely preventable ailment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Life Expectancy among LDS and Non-LDS in Utah by Ray M. Merrill <a href="http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol10/3/10-3.pdf">http://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol10/3/10-3.pdf</a> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This article drew the following conclusion: <span style="line-height: 1.45;">LDS males and females experience higher life and age-conditional life expectancy compared with non-LDS in Utah. Only some of the higher life expectancy in LDS is explained by historically lower use of tobacco among LDS. Tobacco-related deaths had a larger impact on the difference in life expectancy when conditioned on older ages because of the long latency period often involved with these tobacco-related diseases. Other explanations for the higher life expectancy in LDS may be related to their comparatively high level of church activity, with religiously active people often displaying better physical health, better social support, and healthier lifestyle behaviors, each of which promote longer life. Religious activity may also have an independent protective effect against mortality.</span></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bottom Line: Utah isn't a blue zone because it doesn't have enough adherents to the success factors to adequately differentiate it from the other states, despite the fact that the teachings of the LDS Church either implicitly or explicitly teach many of the principles of long life that are practices in the blue zones. The opportunity is there if those that know better would start eating their legumes, focus on a more plant based diet, and get some more exercise. </div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="line-height: 1.45;">This isn't about living longer, it is about living better. Who wants to see a steady but gradual decline in heath over the last third of their life concluding in a long period of doctors visits, surgery, treatments, and incapacitation. Right now we are not living longer, we are just dying longer. </span></div>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-38056026825286028292017-11-13T12:47:00.000-08:002017-11-13T12:47:32.044-08:00Using Tags in the Gospel Library AppA few weeks ago I wrote <a href="http://flyingpackman.blogspot.com/2017/10/marking-scriptures-in-gospel-library.html" target="_blank">a post about using the highlight feature in the gospel library</a> app to differentiate between gospel topics.<br />
<br />
Why do we highlight in the first place? The answer is simple. It comes from the day when most people used paper scriptures. They used colors and highlights to help you find scriptures. Most of us do not have the time or the capacity to memorize the references for hundreds of scriptures so we relied on the our memory to get us close. For example, the scripture about the natural man being an enemy to God, in my mind is not in Mosiah 3:19, but it is located in the first few chapters of Mosiah on the right hand page in the right column toward the top. So, to find it I would simply flip through the first few chapters of the Book of Mosiah until I locate the highlights that I made on Mosiah 3:19. This system served me well until we all started using electronic scriptures. Now there are no pages or columns. It is just one long column separated into chapters. My whole scripture locating system is now defunct.<br />
<br />
So, I had to ask myself, does at perfectly thought-out 10-color scripture highlighting system really serve any purpose in the electronic scriptures? Perhaps, but now there is a much better way. It is time to switch over to using tags.<br />
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<br />
Why tags? Here are a few of the best reasons:<br />
- You are not limited to 10 colors<br />
- You can tag the same scripture with multiple key words<br />
- It is much easier to find a tagged scripture than a green highlighted scripture buried somewhere in the book of Alma<br />
<br />
Now what do you do about the highlights? Simple. Use them the same way you eat meat - sparingly. Highlight words, phrases, and important points. Then add some tags to the highlights so you can find them again.<br />
<br />
Here are a few tagging tips:<br />
- Don't get too hung up on what tags to use at first. Just tag it with the first word that comes to mind. You can go into the "Notes" section and edit your tags after you have done it for a while. <br />
- Begin where you are. Don't wait until you get to the end of the book to start tagging. Begin now. <br />
- Make it a daily habit. Try to find something to tag every time you read. As you practice you get faster and better at tagging and it is less of an interruption to your reading, it simply becomes a part of it.<br />
- Go back into the notes section and review your tags once and a while. Keep your tag list free of typos and duplicates of similar words.<br />
- Try not to make tags using long phrases because it will be difficult to remember the phrase. On the other hand, a two or three word tag that speaks to you is a great idea. <br />
<br />
Happy Tagging!<br />
<br />
<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-76169983709922329772017-11-10T13:42:00.000-08:002017-11-10T13:42:02.568-08:00Electronic JournalsI am kind of a notebook junkie. See my <a href="http://flyingpackman.blogspot.com/2016/01/leuchtturm-vs-moleskine.html" target="_blank">blog post on notebooks</a>.<br />
I have been keeping a notebook-based journal for many years, but recently I listened to a pod cast that suggested some ideas for an electronic journal. While I'm not ready to make the switch completely, I do believe there are some benefits to journaling electronically.<br />
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Initially I came up with some ideas that might help make an electronic journal successful.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Create a template that you can replicate on each day.</li>
<li>Choose a method that will allow you to add to your journal with your phone, tablet, and desktop computer. </li>
<li>Have brief journal sessions throughout the day. Do it as inspiration strikes you. </li>
</ul>
<br />
I did a search for some ideas on how to do an electronic journal and there are dozens of ideas out there. My paper journal was turning into basically a daily log, Occasionally I would put down some thoughts and ideas, but mostly is was a list of the things I did. I thought that my electronic journal should be something more. I wanted to take it up a level.<br />
<br />
Here here is what I came up with for the headings on my journal template.<br />
<ul>
<li><b>I am thankful for . . .</b></li>
<ul>
<li>First be grateful. Write down at least one thing you are feeling gratitude for. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>I am praying for . . .</b></li>
<ul>
<li>A former bishop of mine told me he makes a list of things he needs to pray for so that when he kneels down at night he can review the list and not forget something. I thought it was a good idea. Having a short list of specific things to pray for helps keep my prayers from being repetitious. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>I got some exercise . . .</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Get some exercise each day. This is were I track it. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>What I am reading/listening to . . .</b></li>
<ul>
<li>I read quite a lot of books every year. Taking the time to think/write about what I am reading and what it meant to me helps to retain the information. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Today's lesson learned . . .</b></li>
<ul>
<li>You should learn something every day. Sometimes I have to put some thought into it, but it is worth thinking through my day and finding those important learning moments in my life. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>My biggest win was . . .</b></li>
<ul>
<li>Celebrate a success or two. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Today's Big Idea/Question . . . </b></li>
<ul>
<li>There should always be a question in your mind, or a new idea. Write it down so you don't lose it. </li>
</ul>
<li><b>Tomorrow . . . </b></li>
<ul>
<li>Ask yourself, what does tomorrow bring? What do I need to be ready for? If I capture it, then I don't have to think about it all night and it helps me sleep better.</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Notes, thoughts, experiences, photos:</b></li>
<ul>
<li>This is where I capture some of the more traditional journal-type entries. I don't just put down a log of what I did, but I try to write down how I felt or what I experienced today that someone, someday may want to read. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
So, now let's get down to the application level. What do I do? I use Evernote. I have created a journal notebook stack. Each year is a notebook. To keep things organized I use the naming convention of Y-M-D (2017-11-08) and sort the note list by title in reverse sort order. That way, "today" is always at the top of the list. In that same folder I also keep my template. Each day I duplicate the template and rename it to the appropriate date.<br />
<br />
There are other journal programs out there that are much more targeted at the task, but since I am an Evernote premium user it make sense to use the tools I already have. <br />
<br />
<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-59029732482490023702017-11-08T14:26:00.001-08:002017-11-08T14:26:02.257-08:00Burrito de Vegetales<br />
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<img alt="Photo of Green Iguana Mexican Restaurant - St. George, UT, United States" height="200" src="https://s3-media2.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/8k0lDwKO9a8ypoWSAktcTg/o.jpg" width="150" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I want an amazing Burrito de Vegetales. Unfortunately after multiple attempts to find one, I am still looking. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I have found that there are only two types of veggie burritos. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1. The food torpedo. Go in any of the fast casual Mexican food places and you can have them wrap up some beans, rice, pico, and perhaps some sautéed veggies in a tortilla with beans and rice. These are not too bad for a quick lunch, but they are not amazing. <br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2. The food blob. Go to your typically Mexican restaurant and they will take a big flour tortilla fill it with some fajita veggies, throw on some sauce and cheese. Then add a couple of sides of completely unremarkable rice and re-fried pinto beans and call it a veggie burrito. Basically they no idea what to do when someone orders a veggie burrito other than take the meat out of their fajita burrito and call it a veggie burrito. <br />
<br />
I'm hoping one day I can find a chef that will scrape the mediocre off the plate and create a fantastic veggie burrito. So far I haven't found any chef that seems to care enough to make a break from average. So, my quest will continue. <br />
<br />
I find myself asking why? Perhaps it is time to start over. Here is what I suggest for you Mexican restaurant chefs out there. Take one of those large oval dinner plates. Place a single black bean in the center. Now start asking that bean some questions. Open up your imagination:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>What would make this amazing?</li>
<li>What if when the server brought out the dish that everyone looks at the amazing presentation and asks themselves, why didn't I get that? .</li>
<li>What if people came to the restaurant because they heard about the Burrito de Vegetales?</li>
<li>What if no one cared that there was not meat in it?</li>
<li>What if everyone of your servers could honestly say, when asked about the Burrito de Vegetales, that it is amazing?</li>
<li>What if this was your signature dish? </li>
<li>What if you suddenly realized that anyone can make great beef fajitas, but no one is making a great Burrito de Vegetales?</li>
<li>Is a big white flour tortilla really the best wrap for this? What if we made a whole wheat or multi-grain tortilla? What if we used a combination of corn and flour tortillas? </li>
<li>What if it was big, I mean really big and piled high?</li>
<li>What if it didn't look like a food torpedo, but rather a work of art. </li>
<li>What if it was as colorful on inside as it was on the outside. </li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">What if I got rid of the same old tired </span>Mexican<span style="font-family: inherit;"> white rice and made something interesting? </span></li>
<li>What if I re-thought how I cut up the vegetables. Are long strips of oil soaked onions and peppers really the best way to do this? What would make it easy to eat with a fork so the whole thing doesn't come apart when I try to cut it with the edge of my fork. </li>
<li>What new veggies could I add besides onions and peppers? Eating a pile of onions and peppers gets old after a few minutes. </li>
<li>What if I thought about using roasted sweet potatoes, roasted corn, zucchini, spinach, cilantro, sun dried tomatoes, or broccoli stems? The list could go on and on. </li>
<li>What if I did something far more inspiring with the avocados that simply plop a blob of guacamole on top? </li>
<li>What if I recreated the sauce from the ground up to complement the veggies instead of using the same sauce that I slop on my meat burritos. </li>
<li>What if I opened up my creativity and expanded my mind about the sides. What about a Mexican coleslaw with a cilantro lime sauce? Some amazing pico? Do something creative. Refried beans and white rice is not creative. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is so much potential here, it seems a shame for a chef to waste their skills and talents wrapping up same old boring burrito using left over fajita vegetables. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Someday, somewhere, someone will amaze me. </span><br />
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-47329854560111824712017-10-31T08:11:00.000-07:002017-10-31T08:11:06.528-07:00Take A Name<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="320cv" data-offset-key="aoa28-0-0" style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my goals for this quarter is to find and take a name to the temple to do their temple ordinances. Over the past couple of years I have been a bit frustrated because it is getting harder to find people in my family tree who do not have their ordinances done. With so many people in my family working on it, I have found it difficult to find work that needs done. Hence my low goal of simply finding one person who needs ordinances done. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Yesterday I had the thought to try again, so I did a search my family tree using <a href="https://takeaname.kinpoint.com/" target="_blank">Take a Name</a> .</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It took the app about most of the day and into the night to search through the 63,494 names in my family tree, but it returned 20 people's names who needed 63 ordinances done. This is fantastic! </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We all understand I now need to go in and validate each one of these 20 people to make sure they are not duplicates. There is still much work to do, but I haven't had these kinds of results in quite a while. Most of the time I have seen a couple of names come back that are simple duplicates of people who have already had the work done. </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">So, I checked the first one and it was not a duplicate, but it was a result of a recently indexed census report in England. </span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Lessons learned:
</span></span></span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2129;">Keep indexing, you are helping someone else</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2129;">Don't give up just because you haven't had success in the past. New records are added all of the time. </span></span></li>
</ol>
</div>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-17650746965004727952017-10-25T07:54:00.002-07:002017-10-25T07:54:52.564-07:00"I wish more people wore hats"Today as I'm sitting on the same bus that I ride to work each day the guy next to me leaned over and told me that he likes the hats that I wear. I thanked him and answered his question about where I get my Ivy caps. After a short discussion about <a href="https://edinburghcastle.com/" target="_blank">my favorite hat shop</a> he said something very interesting, "I wish more people wore hats". This caused me to pause and consider two things. Why don't we wear hats anymore? and Why aren't you wearing a hat?<br />
<br />
The first question is fairly easy to answer. When John F. Kennedy was elected as president of the United States he was the first president that didn't wear a hat. That fashion statement, combined with the fact that in the mid 1950's more people started commuting to work by car and couldn't wear a hat in the car, caused the demise of the men's hat. <br />
<br />
The harder question is if you think people should wear hats, why aren't you wearing one? This quote by Gandhi immediately popped into my mind. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KSwJI5vSGD8/WfCgTQG4f8I/AAAAAAAAF9I/KVywnFkWERowlaSX2WkqNOBALJOh54vGQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/mahatmagandhi1-2x.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KSwJI5vSGD8/WfCgTQG4f8I/AAAAAAAAF9I/KVywnFkWERowlaSX2WkqNOBALJOh54vGQCK4BGAYYCw/s400/mahatmagandhi1-2x.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
How often do we sit on the sidelines of life thinking that more people should be something or do something when we are not willing to get into the game and become an agent for the change we seek? Remember that in order for something to change, something must change first. That change is most often caused by you. LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-64395309280214398232017-10-20T10:03:00.001-07:002017-10-20T10:03:04.208-07:00Marking Scriptures in Gospel LibraryThe other day as I was reading my scriptures and using a few of the available colors to do some highlights when I realized that I wasn't fully utilizing the entire pallet of colors.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvBNJtmZvSe-rRRjK-bk_0XzgQP1S9wRNgpFNIT2b2D2H7vO7UIBnUuU6AuyMLrY3SeLxAywtxnqrNWINP5b9eGueyWAEb9pGCTx-kEdfs54kMHBcIQcwPYKBVzyDA2ZaVhu9a7bBubHd/s1600/Colors.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvBNJtmZvSe-rRRjK-bk_0XzgQP1S9wRNgpFNIT2b2D2H7vO7UIBnUuU6AuyMLrY3SeLxAywtxnqrNWINP5b9eGueyWAEb9pGCTx-kEdfs54kMHBcIQcwPYKBVzyDA2ZaVhu9a7bBubHd/s320/Colors.png" width="320" /></a></div>
In the Gospel Library app there are 10 colors available. Each of these colors can be used in the underline, highlight, or text color mode. <br />
<br />
I asked extended family what they do and one of my niece's responded with this color code:<br />
<ul>
<li>Red- doctrine</li>
<li>Orange- clarifications or explanations of doctrine</li>
<li>Yellow- commandments and specific instructions</li>
<li>Purple- promised blessings and how to attain them</li>
<li>Grey- power phrases</li>
<li>Blue- favorites</li>
<li>Dark blue- ones with a deeper meaning (I always attach a note with a dark blue) </li>
<li>Pink- examples of Gods love/charity</li>
<li>Brown-specific for our day</li>
<li>Green - Not used</li>
</ul>
This "Come, Follow Me" color code seems to be all over Pinterest. I'm not sure where it came from, but it is based on the 12 colors in a small box of crayons.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIPnOvdqLqQza4ZCYVSE-XOixPwrtOthUH3CBTWHcqi_aLS0Fosp4_PzF-D_COfCuCcptZYB23dWYofJtOlncjbVZfhCNWNjeGCzOx1ACaujfwQTO8re2864g1BJaBcDxpvcN7JhyphenhyphenV_oe/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIPnOvdqLqQza4ZCYVSE-XOixPwrtOthUH3CBTWHcqi_aLS0Fosp4_PzF-D_COfCuCcptZYB23dWYofJtOlncjbVZfhCNWNjeGCzOx1ACaujfwQTO8re2864g1BJaBcDxpvcN7JhyphenhyphenV_oe/s320/Image.jpg" width="246" /></a><br />
<br />
Here is a color coding system based on the Seminary Doctrinal Mastery<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_vQnTj_Mcc-Z6_NHcp8NN43r8DR7EDQivnrdSI6z3gvHav8T7mgEd1Uf2Z_tzqov0gmm8G-IAwbZpd5RMLZE238eUCwNfRIqtt_a96WSaJByNrd2izO9b10N7tabqxG7wutiTOF6Ixqe/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_vQnTj_Mcc-Z6_NHcp8NN43r8DR7EDQivnrdSI6z3gvHav8T7mgEd1Uf2Z_tzqov0gmm8G-IAwbZpd5RMLZE238eUCwNfRIqtt_a96WSaJByNrd2izO9b10N7tabqxG7wutiTOF6Ixqe/s320/Image.jpg" width="247" /></a><br />
<br />
My color code has evolved over the years. I used to mark my scriptures much more colorfully than I do now. When I picked up a new copy of the 2013 LDS Scriptures and started transferring some of my highlights I found my self doing less bold and fewer colored highlights. I pretty much use a red pencil to underline in my paper scriptures with an occasional yellow highlight.<br />
<br />
After a bit of thinking, comparing, and pondering I decided to use the color code below for my electronic marking. <br />
<ul>
<li>Yellow - General highlights</li>
<li>Red - Love, Charity</li>
<li>Purple - Priesthood</li>
<li>Orange - Atonement of Christ, Resurrection</li>
<li>Green - Promised Land, geography</li>
<li>Gray - The devil, Satan, darkness</li>
<li>Pink - Pride</li>
</ul>
At this point, I'm not sure what to do with the brown and the two blues. I'll leave them open and see if I find a use for them. <br />
<br />
<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-30226793485891892952017-10-06T08:41:00.000-07:002017-10-06T08:41:04.818-07:00Ponderize 1 Nephi 10:17-19 - Power of the Holy GhostIt does not matter how many times you have read the Book of Mormon you will find something new hidden in a verse that you have read many times. As I read 1 Nephi 10 I stopped an pondered a couple of phrases in verses 17 and 19.<br />
<br />
After hearing about his father's vision of the tree of life, Nephi said in verse 17:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him..."</i><br />
<br />
Two verses later in verse 19 he restated this idea:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBeQO3A73s1sIo9Fn6bGKguWFaWPsCjVmpEgtLyXaqo1o4oBzGFOe8gSi7DZcDREOhjoJHWBQgjhpYJYx_wFsYuL8ht4mzapbVp0tpt5uCSppmcl1kwT8_yrDadzqcPLaQYSXhkp00qTF/s1600/girl-being-confirmed-245605-mobile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBeQO3A73s1sIo9Fn6bGKguWFaWPsCjVmpEgtLyXaqo1o4oBzGFOe8gSi7DZcDREOhjoJHWBQgjhpYJYx_wFsYuL8ht4mzapbVp0tpt5uCSppmcl1kwT8_yrDadzqcPLaQYSXhkp00qTF/s320/girl-being-confirmed-245605-mobile.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
The thing that caught my attention about these two passages was the "Power of the Holy Ghost". We often talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost, but we don't often talk about the power of the Holy Ghost like we talk about the power of the priesthood.<br />
<i><br /></i>
Think about this quote from Elder Henry B. Eyring:<br />
<br />
<i>Just as the Holy Ghost strengthens us against evil, He also gives us the power to discern truth from falsehood. The truth that matters most is verified only by revelation from God. Our human reason and the use of our physical senses will not be enough. We live in a time when even the wisest will be hard-pressed to distinguish truth from clever deception. (Henry B. Eyring, "The Holy Ghost as your Companion", October 2015 LDS General Conference) </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
We are given the gift of the Holy Ghost with an invitation to receive that gift. But many of us don't take advantage of the power contained in that gift because we miss the key first step. Look back at the scriptures and note that the power of the Holy Ghost is a spiritual gift given from God when we diligently seek to know Him.<br />
<br />
As I think about this I realize that this power is given to those who are seeking, learning, growing, and becoming. It starts to feel almost like a bit of divine positive reinforcement to help encourage those who are pressing forward on their spiritual journey. I feel like he might be saying that if you will seek me I give you the power of discernment so that you can come to know the truth of all things, or come to know things as they really are. As we come to know the truth of all things we are really coming to know God. Perhaps the very power you are given as you seek to know God is exactly the the thing you are seeking in the first place.LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-29427391120619127402017-10-05T13:20:00.000-07:002017-10-05T13:20:04.830-07:00Read The Book of Mormon Every DayI've read the Book of Mormon many times. I lost count many years ago. Besides it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that you read it every day. During the <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10?lang=eng" target="_blank">October 2017 LDS General Conference</a>, several speakers referenced a quote made by <a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/the-power-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng" target="_blank">President Thomas S. Monson during the April Conference. </a> He said:<br />
<br />
<i>"I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives."</i><br />
<br />
Russell M. Nelson gave a talk titled, "The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?" In that talk he stated:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcZ4i8msoVrbvav94CGdGg907J5V2EW8z7tINq4jjeBd8lkF0q1PUpf4pZIResTy3MHNxNmhOm9zsvuyEIjOkBqPMQAwN1KxSx0XOCDQKGTq4vicQ22HKBQCZM_eiqzRy_Y_jpHQOTc0-/s1600/BOM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="944" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcZ4i8msoVrbvav94CGdGg907J5V2EW8z7tINq4jjeBd8lkF0q1PUpf4pZIResTy3MHNxNmhOm9zsvuyEIjOkBqPMQAwN1KxSx0XOCDQKGTq4vicQ22HKBQCZM_eiqzRy_Y_jpHQOTc0-/s320/BOM.jpg" width="304" /></a><i>"Since President Monson’s challenge six months ago, I have tried to follow his counsel. Among other things, I’ve made lists of what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms, what it refutes, what it fulfills, what it clarifies, and what it reveals. Looking at the Book of Mormon through these lenses has been an insightful and inspiring exercise! I recommend it to each of you."</i><br />
<br />
Elder Nelson is a person who could have easily thought President Monson's counsel to read the book of Mormon every day did not really apply to him, since he was already doing it. However, he seemed to ask himself the question, "What lack I yet?" He received inspiration and then acted on that inspiration. <br />
<br />
President Henry B. Eyring also addressed this topic in his talk titled "<a href="https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/fear-not-to-do-good?lang=eng" target="_blank">Fear Not to Do Good</a>".<br />
<br />
<i>"Like many of you, I heard the prophet’s words as the voice of the Lord to me. And, also like many of you, I decided to obey those words. Now, since I was a young boy, I have felt the witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that the Father and the Son appeared and spoke with Joseph Smith, and that ancient Apostles came to the Prophet Joseph to restore priesthood keys to the Lord’s Church."</i><br />
<i>“With that testimony, I have read the Book of Mormon every day for more than 50 years. So perhaps I could reasonably have thought that President Monson’s words were for someone else. Yet, like many of you, I felt the prophet’s encouragement and his promise invite me to make a greater effort."</i><br />
<br />
So, with this second and third spiritual nudge I decided I should raise the bar on my daily Book of Mormon reading. My first thought was that it doesn't matter if you <a href="http://www.dailyscripturestudy.com/" target="_blank">wrote the book</a> on studying the Book of Mormon, you still need to read it every day. As I pondered my daily scripture study habits I realized that I had not physically picked up the Book of Mormon and read it from cover to cover by myself for several years. Most of my scripture study was topical and most of my Book of Mormon reading was with my family. <br />
<br />
I needed a kick start. So I looked at the calendar and realized that there were 91 days left in the year. I sat down and read the introductory material. Then I decided I needed a 90 day reading plan. There are dozens of them on-line, but I found a very cool tool at <a href="http://www.ldsscripturetools.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ldsscripturetools.com/</a>. Go check it out. You can tell it what book of scripture you want to read and how many days you want to get it read. It spits out a daily schedule for you. My 90 day plan stated that I needed to read 2.9 chapters/day or 5.9 pages/day to finish the Book of Mormon by December 31st. That's easy. I printed the reading chart and I was ready. Except for one more mall detail. When? <br />
<br />
Answering this question took a bit of thought. You can't simply start doing something every day without giving up something. 15 minutes of scripture reading time just doesn't magically appear because you have a fancy new reading chart. I thought through my day and decided it was best to read first thing in the morning. That way there is time to recover if I forget. I value my sleep too much to even think about giving up 15 minutes of sleep, but as I thought through my morning routine I found some wasted time that could easily be manipulated to clear 15 minutes in my schedule. Now, with both a plan and a path I was ready to go. <br />
<br />
Let's see what happens. I'll post some of my thoughts here as I journey through my 90 day reading challenge. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7377615836888476051.post-36540696596337808072017-09-19T08:39:00.001-07:002017-09-19T08:39:22.639-07:00Ponderize Mosiah 4:27<div>
<span>Read Mosiah 4:27 and then ask yourself the questions below. </span></div>
<div>
<span><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span>"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>What are you running after? </li>
<li>What is it that you are chasing? </li>
<li>Are you chasing a future lifestyle that you could have right now?</li>
<li>Is life really a path that we must complete before we die? </li>
<li>What if you stopped viewing life as a path and started viewing it as an experience? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxmVfkW6gx-_-P2bFAbhkrdIBvpaPloh1FNnmmeQMIQvFibEHgH0HzOI_atWbySILBl-CQ7bynTv5ds0Xy2ZLEX1JKi1lhg1ztN5vsbp3S4MCP-jVwyjSgURgXhv7hB3eK4_DiLzO0uur/s1600/rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1024" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxmVfkW6gx-_-P2bFAbhkrdIBvpaPloh1FNnmmeQMIQvFibEHgH0HzOI_atWbySILBl-CQ7bynTv5ds0Xy2ZLEX1JKi1lhg1ztN5vsbp3S4MCP-jVwyjSgURgXhv7hB3eK4_DiLzO0uur/s200/rocks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>We often visualize the analogy of putting the big rocks of our life into the jar first. The rocks represent our activities, but what does the jar represent? Limitations? Time? What if there was no jar?</li>
<li>If someone was to observe my life, what would they list as my priorities?</li>
<li>Would they list the first and second great commandments as the first two items on my list of priorities?</li>
<li>Do my actions show that I love God and my fellow man? </li>
</ul>
</div>
LBPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00672895734517102084noreply@blogger.com0