Faith
The Biggest Miracle of All
I have never wanted to be the center of attention. Indeed, this was my greatest fear. I didn’t want people looking at me, talking about me, or laughing at me.
As a little boy I rode the bus to school. The bus had to cross a railroad track. In those days there were no crossing bars that would come down to stop traffic ahead of an oncoming train. The rule was that the bus driver was to stop before crossing the tracks, and send a child running across who would look both ways for an oncoming train, and then wave to the driver to proceed.
Nephi the Builder
Nephi was amazing. He knew, that with the Lord’s help, he could do anything. With that help he accomplished amazing things.
He made a bow and an arrow. How did he know how to do that? And how did he do it so fast? Making a bow is a complicated undertaking, one that I haven’t had the courage to try. The family group was starving. He didn’t have days to work at it, or to perfect his technique. They needed food now! He and they were weak from hunger. As the other men in the group sat around bitterly complaining and expecting to die, he went to work. The others might have gone out with their slings hoping to find some game close to camp, but they had already determined that the hunt would be futile, and so it was.
Multiple Miracles Per Day
Yesterday, via Zoom, we were able to attend sacrament meeting in the Bremerton Ward. Josiah spoke. It was a very well-organized, wisdom-filled talk. It’s a miracle that because of technology we were able to participate. It’s also a miracle that this baby, born with deformed legs, and encased in a body cast for the first six months of his life, was going off on the mission with no impairments.
Read MoreIt’s a Miracle
President Nelson says that we are to “seek and expect miracles.”
Danny asked me to tell about a specific miracle in my life, but as I awoke the other morning I realized that my whole life is a miracle.
Tia’s Version
Tuesday was a special day. I think all of us fasted for Ellen at least part of the day. On fast Sundays it seems hard to fast past 3pm, but Tuesday we had planned on fasting until 6pm. It wasn’t hard at all. It was probably one of my easiest fasts. Grandpa and Grandma Kerns went to the temple and then stopped by our house to give Ellen a blessing and break our fasts together. Before Grandpa gave Ellen the blessing, dad talked about faith and blessings.
Read MoreEllen’s Miracle
Last October my 15-year-old granddaughter, Ellen, came for her patriarchal blessing. She had just had several attacks where her heart raced. She thereafter rapidly became incapacitated. She developed terrific headaches, and lost the ability to walk. She became a hunched-over, wheelchair-bound old lady. She couldn’t go to school.
Read MoreIs It Happenstance?
I’m up each morning in time to observe the sunrise. I live where I have an unobstructed view of a range of high mountains to the east over which the sun rises. I watch as the sun reaches its farthest point of rising to the north on June 21st, the day summer officially begins. It then starts a slow march back to the south, rising a minute later each morning. On December 21st, winter has set in, and it reaches its farthest point south. It then begins its march back to the north.
Read MoreWalls
Walls are erected as a defense. People build walls to protect themselves from the elements and from others who might harm them. Walls form enclosures which become areas of safety.
Some famous walls in history include the walls of Jericho, the walls of Jerusalem, and the walls of Babylon. All of these were erected as a defense against invaders. All were effective up to a point. That point was reached when the wickedness that the walls were enclosing became such that the people inside were beyond redemption. At that point the Lord penetrated and destroyed what wicked men considered were their impenetrable defenses.
What Would I Tell 12-Year-Old Me?
The title of this article is a question asked in the April 2021 general conference.
Twelve-year-old me was timid, shy, afraid, unsure, ignorant, full of self doubt, weighed down by sin, and unable to break free of habits; but desirous of being good, doing good, and of becoming better.
Moroni
I finished reading the Book of Mormon a few minutes ago for the 83rd time. I could have read the final chapter last night, but I saved it for this morning so that I’d finish on Joseph Smith’s birthday. (23 December 2020). I note that this is the 4th time that I’ve finished on his birthday.
Read MoreThe Tables Suddenly Turn
Daniel was an adviser and high official working under king Darius. The king’s other officials were jealous of his status, and were irritated by his steadiness and righteousness. They cunningly used his righteousness to bring an accusation against him which caused him to be cast into a den of lions. They then congratulated themselves on their success and cleverness in ridding themselves of their irritant and the man who they saw as their political competitor.
Read MoreThe Lord Honors His Priesthood
Sunday I gave patriarchal blessings numbers 37 and 38. I fast and I pray before each blessing that the words which I speak may be given by the Spirit, and will be the blessings that the Lord desires the person to have. I am careful in my life that my thoughts and my actions may all be worthy ones so that I may be a fit conduit through which the Spirit may speak these blessings that I hope are from the Lord.
Read MoreDavid and Goliath
The Philistines had a super weapon in their arsenal which they believed made them invincible. They had Goliath. The Israelites were all pessimists. When they saw Goliath they thought, “Wow, with a guy that big, we’ll never be able to beat the Philistines.” David, on the other hand was an optimist. When he saw Goliath he thought, “Wow, with a target that big, I can’t miss!”
Read MoreAfflictions or Blessings?
Randy Newman’s mother had a terrible affliction. Day after day her neck hurt so badly that she could barely function. Turning her head was a painful ordeal that she avoided. One morning she awoke and realized that she would be unable to go to her job at the bank. She phoned her supervisor, and said that she wouldn’t be in. That day the bank was robbed. The robbers herded everyone into the vault and shot them.
Read MorePositioning
As I read the account of Christ appearing to the Nephites, I found myself thinking how fortunate and coincidental it was that all twelve of the disciples whom Jesus wanted to call were right there in the crowd of 2500 who witnessed Him descending. Why weren’t they scattered throughout the country where Jesus would have had to seek them out?
Read MoreWill a Man Rob God?
In 1974 I graduated from college, and we bought our ranch at the base of the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon.
Read MoreWhere Is Your Faith?
There was once a woman who DID NOT want to die. Nearly every Sunday she attended her Protestant church, but her real faith was founded upon science.
Read MorePilgrim Faith and Gratitude
The Pilgrims arrived in the New World in November 1620. Of the 102 who had set out from Holland and England, only half were still alive the next spring.
Read MoreOther Ancient Records
The first few sections of the Doctrine and Covenants can be maddeningly tantalizing. Many of those sections talk about the translation of the Nephite record,…
Read MoreJust 300 Men
The story of Gideon is told in the 6th through 8th chapters of the Book of Judges. In the days of Gideon the Children of Israel were greatly afflicted by the Midianites and Amalekites.
Read MoreExodus Events
As I read about the events leading up to the destructions of the Nephites and the Jaredites, I always wonder why some of the people didn’t see what was coming and run.
Read MoreHow Did They Do It?
There are accounts in the scriptures that are maddeningly brief. Sometimes the paucity of details leaves one to wonder what really took place, and how the event was even possible.
Read MoreAdding Oil to Your Lamp
Activity for a youth conference. One does not put oil in his lamp and expect to never have to fill it again. The oil gets used up. It needs replenishing.
Read MoreLessons of Ambae
This has been a hectic week with little time left to prepare for the dreaded day looming on the horizon.
Read MoreYou Feared
Oliver Cowdery sat on the other side of the table from Joseph Smith, and recorded the words that Joseph spoke as he read the golden plates.
Read MoreThe Religion of Evolution
Someone recently made the statement that evolution is a religion. As I think about it, I agree that the theory of evolution certainly carries all the signs of a false religion.
Read MorePriesthood and Motherhood
Question: A strange thing has come up in YW. One family has a mom that can “tap” into the priesthood and use the power herself. She has been called on to perform certain things in the name of the priesthood.
Read MoreA Miracle A Day
Elder Smith is the new senior missionary who arrived with his wife in Vanuatu nine days ago. As we walked together yesterday and marveled over our experiences, he remarked in a rather dazed manner, “It’s a miracle a day!”
Read MoreAn Embarrassing Miracle
As I was preparing for bed on the evening of July 4th, my phone rang. It was Sister Torea, one of our sister missionaries. She was in tears, and scared. Her companion, Sister Lekupe, was very ill, had just fallen off the couch, and Sister Torea was unable to get her up off the floor.
Read MoreDavid Ruben
On Monday, 5 May 2014, Sister Allphin, a missionary, called to ask me to go to the hospital and administer a priesthood blessing to an investigator boy who had broken his leg.
Read MorePrayer
The scripture says, “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass,” (Alma 37:6). What could be simpler than prayer?
Prayer is the simplest thing in the world, yet carries the most power. That is the great secret that most people have yet to learn.