My Heart is Brim with Joy
Cattle Drives
The subject on my mind this morning is cattle drives—inspired, believe it or not, by my reading last night in the Book of Mormon.
Read MoreHidden Treasures of Knowledge
Last evening at institute I asked the Young Single Adults if they had found any of the “great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures” that are promised in the Word of Wisdom.
Read MoreThoughts Upon a Shoeshine
Whenever I shine my shoes I think of a lady I heard about in New York City who sniffed disdainfully about women who don’t shine the bottoms of their shoes.
Read MoreParenting
Parenting is the basis of civilization. The majority of people who have ever lived in the world have no descendants today.
Read MoreMarjorie’s Missionary Homecoming Talk
We served our mission in Vanuatu. Vanuatu is a country of 83 islands in the South Pacific.
Read MoreA Prophet Is Not Without Honor
Every person in this Church needs the opportunity to serve. Testimonies grow and faith increases when one learns to lose himself in the service of others.
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 MoreThere is a Way Out
One evening as we arrived home from seminary graduation we noticed a calf standing on the other side of the pond. It had obviously come from the herd above our house.
Read MoreArriving Home from Vanuatu
Friday 15 May 2015 was a long day. We began it by leaping out of bed before 6:00 a.m. in Luganville, Vanuatu in a scramble to get to the airport by 7:30.
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 MoreThe Power of the Priesthood
Priesthood lesson given to Lovutialau Branch. Objective: Each man will honor his Priesthood, overcome his fright about using it, and make himself worthy.
Read MoreThe Worth of Souls
Fireside given to Lovutialau Branch
Objective: Each person will recognize his worth and value, and catch a glimpse of his potential.
Lessons of Ambae
This has been a hectic week with little time left to prepare for the dreaded day looming on the horizon.
Read MoreArise and Shine Forth
A talk given to Vanuatu youth
Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for (this nation).
To This End Was I Born
In answer to a question posed by Pilate, Jesus said, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.”
Read MoreA Precious and Chosen Vessel
As I was reading the Book of Mormon my attention was arrested by a phrase that I hadn’t thought about before. The Spirit had told Alma that Christ would be born at Jerusalem of Mary, “a precious and chosen vessel.”
Read MoreThe Need for The Commandments
We need to be grateful for commandments. Commandments are put into place to protect us. A person without commandments is a person without boundaries.
Read MoreWeak and Simple Things
I’m the intermediary for mail between 16 missionaries from Vanuatu and their families. Here is a beautiful email that just came from Dack Tivles that I’m to give to his parents. Dack is serving a mission in Paris, France.
Read MoreLearning to Drive
I do a lot of things on my mission here in Vanuatu that are not in my job description. In fact, most of the things that I do are like that.
Read MoreSilas Toa
I had a very sweet experience during the night. At about 3:00 a.m. Silas Toa came into my mind. Silas is a soon-to-be 16-year-old boy who is one of my very favorites here in Vanuatu.
Read MoreWalking in Darkness
Last night my dear wife had a problem. She couldn’t sleep. So at 3:00 a.m. she went out into the living room, turned on the light, and read until 4:45.
Read MoreWhy I Have to Keep a Journal (and Marjorie Doesn’t)
Marjorie and I have just come from taking our Vanuatu Young Single Adult soccer team to a game. They’re fun to watch.
Read MoreBecause They Cast Them Out
There are few places in the world where the Saints are not currently welcome or at least tolerated. It hasn’t always been so, and it won’t always be.
Read MoreGifts
Good morning, Father. I thank Thee for the gift of another day. I thank Thee, My Father, for the knowledge that I am Thy son. I thank Thee for my Savior who has given me so much.
Read MoreCome and See
The day after John baptized Jesus, he was standing with two of his disciples as Jesus walked by. He said to them, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
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 MoreVanuatu Culture—Deaths and Jobs
Marjorie came to bed last night complaining about the sounds in the night. “It’s either dogs or drunks,” she said, “and I can’t tell which.” We slept soundly, but the hullabaloo started up again this morning.
Read MoreTroubled Young Men
When I think of Enos’ account of his hunting expedition, I read between the lines. I don’t think of him going into the forest to look for animals, but rather of what was really happening on that occasion.
Read MoreSuperlative Books
The Christmas and New Year’s holidays forced a 2-week vacation from Institute. I taught my first Institute lesson of the year last night. I’m now really excited about the new course of study.
Read MoreLost Knowledge
Mankind’s knowledge ebbs and flows. Galileo got into trouble with the “learned” men of his day for saying that the earth moved. When he was called before the Inquisition in 1633 for saying that the earth moved around the sun, instead of vice versa, he was caused to recant his statements.
Read MorePresidents I Have Known
The Lord’s servants come in a variety of packages and personalities. They can be very different from one another; but because they follow the same Director, they effectively accomplish the same things.
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 MoreCastaways
There are so many islands in the island nation of Vanuatu that I don’t think they can be counted. Many are small, unnamed, and uninhabited.
Read MoreIncredible Morning
It is only 6:00 a.m., and I’ve already been witness to several miracles and tender mercies. These things happen more frequently when the blessings you pray for are for others, and not necessarily for yourself.
Read MoreThe Influence of a Missionary
I am sitting at my window looking down on the mile-wide channel below my house. The bay is glassy-calm.
Read MoreThe Door Is Closing
I am beset with temptations just as all men are. My greatest desire is to be good, and to do good, and to follow Jesus faithfully. But I’m weak.
Read MoreMissionary Correspondence
When my six sons were serving their missions, I wrote them a letter every week. I thought that it was important for them to get a weekly letter, so I don’t think that I ever missed.
Read MoreFor Good and Evil
As I was reading the Book of Mormon I was struck by the uses to which the river Sidon was put. In Alma 2:34 it became the receptacle for the many thousands of Lamanite bodies killed in battle.
Read MoreThe Full Keyboard
My path recently has crossed those of several Seventh-day Adventists. Comparing the doctrines of the SDA and LDS Churches has been interesting.
Read MoreSuspended
Yesterday I had to deliver letters to two 18-year-old students informing them that the Church had been unable to pay the school fees for their third terms due to their lack of attendance at church and at institute.
Read MoreA Mark of Distinction
I have an irritation. I caught glimpses of myself yesterday in windows and mirrors, and was shocked at what I saw. I saw images of a very stooped man. I tried straightening my back, and I was still stooped.
Read MoreTested, Tried and Stretched
In the conference just past (October 2014), Elder Richard G. Scott spoke about our being “tested, tried, and stretched.” As he said “stretched,” he held his fists close to one another, and pulled them apart as if stretching an object between them.
Read MoreWildlife
I awoke this morning in the pre-dawn darkness. I wasn’t ready to get up, but I was done sleeping. I began counting birds in my mind.
Read MoreFeed My Sheep
I was very grateful a short time ago to wake up and realize that I was in Vanuatu and not back home. I did it twice. I was awaking from bad dreams.
Read MoreRouster the Rooster
Rouster was a rooster. Rouster’s job was to roust everyone awake at dawn. Rouster enjoyed the sense of power that his job gave him. But Rouster had a problem.
Read MoreA Vanuatu Love Story
In June 2014 Charles Mol came to Santo Island from Gaua Island on Church business. Charles was Gaua Branch clerk. I became acquainted with him, was impressed with him, and learned that he was a 30-year-old returned missionary.
Read MoreThe Burned Book
In 1991 Adam Rosflender was an 11-year-old boy in Vanuatu. He had a job working in the fisheries. Being the youngest employee, one of his duties was to take out the rubbish.
Read MoreJohn Baba
As late as the 1990’s it was the custom on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu to bury newborn babies with their mothers if the mothers passed away as the result of childbirth.
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