The Discipline of Misfortune

The Bible Dictionary speaks of Joseph of Egypt as being the prime example of “the discipline of misfortune.” That phrase captures my attention.
Misfortunes and difficult things come to all of us. I have long maintained that our greatest afflictions are intended to become our greatest blessings if handled properly. Said just a little differently that principle becomes “our greatest blessings often come from our greatest afflictions.”

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The Most Influential People

Because of my mother I decided early that I would never try alcohol nor tobacco.
Because of my mother I learned that there is a God in heaven. She set me to wondering about God
and Jesus Christ. Are they one person or two? Are they persons? I couldn’t sort it out,
but because of her I knew there was Something there, and that I had to be good.

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He Being Dead Yet Speaketh

Marjorie and I have been engaged for the past months in a very fun and interesting project. We’re reading all of the books that I’ve written. I read out loud, and make note of any corrections that need to be made. Marjorie listens. She’s afraid that we’re going to run out of articles. We read multiple articles each evening.

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Worth a Thousand Words

I am intrigued by the pictures that general Young Women president, Bonnie H. Cordon, shared during her talk in general conference, October 2021. She told of her 5-year-old son, Tanner, who was assigned to be the goalie in the team’s first game. He became distracted, stuck his hands through the holes in the net, then his feet, and became completely entangled. The two pictures of the boy are priceless. He’s smiling, happy, and completely disengaged from the game and his purpose. He is just like so many people around us who have no idea who they are, or what their purpose in life might be, and who become hopelessly entangled in distractions.

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Teach Me

It has occurred to me that I have learned few things at church. Nearly everything that I’ve learned has been taught to me by the Spirit. The value of church meetings is not in what I learn there, but in being put in touch with the Holy Ghost. That is the major purpose of church meetings: to put a person in a setting and in a frame of mind where the Spirit can reach him.

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Building Your Nest on a Straight Limb

Elder Thomas S. Monson tells the story of a very young boy who was abducted from his home and parents and taken to a village situated far away. He grew to young manhood not knowing who his parents were nor from whence he came. A yearning came into his heart to find and return to his home.

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Open Your Mouths

Ezra Thayer and Northrup Sweet were told in the 33rd section of Doctrine and Covenants to “open your ears.” (D&C 33:1). Having done so, they were then commanded to “open your mouths.” (Verses 8, 9, and 10).

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Diligent or Delinquent

It occurs to me that Satan is like a window. He’s easy to see through, yet he is an invisible barrier into which the unwary can crash with fatal consequences.

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Learning 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.

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Feed 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.

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Taught By an Apostle

It’s 5:00 a.m., and I’ve just gotten up from a dream that I should record. I’m recording it because there was a good line in it, and because it’s something that Marjorie can use when she teaches her workshop in our upcoming Young Single Adult Conference.

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How Many Are On Your Team?

For the past 46 years I’ve been playing catch-up. That’s how long I’ve been a member of the Church. I was baptized and became a member just 20 days before my 20th birthday. Consequently I missed out on Primary, Young Men’s, Aaronic Priesthood ordinations, scouting, seminary, and a mission.

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Playing Catch-up

For the past 46 years I’ve been playing catch-up. That’s how long I’ve been a member of the Church. I was baptized and became a member just 20 days before my 20th birthday. Consequently I missed out on Primary, Young Men’s, Aaronic Priesthood ordinations, scouting, seminary, and a mission.

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