Life is a Painting not a Puzzle

Life is full of trials: we make mistakes, we get sick, we lose people we care about. Sometimes my tendency is to view life like a puzzle, something to be solved. When I lose a piece, I'm sunk. Once a piece is missing, there is essentially no way to complete the picture.

However, a more correct comparison would be to say that life is like a painting. We may make a mistake here or there but a true artist can easily turn those blemishes into an overall beautiful picture. 

Elder Bednar relates the following in one of his conference addresses:

"In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting."

Each day we paint a little bit more. And hopefully we don't get discouraged if things maybe don't turn out how we planned or if we feel like we messed up. With God's help, we can improve our lives/paintings each day. 

Owning Up to Our Actions

I recently had a very interesting experience... It all started when I was in the shower.. I had woken up just like any other morning but while in the midst of my morning routine I remembered that I had parked my car in a nearby lot that is only open to the public on weekends. Long story short, I ended up paying $75.00 to get a boot taken off my car.

As I waited for the company to come remove the boot I kept trying to think of ways it wasn't my fault, looking for a reason why I shouldn't have to pay the fine. But ultimately I came to the conclusion that there was me, and only me, to blame so I paid the fee and went on my way 75 dollars poorer. 

We make choices every day. Sometimes our actions are in line with the commandments of God and other times they aren't. It's my experience that we are quick to take credit for the good that we do but even quicker to make excuses when things go south. Perhaps all we need is to be a little more honest with ourselves and own up to our actions. And remember to move your car when you need to.

The College Student and the Concept of Zion

For those of us in school right now it's easy to get caught up thinking about ourselves. What classes am I going to take? What should MY career be? What shirt should I wear today? None of these questions are bad, they're a necessary part of our lives. But they sometimes make it hard for us to think about people besides ourselves.

In the scriptures we read about the concept of Zion. The Doctrine and Covenants speaks repeatedly on establishing Zion. Enoch built a city that was called 'Zion'. D&C 97 refers to Zion as, "the pure in heart". And we sing hymns about Zion in church on Sundays. So with that said I want to share this scripture...

"But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion, for if they labor for money they shall perish (emphasis added)." - 2 Nephi 26:31

As students, we are preparing ourselves to enter the work force. We know that we have a duty to provide for our future families but sometimes I think we get caught up in future fortunes instead. This scripture reminds us that our labor should always be to build God's kingdom, not ours.  In the end, money isn't important but people are and I hope that we won't forget it.

Knowledge is Freedom

I've heard it said before that "knowledge is power" and I don't disagree. I would simply like to add that "knowledge is also freedom".

In 2 Nephi 2:26 it states that Adam and Eve became free forever, knowing good from evil. When we gain knowledge we are free to make more educated decisions, freeing us from choices that lead to sin. Thus, one of the sole purposes of our existence on this earth is to learn how to tell the difference between good and evil, righteousness and wickedness.

It appears to me that making this distinction has become increasingly difficult as of late. In the world we see many that call good, evil and evil, good.  See Isaiah 5:20 for his prophecy on the subject. Society no longer looks to the laws of God or to His doctrine for answers on issues of morality. Instead, we are encouraged by the world to "choose what is right for us". This dangerous doctrine of doing whatever works was taught by none other than Korihor, an anti-christ in the Book of Mormon (see Alma 30:17, 60 to find out what happens to him...).

The truth is, there is a law. There are rules, commandments that God has given us. As we learn to keep them and to distinguish good from evil we are becoming more and more like Him. We are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death.. Pick whichever one you want.

What's in a name?

Names have really been intriguing me as of late. Why are they so important to us? Why do we care if someone remembers our name or not? And we do care. For some reason, when someone can call us by name we feel as if they know us. They may remember a hundred things about us but if they can't remember what we are called then we still feel like they don't care, or don't know us.

When we are born, our parents decide what our names will be. Whether its Joseph, Andrew, Jeffery, or Kyle that word becomes a part of us. It's kinda weird. Growing up, we get nicknames that sometimes mean more to us than our original name. For some reason, we like that. 

At baptism we take upon ourselves the name of Christ. We strive to represent Him in what we do and say. Mosiah 5:8 says, "There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ..." 

Christ said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Christ does know us and is ever calling out to us. Let's listen and follow Him. 

The night is darkest just before the dawn

I don't know if that saying actually has any real scientific merit but it certainly rang true for me this summer. My summer job took me away from Utah and down to the northern part of Texas. It was hot, dusty, and at times a little bit miserable. But overall I was in good company and had an enjoyable time. However, my last week of work was indeed a trial and a tribulation. Tuesday was particularly awful. My exhaust system on my car broke. Like, we are talking pipes hanging from the bottom of my car, scraping the asphalt. I was terrified that I would have to stay an extra day or two for it to get fixed.

Thankfully, we were able to get it fixed on Wednesday and I started the journey home on Thursday morning. I was so grateful. My prayers had been answered. However, 200 or so miles from home I hit something on the road and my right rear tire was shredded. Let me just take time to point out that I had already replaced all four tires on my car over the course of the summer. Needless to say I was a little bit bummed.

Anyway, we put the spare on and somehow made it the rest of the way home. Shoutout to Dalton Facer for sticking with me the whole way just in case I got another flat. But as we were driving across the rather large state of Wyoming I couldn't help but think of the pioneers who made a similar trek but on foot. After initial thoughts of, “why me?” I realized I had so much to be grateful for. So I thanked God for my safety, for my friends, for my family waiting for me, for technology and innovation, for all the blessings which I enjoy everyday.

The night may be darkest just before the dawn but what better time to look up at all the stars?

Without Sail or Anchor

Let me start off by saying that I am not a sailor, nor have I ever even been sailing. I have, however, watched movies where people do and it actually seems like a lot of fun.

In the last chapters of the Book of Mormon, Mormon casts before us an awful scene of blood and carnage. The Nephites and Lamanites are at war (which by this point in the book is a regular occurrence) and to say the least, things are not looking good. But as bad as the war is, Mormon is more concerned about their spiritual welfare. Because of his people's wickedness he knows that we too will sorrow for the destruction of this people as we read his account. And he's right.

In verse 18 of Mormon chapter 5 we read that the people were as though they were, "upon the waves, without sail, or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer..." Like I said before, I'm no sailor but I think it is safe to say that those three things are essential. They give us control of the boat. With them we can stop, change direction, and return to our proper course should we stray. Without them we are simply at the will of the ocean. And after watching Shark Week that is not something I desire...

So as we set sail today and tomorrow lets not forget that we have power to stop and to change our course. Hopefully if we make minor adjustments (See President Uchtdorf's talk: A Matter of a Few Degrees) along the way we'll make it home to our Heavenly Father without being entirely lost at sea or eaten by a shark.

Something new from Alma 32

This summer my parents, being the great folks that they are, challenged our family to read the Book of Mormon before school starts. This week I arrived at Alma chapter 32, the great discourse on faith. I thought to myself, "Self, see if you can find something new today." So I read carefully and something jumped out at me that I haven't looked at too closely before.

In verse 5 the poor of the Zoramites voice a concern. They complain to Alma that they have no place to worship because the rich have kicked em out of the synagogues. Thinking of my own life, I really only consider going to church on Sunday or going to the temple as qualifying as worship. It's likely that I would feel very much like these Zoramites if all of a sudden I was no longer allowed to enter church buildings or temples.

In the next chapter Alma says in verse 3, "Do ye remember to have read what Zenos, the prophet of old, has said concerning prayer or worship?" He then goes on to explain that praying unto God in the wilderness, over our fields, and in our closets is worshipping God.

Prayer is worship, if we make it that by being sincere and thanking and praising God in our conversation with Him. Richard G. Scott said, "Think of it: the absolute Supreme Being, the most all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful personage, encourages you and me, as insignificant as we are, to converse with Him as our Father."

Netflix will be the death of me

Why do we watch tv? Why do we get caught up in the lives of fictional characters? Why, when I have free time, do I sit on my computer and watch Netflix (I don't literally sit on top of my computer, I sit on a chair and look at my computer)?

The answer to these questions... I don't know if I really know.. So bear with me as I kind of think out loud here.

Part of television's enchanting spell is probably that it's entertaining. But I don't think that's everything. I think, sometimes we start to place ourselves in the characters shoes. We want to know what will happen to us next. The problem is, there is always something left unresolved at the end of an episode. And with Netflix we don't have to wait until next week, or next season. We can watch 7 straight episodes and still leave hungry for whatever it was we were looking for.

For me, I see attributes in characters that I want. Somehow my brain thinks that if I keep watching, those qualities will magically be projected onto me. But of course that's not gonna happen. So, I spend all my time watching something that leaves me empty when I could be filling it with something meaningful. It's a little bit ironic.

And yep.. I think that's it. That's all I got. Netflix, TV, there you have it.

"We've got nothin' to hide.."

Ever been patted down by a police officer and checked for drugs or weapons? Well... now I can say that I have. The other night, we were on our way back from a little campfire when we passed by a car that had been pulled over. We joked, "Who gets pulled over in a state park??" Well, we do. A few minutes later we we saw the flashing lights of a policeman behind us. We slowed to the side of the road and the Texas officer came to the driver side window and did his whole little speech, "Do you know why I pulled you over?" etc..

He asked the driver to exit, then he asked me and the other passenger to come out of the car as well. We put our hands behind our heads and he frisked us. I can't say I was afraid or even mad. It was kinda cool actually. Unlike him, I knew that we were just a couple of Mormon boys from Utah. He wouldn't find any drugs or booze in our car.

On the drive home we laughed and talked about how fun that little escapade was. I realized that it would've have likely been a different story had we been drinking or using drugs like perhaps other kids our age would've been doing around a campfire.

When you are doing what's right you've got nothing to worry about, you can enjoy life!

The Pride Inside

We've all got talents, things that we enjoy doing and are good at. Sometimes we are afraid to say what we think our own talents are. It's easy to point them out in others, "He's a great basketball player." or, "She has a real knack (yes, that's how you spell it) for painting." Why don't we share with others what we think our talents are? We are afraid that if we admit, out loud, that we think we are good at something that someone will disagree because there's always someone better.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the word pride is Lion King. Not really, but it did come to mind earlier today. Simba belonged to a pride of lions and as a youngster he was pretty prideful too. He said things like, "I'm gonna be the mane (pun intended) event like no king was before.." Sure, Simba may have had a talent for leadership and certain gifts that would make him a great king but the pride was in comparing, and elevating himself above previous leaders, including his father.

It's not enough for us to simply be good at something and enjoy doing it. We often compare ourselves to others. We've got to be better. They may be good at this, but you're better than them at some other thing. Truthfully, it doesn't matter. Who cares? Find something you like and work at it for yourself. And don't be afraid to compliment people and point out what you've noticed they are good at.

And yep... I think that's it.

In Times of Trouble

Well.. today is Memorial Day and as I was reading in the Book of Mormon I came across some verses that got me thinking about war and death and all that stuff. Most of my blog posts try to answer a question or offer some sort of advice but today I just want to ask a question.

First, some background information...

In Alma chapter 50 the Nephites are in the middle of a war with the Lamanites but what else is new? That wasn't my question. Moroni, the fearless Nephite captain, has fortified their cities and done a pretty swell job at protecting the people. In fact, in verse 23 it says, "there never was a happier time among the people of Nephi, since the days of Nephi..." That is pretty impressive.

So here it comes...

Why? Why were the people happy? They were, after all, in a time of serious trouble. Amalickiah, a Nephite dissenter, was stirring up all kinds of wicked things across the border. You'd think that'd be enough to scare some sense into the Nephites. Well... I could offer you my opinion but I'm sure your own conclusion will be much better than mine so I'm just gonna leave it at that.

And in memory of soldiers through the ages, we are grateful for those (like Moroni) who were firm in the faith of Christ, who defended their people, their rights, and their country, and their religion, even to the loss of their blood and their lives. See Alma 48:13.

Don't Forget the Yeast!

Recently, my dad found his calling in life, and believe it or not, it's baking bread. Not only is he the bread winner for our family, but he's probably gonna win an award someday for his baked goods.

Anyway, a key ingredient in most all breads is yeast. Yeast is a microscopic fungus that consumes sugar and in turn creates carbon dioxide causing the bread dough to "rise". My mission president once encouraged me to "leaven the loaf" when I returned home, to lift those around me. We will all leave our mark on this world. We can choose to help each other rise.

In Alma 23 many of the Lamanites were choosing to join with the Nephites in worshipping the true and living God. Ammon and his brethren were "leavening the loaf". However, the Amalekites and Amulonites "did harden their hearts, and also the hearts of the Lamanites in that part of the land wheresoever they dwelt..." It's true that we can also have the opposite effect on those around us. But it's up to us. We can decide how we impact our brothers and sisters.

So like the yeast, all we have to do is feast upon the word of God (sugar) and then live and breathe (CO2) His teachings. It's as simple as that.

A Funny Thing is a Ketchup Bottle

My Grandpa Steinicke used to say, "A funny thing, is a ketchup bottle. First, none will come.. And then a lot'll."

The truth of that statement has been reiterated to me in a new light this past week. I'm a fairly busy guy, with 17 credits, a part time job, and a church calling or two. Up until last week I felt like I had a pretty good handle on things. However, my first test results in Biology 1620 say otherwise. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't do terribly I just didn't do as well as I'd hoped or expected. That, and other things just kinda caught up to me during the week. I felt as though I had squirted out far more ketchup than I cared to consume.

Fortunately for all of us, the Lord is always there. In institute we had just the lesson I needed. It was about goals, managing time, and seeing the big picture. After that lesson the stress pretty much left but only for a little bit and I soon found myself worrying and contemplating again. I was able to go to the temple and that helped bring some peace. But even with the power that the House of the Lord brings I felt myself slipping back within a day or so. Which brings us to today, the Sabbath. What a day! Once again, the Lord came through for me.

That's the thing about life. We have to be reminded often of the Lord's plan for us, His timetable. Even though we may accidentally squirt a little too much ketchup out, God is there with a napkin and a smile to clean us up and let us know that He's looking out for us. I'm grateful for that, I'm grateful for ketchup, I'm grateful for my Grandpa and the things he left with me. Including his favorite scripture:

2 Nephi 31:20

If we press forward and endure to the end we can have Eternal Life. That's the goal, the most important thing. So don't be too disappointed if you spill some ketchup on yourself. Just wipe it off and keep moving forward.