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.

Levi (no, not the pants)

In the Book of Ether there is an account of a man named Levi. Born into captivity, he served for 42 years before obtaining the kingdom (which was rightfully his, by the way). Now, after all those years you might expect him to be hardened and perhaps a little vengeful. However, Levi exemplifies great faith and continues to do that which is right in the sight of God.

The other day, I walked out of a class feeling pretty ticked off, not gonna lie.. We had just taken an exam that I didn't feel to great about and I was just bugged. As I trudged to my next class I had the thought that I shouldn't let one silly test  in one silly class ruin my day. I began to think about how often I let the little things in my life get to me. I let my circumstances define me.

That needn't be the case!

The Boys on Darwin Avenue

So this year, up at school, I have been greatly blessed with fantastic roommates. We have a lot of fun together. In fact, we've decided to to make a YouTube channel with some videos of us making fools of ourselves. So far, we've only got a few posted but we are gonna try to get some more up there.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is this: visit our channel by clicking on the link below, "like" it (and like it),  maybe even go as far as sharing it with your friends. That would be a sweet thing for you to do. Thanks!

The Boys on Darwin Avenue

Seasons

It's been a little while since I posted up on this thing. Things have been a little crazy with college and stuff.

Anyway,  I just wanted to comment on an Ensign article I recently read (if you don't know what the "Ensign" is just click here). So, this article is by Dieter F. Uchtodrf regarding seasons. It being the first of October, we are right in the middle of the shift from summer into fall. It's interesting to notice the physical changes that occur in nature during these periods.

Throughout the different seasons of our lives we experience different things: the chill of winter, the warmth of summer, and so on. Regardless of what it's like outside, however, we can be happy. If we choose to follow Jesus Christ we will be. If we spend our time serving others and doing good things with our friends, than we'll find that even in the cold we will be warm.

"Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another." - Doctrine and Covenants 90:24

A Superior Hero

If you take a look at the super heroes of today you see that they all have one thing in common: they are really good at fighting. Some use super strength, others use cool gadgets, but their purpose is fundamentally the same: to save innocent people and stop the bad guys.

While Superman is pretty super there is someone even super-er and that is Jesus Christ. The Savior of the world doesn't come out of a comic book and He doesn't fight crime with weapons of any kind. Perhaps His purpose is fairly similar to the super heroes though. Moses 1:39 states that it is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." That's saving people physically and spiritually. 

Christ taught us to turn the other cheek and to love our enemies. He exemplified these principles perfectly His entire life, especially the last week of his earthly ministry. He endured an unfathomable amount of pain. His response: love toward those responsible for his suffering. 

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. It's not like it's bad to think Iron Man is cool or whatever. After all, Moroni was a war hero and if all men were like him the very powers of hell would be shaken forever. What I am getting at is that at the top of our hero list should be Jesus Christ, He who conquered all with love.