Two different approaches to the law

Now that the Justice Department has indicted the former President on 31 counts of “willful retention” of classified documents, the Republican propaganda machine is going wild. Of interest to members of the LDS Church should be the vastly differing responses of Utah’s two Republican senators. Mitt Romney Like all Americans, Mr. Trump is entitled to … Read more

A Prophet calls for greater civility

At the end of the Sunday Morning session of the April 2023 General Conference, LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson expressed concern about the loss of civility and decency in the world. Civility and decency seem to have disappeared during this era of polarization and passionate disagreements. Vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking of others are … Read more

God or Mammon?

The Sermon on the Mount contains some disturbing messages for people who want to identify as Christian but do not want to change their lives. Jesus makes it very clear that one must choose between following Him or pursuing the material things of this world. No man can serve two masters: for either he will … Read more

Becoming Blessed

The Beatitudes are the eight blessings pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Each one begins with the words “Blessed are…” If you count Matthew 5:11 separately, there are nine beatitudes, but most commentators consider verse eleven to be an extension of verse 10. Definition of “Blessed” Among other definitions, the Oxford dictionary … Read more

The mission of Jesus Christ

This week in Sunday School we discussed the event in Luke 4:16-30 when Jesus read Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue in Nazareth and announced that the scripture was fulfilled that day in him. Sunday School classes typically emphasize the “no prophet is accepted in his own country” (Matthew 4:24) part of the story and the … Read more

Spreading hatred at Christmas time

While shopping three days before Christmas, I saw a group of 3 or 4 young men walk by a large display of Christmas wrapping paper that was on sale. One of them said, gleefully, “I’d like to take all the Democrats and wrap them all up in a ball and throw them away!” I was … Read more

The Parable of the Planter Box

There once was a man who built a planter box beside his driveway. He filled it with rich topsoil and planted a garden to provide fresh, healthy, natural, food for his family. He believed that the garden would become a ongoing source of joy for his family for years. The planter box was quickly filled … Read more