A few weeks ago in an Elder’s Quorum meeting I spoke out strongly against the direction the lesson was going. I think I briefly shook a few people up, but, of course, the lesson just moved along without directly dealing with what I had said. The lesson was based on the October 2024 Conference talk … Read more
It is well-known that politics can be divisive. This is especially true in our current climate of distrust, class division, and demonization of political opponents. In LDS Church meetings the general understanding is “We shouldn’t discuss politics in Church.” This frequently heard statement is based on a vague sense of an actual Church policy (which, … Read more
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
The Latter-day Saints have a unique form of knowledge we call “testimony.” And a testimony, when expressed, is a particularly strong statement of belief. And yet, a testimony is expressed humbly, quietly, gratefully. It is not an expression of personal superiority. To an outsider, a Mormon testimony may appear to be a self-delusion or a … Read more
On a recent Sunday I attended Sacrament meeting in a nearby ward. The printed program showed the Sacrament Hymn to be Hymn #142, “I Stand All Amazed.” The problem was that hymn #142 is really “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” When the ward business had ended, the chorister stood up and the organist immediately played an … Read more