Friday, May 30, 2014

Someone Else Who Isn't Afraid to Defend His Faith

Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" Reality Show
Yesterday Phil Robertson was asked to speak the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans.

The Daily Beast reported: "In an address that was not so much a speech as a jeremiad, Robertson, the marquee speaker at this year's confab, harangued his audience to return to biblical values, reminded them that they will one day die--"Obamacare will not save you from the grave"--and told the gathered, "GOP, you can't be RIGHT for America if you are WRONG with God."

Robertson said: "And some of you are saying, 'Are you some kind of idiot?' Actually, I'm a multimillionaire...."

Thursday, May 29, 2014

The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ

"The Messiah" series by Bruce R McConkie
"For behold, the time cometh, and is not far distant, that with power the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity, shall come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men, working mighty miracles, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, causing the lame to walk, the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and curing all manner of diseases. And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which dwell in the hearts of the children of men. And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people. And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary. And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him. And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men." -- Mosiah 3:5-10 (prophesized about 124 B.C.)

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Shawn Bradley: A Hero!

My new hero: Shawn Bradley! Click on his name for ESPN's "30 for 30" short film on this role model!

Friday, May 23, 2014

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

One High School's Graduates Leaving on Missions This Summer!

These young men (and one young woman who is turning age 19 in August)
are soon leaving to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the World!
They graduate from high school 22 May 2014.

Friday, May 16, 2014

22 Words that Have Completely Different Meaning When You're Mormon


22 Words that Have Completely Different Meaning When You’re Mormon
BuzzFeed 13 May 2014

1. Brother and sister: What it usually means: The terms used to call a male or female sibling who shares one or both of your parent(s).

What it means when you’re Mormon: The terms used to call a male or female sibling who shares one or both of your parent(s) AND anyone else who is also Mormon.

2. New Year’s Eve Dance: What it usually means: Bumping and grinding synced with the bass of the best club remixes from the past year.

What it means when you’re Mormon: Censored songs from the ’90s mixed with the occasional slow song to awkwardly ask your crush to dance to.

3. Apricot Trees: What it usually means: A tree that grows apricot fruit.

What it means when you’re Mormon: A tree that pops popcorn.

4. College: What it usually means: The craziest four years of one’s life filled with partying and experimenting.

What it means when you’re Mormon: BYU.

5. Caffeine: What it usually means: A substance that is found especially in coffee and tea and that makes you feel more awake.

What it means when you’re Mormon: “HURRY BEFORE MOM SEES.”

6. Beer: What it usually means: An alcoholic drink made from yeast-fermented malt flavored with hops.
What it means when you’re Mormon: A&W root beer.

7. Eagle Scout: What it usually means: The highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America.

What it means when you’re Mormon: Literally every one of your male Mormon friends.

8. House Party: What it usually means: Beer pong, lots of making out, and hugging toilets.

What it means when you’re Mormon: Wii, root beer, and a PG-13 movie.

9. BMW: What it usually means: An acronym for “Bayerische Motoren Werke,” one the most popular and lavish car models.

What it means when you’re Mormon: An acronym for your van, the “Big Mormon Wagon.”

10. Mission: What it usually means: Assignment or task needed to be accomplished. Often synonymous with Tom Cruise.

What it means when you’re Mormon: Two rewarding, unselfish years of your life. Often synonymous with door slamming.

11. Refreshments: What it usually means: A light snack or drink, especially one provided in a public place or at a public event.

What it means when you’re Mormon: MAKES EVERYTHING WORTH IT.

12. Fireside: What it usually means: The area around a fireplace (used especially with reference to a person’s home or family life).

What it means when you’re Mormon: Occasional bonus meeting for the youth HOPEFULLY WITH REFRESHMENTS.

13. Engagement: What it usually means: A period of time between dating and marriage usually filled with wedding planning.

What it means when you’re Mormon: One week.

14. Champagne: What it usually means: Sparkling wine produced from grapes. Usually drink to celebrate something.
What it means when you’re Mormon: Welch’s sparkling grape juice. Usually drink to celebrate something.

15. Genealogy: What it usually means: The line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor.

What it means when you’re Mormon: Your mom’s hobby.

16. David Archuletta: What it usually means: The runner-up of the seventh season of “American Idol.”

What it means when you’re Mormon: The returned missionary who every Mormon mother wants their daughter to marry.

17. Seminary: What it usually means: A college that prepares students to be priests, ministers, or rabbis.

What it means when you’re Mormon: Early weekday mornings during the school year that replaces sleep.

18. Utah: What it usually means: The 45th state admitted to the United States.

What it means when you’re Mormon: Where all your relatives live.

19. LDS: What it usually means: A misspelling of the hallucinogen drug “LSD.”

What it means when you’re Mormon: Acronym for “Latter Day Saint,” what you wish people would call you instead of “Mormon.”

20. Elder: What it usually means: An old person.
What it means when you’re Mormon: A surname of great honor and responsibility.

21. The Book of Mormon: What other people think it means: A hit Broadway play representing a satirical view of the Mormon religion.

What it means when you’re Mormon: The greatest book you’ll ever read.

22. Sunday: What it usually means: The day of the week before Monday and following Saturday and (together with Saturday) forming part of the weekend.

What it means when you’re Mormon: The day you devote entirely for religion and family purposes only. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Defend Your Beliefs

"Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don't live it at all. Defend your beliefs with courtesy and with compassion, but defend them. A long history of inspired voices, ... point you toward the path of Christian discipleship. It is a strait path, and it is a narrow path without a great deal of latitude at some points, but it can be thrillingly and successfully traveled, "with ... steadfastness in Christ, ... a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men." In courageously pursuing such a course, you will forge unshakable faith, you will find safety against ill winds that blow, even shafts in the whirlwind, and you will feel the rock-like strength of our Redeemer, upon whom if you build your unflagging discipleship, you cannot fall." - Elder Jeffrey R Holland

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Malady of Unbelief

Moses & Brass Serpent
by Judith Mehr
“Man’s search for bedrock purpose and for core values will be a search in vain if it searches for new answers, or if it moves in the direction of false religion, or merely in the direction of political ideology. These will prove to be only conceptual cul-de-sacs, not the solitary path to happiness. The reality to which we must look is the truth in its fullest sense, contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Is it likely that mankind can save itself when the answer is so simple and so obvious? The Book of Mormon speaks of that incident in the Old Testament when Moses lifted up a brazen serpent in the wilderness, that all who had been bitten by the fiery serpents might look upon it and thereby live. But as the Book of Mormon concludes, ‘but few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts; that there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.”   -- Neal A Maxwell

We need to cultivate an attitude of belief by looking to Lord Jesus Christ in everything we do which is what Moses was trying to do with children of Israel.