Better Bits

2012 Resolutions - Dollars, pounds, projects, and miles

2012-01-10T06:41:00.001-08:00

I felt like blogging my new year’s resolutions this year. Maybe publicizing them will improve my commitment and maybe it will inspire others. Here they are:

· Interview each of my children at least once/month – I did this last year and I think it had a strong positive benefit for my family. I keep a little chart at my computer and check off the planned interviews as they happen. My wife and I also plan regular fun 1:1’s each month where she or I will take one of the kids out for a treat.

· Spend < $600 on lunches through the year. I occasionally eat out for lunch, but don’t really track it. This year I’m incorporating my discretionary lunch budget in with my AF4 notebook so that I’m thinking about it more regularly and putting my spending in a place where I can see it. I actually think I can spend a lot less than what I have allotted if I am paying attention to it.

· Run 200 miles by Dec 31 – (Not at once!) I figure I can average about 4 miles of running per week. I’ve put a grid with 200 squares on my computer monitor at work. Hopefully, this will remind me to get out there and run a few miles on occasion.

· Reach 175 lbs by April 1. This is only 10 lbs, yet it represents a BMI of 22.5, which is slightly on the north end of healthy. I will achieve this through regular exercise and smaller meal portions. I like having some sort of health goal for the year, because without it, I tend to let things go. (Of course, as I write this, I’m drinking a cup of hot chocolate. J)

· Stay under 175 lbs for one month – I’ve never done this one. I might be able to stretch and get myself down to 170, but I pop right back up. I made this goal to keep my on my toes with the previous one.

· Finish 2011 Family Video by Dec 1 – It’s been my tradition to edit down our family videos every year into one DVD of all the best moments. This takes about 50 hours, and I’ve not been keeping it up recently. It’s totally worth it, though, so I plan to do a little bit every month.

· Do Budget before the 10^th of Every month - Janet and I had a really hard time keeping up with our budget last year and would often cram 3-4 months in one session, way too late to make corrections. As a result, we overspent almost all of our major budgets. To accomplish this, we’ve promised to forgo our weekly date night if the budget isn’t complete for the previous month.

· Deliver Major Project at work by June 1 – This one is underway and I put it in my resolutions as a way of being accountable to my family.

Mormon Temples: What Happens in a Temple?

2011-12-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

(This is part of a series of posts on Mormon temples)

In my last post, I talked about how temples are special, sacred spaces, and how special preparation is required to enter the temple. Because the general population may not enter the temple and because Mormons don’t talk a lot about the temple out of reverence for it, people outside of the church are left to speculate about what goes on there. In this post, I want to give a picture of what the temple experience is like. This is a unique aspect of being a Mormon and plays a significant role in what we think about God and the purpose of our life.

The first thing that Mormons do when entering the temple is change into white clothing. White clothing is worn for all temple ordinances, white being a symbol of purity, light, heaven, etc. The clothing is uniform in appearance, so there is an increased feeling of equality and unity. In the temple, there are no social strata – everyone is equal regardless of wealth, status, or even position in the church. Once in the temple, by chance, I sat next to an apostle (a top authority in the church), and it was interesting for me to observe him dressed the same as I was and going through the same rituals. It would have been impossible for anyone to distinguish us if they didn’t already know who he was. Wearing white clothing also lends to a feeling of the special holiness of the temple, a place apart from the world.

All communications in the temple are in hushed tones. The closest thing I can compare it to is a library. Young children are generally not found there, so the quietness of the place is another thing that sets it apart from other places we might be.

The primary purpose of the temple is to provide a sacred place for special ordinances, or rites. Mormons believe these ordinances are needed to enter heaven, so there is a great importance attached to them. Each ordinance has a covenant associated with it; that is, there is a promise that the participant makes in connection with the ordinance. The covenant is a two-way promise, God promising certain blessings to the people who make and keep their end of the covenant. The substance of these covenants is essentially that the individual will do their very best to follow God all the time, and to devote themselves completely to the cause of building up his kingdom. Initially, Mormons perform these ordinances for themselves, then they return to the temple and perform them on behalf of others who have died without the benefit of receiving the same ordinances.

Ordinances performed in the temple are: Baptisms (on behalf of deceased ancestors), Washing and Anointing (symbolic), the Endowment, and Sealing (Marriage). Everyone is clothed for these ordinances (some people ask about that) and each one is a set ritual that is the same every time. When a Mormon attends the temple to receive ordinances for the first time, the ordinance of washing and anointing and the Endowment are typically performed in succession on the same visit to the temple. The brief ordinance of Washing and Anointing is symbolic and emphasizes the idea that a person is setting themselves apart from the world to be a follower of God. The Endowment is about 90 minutes of instruction, teaching about the purpose of life, the commandments one must live by, and the specific things a person must know to return to the presence of God. The Sealing (or marriage) ordinance is a brief marriage ceremony performed as a capstone of all the previous ordinances.

The sealing ordinance itself is special in that it must be performed by a person known as a “sealer” who has been given the power to “seal on earth and in heaven”. The significance of this is that marriages performed by a sealer may extend beyond death into eternity. The number of sealers in the church is not published, but I estimate there is one sealer for every 10,000 members of the church. Their duties are relegated to the temple and performing ordinances there. Leaders of congregations (bishops) do not have the sealing power. They may perform civil marriages in a church, but they do not have the authority to perform sealings (or “Eternal Marriages”) in the temple.

There are special rooms in the temples for each one of the ordinances. Here are some examples:

Baptismal Font

Endowment Room

Sealing Room

The central room of the temple is the “Celestial Room”, which exists there as a symbol of heaven:

Celestial Room

No ordinances are performed in the celestial room. Instead, Mormons come here to pray and to meditate, often after finishing and endowment. These rooms are completely quiet and peaceful. For myself, I can say it is a delight to have a place like this to come to and be away from worldly cares and to draw my mind to spiritual things.

In addition to ordinances rooms, temples have offices in them for administering the daily workings of the temple. There are also meeting rooms which are occasionally used by a congregation to meet for a special event. These meetings are similar to church meetings, where there are prayers, hymns, and sermons. Large temples may also have laundries and even a place for temple patrons to eat. (Sometimes temples are not only filled with a reverent atmosphere, but also the wonderful aromas of cooking food. J)

As I hope you can see, temples and temple activities are unique, sacred and special to Mormons. In my next post, I will talk about how the temple and its activities affect the daily life of a Mormon. As always, please feel free to send me questions about Mormons or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I will try to put up some thoughtful answers in my blog.

What I believe about Christmas

2011-12-14T08:46:00.000-08:00

"I believe in science."

- Esqueleto (Nacho Libre)

I have a father who taught various sciences at the local state university. I grew up peering through telescopes & microscopes, catching bugs, playing with chemicals, etc. I associated with other science professors and their children and was commonly found hanging out at the natural history museum. All this activity and curiosity with science led me eventually to MIT, where I studied materials engineering and solid state physics. Today I program computers for a living, but I still keep tabs on the world of science. The quest for scientific knowledge is in my blood.

I think science is terribly interesting and productive, telling us a great deal about the world we live in. The fact that I am typing out this essay on a tiny computer in my hand is a miracle wrought through the deep understanding of many disciplines. Of all the sciences, most interesting to me is the science of cosmology, or the science of the universe, which informs us on the vast scales of time and space and the origins of pretty much everything. One cool thing about cosmology is that one must study the very tiny and the very large and understand them together in order to understand the universe. Cosmologists’ tools are the most amazing things man has ever built- from the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, to the Hubble space telescope in orbit around the earth. Even more amazing than these is the extraordinary mathematics that underlies cosmology and virtually all science. The bright mathematical star around which cosmologists orbit is the general theory of relativity, a purely intellectual construct that has described the universe so powerfully and predictably that no experiment in 100 years has contradicted it. (The jury is still out on those recently discovered speedy neutrinos, but I think we’ll find they obey speed limits like everything else). Think about it: Einstein didn't do any experiments, he just did the math. The experiments came later, and they showed he was right.

Today is an interesting time in science, because landmark developments of the last several decades. String theory, in particular, is being explored like a vast new continent and holds a glimmer of hope that we might find a single unified theory that describes everything in the universe. It is breathtaking and endlessly fascinating. I truly love it.

"If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason — for then we should know the mind of God.”

- Stephen Hawking, 1988, A Brief History of Time

“It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going.”

- Stephen Hawking, 2010, Grand Design

A constant tension exists between science and religion because science keeps pushing back the boundaries of where God might exist. Thousands of years ago, God was on a mountaintop, but then we climbed the mountain and found nothing there. Then he was in the clouds, but when we flew above the clouds, there was nothing there either. In our time, we’ve pushed all the way back to the beginning of time and to the edges of the universe and from the tiniest atoms to superclusters of galaxies, and still no evidence of God. Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest minds of our time, has looked closely at the math and believes there is no need to invoke God to understand why the universe might exist, and he has made the leap (or suggested it) that if we don’t need to invoke the concept of god, then the simplest conclusion is that there is no God.

The problem, of course, with a modern scientist’s view of the universe is that most of us have to take their word for it. This goes back to the math- with each successive step in our understanding of nature, the math required to understand it has grown commensurately. The ancient physicists used math that many kids today learn in junior high. Later advances have required math that is now in the domain of a college education. String theory invokes math of a most obscure and arcane nature, so complicated that most people would not be able to understand it even they spent the required years to study it. So, when a modern cosmologist talks about the nature of the universe and God, the vast majority of us do not remotely have the resources to grasp the reasoning of his argument. If the nature of God is discovered through such means, what hope have we of knowing something about it?

“What if God was one of us?”

- Alanis Morissette

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

- Jesus Christ (John 17:3)

A popular song from the 90’s asks the question, perhaps disingenuously, “What if God was one of us?” This is somewhat of an ironic message in light of the truth about Christmas. 2000 years ago a baby was born to a virgin mother in Bethlehem of Judea. The point that she was a virgin is important because of the implication- that the child had a divine father. The god of the old testament, Jehovah, was born, lived a human life, and died. He went through the same life experience, physically and spiritually, that all of us have. The message of Christmas is that God _is_ one of us. And if he is one of us, we are one of him! We are literal children of God and not only is it possible to know God, it is our essential nature to desire it, strive for it, and achieve it.

The skeptic, the scientist, will demand some sort of proof for this. Fortunately, it is available, and one need not have any special training to see it. Built into each one of us is the ability to comprehend and know spiritual reality. This power to know, however, operates on by specific laws, and one must abide by them to come to knowledge. Jesus taught in very simple terms what these laws are, but unfortunately they are widely disregarded by the world, which is why so many people still look for knowledge of God without finding it. The practical message of Christmas is that we can put away hatred, envy, lust, deceitfulness, and selfishness, and we can speak with our God and come to know, in a real and lasting way, that there is a God and that we are his children and that we are intimately connected to him.

This is my Christmas message to all of you, my friends, and I know of myself it is true. If you do not know for yourself, I invite you to find out.

Mormon Temples: Who Can Enter a Temple?

2011-12-09T17:28:00.001-08:00

(This is part of a series of posts on Mormon temples)

The first building that Mormons ever built was a temple in Kirtland Ohio:

In the dedicatory prayer of this temple, Mormons are given this injunction: “no unclean thing shall be permitted to come into [the temple].” What this means is that once a temple is dedicated, there is a worthiness standard applied to those who desire to enter it. The standard is: to believe in God, keep the commandments, and live our lives in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ. In practical terms, this means that a person who desires to enter a temple must be a baptized member of the LDS church in good standing, attending church regularly, being chaste, paying tithing, and generally doing their best to live an honest, moral life. Worthiness is determined by way of an interview with ecclesiastical leaders, after which a certificate is issued (a “temple recommend”) which the member may use to enter the temple.

As a rule, Mormons take the worthiness interview very seriously. The interview itself is somewhat of a ritual- it must be repeated every two years and it follows a standard format. Mormons who carry a temple recommend are considered active and devoted members of the church. Roughly a quarter of adult members of the church hold current temple recommends. Members commonly speak about going to the temple as a transformative experience. The preparation often involves the challenging process of leaving behind of old habits such as smoking or drinking and adopting new habits such as paying tithing or becoming fully integrated in the church community.

There is no special invitation required to receive a recommend and go to the temple. Everyone and anyone is invited, so long as they are willing to live according to the standards required for the temple. There is however, an age requirement (over 18) and a person must have been a member at least one year. The reason for those requirements is that the spiritual commitment that goes with attending the temple is serious, and it is important that a person is ready to keep their commitment once it is made. In typical practice, Mormons attend the temple for the first time right before their missions (many Mormons serve two-year missions between the ages of 19 and 25) or right before their marriage if they have not been a missionary.

The worthiness standard has some important implications in a Mormon marriage. One in particular is that attendance at a Mormon wedding ceremony is extremely limited. If family members are not members of the church and/or do not meet the worthiness standard, they cannot attend the ceremony. Typical wedding parties are composed of close family and a few very close friends. This is a sensitive situation, especially for non-members who don’t have the background to understand the beliefs surrounding the temple and the Mormon’s concept of Eternal Marriage. Mormon youth are taught from a young age to anticipate and strive for a marriage in the temple. Youth standards of behavior, spirituality, and dating are crafted around keeping young people worthy to enter the temple. These standards are taught and emphasized continually.

A temple is staffed by a fairly large number of volunteers, or “temple workers.” Temple workers are lay members of the church and have no special qualifications other than that they regularly attend the temple themselves. Workers usually work one full day each week in the temple, and they are not paid. (There are some paid positions for people who work in the temple, but these are non-religious in nature such as a someone who works in the laundry or as a Janitor.) Many workers in the temple are older, retired Mormons. When a person becomes a temple worker, they are specially set apart by the laying on hands so that they will have the authority to do the work in the temple.

In my next post, I will talk about what people do in the temple. As always, please feel free to send me questions about Mormons or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I will try to put up some thoughtful answers in my blog.

Some Truths About Software Development

2011-12-06T13:58:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine pointed me to a talk by Greg Wilson, an author of software engineering books. The point of his talk is that there is a lot of bogus claims and practices around software that aren’t backed up with data (for instance, the usefulness of UML in code design). He then listed several rules of thumb that *are* backed up by data and many of these rang true with me in my 20 or so years of experience. Here they are:

Adding 25% more features doubles the complexity.

Project failure tends to come from poor estimation and unstable requirements.

If you have to rewrite more than 20% of a component, start from scratch.

Reading code (code review) is the best technique known for fixing bugs. Caveat #1: Most value comes from the first review during the first hour. Caveat #2: The most code a person can really review is ~200 lines in an hour.

Software reflects the organization that wrote it. Case in point: A Microsoft study of Windows Vista showed that fault rates were most dependent on organizational chart distance!

Lines of code is the strongest metric. Other more complicated metrics tend to scale with lines of code.

Nobody uses UML.

Mormon Temples: What is a temple?

2011-12-04T16:27:00.001-08:00

(This is the first part of a series of posts on the temple)

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, “churches” are different than “temples.” A church is a building where we hold Sunday worship services (sacrament meetings), youth activities, dances, sports events, devotionals, scouting courts of honor, dinners, receptions, etc. etc. Church buildings are open to the public and anyone is invited to meetings we hold there. There are probably on the order of 10,000 LDS church buildings around the world. Typical church buildings look like this:

Temples, on the other hand, are rare and very special. There are only about 140 LDS temples in the world. They are constructed with great care out of the finest materials available and they are dedicated for special worship activity that is distinct and separate than a standard Sunday service. ( In fact, temples are closed on Sundays.)

Here are some pictures of temples:

Salt Lake City

San Diego

Hong Kong

In the temple, Mormons perform various religious rites, or “ordinances.” An example of an ordinance would be baptism. Mormons don’t talk about the specifics of these ordinances outside of the temple, not because such things are secret, but because they are sacred. Put another way, if we simply talked about temple rites any time and any place, these things would lose their air of reverence and dignity. If you know a Mormon, it is useful to understand that it is deeply upsetting to them to see the sacred things of the temple paraded in public and/or ridiculed.

When temples are first built, they are considered regular buildings until they are dedicated by the president of the church (“The Prophet”) or someone delegated by the President. Before that time, there is an “open house” period where general members of the public may enter the temple and see the inside. At a temple dedication, the temple and surrounding grounds are filled will local members of the church. This is a time greeted with joy and celebration by Mormons.

In my next post, I will talk about who may enter temples after they are dedicated. As always, please feel free to send me questions about Mormons or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I will try to put up some thoughtful answers in my blog.

Mormon Temples: Common Questions

2011-11-30T15:08:00.001-08:00

One of the things that distinguishes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church) from other Christian denominations is the construction of temples, special religious buildings which are different than churches. In the LDS Church, temples are special buildings open to only devout and practicing members (frequently called “Mormons”). People are curious about this on many levels. What exactly is different about temples? What goes on inside them? How do Mormon beliefs about the temple affect daily life?

This is the beginning of a series of posts I will write on this topic. My objective is to give people a window into what it is like to be a Mormon so that others may understand better what we do and why. I hope that what I write will be interesting and informative, and bring us closer together in a world where there is so much dividing people.

Here’s an overview of what I plan to post under the current topic (I’ll add links later):

What is a temple?
Who can enter a temple?
What happens in temples?
How does temple activity extend into daily life?

If you have some particular questions about Mormon life that you would like answered, please feel free to send me an email and I’ll do my best to post a good answer.

Barefoot running, Week 2: No pain, no gain

2011-10-11T11:44:00.001-07:00

So far, so good with the running program. In the first week I experienced only mild discomfort in my feet and calves, however I can tell I’m definitely giving my lower legs a strong workout. Yesterday I started my 2^nd week of the couch to 5k regimen, running 2 minutes on, 1 minute off. I ran closer to 40 minutes than the 30 minutes recommended and I paid for it with blisters near my pinky toes from my Vibram shoes. My calves were also complaining a lot. For my next run I’ll scale back.

Secret Recipe for French Toast

2011-10-07T13:41:00.001-07:00

Out of necessity, I invented this amazingly simple and delicious recipe for French toast at scout camp this year:

Ingredients:

§ Your favorite Bread

§ 1 part eggs

§ 1 part melted vanilla ice cream

That’s it. The melted ice cream is really foamy and full of cream, so when it is mixed with eggs, it makes a batter that covers the bread with an extra thick layer of yummy!

Try it out and let me know how it goes!

An October Tradition!

2011-10-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

General conference- definitely one of my favorite times of the year.My family woke up this morning with a huge batch of cinnamon rolls we made last night, which is a big tradition for us- We give half away and enjoy the other half on the Saturday and Sunday of conference.Here's me with my boys after the general priesthood session on Saturday afternoon.My sons and I have each been ordained to the priesthood in our church: Hans is a priest, I'm a High Priest, David is an Elder, and Leif is a Deacon. At the priesthood session, we get to listen to excellent talks and instruction from our prophet and other leaders about our duties and how to be better followers of Jesus Christ. Some examples from this time around were talks on caring for the poor, having the courage to stand alone, and helping young men understand the significance of representing God. It is an uplifting experience, and afterwards, we go out to eat!

Barefoot Running: It begins...

2011-09-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

Check out my new clodhoppers! Today I started barefoot running. I used to run a fair amount, but I had to stop because it was killing my knees. Recently I heard about forefoot/barefoot running and how it helps a lot with knee problems. So... I got myself a pair of Vibram 5 Fingers, which are like gloves for feet. They are probably the nerdiest shoes in existence right now, which explains why I LOVE THEM.

I hear that it is easy to get injuries if I get into barefoot running too fast, so I am also doing the "Couch to 5K" program to ease myself into it. Today I ran for about 25 minutes, alternating between running and walking. For the last five minutes, I took off my Vibrams and ran with just my bare tootsies on our 20-grit sidewalks. Overall, it felt awesome to be running again, even though I am still shaking off a cold. My knees didn't give me a lick of trouble, but my feet felt a little strain, so I can see how a person needs to ease into it. I've been running stairs recently, so I think that helped with my calves, which people say is the first thing on your body to complain. The barefoot part at the end was uncomfortable, but not painful. I'm looking forward to building up callouses on my feet.

I'll keep you posted!

Ron Paul: A old guy with some interesting ideas.

2011-09-06T17:08:00.001-07:00

I recently visited Ron Paul’s web site(s) and did a deep dive on his platform. Overall, I find him to be more interesting than all the other candidates out there, who have platforms that feel watered down and filled with slogans. His ideas may or may not work, but at least he has some theories and some great experiments to try. I also wish he weren’t so old, but I’ll take what I can get.

Here’s the results of my inquiry based somewhat on my own political views, but also based on whether he’s addressing some identifiable problems in a proactive way.

Plank	Ron Paul
Fiscal	GRADE: B (+) Recognizes that fiat money is like an addictive drug (+) Return to gold standard is an interesting and game-changing idea (-) Doesn’t give clear steps on how to return to gold standard (+) Recognizes that existence of the Fed creates negative incentives for good policy and recommends another game-changing idea of eliminating the Fed. (-) Doesn’t make clear what organizations will replace the Fed, nor talk about the perceived value of the Fed that should be preserved.
Foreign Policy	GRADE: A- (+) Recognizes the “blowback” effect of US foreign policy of the last several decades. (+) Calls our recent wars “illegal” and acts of “aggression” (+) Recognizes that wars are huge sinkholes of American wealth. (+) Recognizes the negative incentives created by our military industrial complex (-) The call to hunt 9/11 planners sounds a little like pandering (-) Proposed overhauling intelligence agencies, but gives no vision or plan (-) Talks about the problems of entagling alliances, but does not illuminate or address the root causes of these alliances.
Health Care	GRADE: A (+) He’s a doctor, so has a first-hand opinion (+) Recognizes negative incentives created by government-enforced monopolies. (+) Recognizes primary issue: sub-standard health care mandated by inflexible policies (+) Proposes greater support for natural medicine and recognizes that there is a disinsentive for this created by government health policy. (+) Recognizes that government sponsored health care is likely to make the situation worse and is likely unconstitutional. (+) Recognizes that the pharmaceutical industry is incented to expensive drugs that are not especially effective. (+) Beginning the conversation about medicine and charity. (-) Doesn’t address the cost of being a family practitioner. (-) Doesn’t address tort reform and malpractice (-) Doesn’t address a vision for FDA testing natural remedies.
Immigration Policy	GRADE: C+ (+) Current policy is increasing class separation. (-) says “No Amnesty”, but doesn’t make it clear what to do with 20 million illegal immigrants. Deport them? (+) Recognizes that Welfare creates an incentive for illegal immigration. (-) Doesn’t articulate how much of our welfare money goes to illegals. (+) Recognizes that birthright citizenship is an incentive for illegal immigration. (-) Doesn’t give a vision for how to change/replace birthright citizenship. (-) Doesn’t directly address the 800 pound Gorilla of illegal immigration: Mexico.
Free Trade	GRADE: C (+) Clarifies that NAFTA is not free trade (+/-) Interesting definition of isolationism. (-) Does not address corporations and humans rights issues in foreign countries (+) Suggests true free trade as a means for achieving peace (+) Advocates full free trade without government intervention (-) Doesn’t talk about patent reform and IP protections (-) Doesn’t talk about the realities of failure and collapse in a full free trade system
Taxes	GRADE: A+ (+) Eliminate the IRS - A Seemingly radical idea which he de-radicalizes with some numbers and history. (+) Outlines realistic steps to fill in the revenue with excise (consumption) taxes, tariffs (non protectionist?), and big spending cuts. (+) Connects income tax to loss of privacy and freedom (+) Identifies negative incentive for productive behavior (+) Liberty Amendment. A visionary piece of legislation demonstrating a long-term commitment to this policy on taxation.
Abortion	GRADE: C+ (+) Recognition that many of the talking points around abortion are just secondary issues. (-) Raises another secondary, un-provable issue as his talking point – when does life begin? (The real issues is unwanted pregnancies, an issue around which pro-life and pro-choice groups have been able to cooperate in the past) (+) Raises an interesting connection between abortion and euthanasia (+) Brings abortion providers under scrutiny (-) Doesn’t reach for common ground on an extremely divisive issue. (+) Appears to have a consistent view on this topic, informed by his significant medical experience.
Education	Grade: D+ (-) No national vision for education. (-) Recommends dissolving national education system but doesn’t mention that our form of government depends heavily on an educated populace. (+) wants to support home schooling
Gun Rights	Grade: C- (+) Defends constitutional right to bear arms (-) No innovation or vision around the gun-related problems we have in our country.
Energy	GRADE: F (-) Promotes excise taxes, but suggests repealing the gasoline tax, pandering to consumers. (-) Promotes unrestricted exploration of energy resources, bypassing important government function of regulation. (-) Lift roadblocks for coal (+) Lift roadblocks for nuclear power (-) Proposes removing EPA and suggests a tort system, neglecting that the government is a huge property owner. (+) Promote alternative fuel technologies (-) No real vision for solving energy dependence problem.

What the Apostle Said: Urgent matters concerning the priesthood

2011-08-19T16:13:00.001-07:00

Last night I got to sit in on a meeting with Elder Perry of the quorum of the twelve apostles and Elder Clayton of the presidency of the Seventy. I was there with about 500 other priesthood leaders representing about 38,000 members in 11 stakes. I happened to be in the front row, so when the chorister was late, I got to stand up and lead everyone in a few hymns. It’s awesome to hear all those voices. There’s a great, peaceful feeling sharing the same room with hundreds of men united in song and purpose, determined together to serve Jesus Christ. That feeling stayed with me through the entire meeting and I left feeling edified and having some new ideas and direction.

The purpose of the meeting was to address a few large concerns that have been on the minds of the brethren recently. I’ll list each one and mention what was discussed.

Limited Understanding of Sacred Covenants

Many brothers are entering into priesthood covenants without a good understanding of what the oath and the covenant of the priesthood is. It’s a very serious commitment and many are ordained with little understanding of it. Elder Perry quoted 1 Tim 5:22 (“Lay hands suddenly on no man.”) and taught that we should carefully teach about the oath and covenant of the priesthood before we ordain brethren.

We reviewed principles of the priesthood including the following:

- The priesthood is the power and authority by which God created and governs the universe.

- It is the portion of his power given to mortal men for salvation.

- The blessings of the priesthood are available to all who desire them.

- The priesthood is directed by individuals who possess keys. Keys entitle one to receive revelation to guide and direct others.

- When we enter into the oath and covenant of the priesthood, we make an oath to:

o Magnify our callings through doing our duty and following personal revelation

o Give diligent heed to the words of eternal life

o “Live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God”

- God promises

o Physical support

o Adoption into the family of Abraham

o Eternal Life and “All that the Father hath”

- If we desire eternal life, we must enter into this covenant. If we enter into this covenant and abandon it, we cannot be forgiven in this life or the next. It’s a very serious promise.

- With the priesthood, there is a line of authority (D&C 84:33-37) - we act for the Savior.

Response to the rescue has been poor

Our prophet is very concerned about the rescue of individuals, especially those who have the priesthood and those who have had the opportunity to receive it. Our progress as a church in the 2 ½ years since he spoke on this has been essentially zero. To explain this, Elder Clayton gave a classic quote from Stephen L. Richards:

“A quorum is three things: first, a class; second, a fraternity; and third, a service unit. Within it the men of the Priesthood learn of the principles of the Gospel, establish true brotherhood, and carry forward the work of Christ. It is a God-given association from which they derive more of lasting advantage than from any other fraternal organization in our society. Its prime purpose is to encourage and safeguard the individual."

Elder Clayton said that we often forget the rest of that quote:

“I fear we have some men who have received the Holy Priesthood who feel themselves too big and too important to associate with their brethren in the quorum. I am sorry for them. They are making a great mistake. For it is they, chiefly, who are retarding the progress of the work of God. I am certain that I am right when I say that if all of the men of the Priesthood would be loyal to their quorums the work of the Church would be accelerated beyond anything we have ever known”

The point here is that it is the failure of priesthood quorums that is causing our failure. We had an open participation section where we answered three questions:

1) What have you seen in quorums that really works to encourage a feeling of brotherhood?

2) What encourages the brethren to use the priesthood in their own homes?

3) What examples have you seen of Elders Quorum Presidents using their keys?

The main points that came out of this discussion is that quorum presidents have a responsibility to follow revelation, to teach their quorums, and to bring them together in love.

Elder Perry taught how quorum leaders can cooperate with full time missionaries to help bring people back. Missionaries have the time and calling to teach, and quorum leaders have the right to personal revelation which will guide them to those who are ready. The leaders also have the authority to personally minister to families and invite them to recommit to the gospel and have the missionaries teach them.

In elder Perry’s opinion, the most important callings to fill in a ward are: Bishop, Clerk, and Elder’s quorum president. These callings have a significant part in this process.

Protecting Religious Freedom

Political movements that are seeking to limit religious freedom require the efforts of a large, united priesthood body to oppose them. The LDS church is well-respected among leaders of other religions. One of the great reasons for this is our participation in the California proposition 8 contest. As a church, we are unique in that other organizations have no head. These organizations are led by councils and committees. We have one head – the savior Jesus Christ, who acts through his senior apostle on the earth. This enables us to accomplish great things.

Elder Perry challenged us to rescue 10% of the elders and prospective elders who have fallen out of activity in the church. If we did so, we would activate 250,000 men worldwide. Imagine that!

~Q~

Thoughts on Creationism

2011-08-11T08:30:00.001-07:00

In a world where a book on how to use my TV has more words than Genesis chapters 1-3, I have a hard time thinking the biblical account is complete enough to understand the mechanisms and nature of creation. More to the point, I think in the translation of the Hebrew word “yowm” into “day” in the Genesis account is the main thing that is fouling everybody up by immediately limiting our thinking. If it had been translated into “eon” (a valid translation), then the trouble would have been largely circumvented. God created the earth in six eons and then he rested. Sounds pretty reasonable.

What’s interesting about science is that it has always been after God. Scientists have always been trying to find him. First on mountaintops, then in distant lands, in the solar system, in the galaxy, in the universe, in the far reaches of time… Every step they take pushes the frontier back. Each step yields greater understanding of our world, but no evidence of God turns up. It’s enough to make people give up the search, and many do. The irony is that all things are evidence that god exists and that the scientific means for detecting God lie within ourselves, not out there to be discovered. What the scientific search for God has taught me is that God truly is a god of faith. He simply doesn’t allow himself to be known objectively. We look and look for signs, but He’s so smart that he has hidden himself from detection even in the very laws of nature that govern his own creations. And yet, he’s also so generous that he has enabled all of his children to meet him personally if they simply live according to his commandments.

Interesting side note: Yesterday I was listening to a short lecture on Thomas Aquinas, arguably the most important philosopher of Western civilization and someone who opened the way for the renaissance. Thomas is described a someone very wise, humble like a child, extremely intelligent, and incredibly prolific- he wrote over 50 volumes. The most interesting thing about Thomas is what happened at the end of his life (quoted from Wikipedia):

In 1272 Thomas took … time at Naples to work on the third part of the [Summa Theologiae] while giving lectures on various religious topics. On 6 December 1273 Thomas was celebrating the Mass of St. Nicholas when, according to some, he heard Christ speak to him. Christ asked him what he desired, being pleased with his meritorious life. Thomas replied "Only you Lord. Only you." After this exchange something happened, but Thomas never spoke of it or wrote it down. Because of what he saw, he abandoned his routine and refused to dictate to his socius Reginald of Piperno. When Reginald begged him to get back to work, Thomas replied: "Reginald, I cannot, because all that I have written seems like straw to me."

Some people compare this to what Paul said in Philiphians 3:8

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ

The book Thomas was working on when he died was The Summa Theologiae, which was his best known and most influential work, even though he never finished it. It had a tremendous impact on Western thought and Christian religion. Yet, one look into heaven and Thomas couldn’t bear to work on it anymore because his book seemed just useful enough to catch cow turds.

Developer Interviews: An alternative to puzzle questions

2011-08-10T11:28:00.001-07:00

I’ve been in many developer interviews and I’ve frequently been asked puzzle questions. You know what I’m talking about- the kind that has one cool, non-obvious optimal answer that the interviewer knows and that you don’t, and that you have to come up with in the next 10 minutes or you’ve screwed up your chances of getting that job.

Here are some quick thoughts on the questions and a proposal for something different:

People in interviews are nervous: A nervous person has high adrenaline, which pulls blood from the brain into the extremities, lowering their higher-order abilities of reason and judgment. A lot of reasonable, highly intelligent people become babbling morons in a high-stakes situation. (Reminds me of my first date!) Puzzle questions exacerbate the problem because there is an edge of hostility in them. More to the point- Interviewees who know anything about us study puzzle questions books ahead of time knowing that they might get asked. They guy who did well on the puzzle question – was it because he knew the answer ahead of time, was it because he just doesn’t get nervous, or was he just brilliant? It’s very hard to tell. I suspect Alan Turing, who is described as shy and nervous, would do poorly answering puzzle questions in an interview.

It’s a double standard: Consider this- I ask puzzle questions of my colleagues quite often. I’ve never seen a question solved on the spot, or quickly. People usually walk off to be by themselves and come back a day or two later with the answer. Interviewers usually give just a few high-pressure minutes for solving their questions. Does asking questions in this manner do an effective job of predicting how a person will behave in a work environment? I don’t think so.

There is an alternative: The goal is to lower adrenaline and still ask questions that exercise reasoning ability/creativity. One way to achieve that is to ask questions that are based on personal experience, and have no “right” answer, and are naturally difficult. Asking questions like this lowers your status as an interviewer and balances the conversation. This conversation will be of the type we have every day at work and will give the interviewer much more useful information. Here are some examples of questions off the top of my head:

- How would you calculate how much salt a person eats in a year? (A variant of the famous “gas-station” problem. My observation is that I am solving gas-station problems at least once a week at work.)

- How would you organize one billion photos?

- How would you approach writing a program to compute the number of lines of code in a large code base?

- Imagine everyone in the world had a Bluetooth medical monitor that uploaded information to a giant database. What challenges does this create?

I think these questions are low-pressure alternatives to puzzle questions that allow a person to share their reasoning abilities in a conversational way.

Should parents be able to monitor the cell phone texts?

2011-06-06T08:32:00.001-07:00

I had a discussion recently about whether parents should monitor the cell phone texts their children send and receive. Here’s how I see it: A face-to-face conversation has certain natural constraints. The people that my kids talk to face to face are going to be naturally limited to physical proximity. Yeah, kids on the bus are going to talk about serious things and while I would like to have some frank conversations about that, I can’t reasonably expect to be privy to all those conversations, but I don’t worry about that as much because of the natural constraint.

A text conversation opens up a new realm of possibility. Anyone armed with the phone number can now conduct a conversation with my child. The analogy would be to allow my child to talk to any random person on the street that wanted to talk to them. We tell our kids not to talk to strangers, but a stranger with a cell phone can disguise themselves as anything. The privacy of texting is also an issue. A person will avoid certain conversations because they don’t want to be seen with a certain person, but it’s impossible to tell who they might be texting just by looking. Cell phone texts are basically opening the doors for additional privacy and extending the pool of potential contacts.

The last point I’ll add is this isn’t a theoretical problem. I have a few friends that have had serious issues with their children and texting. And my wife and I have found that being able to drop in on private conversations has been an invaluable tool in raising our kids.

Varmint's BBQ sauce recipe

2011-03-05T07:43:00.001-08:00

I created a BBQ sauce recipe recently that turned out pretty good. This sauce is sweet, tangy, and has a bite!

Varmint’s BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

- 3 T Butter

- 3-4 Garlic cloves, minced

- 1 C Ketchup

- 2/3 C Brown Sugar

- 1/3 C Molasses

- 1 T Worcestershire Sauce

- 1 T Red Pepper flakes

- 1 t onion Powder

- 1 t spicy mustard

Directions

1) Sauté the minced garlic in the butter until golden brown

2) Add everything else and cook until bubbly

Other things to try

- Replace ketchup with 8oz of tomato sauce + 2 T apple cider vinegar

- Instead of onion powder, sauté 1 C of finely chopped onions

Eliminate "whoops" emails forever

2011-02-23T16:47:00.001-08:00

Have you ever sent off an email only to realize 3 seconds later that you just insulted the boss, or sent your receipts for your chronic halitosis treatments to the entire organization? This article explains a little trick in Outlook rules I’ve discovered that has pretty much eliminated this problem for me. After following the instructions in this post, any message you send will stay in your outbox for 60 seconds before it gets emailed. Believe me, that 60 seconds is plenty long enough for your brain to realize that you just sent a career-limiting email and then do something to fix it.

Here’s how to do it (you will need a recent version of Microsoft Outlook)

- Create a new rule

- Under “Start from a blank rule”, select “Apply rule on messages I send”

- Click “Next”

- Click “Next” again on the “Select Conditions” list

- Outlook will warn you that this will apply to every rule, Click “yes”

- In the “Select actions” list, check the box that says “defer delivery by a number of minutes”

- Click “A number of” in the rule description box and select “1”.

- Click “Next”

- Click “Next” again on the exceptions list

- Give the rule a name and click “Finish” (Outlook will warn you that it is a client-only rule)

How to use it in practice

You have to understand how Outlook works in order to take advantage of this rule-

Let’s say that you’ve just hit send on an email. You’ll see that your outbox will have a number next to it like this: Outbox [1]. This indicates that there is a message waiting in your outbox. ( If you wait sixty seconds, you’ll see your message disappear as it is sent.) If you click on the Outbox itself before the message goes away, you’ll see the message in there with bold italic text. That font is a signal that the message is about to be sent.

- To stop the message: All you need to do to stop a message is open it. Double click on the message in the outbox and you notice that the text in the outbox list will change to plain, unbolded text. This is a signal that outlook is ignoring the message. At this point, it will never get sent.

- To send the message again with altered text: Double clicking on the message will stop it from getting sent *and* open it in a viewer. Hit the “reply-all” button and you will get a new message with all the original recipients of the old one. Now you can edit the text and press send and you’ll see a new message show up in the outbox. At this point you can delete the original, unbolded message.

Customizations to consider

- Sometimes you’ll want to shortcut the rule, such as when you need to quickly send a file to somebody. You can add an exception to the rule that will cause it not to fire on messages that have some secret text in them. For instance: “KWIK!” or anything else you like.

- For people who believe in not answering email too quickly, consider bumping up the delay to an hour. I’m not brave enough to try this, but if anyone does, please let me know how it goes!

AF4 observances

2011-02-07T16:41:00.001-08:00

Some things I’ve observed in the last few weeks using AutoFocus 4.

- Combining my work and home autofocus lists has been clearly successful. At first the list seemed too big, but the bigness of the list encouraged me to reduce the size and focus on those items that are truly important.

- The amount of time I spend prepping my list at the beginning of the day is about 20 to 40 minutes. This seems a bit long at first glance, but I feel like it gives me a solid start to the day and I never feel like I don’t know what to work on next. Here’s my morning routine:

o Run through my AF4 list and make sure things I worked on yesterday got crossed off

o Take stats on my list (I love the numbers!)

o Quickly go through my email inbox and put important emails in my todo folders

o Run through the todo folders and add unflagged items to my af4 list. Upon adding to the book, I flag the emails. I also unflad and remove emails that are completed.

o Run through my calendar and add today’s items to my af4 list.

o Go through the list and put a light pencil mark by the items I deem to be important for today.

- I’ve been hovering between 40 and 60 items on my active list at the end of each day. I would like to push this down to 30-50 items as a way to simplify/focus my life. I am getting better and tossing out the junk, but I can still see room for improvement.

- I’ve stopped splitting my list between “backlog” and “open” lists. It’s all backlog. I also move around the list a little more freeform, depending on my mood.

- I’m using double-columned pages and that keeps my whole backlog about 3 pages long. I start feeling uncomfortable if it gets longer than that, and I use that pressure to get me to work on things or just drop them from the list.

- I’ve started writing items down in the future. My book is about 4 days/page. If I think of an item that will need attention in about two weeks, I flip forward 3-4 pages and write the item down. About 3 items from any particular day are added to my current list because I have “caught up” to something I wrote down earlier.

The principle of Charity as career advice

2011-02-01T07:32:00.001-08:00

This morning, I happened on a book titled “Love it dont leave it: 26 ways to get what you want at work" by Dr. Beverly Kaye. I watched a video of the author and she said something that caught my attention. She talked about loving your job and equated it to taking action to make it the kind of thing you desire. She conveyed the idea that loving your job is not a passive thing, but rather a deliberate act, similar to how one would love their spouse. This strikes me as being in-line with the concept of Charity. The pure love of Christ is a motivating, energizing kind of love that one gives away. It is comprised of constant small acts of kindness, patience, perseverance, and faith.

As I think about this, I realize that I want to be the kind of person that loves everything- not necessarily because I like it the way it is, but because I understand my own power to build and lift as the love of God works through me. In particular, I want to take an improved look at my work and see it less as something that I like or don’t like, but something that I love unconditionally and work diligently to improve.

Three thought-provoking talks

2011-01-28T09:42:00.001-08:00

I listened to a three intensely thought-provoking talks recently and I thought I would share:

Households of Faith (McConkie, Bruce R.)
Elder McConkie talks about the phrases “children of Christ”, “sons of God”, and “joint heirs with Christ” and explains the distinctions and how those distinctions relate to the plan of Salvation

When Thou Art Converted (Dyer, Alvin R. )
Thoughts on conversion, not taking it for granted, and understanding the responsibilities associated with conversion.

A Disease Called Pride (Burton, Theodore M. )
Some powerful thoughts on achieving a Zion Society and the practical matter of caring for the poor.

Observations on Charity Experiment

2011-01-25T07:07:00.001-08:00

So last week I started an experiment to foster the development of Charity within myself. In my earlier studies, I observed that a key aspect of receiving the gift of charity is a willingness to ask for and receive the gift. I hypothesized that an effective way to do this would be to spend time at the beginning of the day thinking the day through and asking for charity in the specific situations I anticipated needing it. For instance, if I was going to help a child with homework, I would pray for patience, humility, and love for that particular event. (Believe me, I need it!)

So, for that last few days, this is exactly what I have been doing- using my prayer time at the beginning of each day to think through my itinerary and ask for help in specific instances. Here are things that I have observed coming out of this practice:

There have been several instances where I have received specific guidance beforehand on things I should do and say. As I have followed through with this revelation, I could see real benefit to myself and to others. Not usually spectacular- just a feeling of peaceful and happy coexistance and definitely a greater feeling of love.
On the whole, my demeanor has been more calm and conciliatory. I’ve had more patience and felt more willingness to listen to people.
While I still have trouble with patience and being judgemental, I notice that I catch myself and I’m reeling myself in from conversations that start going bad.

As I look at what has been happening, I can see for myself that this practice has a tangible benefit in getting me closer to the kind of person I want to be. I impressed enough by what I see to adopt this practice for the foreseeable future.

Experiment in Charity

2011-01-20T10:05:00.001-08:00

My thoughts have lately been on the topic of charity (the pure love of Christ) and how one obtains it. I found the following passages of scripture enlightening:

- John 15:9-11 – Keep Christ’s commandments to abide in the Christ’s Love

- Moroni 8: 25-26 – Repentance brings Holy Ghost, which fills with perfect love

- Alma 38: 12 – Bridle passions to be filled with love

- Eph 3:14-19 – The prayers of others can help one know the love of Christ

- 2 Nephi 4:21-24 – Mighty prayer brings the love of God

- Mosiah 4:11-12 – Great humility and sincere prayer will fill you with the love of God

- Mosiah 2:4 – Keep the commandments to be filled with love

- Moroni 7:48 – Pray with all energy of heart to be filled with God’s love

I’m seeing a pattern here of repentance, obedience, humility, and earnest prayer explicitly asking for charity. It’s the latter two items that I’ve been thinking about lately.

Yesterday I was talking with a friend and I had an epiphany. It occurred to me that literally “asking for charity” in a blanket fashion, as I assumed from Moroni 7:48, is not much different than praying for “all the sick people to get better” or for “all those who didn’t come this week to come next week.” Those are hollow expressions that don’t require much faith and don’t really work. This general asking for charity is pretty much what I have been doing in my prayers and it’s become a rote thing and not very effective. My friend reminded me of a talk by David A Bednar in which he said: “meaningful morning prayer is an important element in the spiritual creation of each day” and recommended planning out the day with God in our morning prayers.

So today I decided to adjust my prayers somewhat and think of three instances in the day when I could anticipate needing the gift of charity, and ask for charity for that specific instance. One difference I noticed immediately is that there was much more revelation. I had specific ideas come to me for each instance that I will try to do as the day progresses. I will give a report later.

The invention of money

2011-01-15T09:21:00.001-08:00

This is a very interesting listen:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/423/the-invention-of-money

It talks about some of the history of money and how we've taken the fiction of money to new extremes in our digital society. One interesting set of comments that caught my attention is the necessity of "faith in money" for the system to work. It leads me to this question: can a person eschew faith in money and still function as a part of our society?

Autofocus 4 Q&A: My little personal assistant

2011-01-07T09:28:00.001-08:00

I got some questions recently on how I use Autofocus 4 for time management and I thought I’d answer them here.

Are you using pen and paper or a computer?

I’m using pencil and paper. (For some reason, pen doesn’t feel right for AF4) My paper is a simple composition book with ruled lines. I divide each page into two columns. I connect crossed out items with vertical lines to make it easier to spot unfinished items.

Do you have a separate notebook for personal/home tasks?

Yes. Though I have considered otherwise and I have a friend who uses just one and he likes it. I prefer having two because I don’t like to mix work and family. I do, however, bring my home book to work so that I can write down ideas that need to be done at home (and vice-versa). I would probably keep just one if I was self-employed.

Do you find that Mark’s recommendation to ignore task priority works for you?

Yes. However, I’m still getting over feeling nervous about it. What I find important is to keep the discipline. One of the rules is to scan the list before I start acting on it. This let’s my intuition kick in before I decide what needs to be done. That way I don’t forget about important things. A very valuable feature of AF4 is that it highlights the stuff I have not touched in a long time and it begs me, pleads with me, cajoles me into doing something about it. About half the time, I simply highlight the item so I can forget about it and move on. The other half of the time, I force myself to do 5 minutes of work on it so I can move it to the front of the list. Oddly enough, this feels quite satisfying and I am surprisingly productive when I do it.

Along the same lines, what do you do when a task comes up that should get addressed soon/immediately?

This is where the philosophy really kicks in. The first thing I observe is that 95% of everything that is “urgent” is really not as urgent as we think. Case in point- when I got these questions, my impulse was to answer them immediately because I had all these ideas about them. Then I settled down and focused on the rules. I wrote down a task to answer the letter and finally took it on when the time was right (after some more pressing tasks were completed). For those rare, truly pressing tasks, I find that as long as I keep the rule of scanning the list, my intuition forces me to work on them. For instance, I got an email this morning saying that an output of mine was broken and it was urgent to fix it before an 11am meeting. I wrote it on my list and then went back to scanning my email. Then I scanned the AF4 list, did a few items on my backlog that I felt needed to be done, and then my brain started screaming at me to do this one item. I couldn’t even concentrate on what I was reading. I got it done way ahead of schedule and was able to feel very satisfied in all the work I had accomplished.

So, what seems to me to be the most wonderful thing about AF4 is this discovery that I have a personal assistant to help me focus on what’s important. So far this has not let me down and my confidence in “my little personal assistant” is increasing.

AF4: Intuition vs. Rational Thought

2011-01-04T11:13:00.001-08:00

I got up on Monday morning this week ready to tackle a swelling list of todo items that had recently accumulated in my backlog. As I looked through my AF4 list, my intuition pointed me squarely at a task that had recently risen in prominence, but that had been on the back of my mind for well over a year.

I have a piece of children’s software I have authored called PixelWhimsy and the most recent version of it didn’t work on recent computers for various reasons. I’ve been wanting to fix this problem off and on since it first cropped up nearly two years ago, but it was a daunting task. I was able to make a little headway on it last week because I had an AF4 task to look into the technology I would need to accomplish the fix. I found some good information and it ignited my spirit. I instantly knew that I needed to “just do it”.

So, here’s the crazy thing: I set aside pretty much my entire todo list and worked like a maniac all day on Monday (I had the day off) from 4am til about 6pm when my family needed some attention. I did a couple of things on my backlog, but only finished 4 tasks for the day, which is pretty low for me. As I lay in bed waiting to go to sleep, my spirit awoke again and I had a vision of what the next day would be. I was starting back at work the next day, but I knew I needed to finish, so would get up at 3am, skip my morning routines and just get it done. And that’s pretty much exactly what happened. I started at 3, and just stayed at it until 7:30 when I published the results. Up until that moment, I pretty much had a little storm cloud over my head as I dealt with a long series of small annoying problems, but getting it done filled me with a surge of energy and creativity. This is when I think that our intuition pays off. So-called rational behavior rarely seems to have such dividends.

Fantastic Mr Fox

2010-12-28T07:04:00.001-08:00

My family watched “Fantastic Mr. Fox” last night. It was very family friendly and we all laughed and laughed. The humor was quite subtle and sophisticated. The overall message of the movie was “be true to yourself.”

2010-12-22T16:38:00.001-08:00

I liked this video and thought I would share it- just a little reminder of what the season is about and what Jesus Christ means to me.

A key to revelation

2010-12-11T11:17:00.001-08:00

I found this while researching my talk on “The Father’s Gift of Christ”. It was linked from a reference to John 3:19-21:

“It was asked me by a gentleman how I guided the people by revelation. I teach them to live so that the Spirit of revelation may make plain to them their duty day by day that they are able to guide themselves. To get this revelation it is necessary that the people live so that their spirits are as pure and clean as a piece of blank paper that lies on the desk before the indicter, ready to receive any mark the writer may make upon it. When you see the Latter-day Saints greedy, and covetous of the things of this world, do you think their minds are in a fit condition to be written upon by the pen of revelation? When people will live so that the Spirit of revelation will be with them day by day, they are then in the path of their duty; if they do not live according to this rule, they live beneath their duty and privileges.” (JD, BY, 8:131a)

It struck me that it is the love of worldly things that holds back revelation. To have the spirit in our hearts continually, we make room for it by sacrificing worldly pursuits. I found this has definitely been true for me. Some time ago, I noticed that R-rated movies had a strongly negative impact on my ability to feel the spirit. My wife and I thought about it and we consciously decided to put those on the alter. We began to feel the spirit more strongly in our lives. This set the ball rolling for us to later cut out PG-13 movies, and later pretty much all television. We filled in the gaps with more noble pursuits and carefully selected programming. This ended up having a huge effect on me spiritually. When I finally removed all of those barriers I had unwittingly kept up, it was like a flood gate opened in my mind. The best I can describe it is that I became a different man.

Isaiah 45: Unwitting Messiahs

2010-07-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 45 begins with a remarkable prophecy concerning Cyrus, ruler of the Persian empire. In this prophecy, it is stated that the doings of Cyrus will be for “Jacob my servant’s sake”, and that Cyrus himself will be guided and prospered in performing this work, which will eventually lead to the return of the Jews to Jerusalem. (Keep in mind that Cyrus was born about a century after the death of Isaiah.) In these verses, Cyrus is referred to as a Messiah (anointed one). This is unusual, as he is the only (as far as I can tell) non-spiritual figure in the scriptures referred to in this manner. If we understand the term “messiah” as a type, however, we can understand why it was applied. A Messiah is a Savior, a deliverer, and this is exactly what Cyrus was to the Jews in his time, restoring them to their homeland, and setting the foundation for the construction of the second temple under the reign of Darius.

What I pondered on the most from these verses is that they made it clear that the Lord is guiding a person who is not of the same religion as Isaiah- and as an emperor, a person likely possessed of serious moral hang-ups. We see this pattern repeated in the story of Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2). I think this has relevance to the saints of this day. While there is doctrine that is true and correct, and there is a true church, we can sometimes forget that all people are God’s children and the light of Christ is a gift to all of us. God’s purposes are accomplished in a wide variety of ways, and often in a manner that does not seem logical to us. Some people are kept from God’s truth for purposes known only to God. Others are led to it quickly and directly, again for divine purposes. Sometimes God blesses and guides wicked people while at the same time letting the righteous suffer and struggle through darkness. All the more that we should be careful in judgment and be slow to discount others simply because they don’t fit the molds we have created.

In verses 5-19, the Lord speaks through Isaiah to establish his supremacy and involvement both in the events that happen on the earth and in his thoughts and plans concerning his children. This stands starkly against the widely held falsehood that God is a distant God, caring little about the affairs of humanity, which is supposedly too far beneath him to arouse His concerns. Many people attribute their beliefs to the day-to-day relief of physical challenges. War, disease, and the absence of prosperity cause them to think that God is not there, or that he is angry, or that He doesn’t care. Or as a friend of mine pointed out, when peace and prosperity come, we tend to attribute that to a present God, and in some cases so present that our God becomes the very materials that were involved in bringing us peace and prosperity.

The passages here are very clear. God has his hand in everything- light and darkness, peace and evil (v7). This last bit about being the creator of evil is a little confusing to some. I was reading Calvin’s commentaries and he pointed out that “evil” is from a Hebrew word that can simply mean “bad fortune”, and in this case “evil” is contrasted with “peace”, which lends to that interpretation. We also know from modern revelation that God in not the author of any evil acts (Alma 5: 40, Moro. 7: 12). Therefore, we can understand that in terms of blessings and cursings, God performs both and since he is the only God, we should not attribute these happenings to anything else. As was pointed out in the beginning of the chapter, this supremacy extends to everyone, including the heathen nations. Whenever they accomplish great things, it is because it is within the confines of God’s will that they do so. This is not to say that God controls them like puppets, but rather that they operate within the bounds that he has set for them.

Verses 20-25 present for us the natural conclusion of this discourse on the nature and power of God and they show us the kindly and merciful nature of God. They are an invitation to come unto God, to abandon the worship of idols in favor of one (the only one) who is mighty to save. Isaiah invites us to substitute the shame and remorse that will attend procrastination with the joy and gladness that come with making correct choices now.

What's the big deal about wearing an American Flag?

2010-05-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

By now, you’ve probably heard about the boys who got in trouble for wearing American flags on the day classmates would be celebrating “Cinco de Mayo” at their school. Here’s a quote from an msnbc article about this incident:

“Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.”

Point 1: The American flag is not a bandanna, nor is it likely these guys wear bandannas on an ordinary day.
Point 2: It’s a group of guys all sitting together wearing USA paraphernalia. This was a calculated gesture.
Point 3: The school administrators made a reasonable request which was flatly refused.

There are plausible scenarios to condone or condemn this action, but this is NOT about what we have a legal right to do or not do. We must quit appealing to the law to justify behavior. We don’t need a law to tell us how to behave as a civilized people. Do I have a right to hold up my middle finger? Sure! Do I have a right to use swear words? Absolutely! I can do these things pretty much any time I feel like and anywhere I feel like. But my momma taught me it’s not polite to say “f*** you” to other people. And yet that is _precicely_ what these boys were doing to the Hispanics in their school by deliberately coordinating to wear and display American symbols on a day that is special to Mexicans.

Now listen to the defensive parents who can’t teach their children some simple manners:

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."

I don't think so. Your kid is behaving like a pompous jerk and is acting no more patriotic than the congressmen who are running this nation straight into the ground. We often appeal to the "Power of Pride," but that's nothing compared to the power of humility.

Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men … and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. D&C 121

Spencer W. Kimball wrote:

When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching:

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:44–45.)

Do we have a legal right to treat other people rudely and disrespectfully? Yes we do, but what a sad place to live in if people don’t exercise the self-control to refrain from exercising that right. Let us be kind to each other and see the grace of God fill in where we are weak.

2009-12-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

The
Hunger Games by Suzanne
Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars On the good side, this book was a page-turner that kept me intersted throughout. Some parts are emotionally gripping and riveted my mind to the experience of entering games. It also provides good fodder for conversations with your child about things like relationships, survival,
politics, work, wealth, etc., not to mention the fact that people throughout history have been put through similar experiences as the characters in this book.

On the bad side, I felt there were so many contrived plot devices that it started to significantly detract from the story. It seemed as if the author had to continually invent things to make the story work out. I'm normally pretty forgiving of plot devices, but these were in abundance to the point of distraction. So as an adult reader, I can't say that I would recommend the book. For kids, however, I'd give it a mild thumbs up.

View all my reviews >>

Agile Software Development and Mormon Doctrine

2009-08-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve been an Agile proponent for over eight years now. “Agile” is an approach to software development based on lean manufacturing practices. It’s very interesting and there is a lot of philosophy involved. Most interesting to me, however, is the parallels I see between the tenets of Agile and what Joseph Smith revealed about the history of the earth and the purpose of life. (This short essay has wider applicability than just software development, so please bear with me.)

First, let me describe a little about agility and it’s converse, waterfall. Both of these are software engineering practices, but they have nearly opposite approaches. The basic strategy of agility is to push authority down. An agile team has a leader, who acts mostly as a coach, and the ordinary people are allowed to make their own good decisions, even if they are mistakes. The theory is that when operating as a group, the effectiveness increases when individuals can act autonomously. The basic strategy of Waterfall is to push authority up. Control is concentrated at the top where the leaders have the decision making power. The ordinary people doing the work are encouraged to follow directions. The theory is that limiting control to just a few smart people benefits the entire project through consistency. Agile teams learn through individuals making their own mistakes (and successes) and then talking openly about them. Waterfall teams learn by having information disseminated from experts to novices.

Steve McConnell gave a keynote address recently where he talked about “The 10 Most Powerful Ideas in Software Engineering.” His comments do a great job of summing up what the Agile community has valued all these years. His first comment is very profound and it reflects what I have always thought and felt about Agile development:

Software Development Work is Performed by Human Beings

Many interesting conclusions can be drawn from this statement, so I’ll use it as a springboard for my thesis here. It goes without saying that all work is performed by Human Beings. Sure, there are robots, but the humans are the impetus. Now, the trouble we face, as practitioners of better engineering processes in general, is overcoming human weakness. It is not hard to get people to nod and agree with the good manufacturing/design philosophies. Like David Parnas says, great engineering ideas aren’t on the horizon, they have always been with us and have been with us for years. In fact, I believe they’ve been with us for thousands of years in the form that God has given to man by way of revelation and enlightenment. But as with all gospel principles, they are easy to teach, but it has ever been difficult to get people to live them and apply them.

Think about it. Because humans are always part of what we are doing, any process you or I might create, all of our best plans, will be assaulted by the usual human factors: pride, selfishness, politics, evasion, laziness, group think, etc. Overcoming these problems is extremely difficult and there are some shortcuts that appear promising and leaders are tempted to take them. These shortcuts always involve the leadership “taking control”. You see, software developers adopt waterfall not because it is better, but because it is easier. Agile requires individual accountability on everyone’s part. Waterfall puts the accountability in the hands of a powerful few, or worse, in the hands of a powerful committee.

As a Mormon, I’ve notice from the beginning that the ups and downs of agile practices have a lot in common with the ups and downs I’ve had as a teacher of spiritual things. Joseph Smith revealed that all of humanity lived with God before the Earth was created, and that there were two plans presented to glorify god’s children- one presented by Jesus and the other by Satan. Satan’s plan is basically the waterfall model. “If I could just have tight enough control”, he says, “I could give you everything you want. I’ll save everyone and I’ll have the glory.” The alternative presented by Jesus can be seen as agility at its best: “I’ll give everyone complete agency. Line upon line precept upon precept, you will gradually learn from your own mistakes, but the result if you do so will be something glorious.” Satan’s plan is industrial. God’s is organic. People gravitate toward’s Satan’s plan because it is the path of least resistance. Jesus’ plan, like Agile processes, require people to do pesky things like talk to each other, reach a concensus, be nice, and be accountable. Agile is delicate, fragile, alive, easy to kill, and constantly changing. Waterfall is a dead cinder block building- it has staying power and a high resistance to change. The ultimate irony here, is that in spite of the promises for something better, waterfall processes squash happiness. When it comes to how they feel, people *hate* waterfall processes and love Agile processes to the point of zealotry. Case in point:

Search hits for “agile zealot” – 365
Search hits for “waterfall zealot” – 2

If waterfall is so great, why don’t people talk about “waterfall zealots?” Instead, people talk (and often complain) about “agile zealots.” The question to ask is, what fills them with such zeal? The same question is asked about people who have enthusiastic about their religion. Mormons get this a lot. People often ask, “Why do Mormons have to send out so many missionaries?” It’s largely because we feel strongly about what we have.

So now let’s think about this more broadly. This fight (agile vs. waterfall) is happening all around the world in all segments of life. Franchizes vs. Single-owner establishments, corporations vs. mom and pop shops, totalitarian governments vs democracies, standardized testing vs. individual excellence, and on and on. The battle between Jesus’ plan and Satan’s plan is constantly at the fore. If you are preaching agility in any kind of an organization, you are basically preaching the gospel. And because you are doing this, you will basically have similar results to missionaries who do the same:

Matt 13:3-8
3 … Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

When teaching sound practices that consider the needs of people, your efforts will most often be rebuffed, but when the message is accepted, it is always worth the effort.

The Black Swan and marriage

2009-08-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

A friend and I have been talking about the Black Swan book and applying these concepts to marriage. The idea of the black swan is that it is the outlier events that make life interesting and unpredictable. Leaving room for outliers is an important investment if you want to be open to big dividends.

So Here's a thought. Use the stock market as a metaphor for a spouse. Your personal capital (happiness, unity, joy, etc.) is the result of investments placed in this market. Some investments are safe and will pay off a predictable dividend. (Keeping your job, taking out the trash, making dinner, ...) There are other investments which seem safe, but actually do poorly because of idiosyncrasies of the underlying market. These would be things like giving a gift to a spouse whose love language is encouraging words.

But what about investments that pay off 100 fold? In this light, a black Swan husband would be wise, after spending 95% of his capital in the safe investments (routines he establishes), to spend the other 5% he'll in crazy, new untried “stocks”. Just like a financial investor who is getting creative, he does not want to do this in a random, haphazard fashion. No, but he does need to open up his mind to try an "interesting" investment. I think this might have to do with paying attention to the tips and hints dropped by the wife. These are clues for possible investments, but one has to be alert for them. It might also have to do with reading creatively to get new ideas to try.

One interesting thing that I am observing is that both good and bad investments have the dividend of information. If you try to bringing home a giant box of chocolates for your wife and it totally flops, chances are you will get to have a conversation in which she'll tell you something about herself that you never knew before. Same thing if you pick something that works well. The husband learns something new that makes him a better husband.

Now for practicalities. What does 5% mean in a relationship? If we look at waking hours, that's about 5/week. So the Black Swan says that if we want to take advantage of outliers, we should spend a good chunk of at least one day every week trying something new with our spouse. I find that number very interesting because leaders in my church have long emphasized the importance of "dating" your spouse once/week. What would happen if I looked at weekly dates as a way to try a new kind of investment? Maybe we could discover that we both love bowling, or poetry, or going to art museums, or racing radio controlled boats in a local pond.

Common good and the fate of the United States

2009-07-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

A friend and I have been discussing the application of the constitution in this day of unprecedented spending on bail-outs and entitlements. We share a deep concern about the socialist nature of the changes we are seeing in today’s government. During this discussion, the following statement was made:

When we can no longer come together as a people for the common good, then we’ll see the [societal and political fragmentation] happen in our time.

This led to the question: What is “the common good?” Indeed, this is probably the crux of the issue with government today. To what end can and should the government act to promote a common environment of good circumstances that allow the people to grow and thrive and pursue happiness? To investigate the answer to this question, I went through the follow exercise, starting with first principles drawn from the scriptures:

1 Cor 12: 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

The perfect, unified society, as Paul describes it here, is attuned to all of its members. Everyone is different, but they are all equal and treated equally. I think every utopian thinker understands this principle at face value: A great society is marked by unity of spirit such that the poor are tended to through the ministrations of the rich and fortunate. You and I also understand this principle, though often it manifests itself as a built-in uneasiness about inequity- When we see someone consuming conspicuously, we have a natural instinct to know that something isn’t right about that. Similarly, when we see the people living destitute in extreme poverty while others are quite comfortable and well-off, we feel that something is wrong with that picture. We know inside that things ought to be as Paul said. There should be no rich, no poor, but we should share alike in our material blessings.

Now, let me state something as a postulate: The end goal of socialist and communist societies is the picture Paul was painting for the Corinthians. Corruption aside, people who support socialist agendas want a peaceful, equal society where there aren’t any rich or poor. I will use the above observations to talk about the common good and what it might mean.

Given these aims of establishing equity for poor and downtrodden, people have come to understand “common good” as “MY good”. Here’s how that happens: If the whole body is supposed to suffer at the pain of a single member, then *my* suffering ought to motivate the body to meet *my* needs. From the side of the wealthy, there is also thought that has a similar dilution of responsibility. The well-off want to remain well-off so they insist on diluting the charity across the society to minimize their personal contribution. To them, the “common good” is a “common donation” of a small amount to appease the few complaining disadvantaged. The net result is that generally, everyone is looking after their self interests by placing a “common burden” on the whole society.

Jesus spoke against this selfish type of thinking and proposed and antidote:

Matt 10: 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

Basically, the Savior is saying that a society that is “pull” based- one where people pull resources from others to meet their self-interest- is a society that will fail (we lose our lives in trying to find them). According to Jesus, it just isn’t possible to run a successful society this way. Ironically, non-intuitively, if a person puts aside their self-interests entirely (loss of self) they will discover the happiness that they are pursuing. (Interesting that the declaration of independence mentions the “pursuit of happiness”)

For a society to work, it must be “push” based- one where people with resources, of their own choice decide to relieve the suffering of others. The key issue here is agency. The difference between socialism and the Christian united order is free will. If we create a society that forcibly takes from the body to meet the needs of some, then we severely tilt the table towards a philosophy of “my problem is someone else’s responsibility.” The ultimate result of this is a society that dies (he that findeth his life shall lose it).

There is a risk here, and this risk has always troubled those who choose the path of top-down totalitarian rule. The risk is that if people can choose for themselves, they might make the wrong choice. Indeed, they often do, which is what prompts well-meaning people to take away the choice and make goodness mandatory. As I have shown, however, this action of force tilts the table toward selfish thinking that is counterproductive and ultimately destructive. But the only way good can really come to fruiting is if the fetters are removed and people are free to act for themselves. It requires an act of faith by the leadership to allow this.

So “common good” in a deep, eternal sense, is the necessary starting position of significant personal liberty. Donations to the poor mean nothing if I cannot also choose to hold on to every penny I can (legally) scrape together. This idea is reflected in the original purposes of our government:

· Establish Justice

· Insure domestic Tranquility

· Provide for the common defence

· Promote the general welfare

· Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity

Personal freedom to make good choices is critical. It turns out that this is true in all other walks of life- work, marriage, friendships, etc. There are wonderful psychology experiments to show that the ability to choose and control ones fate makes all the difference in our feelings and performance. Even though the outcomes may be the same, if a person feels they have control of the situation, they tend to thrive.

If there is any single phrase to describe what is happening in our country today, I doubt I could find a better one than “out of control.” I don’t know anyone who feels like we have a real avenue to reign in the government or to make a difference in any meaningful way. There is a feeling of riding a vehicle that is careening out of control as congress continues to pass titanic spending measures to bail out failed institutions and establish expansive entitlement programs. We are increasingly giving up our freedoms as we seek insurance of protection against everything from terrorists to coffee spills. Heck, we can’t even smile for our driver’s license pictures any more. What is there to do?

I suspect the reason that we don’t jump up and do something big about it is that the gravity of the situation has not hit us in any meaningful, physical way. Like the people in the early stages of the sinking Titanic, there is an eerie normality to what is going on. People are saying “the ship is sinking” and maybe the ship is listing to port a little, but the lights are on, we’re comfortable and dry, and there are still some empty life boats.

So beware everyone. Our current course as a nation is not good and the signs are pointing to significant loss of liberty and an eventual collapse of society. Our efforts to find our own life as a nation will eventually cause us to lose it.

Better Living Through Sound Isolation

2009-07-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I accidentally cut the wire on the headphones for my Zune and today I finally got around to replacing them. I dropped by Fred Meyer on the way to work and browsed the headphone section and noticed that almost all the headphone models sport an “in ear isolation design” that is basically a soft rubber insert that seals off the ear. A friend of mine had something similar years ago and swore by them. The difference was that his pair was hundreds of dollars and I managed to find a pair for only 8 bucks! (Coby CVE31’s if you care to know).

The isolation was so good that I did not notice that I had left the radio on for several minutes after I started listening to my Zune. Normally, I have to turn the volume all the way up to 20 while freeway driving, but during this commute, I was able to turn it down to 11 (!) and it was still plenty loud enough for the road.

Well, the reason I am writing this post is that the sound isolation had a transformative effect on my commute, which was totally unexpected. The ride felt much smoother and my mind felt alert. It was very easy to listen to music and spoken word with little distraction, yet I still felt like I was paying attention to the road. It was like I had a new brain and a new car all for the cost of a lunch! How sweet is that?

Isaiah 44: Of Metal, Stone, and wood

2009-06-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

This chapter of Isaiah has a very interesting literary structure. In the middle are verses 9-20, which contain an excellent sermon against the sin of idol worship. This sermon is sandwiched between outer layers of gentle reminders of who God is and our relationship to him. I call this the “hamburger principle”, i.e. bun/meat/bun, which is a method for delivering advice/criticism. Start with something nice to say, then provide the stuff that is important to hear (the meat), then reinforce again with something nice. It works pretty well when I remember to do it!

With Isaiah, the outside (“bun”) verses serve the purpose of telling us who God is and what he is capable of. Here’s a few key points I was able to gather about God and about his relationship is Israel:

- Israel has been chosen by God to be His servant. (That point alone deserves a good hour of contemplation, but I’ll leave it there. )

- It is the Lord that provides great spiritual blessings for Israel.

- The Lord will reach out to scattered Israel wherever they may be, raising up people who are righteous and take upon themselves the name of the Lord.

- We are not be afraid or worried, The Lord is the ultimate God and beside him there is no God.

- God is the forgiver of sins.

- God is the creator of all things.

- God’s knowledge confounds the wisdom of men.

- He has control over what happens on earth, both in nature and in the affairs of men. Even the kings of hostile nations do the bidding of the Lord and they don’t realize it.

To appreciate the middle portion of this chapter, it is important to look at these items as a backdrop to what Isaiah says about idol worship. Isaiah is contrasting the pitiful, earthly origins of idols with the transcendent glory and power of God. I recommend to everyone that they read Isaiah 44:9-20. This is one of the places in the bible where the writing is so clever and witty that it made me laugh. I’ll approach discussing these verses by paraphrasing in my own words:

v9-11 Idols and graven images are vain and unprofitable and the people who make them should all be ashamed. Anyone with a little sense and reason can work this out.

v12 Think about an idol that is made of metal. Who made it? Some regular guy, that’s who. He made it with his own tools and his own strength. There isn’t anything special about him. If he’s hungry, he gets tired. If he doesn’t get water, he’ll pass out.

v13 But if you really want to see the lunacy of this trade, take a look at the carpenter who makes graven images. He also makes them with his own tools and his own strength. He is making a piece of art and he is careful to make it pleasing to the eye. (After all, he wants make profit.)

v14 But where does he get the wood? He gets it from the forest among the trees he’s been tending himself. He plants them, the rain waters them, and he harvests them.

v15-17 And what does he do with the wood? Well, for the most part, he burns it! He bakes his food with it, warms himself up with it, and makes utensils out of it to eat with. So picture this guy warm and cozy by the fire. He has a wooden fork that he’s stabbing into a piece of roast beef on a wooden plate. “Ahh, this is the life!” he says to himself. Then he looks over and sees a scrap of wood. This is the leftover piece that wasn’t fit to eat with or even burn. Amazingly, this is the piece he carves up into an idol. Next thing you know, this same wood that was warming his backside is now on an altar and he’s bowing down to it! He’s worshipping it, saying “You are my God, deliver me!”

v18 Have you ever heard of anything so ridiculous in your life? This guy is obviously not using his head! He is blind and completely lacking in understanding.

v19-20 The rest of you who worship idols are in a similar boat. You don’t take two seconds to consider that you are bowing down to utensils, charcoal, firewood! You who worship idols must understand that you have been greatly deceived and you are living a lie.

I was thinking the other day about how odd it is that we pay so much attention to the things that we make with our own hands, yet we casually take for granted the amazing creations of God that surround us. For instance, a person can take a tree, cut it up and make a house, or a statue, or a chair that people will ooo and ahh over. But if we examine one single cell from that tree we will find a structure so fine and complex that no human has ever come close to duplicating it.

I can sympathize with admiring a fine piece of art, but what _really_ amazes me is how much attention and admiration we give to things that are truly ugly. To get a feel for this, the next time you go to a Costco or Walmart or any other box store, stand at the edge of the parking lot and take in the view for a few minutes. Really soak it in. It is truly ugly- from the 10 acre parking lot to the drab cinderblock walls, to the unhappy stressed customers hurrying in and out. (The fact that this building is a temple of consumption doesn’t make the picture any prettier.) Then, when your eyes are opened, look around you as you drive down the freeway. Notice how nearly every other commercial building is crafted in the same fashion. I’ve found that as I do this, I come to appreciate nature more and more and what we make less and less.

I think the essence of rejecting idol worship is to be able to put the things of the world in the correct perspective. It is to remember that the Lord is supreme and the things he made are given freely to bless all of his children. It is to remember that we don’t “deserve” more because we have “earned” it, but that we are beggars just like everyone else. It is to remember that the Glory of the Lord is beyond the comprehension of our temporal minds and that to truly worship Him, we must worship him in spirit, devoting to Him all of our mind and all of our heart, understanding that His methods and ideas are superior to our own. And it is finally to remember that the physical world was created by our God for His purposes and His works- it is not something to shun, but something to participate in, to take care of, and to use wisely.

Isaiah 43: God is a loving parent

2009-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

The previous chapter ends with a rebuke of Israel. The Lord explains their tribulations as a result of disobedience. The Lord sounds pretty angry, but like a true loving parent, though, He doesn’t leave it at that. For, after the rebuke comes the loving words, the assurance that the child is loved and there is a way through. In the beginning of this chapter, the Lord indicates a few things that Israel needs to remember:

1. They are created by the Lord, therefore they are precious!

2. As in times past (remember Egypt!), the Lord will see them through trouble

3. All scattered Israel will eventually be gathered

Verse 8 is an interesting phrase:

8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.

This phrase is echoed by the Savior in Matthew 13 when describing the Kingdom of God through the parable of the sower. At the conclusion of the parable, He says, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” His disciples then asked him, “Why do you teach in parables?” They knew the mysteries that Jesus taught to the people, and they probably also observed that some of the hearers didn’t understand what was being said. Why wouldn’t the Savior just come right out and say what he meant? The Savior then taught them that there is a spiritual principle at work here:

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

The doctrines of the kingdom are given in such a way that those who are pure in heart, those who listen for spiritual truth, will understand the doctrines and be greatly edified by the parable. Those who are worldly-minded will miss the true meaning, and as a result, they will not be able to partake of the Kingdom. Bruce R. McConkie described it this way:

Our Lord used parables on frequent occasions during his ministry to teach gospel truths. His purpose, however, in telling these short stories was not to present the truths of his gospel in plainness so that all his hearers would understand. Rather it was so to phrase and hide the doctrine involved that only the spiritually literate would understand it, while those whose understandings were darkened would remain in darkness.

Bringing this back to Isaiah, he appears to be referring to those people who have eyes, but are blind, and those that have ears, but are deaf. This makes sense in conjunction with verse 9, which is a challenge to all gentile nations (worshippers of idols) to bring forth “their witnesses” and prove themselves. The Lord then declares Himself and states very clearly that besides Him, there is no Savior. What better way is there to describe those who are spiritually blind, those who seek for salvation in the world and grasp as worldly things that “moth and rust doth corrupt”?

There is one other spiritual warning Isaiah relates in this chapter that I would like to mention:

20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

…

22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.

It is ironic, but a sad tendency of human nature, that it is in our extremity that we are brought to remember God. (Hence the value of opposition) Yet, when we are together as a people, united in religion and enjoying prosperity, it is in these times of plenty- at the apex of our blessings from heaven- that the spiritual diseases set in and we forget God. The prophet Alma said, “because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye … [but more] blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble.”

Isaiah 42: Attributes Christ

2009-02-26T07:27:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;

“Behold my servant” – Isaiah is speaking of the Messiah, asking us to view him as he really is. This chapter provides a very useful and descriptive breakdown of the attributes of Christ. Being like a lesson or a lecture, I’ll pull out the information I find and show it in a bulleted fashion, listing separately attributes as Isaiah gives them. I am borrowing some of the thoughts I give here from the writings of John Calvin.

· Christ speaks to us in quiet confidence

2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

Unlike traditional preachers, Christ is not clamorous or puffed up. His preaching is quiet and direct. As the Jews observed, “he taught them as one having authority” (Matt 7:29). One with authority does not need to make a scene to get his point across. He speaks with confidence, revealing truth and exposing errors. Many of Christ’s great teaching moments were in private to individuals or small groups.

· Christ builds us up based on our strengths

3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

I had to have a little help from Mr. Calvin to understand these metaphors. A bruised reed represents something that could easily be crushed or swept aside. Smoking flax refers to a lamp wick that is improperly trimmed. These symbols represent us- people with serious imperfections, yet with some component of goodness and a desire to be better. Christ, in his majesty, could easily put us down and reject us for our imperfection, but instead he chooses to see the good part and accentuates that. This is most evident in the image of the smoking flax. Imagine lamp that with a feeble flame that generates lots of smoke. It is unpleasant to be around, and our first impulse might be to extinguish it to relieve ourselves of the unpleasantness of the smoke, but nothing productive is accomplish by that. The alternative is better- With some care and patience, we can nurture the spark, trim the wick and eventually produce a lamp that burns brightly with no smoke. This is the way that Christ works.

· Christ created the heavens and the earth

5 ¶ Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

It is a statement in and of itself that God must remind us who he is. In common speech this might be reworded, “In case you’ve forgotten, Israel, I’m the one who made the whole world and the heavens above it.” Later on in the Chapter, Isaiah drives this point home by pointing out that Israel is tormented, not because God is weak, but because God chooses to let bad things happen to the disobedient:

24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.

This is an important lesson about God. Even though he has all power and created all things, it is not his way to take away our troubles. Rather, he cries when we suffer and patiently helps us through it.

· Christ uses his covenant people to accomplish his work

6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a blight of the Gentiles;

We must understand that to be a disciple of Christ, we must be in his service and do his work. We may be afraid that we will leave important matters of protection and survival undone, but Christ knows what we need and he will support us.

· Christ’s work is to free us and make us truly see

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
…
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

What I found interesting is that later in the chapter, the Lord’s servants are called blind and deaf:

19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s servant?

This hearkens back a few bullet points to the attribute of Christ where he builds people up. Christ’s kingdom is made up of repentant sinners. Isaiah is quite familiar with this, as he had to go through his own repentance when he was called (see Isaiah 6). To be Christlike is to be very tolerant of other’s faults and focus on the repentant heart and the things that are good about a person. It also means that we give people chances to succeed, even when they seem weak. Then, as Christ makes us strong, it is our turn to help others in exactly the same way Christ helped us- patiently leading them through steady incremental improvement.

· Christ is a revealer of the past and the future

9 Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Not only did Christ create everything, all of his creations, past and present are before him and he comprehends them all. One of the things he does is to make known the things of the past and future that we need to know. Thus, to be a disciple of Christ means not to be overly concerned with the past or the future. After all, we have no control of one and essentially no control of the other. It is in the present that we have our power, and as we need access to the past and the future, God will make it known.

This chapter has been a wonderful study into the attributes of God. I’ve felt the spirit as I’ve written about it, which testifies to me that God really does have these attributes and it increases my faith in him. Hopefully this has been edifying to you too.

I’ll leave off with a question posed by Isaiah:

23 Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

Isaiah 41: A firm foundation

2009-02-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

This chapter serves as a reminder and a gentle rebuke to Israel. In verses 1-9, we have what appears to be a spiritual “time-out” called by the Lord:

1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

The Lord is saying, in effect, “OK everyone, gather around, get some rest, and let’s reason together about this situation.” He then reminds them of Father Abraham and how he was upheld by the Lord and was made great, even a ruler over kings. “Who did this?” The Lord implores. He answers: “I did it! I’m the one!” The Lord then continues this thought by explaining the foolish reactions of men to the actions of God- specifically the creation and worship of idols:

6 They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.

7 So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

The world’s tendency is toward superstition and mysticism, and a heavy reliance on ourselves and the things we make. It is human nature to encourage ourselves in this weakness. But the Lord does not want it so, and he points out that Israel stands out:

8-9 But thou, Israel, … Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

After reasoning with Israel about their special place distinct from the world, The Lord gives firm assurance that they can rely on Him. All of you will likely recognize the following verse as principle lyrics in the Hymn “How Firm a Foundation”:

10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

After this verse, the Lord explains further that the people who hate Israel will perish or waste to nothing, and the Lord himself will hold our right hand and will help us. He repeats this idea over and over again- Israel’s enemies will be like chaff in the wind, the Lord’s help will be like a river to the thirsty, etc. Clearly, there is a point to be made: we can trust Him!

To contrast, the Lord then issues a challenge to the idolaters: Go ahead and come up with the best reason you can for not trusting in Me. Use any example from history, make any prediction about the future. Prophesy if you have to. You won’t be able to do it, because you and your gods are nothing. And anyone who chooses to follow you has been seriously misled.

In the last few verses, It’s not clear to me who is speaking, but they say: I’ve looked around for a true prophet among the idolaters- someone who is righteous and can bring good tidings to a people, but there aren’t any. Idolatry is all about seeking after worthless, impotent things. Idolatry has no substance and the icons and messages are “wind and confusion”.

These ideas cause me to think about the culture of materialism that is so prominent in the world today. The happiness promised by this culture is “happiness through distraction”, as I term it. Like Isaiah, we can look around us and examine the messages of the materialists. Where are the righteous among them? There aren’t any! Where are their prophets who bring good tidings? There aren’t any of those either! In fact, there cannot be good tidings, because the ultimate message of materialism is: “you don’t have enough”. Contrast that with God’s message: You have more than enough, plenty to spare, and if you run out, I’ll be there with more. The materialist says, “If you are troubled, don’t think about it. Take this pill, watch this show, posess this toy- anything to get your mind off your problems.” God says, “Confront your problems with me. Discuss them deeply and counsel with me and I will show you a way through them.”

… and that is our firm foundation.

Celebrating Diversity - Don't we mean unity?

2009-01-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

I got an email today from my employer- it’s an invitation to a “celebration of diversity” in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King. As I get emails like this, there is something that doesn’t sit right with me about them, especially surrounding this term- “diversity”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m against discrimination, but I think this focus on what makes us different is counter-productive and it is ultimately tears us apart. Yes, we are a divers people, but that isn’t what makes us great.

To illustrate- if diversity is so great- consider the following things which can all be considered “diverse”:

100 people banging on different instruments	Vs	An Orchestra
A zoo	Vs	A Wildlife refuge
A crowd of random people	Vs	An Audience
A garage full of junk	Vs	A storeroom
A Refrigerator full of leftovers	Vs	A Carefully stocked refrigerator

While I admit that singular, isolated arguments can be made for each one of the former items as being interesting and beneficial, we have to look on the face of the matter and admit that each of the former items is the inferior version of the latter. The difference is the unifying purpose that gathers together diverse elements into something wonderful and productive. If we get hung up on celebrating our differences, we’ll end up creating meaningless, mundane mish-mashes and leave ourselves wondering why we are so dissatisfied with the result when it is clearly “diverse”.

A friend of mine brought this quote to my attention from Monroe’s inauguration, 1817: “Equally gratifying is it to witness the increased harmony of opinion which pervades our Union. Discord does not belong to our system. Union is recommended as well by the free and benign principles of our Government, extending its blessings to every individual, as by the other eminent advantages attending it. The American people have encountered together great dangers and sustained severe trials with success. They constitute one great family with a common interest.”

The diversity is not what makes an organized collection of things great, it is the unity of these separate parts that sets them above other collections. What was Martin Luther King’s dream? It was that we can all ride the bus in the same seats. Attend the same schools. Eat at the same restaurants. Do the same jobs. All regardless of our race and color. His message wasn’t “celebrate me because I’m black”, it was “Let’s stop being divided because of my race.” His plea was for a unity, not diversity.

That’s my plea too. All this talk about diversity, I don’t think it helps. On the contrary, I think it divides us further. Let’s talk about coming together and being unified. Let’s create a common American culture of high moral values that elevates the qualities of honesty, courage, industry, thrift, chastity, humility, respect, and charity.

Gifts of the Spirit

2008-12-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

I recently read an interesting talk about the gifts of the spirit by Elder Kim B. Clark where he talked at length about the gifts of the spirit. There were a few things that impressed me with what he wrote. First, he emphasized how gifts of the sprit should be sought after. We should qualify for them, ask for them, and then use them in faith. Consider these scriptures:

1 Cor. 14: 12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the cedifying of the church.

1 Ne. 10: 17 … I, Nephi, was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God unto all those who diligently seek him, …

D&C 46: 8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

Second, he talked about what some of the greatest gifts are. When we think of spiritual gifts, we tend to think of the charismatic gifts such as healing or the gift of toungues. But compare those gifts, and their power to edify, vs. the follow list:

Love

· Charity

· Discernment

· a desire to serve

· empathy

· kindness

· cheerfulness

· seeing the best in people

· an interest in other people

· remembering names

Humility

· humility

· meekness

· modesty

· living within our means

· a forgiving spirit

· not caring who gets the credit

· listening to the enticings of the Spirit

· not feeling entitled

· seeing ourselves as we really are

Obedience

· an honest

· obedient heart

· a willingness to sacrifice

· dedication

· patience

· diligence

· a capacity to work hard

· a sense of responsibility

Learning by faith

· exceedingly great faith

· courage

· listening by the Spirit

· teaching by the Spirit

· asking and seeking by the Spirit

· charity

· guidance

· understanding

· knowledge

Going back to my first thought, consider this pattern for seeking spiritual gifts:

1) Qualify through righteousness

2) Ask for the gifts (with a pure motives)

3) Step out in faith that you may receive

4) Receive through using the gifts to bless others (cheerfully)

I read this and think “No wonder this is the straight and narrow path”. There are many places where we could go wrong here- Personally, I yearn for this kind of power in my life, but I can see areas where I’m defeating myself, holding back. This reminds me of what Mormon said on this topic:

it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.

I think we sometimes look among ourselves and wonder where the gifts are, especially in our own lives. When I look at my own life, I have to ask this question: Can I expect the gifts to come if I rationalize what I watch or listen to, or if I don’t ask for the gifts, or if I don’t step out and take a risk?

Isaiah 40: Highway Construction

2008-12-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

I like the opening to this chapter, which says, essentially, “Cheer up Jerusalem, you’ve suffered more than enough”.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Maybe this is meant as a temporary reprieve for the Jews of that day, but certainly their trials were just beginning. It is only in the last days (our day) that this salutation will be realized in full.

Verses 3-5 contain a very interesting reference to the 2^nd coming that I want to discuss.

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

As I slowed down to contemplate these verses, the image of highway construction came to my mind. I remember many family trips through the west and observing how highways were built. In order to smooth out the travel on the highway, engineers would literally flatten hills and fill in valleys to make the road level. They would also take care to run the roads in the straightest way possible. Finally, they would construct the surface from asphalt to make it flat and ideal for the cars which travel on it at high speeds. Though some of the details may be different, I’m sure the basic idea was the same in Isaiah’s day. I’ll return to this metaphor in a moment.

Verse 3 speaks of one crying in the wilderness. We know from Matthew 3:3 and 1 Nephi 10:8 that this refers John the Baptist. Joseph Smith, however, also delivers the commandment to “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” in D&C 65. John the Baptist raised the cry before the first coming. Joseph Smith before the second. I think we can safely assume, therefore, that this commandment is directed toward us. And what is this commandment? To make the way of the Lord like unto a highway. Verse 4 is a continuation of this thought, declaring “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.”

Now consider the highway metaphor again. If we are to build a highway, would that not involve lowering mountains, raising valleys, making crooked paths straight, and rough places plain? A highway indicates something that is easy to travel on because it is a clear path that is safe and built up. The way of the Lord is a way of living, a way of thinking, a way of interacting with God. Within ourselves, this becomes a highway as we internalize the teachings of Jesus Christ, turning precepts into good habits. As we pray always, it becomes easier to pray because of the habit, and so on. Externally, we make a highway by building up Zion, following the prophet, and being obedient as a people. Others who do not have the gospel can then see clearly the way and can easily follow it once they decide to get on the road. As I look at the organization of the church today, I can see that happening already. Think of how much easier it is for a person to discover the gospel and learn correct precepts today than it was in Joseph Smith’s time. We have a vast array of resources from printed scriptures, satellite broadcasts, internet sites, plentiful meeting houses and temples, programs, etc. Given that we have to retain our agency, I can’t think of a way to make it easier for God’s children to follow the path. It is strange to relate that even with such a clear path, many still choose to ignore it. Such is the way of agency.

In verses 6-8, Isaiah himself receives a command to cry to the people. He asks, “what shall I cry?” The answer, paraphrased, is this: All this material world around us, it’s nothing. All the things that people create and adore are all temporary, just like their makers. Everything will eventually decay and go away except one thing: the word of God. – This is a powerful message in our day, where we have probably the most materialistic society of all time.

The above thought is echoed in verses 18-27 in a wonderful way. After describing how great God is, how all the nations of the world are like a little drop in a bucket to Him, The Lord asks (paraphrasing), “So, what are you going to compare God to? What is he like? Some of you try to create fancy statues of God covered with gold and silver. Even the poor people who don’t have precious things search around for a great piece of wood and have it carved into an image of God. Don’t you guys get it? Haven’t you been hearing what I’ve been saying?? Look at the Earth! Look at the sky! God made all of that! Look at the kings and princes. Who do you think put them there? Who do you think can take them out whenever he wants? How can you possibly think that god is like this pathetic thing you have created?“

In our day, we don’t make graven images so much as we admire our gadgets, vehicles, homes, clothing, furniture, etc. We celebrate and devote hours to the latest device only to throw it on the garbage heap in few years. In the mean time, we ignore the grand world of nature all around us, where each simple leaf dwarfs the complexity and craftsmanship of anything man has made.

In verses 27-31, Isaiah continues by describing God again, saying how it is impossible to completely understand him. He also gives here at the end probably the most paradoxical and marvelous attribute of God. His joy is in giving strength to the weak and the powerless who wait upon him. Basically, God loves the underdog! He loves taking simple, obedient people and using them to confound the learned and the great. If there was just one attribute that would make me adore God, I think this one would be it.

Isaiah 39: The Pitfall of Vanity

2008-09-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

The story of Hezekiah reaches a melancholy conclusion in Isaiah chapter 39. It is now the time after Hezekiah’s miraculous recovery and apparently everyone knows about it, because a prince of Babylon sends an embassage to communicate congratulations. A delighted Hezekiah takes in the servants from Babylon and proceeds to show off his riches, leaving nothing out of the grand tour. Babylon, an enemy of Assyria, is likely anxious to make an ally with Israel and has seized upon this opportunity to do so. This must have been a big deal for Hezekiah, who at that point in time was basically the king of a little-regarded city-state. In today’s terms, this visit would be something akin to a high-level Chinese official visiting the Mayor of Provo. Imagine the pride that would be felt in a middle-sized city to know that a great nation is paying attention to them. I think we can empathize with Hezekiah, who sees opportunity in an alliance with Babylon and probably did not want to appear weak and insignificant.

Nevertheless, Hezekiah’s actions were ostentatious and prideful, prompting a visit from the prophet. Isaiah begins gently, giving Hezekiah a chance to see what he did wrong- “Where did these guys come from? What did they say to you?” Hezekiah replies they are from Babylon. Isaiah continues- “What did you show them?” Hezekiah replies that he showed them everything. Now comes the rebuke- “God says this to you: one day all of this will be theirs, and all your sons will be eunuchs in the palace of Babylon.” Whoa.

The message here is that pure irony is in store for those who seek security in the world’s goods. If we seek our security in things, in the acquiring of them and in the showing of them to earn the envy of others, we can be sure that one day they will all be taken from us. What will come of our security then? Only those who delight in the things of God will find lasting security and satisfaction.

Lest we think too poorly of Hezekiah for this indiscretion, I think it helps to know that he was humbled by Isaiah’s words, admitting that they were “good”, and finding solace in the fact that a few years of peace were left to him. I also don’t think it was this single act that doomed Israel, but rather I think the act was symbolic of the spiritual disease that was still present in the people, and it was this progressive problem that led to their capture and enslavement. Hezekiah (and all Judah) had been granted a reprieve by the Lord their God. Yet how quickly they forgot. As soon as they started to see a little worldly success, they forgot their priorities. And that is the final lesson from Hezekiah: Don’t forget your priorities. As big and important as the world seems, it is not nearly as important as the seemingly simple things of God. Let us make room for them and give the Lord our top priority.

Isaiah 38: A plea and an answer

2008-07-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

This chapter continues the narrative of Hezekiah. He is very sick and Isaiah confronts him with his impending death and bids him set his house in order. Hezekiah immediately begins a very plaintive prayer, weeping and asking the Lord to remember his faithfulness. In answer, the Lord reveals to Isaiah that Hezekiah will live another 15 years and that Jerusalem will survive, and he even promises a sign to assure Hezekiah that this will happen. The remainder of the chapter is a psalm of Hezekiah, praising God for his miraculous delivery.

To me, this is an excellent lesson and testimony on the effectiveness of sincere prayer. The first point to notice is the desire of Hezekiah’s heart. He was not sad about dying because he was afraid of death, or for the missing of the joys and pleasures of this life. He was deeply sad because he loved to serve the Lord and he didn’t want to be released from his calling. The sore weeping and pleading show the magnitude of this desire. The fact that he was willing to entreat the Lord in this manner, presumably in the presence of Isaiah, shows the incredible sincerity and faith possessed by Hezekiah. Truly the Lord grants unto the children of men according to their desires.

The next point is that even though a prophet came to Hezekiah and foretold his imminent demise, Hezekiah still asked for a reprieve and he got it! This kind of thing can be found throughout the scriptures. Some notable examples are Abraham’s pleading for Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18, Enos’ request for the salvation of the Lamanites in The Book of Enos, and the sealing powers granted to Elijah, Nephi, and others. It appears that in some instances, the Lord is ready to do one thing, but because of the pleadings of his righteous children, he does another. It fascinates me how intertwined the Lord’s purposes are with the desires and wills of his own children. As a father myself, I should take note!

Fasting Days 12-15

2008-07-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

I finished winding down from my fast on Friday and resumed my normal diet. For the final days, I kept my diet strictly vegetarian, but it was a mixture of cooked and raw vegetables. My strength has largely returned, though I still feel a tinge of muscular weakness. My weight snapped back somewhat (as expected), but remains about 5-6 lbs lower than when I started. My intestinal tract has taken some time to readjust to normal food consumption. There has been some discomfort, but it has been mild. Finally, I had my regular monthly fast yesterday and I noticed that it was much easier for me than what I have been accustomed to.

General impressions

I would say that my overall feelings of health are good and largely unchanged from when I began. I have noticed that psychologically I am much more sensitive to what I am eating, and it is easier to have smaller helpings of meat and dairy. Mentally, the only difference I could really notice is that I started feeling fogged out after 72 hours of fasting.

I have to say that these results a pretty lackluster and I doubt I will attempt such a long fast again. I’m still a fan of shorter (1-day) fasts, however, and I recommend using a raw food diet to prepare for one, as it largely eliminates discomfort from hunger.

That’s about it. Please let me know if any of this information is helpful to you!

Fasting: Days 9-11

2008-07-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

A few hours after I wrote my previous post, my energy level went right off a cliff. I started getting dizzy spells if I stood up too quickly and could detect that my ability to concentrate was waning. Since I was planning on heading to work the next day, I decided to switch to a juice fast and I drank a glass of orange juice before I went to bed.

Monday, Day 9: I continued to drink juice throughout the day, including orange juice, grape juice, and even some V8. My energy was extremely low all day and my ability to do meaningful work was significantly impaired. The juice would help with the energy, but the effects would be short-lived. I decided that today I would break my fast since I needed to be alert when I drive and at work, so tonight I picked up the ingredients of a rice & bean & vegetable Indian soup and made that for dinner. It was delicious, though I found my appetite was very low.

Tuesday, Day 10: I tried to eat my regular breakfast of raw oats, millet, and walnuts, but it found that I had very little appetite in the morning, so I only ate maybe a third of a bowl. I ate some lightly cooked vegetables for lunch and that was much better. I was more alert today, but I still felt myself physically weak and moving around slowly. For dinner I had some of the soup from yesterday and an artichoke. My appetite had returned by then.

Wednesday, Day 11: I’m feeling much better this morning and my muscles are showing only a small amount of weakness. I’ve gained back 2.5 lbs from my low point, putting me down about ten pounds overall. I expect to gain back 2-3 more over the next week.

Thoughts

Generally, I’ve been OK with how I’ve been feeling, but I was way more wiped out at the end of the fast than I anticipated. I think I could have done all five days if my activity levels had been lower and if I didn’t have to go to work toward the end. Next time I try this I’ll make sure to take a couple of days off from work.

Fasting: Days 4-8

2008-06-29T16:22:00.000-07:00

Fasting Preparations Wrap Up

Days 4 & 5 were that last days of my five-day preparation for the actual fasting. I fudged a little on the raw food diet when I went to lunch with some friends and ate some vegetarian dishes with only cooked vegetables in them, and also when I ate some sprouted wheat and zucchini in spaghetti sauce which had been heated in a microwave. I figured these were OK exceptions since they had no dairy or meat in them. For my last meal, I ate some Chinese-style vegetables which were extremely satisfying and delicious. I've included the recipe below. My weight loss leveled out on these last two days.

The Actual Fasting

Friday was the first day of fasting and it went pretty normally. I didn't have any food or drink until I had been at it for 24 hours. I fast like this at least once per month and I didn't experience any discomfort. The only sad thing was that there was a big party at work on Friday afternoon with lots of delicious food and I had to go home without having any. L

Saturday was an interesting day. I began drinking plenty and I felt good enough to take part in a couple of projects. The first project was to help a neighbor move out of his apartment. That was pretty light work that lasted about an hour. Of course, my neighbor brought donuts for everyone to enjoy. That was sad, but I let my son eat mine. He ended up feeling sick later because he ate three! My next project was much more taxing. I spent five hours with my son refinishing a friend's garage door outside on a hot day. It was a very strenuous tasks, but I still felt up to it in spite of not having eaten for over 36 hours. On Saturday night, I started to feel my first discomfort in the form of heartburn and a little dizziness. This is similar to what I felt last time.

Today, Sunday, I felt pretty tired. It's not a sleepy, worn out, kind of tired, but rather like the energy pathways to my muscles are constricted. I've been maintaining my morning exercise routine as an experiment and I have not noticed any weakness, just this odd sensation of wanting to lie down all the time. Anyway, I went to church with my family and felt good enough to attend all the meeting and enjoy them. I started drinking an herbal drink for use during fasting and that seems to help a little with how I feel. (Recipe below) I've been at this now for about 71 hours. I definitely want to continue another day and see how hard this is to take at work. I'm a little worried about how this will affect my performance, but I haven't felt any degradation in my thinking abilities. (Hopefully evidenced by this blog entry. :) )

Other Obervations

I started tasting ketones in my mouth on Saturday morning and this flavor has been increasing through today. It is not very pleasant by it is tolerable. As I expected, I have had no hunger pains at all. All I have had is the light sensation of an empty stomach that comes and goes, and I don't feel it very often. I attribute this to the five days of preparing by switching to raw foods. I've felt a little minor light-headedness on the third day of fasting. My weight has also been plummeting. I have been losing about 2-3 lbs per day during the fasting.

RECIPES

Chinese-style vegetables, lightly cooked.
1 onion
2-4 cloves of garlic
2 small zucchini
1 Bell Pepper
1 Large head of Broccoli
1 C sprouted wheat
Olive Oil
Vegetable Bullion

Sauce
½ C Soy Sauce
½ C Rice Vinnegar
Thumb-sized chunk of Ginger
2 T brown sugar

Make the sauce by mincing the ginger and stirring all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. This will go on top of the vegetables later.

Dice the onion into large chunks. Mince the garlic. Set these aside in a small bowl. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Dissolve the vegetable bullion in ½ Cup of hot water. Heat 3 T of olive oil in a wok on high heat. When the oil starts to smoke, add the onions and garlic and stir for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. Then add the vegetable bullion and cook for another 30 seconds or so. The onions will be clear, but everything else will be lightly cooked. Servers 2-4 depending on if you eat anything else with it.

Herbal Drink Recipe
8 cups of water
4 teaspoons each of cumin and coriander powder
8 cardamom pods
4 teaspoons of crushed fennel seeds
2 pinches of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder (or 3 slices fresh ginger)

Mix all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and keep covered for another 15-20 minutes. Strain through a sieve and drink it warm throughout the day.

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15-Day Gastronomical Reset

2008-06-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

OK, I’m starting up a five-day fast and I’m going to blog about it here.

I’ve been interested in so-called “cleansing fasts” for the past few years. While some aspects of them seem a little extreme to me, I think there is some potential in the practice to improve health and spirit. This journey started a few years ago when I did a three-day fast as a trial. The experience lasted nine days- I switched to raw food for three days first, water fasted for three days and then went back to raw foods for three days. Amazingly, I never felt hungry during the three days without food and the overall experience was very good.

I wanted to try a longer fast, but my biggest obstacle was time. With wind-up ad wind-down time, a 5-day fast requires a little more than two weeks of altered eating habits. (Not to mention that I’ve also been a little nervous about going without food for five days.) But now I’ve blocked out some time and screwed up my courage and I’ve begun my 15-day journey. I really don’t like the term “Master Cleanse”, as is popularly applied to fasts like this. I like thinking about it more in terms of just resetting my body to like foods that are good for it.

So anyway, I’ve already started and I am now in day 3 of the whole process. The overall plan looks like this:

Days 1-5 (Sunday – Thursday) – Switch to (mainly) raw foods, cut out all meat and dairy. I hear this is to make my diet more “Alkaline”. I don’t know anything about that, but I feel it is pleasing to God that to generally avoid consuming meat, so going all vegetable with emphasis on fruits and grains seems like a good idea.

Days 6-10 (Friday – Tuesday) – Water fasting. I will be consuming only water that is tinged with lemon juice (to make it more palatable and offer trace nutrients) and salt (to replace electrolytes). I may also drink an herbal tea I’ve read about that Hindus use during long fasts. I timed the fasting part specifically so that the 48 mark will happen on Saturday night. I remember this being the toughest part of the fast and I want it to be at a time that will be the most convenient.

Days 11-15 (Wednesday – Monday) - Back to natural foods. I will start off with some vegetable broth, then the vegetable soup, then resume eating raw foods. It has always been obvious to me that it is important to come off of a fast gradually.

Some people who do fasts like this also decide to give themselves enemas or natural laxitives to clean out the intenstines, but I’m reluctant to do that mostly because those things seem like man-made interventions and not very natural. So, I’m just going to let my body figure out what it needs to do.

The experience so far

Just on the raw food diet, I’ve seen my weight drop about 3 pounds. (My BMI is around 23.4, the high end of healthy.) I’ve felt a little bit light headed on occasion, but I am not noticing any other side effects. The raw foods at this point are not very satisfying. I am hoping that will change as I figure out what to eat and my body chemistry adjusts. I made a list of raw foods I wanted my wife to get for me from the store and it all sounded very delicious to me.

I took my daughter to a ball game last night and I ate some popcorn, which was pretty much the only vegetarian thing on the menu. It tasted bad.

RECIPES

The bulk of what I am eating is spouted wheat. Here is how to make it: Soak one cup of wheat submerged in two cups of water for about 10 hours. Drain and cover with a wet paper towel. Rinse every 8 hours until the roots are about ¼ inch long. (About 2 days total) The result is little sprouted wheat berries that have a good texture and slightly sweet and pleasant taste, though a bit bland. I am also eating raw rolled oats and lots of fruits and vegetables.

Here are some inventions that I have tried that I like enough to try again:

Oats and millet cereal

1 cup of rolled oats

¼ C millet

1 banana (chopped)

1 T brown sugar

1/8 C chopped walnuts

Mix together with enough water to get the texture you like. I was surprised by how good this tastes, and it is very satisfying. I’ve been eating raw oats for a while and they taste a lot better than one would think. The millet adds a pleasant texture and nutty flavor. I’ve tried sprouted wheat in this mixture, but didn’t like it so much. Serves 1.

Sprouted Wheat Stir-Fry

1 or 2 C Sprouted wheat

¼ Bell Pepper

2 green onions

1/8 Purple onion

1 small carrot

1 stick celery

4-5 cilantro leaves

1 clove garlic

¼ t salt

½ medium tomato

2 T Olive oil

This is delicious! Put the wheat in a small bowl. Chop up the remaining ingredients and add everything except the tomato to the wheat and mix it together. Heat 2 T olive oil in a frying pan on medium high. FRY FOR ONLY 30 SECONDS. You don’t want to cook the food- just heat it up to release the flavors and make it pleasant to eat. Mix in the tomatoes and remove from heat. You can mix and match vegetables, but the important ingredients to keep are the garlic, onion, and cilantro. Serves 1.

Isaiah 37: The Lord Delivers!

2008-06-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Chapter 37 of Isaiah breaks down into the following narrative:

- Hezekiah, upon hearing the challenge of the Assyrian invaders and realizing that this a critical moment for Israel, goes to Isaiah for his counsel because he is a prophet

- Isaiah prophesies that the generals will depart on a rumor and that the king of Assyria will be murdered.

- Rapshakeh, the Assyrian general, does indeed leave on the rumor of an Ethiopian invasion, and on his way out, he sends a parting letter to Hezekiah, saying essentially, “Don’t get your hopes up, because we’ve wiped out everyone in our path, and you are no different.”

- Hezekiah takes the letter to the temple and makes a very firm and faithful plea to the Lord for deliverance.

- Isaiah delivers the Lord’s reply. The Lord says that Assyria is powerful only because he made it so, strengthening them and while weakening their enemies. But their delusions of grandeur and blasphemy will be their undoing- The Lord will lead them like an animal back to the stable. Finally, the Lord fortells that in three years, the remnant of Israel will be back in the land unhindered.

- An angel destroys 185,000 of the Assyrians and they leave. Back in Assyria Sennacherib is murdered by his own sons in his idolatrous temple.

This story from Isaiah is especially interesting because there is some independent historical verification of Hezekiah and the siege of Jerusalem. The Assyrian account says that Hezekiah was “shut up like a caged bird”. It also mentions the huge tribute paid by Hezekiah, and yet interestingly makes no mention of why Jerusalem was never taken. The Egyptian account says that the Assyrian army had been infested with mice that destroyed their leather armor and other perishable gear, making them easy prey for attacking forces. All three accounts verify or suggest that Jerusalem was not taken and I think all three mention that Sennacherib was murdered.

In reference to this account, I read the correspondence between Moroni and Pahoran in Alma 61. Pahoran says that God does not require the Nephites to submit to bondage, so they resist. I think Hezekiah was following this same principle with the remnant of Israel. Hezekiah did something that seemed very shocking to me when I first read it. He took of the treasures of the temple to pay a tribute to the Assyrians! But as I thought about it more, I realized that Hezekiah, as a steward, was doing everything in his power to secure the liberty of his people, even sacrificing their worldly wealth. Hezekiah seems to understand, as almost none other, the difference between material treasures and the worth of souls. Remember, he was the one who destroyed the brazen serpent, a priceless artifact from the days of Moses, because people were worshipping it.

When Hezekiah had done literally everything he could to save his people, he knew he had the right to approach the Lord for the blessing. I’m going to quote his prayer here for reference and I want to point out the incredible faith in it. He isn’t pleading for some imagined rescue, he is calling upon his God with confidence that he will deliver:

15 And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,

16 O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.

17 Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God.

18 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries,

19 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

20 Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.

This is a lesson to me that I can rely on the Lord’s blessings only when I have put out my best effort first, then I can in confidence approach Him for help.

I didn’t know much about Hezekiah before embarking on this study of Isaiah, but the more I learn about him, the more I am impressed with the man. What a great example of leadership, faith, wisdom, and courage. May we all be faithful like Hezekiah.

Isaiah 36: Clouds of war

2008-05-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Chapter 36 of Isaiah begins an account of the king Hezekiah and a famous encounter with an overwhelming Assyrian army. This account is also recorded in 2 Kings with some additional detail.

To set the stage, I’d like to reference 2 Kings 18 to talk about what kind of man Hezekiah was:

1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

…

3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.

…

5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.

6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

7 And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

8 He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

It is important to understand that Hezekiah was a righteous king in order to fully understand the narrative in Isaiah 36. (Another useful tool for understanding this chapter is to listen to it read by a narrator. I didn’t grasp a lot of the subtleties of the narrative until I could hear it this way. There is a good narration available on the LDS Scripture website- Just click on “LISTEN” in the upper left corner.)

So here is the story: the king of Assyria sends a general, Rabshakeh (this is apparently a title), to Jerusalem with a very large army. The goal is to get Judah to surrender and come to Assyria or to sack the city. Rabshakeh meets an embassy of Jewish officers outside the walls of the city and uses sophistry as he talks to them about their situation. He says essentially, “What makes you think you can stand against Assyria like this? If it’s because you trust the Egyptians, that’s foolish because they don’t help anybody. If it’s because of the Lord, that doesn’t make any sense because Hezekiah took down all your Shrines to your God except for the one here. So why don’t you give us your money and we’ll call it good, because God told me to come up here and destroy you guys.”

The part about Hezekiah tearing down the altars was confusing until I read the account in 2 Kings which says that Hezekiah destroyed all of the idolatrous sites in Judah in order to bring them back to worship of the true God. Hezekiah was son intent on this that he even destroyed the brazen serpent Moses had made because people had started worshipping it! That struck me as a remarkably brave thing to do. It shows the kind of attitude we can have about material things.

One point that can be pulled out of this passage already is that the world just does not understand the workings of the Lord. All of it is foolishness to them. If we are not careful, the world’s mocking can make us feel ashamed of our own religion. Lehi saw this in his dream when people who had partaken of the tree of life felt ashamed when they realized they were being mocked and they ended up leaving the tree in search of the great and spacious building.

Returning to the narrative… As they listen to Rabshakeh’s words, the embassy, lacking confidence, tries to get him to talk to them in Assyrian so that the people on the walls can’t understand what is being said. This really sets Rabshakeh off and he addresses the people on the wall directly, declaring that the Gods of all the people he has conquered have done them no good, and Judah would be no different. He says, “Don’t listen to Hezekiah, but trust in me instead. If you agree with me, we’ll not attack you so that you can come out from under this siege and later we’ll take you to your own land in Assyria where you can have gardens, trees, clean water, and plenty to eat.” In response, the people on the wall held their peace, following the counsel of Hezekiah.

What a great lesson for us. Satan lies to us with the same arguments. He promises comfort and security, saying not to listen to inspired leaders because in the end God won’t help us. Our course of action is to patiently wait on the Lord, and give no answer to our spiritual oppressors. If we are patient and obedient, the Lord will deliver (which he does in a spectacular way for Hezekiah in Chapter 37).

The Treasure In The Field and Real Intent

2008-01-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

This talk was given to a congregation in Everett, Wa on Jan 27^th, 2008

When I was ten years old and starting out in the fifth grade, one of my teachers purchased a rather unusual book for her class. The title of the book was Masquerade. On the plain cover was an embossed rabbit and inside was a children’s story which told of the misadventures of Jack Hare, a rabbit on a quest to deliver a gift from the Moon to the Sun, but who loses the gift along the way. The introduction page contained the following verse:

Within the pages of this book there is a story told
of love, adventures, fortunes lost, and a jewel of solid gold.
To solve the hidden riddle, you must use your eyes,
And find the hare in every picture that may point you to the prize.

This introduction was no idle poem. The thing that made the book especially unique is that it really did contain clues to an actual buried treasure. The Author, an English artist named Kit Williams, had crafted the treasure himself- it was a gold, rabbit-shaped pendant set with precious gems- and he buried it in a small town in England. The existence of the treasure was publicly announced along with the publishing of Masquerade. On each page of the book was an elaborate illustration showing a scene from the story and surrounded by a line of text. The whole book was one giant puzzle, and if you could solve it, you would know where the treasure was hid.

Of the puzzle Williams said, “The treasure is as likely to be found by a bright child of ten with an understanding of language, simple mathematics and astronomy”. The thought that a ten-year-old could solve the puzzle is probably what inspired my teacher to purchase the book. My classmates and I, believing ourselves to be bright 10-year-olds, were all over that book for a few days, carefully studying the pages and talking about the story and illustrations, but we didn’t make much progress. We gradually looked at the book less and less until it was forgotten.

We weren’t the only ones. Millions of other people examined the same book. Isn’t it interesting the motivation that can come from a little knowledge? Had there been no actual treasure, the book would have been just another children’s book, with nowhere near the same attention.

Most of the people who read the book had similar results to my classmates and me. But some were much more determined than we were. They stayed at the book for years until at last the riddle was solved and the treasure was discovered. The difference, I think, is that they truly believed they had a real chance at discovering the location of a real buried treasure. Whereas, in the minds of me and my classmates, we eventually just stopped believing we could find it.

Hidden knowledge

This story is a useful illustration to us as members of the church, because the kingdom of God can be thought of as a hidden treasure. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; [for which a man] for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” (Matt 13:44) Notice what the savior said: the man bought the field, not the treasure itself. The man is overjoyed simply to own the field. Presumably, this is because he believes he will find the actual treasure later. I will return to this idea, but first, I want to show that there are multiple witnesses in the scriptures which testify to the fact that there are indeed great treasures hidden from us, but which the Lord intends for us to find:

In Psalms we read “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” (Ps. 51: 6)

Paul said to the Corinthians “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory” (1 Cor. 2: 7)

John wrote in the Book of Revelation “He that hath an ear, let him hear … To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna” (Rev. 2: 17)

In the revelation Joseph Smith received concerning those who inherit the Celestial Kingdom, the Lord says, “And to them will I reveal all mysteries, yea, all the hidden mysteries of my kingdom from days of old…” (D&C 76: 7)

The character of those sacred things hidden from us is quite unique. Many of the mysteries of God are right in front of us, in plainness, but we are in a spiritual sleep and do not recognize what they are. Like the man who purchased the field, we may know that what we want is out there, we just haven’t figured out where to dig, or maybe we don’t even know what we are digging for. This fact, that we can be missing great things in our plain view, is also evidenced in the scriptures. For example:

Amulek whom we read about in the Book of Mormon, was a member of the church in high reputation, but he did not know the things of God. He said, “... I have seen much of [God’s] mysteries and his marvelous power; … Nevertheless, I did harden my heart, for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God, in the wickedness of my heart” (Alma 10: 6)

Nephi taught that we don’t receive all of the gospel at once. He wrote “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little;” (2 Ne. 28: 30) In other words, we learn the gospel incrementally, building on what we have learned before.

When His disciples asked Jesus why he taught in parables, He said, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” (Matt. 13: 11)

Said another way, the gospel is presented plainly to us and may be “found” just as one might find a piece of property and recognize it as something that is good and choice. However, while we may plainly recognize the goodness of what we have found, the actual treasure, or fruit of the gospel, is hidden and must be discovered with persistence and effort, similar to how a treasure in a field must be found through persistence and effort.

Do you believe this? Do you believe there is more for you to learn and discover in the gospel? Do you believe that you can discover it?

The Field

Let’s take the scriptures, and let’s liken them to a field containing a hidden treasure. So, Imagine that you have purchased a 100-acre parcel of land (that’s about 75 football fields). Now imagine that you’ve purchased it because you’ve learned that someone buried a vast trove of diamonds somewhere in the property, but you don’t know where. How would you go about finding those diamonds? Well, a logical beginning would be to survey the property. This could be accomplished by walking back and forth to get a feel for the land and to make notes of interesting locations. Maybe you’ll find an old house, a mound of earth, or a well. You might also study who has lived on the land, where they lived, or what other people have written about it. Eventually, however, you would want to start digging in carefully chosen locations in order to actually find and recover the diamonds.

Questions: What if, every day, for years, you spent 15 minutes walking back and forth along your property, carefully surveying and taking notes, but did nothing else? With the treasure hidden somewhere under the surface, could you ever expect to find it? Of course you couldn’t, you would have to dig for it. And yet, too often, this is how we approach the study of the scriptures. We may casually read parts of the holy word; we may read the standard works all the way through; we might even read them through cover-to-cover nine times and think that this qualifies us to understand them, but in reality, when we simply read, all we have done is made a survey. Now, this kind of surveying is important and necessary, but if surveying is all that we ever do, we cannot hope to obtain the kingdom of God. We have to dig. We have to dig in many places. And we have to dig deeply.

It may interest you to know the manner in which the leaders of our church study their scriptures. President Duce recently examined the remarks of the brethren to determine how they go about their personal study and discovered that all of them study by topic- they pick something that they’ve been pondering and praying about and then search for it in the scriptures. (Indeed, the term “search” is used by the Savior himself when exhorts us to read the scriptures. (John 5: 39)) In addition to searching, the brethren keep a journal and write down the things that they learn, this helps them remember it so they can internalize what they have read and practice it. This is what is meant by digging: strenuous mental effort translated into real works.

I would like to relate to you a personal story concerning my conversion to this principle. A few years ago, I was in a spiritual haze. You would not have know it from looking at me. My family life was good, I was active in church, serving in my calling. And yet looking back, I see that I was asleep to the promises of God. I was unaware of the enormity and magnitude of the gospel. I felt at the time, after 35 years in the church, that I had learned most of what the gospel had to teach me. About that time, President Duce introduced his first stake focus. As I recall, it the focus was to “Draw nearer to Jesus Christ through daily study of the scriptures.” This struck a chord in me and I felt inspired to study the scriptures as I had never done before. I started by sharing my goal with some close friends and we formed a study group over email. We picked a new gospel topic each week and would find out whatever we could, and at the end of the week, we would write a summary of what we found and share it with the others. This did not take a lot of my time, just 20-30 minutes each day, yet gradually, week by week, I’ve been able to accumulate over 300 little essays containing my thoughts and spiritual impressions on a wide variety of gospel topics. This has changed my life and my entire outlook on the gospel. I can testify that searching in addition to reading the scriptures makes a night-and-day difference as to what we can get out of them. There really are hidden treasures in there, and there isn’t any other way to get them out.

Prayer

Our search of the scriptures would not be complete, of course, without prayer. Prayer is the grand key for unlocking the knowledge God wants us to have. Consider these words from Moroni:

And when ye shall receive these things (the scriptures), I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Moro. 10: 4)

Prayer is means for recognizing truth. Through prayer we may recognize the treasures of the gospel when we find them. Through prayer, we are comforted when things seem too hard. Through prayer, our insight is expanded and we are enabled to accomplish whatever the Lord asks of us. And not just any prayer- Moroni describes the required character of prayer very clearly:

We must have a Sincere Heart – This means we must be honest. We need to pursue truth because inside we really want it.
We must pray with Real Intent – This means that we pray with the intent that we will do whatever the Lord reveals to us. We cannot reserve our decision until we like what the Lord says. We need to have it in our minds that we will follow no matter what the direction is.
We must have Faith in Christ – Faith is shown by our works. Having faith in Christ means that we will demonstrate our belief by actually doing the things we believe we should.

If we desire to find that which is hidden, we need help from God. This help comes in the form of revelation and revelation comes in answer to sincere prayer as Moroni has described- prayer with real intent.

Nephi, after giving a great discourse on the gospel of Jesus Christ said this, “Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark.” (2 Ne. 32: 4)

We are to both ask and knock. We ask by praying and expressing our desires to God. Knocking is an action- it signifies doing. For our prayers to be meaningful there must be a component of doing something.

I want to stress here that prayer with real intent is the key to receiving knowledge. Our personal study of the scriptures would be meaningless without it. The pattern is to study, seek revelation, and then do. Line-upon-line, this is how we build our faith in Jesus Christ into the knowledge in which we are saved. (See D&C 131: 6)

Stake Focus

We have recently updated the focus of our stake. This focus has been prepared by the Presidency of our stake under inspiration. It is to serve as a guide for the local members of the church as they serve in their callings and strive to improve themselves spiritually. The focus for our stake is:

Increasing faith in Jesus Christ
by studying the scriptures daily
and praying with real intent.

This is revelation given expressly to us through our leader who holds priesthood keys. As we prepare lessons and talks, as we give family home evenings and hold family prayers, as we seek to draw closer to our Father in Heaven- if we will keep this focus in mind and rally together behind it, we, as a stake and as individuals, will surely be blessed.

I encourage you to write this focus down, remember it, and teach it to your families and to those over whom you have stewardship. We will increase our faith in Jesus Christ by studying scriptures daily and praying with real intent.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, let us cast our minds back to the family of Lehi. You’d think being the child of a prophet, you’d have it made, and yet, we have before us the sad story of Laman and Lemuel, who, though they were well taught, affiliated with the church and acquainted with its customs, decided in the end to rebel. Lehi, at the end of his life, pleaded with his sons to “wake up”, implying that they were asleep somehow to what he had been teaching them. They had ears to hear, but they would not hear.

Laman and Lemuel stand as a warning to you and I, even the members of the church, that we can be asleep to the realities of the gospel. Modern-day prophets have said that too many of us live “far beneath” our spiritual privileges. It is possible to come to church each Sunday, serve in a calling, and go through the motions of worship, but yet be spiritually asleep. The first step to coming out of this spiritual sleep is to build our faith in Jesus Christ by diligently seeking Him in the scriptures and by praying to the Father with real intent, which means that we will do whatever He requires us to do through the spirit. This is, and will remain, our stake focus for the next few years. May we all take it to heart and rise to the challenge before us. As we make the effort, the spirit will guide us and the Lord will sustain us and we will succeed.

Isiah 35: Blossoms

2007-10-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

I have just a few comments about Isaiah 35, which is a promise about the great blessings in store for those in the Lord’s Book of Life mentioned in the previous chapter.

The first observation I have is that the language concerning the blessings of the Lord in this chapter is different compared to what I’ve read in recent chapters. For instance in chapter 32, the Savior’s reign was described, among other things, “as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land”. Now in chapter 35, it is the whole desert that is transformed, such that those who are in it “shall see the glory of the Lord”. This implies a global transfiguration, whereas the former implies a personal change. A world-wide change would point to the millennial reign of Christ. Therefore, my impression is that chapter 32 refers to the state of the righteous before the coming of the Lord and Chapter 35 refers to after the coming, describing the society of that glorious age. (One should note, however, that the conditions in Zion before the coming of the Lord will be similar the conditions in the world after His coming.)

The other passage that caught my attention was verse 8, because it is a little humorous:

8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

I take this as Isaiah saying that the state of the world will eventually be so righteous that the way of the Lord will be compared to a highway. It will be a highway that is so obvious and so well protected that even idiots can’t get lost! It is interesting to me to contemplate such a society- a society with no media to glamorize evil, or to stir up lust and greed. A society where there is abundance shared by all, with no competition to pit us against our neighbor. A society where there is time and emphasis on enjoying those things which are lovely and praiseworthy. A society where everyone knows and love the Lord, and as a result, feel no desire to seek happiness in forbidden paths.

Faithful thoughts of a peaceful, righteous society are enough to give strength to weak hands and feeble knees. Not only is such a society possible, it is prophesied and will surely happen as the last days unfold. If we truly believe this, it changes the way we look at the world and the way we look at other people. As we draw nearer to Jesus Christ, we have all the more reason to be optimistic, cheerful, and kind. This is a theme that Isaiah brings up again and again. Many people do not believe it, but it is true.

Thoughts on Words

2007-10-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

Some words are so small, we have to be told about them to even know they are there.

Parthenogenesis

Misconjugatedly

Dermatoglyphics

Some words are medium sized, so that we may feel comfortable handling them and tossing them about

Styrofoam

Banana

Pencil

Some words are so big so that they are difficult to describe

Think

Blue

Space

Some words are so unimaginably huge that we take them for granted

You