There are definitely some benefits to old age: Spending effort where it really matters, enjoying time with your grandkids, seeing your children overcome challenges and become the great people you hoped they would be. There are many other benefits I will tell you about in a minute.   Sometimes though, you have to watch amazing accomplishments from the sideline. That’s true for a number of activities I have wanted to participate in during my life. I have noted below just a few of them:   Slacklining   Of course, at my age, my balance, strength and stamina are probably not my stro ..read more

The curriculum for gospel study this year is the Doctrine and Covenants. It is impossible to study the Doctrine and Covenants without studying church history. That can be problematic for some people who take issue with some things that happened in the past. If history is studied correctly, it can be a great learning tool. We have an opportunity this year to learn and grow, but only if we are willing participants.   I just had my 66th birthday. There are plenty of pages in my personal book of history that have smudges. At the end of my earthly life, I hope that others will judge the end re ..read more

When my family adopted a Siberian husky, a daily walk became part of my life. While the weather was warm, I enjoyed our jaunts in the park. But when the temperatures plummeted and the snow piled deep, I faced the walks with dread and usually returned home shivering. I was not equipped for lengthy outdoor excursions.    In theory, I knew the way to stay warm involved layers, but since my winter sporting mainly consisted of trying not to slip on the ice in the Walmart parking lot, I had never embraced the act of donning multiple sets of clothing. But when my toes grew numb and the wind ..read more

It has been a tough year. My opinion is that it’s been more difficult not being able to attend church regularly than I ever expected!   I thought I would love not having to get ready for church meetings. I admit that holding sacrament meeting at home has been interesting. I enjoy holding the priesthood so I can bless and administer the sacrament for my family. Our musical qualities have a lot to be desired. My wife and I don’t play the piano, but we could always listen to the hymns with our phones. Our children play the piano, but they are in their own homes now. We have had the privilege ..read more

I was recently reminded of this miracle where I heard and felt the Holy Ghost’s whisperings that I recorded in a journal entry.  During the pandemic, I’ve especially continued to look for the hand of God in my life.  This experience I recorded captures some of the angst, stress, and fear I felt during that particular “crisis.” I was amazed at the peace that came when I’d usually fly off the handle. By following the prophet’s admonition to “refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost,” we can be guided through turbulent and uncertain times, as easily as I w ..read more

It’s finally 2021! For many weeks people have been saying that they were looking forward to saying good riddance to 2020. And in a lot of ways, they have a point. But I think 2020 brought us a lot of gifts along with the challenges, and I’d like to discuss that.   Pandemic   At New Year’s 2020 none of us saw the pandemic becoming such a disruption to our lives. I have never seen illness so widespread.   So many people lost loved ones, jobs, and their way of life was seriously disrupted. We have many industries that took a serious hit. I must acknowledge all these things before g ..read more

It wasn’t until halfway up a 36-foot ladder leaning against nothing but a small ceiling trap door at the top that I realized I had a of fear not having a safety net. I stopped climbing and clung to the ladder that was bouncing after climbing each rung. I felt like I was suspended on a string in space and I froze. I knew that if I climbed up, I would have to climb down.  Part of my brain told myself to climb down immediately from where I was. The other part of my brain told myself that I would probably never again have the chance to see what I was climbing to see. And I really wanted to se ..read more

Can we really sing glory to God in the middle of a pandemic?   Discussing the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ and acknowledging appreciatively His life and mission among mankind seems natural this time of year, of course. But the carols we sing to the King last much longer than the month of December alone.    Some may ask how we can sing praises to Him the whole year through. Let’s take a bit of advice from the Book of Mormon, which we are completing in our Gospel Doctrine classes this year. In the first chapter of the book of Moroni, the prophet states that he has unexpectedly ..read more

“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, . . . he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen after he was risen” (Mark 16:9-14.)   “Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Thus the other disciples said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:24-25.)   “And ..read more

I grew up in many towns in the Midwest and back East. They were all different, but they had one thing in common. I was the only one in my grade at school who was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So I was the only one with my set of values. Our Ward (congregation) was usually in another town. So, my neighbors weren’t members either.   I wanted friends who understood me, who shared my values, but I always had to keep my guard up. When you are the only one with the values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is always something coming up. With ..read more