Rock Climbing and the Atonement

For years, my dad and I have loved to go Rappelling and Rock Climbing. We do what's called a top belay, where he stands on top of the rock and

belays the rappeller down and then pulls the climber back up. Both he and the rope are connected back to a huge boulder that's part of the mountain, using 18,000-lb. fabric truck tie-downs (aka super safe). I've always felt very safe leaving his side and hopping over the cliff and rappelling down below. Climbing up is always a fun challenge.

There is a certain place we have gone to for about the past 10 years along the Appalachian Trail. It's about a 60-ft rock and has many different routes back to the top. Up the middle is the hardest. The beginning isn't too bad, and even the middle part isn't extremely difficult, but that last little part - at least for me - is nearly impossible.

Mainly because the rock juts out about 3 feet, so in order to reach the top of the mountain, you have to go up, around, and over this big ledge that hangs out above you. Yikes!

For years and years I would attempt the climb up the middle, hoping that maybe this was the time I would make it over that last little ledge. But almost every time, I would get to a point where I just couldn't go any further, and then my dad would have to pull me up a few feet until I was over the hardest part. Or I would totally fall while trying, and he would catch me as I dangled, and allow me to keep trying till I got it. I would always finally make it back to his side, after a long climb, and thank him for his help, but feel a little disappointed that I didn't really do it on my own.

But then I realized that's what the Atonement is all about. Before this life, we lived with the Father on top of the Mountain and enjoyed being in his presence, but we knew we needed to experience a mortal life and descended (rappelled) down to earth where we can no longer physically see our Father. But we can Hear his voice every now and then - through prophets. And there are others who are down on the ground (earth), like our parents and family, helping us know what to and where to go as we make our climb back up to the Father to once again live in his presence.

Most importantly, we are connected to the Father with the rope - or the Spirit, His Power. I know that just like my dad pulled me up the rest of the way over that last ledge, the Atonement of Jesus Christ helps us overcome that last obstacle of death and sin, AFTER we have done all that we can do. My dad won't just pull me up from the bottom of the rock. Nor will we be able to live with God forever by simply asking. We must do. We must climb as hard and as much as we can, and then the Atonement of Christ will make up the difference and pull us up the rest of the way. The good news is, since we're all different, all we have to do is our best. All that we can do. That is the power of the Atonement: to do for us what we cannot do on our own.

But I later realized that Atonement is much more than that. As I climbed up the rock, I of course felt the rope - my dad's power - pull me up over that last obstacle, but when I thought about it, I also felt that upward lift every step of the way. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is NOT just for the very end of life, but it is in fact for every foot and hand hold of the Climb of Life. Because Christ suffered, we do not have to. Christ suffered for our sins and death - yes - but also for our pains, sicknesses, stresses, problems, anxieties, weaknesses, and concerns. He knows how we feel in any situation, and His Grace is sufficient to make us strong and whole and happy and at peace. As I climb up the rock, I feel that upward tug of the rope as my dad keeps the line taught. Heavenly Father will do all HE can to help us every single moment of our lives, as long as we continue to try out best.

I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the Redemptive and Enabling Power it has. Redemptive Power to help us all over that last obstacle, or ledge, that is impossible on our own, and Enabling Power to encourage and uplift us and to help us have peace and joy along the journey, doing things that we normally couldn't do alone. The Atonement is real, and is available to all men everywhere. All that God asks is that we believe in Him, repent of our sins, be baptized by immersion, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Through prayer, we can call on God to bless us with the healing power of the Atonement. Ask and ye shall receive!

He also asks, of course, that you don't take off your harness in the middle of the climb. As long as you keep your harness on - that is, keep your Faith and Believe in Him - you will never fall, even if you let go of the rock. As long as we keep our Harnesses of Faith tight and secure, The Father will lift us up to safety and help us once again return to live with Him. He is always watching from above and is mindful of every step we take.

The Atonement makes it possible to return to God, to be free from sin, and to simply be happy!

Chopping trees and Avoiding Spears

When I was a boy, perhaps 10 or so, I was outside in the backyard one day doing "yard work." Normally, at age 10, "yard work" meant jump on the trampoline and watch dad mow the lawn, and then move the trampoline when he needed to mow underneath it. "Yard work" also included watching all the fun little rivers and tributaries that the garden hose creates in the down-hill mulch when left running for hours.

On this particular day, "yard work" meant playing with a shovel. It was large shovel. And I don't remember what exactly I was doing (or supposed to be doing, rather). But we had two trees on either side of our patio. At the time, they were tiny trees, with the trunk only a few inches thick. I guess I thought it looked like an evil bad guy from playing too much make-believe, so I began whacking the tree trunk with the shovel. Just enough to shave off about a foot-long chuck of bark. Good. Bad guy dead, I probably thought. Uh oh - fun over, I next thought as I saw my dad drawing nearer. He admired my handiwork with a loud voice and angry eyes. Bad Nathan.

My dad - being the handi-man-mr-fix-any-and-every-thing that he is, wrapped the damaged tree trunk with some special Tree Bandaid stuff. Slowly, over the next few weeks, months, and years, the tree looked more and more sickly, while it's companion on the other side of the patio continued to grow strong and beautiful. Eventually, much to our dismay, the poor tree died. Finally I accepted the truth. It was cold-sapped murder.

For years, the mulch circle where the tree once stood remained vacant, as if it was the memorial grave of a dear friend. Finally my dad had the brilliant idea to transfer a small sapling from the corner of the yard to the old gravesite. I did the transplant myself, in solemn retribution for my wickedness years before. Well, it turns out the "tree" I transplanted was actually a very large, very tree-looking Weed. (See previous post for a separate discussion on this stupid Wower-Tree of a Plant). Needless to say, it has not grown at all. As you can see in the poor and depressing photograph (in grayscale, just like all the Infomercials when they show the poor old folks bending way over to pick up their rotten tomatoes from the ground, and then the infomercial switches to bright color when it shows the Topsi-Turvy that hangs plants upside down...) the poor weed-tree simply quivers under the massive beauty of the old-timer on the other side of the patio, that has continued to grow strong and beautiful all these years.

Now. The utterly unfortunate thing about all this, is that we love to eat out on the patio, usually while the sun is still out. The sun is hot. The sun is normally low on the horizon. The sun hits the patio from exactly the left upper corner. Right where the poor tree once stood. So now, when we are in desperate need of shade, all we get is - well, nothing, actually. The patio is 100% exposed to the sun all hours of the evening. However, the large beautiful tree on the other side of the patio DOES offer simply perfect shade to the grass. But we don't eat on the grass. We eat on the patio. In the sun. Because Nathan killed the tree.

And Mother Toone reminds him every meal we eat outside. "Sure wish we had some shade here...Nathan." "Boy, it really is hot out here in the sun....Nathan." "Wow what a lovely and tall weed we have growing by our patio....Nathan."

For years - literally years - I have been thinking and thinking trying to come up with some wonderful metaphor that would justify why it is BETTER to have the tree cut down. And here is my final conclusion: There is no metaphor. Life is NOT better without the tree. Nothing good has EVER come from me killing the tree. Nothing good ever WILL come of it. And herein lies the glorious lesson.

One of the finest lines in all of Life's Philosophy is that between a "Thorn in the flesh" that we were born with and a "Spear in the side" that we ourselves inflicted. Both of these are trials. And we learn from trials - yes. We learn from all trials - yes. Life is better because of trials - well....kind of. Life is better because of ALL trials - No. Just like we do not enjoy shade when we eat on our patio because I made the big mistake of killing the tree, we will sometimes to feel the repercussions of sins for a long long time.

And certainly, we can learn much from making mistakes and sinning. I know to not hit little trees with shovels. When I touch the hot stove, I will learn to not touch it again. When I go out and do (insert wicked and evil thing here) I know that next time I will definitely NOT want to do (insert same wicked and evil thing here) again.

But we cannot ever ever say that my life is better for having sinned. My life would be so much better right now had I never killed that tree in the first place. Imagine how great if I didn't have the burn mark on my hand. It would be simply wonderful if I never had created those awful memories of that time I went and (insert that same wicked and evil thing from before).

The fine line is this: If the tree would have been blown away in a tornado or it by lightning in some thunderstorm or magically vanished in some freak accident, THEN we could say it was the Will of God, and that somehow - for some reason - our life is better because of it. Trials make us stronger. We grow by enduring trials. The Great Blacksmith purifies us and makes us beautiful by casting us into the Refiner's Fire.

Trials make us stronger. Sinning makes us weaker. Even though when we finally recover from the ill-effects of our sins and end up at a point in life better than before we sinned, imagine how much BETTER off we would be, never having sinned in the first place. We can never ever say that my life is better because I sinned. If that was the case, Jesus Christ must have missed out on a lot of opportunities to grow. But He didn't. He paved the perfect path by not sinning at all.

Life is best when we endure the thorns life's trials and avoid the self-inflicting spears of sin.

Sorry, Mother, for killing your shade tree. I have learned my lesson, and now - officially - I have used it as an object lesson to teach the Gospel. But my life has NOT been blessed by that foolish shovel-chop over 10 years ago.

HOWEVER. In the other corner of the backyard are about 3 pines trees who have died ... just because. Naturally. The difference? Somehow - in some way that we may not understand until after this life - that is one of life's natural trials that actually is a blessing in disguise.

I love blessings in disguise and look for them every day. Although sinning, or the repercussion thereof, cannot be blessings and cannot make our lives better, we can still learn from our mistakes. We must do all we can to cheerfully endure the natural trials of life and do all that we can to avoid cutting down any poor, helpless trees with rusty shovels.

Flowers, Weeds; Wowers, Fleeds.

For a service project last year we helped to weed a flower garden. It was in deep need of a makeover, and was overrun with weeds all over. But there were still lots of perennials and nice bushes, strawberry plants, and a few budding flowers. Before we began, we carefully asked what exactly were we supposed to be pulling. She pointed out some examples of weeds - thistly or viney, but always ugly - and some examples of flowers - delicate and beautiful. Easy enough.

As we delved into our back-bending labor, we quickly discovered that there were a host of plants that didn't fit into the black and white categories of Flower or Weed. 

There were some nice perennials that simply didn't have any flowers yet and sure looked like weeds; there were also some nasty weeds that happened to have colorful, tiny flowers. "What about this one?" we would ask, pointing.  "And this one?" It soon became apparent that we just weren't as skilled in botany as the owner whom we were helping. She had to direct our every move. Then finally she announced: "Ok, whatever. If it looks like a weed, pull it. I'd rather have a few flowers pulled than leaving infectious weeds. If in doubt, pull it out" (or something to that effect). 

And so that began a mad rush to get done as soon as possible. "Everything must go!" Of course, a beautiful flower or delicate leaves would stop us quickly, and we would carefully work around it. But anything that looked anything like a weed was gone without hesitation. The poor non-blooming flowers were now just as evil as the thistles and flowering-weeds alike. Only the beautiful, blooming flowers could stay. And thus, the task was accomplished. 

In the few hours it took to pull all the weeds, I thought of how - of course - it was metaphor! In life, there are Flowers and Weeds; Good and Bad; Light and Dark; Disciples and Destroyers; Beauty and Ugliness; Love and Hatred. But more and more in today's world we are seeing not only Flowers and Weeds, but also Wowers and Fleeds. 

Wowers are those nasty weeds who have learned that if they grow some flowers, people think that they're beautiful. Dandelions, for example, are nothing but vicious wolves in tattered sheep skins. The media has made gambling and alcohol and smoking and drugs and promiscuity and attacks on the institution of family into colorful Wowers - evil weeds pretending to be "good" and exciting because of the "wow" factor of the activity. Yet Wowers will often suck the life right out of the true Flowers around it, leaving nothing but dead and dried-up waste. We must avoid these evil Wowers at all costs!

Fleeds, on the other hand, are those naturally-born flowers who have sadly decided they don't want to shine their petals any longer, and lose their flowers to look more and more like a weed. Perhaps due to the peer pressure of the weeds around them, they become ashamed of their true inner beauty and begin acting in a way that is certainly unbecoming of their true nature. Fleeds are in desperate need of help. For when the Gardner comes to clean out all the weeds, the Fleeds will be taken just as quickly. We should all want the Master to easily recognize us as a True Flower - or adding just an "ol" - a True Follower!

This simple service project turned into a marvelous learning experience for me. I want to be the biggest and brightest and bestest Flower that I can be! I want everyone to know that I believe in God and in His Son Jesus Christ. I believe in the redeeming power of the Atonement. I believe in the everlasting salvation of God's Plan for each of us. Christ said himself, let your light shine forth, or in other words - make sure that everyone knows that you are a declared Flower. Share your beauty. Drown out the ugliness of the weeds beneath you by rising above in beauty, stretching ever more towards the Life-giving Light. 

Just as there are some weeds that look like flowers and some flowers that unfortunately look too much like weeds, there are all sorts of people in the world, at every single step from Purely Good to Purely Bad. It's my hope that anyone who ever looks at me, and my life, and my Fruits will have no problem knowing where I stand on that spectrum. For truly one day the Weeds, Wowers, and Fleeds will all be hewn down, allowing the Flowers to then reach their full potential.

Note: all pictures were taken by me within the past few months

The Eternal Potential of Leftovers

One of my trademarks in the kitchen is my unique creations. When living in Moscow as a missionary, I lived in a house with 5 other Elders. We always went grocery shopping on Wednesdays, making Tuesday the last day to have leftovers before our new yummy food. It soon became Chili Tuesday, as every Tuesday we would make a large pot of "chili" using all the leftovers in the fridge to make room for the new. The best was after thanksgiving when we had everything from spaghetti sauce and two-week old turkey to eggs and sour cream. Awful, I know - but the beautiful thing is - it always comes out so wonderful! 

In the picture above I'm demonstrating how a soup one day can evaporate overnight into a nice pasta slush type casserole. Just last week we took scraps of ham and nasty frozen veggies that were mostly ice and cut and friend them all up into a wonderful ham-potato-veggie stir-fry. I 

consider it a successful meal if we're able to get rid of any packages or containers - finishing off the last bit of anything. More room for the new! In this picture are 3 different sculptures we made out of old ice cream (and then still ate them...)

Over the years we've made pies and cakes and cookies and soups and casseroles and omelets and pastas and smoothies and a host of Microwave Miracles and One-Pot-Wonders. (and maybe even combined them all together!)  For me, cooking is an art and a hobby. You take raw materials and combine them in such a way that the result is always spectacular. Some see leftover ham scraps and think: trash. I see them and think: yum. I think I've been blessed with the gift to see a "second life" in most foods, using them in ways never thought possible. 

The joy of creation and the deliciousness thereof are simply to die for (which of course is the risk I take using old food...ha). 

But on a more spiritual note, aren't we all just old leftover food? We're all tired and worn out in one way or another. So many times we've thought - in whatever situation - that's it - I can't go any further! And then somehow, with some Extra Help From Above we just keep going and going. That's because a loving Father in Heaven sees in us an eternal potential. God does not see us for who we are or what we've done, but rather who we can - and will! - become. He knows our true potential, and despite all odds, will help us obtain our divine inheritance. 

Food was meant to be eaten, not thrown away! I always try to do my best in helping all foods - regardless of origin or color - reach their fullest potential (how's that for political overtones?). When we throw leftovers away, we in essence say "you are worthless." How grateful I am that The Lord will never tell us that we no longer have any worth in his eyes. We are all His precious sons and daughters here on earth en route our epic journey to return once again into His presence. A chick is hatched to one day become hen and lay eggs of her own. A pup is born to become a full-grown dog with a family - his own sons and daughters. And we, being spiritual children of our Heavenly Father - The God and Creator of all the universe, likewise have the potential to one day become perfect and inherit all Godly attributes and powers that are naturally born in each one of us! THIS is our Eternal Potential!

In my creative little mind, I can look at a plate of cold leftovers and see a glorious meal just a few minutes away, pending a little work on my part. In God's merciful and and almighty powers, He looks at each one of us and sees a Glorious and Perfected Heavenly Being, once again pending a little work on MY part.  Let us all do our part in remembering our own Eternal Potential and Live our lives as true sons and daughters of the Almighty God!

...and be a little more creative with leftovers next time!

Vacuums and Repentance

The other week I was helping the vacuum the church building, using what they call "the wart hog." It's an industrial vacuum that has the motor and dust bag on little maneuverable rollers, and then a long 10 ft hose with the suction part at the end (similar to our red friend in the picture, but older, and the dust bag was more like a fabric bagpipes than a plastic bucket.)  As I was cleaning in and out of every pew, I couldn't help but realize that the bag on rollers kept following me around! I couldn't get away from it!

What's more, is that it kept hitting things. One time, it fell over and a nice poofy cloud of dust - the dust and dirt I had already vacuumed up - went fluttering into the clean air. Another time it whipped up quick behind me and bit the back of my leg for a nice scrape. I began to wonder - why in the world, am I carrying all my old dirt and dust around behind me like a ball and chain?  Why can't the dirt just disappear once I take care of it?

I realized this was a lot like sins. So often when we sin, for whatever odd reason, we continue to carry them around behind us like a ball and chain. They weigh us down. We can't get away from them. They continue to cause problems and hurt us over and over again. The Lord doesn't want that! I know that Christ suffered for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane so that once we vacuum them up out of our lives - once we repent by calling on God's name and confessing to Him our wrongdoings and then (most importantly) forsake our sins, we DON'T have to keep carrying them around. The Lord remembers them no more, and neither should we!  Christ's Atonement is that perfect vacuum system that makes the dirt and filth of my past life completely disappear once I properly take care of it! Satan wants nothing more than for us to continue carrying around old baggage. He wants that dust bag to hold us back and weigh us down. But the Lord wants us to be free from our sins - and we can be!

What a blessing it is to know that the Atonement works so much better than even the best industrial vacuum: we don't have to keep toting around our past sins, but can become free, clean, new creatures in Christ!

Haricuts and Understanding "Hell"

Some 22 years after my very first haircut shown here, yesterday I wanted to get my haircut. [The first time I heard the joke about "well actually I went to get them ALL cut" I thought it was the funniest thing ever, but now I find it slightly overused, but because I still think it's funny I decided to include it in this "I'm not really going to say it" bracketed comment]. I knew that there were some new places in town, but I just wasn't familiar with them. I haven't had my haircut here for years, since last summer I let it totally grow out. I drove around, slightly aimlessly until I finally found a place, and rejoiced much. Only after I made some tricky driving maneuvers to get in the parking lot did I find it was closed. Gr. 

I finally resorted to going to the place in the mall where I had always gone in high school.  Even though it was all but empty they told me it would be 30 minutes. Gr. I wandered around the mall, not interested in any of the stores. I wandered into Macy's where I was further disgusted by the worldliness and ridiculous prices therein. That almost made me more angry than the waiting. Gr. I went back to the hair place after 30 minutes and waiting another 15 for my turn. 

It was awful. At this point, having driven around, found the closed place, wandered a tiny mall, glimpsed the pride of the world, and waited some more, I was just plain annoyed. I didn't want this to be such a long trip. I quickly became cynical of everyone and everything around me, wondering why the hair ladies couldn't work a little quicker (until my turn, when they could take their time and do quality work...).  I was just mad at the world and annoyed. But...I realized I had no one or nothing to really be mad at...but myself. It was my decisions and actions that led me to that spot. No one to blame but myself. 

Today I thought a little more about that tiny moment of anger and frustration. Perhaps, in a small minute way, that's what Hell is like. Hell isn't so much a place, as it is a state of mind. After this life, we go to a Spirit World, where we continue to learn and grow and wait the resurrection at which time we'll be judged according to our actions and desires and rewarded one of three Kingdoms of Heaven, or Kingdoms of Glory. The Glory is compared to the glory of the sun, moon, and stars. Eternal life with God and Exaltation is of course the glory of the sun - so bright that we can't even look at it noonday, and such wonderful glory we can't even imagine the happiness there.  I am sure there is no such place as a fiery and red Hell. In fact, every child of God will be offered a place in one of the degrees of Glory. 

So what is Hell? Most of the times, it's referring to the state of mind knowing that you could have done better. Knowing that you were angry and upset and frustrated with the world - because you didn't receive all the Glory that you had hoped, or that your friends/family received - but you also know that you have no one to blame but yourself and your personal choices and actions. And knowing that it's your fault, only adds to your pain and suffering. No one else at the hair place knew how I felt, just like Hell is an individualized and eternal suffering that is hard to comprehend - it's the pain and torment knowing that you could have had Eternal Life and lived with God forever, but chose the ways of the world instead.  Perhaps because such a suffering is so intangible and hard to comprehend, over the years prophets and apostles have adopted metaphors such as gnashing of teeth and fire and brimstone just to make sure that we understand one thing: We don't want that. 

I am so grateful for a Loving Heavenly Father who gives all His children equal access to the great Plan of Salvation that allows us, through the grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, to escape the suffering and torment of Hell, and enter into the loving, embracing arms of our Father in Heaven. 

P.S. - The girl who cut my hair was cute and nice, which quickly dissolved my mini anguish attack. All is well. 

Crazy Pennsylvania Roads and the Path of Life

Last week, I needed to get from work down to a party. Before I left work, I charted out my course on Google maps, a trusty resource. As you can see in the above map, There is a road, Highway 616, that goes straight from Point A to Point B. I figured that was the easiest path. Google actually suggested I go Northeast for a while before heading south on the freeway. I thought that was silly. I studied the map for probably a good 10 minutes. I didn't want to print it out, because I was still at work and didn't want to "mix personal business"... at least too much. 

So I headed off on my journey. I had written down some rough notes to help remind me. I was relying on my picture-like memory, since I could still very clearly see the Google map in my mind. "Just follow the big yellow road" I thought. Well the road actually isn't big and yellow, but crazy up and down and all around. I missed the first turn. When I turned around and back on track, the nice Mr. Volunteer Fireman told me the road was closed, so I turned around - now my great "Follow the big 616 all the way down" was utterly thwarted. I had a map in the back, but thought I'd carry on. I called a good friend and she looked at the map on her end as I fled down the crooked curvy back roads of farm lands and forests. 

It turns out my friend thought I was somewhere different than I actually was, so that threw me way off. Then I lost reception, and was on my own. When I started seeing signs for the Maryland border, I knew I was in trouble, so finally I pulled into a gas station and looked at a map. I discovered that I had almost gone in a full circle, if I would have continued. The blue path in the map above is the actual path I drove. It took an hour instead of 30 minutes. I finally found the house and enjoyed the party. 

On the way home, I asked the host the quickest way to the highway, staying as far away as I could from back roads. Once on the high way, it was of course smooth sailing. But then, without warning or reason, the speedometer needle totally dropped to zero. I had no idea how fast I was going so I just zipped along with the crowd. Hopefully we all weren't going 80. The highway was of course much easier and I didn't even have to think. When I was 2 minutes away from my home, in the middle of turning through a busy intersection, the manual transmission totally stalled and died and I drifted to a stop on the side of the road, luckily avoiding any accidents. I restarted the car and finally made it home. I did not like car trips very much that night.

The more I thought about my experiences, the more I thought of all sorts of small parallels to life. The comparisons below aren't necessarily related to each other, but are all individual lessons I learned from my travels that night.

1. Life isn't as smooth and rosy as the picture books. On the map, the road was straight, but in reality, it was full of little turns and curves and hills and dips that can't be shown. I know that living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith makes life so much better and happier, but that certainly doesn't mean there won't be the day-to-day turns and hills of life - it's all part of the journey. Life will always be hard, but with the Gospel on our side, we'll have the added strength to stay on course. 

2. "Map Binges" don't work. Even though I studied the map for a long time, it didn't help me later. Some things, like brushing your teeth, just aren't good unless they're done regularly. Brushing for 30 minutes once a week isn't the same as 1 minute 30 times a week. We can't expect to say a weekly prayer or have our "scripture fill" on Sunday and call it good. Such things require constant and consistent effort and application. Only with daily prayer and study can we stay on the right course that will lead us to our Final Destination, that Heavenly Home where we once belonged.

3. We can't rely on the knowledge of others. As good-intentioned and well-meaning my friend was, the fact is, she led me astray. We can't ONLY rely on others, no matter how strong they are or how much we trust them, for spiritual guidance. We must know for OURSELVES. To work together and listen to others is a must, but even the words of the Prophet we must gain a testimony of for ourselves through prayer and study. Ultimately, we are responsible for our own Salvation, and even though she led me off track, I had no one to blame but myself.

4. Follow The Lord, He Knows the Way! My source of "heavenly knowledge" in this case was the ever-trusty Google maps. And even though it directed me one way, I thought I knew better and charted my own course. How wrong I was. The Lord always knows best and we should not seek to counsel Him or alter His words. But before we heed His words, we must Hear them - from the scriptures, from living prophets, from the local priesthood and church leaders, from the Spirit directly to us. Once we hear and understand the voice of the Lord, we surely must obey. Otherwise, we'll end up in Maryland!

5. Without gauges, we lose sense of Who we Are. As I drove home on the highway, I lost all ability to know how fast I was going. I just followed the others. I could have been going 90 mph without even noticing, because all the cars around me were doing the same. In life, when we just go with the flow and try to keep up with our friends, and just do what they're doing, we may easily find ourselves in a situation we never thought we would be in. The Speedometers of life are perhaps priesthood interviews, or talks with your parents, or a personal inventory during Sacrament, or a temple recommend interview, or other things like For the Strength of Youth guidelines. These all provide opportunities and tools for us to Check ourselves against standards to make sure that we're living the way we should, and not in danger of a speeding ticket, or worse, a crash. 

Strawberries and Happiness

Yesterday my mom and I went to pick strawberries at a local farm. It was great fun. She had been before, but it was my first time. We went to the entrance and got a couple of baskets. Then the nice owner man told us how to get to the field. We drove around and got out and he was there to meet us. As we approached him, he gave us very specific instructions. Most people he told to just go up this one row and put down a flag where you stop. Because I was "energetic and responsible" he gave me a specific task. He said that I could go up and down ALL the rows south of where Mom was working. These berries here were mostly green and not ready, but every now and then, he told me, I would find a nice big purple strawberry (meaning nice and tasty). But because they're few and far between, he doesn't tell many people about them.

So I start  on my hunt, and begin to doubt as I only see lush green foliage and tiny green berries. And then I find a huge perfect strawberry hiding deep inside the row. A ways down, I find another! Indeed, they were few and far between, but they were all wonderful and perfect. The owner came back to check up on me, and was pleased that I was having success in my task. I had to cover about 4 times the distance Mom did and work twice as fast to find as many, but as we compared out bounties, it was pretty clear that my berries appeared much darker, and fuller, and plain better.

It's my testimony, once again reaffirmed, that the Owner knows his garden. Heavenly Father is the Lord of the vineyard and we are the workers fulfilling His great work! It's so tempting to go off and do our own thing, but if we will take strict heed to The Lord's Voice, as received from prophets and personally through the Spirit, we will be able to find those perfect strawberries of happiness and success. The strawberry could represent a new job or happiness in the family, or success at work, or anything! But the best will always require double the effort, and might take more time - but it is always worth it! The Owner, our Father, is interested in our success and will often visit us (usually through other servants and his leaders and our friends) to guide and encourage us further. 

By following He who Knows and being willing to put forth the required effort, we can all enjoy the fresh homemade jam and delicious strawberry pies of life!

Life Lessons from a Road Trip

My good friend was married a few weeks ago in the LDS Washington D.C. Temple and my other friend and I made an epic road trip down south, and then down to South Carolina for the reception.  We learned a few things...

1. Always listen to the still small voice. 

As we were passing through Virginia, notorious for its policemen, my friend was speeding along talking to his girlfriend in the passenger seat. From the back seat I was carefully monitoring his speed on my GPS. I quietly reminded him to slow down (we got a ticket last year doing the same thing!). A second time I had to remind him and finally he went down to the limit. Just then, we passed a nice police man parked on the side of the freeway! 

For some reason, I was able to play the role of the "still small voice." We always know what we should be doing, especially when some of God's commandments are as clear and precise as speed limits (such as tithing and word of wisdom), but sometimes we just a need a little reminder. I'm so grateful for the Spirit and His little reminders in my life, whether through friends to slow down while driving, or - as a man in Russia described it- "a feeling to grab the umbrella when it's still sunny outside."

2. It pays to plan and act now.

Over the weekend we needed a hotel 3 nights, all in different places. Because we weren't quite sure what was happening and where we were going to be, we didn't book any of them ahead of time. The first night it was 10:30 pm in Washington D.C. when we started just driving around hoping to find a little no-name place. After about 2 hours we gave up and drove all the way home to PA, just to return to DC early the next morning. BAD. Another night we began looking for a hotel about 9:30 pm in Fayetville, NC. We used the GPS to get phone numbers and called around until we finally found a cheap enough hotel nearby. We didn't pay a lot, but I never expected to pay for the dead bugs, broken sink, disturbing bathroom, and ripped sheets that we found. BAD. Another night we began about 3:30 pm to call all around. We called a ton of places and really worked hard and finally found a wonderful hotel close by. It was peaceful and rejuvenating. GOOD!

When we procrastinate, we only make trouble for ourselves. As President Monson says, "when the time for performance has come, the time for preparation has passed" or "proper prior preparation prevents poor performance." I think about this principle with things like reading and praying and going to the temple.  If we wait until the "11th hour" to do these things, they'll either not happen or be a bad experience, just like with the hotels. But if we just get down on our knees right when we have the thought, or open the Book of Mormon right then, or make going to the temple our top priority, it will likewise be peaceful and rejuvenating. Let us all keep the dead cockroaches out of our lives by planning, preparing, and acting now!

3. Life is not a competition. 

My best friend brought his girlfriend along for the trip. Over the weekend we began to realize that we both felt that we were competing for my friend's attention. At one point we had him ask us questions about his life to see who knew more about him. Of course, there was no winner, and most of it was in jest to begin with.  We can all be friends together! Instead of she and I competing for his attention, we found that instead we could be more united thanks to the common link of our mutual best friend!

When we begin to compare ourselves - our talents, abilities, knowledge, experience, appearance, etc - to others, we only begin to short change ourselves. What a true gift and blessing it is to be satisfied and content with what we have. Life is not a competition. Through prayer we can gain a profound gratitude for all the wonderful things in our lives. Instead of always competing with those around us - our brothers and sisters - we too can find a peaceful unity and brotherhood, bound together by our common Father in Heaven who loves us all equally!

4. It's okay to have fun. 

The wedding reception was held in the bride's beautiful backyard. The focal point of the yard was a bright blue glimmering swimming pool. As expected, the bride was trying to rally up some troops to get her now-husband (my friend) to change out of his tux so she could throw him in the pool. Very unexpectedly, however, still in their tux and wedding dress he slung her over his shoulder and splashed in. I was actually quite mortified, on her behalf, and couldn't believe it. When another groomsmen tried to throw me in, I was dead-set not to get wet. After about the 3rd wrestling match, I finally gave in and emptied my pockets. And it wasn't that bad. In fact, it was brilliantly fun! A perfect ending.

As important as it is to work hard and "be sober" ("meaning being earnest and serious in assessing your circumstances and careful and circumspect in weighing the consequences of your actions") as the ancient prophets counseled, it's just as important to have a little fun. Know one likes a stickler leader, but one who leads by example and has fun. The wedding party was more united by our crazy experience together, just as having fun while at church will often bring us closer together. As all things in life, it is a happy balance of moderation.

High School and Celestial Kingdom

Tonight I went to the Arts Festival at my high school. I graduated 5 years ago, and it's still fun to go back and see the halls I roamed, the classrooms I ruled, the jazz band I played in and the choir group I sang in. Wandering around I saw so many people from the past - some I vaguely remembered, some I knew very well and were very excited to see each other.  Most people had changed a lot.  Some good friends had changed so much I didn't even recognize them. After five years, any physical evidence of my legacy is all but gone, and only my friendships remain.

I loved the feeling of "coming home." I spent some time alone out by the track and everywhere I looked I saw specific happy memories of running and track meets and band parades and football games singing in the bleachers and fun with friends. I looked further across the field and saw my Junior High that was torn down years ago, and I could even still see the old hall ways that seemed endless compared to my elementary school.  It was a happy wonderful feeling to be in one place and see so many happy memories.  That's all I could remember - happy memories.  And I wanted so bad to share them with someone.  All I really wanted in the world at that very moment was to have a best friend I could who would excitedly listen to every one of my reminiscent stories of the past.

I have a feeling that the Spirit World and the Celestial Kingdom will be a lot like that in a lot of ways. When we're on the other side looking back I think we'll be able to see all the happy times of our lives. The sorrow and trials of our lives will seem insignificant compared to all the joy we experienced.  We will be surrounded by countless loved ones - some of whom we knew better than others, but we'll have the chance for many joyous reunions. Likewise, the most important things will not have been the things we left behind on earth, but the relationships we strengthened and the eternal friendships we formed.

What a feeling of returning home it will be when we finally reach out Heavenly Father again! Surely His smiling face and Heavenly Abode will seem much more familiar than we could even dream. Just like I had such a desire to share my "feeling of home" with my friends, I think that's what conversion to the Gospel is all about: we get a glimpse of "Heavenly Home" when we feel the powerful influence of the Spirit. Missionary work is that burning desire to share that joy and comforting "at home" feeling with all the world! Hopefully each Sunday we attend church and partake of the Sacrament we can experience that feeling of being at Home - surrounded by loved ones in a place of happy memories.

However strong my desire was to share all my memories and knowledge of my beloved high school, that much stronger are my desires to share all the happy memories and knowledge I have about God's Eternal Plan for us to Return Home to Him!

Army Tanks and Eternal Perfection

This summer I'm working for a company that makes vehicles for the army. The vehicle I'm working on is called the HERCULES (which is actually an acronym), which is basically a large tow trunk for tanks - it weighs 70 tons and can tow, hoist, and lift an entire army tank or pull it out of a ditch, etc. The company has been making the vehicle since about the 70's.  There are currently about 300 or so in the army, and more in the Marines and other international allies. We just received a 12.something million dollar contract to make more.

Even though the HERCULES vehicle has been in production for over 40 years, it is STILL in the design process!  There are at least 50 engineers who every day, year after year, continue to work on the vehicle. In fact, every week there is a meeting with about 15 different leaders, managers, and Army representatives who discuss an 18-page agenda of 50+ items that are currently being worked on. 

I find this incredible!  After so many years, there is STILL an amazingly huge effort to improve and perfect the vehicle, and it is a massive effort and process.

Of course, the same could be said of us.  We've been around for a number of years, and have pretty much become who we're going to be for the rest of our lives - we've defined our careers and personalities, etc. I will always be who I am now. The tank will still be a tank. But the tank will be a better tank.  And I can be a better me.

We too can undergo this massive and incredible improvement project - in one day becoming perfect like our Heavenly Father - one day at a time. Like all the engineers working together on the tank, we can't do this alone. We need the support and love of our family, friends, church leaders, and most surely the Holy Ghost's watchful direction and Heavenly Father's loving care and Jesus Christ's enabling power of the Atonement.  Our gradual improvement process can be as detailed and recorded and goal and task- orientated as the tank's.  We can't afford to be blase about our personal extreme make over - that of growing more like Christ, line upon line, one decision at a time. Goals help us get there by first defining our success, and then pushing us towards a finish line.  Without goals, we may end up in the same spot, but with no clear finish line, we'll feel unfilled.  Goals therefore help us to be happy!

If it's worth a total-to-date cost of 1.4 billion dollars to improve some army tow-tanks, it's worth every bit of sincere effort on our part to improve our lives each day, in the tiniest ways, to one day receive the Greatest Gift:  all the Father hath!

Final Exams and the Test of Life

For finals every semester there's always so much stress and worrying and cramming that goes into it.  There's so many different kinds of "finals:" projects, presentations, papers, take-home tests, open-book tests, essay tests, long tests, short tests, etc. As I take the tests I have this odd combination of disappointment and relief.  Disappointment because I don't know the material on the test, relief because it's material that I know I never would have covered had I studied another 5 hours like I should have, so it doesn't matter anyways! It's odd:  on one test I missed 3 questions and got a 97% (100 questions total).  On another test I missed 3 questions and got a 25% (4 questions total). The greater the number of questions, the less important each individual question becomes. I always realize at finals week that it's simply not feasible to read the entire text book in a day, no matter how motivated I am - if I slacked off during the semester, it's hard to make it up.

I find many analogies to our test of life. There are so many different tests of life - financial trials, dating issues, marriage problems, family concerns, doubts in testimony, conflicts with friends, natural disasters, etc.  We too can find disappointment and relief from each one of these trials.  Disappointment because they often induce some temporary sadness, but relief, because we know that in the long run, any and all trials will only strengthen us and lift us higher.  

I'm so glad that the test of life doesn't have just 4 questions, or even 100.  The test of life is made up of thousands and millions of questions - every day of our lives. I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father is at least tolerant of my mistakes.  While no unclean thing cannot enter His kingdom, he doesn't ask us to always be perfect and get 100% every day - He asks to try our best, to truly do all that we can do.  Not ALL that someone else can do, or not a part of what WE can do, but ALL that WE can do.  As President Monson often says, when the time for performance has come, the time for preparation has passed! It's all about the day to day decisions that either draw us closer to God, or tear us further apart. But unlike most tests, each question is not just weighted 1 point.  Perhaps whether or not we choose to read the scriptures today is a 3 point question, but whether or not we choose to accept and enter into covenants with God is a 300 point question! Luckily, Jesus Christ is the grader, and everyone will be graded with perfect fairness!

I know Heavenly Father doesn't grade on the curve.  There is not bell curve and normal distribution into the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven - He will accept as many of His children who have lived the laws thereby.  However, just like teachers sometimes "add a few points to all scores" Christ's Atonement can boost us all up to that 100% if we do all that He has asked. I know that Heavenly Father loves all His children and nobody is interested in our success and in our ability to "pass" the "final exam" than He is Himself.  And He will do all that HE can to help us return to Him.  Our success and happiness in life is His work and His glory - both His labor and His joy.  

Final exams would always be so much easier with the answer key right next to us.  But if that was the case, we would be proving nothing, and we would have learned nothing.  In life, we too do not have the answer key.  We don't understand the meaning of all things.  Sometimes we'll come across a question that just plain stumps us.  But Life's questions are always very open-book, as we can use all our resources: the scriptures, prayer, personal revelation, leaders, family, and friends.  

I know we can be successful at Life's tests - both daily and in the long run.  I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help us every step of the way.  I know that Christ's suffering in Gethsemane has provided the only way by which our mistakes and wrong answers can be forgiven and we can receive that glorious 100% - Eternal Life with God!

If we cram and study hard for college final exams, how much more so should we all be preparing every single day for the great Final Exam of Life. Thankfully, we're given a practice test each and every day of our lives.  Our goal: Get a better score than yesterday!

Communication and Prayer

It seems to me people just don't communicate enough. "Hey, what's up?" and "Hi, how are you doing? Gotta run!" as you pass a friend isn't communication much at all.  Of course, as they say, a true friend is one who asks "how are you" and then listens long enough to really hear the answer.  In today's culture there's so much game-playing and face-painting in conversations.  We're so preoccupied what others might think, or how they'll react, that we hold back on most of our true feelings.  Especially when it comes to dating, most people simply abhor the dreaded DTR (Define the Relationship talk), when really, that's what makes friends - friends! In marriage, communication is the number one key to success, so why should it be any different in dating or friendships?

How wonderful it is that our Heavenly Father is a perfect communicator.  He always lets us know exactly how He feels by blessing us with the sweet comfort of the Holy Ghost. At any given moment, we can know if our actions are approved by Him - whether or not we have the Spirit with us.  He communicates to us freely.  It's our responsibility to pay attention and listen.  Through prayer, we can just as freely communicate with Him.  We can, and should, let Him know how we're feeling at any given moment, not for Him, but for us. Of course, He knows how we're feeling - He knows what we need before we do. Prayer, then, is a divine process by which we can, in effect, think out loud and come to understand the things He would have us understand.  We can set goals and make plans with the Lord. We must thank Him for all our blessings - not because He needs it, but because it helps us to be humble and more receptive to His word and revelation. 

Since God so freely communicates with us through His Spirit, and we can talk with Him any time or day through prayer, why should our communication with friends and loved ones be any different?  Let us all be a little more open with our feelings and feel the power of unity in purpose!

Rappelling and Faith

Since I was a little boy my dad has taken me rappelling at least a few times every year.  One of the first times was when, in California, we hiked up to some boulders where he stood on the top, held a rope in his hands, and told me to climb down. Even though I was only about 6, I knew some basic principles of physics (for example, if I let go, I would fall). After much encouragement, I finally "rappelled" down the single rope that was tied to nothing but my dad's waist. I remember how scared I was, how much I resisted going down, how timid I was at the start, and how happy I was when it was over. I had put my trust 100% in my dad, and of course, everything was alright.

I think we have all been in this situation at least once.  Before we came to earth, we all lived with our Heavenly Father as one big happy family in the Pre-mortal Existence. There we learned and grew and made choices.  We wanted to become like our Heavenly Father, but knew that in order to do so, we must come to earth and receive a physical body. As we were up in Heaven and looked at that fearful world way down below, how scared we must have been, much like my fright on the top of the boulder.  

But like my dad, Our Loving Heavenly Father assured us of His tender watch and care over us. He would not let us fall. Maybe every now and then we would bump the rocks along the way, maybe get a cut here and there, but He would never let go. God will always do His part. Unfortunately, sometimes there are some of us who willingly let go of the rope - our connection to The Father - The Gospel, The Word of God, The Living Prophets - and as a result free fall to sorrow and unhappiness.  If we would but trust in Him, and know that He will never let go, know that He is the Rock of Our Salvation, we will safely and happily make it to our destination.

If even a 6-year-old boy can trust his dad to rappel down a boulder, surely we can all have the Faith to completely trust our Perfect and Loving Heavenly Father in our journey through life.