Concerns about the end of the world seem to be a relatively common topic for discussion lately. My daughter (in her forties) asked me what I thought about the second coming and when I thought those terrible events would take place that will precede it. She seemed concerned and indicated that her Gospel Doctrine teacher…
Category: The Book of On – Volume 1
On Gatherers Vs. Dispersers
We are born into this world with absolutely nothing and, it seems, that for most of us, the rest of our lives are devoted to seeing how much of this earth’s goods we can add to that ‘nothing.’ We learn early about ownership, as soon as we try to take a toy that belongs to…
On Writing Family Histories
An individual that is inspired to write about their family will usually select themselves to write about for their first history and that is a wise choice, as we know more about ourselves than anyone else. In writing your own history, you will learn the important things that should be included in other histories. The…
On Messengers
The story in the Old Testament of Jacob’s ladder is often viewed as a fairy tale or a bad dream that Jacob had, probably brought about by his choice of a pillow (a stone). The story goes as follows: “And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and…
On Inward Parts
Ordinarily, when we talk of inward parts, we think of something we would rather have covered up with our outward parts. To think of inward parts as something one might take out and examine separately is a gruesome thought. At the same time, we recognize that our inward parts are critical to all that we…
On Cycles of Human Nature
The Book of Mormon is replete with cautions as to what happens to a people who, because of good fortune or their own diligence, become affluent. It seems to be human nature that once we become wealthy or suppose we have more than others, our nature begins to change. We tend to evolve from the humble, a…
On Funerals
On several occasions I have spoken at the funeral of a deceased relative, friend or neighbor. I have always prayed for inspiration at those times, that I might say those things that would be comforting for the family of the deceased person. It is easy to find good things to say about a deceased person,…
On The Advantages of Disadvantages
Some of the greatest men and women were born and/or raised under difficult circumstances. Those whose itch is more difficult to reach, scratch harder. Booker T. Washington coined the phrase, “The advantages of disadvantages.” He felt that having been born a slave and being deprived of the right to a formal education drove his ambition…
On Attractions
In a recent conference talk, Elder Dallin H. Oaks declared, “The attractions of the world must lose their luster.” Everything that we become attracted to, as human beings, we first become aware of through one of our five senses. Attractions are all learned responses through our senses, either by one alone, or a combination of…
On Gates
Gates, to most people, are essentially a means of keeping some things in and allowing other things to get out of an enclosed area. When I was a young teenager, toward the end of the summer, I sometimes worked on a farm, putting up hay. Whether we were leaving a hay field or going into…