Eamonn McCann (not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) wrote an article in August of 2008 entitled, “Baptizing the Dead—What if Mormons are right and…(other Christian denominations) are Wrong?” Interestingly his first statement was, “Given Christian teaching, does it make more sense to baptize dead adults rather than live babies?…What’s…
On Pioneers and Pilgrims
“Of logs we built our houses, of shakes we made the doors, of sod we made the chimneys, dirt we had for floors.” Joel William White wrote that in his journal. He was my wife’s 2nd great grandfather and one of the early Mormon pioneers. Another one stated that “We swept our dirt floors with…
On There Are Teachers Many
Some of the most acclaimed professors of academic subjects, teaching in our finest institutions of higher education, are not always the best teachers. Many students, who have attended these institutions and have degrees to prove it, will tell you that they were not always sure what exactly they learned. Yes, they listened and they took…
On The Savior
What can one say about the Savior that hasn’t already been said many times? The only thing a person can say is what they personally feel about Him without any concern for what others may have expressed. The way one feels about the Savior is hard for most of us to describe or share publicly,…
On Brothers All
Missionaries returning home from foreign countries and, having learned a new language, often refer to the fact that although people speak different languages, the language of the spirit is the same. The gospel spirit is the same everywhere. They say we are all truly brothers and sisters. With recent events in the Middle East and…
On The Power of One
I have always appreciated people who are confronted with a project or even a task to do, and even though the project or task is big enough for two or more, they begin, even though there is not a second. They don’t wait for another to volunteer; a volunteer may never come along. Whether a…
On The Joy of Transgression
“When the winds of adversity come, remember one thing—kites fly the very highest against the wind. Kites don’t fly in spite of opposition, kites fly high because of opposition. In fact, they couldn’t fly without opposition.” —John Bytheway Would that we could all say as did Job of old, “Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard…
On Because of Him
Many of us never take time to really think of Christ from a broader perspective than the routine and common. We know Him through Old Testament prophecy and think of Him as the one who was born of Mary, she who was His virgin mother. We may even think of the shepherds and the wise…
On The Doctrine of The Plan of Salvation
Family history, in its broader sense, may be correctly referred to as a mystery of the Gospel. Why? Because the doctrine is not simple, nor is it found all in one place, a place where just anyone can become easily acquainted with it in its entirety. You might say that most of the doctrine that…
On Siblings
I have recently been rewriting my personal history that was originally written seven years ago. In the process I realized I had said very little about my seven siblings. I left home as an eighteen-year-old to work in another state and never did get back to live close to where my family lived. We saw…