Robert Tew commented that “No matter how much you revisit the past there’s nothing new to see.” That is only true if you are talking about last week, last month or even last year. But it is hardly true for someone who was alive seventy or even eighty years ago. There are many things from…
On Political Prejudice
The public announcement of new temples and the candidacy of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for high political office has created a great deal of high level press exposure, some positive and some negative. Often it is not the individual or the event but the fact that it involves The…
On Repentance, What Does It Mean?
There are many facets to repentance, and I have written about the subject of repentance before. The following thoughts, however, provide three similar, but different, views on the subject, and I do not believe one is particularly more true than another. But the three together will give a reader a comprehensive view of the topic…
On The Thick of Thin Things
Business partnerships have been dissolved over petty differences. Marriages have ended in divorce because the couple were caught up in the thick of thin things—things of no apparent consequence to either when asked about the matter later. Getting caught up in the thick of thin things has caused untold pain and anguish between family members,…
On Becoming Educated
I was born in February of 1934, and when I was a young boy, school started for all youth at age six. Kindergarten was not available in those days, at least not where I lived in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. I can remember the year (1939) before I was to start school. My three older siblings…
On Hope
I have always liked the name “Hope,” a female name. The opposite of hope is despair, and we will never hear of a woman named “Despair.” If we use our imagination we can personify the two words, by visualizing one looking up and forward, the other is looking down. There has probably been both hope…
On Faith That Moves Mountains
To have the faith to remove a mountain would be a wonderful attribute, but to actually remove a mountain may be a colossal misuse of that faith. As far as we know, that kind of faith and the actual movement of a mountain only occurred once throughout the scriptures: “For the brother of Jared said…
On The Truth of Things
Truth for most earth dwellers is an elusive and controversial concept. We all believe we have a piece of it, but very few think they have the whole of it. Truth is described in one discourse as, “What was, what is now, and what always will be.” Truth is eternal. Anything less than truth will…
On Why Cruelty is Allowed
Thou shalt not kill!” is commanded by God, and yet the world is replete with murder at the hands of cruel beings, those who have the very same designation as we “human beings.” I believe most all religious sects have a similar doctrine describing the sanctity of life. So, if life is sacred, why is…
On Atheism
I was listening to a guest author on a popular talk show while driving somewhere the other day, and this guest had written a book about doing away with all religious organizations. His theory was that they are divisive in a social society. Religions are pitted against one another and so on. He felt that…