We are heirs to the birthright of Adam’s descendants: mortality, with its immeasurable possibilities and its God-given freedom of action. From father Adam we have also inherited all the ills and successes to which flesh is heir; but such are necessarily incident to a knowledge of good and evil, by proper use of which knowledge,…
Tag: Behavior
On Interdependence
My wife and I decided to go for a ride out to a nearby island that is geographically located in the middle of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The lake has diminished in size due to years of drought-like conditions. The Great Salt Lake has no outlets and it is dependent on evaporation and…
On Moral Elevation
The following story was written by Arthur C. Brooks: “Several years ago, I visited Provo, Utah—in the heart of what its residents call “Happy Valley”—to deliver a lecture at Brigham Young University. My gracious hosts sent me home with a prodigious amount of branded souvenirs: T-shirts, mugs—you name it. The Mormons are serious about product…
On Being A Big Boy
Sometimes even old men revert back to childish behavior either in a playful mood with their spouse or times when they are jovial with their children or grandchildren. I am 83 years old and have some health problems, be that as it may, there are times that I enjoy behaving like a delinquent. When my…
On Indifference
Napoleon was involved in a conversation with a colonel of a Hungarian battalion who had been taken prisoner in Italy. The colonel mentioned he had fought in the army of Maria Theresa. “You must have a few years under your belt!” exclaimed Napoleon. “I’m sure I’ve lived sixty or seventy years,” replied the colonel. “You…
On Forgiveness
Genuine repentance pleads with the Lord to forgive and deliver from the burden of sin and the fear of judgment. The publican who, fearful of even looking toward heaven, smote his breast and cried, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). Repentance is more than changing a person’s behavior because it requires that…
On Drugs
I reluctantly watch the news most evenings knowing there are bound to be some reports of a drug bust somewhere and/or a medical report of some young/older person dying of an overdose. For an old man that has never had a drug problem other than smoking when I was in my teens. That was bad…
On Reputation
I served as a high school counselor for the first seven years of my professional career in education. One of my chores, or more delicately speaking, one of my assignments was to keep the smokers out of the parking lot. I would listen to their sad stories about why I shouldn’t call their parents. After…
On Intelligence, Spirit, Soul and Man
All religions would most likely agree that God, the Father of us all, is all-powerful, most intelligent as well as eternal. Meaning He had no beginning and He has no end. If I were to say that about man, that he too, has always existed, there would be much opposition to such a statement. Doesn’t…
On Whining
The World is Mine Today upon a bus I saw a girl with golden hair; She seemed so gay, I envied her, and wish that I were half so fair; I watched her as she rose to leave, and saw her hobble down the aisle. She had one leg and wore a crutch, but as…