Pathway Experiences

I made a commitment to improve my personal appearance.  I have managed to barely keep up with and improve my previous rhythm of shaving my beard and keeping on top of my laundry (so I can choose my clothing rather than pick what's left).  I seem to have failed to reach the last goal of increasing the frequency of my haircuts. I am not terribly disappointed in myself, because I did improve in the areas I mentioned and I really do have a terrible schedule to deal with and I don't get enough sleep as it is now.  Why be hard on myself for not adding more to my busy days?  Anyway, My dad and I worked on a project to add legs to my desk.  This project has been on the list to do for many months, maybe multiple years now.  It was really nice for us to finally get united in doing it together, and while managing my appearance has help this to happen, it probably would have hindered it if I was out getting a haircut this week instead.  I guess I have to get a h...

This week, our religion class was focused on obtaining Zion.  I want to present a few questions and then have some feedback from my Speaking Partner when they read and complete this exercise. I learned several things with guided study materials.  However, the answers to these questions will be easy to find using standard resources from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: What is the meaning of the word "Zion"? What are the three major cities past, present, or future specifically mentioned in the scriptures? What other figurative locations have also been called Zion? Now, if you have a study partner or if you are my Speaking Partner, please discuss what you have learned with your partner or me...  Thanks. Following this study, I wish to express that I was quite surprised that the most prominent places called Zion were cities that are not known to the general world for places of prophesy and great contrast with worshipers of our time.  Most p...

I made a goal to make a more permanent improvement to the public appearance.  Unfortunately, I have only improved by about 10% to 30% of what I am capable of.  for the next week, I need to include a haircut and to shave my beard more than once per week.  The rest should be obvious to me.

For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing. Moroni 7:6 I am a big fan of managing one's self and it is necessary to understand the ways we are compelled to do things or that we compel ourselves to do things. Our very nature is in our hands to improve with our own choices and that includes the choice to pray and trust in God in order to gain power over whatever we are not independently strong enough for.  If one things with this saying of God, it should stir the desire to have real intent to love and serve God.  So God gives us the understanding and the tools to develop the desire and attitude to serve him, and let's us use those tools according to our own choice and agency.

Now, there had been no bread, neither wine, brought by the disciples, neither by the multitude; But he truly gave unto them bread to eat, and also wine to drink. 3 Nephi 20:6,7 The Lord considered the people valuable, and so he considered their having experiences like unto the people in Israel valuable too.  He did things for them the same, even if it was a bit condensed.  He also did or said a bit more, for their was faith enough among them.

And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles. Mormon 9:10 In today's world there are many churches and many varying beliefs.  We cannot address these differences by going to them all and condemning their ways, while declaring our ways to be right, even though we know that Jesus Christ himself stands at the head of our church and that he instituted our church for the salvation of all mankind.  With this in mind, we may observe that the main inconsistency both in the church and among the other churches is that we either act or make evident as though we have varying or inconsistent belief in God.  It is thus our belief in a God of miracles that varies, not the God himself that varies. Scientifically, the idea that there are absolute principles and rules that govern the world is a general assumption. Some of naive suppose that...

Even if you exercise your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you. He loves you to a depth and completeness you cannot conceive of in your mortal state. Indeed, were you to know His entire plan, you would never ask for that which is contrary to it even though your feelings tempt you to do so. Sincere faith gives understanding and strength to accept the will of our Heavenly Father when it differs from our own. We can accept His will with peace and assurance, confident that His infinite wisdom surpasses our own ability to comprehend fully His plan as it unfolds a piece at a time. Richard G. Scott,   The Sustaining Power of Faith in Times of Uncertainty and Testing , April 2003 General Conference Truly greater faith is faith that does not fail when you see no immediate results, and that endures while inspiring obedience.  One cannot perform miracles excep...