I'm Planning on Writing a Book

One of the biggest questions that mankind asks is why there is so much suffering in the world. As I've gotten to know my family and friends, I have seen that everyone experiences difficulties, pain, and trials. However, I've seen that many of these same people who have experienced so much suffering also have a lot of joy in their lives.

What I would like to do is write a book to pull together the wisdom and experience of as many people as I can to help all of us get a bit more insight into a few different things:

• Why does all of the suffering happen?
• How can a loving God allow the suffering?
• How should we best approach the trials we face in order to grow and progress from them?
• What should we do to find joy in our lives?

These aren't the only things that I would hope to address, but those are among the main questions that have led me to decide that I want to write this book. 

I plan on using lots of sources to bring everything together, but one of the very important sources I'd like to use is interviewing my friends and family members to get your insights. Please let me know if you would like to talk sometime about your experiences and your thoughts on the why and how of suffering and joy in our lives. I need your help!

Dealing with Tragedy in Boston

I absolutely love living here in Boston. The people I have met here and the experiences that I have had are treasured blessings in my life. Yesterday, there was a shadow of grief that was cast over our city alongside the joys and triumphs of the Boston Marathon, one of the greatest annual sporting events. If you are suffering right now, please reach out to me. I would love to provide comfort for you in any way that I can, even if that just means a listening ear for you to talk to.

My biggest hope and prayer in this time of tragedy in Boston is that each of us can soften our hearts and become closer to God through these experiences that we have. As more details are revealed and we discover who is responsible for these acts of violence, may we all find the courage and strength to forgive them.

I do not mean for mercy to rob justice, for that is not how God works. There are consequences that come as a result of committing such acts, and it should be so. However, I also know that filling ourselves with hatred, anger, and bitterness will not help anyone. Those emotions are like poison filling our souls, and they will only serve to create sadness in our lives. God has given us our agency, and we are free to choose. Although we do not choose to be struck by tragic events, we can choose how we respond to them.

The Savior taught us during the Sermon on the Mount how we should treat our enemies, found in Matthew 5:43-45:

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

God has also spoken to us about forgiveness through His modern Apostles. James E. Faust, an Apostle who passed away on August 10, 2007, gave a marvelous talk about forgiveness. President Faust described what happened after the incident of the milkman who murdered five of the daughters of the Amish community, injured five others, and then took his own life. We can all learn a powerful lesson from the miraculous power of forgiveness that the Amish people had in their hearts because of their faith in Christ.

President Faust described another story that is particularly poignant, given the events that happened yesterday here in Boston (emphasis added).

Here in Salt Lake City in 1985, Bishop Steven Christensen, through no fault of his own, was cruelly and senselessly killed by a bomb intended to take his life. He was the son of Mac and Joan Christensen, the husband of Terri, and the father of four children. With his parents’ consent, I share what they learned from this experience. After this terrible deed, the news media followed members of the Christensen family around relentlessly. On one occasion this media intrusion offended one of the family members to the point that Steven’s father, Mac, had to restrain him. Mac then thought, “This thing will destroy my family if we don’t forgive. Venom and hatred will never end if we do not get it out of our system.” Healing and peace came as the family cleansed their hearts from anger and were able to forgive the man who took their son’s life.

Forgiveness, not anger or hatred, is the answer that will bring the peace that we are all seeking in this time of suffering. I hope that each person who reads this will turn to the Lord and ask for His help in being able to find forgiveness. Peace and comfort will surely come through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace.  

FREE Album from BYU Men's Chorus!

One of the most incredible experiences that I've had in my life is the two years that I spent as a member of BYU Men's Chorus. Though I've graduated and moved across the country, I still follow things that are going on with this choir because I loved it so much. The BYU Men's Chorus just released an album of beloved missionary hymns that is available for free download here. I invite you to feel of the joy of missionary work through the powerful music on this album. Enjoy!

Sunday Will Come

This is an excerpt from one of my favorite talks given by Joseph B. Wirthlin. For the full talk, visit this link: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/10/sunday-will-come?lang=eng


In all the history of the world there have been many great and wise souls, many of whom claimed special knowledge of God. But when the Savior rose from the tomb, He did something no one had ever done. He did something no one else could do. He broke the bonds of death, not only for Himself but for all who have ever lived—the just and the unjust.

When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.

I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.

On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day they stood triumphant.

On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

(2006 October General Conference, Sunday Will Come, Sat. Afternoon Session - Joseph B. Wirthlin)

Forgive Yourself

As I made a few mistakes at work today, one of my coworkers taught me a profound lesson. He said, "Don't beat yourself up, it only slows you down." As I thought about that sentence, it struck me deeply. What came to my mind was a physical analogy. If I was running a race and I tripped and fell, it would make no sense at all to sit there on the ground and hit myself. Punishing myself and wallowing in the failure or mistake I had experienced would do me no good. It certainly wouldn't help me win the race or even finish it!

I have often done something similar in the spiritual aspect of my life. When I make a mistake or realize there are things I've neglected or that I've done that I shouldn't have, I'll take significant time ruminating about it and being frustrated with myself for my mistakes because I should have known better. I am realizing that I need to focus my efforts and energy on doing something good instead of being angry with myself and thinking over and over about what I've done wrong. This will enable me to overcome my mistakes far better than ruminating and holding a grudge against myself for not being perfect.

These thoughts that I've had today reminded me of a great article that I read a few years ago. I'd encourage you to read it if you have ever had a hard time forgiving yourself for your own mistakes.

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/03/forgiving-oneself?lang=eng

A Reminder - The Purpose of This Blog

It has been over two years since I started this blog. Though my entries up to this point have not been frequent, they are sincere and heartfelt. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that He and His Father have a divine plan of happiness for all of our Heavenly Father's children, and that the plan is made possible through Jesus Christ's Atonement - His sufferings in Gethsemane and on Golgotha, and His resurrection from the grave on the third day. I know that God has called prophets many times throughout the history of the world to be His mouthpiece here on earth, and I know that there is a prophet on the earth today - Thomas S. Monson. I know that the Lord speaks through him, in addition to the revelation that each of us can receive for personal guidance in our lives.

The poem below, which I wrote while serving my two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, provides the title of my blog as well as a small insight into my testimony of Christ. His gift of laying down His life for me and for all mankind has changed who I am and who I will yet become. I love and honor Him and I try to live my life in such a way that shows that.

That Man of Galilee

That Man who was above all others,
The One whose face I long to see-
He descended below all things,
Suffered and died, even for me.
He did not say He was one of many,
He boldly said "I am the way."
He's commanded us to be like Him,
So with all the energy of heart I pray-
Lord, wilt Thou forgive my weaknesses,
My many flaws you easily see.
Yet I know that with Thy strength,
Even I may become like Thee.

The Battle of Life and The Joy of Service

THE MAKING OF FRIENDS by Edgar A. Guest

If nobody smiled and nobody cheered and nobody helped us along,

If each every minute looked after himself and good things all went to the strong,

If nobody cared just a little for you, and nobody thought about me,

And we all stood alone in the battle of life,

What a dreary old world this would be!

Life is sweet because of the friends we have made and the things which in common we share;

We want to live on not because of ourselves, but because of the people who care;

It's giving and doing for somebody else - on that all life's splendor depends,

And the joy of this world, when you've summed it all up,

Is found in the making of friends.

As I make efforts to deepen my friendships, I have realized more and more that everyone has struggles. Everyone has trials. Everyone has sins that they find difficult to overcome. However, the fact that everyone has these things does not discount how hard they are. Rather, I point this out as a motivation for all of us to genuinely care for each other and help one another through our trials.

There are questions that I ponder about often and sins that I find very hard to overcome. I know that each person is different, and that we experience a different set of trials. However, I have faith that God has a plan for each of us and great blessings in store for us as we face our trials with trust in Him. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we also might be glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:16-18). 

All of us suffer in different ways, but our mortal experience is individually tailored to enable us to become who we are meant to be as children of God. "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48). I know that this refining, sanctifying, perfecting process is possible through the Atonement that Jesus Christ made for each and every one of us. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has enabled me to gain a deep understanding of the plan that God has for me and for each one of His children. My membership in the LDS Church has also helped me to see that Jesus Christ is at the center of that plan - that without Him, we would not be able to overcome our sins and return to live with God after this life.

We do not stand alone in the battle of life - we have our friends, family, and God on our side. I know that as we serve each other, we are serving God (Mosiah 2:17). As we serve others, and therefore serve God, we come to know Him personally (Mosiah 5:13). As we come to know God through this service, we will become like Him and be given the greatest of all the gifts of God - eternal life. To know God and Jesus Christ is eternal life (John 17:3).

I hope that everyone who reads this post takes the opportunity to deepen at least one friendship this week. Learn something new about one of your friends, and try to see how you could give service to them to relieve a burden or worry that they have. Don't even worry about asking, "Is there anything I can do for you?" A simple, unexpected act of service that fills any need that you've recognized will certainly brighten their day and make you feel closer to them. 

Here's an added challenge - if the act of service you decide to perform isn't something they need to be present to receive, see whether you can do it without them knowing it was you! Somehow anonymity seems to put an added measure into the joy of giving service (Click here to read a talk that describes that principle).