Life: The ordinary miracle

What if you were never born? Yes, you! How would the world be a different place? What would the impact be? Have you ever thought of the value of one life before? How many people do you meet on earth? Well, today I was pondering what difference just one person could make in the world. Of course I thought about some of the most influential people like Joseph Smith,George Washington, Martin Luther King jr, Rosa Parks, and Amelia Earhart. More recently, Seth Adam Smith, and Ben Arkell to name a few. ( if you don't know who these men are or what they have done check out these websites ( http://sethadamsmith.com   and  http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBookofMormon2day ) These people impacted thousands, and their influence continues to live on today in hearts and history books. But what about an ordinary person who hasn't reached the famous status? How much influence can they have on the world? I thought about some of the most dear and influential people in my own life and I was t...

If I had the chance to speak to all of my friends in a collective moment about my perspective on dating and courtship this is what I would say....  Dear Friends,      For the past week or two I have been pondering intensely what I would say to you about dating and courtship. In order to formulate my thoughts I write to you this letter wishing that somehow you could be changed even just a little bit in your attitudes and behaviors about dating, the opposite sex, and the doctrine of the family. Many of you actually have it together. You know what you should do, and you are doing it. To the rest of us I offer my simple perspective. First, dating isn't actually about you ! (Yes, I know that sounds shocking and yes marriage does affect the rest of eternity, but it really isn't about you.) Think of our first parents Adam and Eve. When they were in the garden of Eden before they partook of the fruit they were essentially "dating with the purpose of getting...

Sometimes I look around at the incredible people near by me and I am astounded. Why you ask? Many of these people have the same goal. They all want a very specific blessing and yet they don't want to do anything about it. Some of them have more control over the situation than others. To them I want to stand and shout "HEY DO SOMETHING", but then I remember self, you also have to do something too!  There are things to be done and yet we stand waiting for something to happen. This will not work! We need to run and catch our dreams. We need to take the bull by the horns and do something. I'm not saying we have to take giant steps every day, but we have to do something! Change requires action! If you want something go after it! Sometimes the attribute I feel the world is lacking is passion. As defined,passion is a powerful or compelling emotion. It seems like we often settle for less then what we actually want. Why? Because we simply don't want to put forth the ...

Recently, I have had the experience of dating, or being very close to a member of the opposite sex and then within a month or two watching them be engaged or married to someone else. After it happened again yesterday I found myself going into a selfish mode wondering what on earth was wrong with me that I wasn't good enough to marry, but then the very next girl was. As I sat pondering and praying about this topic a thought came to my mind. I thought about shoes. (Well originally socks, but it progressed into shoes..) When you go to wear your shoes you typically get two of the same kind. Two boots, or two flip flops, etc. While both are good shoes and have value protecting your feet, they both have different purposes and goals behind them. Some you wear to the beach, while others you perhaps wear to the temple. Typically you don't wear one boot and one sandal. While you could, it would slow your progress and make life very frustrating and unbalanced for you.   Shoes lik...

Why am I a member of the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? Why have I stayed a part of this faith? President Dieter F. Uchtdorf in a recent conference of our church posed these very same questions. As I have been pondering them for the past several days I have come to a basic list of reasons why I have stayed a member my whole life and why I plan to continue in the faith forever. There are the basic answers which I believe to be true for most members of the church such as: I have prayed for myself and received a witness through the spirit that these things are true, I believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. I believe in the power of the priesthood. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I believe in modern to day prophets. I believe in personal revelation.  But I wanted to dig even deeper than that. Why am I personally an active and participating member of the faith? What causes me to want to keep the commandments of God? What motivates me to go ...