Service & Becoming more like our Savior

 

Good morning brothers and sisters.  I’ve always been a fan of movie quotes, music lyrics, and other quotes that make me think...often I’ll write them down in my pocket journal to recall later.

I’d like to share a few...

“My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get”

Or

“There’s no crying in baseball”

How about…

“You’re killing me Smalls”

Or 

Big Gulps huh...well, see ya later...

Okay…these might not be motivating…but definitely entertaining and break the ice almost every time.

More serious ones…

I really like a few obscure quotes that really make me think and put into perspective a clearer path…from the Pursuit of Happyness Chris Garnder talking to his son…

“Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something, not even me. Alright? You dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you you can’t do it. If you want something, go get it. Period.”

Another one from the live version of Cinderella…

“The greatest risk any of us will take will to be seen as we truly are.”

I really enjoy the quote from the movie Life of Pi talking about faith.

“Faith is a house with many rooms with a common guest named doubt, often visiting every floor and every room.  But doubt is useful, it keeps faith a living thing, after all you can never know the strength of your faith until it has been tested.”

A while back I listened to Randall Wallace speak at the National Prayer Breakfast.  Mr. Wallace is the writer of Braveheart, Sectretariat, and We Were Soldiers…and he shared a personal experience during his earlier career that became an iconic part of the movie Braveheart.

As he stated…

I had my embarrassments and my setbacks, but I kept writing; I moved to Los Angeles, I got an opportunity in television. I married. We had two beautiful sons. I had purpose in my life, and I worked like I’d seen my father work, with pride and passion. I won a multi-year contract with a thriving company. I bought an old home and remodeled it; I was promoted to producer. Except for an occasional mishap with my tie, life was sweet.

Then the Writer’s Guild went out on strike, which caused the company I worked for to void its contract with me. The strike went on forever, and when it was over the company was barely there anymore. I was out of work; my savings were gone. No one would return my phone calls--I’m sure that’s never happened where you work.

I kept trying, of course, I was always good at trying. But one day I was sitting at home, at my desk, staring at nothing, my stomach in a knot, my hands trembling, and I realized I was breaking down, as my father had. I feared I had failed my father, and my mother, and my grandmother. And my greatest fear was that I would fail my sons. I was afraid they would see me come apart, as I had seen my father come apart, and it would be something they could never forget.

I got down on my knees; I had nowhere else to go. And I prayed a simple prayer. I said, “Lord, all I care about right now are those two boys. And maybe they don’t need to grow up in a house with a tennis court and a swimming pool. Maybe they need a little house with one bathroom, or no bathrooms at all. Maybe they need to see what a man does when he gets knocked down, the way my father showed me. But I pray, if I go down, let me go down not on my knees, but with my flag flying.”

And I got up, and I began to write the words that led me to BRAVEHEART.

Tolstoy wrote in WAR and PEACE that in a battle, one man throwing down his weapon and running away can panic a whole army, and in a panic one man lifting up the flag and running back toward the enemy can rally the whole army.

How can you apply the principle to living the gospel of Jesus Christ…how can we be the one to lift the flag and rally our troops…

This week in Come Follow Me we got to review the story of Oliver Cowdery and his desire to be a part of the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon.  During that process both Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants Section 6…

“If that wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God. For there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation.”

We all know this on principle…but do we pursue this with an eye single to the glory of God.

No matter how to feel about it, we can do better…

We work…40+ hours a week to put a roof over our head, food on the table and add some of life’s enjoyments where we can.

We play…vacation, exercise, hobbies, enjoy nature and the outdoors and when the Wyoming winters hit, we resort to watching TV, board games, puzzles, and unfortunately scrolling through drabs of social media.

We really have it easy…

But like Randall Wallace experienced during his breakdown…he glimpsed into all of our futures and put into perspective…and how many of us will be...as he put it...

“And dying in your bed, many years from now, would you not trade all the days from that day to this, for one chance, just one chance…to spend more time working out our salvation, building a relationship with Heavenly Father, teaching our children early on about the importance of faith, prayer, forgiveness, repentance, and service...

So how do we start, where do we start?  How do we help each other focus more on the Savior and receive the gift of salvation?  What can we do to be that soldier in a panic, that grabs the flag and rallies the entirev army to move forward?

So, what’s first?

“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

Seems easy, but do we do this?  I have two types of testimonies.  The one I bring with me to church and share at the end of talks and when I choose to share it...the other is on how I live, what I talk about and how people see me act and behave...I’m trying to do better with the second one.

What am I talking about…I talk about how tired I am of politics, how much I wish live music and concerts would return, spend most of my time with work, family time, hobbies, and activities?  When I facetime with my kids its usually about what they did that day, if they have any homework they want to go over or how school was...?  Talking about my faith is not an arrow in my quiver of discussions that I have on a consistent basis.  When I die, what will my obituary say...what will my family and friends say I represented...that is my real testimony.

So how do we start to talk about Christ more…

Ammon gives us a great example and method anyone can do…if we have the desire…and is just one of the many things we can do to help each focus on the Savior.

Ammon went to the land of Ishmael, among the Lamanites and was carried before King Lamoni.  He convinced King Lamoni that all he wanted to do serve the king and “dwell among this people for a time, yea, and perhaps until the day I die.”

Three days later a number of certain Lamanites scattered the flocks, and the other servants began to weep…

“Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I will show forth my power until these my follow servants, or the power, which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe my words.”

After restoring the herd, the Lamanites came again to scatter the flocks, but this time Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling, yea with mighty power.  Determined even more that come forth with clubs to slay him.

But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with this sword…now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew no save it were their leader with his sword.

Afterwards, the servants of the king testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, and the King said…Surely this is more than a man.

Am I saying that through service, or perfect practice and execution at work will lead to the Governor or General Manager to ask you about your faith…might not happen?  But when we are in the service of our fellow being, we are in the service of our Lord.  When we open up the door to serve others, it leads to conversations about life, about hobbies, vacations, what we did on the weekend…thus creating an opportunity.

That brings up another great movie quote…

Great Moments are born from great opportunity. And that’s what you have here tonight, boys. That’s what you’ve earned her tonight, one game…tonight you are greatest hockey team in the world.

Isn’t all we are asking for is an opportunity…

Jeffery R Holland address General Conference in 2006 had a great challenge, he ended that talk with the following…

“This morning President Hinckley movingly reminded us that this is the 150th anniversary of those handcart companies, as the general conference was convening in October of 1856 here in the Salt Lake Valley, were staggering through the last freezing miles of Nebraska and were soon to be stranded in the impassable snows of the high country of Wyoming. He quoted to us President Brigham Young’s inspiring general conference message to the Saints, “go and bring in those people now on the plains.”

As surely as the rescue of those in need was the conference theme of October 1856, so too is it the theme of the conference and the last conference and the one to come next spring.  It may not be blizzards and frozen earth burials that we face this conference, but the needy are still out there - the poor and the weary, the discouraged and downhearted, those “falling away into the forbidden paths” we mentioned earlier, and the multitudes who are “kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.  There are all out there with feeble knees, hands that hang down, and bad weather setting in.  They can be rescued only by those who have more and know more and can help more. 

 And don’t worry about asking, “where are they?” They are everywhere, on our right hand and on our left, in our neighborhoods and in the workplace, in every community and county and nation of this world.  Take your team and wagon; load it with your love, your testimony, and a spiritual sack of flour, then drive in any direction.  The Lord will lead you to those in need if you will but embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ that has been taught in this conference.  Open your heart and your hand to those trapped in the twenty-first century’s equivalent of Martin’s Cover and Devil’s Gate.  In doing so we honor the Master’s repeated plea on behalf of lost sheep and lost coins and lost souls.

I’d like to challenge everyone to earn the right for an opportunity… to ask and discuss those difficult questions.  The best way we can do this is to invest the time.  There is no substitution for time with service, time spent listening, time understanding their concerns and challenges of their life, time praying for them, time following up with things that are going on in their life. Time asking them about their family, their work, their projects?  After we have earned that right, then we can have deeper discussions about Christ, how to rejoice in Christ, how to preach of Christ and how to help our children to know what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”

They will feel different when those conversations about the Savior and his mission are more frequent, more sincere, and with the purpose of what happiness can result from living the gospel.  When this happens, they continue the rally.

Isn’t that exactly what Ammon did…earned the right through service, execution of duties as a servant and going above and beyond what others in that same position did? He was willing to put in the time…Perhaps until the day I die?

So many ways to help each other focus on the Savior...pray with each other, study with each other, be examples to each other, but I’m confident the one thing we can do is serve each other.

Let’s not miss the opportunities that make the most of our lives.  Don’t live in fear but have the confidence to love as Jesus loved.  If we really want to help each other focus on the Savior there are so many paths to do that…But service and time served will provide us the opportunity to teach and be taught of the Savior.

I want to bear you my testimony…

David & Goliath Talk - Missionary Work

At the heart of ancient Palestine is the region known as the Shephelah, a series of ridges and valleys connection the Judaean Mountains. It is an area of breathtaking beauty, home to vineyards and wheat fields and forests of sycamore.  But it is also of great strategic importance.

            Over the centuries, numerous battles have been fought for control of the region because of the valleys rising from the Mediterranean plain offer those on the coast a clear path to the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. The most important valley is Aijalon, in the north.  But the most storied is the Elah valley.   The Elah is where the Knights of the Crusades battled for their historic quest in the twelfth century.  BUT a thousand years before that…there was an equally famous battle recorded in the Old Testament. It was where unexperienced and untested Kingdom of Israel squared off against the armies of the Philistines.

            The Philistines were from Crete.  They were a seafaring people who had moved to Palestine and settled along the coast. The Israelites were clustered in the mountains, under the leadership of King Saul.  The Philistines began moving east, winding their way up stream along the floor of the Elah Valley.  Their goal was to capture the mountain ridge near Bethlehem and split Saul’s kingdom in two.  In contrast to the fledgling Israelites, the Philistines were battle-tested and dangerous, and the sworn enemies of the Israelites. Alarmed, King Saul gathered his men and hastened down the mountains to conform them.

            The Philistines set up camp along the southern ridge of the Elah.  The Israelites pitches their tents on the other side, along the northern ridge, which left the two armies looking across the ravine at each other.  Neither dared to move.  To attack mean descending down the hill and then making the suicidal climb up the enemy’s ridge to the other side conceding any advantage.  Finally, the Philistines had enough.  They sent their greatest warrior down into the valley to resolve the deadlock…one on one.

            He was a giant, recorded as 6 foot 9, wearing a bronze helmet and full body armor.  He carried a javelin, a spear and a sword.  An attendant came with him, carrying a large shield.  The giant faced the Israelites and shouted out: “Choose you a man and let him come down to me! If he prevails in battle against me and strike me down, we shall be slaves to you.  But if I prevail and strike him down, you will be slaves to us and serve us.”

            In the Israelite camp, no one moved.  Who could win against such a terrifying opponent?  Then a shepherd boy who had come down the Bethlehem to bring food to his brothers stepped forward and volunteered.  

King Saul objected: “You cannot go against the Philistine to do battle with him, for you are a lad and he is a man of war from his youth.”  But the shepherd was adamant.  He had faced more ferocious opponents than this.

He argued.  “When the lion or the bear would come and carry off a sheep from the heard, I would go after him and strike him down and rescue it from his clutches.”  Saul had no other options.  He relented, and the shepherd boy ran down to hill toward the giant standing in the valley. 

“Come to me, that I may give your flesh to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field, “ the giant cried out when he saw his feeble opponent approach.  Thus began one the history’s most famous battles.  The giant’s name was Goliath.  The shepherd boy’s name was David.

            I have always loved this story it’s been used over and over in telling the Cinderella story of over-coming the greatest of odds.  But are we looking at this story the way it is intended?  Sure, a tiny boy beating a massive brut.  King Saul…his court…his executive panel of aids, the entire Israelite army, and for sure the challengers across the valley were believed he had no chance of victory.  But David never questioned his abilities or his resolve.  

            On a side note…everyone plays rock, paper, and scissors.  Rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, and of course paper defeats rock…

In war, there is a similar kind of warriors that we can compare to rock paper scissors…. Cavalry, infantry, and artillery.  The first…cavalry are armed men on horseback or chariots. The second, infantry are foot soldiers wearing armor, carrying swords and shields.  Lastly were projectile warriors or what we call artillery…archers and more importantly in our story slingers.  Similar to Rock, paper, scissors…one warrior has a substantial tactical advantage over the other.  They balanced each other…thus making every battle strategic.

            With their long spears and armor, infantry could stand up to Cavalry.  Cavalry could, in turn, defeat projectile warriors, because the horses moved to quickly for artillery to take proper aim.  And projectile warriors where deadly against infantry, because a big lumbering soldier, weighed down with armor was a sitting duck for a slinger who was launching projectiles from up to 200 yards away.

            Goliath was heavy infantry, and it was his intention to go against an Israelite in similar battle…” come to me…” he said.  King Saul even had flawed thinking, he tried to armor David with a sword thinking that David would fight in a similar fashion.  Infantry and against infantry.  He assumed that David was going to contend with Goliath hand to hand.

            David, however, had no intention of honoring the ritual of single combat.  He tells King Saul that he has killed bears and lions as a shepherd.  

            There are so many lessons and teachings that come from this story.  One being that is shared by David’s testimony, “David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”  Trusting in the Lord and his plan for him.  Another lesson, every person, every situation has a weakness and strength that has an opposition.  We can never have 100% advantage…sometimes we are the rock, often the paper, and other times…we are scissors, and we don’t know that our rival has?

            I would like to focus my message on knowing that we are blessed and need to rely on the experiences that we have prepare us for challenges ahead.  After facing lions and bears, a large many with no mobility and sword was trivial compared to the ferocious animals attacking his flock?

            Who is our Goliath? And what experiences have we had in our life that remind us…” he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine?”

            In my message our Goliath is missionary work.  We are standing on the ridge looking out against the landscape frozen with indecision and no plan.  Wondering if we can make a difference in the Lords work and looking around waiting for someone else to step up. The story of David and Goliath is mentioned almost every championship series or tournament and new legends and fairytales are reborn from overwhelming obstacles …and same with those saints that have shared their testimony and light with others.  Asks those recent converts about the missionary or member that introduced them to the gospel how they feel about them?  Praises, praises and praises.

            I’m going to break down a few proactive things we can do…has a member missionary you are either a rock, paper, or scissors…. or if you will…you are cavalry, infantry or artillery.  We are no longer allowed to sit on the sidelines.

            Cavalry – you are mobile and talking with everyone and anyone that will listen.  Every time you talk with someone there is an opportunity to share your testimony.  It’s easy for you to move from one invitation to the next with little resistance or effect on your personal ego.  Honestly, most of us don’t feel comfortable yet with this type of approach…it works.  That’s what our full-time missionaries do, they go and go and don’t stop.

            Are you infantry…you need to study the field and the people that you approach knowing how to engage?  If you are, do you have a list of people that you are thinking about, praying about them and the approach? Is it on a sticky note on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator? Do you think about them and the opportunity to engage in a conversation?  Do you interact with them enough to earn the right to talk about your faith?

            Then there is artillery…are you passive and would rather avoid potential differences or conflict?  There is a plan for you.  Have you invited them to visit the Christmas lights at the Mesa Temple?  Listened to the choirs that are preforming?  Has there be an invitation to the Easter Pageant?  Or have you taking the path similar to Ammon, serve with all devotion and dedication until they enquire about your belief system?  Remember King Lamoni’s experience…a simple shepherd that completed all assigned tasks earning not only trust, but he said, “Yea, I will believe all thy words.”

            We all have weakness and strengths…know what your talents are and how they fit into missionary work.  There is a path and plan for you to be active in sharing the gospel.  You are never finished with the work of brings souls to Christ.  Most of us have no resistance with doing temple work but helping those that are still living…it’s a struggle.  Know that you have gone through much more difficult things in your life that sharing the gospel.  You will survive and the Lord will aid you…and if needed, he will deliver you.

            I want to share with my unique testimony…I wrote this down for a missionary friend that is currently serving in England. Understanding what I believe in, what I know to be true, and what I hope for is journey, some parts worth repeating multiple time to really know what I want and what I need. 

            A testimony is a process of wiring your system on how you will act when your belief system is tested and challenged.  The challenge is understanding that you have hardware and software…some things are locked in, and others that be removed or rewritten.  I hope that you use the next 23 months to understand that your testimony will be tested at some point. Your entire belief system will be challenged at some point…or more realistically, multiple times throughout your life.  It might be self-destroying if your belief system is not tethered down to the right anchors.  What you believe in is more than what you say, it’s what others think of your and what they believe you stand up for.  It’s what most of your conversations are based on and how you deliver it.  It’s about what your passions are invested in.  I hope that you get to know other’s testimonies and you grow yours…you will love those people the most where you share your beliefs and testimony, and they share it back with you.  That being said…

I believe in the college playoff system…

I believe in opening your Christmas presents on Christmas Day and not Christmas Eve.

I believed in love at first site as long as you are in the right light…

I believe in the curveball, breaking ball, and knuckle ball…

I believe in the Chevy…if they built their truck on the rock…that’s what I’ll drive.

I believe that you will be much happier eating healthy food that tastes good over junk food that’s delicious…

I believe that a budget is a budget because you don’t budge

I believe in equal pay for equal work

I believe in the gold standard

I believe that the market and not the government should determine success…

I believe in teaching your kids to fear is the worst thing you can do, Godly fear is more about love

I believe in great communication is just as much as saying the right thing as much as refraining from saying the wrong thing.

I believe in your dreams will reveal where your heart is and where your deepest desires lay.

I believe that hard work is import for the first half of the game, and smart work is vital to in the second half of the game.

I believe in the American Dream, and that dream takes prayer, sweat, blood, getting up early, working late, and having a coach or mentor to help you out.

I believe that you will always be happier if you choose to be agreeable over critical…if someone is in the wrong, find praise first, educate second, and add more praise to end it…

I believe there is more than enough success stories in the world, miracles are happening everywhere, be brave enough to recognize where they come from.

I believe in knowledge faith prayer and studying things out in your mind.  Not that I do it, but to make it anchor…write it down!

I believe that truth can be found in all religions and places…

I believe that unless you have a calling or career where you are asked to judge other…don’t do it.

I believe in Joseph Smith, I have never had a moment in my adult life where I have ever questioned any aspects of his experiences that are recorded in sacred scripture.

I believe in the Book of Mormon and the Bible are necessary to study, read, ponder, and gain a full knowledge of the stores, teachings, and principles so that I can deal with the pitfalls of this life and arm yourself with the truths to overcome the fears.

I believe that the restored church is exactly that, restored but truths, teachings and principles are still be revealed to us every day through the scriptures and the called leaders of this church.  We are an organization of flawed humans, and I will never allow myself to have them be between me and the gospel that offers salvation.

I believe that we have callings anchored with the power of the priesthood that allows us to be more than we are and help those that are in need.

I believe in physical, emotional, and more than anything…spiritual sacrifice…It is necessary and healthy for true happiness.

I believe in love, that is has a cost associated with it; to have it, to keep it and to offer it.

I believe that men and women can only be happy when they are in the service of each other…

I believe in music; it heals the soul and keeps the feet moving.

I believe there is evil, and it will come in sheep’s clothing.

I believe there is always a way.  Satan will then you there is an excuse, Christ has given us a way.

I believe that Judas acted with the intentions of doing good but blinded on that he though Jesus really was supposed to do and be.

I believe that true power is honey, honesty, and courage.

I believe that we all have a path.

I believe that we will all be happy and comfortable in the kingdom that we earn.

I will leave this final thought…Our brother and Savior…I believe in him.  His words, his stories, his teachings…his kindness to overlook my fears and shortcomings.  His ability to know my value to our Father and offer himself so I can return.  I know that he has the ability to remove my fears, my concerns, my inconsistencies in faith and increase my light.  

I believe him when he says he loves me.

I hope that you find him even more than you already know him now.  We all have times where we step away from him, but this time…the time of your mission will determine how fare and how long you do.

Build your faith and stay close to him.

These are the things I believe in and leave them with you, in the name of our brother and Savior Jesus Christ.

Amen.

2021 YM Devotional

One night, four college students were out partying late. They didn’t study for the test which was scheduled for the next day.

In the morning they thought of a plan. They made themselves look dirty with grease and dirt, then they went to the professor and said they had gone out to a wedding the night before and on their way back, the tire of the car burst, and they had to push all the way back and they were in no condition to take the test.

The professor thought for a minute and said they can have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they will be ready by that time.

On the third day, they appeared before the professor, the professor said that as this was a Special Condition Test. All four were required to sit in separate classrooms to take the test. They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.

The test consisted of only 2 questions totaling 100 points. Question #1 Your Name? worth 1-point Question #2 Which tire burst? Worth 99 points OPTIONS: A) Front Left B) Front Right C) Back Left D) Back Right

Moral of the Story, take responsibility or you will learn your lesson, we are not made wise by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.

I want to share with you a few experiences that I’ve had.

I have been doing triathlons for the past 20 years…it consists of 3 legs of a race, starting with a swim, followed by a bike ride and finishing with a run. Some of the shorter distances will take the average athlete an hour to 90 minutes to complete.

The ultimate goal for most triathletes is to compete and finish the IRONMAN. 2.4 miles swim, 112 miles on the bike and finishing with a marathon…26.2 miles running. The average time it takes is 13-15 hours, but you have to finish within 17 hours. You burn thousands of calories and sweat so much that you collect salt trails all over your body. You spend hundreds of hours planning, preparing, and training. One aspect is the exercise portion…15-20 hours a week in the pool, riding your bike, or just pounding the pavement and long runs. But then there is a calorie management. You spend a lot of time figuring out how many calories you are burning an hour and the best way to replace those calories. At the same time, you are sweating like crazy and need to replenish water and electrolytes.

Another factor to prepare for injury prevention…basically…rest and lots of stretching.

Some people can’t reason the insanity of training and participating for such a race. Their thoughts are clouded with perceptions and judgements of “why?” Why should I waste my time with that? I have better things to do.

That’s just too hard and I could never do it. Or the one I hear the most, I could never make it past the Swim. The list is long and riddled with obstacles that are placed there by some obscure source.

Yes, it is hard...but just like any heavy and burdensome task...there is always a first step. An idea that you can do hard things and it will be worth it. I always appreciate the reminder that eating an elephant can only be done one way: one bite at a time.

And so, it is with being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous and in doing good to all men...believing all things, hoping all things, enduring many things. It can be said by many people that our standards are difficult, challenging, restrictive...but our faith tells us there is a reward.

So how to we deal with that? How do you prepare?

Let me give you another example, an experience where I was asked to participate and felt unprepared…in some respects…unworthy.

When I was in the Singles wards back in college, I had the calling of Elder’s Quorum President and a new Bishop was called. In one of our first ward councils, he noticed that I was starting to grow out a beard. After a while, he tilted his head and asked me to continue to grow it out. Heck, I read into it and thought he was kindly telling me to shave. So, the next week, I showed up to ward council clean shaven…looking sharp.

I was caught off guard when I asked where my beard was and continued to tell me that he thought I would be a great addition to the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant. At the time, it was the largest outdoor Easter play in the world. Crowds of 16,000 would show up.

I ended up getting a small part of John the Baptist. A year later I was asked again to play the part.

Around the same time period, a Mesa photographer was starting a passion project, and it was going to work hand in hand with the Easter Pageant. He wanted to take some of the actors from the pageant shoot the Life of Christ. Again, I was asked to play the part of John the Baptist. Robert, a close friend from the Easter pageant was asked to represent Jesus.

On the very first day of the shoot, we drove 2 ½ hours south of Phoenix to a beautiful area called Arivaca. Neither one of us knew what to expect…in all honesty, we were both pretty casual and thought it was going to be a pretty simple and, if I am honest…low key.

As we pulled up to the ranch, I immediately felt the overwhelming feeling that I was unprepared. Production and lighting equipment was scattered everywhere. Costume trailer and production staff…a videographer setting up expensive cameras and preparing for shots.

As I walked around, getting a feel for what was happened, I realized I was about to represent…not only John the Baptist, but a very significant part of the life of my Savior. Wow…I felt unprepared…unworthy. I could have been more diligent in my prayers…studied…pondered more about this part of our Redeemers life and how important baptism is…

I was flooded with so many feelings…and at that moment I was blessed with a small portion of the feeling that paralleled that of John…

“He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

Later, those pictures where put into a book and now hundreds of books have been sold…

Brethren, it is not only my testimony, but personal experiences that I know that we must and do better in preparing for all aspects of life. Let’s not be caught off guard when a calling or opportunity presents itself.

I’ve broken down only 4 basic parts where, if we are prepared…life will be more enjoyable and…we will be able to respond to challenges of life with optimism rather than constantly bracing yourself for catastrophe. We cannot navigate life if we don’t have something to aim for.

One of the enjoyable parts of life is going to be that of exploring and adventure. Take care of yourself so that when an invitation is presented you can say YES! Whether it’s a fishing trip and hike through the Windrivers, a pick-up basketball game or a signing up for an adventure race…take responsibility for your Physical Health. It’s easy at this age but take care of your bodies. The older you get, the more of a challenge this will be…create good habits now and decide…and plan to always be accountable to your health. Be the young man…and be the father that will always play and adventure with your children. Don’t be caught and have the excuse that you don’t have the energy. #1 – exercise #2 – pay attention to your nutrition & #4 – get regular amounts of sleep.

Some of you are starting to find ways to make a little side money. Summer jobs, working the ranch, mowing lawns…something to put a little green in your pockets. This is a power that if you don’t understand it early…it will get away from you fast. Remember the first time you were given money from your parents to go to the swimming pool or buy a treat at the store…that transaction to get what you want is powerful. Bridle this feeling and understand that financial health is a critical part of being prepared. Ask any adult and they will tell you the power and confidence you have when you have your money challenges controlled, life is so much easier. Learn now the value to paying tithing, saving more, spending less than you earn. Know the differences between needs and wants.

President Uchtdorf talked about a Stanford study done in the 60’s where a group of 4-year-old were tested for their willpower. They would place a large marshmallow and told them they could eat it right away or, if they waited for 15 minutes, they could have 2 marshmallows. They left the boys in the room and watched what happen. Most of them only waited a few minutes before yielding to temptation. 3 out of the 10 boys were able to wait and earn that second marshmallow.

The most interesting part was what came later…the professor kept track of the children and began to notice an interesting correlation. The child who could not wait struggled later in life and have more behavioral problems. While those who waited tended to be more positive and better motivated, had higher grades, incomes and healthier relationships.

Be the boy that waits…exercises patients…willpower…does not budge on his established guardrails…be strong in this part of your life and you will navigate life easier.

Pay attention to your education, sharpen your skills, getting additional training to develop and build your career. Stay out of debt. You don’t know what this is right now, but program this into you mind now! Finally, make sure that you are paying your tithing. The Lord wants to bless you, to whom much is given, much is required. If you want to be blessed with an abundance, then show the Lord you can handle the lesser. As you show the Lord you are capable, then he will give you an increase.

Ask any person who doesn’t have their finances in order how much pain, sorrow, embarrassment, and missed opportunities they have had because they’ve used poor judgement in management their finances. Prepare now, plan head, have a healthy financial outlook going forward.

An old Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people…

My dear little one, the battle between two wolves is inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.

The grandson thought about it for a moment and then asked his grandfather, “which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”

The simplest way to start on the path of feeding the right wolf…tell the truth…at least…don’t lie. You can simply start by knowing that the truth is the easiest path to follow, its’ the easiest to remember and when you are ready to change, truth will be your most power ally. Facts and truth and frozen in time, while lies are a living thing that you have to keep alive with pain and suffering. Decide now that it’s okay to make mistakes, that it’s okay not to have all the answers, that a story to be included is not necessary to have value among friends and family. Be honest with yourself and those that you interact with.

Don’t spin a web to please and flatter others, life is too short to not be the best version of yourself and be true yourself. Don’t live a life portraying yourself as a sainted perfectionist…none of us walk through life perfect. When we live a life with lies and riddled with untruths, we tie ourselves into knots trying to make those lies a reality…those knots are unnatural and pain the body, the soul and the spirit. If you act out a lie, you weaken your character, if you have a weak character then adversity will mow you down when it appears…and it will. You will hide and there will be no place to hide and at some point, you will find yourself doing terrible things. Simple…Tell the truth. Always.

There is a phrase that is tough, but we usually associate with toys, property, clothes…material items. “Keeping up with the Jones’s”

You see someone with the newest pair of shoes? The family down the street has a boat. Your uncle has the greatest cabin? Your sister is an All-State basketball player on the Honor-Roll?

The trap you would find yourself in, that “if I only had this…or if I only had that…” would solve your immediate problems. Comparing yourself to others is a dangerous and unhappy way to live. You never know the circumstances why someone has something or what they did to get it. We are not equal in ability or outcome, and we never will be. You have to put in the attitude, effort and time to master and accomplish great things in life. The best way to do this is to keep a journal and compare yourself to who you were yesterday, a week ago, a year ago…and so on. Write down things that are working, things that you can improve. Setting goals and a plan to accomplish those goals is vital for progression and improvement.

You can either decide to be a contributor and a taker. You can either be part of the 10% that does 90% of the work or stay at the bottom of the totem pole. Take stock of who you are today, and who you can be tomorrow. This is being honest with yourself and being responsible for your day.

All of us live in a circle where we subconsciously create a barrier of comfortability. Inside that circle is everything you can predict, both positive and negative outcomes and consequences. You step to the left or to the right you can live and survive the risks and rewards. But outside the circle is growth, failure, unknown, pain, success, rewards, and everything the top producers in the world are getting. Don’t compare yourself to those whose circle is bigger or non-existent, you don’t know how many times they have lost the game and picked themselves off the ground tried again. Don’t compare yourself with those no longer fear failure but thrive off the challenge to win. Look at yourself and know that you are moving forward. You have to get up early, stay late, pay your dues, develop relationships, listen better, sharped your skills, discipline your willpower, and find the why to be your best self.

You do this by surrounding yourself with the best things in life. Good friends, people that will hold you to your standards and raise the bar when necessary. They will listen and challenge you when you step out of line. They will support you when times are tough and cheer along with you when it’s a time of celebration. Good music that will inspire you and maintain thoughts and actions in accordance with your goals and passions. Entertainment that is wholesome for you mind, body and spirit. Knowledge and education that will give you a greater understanding about your purpose as a son, brother, and father. There is so much good in life, but on the other side of the coin, you will find a harsh reality of evil. So, with all the good that is out there, make sure your mind is seeking those things. Whatever you seek…whatever you look for, you will find. Sow kindness, charity, empathy, friendship, loyalty, compassion, joy…you will reap those same things. Be the good in the world.

As you take care of your emotional health, you really have the right fuel to feed your physical and financial health. The underline pillar is taking care of your soul. The spirit is the life force to your physical being. As you honor your commitments to Heavenly Father, stay worthy of your priesthood, and ask for forgiveness for your shortcomings, you will be endowed with the power of heaven to move mountains.

Pray Always. Feast on the Scriptures. Serve others Always.

For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the devil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Our redeemer was tempted 3 times, but how do we relate to that. Where do we fail or come out victors in our own temptations?

The first temptation deals with satisfying our natural and earthly appetites. We seek to put food in our bellies, have nice clothes, the latest games. As life gets more mature, addictions come into play. Substances, gluttony, pornography, debt, gambling, co-dependency? Decide now that you will follow the Saviors example, he consistently sought the will of the Father. Food…his appetite was set aside after 40 days of fasting and said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceed from the mouth of God.” He denied himself for the glory and honor of his Father.

The second temptation exploits and disguises the consequences of putting our own needs, our will ahead of Heavenly Father’s. We tempt the Lord when we put chance ahead of obedience. When we put conditions on our behavior. When we say, it’s just a little sin and okay to shortcut life. Lord, if you give me this, then I’ll be happy. If you could just have this, then I will follow you better tomorrow. Christ understood that we are to serve God, not vice versa. It all goes back to the will of God, not about what we want. It is also written, do not put the Lord your God to the test.

The final temptation is to put the things of this world ahead of exaltation and salvation. Satan will tempt you every day of your life with worldly treasure that will pass away, for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? I hope that you will constantly have the phrase ready in your mind, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord God and serve him only.”

This weekend I attended our Stake Young Men's camp.  In previous years, the boys always attended Scout camp and maybe some other type of YM's overnigher, but this was the first time that it was done on the stake level.

I was called to the Camp Director and boy did I have big ideas. With a committee of 10 people I thought we would be able to execute my vision and put on a memorable and impactful camp.  Again...boy...

It was a challenge right from the beginning.  Unfortunately, I have to acknowledge that much of that rests on me.  Mostly, due to my pride to ask for help and ask those people that have done it before. I should have found out what worked, what didn't, what resources are available, and many, many other things.

By the time we got to the end of June, we cut back substantially on ideas and plans.  We decided to make it as vanilla as possible, and make sure 2 things happened.  They were feed physically, the meals were going to be dynamite and secondly, we wanted to make sure that they were feed spiritually.

Assuming that you will get excellent communication and feedback from people will always get you caught in a tight place.  I found it difficult to get anything back from the wards; numbers who will participate, assignments for tasks, volunteers for teaching...anything!  There always more going on that what I understand, but I would have hoped this was a priority...

Anyways, there's a lot of details I could talk about, but in the end, the camp was terrific.  Our overall theme of make sure the boys are aware of the turning points that will come in the near future and make preparations for those turning points.  Take charge of their lives and take the necessary steps to be ready and healthy for those opportunities that will lay ahead of them.

While I prepared, gave and reflected on my class, it became apparent that Jesika didn't really disclose everything, but enough for me to understand the concerns that make her say, it just doesn't work for her.

My discussion covered being physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually healthy.  I wanted to put into perspective those troubles and challenges that would come if they were not healthy in those areas.  But also, the blessings that would come if those areas are healthy and how much better their lives will be when good habits are set now.

Not that my points were conclusive, but more just quick points to focus on for these young boys.

PHYSICAL - Exercise, nutrition, and sleep

EMOTIONAL - Tell the truth, don't compare yourself to others, surround yourself with good

FINANCIAL - Plan/Prepare for good career/training/school/development, stay out of dept, pay your tithing

SPIRITUAL - Pay always, feast upon the scriptures, serve others always (Under Pray - Repent every day)

At some point that I later understood, you cannot be spiritually healthy unless those other things are taken care of.  

We can attend church, fulfill callings, pay tithing, and having monthly temple attendance, but if we are not managing our money, we are not honoring the power our Father in Heaven has blessed us with.

If we are not taking care of our bodies and minds, we are giving a channel for Satan to have greater influence over our lives.

I was...and to a great extend, been given a glimpse into all the element that finally weighed down Jesika.

We talked about our needs and wants.  I told her all I really needed was to be heard and to have affection.  She wanted to be adored, and a life full of fun & adventure.

On the surface, we were meeting those needs.  And we could have even tricked ourselves that those needs were being met and we were both being critical about our wants...maybe even stingy.

But as thought about it more this weekend and the spirit talked to me, but I understood to a greater capacity that neither one of our needs were really being met.  I don't know who was giving up more, but I realize that I was risking and investing a lot now, but she would be risking and investing much more later, without the confidence it would be worth it.

We both have excellent physical health and that was a huge factor in my attraction.  I loved that attraction towards that part was so strong.

Emotionally...I have a lot to work on and I have a feeling she needs does as well.  Telling the truth...all the truth is something I need to be better at, knowing that I have made mistakes and the right person will be accepting of those mistakes.  Her drive at running, is borderline unhealthy and have a feeling she is running away from dealing with something?  Very similar to how I avoid taking care of things financially.  I can't be sure, but it feels like avoiding the elephant in the room is something we both need to do.  That burden is an underlining anchor to my addiction issues.  Relapsing is part of addiction, but having that go dormant for longer periods of time have everything to do with emotional health.  Doing the necessary things to be prepared for challenges rather than reaction or bracing myself when chaos happens.  I don't know if she is avoiding something and replacing it will all the long runs she goes on?  It's filling a void.  Honestly, I am not confident that void is anything wrong? There could be worse ways to hind from pain.

That leads me to financial health, I have to take care of back child support, debt and then start developing a plan to be where I should be as a 45 year old.  I have little when it comes to assets and financial promise.  She is right where she wants to be, maybe a little more stability with retirement/healthcare stuff, but she's solid.  She deserves and expects that have the same in her life.  She doesn't want to take care of someone else's issues.  Even though she said early that she would, it's not her responsibility.  I know she wants someone to enjoy life with, but she does not want to take care of someone.  She doesn't need a boyfriend or husband, but...

Jesika can look at me and say, he's nice looking, kind to my kids, has the energy to keep up, funny at times, BUT the burden of..."I don't know if Bryan can take care of himself?  Yea, he can pay his bills, but he's had a great job for 4 years with minimal responsibilities...he should be debt free by now.  He should have a nicer outlook financially.  I took care of my last husbands crap and I was okay with it, but now I want us to be yoked physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually...he's just not there."

I have experienced chaos in the last 4 weeks.  Depression, sadness, and for the first time in my life...real panic attacks.  It's not a good feeling and the feeling that everything is caving in on you...it's scary and dark.  It's a combination of physical pain of throwing up, shakes, dizziness, and then the panic of running away at any cost.  I have been humbled and as it says in Alma...I have a better view and..."and have a bright recollection of all our (my) guilt."

My hope, right now is that Jesika extends mercy to me in 6 months, 1 year, 18 months from now, because the possibilities that can happen from us being together is incredible.  I don't get any indication that will happen, but I would like to keep that hope alive.  If anything, the Lord will bless me with something that will be even better.

But what really has to happen between now and then?

• I have to be financially healthy!
• Back child support caught up
• Out of Debt
• 6 months of savings put away
• and investment and financial play for future being executed 
• Emotionally healthy 
• Honesty everywhere, stop protecting your legacy and start building the right legacy
• Do those things that make me happy and be kind everywhere - Serve as much as possible
• Don't do anything to impress ANYONE, but my Heavenly Father and myself
• Physical health
• maintain healthy lifestyle - exercise, nutrition, and sleep.  No extreme measures 
• Spiritual health
• Pray always, daily studying, church attendance, and hopefully weekly/biweekly temple attendance

As much as I love Jesika I don't think she is self aware and there have been a few times where I have said something and it really hurt her.  It was not kind and manipulative for me to even think it, let alone say it out loud.  

I once told her, "I'm living in your world right now."

That was mean, unkind, insensitive and just the wrong way to get point across. But there is truth to it.  She likes things to be done her way, and for the most part is very accepting of listening and open to other ideas, but is kinda locked in to her path of what is comfortable.  If I'm honest, her path is pretty awesome.

The second time was when I suggested that she was resenting me.  In hindsight, I really can't say there was real resentment, but most likely a combination of exhaustion and doing what was necessary to remove herself from me.  She had be removing herself from me for weeks while I was fighting for us, my commitment level was high and rather desperate.  She was past the threshold of effort and had made up her mind.  I felt resentment, b/c I didn't feel kindness.  I felt a distant and removal of emotion that did not seem natural for someone that was expressing different feeling just weeks ago.  Without any time of work on her end?  At least that was my perception.  How could we go from talking about marriage and what would need to happen for we did get married?  

That's why it's been difficult for me?  She said so much, I felt so much and then all the assumptions took over.  I stopped working on myself and just waited for time to allow things to fall into place.  I never did talk to her about a legitimate plan about my financial woes.  I never talked to her about a plan to address my addictions and coarse of action when I felt like I was about to relapse?  I needed to talk to her about hidden truths I never disclosed?  I was doing just enough to be safe then and not fight when I realized what I had.

Although I always thought she listened and heard me, my concern is she is too much into protecting herself and her kids to invest in anyone right now.  Her best friend told me once that, "Jesika just doesn't get me."

I really didn't know how to take that?  If that was her best friend, how could she say that?  If Cammie felt that way...what does that say about Jesika?   I don't think I felt that way ever, but it's a concern that possibly I would eventually feel that way?  

She moves forward and through life fast.  She put life on hold for a guy and now she knows what she wants.  She wants someone that fits in without disturbing her pace and right now I would slow her down for a few years.  Heck, she's even taking care of her Ex-husbands stuff and it's exhausting for her. Last thing she wants is to pause and take care of few things "hoping" it works out.

A friend of my once told me, if you don't think it's over, then keep working at it.  The last thing I want to do is hope and not work.  So that's what I got to do.  Earn the right to ask for a second chance and truly fight for Jesika.  Whether I think she is worth it or not, it's totally worth it to do those things that are worth fighting for.  

Happy Birthday JRN