Mormon Bloggers

There is a hardly a topic as fraught with controversy as “money.”  Yet every day, the vast majority of God’s children (or their spouses) labor all day long for the money necessary to support themselves and their families.  In truth, most bread winners will spend more of their life at work than with family or attending to spiritual matters.  As working “by the sweat of our brow” to obtain a living is part of the common experience of man, it is one of the purposes for our life here on earth. In modern day revelation, we learn that God’s “commandments are spiritual … not natural, nor temporal” (D&C 29:35), and that “all things … are spiritual” (D&C 29:34).  Thus, while money may seem to be exclusively a “temporal” concern, issues such as money, work, spending, investing, and giving to the poor are all governed by spiritual laws. Put God First in Our Life An oft-quoted biblical verse teaches that the “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1... Read the rest of this entry »

 Michaelangelo Buonaroti, hailed as one of the most masterful artists in history, enjoyed much fame during his life.  He was given the distinction of being the first artist to have his biography published during his lifetime.  He was referred to, in Florence and around Italy, as Il Divino, or “The Divine One.”  Once he entered the forefront of the Renaissance art society, his fame spread, and throughout his life he received commission upon commission by the most respected patrons in Italy.   Although reported to be somewhat arrogant regarding his talents, his own words provide a deep insight.“If people knew how hard I worked to gain my mastery, it would not be so wonderful.”   Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michaelangelo Hesiod  (c. 700 BC) The early Greek poet and author, Hesiod, a contemporary of Homer, believed as well in diligence. “Mediocrity is easy, it can be had in quantity. ... Read the rest of this entry »

In 1967 (the year I was baptized), Richard D. Poll delivered a sermon in the Palo Alto ward in which he coined the terms Iron Rod Saint and Liahona Saint. The sermon was reprinted in Dialogue and the Saints’ Herald, and was also later published in the essay anthology A Thoughtful Faith (1986, Philip Barlow, ed.). What follows is one of a few entries on the iron rod, the liahona, and impressions about Brother Poll’s essay. In this month’s general conference, I heard two references to the iron rod. I don’t know if it was mentioned more than usual, but it was enough that I took notice and went back and counted. Sister Wixom and Sister Cook both spoke of it. And there were no references to the liahona that I noticed. The mention of the iron rod got me thinking enough that we had a family night on the two this week. We know the iron rod comes from Lehi’s vision of the Tree of Life. It is a means of conveying people safely from their starting point through... Read the rest of this entry »

“I don’t divide the world into the weak and strong, or the success and the failures; I divide the world into the learners and the non learners.”                                                                                                               – Benjamin Barber “As a man thinketh . . . , so is he”                                                                                                           – Proverbs 23:7 I randomly saw an article on BYU’s homepage a bit ago and was instantly pulled into it. I read the entire article and then read the connecting links to newsletters and research that other schools have done on the subject and read all of them. It was one of those, “Oh my gosh, it IS something real!” moments that you appreciate and learn everything you can. I just wish I could have figured this out about myself six... Read the rest of this entry »

Rights go to BuzzParadise apparently (Cue The Final Countdown) It’s all over! I meant to write this post about my internship a week and a half ago, but I got caught up writing research papers and hitting the town for my final two weeks. It’s been a fun ride! I’m not too excited to head back home and go into Microeconomics . . . but this has been a huge influencing experience in my life and I’m very grateful to have had it.  For now I want to at least share some of the praise that my AWESOME school received from various people at my internship. These are all things coworkers told me throughout the semester and on my last day: “We have had a long line of GREAT BYU interns here so the bar is high for you.” “I don’t know what it is about you guys, something they have in the water at BYU or something, but the guys I’ve met from BYU are always really good guys.” “The BYU academic system does it right with you guys. You all... Read the rest of this entry »

I just got back from watching Clint Eastwood’s (he directed) new movie, Invictus.  It was pretty good! I give it a B+/A-.  The title comes from a poem Nelson Mandela had while in prison for 27 years.  According to the movie Invictus gave him motivation to keep going without letting his own soul darken in feelings of revenge .  I couldn’t catch all the words in the movie (partly due to sitting on the second row!) so I looked it up and it is really good! The last two lines are especially amazing and so I share it with you. Enjoy! Invictus Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged... Read the rest of this entry »