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Joseph Smith (1805 – 1844) A few years ago in recognition of the 200th anniversary of his birth in 1805 on December 23rd, our stake held a youth fireside at the end of the year honoring the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I was asked to be the keynote speaker. I assembled many notes for that talk, most of which I never used.  This morning I discovered them in a deeply buried archive file on the computer, and share them here with the readers of this page.  Joseph Smith was a remarkably candid and forthright speaker and writer.  He pulled no punches, it appears to me, particularly in his own self-appraisals.  Most of what I have gathered below comes from his History of the Church compilation (hereafter HC), some 3,200 pages in total.  (Many of these statements have also been compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith.)  Today legislation in Washington can be cobbled together approaching that many pages with ease and... Read the rest of this entry »

A few years ago I spoke in one of the wards in our stake as the regular third Sunday high council speaker.  With ample time to develop a topic (a rarity) I felt impressed to revisit the 5th Chapter of Alma.  As the president of the church and also the head of government as chief judge, Alma decided to appoint another chief judge and go out among his people to “. . . pull down by the word of God all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.”  (Alma 4:19). Later in the day on that Sunday afternoon, I received a call from an older, venerable and kind brother in that ward who declared, “That was the greatest talk I have ever heard in my whole life.”  All I did was ask Alma’s 42 questions.  It might be a worthwhile Sunday activity today for you and your family to consider your answers. ALMA... Read the rest of this entry »

Last night Patsy and I enjoyed a spontaneous and unscheduled visit from two dear friends at our home.  Two middle-aged women with growing families were lamenting their experiences with peers who have left the Church for a variety of reasons, and they asked us what they could do if anything to reclaim them.  I was reminded of a letter I was invited to write to a member of the Seventy several years ago in answer to his question, “What can the Church do to help the youth?” What follows was my answer then, and to our friends last night.  The names have been changed for obvious reasons. What would the rest of you say? I’d love your feedback. . . September 20, 2003 Dear Elder Nameless: Thanks so much for a delightful lunch hour (or two) the other day. It was a great treat for me, and particularly to be with you and to discuss the things we did. Your generous invitation to give some thought to the question, “What can the Church do to help the youth?” only... Read the rest of this entry »

This is the season of the year when we remember our America heritage, but only if we are aware of it. Pilgrims Detail of Edgar Parker’s Embarkation of the Pilgrims “They knew they were pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country.” — William Bradford The Pilgrim saga began with a group of religious dissidents who believed it was necessary to separate from the Church of England. Persecuted in England, these “Separatists” moved to Holland in 1607/1608. The group, joined by other colonists recruited by the venture’s financial backers, began the move to America in 1620. Bacon’s Landing of the Pilgrims Early Plymouth records refer to all passengers from the first four ships as “First Comers.” These ships were the Mayflower (1620), the Fortune (1621), the Anne and the Little James (1623). The term “Pilgrim” was not generally used until the early... Read the rest of this entry »

This is a repost from the KSL Radio website: KSL Newsradio severs ties with talk show host Sean Hannity July 1st, 2010 @ 5:04pm SALT LAKE CITY — KSL Newsradio announced Thursday it has ended its relationship with syndicated talk show host Sean Hannity, effective this fall. The move is intended to make room for more local programming, according to KSL Broadcasting Chief Executive Officer Mark Willes. He said the company believes its future success depends on creating unique local content. “We acknowledge the great partnership we’ve had with Sean Hannity and appreciate his contributions to furthering public dialogue,” said Willes. “At the end of the day, we simply feel our future success and competitive advantage reside in creating unique local content, and that is our objective for developing replacement programming.” Hannity has been on KSL Newsradio since October 2001. The Sean Hannity Show is on the air from 1 to 4 p.m. and will remain on KSL... Read the rest of this entry »