Mormon Bloggers

As some of you may already know, I’m getting a dating advice book ready for publication. My wife and I have a dating advice blog as well, which we’ve neglected a bit lately, but since I post fairly regularly on this blog, I thought I’d post the entries for that blog in both places. So here’s the entry for today! Photo by Shelly Hathaway at shellyhathaway.com One of the important lessons I had to learn quickly in dating is to not let fear of the future rule the present. I suppose I wasn’t unique in wanting to get just the right girl on the first try. As a teenager, I used to think to myself: wouldn’t it be cool if the first girl I ever have 2 dates with turns out to be my wife? Well, that goal was spoiled in high school when a girl I asked out asked me to a school dance, and we never went out again. So modified my goal: Wouldn’t it be cool if the first girl I went out with twice – where I did the asking both times, was the girl I ended up marrying?... Read the rest of this entry »

Passing Thoughts 28 Sep 2010 I think I’ll call my audio blog entries Passing Thoughts, just because the word AudioBlog sounds blah. This time a share some passing thoughts on fulfilling dreams and bucket lists.  Read More →

There are few messages repeated as frequently in the scriptures as this; ask and ye shall receive. But have you ever noticed how often this similar message is written in the scriptures – “Whatsoever you shall ask the Father… it shall be granted you”? It’s in there a TON. So how exactly does it work? Do we just ask? You might say, “What’s the catch?” Well, there’s no catch. The scriptures make that clear. But there are conditions, or qualifiers that must be in place for the promise to be fulfilled. What are those qualifiers? A few years ago I compiled a list of all the scriptures I could find that carried this message, with all the qualifying statements. In other words, if the verse said, “whatsoever ye ask in faith, ye shall receive,” then I would write down, “in faith,” and count how many other scriptures listed faith as a qualifier for the promise. In the end, I came up with a list of all the qualifiers I could find, and this was... Read the rest of this entry »

The Lord Is My Shepherd Let me know if you guys want this made into sheet music. Art by Maria Spencer.  Read More →

I don’t know how many people liked the first one, but one person requested more, so I did chapter 2. Download MP3: 1 Nephi 2 And in case you missed the first one, here it is: Download MP3: 1 Nephi 1  Read More →

I have always been one who loves my anonymity. That may sound ridiculous to many of you who see me posting stuff on the web all the time. But honestly, to me, 80% of that is business. I probably wouldn’t do so much of it if I didn’t think it necessary to building my career as a musician and author. But there is a quote by Elder Neal A. Maxwell that has nagged at me for years. The first part of it I include to give context for the last part – which is the part that has nagged at me since I was 15. Whenever Church members speak of consecration, it should be done reverently while acknowledging that each of us “come[s] short of the glory of God,” some of us far short (Rom. 3:23). Even the conscientious have not arrived, but they sense the shortfall and are genuinely striving. Consolingly, God’s grace flows not only to those “who love [Him] and keep all [His] commandments,” but likewise to those “that [seek] so to do” (D&C 46:9). A second group of... Read the rest of this entry »

One of the prophets that Nephi and Lehi were aware of was Jeremiah. Lehi mentioned him later when he said, “they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison.” (1 Nephi 7:14) Clearly things were getting pretty serious in Jerusalem. Jeremiah 26:12-20 12 ¶ Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. 13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. 14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. 15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears. 16 ¶ Then said the princes and all the... Read the rest of this entry »

This is something we could all benefit from:  Read More →

A couple nights ago, Jenni was showing me a blog that’s kept by a mother who had a very recent miscarriage. Reading a little of that made me think a little about our own situation. We’ve never had a miscarriage. We’ve never lost a child. We’ve never had any close calls in that regard, and we’ve never had any major health issues with our kids. It’s a little odd, really. We’re so blessed, and I’m so grateful for what the Lord has done for us, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. But it does feel a little hollow to read others experiences, or hear them talk about their own losses – and sometimes they are serious, serious losses. How do we comfort someone who can’t have children? How can we offer real understanding to someone who lost a close family member, or has a never-ending flow of surgeries and medical bills? And what do they think of us? Are they offended if we try to offer assistance? Are they subconsciously bitter for not... Read the rest of this entry »

What exactly was Lehi doing in Jerusalem? Weren’t most of the tribes of Israel scattered by now? Yes, most were. But not quite all. For one thing, we know that the tribe of Judah stuck around beyond New Testament times. But Lehi was a descendant of Manasseh. “And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.” (Alma 10:3) The reason I bring this up is that according to the Old Testament, the descendants of Judah and Manasseh got Jerusalem as their Israelite inheritence… And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim, and Manasseh; 1 Chronicles 9: 3 …which explains what a non-Judah descendent was doing in Jerusalem in 600 BC.  Read More →

Harrah!!! I’ve finally got the piano solo arrangement of We’ll Bring the World His Truth available for sheet music purchase. I had to get permissions from Janice Kapp Perry, so it took a little longer than usual. But now it’s here! To see the real store, go to chashathaway.com, but to save you a step, I’ve pasted all the links so you can buy it right from this page if you want: Purchase Sheet music for $3.95 Download Sample Page  Read More →

It takes a lot of confidence to say, “I know I’m right.” In fact, I’d have to say it takes more than confidence – it takes spiritual conviction. Even the accomplished scientist won’t say, “I know this theory is true.” So what is it that gives Nephi the right to say that he knows the things he’s writing is true? Some would call this blind, naïve, or delusional. But that’s assuming that Nephi is wrong. But he’s not wrong, and he knows it. 1 Nephi 11:16-17 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God? And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. 2 Nephi 4:35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen. 2 Nephi 25:7 But... Read the rest of this entry »