Mormon Bloggers

Have you ever heard somebody say, “If God truly existed, he wouldn’t allow people to suffer”? Many times, this sentiment is expressed by those who have tasted of suffering in their life. Losing a loved one, living through extreme hardship, or experiencing severe disappointment has made them feel abandoned, or even punished. They have wondered, “WHY?” They ask: Why do people suffer? What good does it do anyway? How can God allow it? Is he not merciful? If he truly loved us, wouldn’t he help? They are desperate pleas. The sufferings we feel are sometimes so exquisite that we see nothing but the pain. And sometimes that pain makes us bitter. We even begin to think that our lot in life cannot be expressed in words, because surely, we are the only ones to have ever experienced such a tragedy. From the New Testament, 1 Peter 4:12 — “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened... Read the rest of this entry »

I am not sure why I woke up at 4:30 this morning. May have had something to do with the noisy truck which went by. Yesterday was a fun day. I took the family up American Fork Canyon for a picnic. Of course that means a car load of noisy kids. And teenagers can be SO LOUD. In reflection I realized that there are some great calming influences available in the world. I was much calmer after I got out of the car. Here are some of my favorites: 1. The bubbling of a mountain stream 2. Instrumental music – I hesitate to say classical here because that would be too narrow of a category 3. A good book 4. A walk or a hike 5. Sacred places – a church, a temple, a cemetery 6. A nap 7. Ice cream or chocolate 8. Prayer What are your favorites? And to my wife, because it is her birthday today, and we will eat ice-cream-cake after we go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  Read More →