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Key statements from general conference that we wouldn’t want to miss. We believe that one of the responsibilities of the Prophets is to declare doctrine. This belief seems to be more theoretical than practical for some members today, at least compared to the early days of the Church when paradigm-shifting truths were being revealed inContinue reading “Did You Catch That?”

  About two months ago I took a hiatus from writing to lay 1200 square feet of tile in our house.Turns out laying that much tile (about 6000 pounds worth) is a lot of work! The tile isn’t quite done yet, but ready or not, I’m back writing. If you’re still here here, thanks. AContinue reading “On My Daughter’s Baptism”

Over the past year, my wife and I have been building a house. We haven’t cut every board and hammered every nail, but we don’t have a general contractor and we are doing quite a few things ourselves, so it’s a daunting project. Building this house is a tremendous blessing and I don’t want to beContinue reading ““I’m swamped!” And it’s all my fault.”

Two scriptures and a quote that bring me peace and perspective .  Doctrine and Covenants 134:1, 5, 6 We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good andContinue reading “Election day recommended reading”

I’ve been pondering one of the most famous accounts in the new Testament: When Christ and Peter walk on the water (Matt 14:22-33). In a moment of enviable confidence, Peter steps from the boat and walks towards the Savior. Soon distracted by the storm, wind and waves, fear displaces his faith and he begins to sink untilContinue reading “Walking on Water”

“ The sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory.” — Alma 22:14 Two Sundays ago, in the middle of a sacrament meeting choir number, I got a text from my Mom with news that was unsurprising yet devastating. My Grandpa Rupp had passed away. Grandpa was 88. He lived aContinue reading “On Life and Death”

If you keep up with popular modern books, you’ve probably heard of Malcolm Gladwell.  After being a staff writer at The New Yorker for many years, Gladwell has written anumber of bestselling books (such as Blink and The Tipping Point) that explore the implications of social psychology and research. I listened to a recent podcast*Continue reading “Noteworthy: Malcolm Gladwell on God (and Mormons)”

  This is a shameless plug for having fun. Good, clean fun. Or as The Family: A Proclamation to the World calls it, “wholesome recreational activities.”  This important principle appears in the Proclamation at the end of a long list of principles upon which “successful marriages and families are established and maintained”: Faith, prayer, repentance,Continue reading “Don’t Forget to Sharpen Your Saw”

If you’ve been alive long enough, you’ve probably had the jarring experience of suddenly sounding or acting just like one of you parents. It’s especially ironic when you find yourself doing exactly what you had vowed you would never do when you grew up. I’ve had a number of these “Whoa, that was just likeContinue reading “Thanks Dad, for Keeping me on the Path”