Seeking Happiness and Joy

I've heard God described as an angry, vengeful, and jealous god. I've never believed that to be true. He is a perfect being which suggests that He is perfect in love. However, I can understand why some people would come to that conclusion. There are several stories in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, which could lead one to the conclusion that this could be the case. When the children of Israel are found to be worshiping a golden calf (Exodus 32), " the Lord plagued the people ". One might think that it was because God was jealous and didn't like that His people were worshiping someone else. Upon studying Hosea 2, it became very clear that God does this so as to remind His children where the path to happiness lies. In this chapter, a wife has sought other lovers. She asserts that her daily sustenance, her riches, and the fine things of life are from her lovers. However, the husband is the one who has provided these things for her. The husband t...

I just finished my student teaching in a fifth grade class on Friday. It was an amazing experience full of highs and lows. One of the highlights occurred toward the end. I had been asked to cover lunch playground duty for an entire week. The students are on a staggered lunch schedule. The fifth graders go first and the kindgergartners don't finish their recess until 30 minutes after the fifth graders have gone inside. My mentor teacher and I worked out a plan so that she would teach while I was still outside. On the very last day of the week, I noticed the students were still outside 10 minutes after their bell had rung. I let them in the classroom on my way out front to watch the kindergartners. I didn't know what to do. I was obligated to tend to the kindergartners. Their playground is in the front of the school with the greatest potential for harm. I couldn't be late, but I didn't want to leave my class unattended. I considered asking a teacher across th...

This is a talk I gave at the baptism of a boy I used to babysit. He asked me to speak on the Holy Ghost . He was baptized shortly after his 8th birthday. After graduating from Dixie College, I decided to transfer to Utah State University in Logan. I was entering the real world. I didn’t know anyone attending school there and I didn’t have any relatives living there. I would be going about this alone. My mother, who faced a similar situation years before, knew this would be a challenging and sometimes troublesome process. She, by divine nature, wanted to provide for me what she could so I would be taken care of and adjust easily. She knew she couldn’t go with me, so she provided the next best thing. My mother had a dear friend who was instrumental in her conversion and growth in her early years as a member of the church. Her name was Wanda. I knew Wanda as the woman whose nostrils made me giggle. Wanda and her husband, Frank, just so happened to live in Logan. ...

I love to sing. It is one of my most favorite things in the world to do. However, it can also be the scariest thing for me to do. As mentioned in the previous post, I sang the musical number during a church meeting tonight. I was asked earlier today if I would do it. Since it was last minute, I opted to sing I Know That My Redeemer Lives , because I had sung it previously when my sister reported her full-time mission . As I was practicing with my accompanist before this meeting a couple months ago, I was ridiculously nervous. This was the largest crowd for which I had ever sung. As I was singing, I came to the line, "He lives to calm my troubled heart." I knew that was true. My Savior could bring peace to my soul. I said a silent prayer and asked for that blessing in my life. After that, I was able to sing freely. Tonight, as I directed the opening hymn, my voice began to shake. My throat began to close, and I couldn't even sing part of the final verse. I was...

I am an organized person. I like to plan. I make lists. I like to strategize. I like things to be somewhat predictable. If something occurs that is beyond my control, yet I'm required to endure it, I get frustrated and sometimes even freak out. I grew up in Florida and the western desert. I haven't really encountered much snow. I was living in northern Utah a few years ago where snow is abundant. Learning to drive in the snow was not a delightful task. I had gone home for the weekend and was driving north on a Sunday morning to return to my apartment. I had left early in the morning, because I had an obligation to fulfill at church. It was late fall and the snow season hadn't started. At that time in my life, I was notorious for speeding on the freeway. As usual, I was going much faster than the speed limit. As I approached a small city, I was prompted to slow down. The Spirit whispered to my soul that something would happen very soon. I slowed down a little at...