Introduction & Principal Conclusions In preparing a Tree of Life lesson for teens (12/6/2020), the principles from Rethinking Alma 32, were repurposed. When opening Nephi’s vision to more fully prepare, there was no expectation that there was anything new or particularly interesting to be discovered. That couldn’t have been more wrong. As with Alma 32, > > Read More …

Would you rather kill, or be killed? Wedge issues have been around for a while. Recently, a friend asked if I was a “moderate.” I don’t know. Is one a moderate if one wants to neither kill or be killed? Can one be both pro-life and pro-choice? There are so many cases where there is > > Read More …

During the summer of 1977 (or so), this boy left Minnesota for the Rockies. On a whim, I drove up to Grand Targhee in hopes of seeing spectacular views. The lifts were not running; the place seemed vacant. So I took a hike. It started at the parking lot (elevation of 2420 m; 7940 ft) > > Read More …

What do these have in common? Come, Let Us Adore Him, Chapter 6, Bookends, Denver Snuffer The Chosen, Episode 5 Psalm 37 D&C 121, 122, 123 Two things: All relate to submitting to God’s timetable. All were stumbled/reflected upon two weeks ago within a 48 hour period and resolved many months of frustrations, reflections, yearnings, > > Read More …

During this morning’s reading, these disparate ideas came to mind. Music ordained? There is a phrase of a symphony caressing this soul in conjunction with the subsequent question, but it remains unidentified. Curiously, with it comes the thought: why does our music have 12 (chromatic, 1/2 step) tones, and why does the major (Ionian) scale > > Read More …

It seems that all three of these have never been “put out there.” So, with little explanation or elaboration: The First Educational Metaphor While labeled differently, this was previously discussed in https://www.celestial.life/2016/05/educational-system-metaphor/ What man upon receiving a PhD looks with derision upon a kindergartner, knowing that his knowledge is superior? The Second Educational Metaphor Context: > > Read More …

Note: this should have been written much earlier in the year…. I rarely wake up due to fear. In this case, being jerked to wakefulness came because of an absence of fear, when there clearly should have been. It was a simple, respectful, intellectually invigorating conversation. Across the table, the impeccably dressed man in black > > Read More …

Perhaps the measure of our sincerity is measured best through tribulation. For the first time ever, Joy and I participated in a march. In this case, a march to the steps of the Alabama Capitol. This isn’t the kind of thing one wants to do in the middle of a gout flareup in conjunction with > > Read More …

The story isn’t really relevant, but you probably won’t believe that without a snippet. No interpretation or explanation is offered. I was in a second-to-third world classroom (yeah, one of those) with about 40 students sitting at tables. There was a reading. There was a lesson. There was a discussion. The instructor suggested that all > > Read More …

Why should I be bothered if someone quoted me. The lack of citation? Misconstruing and misrepresenting the fundamental point? Or is it because I presume in them a degree of pride for having used the idea to establish an air of authority. Probably all of the above, and more. Here is the hypothesis: The church > > Read More …