Suggested Reads
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Charity Envieth Not
I tend to commingle scripture and Shakespeare, both of which live rent free in my head. While giving attention this month to the scriptural statement that charity envieth not (Moroni 7:45), Shakespeare’s Sonnet 29 came to mind. Sonnet 29 When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate, Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed, Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply…
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Charity is Kind
It’s a bad sign when you ask someone about how their date went and they respond with, “It was … nice.” That’s not-so-subtle code for “it was boring as all get out and I’m hoping they lose my number.” It’s also how I described to my college roommate the first kiss I experienced with the guy I was dating at the time. She responded that he clearly wasn’t going to be the guy for me. It seems like “kind” is relegated to the same fate as “nice.” It’s not flashy or eye-catching. But I think we overlook the incredible value of these unassuming virtues. Consider this statement by Elder Joseph…
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Charity Suffereth Long
Long suffering (adj.) Having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. – Google definition I’m starting to feel that long suffering is a hugely underappreciated characteristic in the people around us. I’m just gonna go ahead and suggest that if you are blessed with a long suffering spouse, or long suffering children, parents, siblings, and/or friends, you might consider thanking them for bearing with you. I’m not saying you’re a total pain. But you are, sometimes, a pain. We all are. We’re human. We put dents in car doors. We make messes that we don’t always clean up. We say uncalled for and painful…
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She Must Needs Have Charity
The new year impulse to improve sat patiently in a corner of my heart through the holidays, biding its time until the bright merriment and bustle subsided and quiet rose in its place. It tiptoed close a few days ago as I began listening to President Russell M. Nelson’s April 2023 “Peacemakers Needed.” When he shared that “charity is the principal characteristic of a true follower of Jesus Christ” and described how an individual with the gift of charity behaves, it took me by the hand and asserted: “This. Seek this.” And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own,…
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Do the Next Right Thing
“Troubles never need to be permanent nor fatal. Darkness always yields to light. The sun always rises. Faith, hope, and charity will always triumph in the end. Furthermore, they will triumph all along the way.” – Jeffrey R. Holland, “Banishing All Shadows,” April 2018 The books that most captivate me tell stories of survival. I’ve read a lot about explorers and prisoners of war, drawn in by their perseverance through danger and deprivation. When my niece was deep down the rabbit hole of dystopian YA fiction, I told her that real life is much more interesting than fiction, and couldn’t I convince her to read about unbelievable things that actually…
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If the Jaws of Hell Gape Open
How do you survive despair? Where do you turn when all is dark and you feel lost, alone, forgotten? Where, for you, is relief? In my early 20s, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I once wrote about my search for light in that dark time. I cited the scripture passage that brought me peace in the aftermath: “And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine…
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A Not-so-Lonesome Journey
“One cannot be pessimistic about the West. This is the native home of hope. When it fully learns that cooperation, not rugged individualism, is the quality that most characterizes and preserves it, then it will have achieved itself and outlived its origins. Then it has a chance to create a society to match its scenery.” – Wallace Stegner, The Sound of Mountain Water We hiked a beautiful slot canyon this weekend. Imposing and sheer red rock walls. A rocky and uneven desert floor. Chill breezes tempered by patches of sunlight. At some spots, the path had us scrambling and climbing. My nephews, traversing the way with the ease of adolescence,…
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Life Finds a Way
Well, folks, it’s happened. An apostle of the Lord quoted Jurassic Park in General Conference. See for yourself: The lesson here? Always check the footnotes. If you read my last post (Sweat If You Need To) and liked the incremental gains concept treated there, I think you’ll really enjoy the address this rad footnote is from—Daily Restoration by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Do you want to change the shape of your life? Change the shape of your day. Do you want to change your day? Change this hour. Change what you think, feel, and do at this very moment. A small rudder can steer a large ship. Small bricks can…
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Sweat If You Need To
“And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.” – Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:27 Some years ago, I decided to complete a ½ marathon. It’s not because I’m a runner; I’m really not a runner. I thought it would be a healthy challenge. It would make me consistently exercise (so as not to die during the event), and I wanted to be fit. Plus, the race I had…
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I get by with a little help from Gary Larson
I need to thank Jen for inspiring one of my better moves at the beginning of quarantine. Her birthday was approaching, and I planned to assemble a 90s-themed gift to celebrate her and the genesis of our friendship. A Lisa Frank notebook, Bubble Tape, MadLibs, Cool Ranch Corn Nuts–it all came together quite nicely. But the best addition? A couple of The Far Side comic books. I ordered a few for myself too, anticipating the need for some extra laughs. I am so glad I did. If you’ve not come to know and love Gary Larson’s The Far Side, please do yourself a favor and check it out now. The…