Jet Mariano

Author: jetnmariano

  • How BEC (Business Email Compromise) and EAC (Email Account Compromise) Work, and How Proofpoint + EAC Controls Stop Them

    Introduction

    BEC (Business Email Compromise) and EAC (Email Account Compromise) are the two most financially damaging email-based attacks today.
    They bypass traditional spam filters, they target humans—not firewalls—and they abuse trust instead of malware.

    Microsoft 365 alone cannot fully protect against these attacks.
    That’s why organizations use Proofpoint, DMARC alignment, and strict authentication controls—to verify identity, stop impostors, and prevent fraudulent requests from reaching inboxes.

    This blog explains:

    • How BEC works
    • How EAC happens
    • What attackers exploit
    • Why RFC email standards make impersonation easy
    • How Proofpoint + EAC controls shut these attacks down

    Perfect material for any advanced interview panel.

    What Is Business Email Compromise (BEC)?

    BEC is when attackers pretend to be:

    • your CEO,
    • your CFO,
    • your HR director,
    • a vendor,
    • or someone with financial authority

    …with the goal of manipulating employees into:

    • wiring money
    • changing direct deposit info
    • sending W-2s
    • releasing confidential documents
    • approving purchases

    🔸 The key point:

    BEC uses identity deception, not malware.
    No attachments.
    No links.
    Just social engineering in a clean email.

    How BEC Works (Step-By-Step)

    1. Reconnaissance

    Attackers scrape:

    • LinkedIn
    • Company directory leaks
    • Press releases
    • Vendor invoices
    • Social media

    They map who communicates with whom.

    2. Identity Impersonation

    They spoof:

    • Display names
    • Envelope sender
    • Reply-To address
    • SPF-valid lookalike domains

    Example:
    [email protected] →
    [email protected]

    3. Thread Hijacking

    They do this by compromising a vendor mailbox and replying inside an existing email chain.

    4. Social Engineering

    The attacker sends a “clean” request:

    • “Are you available?”
    • “I need this wire sent ASAP.”
    • “Can you update this banking information?”

    5. Financial Fraud

    Once the attacker has the employee’s trust — the money is gone.

    What Is Email Account Compromise (EAC)?

    EAC is when the attacker actually logs in to a real mailbox.

    Not spoofing.
    Not faking.
    Real access.

    How they gain access:

    • MFA fatigue
    • Password reuse
    • Legacy protocol with no MFA
    • OAuth token theft
    • Malware stealing credentials
    • Phishing pages identical to Microsoft login

    Once inside, attackers:

    • Set up hidden forwarding rules
    • Delete MFA alerts
    • Change mailbox rules
    • Hijack vendor threads
    • Sit silently and wait for financial conversations

    EAC is dangerous because the attacker uses your real domain, your real mailbox reputation, your real account.

    This is why simply having SPF, DKIM, and DMARC does not stop EAC.

    Why Proofpoint Is Needed (Beyond RFC Email Standards)

    RFC email standards allow spoofing by design.

    Attackers can:

    • abuse SMTP commands
    • spoof the “MAIL FROM”
    • spoof the “From:” header
    • use free SMTP servers
    • harvest SPF/DKIM values via nslookup
    • build near-perfect domain clones

    Example:

    nslookup -type=txt _dmarc.victim-domain.com
nslookup -type=txt selector._domainkey.victim-domain.com

    Attackers see your exact SPF/DKIM configuration.
    They spoof accordingly.

    This is why relying on RFC standards alone is not enough.

    How Proofpoint Stops BEC and EAC

    1. Identity Protection

    Proofpoint checks:

    • display name anomalies
    • domain lookalikes
    • impossible travel
    • VIP impersonation attempts
    • internal vs external identity mapping
    • “Reply-To mismatch”
    • “Header vs Envelope mismatch”

    Microsoft EOP can do part of this,
    Proofpoint does it with far more accuracy.

    2. Vendor Fraud Protection

    Proofpoint fingerprints:

    • vendor sending behavior
    • previous conversation style
    • writing style
    • IP reputation

    If a vendor mailbox is compromised, Proofpoint detects the “change in sending personality.”

    This is one of the strongest EAC protections in the industry.

    3. DMARC Enforcement + Lookalike Domain Defense

    Proofpoint enforces:

    • Domain alignment
    • Display name behavior
    • Header-from authentication
    • Cross-identity matching

    Lookalike domains” examples (generic only):

    • company-secure.com
    • companny.com
    • c0mpany-support.com
    • company-mailservice.com

    These would pass traditional email filters.

    4. URL and Payload Isolation

    Even if links look clean, Proofpoint re-writes and detonates them.

    Although BEC rarely has links, EAC-based phishing almost always does.

    5. Machine Learning on Human Behavior

    Proofpoint analyzes:

    • who talks to whom
    • frequency
    • direction
    • urgency phrases
    • tone manipulation

    If the CEO normally never emails accounting at 10:30 PM on a Friday — the message gets flagged.

    Real-World Example (Anonymized)

    A vendor’s mailbox was compromised.
    The attacker replied inside an existing thread asking to update bank account numbers.

    Microsoft EOP didn’t block it — it came from a legitimate vendor domain.

    Proofpoint flagged:

    • anomalous IP
    • unusual writing style
    • “conversation thread hijacking detected”
    • vendor identity risk score

    Proofpoint blocked the message before it reached the user’s mailbox.

    This is exactly why companies invest in Proofpoint.

    Conclusion

    BEC and EAC are no longer “IT problems.”
    They are financial crimes, costing billions worldwide.

    Microsoft 365 gives strong baseline protection,
    but attackers today use identity manipulation, social engineering, and thread hijacking that bypass traditional signals.

    Proofpoint closes those gaps with:

    • identity defense
    • behavioral AI
    • vendor fraud detection
    • DMARC enforcement
    • mailbox compromise detection
    • impersonation protection

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Exchange Online Throttling Policies: Why They Exist, When to Modify Them, and How to Justify Changes

    Introduction

    Exchange Online throttling policies exist for one core reason — to keep the Microsoft 365 ecosystem healthy, stable, and resistant to abuse.
    Throttling protects the service from:

    • Excessive load
    • Misconfigured applications
    • Compromised accounts sending thousands of emails
    • Bulk operations that can degrade tenant performance

    It’s not a punishment.
    It’s Microsoft’s way of guaranteeing fairness across millions of tenants.

    But in real production environments — especially at the enterprise, hybrid, or application-integration level — default throttling limits can sometimes block legitimate business-critical operations.
    And when that happens, you must know:

    1. Why throttling exists
    2. How to detect throttling
    3. When it’s justified to modify limits
    4. How to request changes with Microsoft support

    This is one of the topics principal-level interviewers love because it shows deep operational understanding.

    Why Throttling Exists in Exchange Online

    Microsoft enforces throttling to prevent:

    1. Service Abuse

    A single compromised account can send 10,000+ spam emails within minutes.
    Throttling slows these bursts so EOP can react and block the session.

    2. Tenant Misconfigurations

    Common misconfigurations that trigger throttling:

    • Line-of-business apps sending too many messages too quickly
    • Applications reusing connections improperly
    • Legacy services using Basic Auth patterns
    • Scripts or PowerShell modules pulling data too fast

    3. System Stability

    If every tenant could push unlimited requests, the shared service collapses.
    Throttling ensures:

    • CPU fairness
    • Bandwidth fairness
    • Queue stability
    • Storage and transport efficiency

    How to Detect Throttling Events

    You will usually see:

    📌 Error Examples

    • Server Busy
    • Backoff due to throttling policy
    • TooManyConcurrentConnections
    • Exceeded message submission rate limit
    • SendAsDenied triggered by backlog saturation

    📌 Where You See These

    • Exchange message trace
    • Transport logs
    • Application logs
    • SMTP client logs
    • EOP reports
    • PowerShell scripts returning "ProcessingStopped"

    📌 Behavioral Symptoms

    • Messages stuck in Outbox
    • Applications retrying endlessly
    • High SMTP queue latency
    • Inconsistent delivery within seconds-to-minutes range

    When It Is Appropriate to Modify Exchange Online Throttling

    This is key.
    You never change throttling “because someone wants faster emails.”
    You change throttling for business justification only, such as:

    1. Application Mailbox Accounts

    These accounts often need higher:

    • MaxSendRate
    • RecipientRateLimit
    • MessageRateLimit

    Examples:

    • ERP systems
    • CRM systems
    • Manufacturing systems (Backflush, MES, D365)
    • Monitoring systems
    • Ticketing systems (ServiceNow, Jira, Zendesk)

    2. Hybrid Exchange Servers

    Hybrid servers may require adjusted:

    • PowerShell concurrency
    • EWS limits
    • MRS (Mailbox Replication Service) migration speeds

    Especially during:

    • Large cutovers
    • Fast-track migrations
    • Bulk mailbox moves

    3. Automated Services Needing High Burst Throughput

    Scenarios where default throttling causes issues:

    • Finance systems sending thousands of statements
    • HR systems sending open enrollment packets
    • Email marketing systems using authenticated SMTP
    • Daily reporting engines generating PDFs for hundreds of users

    How to Justify Throttling Changes to Microsoft Support

    This is where senior-level experience shows.

    Microsoft will not modify throttling unless you prove:

    1. Operational Need

    Explain what system is being blocked.

    2. Business Impact

    Show examples:

    • Delayed invoices
    • Delayed purchase orders
    • Delayed system alerts
    • Delayed manufacturing workflows

    3. Technical Evidence

    Provide logs showing:

    • Backoff errors
    • Submission rate failures
    • EWS throttling hits
    • Application retry loops

    4. Confirmation That It’s Not Spam

    Show the account is app credentialed, not user-driven.

    5. You Have Already Tuned the Application

    Microsoft wants evidence that:

    • Retry logic exists
    • Connection reuse is efficient
    • Burst sending is controlled

    If justified, Microsoft raises throttling for:

    Specific service accounts only
    (Never the whole tenant.)

    They may change:

    • Recipient rate limits
    • Message burst limits
    • EWS or Graph concurrency
    • PowerShell session limits

    Common Interview Question: “Why Not Remove Throttling Entirely?”

    Perfect answer:

    “Because throttling is part of Microsoft’s multi-tenant stability and security model.
    Without it, one tenant’s misconfiguration or compromised account could degrade the entire service.
    Changes should be scoped, justified, temporary, and monitored.”

    PowerShell: Checking Throttling Policy Assigned to a Mailbox

    Get-ThrottlingPolicyAssociation -Identity [email protected]

    PowerShell: View Existing Throttling Policies

    Get-ThrottlingPolicy | fl Name,MessageRateLimit,RecipientRateLimit

    PowerShell: Create a Dedicated Policy for an App Mailbox

    Set-ThrottlingPolicyAssociation -Identity [email protected] -ThrottlingPolicy AppMailboxPolicy

    Conclusion

    Throttling is not the enemy.
    It’s a guardrail.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Why RFC Email Standards Are Not Enough: A Real Look at Modern Email Security

    🛡 How Email Spoofing REALLY Works (With a Safer Example)

    Even though RFC standards gave us SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, the core SMTP protocol is still trust-based. That means attackers can abuse the protocol whenever a mail server is misconfigured or doesn’t enforce authentication.

    SMTP actually has two places where the “sender” can be declared:

    1. MAIL FROM (SMTP envelope)
    2. From: (message header inside DATA)

    Both of these can be forged.

    Here is a safe, fictional example showing what a spoofing attack looks like when the attacker controls their own SMTP server. NONE of this uses real domains or copyrighted examples.

    Example: Attacker Spoofing a CEO Email (Fictional Domain)

    S: 220 mail.hacker-smtp.test Ready
    C: HELO mail.hacker-smtp.test
    S: 250 Hello
    C: MAIL FROM:[email protected]
    S: 250 Ok
    C: RCPT TO:[email protected]
    S: 250 Accepted
    C: DATA
    S: 354 End data with .
    C: Subject: Immediate Action Required
    C: From: [email protected]
    C: To: [email protected]
    C:
    C: Hi Bob,
    C: Please review this file urgently:
    C: https://malicious-link.test
    C:
    C: Thanks,
    C: Jane
    C: .
    S: 250 Message accepted
    C: QUIT
    S: 221 Closing connection

    What happened here?

    • The attacker never touched the real domain’s server.
    • No SPF, DKIM, or DMARC was involved.
    • They simply declared themselves as [email protected].
    • The receiving system, if unprotected, trusts the SMTP envelope + header.

    This is why:

    • Email security must be enforced on the RECEIVING side.
    • SPF/DKIM/DMARC without an email security gateway (ProofPoint, Barracuda, Cisco, etc.) is NOT enough.

    🛡 Why SPF and DKIM Alone Can Be Faked

    Attackers don’t guess your DNS records—
    They retrieve them using public DNS queries.

    Example: How Hackers Pull Your DKIM Public Key

    nslookup -type=txt selector1._domainkey.yourdomain.com

    Example: How Hackers Retrieve Your SPF Policy

    nslookup -type=txt yourdomain.com

    Your actual records are public by design.

    Attackers do not break DKIM or SPF—
    they simply copy what’s public and send email from a server you do not control.

    This leads to the two main spoofing paths:

    Two Ways Attackers Deliver Spoofed Email

    1. Using Their Own SMTP Server

    • Full control
    • Can impersonate envelope sender and header
    • Can ignore security standards
    • Can replay your SPF/DKIM values
    • Can build reputation over time

    2. Using Someone Else’s SMTP Server

    • Open relay servers
    • Misconfigured mail servers
    • Free public spoofing tools (many exist)
    • Requires no authentication
    • Still bypasses SPF/DKIM because enforcement happens at the receiver

    🧩 Why You STILL Need ProofPoint or an SEG

    • RFC standards are voluntary
    • SPF/DKIM/DMARC are not enforcement engines
    • They only give a pass/fail signal
    • Your mail flow only becomes safe when paired with:
    1. ProofPoint BEC + EAC protection
    2. Malicious payload scanning
    3. Impostor Detection™
    4. Header anomaly detection
    5. Authentication-layer reputation scoring
    6. Threat intelligence for known bad SMTP sources

    No SPF/DKIM/DMARC setting—no matter how perfect—
    can stop a spoof that comes from an SMTP server across the world.

    Only a receiving enforcement engine can.

    Over the years I have worked with high end filtering solutions in multiple large enterprise environments. The dashboards have changed but their purpose has stayed the same.

    Their goal is to strengthen the RFC standards that are not strong enough on their own.

    Here are the RFCs that define the foundation of email authentication:

    • SPF — RFC 7208
    • DKIM — RFC 6376
    • DMARC — RFC 7489

    These standards are important but incomplete. Even with perfect configuration you can still get spoofing attempts, executive impersonation, phishing, and vendor fraud. The RFC by itself cannot stop the modern threat landscape.

    Below is a clear breakdown of why.

    Defense Wins Championships and Email Security Works the Same Way

    In basketball you cannot win with offense alone. You win when you have strong defense and efficient offense working together.

    Email follows the same pattern.

    SPF is offense
    DKIM is offense
    DMARC is offense

    They validate. They authenticate. They enforce the rule book.

    But attackers do not care about the rule book.
    They bypass these RFC standards every day.

    This is why you need a real defense layer.

    This is where filtering tools like Proofpoint or Barracuda add the protection the protocols cannot provide.

    Why SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Are Not Enough

    Even when perfectly configured these protocols only protect part of the message.

    SPF

    Checks the MAIL FROM envelope.
    Attackers spoof the visible Header From instead.

    DKIM

    Signs the headers.
    Attackers send unsigned mail from lookalike domains.

    DMARC

    Requires alignment.
    Attackers bypass alignment through friendly name tricks and unicode abuse.

    This is why even major companies with mature security still deal with spoofing.

    The RFCs do not cover every modern attack vector.

    What Third Party Filtering Tools Actually Do

    Filtering solutions provide the defense layer that SPF, DKIM, and DMARC cannot offer.

    They detect:

    • impersonation
    • behavior anomalies
    • malicious intent
    • lookalike domains
    • CEO fraud
    • malicious URLs
    • dangerous attachments
    • unknown senders
    • unusual source locations
    • suspicious API behavior
    • threat reputation changes

    They analyze behavior rather than relying only on protocol alignment.

    Without this layer your domain becomes an easy target.

    What Happens When Security Is Too Tight

    When filters are over configured these are the problems you will see:

    • executive emails going to junk
    • vendors trapped in quarantine
    • delayed messages
    • business interruptions
    • unhappy management
    • slow communication
    • loss of confidence in IT

    Security must be layered not suffocating.

    The Five Layers of Modern Email Security

    This approach is what works in every large enterprise environment.

    1. User Training

    Teach users how spoofing works.
    Show them friendly name manipulation.
    Awareness reduces risk.

    2. Proper Microsoft 365 Configuration

    Connectors. Accepted domains. Transport rules.
    Everything must be configured correctly.

    3. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

    The RFC standards still matter.
    Alignment must be correct.

    4. Third Party Filtering Solutions

    Proofpoint. Barracuda. Mimecast.
    They provide what the RFC cannot.

    5. APM Monitoring

    Dynatrace. Splunk. AppDynamics.
    These tools detect environmental issues that affect mail flow.

    APM identifies:

    • abnormal MAIL FROM attempts
    • spikes in DKIM failures
    • SMTP conversation problems
    • delays before Proofpoint
    • anomalies at the DNS level

    This gives early warning before a threat becomes a major issue.

    Final Thought

    Email is the number one attack surface in every company.
    The truth is simple.

    You get what you pay for.

    If you go cheap your domain becomes a soft target.
    You will deal with spoofing
    You will deal with ransomware
    You will deal with compromised accounts
    You will deal with vendor fraud

    If you invest in complete layered defense your organization becomes a bad target.

    This is how modern email security works today.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 – Divine Love – President Russell M. Nelson

    Where the sun breaks through, grace follows. Even in heavy days, God still sends light

    Excerpt

    Divine love is perfect and infinite—but never detached from law, covenant, or personal responsibility. President Nelson teaches that God’s love lifts us, but it also leads us.

    Intro

    There are many ideas in the world about love—“unconditional love,” “love accepts everything,” “love is all that matters.” But President Russell M. Nelson gently corrects this. Divine love is deeper, higher, and holier than the world’s definition. It is love that lifts, but also directs. Love that embraces, but also invites repentance, covenant keeping, and discipleship.

    Notes From the Speaker

    President Nelson teaches:

    • Divine love is perfect—complete and free of selfishness.
    • Divine love is infinite—extending to all who ever lived or will live.
    • Divine love is enduring—God keeps covenant and mercy “to a thousand generations.”
    • Divine love is universal—He sends rain on the just and unjust, and invites all to come unto Him.

    But he also clarifies something rarely discussed:

    “While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional.”

    Not unconditional—in the worldly sense.

    Divine love includes law.
    Divine love invites us to rise.
    Divine love calls us home through covenant.

    Perspective (Direct Quotes)

    “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”

    “The Lord keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments.”

    “He denieth none that come unto him.”

    Divine love is not passive.
    It moves.
    It sacrifices.
    It teaches.
    It commands.

    And it changes us.

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    • Love God by keeping commandments.
    • Love others in ways that lift them toward Christ, not just toward comfort.
    • Pray with real intent, trusting that His love is shaping you—not indulging you.
    • Stand firm when the world pushes to redefine love into permission.
    • Anchor your identity in God’s love, not the world’s applause.

    Final Reflection

    Divine love is not a soft pillow—it is a guiding compass.
    It doesn’t remove the need for obedience; it empowers it.
    It doesn’t eliminate consequences; it helps us grow through them.
    It does not excuse sin; it rescues us from sin.

    President Nelson’s message reminds me that God’s love is best understood not when everything feels easy, but when we recognize that His love shapes us into something greater than we could ever create alone.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    God’s love is infinite, but His blessings are predicated on my willingness to keep commandments and walk the covenant path. His love always points me toward the next step.

    What I Hear Now (Direct Quotes)

    “Divine love cannot be correctly characterized as unconditional.”

    “He inviteth all to come unto him.”

    “The Father and the Son are one—in purpose and love.”

    Link to the Talk

    Divine Love — Russell M. Nelson (2003)

  • MIT8 – Love and Law – President Dallin H. Oaks

    Balanced Rock, Arches National Park — a place where the wind is strong, the foundation is narrow, and the rock stands only because the base holds firm. A reminder that in discipleship, love and law work the same way.

    Excerpt

    We cannot choose one and ignore the other. In the Lord’s plan, love and law stand together. They do not compete. They complete each other.

    Intro — Where the Path Narrows, the Balance Appears

    The walk toward Balanced Rock reminded me that the gospel path often asks us to hold two eternal truths at the same time. Love on one side. Law on the other. And somewhere in the middle is the place where disciples learn to stand steady. President Oaks teaches that real discipleship is not one-sided. It is “loving” and “lawful” at the same time.

    As I stood in front of that massive rock balanced on a narrow pedestal, I felt it — the weight, the tension, and the steadiness that only God can create. The same steadiness He tries to build within us.

    Notes From President Oaks

    • God’s love is perfect, eternal, and unchanging.
    • But His love does not override His laws.
    • Salvation comes through the Atonement, but exaltation comes through obedience.
    • True love never asks us to ignore commandments.
    • Real charity is anchored in truth, not permissiveness.
    • “The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments.”

    Perspective — The Rock and the Law

    We often hear the world say, “Love is all that matters.”
    But President Oaks reminds us that love without law becomes drift, and law without love becomes harshness.

    Balanced Rock became a symbol of that message for me.
    The top looks impossible, almost defying gravity. Yet it stands. Why? Because the foundation beneath it holds firm.

    Love lifts.
    Law steadies.
    And together, they create a foundation strong enough for eternity.

    Sometimes we want everything to be easy. Sometimes we want the Lord to remove the tension. But President Oaks teaches that growth happens in that tension — the balancing, the choosing, the returning, the trying again.

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    • When I feel pulled by emotion, I anchor myself in the commandments.
    • When I feel weighed down by commandments, I remind myself of God’s love.
    • When someone hurts me, I choose charity instead of judgment.
    • When life feels unsteady, I remember that balance is part of discipleship.
      Today, I practice holding both — loving deeply while obeying faithfully.

    Final Reflection

    The Lord’s path is not a straight line. It is a balance.
    Not the balance the world teaches, but the balance the Lord shapes within us — a heart full of charity and a life aligned with His laws.

    Standing there under Balanced Rock, I remembered something simple and quiet:
    Discipleship isn’t about choosing between love and law. It’s about learning to walk with both.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “When we understand both love and law, we grow closer to the Savior whose life embodied both perfectly.”

    What I Hear Now (Direct Quotes)

    • “The love of God does not supersede His laws.”
    • “Because of His love, He cannot change the commandments.”
    • “Real love for the Lord is shown through obedience.”
    • “The gospel is a message of love, but it is also a message of law.”

    Link to the Talk

    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2009/10/love-and-law

    Photo Caption (BTS)

    Balanced Rock, Arches National Park. A place where the wind is strong, the foundation is narrow, and the rock stands only because its base holds firm. A reminder that in discipleship, love and law work the same way.

  • MIT8 – If It’s to Be, It’s Up to Me — and God’s Timing

    Milky Way rising behind Delicate Arch in Moab, Utah, photographed by Jet Mariano. A visual reminder of faith, effort, and timing.

    Excerpt
    If it’s to be, it’s up to me — but only when my feet move in faith and God’s timing directs the path. Today, through hymns, impressions, and a memory of Delicate Arch under the Milky Way, I was reminded that blessings unfold when effort meets revelation.

    Intro: The Path Is Action + Timing
    This morning I woke up peacefully with a single impression:
    “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”

    That sentence framed my entire Sabbath. Each hymn, each thought, each scripture, even the Sunday School lesson seemed orchestrated around one doctrine I’ve lived for decades:

    Faith is a principle of action — but blessings come in God’s timing.

    I’ve worked since I was 12 years old and didn’t enter the IT world until age 37. Nothing was wasted. Every phase prepared me for the next. Today reminded me again: God’s plan is not passive, but it’s not instant either. It is effort + grace. Movement + revelation. Timing + trust.

    Notes From Elder Dale G. Renlund
    Elder Renlund teaches in Abound with Blessings:

    “Most blessings that God desires to give us require action on our part—action based on our faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in the Savior is a principle of action and of power.”

    He adds:

    “Faith in Christ requires ongoing action for the blaze to continue. Small actions fuel our ability to walk along the covenant path… But oxygen flows only if we figuratively keep moving our feet.”

    His examples are profound:

    • Make the bow before the revelation comes
    • Build the tools before the instructions arrive
    • Bake the cake before the miracle of flour appears

    Faith requires movement.
    But miracles require God’s timing.

    Perspective — Elder Christofferson’s Vending Machine Warning
    Elder D. Todd Christofferson adds the perfect balance:

    “We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered.”

    It does not work that way.

    Blessings are not:

    • purchased,
    • demanded,
    • or dispensed on schedule.

    As I wrote in last night’s Predicated blog:

    “Blessings from heaven are neither earned by frenetically accruing ‘good deed coupons’ nor by helplessly waiting to see if we win the blessing lottery. No.”

    True faith is not transactional — it is transformational.

    Practice (Today, Not Someday): The Delicate Arch Lesson
    My photograph of the Milky Way rising behind Delicate Arch is a visual sermon about faith and action.

    The hike is 3 miles round trip, with over 600 feet of elevation climb. During summer, the Milky Way rises behind the arch for only a brief window. If I waited for perfect conditions or perfect timing, I would miss it.

    So I climbed early.
    Walked in the dark.
    Prepared my gear.
    Positioned myself.
    And waited for heaven to align.

    Only then did the Milky Way rise — after I moved my feet.

    Some blessings don’t appear until we climb.
    Some revelation doesn’t rise until we prepare.
    Some miracles don’t unfold until we act in faith.

    That hike is my life:
    from working at 12,
    to breakthroughs at 37,
    to every step since.
    Effort + timing.
    Action + grace.
    Faith + patience.

    Final Reflection
    “If it’s to be, it’s up to me” is not self-reliance without God.
    It’s my action combined with His timing.
    My discipline combined with His direction.
    My relentless faith combined with His perfect plan.

    Today reminded me that the Lord isn’t a vending machine dispensing blessings on demand. He’s a Father who blesses according to eternal purpose. Sometimes He asks me to climb in the dark. Sometimes He asks me to wait. But He always keeps His promises.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    Move my feet — and trust His timing.
    Climb faithfully — and let Him reveal the Milky Way.

    What I Hear Now (Direct Quotes)
    “Faith in the Savior is a principle of action and of power.” — Elder Renlund
    “Blessings require movement — oxygen flows only if you keep your feet moving.”
    “God is not a cosmic vending machine.” — Elder Christofferson
    “Make the bow before the revelation comes.”

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Marked in Time — “Pedicated”

    The scripture that framed my entire night:

    “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
    And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”    (D&C 130:20-21)

    Salt Lake Temple • Long Exposure • f/11 • ISO 64 • 15s • 14–24mm on a spider tripod
    A night when stillness spoke louder than motion.

    Excerpt

    Blessings are predicated on law — but not in the way a vending machine dispenses what we demand. They arrive through becoming, trusting, and walking with God in His timing.

    Intro

    The word predicated has been echoing in my mind since my time in the temple today. It comes from Doctrine and Covenants 130, where the Lord teaches that every blessing is tied to a law. Not earned, not purchased, not demanded — but predicated. As I reflected on the week’s experiences, the people I’ve tried to help, and my own quiet questions, this truth settled deeply: God’s timing shapes God’s blessings.

    Notes from the Temple & Talks

    As I sat with the scriptures open, the Spirit reminded me that obedience is not a transaction but a relationship. Elder Dale G. Renlund explains:

    “Blessings from heaven are neither earned by frenetically accruing ‘good deed coupons’ nor by helplessly waiting to see if we win the blessing lottery.… Blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential.”

    Those words matched what I’ve lived this week — acting where I can, helping who I can, trusting that small efforts still move heaven’s work forward.

    Elder D. Todd Christofferson warns against the temptation to expect blessings on our timeline:

    “Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule.… We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine… where the order is promptly delivered.”

    This is not how God works — and yet, He always works.

    Perspective (Direct Quotes)

    D&C 130:20–21 teaches:
    “There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated… And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”

    Elder Renlund adds:
    “The truth is much more nuanced but more appropriate for the relationship between a loving Heavenly Father and His potential heirs.”

    Elder Christofferson clarifies:
    “…not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations.”

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    Today I will trust the process.
    I will obey not to earn, but to become.
    I will keep acting in faith, helping where I can, and letting the Lord handle the timing of what I cannot control.
    I will let small acts of discipleship be enough — because they are.

    Final Reflection

    Elder Christofferson offers a truth that speaks to moments of uncertainty, impatience, or pleading:

    “So, in the midst of this refiner’s fire, rather than get angry with God, get close to God. Call upon the Father in the name of the Son. Walk with Them in the Spirit, day by day. Allow Them over time to manifest Their fidelity to you. Come truly to know Them and truly to know yourself. Let God prevail.”

    This is the heart of predicated.
    Blessings unfold as we walk with Him — not as we demand from Him.
    They arrive in due time, in His way, shaped by His love and our readiness.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    Obedience prepares me, trust steadies me, and God’s timing refines me.

    What I Hear Now

    “Let God prevail.”
    “Blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired action is essential.”
    “Not every blessing comes according to our expectations.”

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Where the Light Learns to Let Go

    The sky opened for a moment and the light answered back.

    The wheel glowed in violet as dusk settled over Santa Monica, and a single strike of lightning cut through the horizon like a quiet reminder that beauty and power can share the same frame. Some nights arrive without warning, and all you can do is stand still and let the moment write its own story.

    When the day surrendered, the sky burned one last time.

    The sun dropped behind the pier like a slow farewell, turning the whole horizon into fire. The wheel stood still against it, a quiet witness to the ending of another day. Some places remind you that even the most ordinary moments can shine when the light chooses to pass through them.

    When the night finally claimed the pier, the colors refused to die.

    The wheel spun in its own quiet galaxy, throwing violet and blue across the water like it was painting the ocean awake. The last light of sunset slipped under the horizon, but the pier kept glowing as if to say: even when the day ends, there is still something worth staying for.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 – “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It”

    Sleeping Beauty Castle at Night — Reflections of Patience and Light

    Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disneyland — long exposure, reflection pond perfectly still under holiday lights.
    © Jet Mariano bottom right

    Excerpt
    Dreams are born in imagination, but they come to life through patience. This photo reminds me that what seems impossible is often just waiting for stillness — the moment when faith, timing, and light all come together.

    Intro
    At Disneyland, I stood before Sleeping Beauty’s Castle surrounded by soft laughter, bright music, and winter lights. I had dreamed of this shot for years — the castle glowing like ice, perfectly mirrored in the reflection pond.

    The challenge wasn’t the camera. It was patience. I waited for the crowd to thin and for the water to still. When the noise finally faded, I clicked the shutter. Thirty seconds of silence turned imagination into reality.

    Notes from the Scene
    📍 Disneyland, Anaheim, California
    Tripod. Manual mode. I pointed my camera using the LCD screen toward the brightest light on the castle to achieve perfect focus. Once the image looked sharp, I turned my Nikon 14-24mm 2.8G lens from AF to M and my camera to full manual. This prevents the lens from “hunting” in the dark — a trick learned through countless nights of trial.

    After years of practice, I trusted the settings: 30-second shutter, f/11, ISO 2400. The result was this reflection — not luck, but learning.

    Perspective
    Walt Disney once said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
    That line carries truth beyond photography. In every art, in every calling, we are dreamers learning to wait for our moment of light.

    The dreamer in us sees what could be. The doer in us practices until it becomes real. And sometimes, all we need is faith that stillness will come.

    Practice
    If you want to capture your dream, prepare your heart and your craft before the light arrives. Keep learning, keep refining, and when the world quiets — act.

    Final Reflection
    Dreams don’t come to the impatient. They come to those who wait, who watch, who trust their settings.
    The castle may belong to Disneyland, but the reflection — that belongs to every dreamer who believes.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    Dreams start in the heart, but patience brings them into focus. ✨

    Photo Caption (BTS)
    📸 Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disneyland — long exposure, reflection pond perfectly still under holiday lights.
    © Jet Mariano bottom right

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 – “Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly”

    (President Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2007 General Conference)
    Read the full talk →

    Oquirrh Mountain Temple under the waxing gibbous moon — November, 2025. I waited patiently until light met stillness.

    Excerpt:
    President Hinckley’s counsel reaches across time: “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.” The promise that follows is profound—“The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion.” These are not poetic lines; they are spiritual laws. Virtue invites confidence, and confidence invites the Spirit.

    When I listened to this talk again—over fifty times between last night and this morning—the Spirit emphasized one word: virtue.

    What is virtue?
    Virtue means to fill your mind with morally clean, righteous, and excellent thoughts until goodness becomes your reflex. To garnish is to equip or arm your thoughts, so when fear, doubt, or temptation step onto the stage of your mind, they find no audience. We control the stage. We choose which act plays. As I sat inside the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, I realized: darkness never conquers light that is armed with virtue.

    President Hinckley connected virtue to a simple, practical four-point program—a pattern that turns righteousness into rhythm:

    1. Pray.
      Prayer is the bridge to our Heavenly Father. “Speak with Him,” President Hinckley said. “Express the gratitude of your heart.” Prayer is not repetition—it is relationship. It invites light to dwell where confusion once lived.
    2. Study.
      “Resolve now that you will get all the education you can.” The glory of God is intelligence. I remember my own pursuit—working full-time in IT while carrying a full course load at LACC and DeVry. It was exhausting, but education was revelation in motion. To study is to worship with the mind.
    3. Pay Tithing.
      “Glorious is the promise of the Lord concerning those who pay their tithes.” Temporal faith builds spiritual independence. Each tithe is a declaration that God’s economy governs my heart more than the world’s uncertainty.
    4. Attend Your Meetings.
      There is no substitute for partaking of the sacrament. Sunday worship keeps us anchored when weekday storms rise. It renews the covenant that allows virtue to flow back into thought and action.

    President Hinckley’s bridge between virtue and the four-point program is clear once you live it: each step disciplines the mind and purifies the heart.
    Prayer keeps thoughts upward.
    Study keeps them expanding.
    Tithing keeps them consecrated.
    Worship keeps them renewed.
    Together, they garnish the mind with virtue—unceasingly.

    He promised, “Each of you is a creature of Divinity. You are literally a daughter or son of the Almighty. There is no limit to your potential. If you will take control of your lives, the future is filled with opportunity and gladness.”

    As I waited outside the Oquirrh Temple for the waxing gibbous moon to rise above the spire, I thought of those words. The moon appeared quietly, reflecting light it does not create—just as we reflect heaven’s virtue when we live this four-point pattern.

    Final Reflection:
    Virtue is not perfection—it is direction. It is the steady alignment of thought toward holiness until confidence replaces fear. In that light, President Hinckley’s four steps are not separate commandments; they are one continuous motion toward the presence of God.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 – “Confidence in the Presence of God”

    November 8, 2025 – Oquirrh Temple Reflections

    Joshua Tree National Park – The Milky Way at 2 AM. 30 sec exposure, f/11, ISO 2400. Manual focus locked on the brightest star to prevent lens hunting. A quiet lesson in light, patience, and faith.

    Excerpt
    We all will experience illness, disappointment, temptation, and loss. These challenges can knock our self-confidence. However, disciples of Jesus Christ have access to a different kind of confidence — the confidence that comes from covenants, virtue, and the Spirit.

    Intro
    While I sat in the Celestial Room of the Oquirrh Temple, I heard a quiet assurance: “In due time.” It echoed the nudges I felt early Friday morning. I had come seeking peace, but what I received was perspective — that confidence before God comes not from circumstance, but from virtue and covenant faithfulness.

    Notes from President Nelson (April 2025 General Conference)
    From his talk “Confidence in the Presence of God”:

    “We all will experience illness, disappointment, temptation, and loss. These challenges can knock our self-confidence. However, disciples of Jesus Christ have access to a different kind of confidence.”

    “When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that our confidence can ‘wax strong in the presence of God.’ Imagine the comfort of having confidence in the presence of God!”

    President Nelson continued:

    “When I speak of having confidence before God, I am referring to having confidence in approaching God right now! I am referring to praying with confidence that Heavenly Father hears us, that He understands our needs better than we do.”

    He reminded us that confidence is the byproduct of charity and virtue.

    “Let thy bowels be full of charity… and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.”

    He also promised:

    “Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

    And finally:

    “Then, as we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy, and your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. We will begin to experience spiritual power that exceeds our greatest hopes.”

    What Is Virtue?
    This is what I learned in the Celestial Room of the Oquirrh Temple:
    If you let virtue — morally clean and excellent thoughts, kindness, and all that is positive — fill your mind, then the bad actors on the stage of your mind like doubt, fear, and depression will evaporate.

    Why? Because we control the stage of our mind.

    We can divert our thoughts to virtue: our favorite Church talk, a meaningful scripture, or a motivating experience. These are our arsenal to protect the mind from intrusive darkness.

    As Elder Boyd K. Packer taught:

    “The mind is like a stage… There is always some act being performed. Virtue determines which act takes the spotlight.”

    Darkness will never have power over light. When virtue becomes our daily focus, we begin to understand what it means to “garnish our thoughts unceasingly.”

    Perspective
    D&C 124 teaches, “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.” To “garnish” means to arm or equip. Virtue, then, is our spiritual armor — the unseen force that steadies the mind and protects confidence.

    In IT, confidence is also earned — through repetition, study, and mistakes turned into mastery. When knowledge becomes daily practice, it forms character; and character, in time, becomes wisdom — the quiet confidence that endures.

    Practice
    Virtue doesn’t silence thoughts; it trains them. It replaces anxious noise with light. It equips us to approach God not as strangers but as sons and daughters who trust His timing — His due time.

    Final Reflection – Light in One of the Darkest Places
    The photo above was taken at Joshua Tree National Park — one of the darkest places on earth. Out there, you can hardly see your own hands.

    To capture the Milky Way, I did what years of practice taught me:

    • Mounted my camera on a tripod
    • Pointed the lens toward the brightest star in the Milky Way using the LCD screen
    • Let the autofocus lock in until the stars were sharp
    • Then switched both the 14–24mm f/2.8G lens from AF to M and the camera to Manual so the lens wouldn’t “hunt” in the dark
    • Set the exposure to 30 seconds, f/11, ISO 2400
    • Hit the 30-second timer and walked into the frame, shining a small LED flashlight toward the Milky Way

    I became both the subject and the seeker — trusting the focus, the settings, and the process. The sky didn’t suddenly change; the Milky Way was there the whole time. The difference was confidence built from quiet, repeated attempts.

    Faith works the same way. We may feel surrounded by darkness, but if we’ve prepared, practiced, filled our minds with virtue, and kept showing up in God’s house, the light eventually appears — and our confidence, in His presence, slowly waxes strong.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    Virtue will free you from anxious, troublesome thoughts. In time, it becomes confidence — the kind that lets you stand in God’s presence without fear.

    What I Hear Now

    “In due time.”
    “Charity and virtue open the way.”

    Full talk: Confidence in the Presence of God – President Russell M. Nelson (April 2025)

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 – The Morning Whisper at Oquirrh

    (Guideline #21: Time Isn’t Your Natural Dimension)

    The Oquirrh Mountain Temple — where silence felt eternal, and the dawn waited its turn.

    Excerpt:
    In the quiet hours before dawn, the cold air at Oquirrh Mountain Temple carried a whisper — not of time passing, but of eternity reminding me where I truly belong.

    Intro

    It was early morning in the 30s, the kind of cold that clears the mind but steadies the heart.
    The temple stood bright against the darkness, its light spilling upward toward the heavens.
    I wasn’t seeking answers — only understanding. And somewhere between the wind and silence, understanding came.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Elder Maxwell taught that time isn’t our natural dimension.

    “There are days when you wish that time would pass quickly, and it won’t.
    There are days when you wish you could hold back the dawn, and you can’t.
    You and I are not at home in this dimension we call time… we belong to eternity.”

    He compared our souls to fish who thrive in water — but for us, time isn’t our home.
    We move through it like visitors, wearing watches only to measure what eternity already knows.

    Perspective (Direct Quotes)

    “There are days when you wish that time would pass quickly, and it won’t.
    There are days when you wish you could hold back the dawn, and you can’t.”

    Those lines carried me this morning as I stood still beneath the steeple.
    I realized that my soul has never felt at home in time. I’ve always felt that sense of being from somewhere else.

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    Today I practiced stillness.
    Not to rush, not to resist — only to be.

    The chill pressed against my coat, but my heart felt warmth rise from within.
    I prayed, not for time to change, but for me to be at peace within it.

    While I sat in quiet prayer, a gentle assurance came — one of peace and reconciliation.
    It reminded me that understanding often arrives before words are ever spoken.

    Final Reflection

    Elder Maxwell said, “We are struck out of eternity and this is not our natural home.”

    I thought about how often I’ve wanted to fast-forward pain or freeze moments of peace.
    Yet both are teachers. Time doesn’t imprison us — it refines us, reminding us that eternity is our real address.

    The Pocket I’m Keeping

    When moments press hard against me, I’ll remember: I’m not built for time, I’m built for eternity.
    Every second that stretches me brings me closer to Him who shaped both time and soul.

    What I Hear Now (Direct Quote)

    “Sometimes experiences we want to end are the very ones we need in order to grow.”
    — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Link to the Talk

    🎧 Elder Neal A. Maxwell — “Guidelines for Righteous Living” (BYU Devotional, 1979)

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 — The Light Inside the IT Bureaucracy

    Guideline #1: Make Jesus the Light of Your Life

    Lightning Strikes During My Hike” — halfway up a 500-foot trail, a storm rolled in. Lightning flashed all around, but I steadied my iPhone and captured the moment — proof that even in turbulence, light still finds a way through.

    Excerpt:
    In IT, not every failure is about systems — sometimes it’s the people, the politics, or the process. That’s when you learn that survival isn’t just technical; it’s spiritual.

    Intro:
    I’ve been in technology long enough to know that the real crashes don’t happen in code — they happen in communication. You can design the perfect plan, follow every procedure, and still watch bureaucracy rewrite the script. It’s invisible at first, but sooner or later, it finds you.

    Last week reminded me of that truth — what I now call a 3:1 moment. (Details redacted.) Three hits came hard and fast, but one quiet mercy broke through — proof that when everything else seems stacked against you, grace still shows up.

    That’s when the job becomes endurance training.

    Notes from Elder Maxwell:
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell said:

    “Make Jesus the light of your life, and by His light see everything else. He is your best friend. If you worry most about what that Friend thinks of you, you’ll be safe… When you are out in the world, away from a special environment like college, and you start to worry about what other people think, don’t worry about that too much. Instead, worry about what Jesus feels towards you and how He regards you.”

    Replace college with work, and you have a perfect roadmap for surviving the modern workplace.

    Perspective:
    The IT world can feel like a contact sport — part Navy SEAL, part MMA. You prepare, you adapt, and you always keep contingency plans. Because if you don’t, you’ll get run over by process, politics, or ego.

    Even world champions know this truth.
    Manny Pacquiao was knocked down before — but never stayed down. In his fight with Keith Thurman, ten years younger and undefeated, the odds were stacked against him. Yet in the very first round, he delivered a lightning-fast two-punch combination — a left to the body followed by a right hook to the head — and Thurman went down.

    That wasn’t just speed. It was preparation. It was discipline meeting opportunity — a reminder that when life corners you, your response determines the outcome. Manny didn’t rely on luck; he relied on the quiet confidence of someone who’s trained for every possible contingency.

    Michael Jordan once said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
    His words mirror the same principle: failure isn’t final — it’s part of mastery. In sports, in IT, and in faith, the ones who rise are the ones who keep taking the next shot.

    That’s what faith and readiness look like.

    And that’s what integrity demands. Sometimes the test doesn’t come from code or systems, but from people — from moments when ego challenges your principles. When faced with the choice between comfort and conscience, integrity means standing your ground. As President Monson taught:

    “Just be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light.”

    Practice (today, not someday):
    When systems fail or meetings go sideways, pause.
    Ask, “Am I reacting through the light of Christ or through the frustration of the moment?”
    Then answer with calm precision, integrity intact.
    Be the same person in the dark server room that you are in the spotlight of success.

    Final Reflection:
    The week tested me — a 3:1 kind of test. (All redacted.) Yet through it came the same whisper that I’ve heard again and again:
    “Make Jesus the light of your life, and see everything else by His light.”

    Because in this field — and in this life — even the best plans break. But faith doesn’t.

    Pocket I’m Keeping:
    True uptime isn’t about servers — it’s about keeping your soul online with God.

    What I Hear Now:

    “Make Jesus the light of your life, and see everything else by His light. Worry most about what He thinks of you, and you’ll be safe.” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    “Be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light.” — President Thomas S. Monson

    Photo Caption (BTS):
    “Lightning Strikes During My Hike” — halfway up a 500-foot trail, a storm rolled in. Lightning flashed all around, but I steadied my iPhone and captured the moment — proof that even in turbulence, light still finds a way through.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 – “Trust the Lord, for He sees your possibilities even when you do not.”

    Trust the Lord, for He sees your possibilities even when you do not. Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s counsel reminds us that, like Enoch, we can turn doubt into divine potential.

    Las Vegas Temple with a full moon and the Las Vegas skyline at sunset — photographed from an elevated ridge using distance compression to unite the sacred and the city.

    Excerpt:
    Even when we feel inadequate, the Lord sees the builder of Zion within us—just as He did with Enoch.

    Intro:
    This morning at Juniper Crest Ward, I sat in the chapel and felt a deep sense of peace. Life continues to offer its share of challenges—both at home and at work—but I’ve come to see them as part of the Lord’s refining process. As I pondered Elder Maxwell’s words, the phrase “He sees your possibilities” filled me with quiet assurance that every experience, even the difficult ones, is part of His design to help me grow.

    Notes from Elder Maxwell:
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s twelfth Guideline for Righteous Living reminds us:

    “Trust the Lord, for He sees your possibilities even when you do not.”

    He taught that the Lord’s call to Enoch reveals how heaven measures potential differently than men do. When the Lord called Enoch, the young prophet protested:

    “I am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech.”

    Yet the Lord saw something more. He saw in Enoch a builder of Zion—the only city in human history where righteousness never had a relapse. Enoch’s faith allowed the Lord to transform his weakness into strength and his fear into greatness.

    Perspective:
    I see a reflection of that same principle in my own journey. There are moments when I’ve questioned my worth or felt small in the work I do. But the Lord continues to remind me through scripture, prayer, and personal experience that He knows my capacity far better than I do. Like Enoch, my task is not to measure my ability—but to trust His vision.

    Practice (today, not someday):
    Instead of asking “Can I do this?”, I’m learning to ask “What can the Lord make of this?” I’ve seen His hand in small mercies at work, in strength during solitude, and in clarity during uncertainty. Each trial is not punishment—it’s preparation for the next assignment the Lord already sees.

    Final Reflection:
    The Lord doesn’t always reveal our full potential at once. Sometimes, He lets us walk by faith until we recognize what He already knew we could become. Like Enoch, if we trust Him, He will turn our limitations into instruments of Zion.

    Pocket I’m Keeping:
    “Possibility is heaven’s word for faith that kept going.”

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes):

    “Trust the Lord, for He sees your possibilities even when you do not.” – Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Link to the Talk:
    21 Guidelines for Righteous Living – Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Photo caption (BTS):
    Las Vegas Nevada Temple beneath the setting sun and a rising full moon. I climbed to a nearby ridge with a 500mm lens to capture distance compression—bringing the temple and the Las Vegas Strip closer together in one frame. In that balance of sacred stillness and the world’s brilliance, I saw a quiet symbol of what it means to trust the Lord’s vision beyond our own.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 “Sometimes It Is Better to Be Left Out Than to Be Taken In”

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s reminder that exclusion for righteousness is not rejection — it’s refinement.

    Salt Lake Temple at night framed by red flowers and a lamppost, symbolizing unwavering faith amid rejection and darkness.

    Intro
    There are seasons in life when conviction tests companionship — when holding true to gospel standards draws distance instead of approval. Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s Guideline #13 from Guidelines for Righteous Living begins with this counsel:

    “Do not be discouraged if fair-weather friends discard you because you keep the standards of the Church.”

    It’s a tender reminder that exclusion can be sanctifying. When others drift away for choosing righteousness, the Lord draws closer.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    • “Do not be discouraged as some fair-weather friends discard you because you keep the standards of the Church.”
    • “Sometimes it is better to be left out than to be taken in.”
    • “While the exclusion will hurt, the bruises will disappear and the blessings will remain.”
    • “Don’t ever envy those who live unrighteously. They only appear to be happy. They only seem to be free.”
    • “It is better for you to be alienated from the gang than to be alienated from God.”
    • “Not because you’re too good for them, but because you’re not that strong.”
    • “Do not let others mess up your mind with the muddy feet of the world.”

    Perspective
    Elder Maxwell laid out a pattern for discipleship in difficult times:

    Key PrincipleElder Maxwell’s Counsel & ExplanationTimeless Lesson
    Do Not Be Discouraged“Do not be discouraged as some fair-weather friends discard you.”True discipleship may mean walking alone for a season.
    Choose Exclusion Over Corruption“Sometimes it is better to be left out than to be taken in.”Purity is worth more than popularity.
    Focus on Lasting Blessings“The bruises will disappear and the blessings will remain.”Wounds heal; eternal rewards stay.
    Do Not Envy the Unrighteous“They only appear to be happy.”The world’s joy is a mirage.
    Alienation from God vs. the Gang“Better to be alienated from the gang than from God.”Choose divine connection over social comfort.
    Avoid Immoral Company“Not because you’re too good…but because you’re not that strong.”Humility is the truest safeguard.
    Guard Your Mind“Don’t let people with muddy feet track dirt into your thoughts.”Protect your mind — it’s sacred ground.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    When rejection comes for doing what’s right, I can choose gratitude over resentment. Every lost friendship rooted in worldliness is space made for godly strength to grow.

    Today, I’ll guard my mind from bitterness and remember: exclusion for righteousness is not punishment — it’s preparation.

    Final Reflection
    To live by conviction in a permissive world is to stand in a quiet kind of courage. Elder Maxwell’s words remind me that it’s better to face a smaller circle with a clear conscience than a full crowd with a clouded one.

    Fair-weather friends may drift, but the faithful stay anchored. In the end, only one friendship lasts forever — the one I keep with God.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    When others walk away, I’ll walk with Christ. The bruises fade, but His presence remains.

    What I Hear Now

    “Do not be discouraged if fair-weather friends discard you because you keep the standards of the Church.”
    — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Photo Caption (BTS)
    Behind the Shot: Salt Lake Temple at night — still and bright against the dark. I waited for the wind to stop before taking a 5-second exposure so every red bloom stayed still. The temple lights shone through the silence — a symbol of standing firm when others fade away.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 “Bad breaks need not ruin a good person.”

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s reminder that adversity isn’t defeat — it’s divine positioning for growth.

    Idaho Falls Temple before sunrise with the Snake River flowing in front, captured at long exposure — symbolizing calm endurance, hidden opportunity, and divine light emerging from darkness.

    Excerpt
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s 11th guideline for righteous living reminds us that being surrounded doesn’t mean being defeated — it can mean we’re exactly where God can shape our strength.

    Intro
    Sometimes the hardest part of life isn’t the trial itself but feeling isolated in the middle of it. Whether at home, at work, or even within the walls of the Church, we all face moments when we feel surrounded by pressures, criticism, or misunderstanding. My sensitive nature often magnifies those moments, and for a while, I let them weigh me down. But Guideline #11 from Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s Guidelines for Righteous Living taught me to see those moments differently.

    This week’s message — “Don’t be discouraged if you are surrounded” — became my antidote to discouragement. It reminded me that spiritual resilience is not found in escaping trials, but in seeing their divine purpose from the inside out.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    • “Don’t be discouraged if in the course of your lifetime the Church seems to be surrounded and outnumbered.”
    • Elder Maxwell shared the example of General Chesty Puller, one of the most courageous officers in U.S. Marine Corps history. When his troops were surrounded, he famously said: “At last we have the enemy just where we want him. We’re surrounded, and now we can fire in every direction.”
    • Elder Maxwell then pointed to the inner battles we face: “Remember that bad breaks need not ruin a good man or a good woman.”
    • He used the example of Joseph in Egypt, saying that if any man besides Job had bad breaks, it was Joseph — yet Joseph rose above them and became significant because he refused to let those breaks become an excuse for failure.
    • Elder Maxwell concluded, “So often, my young brothers and sisters, in life opportunity comes disguised as tragedy. It doesn’t drop its disguise right away. It’s sometime before you begin to see that it’s opportunity behind that mask.”

    Perspective
    The message of Guideline #11 reaches every season of discipleship — when we feel alone, misunderstood, or “outnumbered.” General Puller’s courage turns fear into opportunity: being surrounded doesn’t mean defeat, it means there’s purpose in every direction. Joseph in Egypt faced betrayal, false accusation, and imprisonment, yet he didn’t curse the darkness. He used those setbacks as steps toward his divine calling.

    The pattern is clear — those who trust God in their confinement will see that their obstacles were not barriers but building blocks toward greatness.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    When discouragement closes in, I remind myself that perspective changes everything. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” I now ask, “What is this preparing me for?”
    At work, at home, or in private struggles, I can practice this truth by responding with faith instead of frustration. Every “bad break” becomes a training ground for humility, empathy, and endurance.

    Final Reflection
    Elder Maxwell’s teaching reminds me that God does not waste adversity. What looks like being surrounded is often God positioning us for strength we could not have gained otherwise. The disguise of tragedy eventually falls away, and behind it stands opportunity — glowing quietly like light breaking through the fog.

    When I feel cornered, I remember: this is not the end of the story. This is the place where faith fires in every direction.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    Discouragement is temporary; divine positioning is eternal. What surrounds me cannot destroy me if I stand still and trust His plan.

    What I Hear Now

    “So often, my young brothers and sisters, in life opportunity comes disguised as tragedy. It doesn’t drop its disguise right away. It’s sometime before you begin to see that it’s opportunity behind that mask.”
    — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    📸 Photo Caption (BTS)

    Behind the Shot: I arrived before dawn at the Snake River, tripod and remote in hand, waiting for the first light to touch the Idaho Falls Temple. The air was still, the river smooth under a long exposure, and the temple lights glowed softly across the water. Surrounded by darkness, I felt peace. The scene became my quiet reminder that even before the sun rises, His light is already here.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • The Mountain Climber’s Path — Elder Neal A. Maxwell on Obedience and Discovery

    Bountiful Utah Temple at sunset captured from a hillside using a 500 mm lens, symbolizing patience, obedience, and spiritual ascent.

    Excerpt
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s 10th guideline reminds me that obedience is not the end of exploration — it’s the very beginning of it.

    Intro
    After a long week of deadlines and noise, I felt impressed to step away and climb the hill above Bountiful with my camera. As I waited for the sunset, I thought about Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s Guidelines for Righteous Living, especially Guideline #10: “Obeying is one of the best ways of exploring.” The higher I climbed, the clearer it became that obedience isn’t about restriction—it’s about finding higher ground and seeing life from God’s perspective.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    • No one would attempt to scale Mount Everest or the Tetons in jeans and a t-shirt without an expert guide.
    • We cannot climb the straight and narrow path without the guidance of the Holy Ghost and the protection of the whole armor of God.
    • If we are obedient, we will “discover, explore, and learn many great and wonderful things.”

    Perspective
    Elder Maxwell’s Mountain Climber Analogy illustrates discipleship as a spiritual ascent.

    ElementDescriptionSpiritual Parallel
    The ClimberOne who begins the ascentThe Individual / The Spiritual Explorer
    The ChallengeThe difficult climbThe Straight and Narrow Path
    The Expert Guide & GearRequires a guide and full gearThe Holy Ghost and the Whole Armor of God
    The RewardDiscovery and joy through obedienceGaining Truth, Knowledge, and Joy in God’s Kingdom

    Just as no one would attempt Everest without proper gear, the spiritual explorer must be clothed with faith, humility, and divine protection. The commandments are not chains but climbing ropes — tools that keep us safe on the ascent.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    When I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself that obedience is not restriction; it’s direction. By following divine guidance daily, I move upward, step by step, through the fog of mortal challenges.

    Final Reflection
    The mountain analogy reframes life’s climb: every commandment is an anchor point, every trial a ridge to strengthen the soul. The summit isn’t reached by speed, but by steady, faithful obedience — one prayer, one act of trust at a time.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    Obedience opens the path to discovery — the more I submit, the higher I climb.

    What I Hear Now

    “If you will be obedient, you will discover, you will explore, and learn many great and wo

    📸 Caption (BTS)

    Behind the Shot: I climbed above Bountiful with my 500 mm lens, waiting for the exact moment when the last light would touch the temple and the clouds would gather over Antelope Island. From this height, the horizon seemed infinite — a reminder that obedience, like climbing, always leads to a higher view.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • 💻 Path to Become a Developer (Ivy Falls)

    From coding late nights to building real solutions — proof that persistence pays off.
    DeveloperJourney #IvyFalls #NoBandAidFix

    Introduction: The Path Is the Practice

    My journey to development and infrastructure followed the same rhythm — discipline by day, learning by night.
    While working full-time at All Electronics Corporation in Van Nuys (1990–1995), I woke at 4 A.M. to catch two LA Metro buses from Western and 3rd Street to my 6:30 A.M. shift, then sometimes worked evenings at the Taco Bell drive-thru in Glendale.

    I wasn’t chasing titles; I was chasing understanding. At All Electronics, I became obsessed with the Integrated Circuit (IC) — the heartbeat of every computer. There was no Internet back then — only library books and endless curiosity. I crashed my own PCs, rebuilt them, and soon began fixing computers for free for anyone who needed help.

    Back then, I used to dream of a day when I wouldn’t have to wait for the bus in the rain just to get home. Years later, those same dreams became reality — not through luck, but through faith, discipline, and persistence. The rides changed — from buses to a BMW, an Audi, and now a Tesla — but what never changed was the purpose: to keep moving forward.

    Those early mornings and late nights opened the door to my first IT role at USC as a PC Specialist, then to GTE (now Verizon), Aerospace, and eventually to my own IT consulting business serving clients large and small across California and beyond.

    Season of Refinement

    While working full-time at USC, I entered what I call my season of refinement.
    By day I supported campus systems and users; by night I was a full-time student at Los Angeles City College (LACC) and a weekend warrior at DeVry University, studying Management in Telecommunications.

    It was during this time that Microsoft introduced the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) program.
    One of my LACC professors encouraged me to earn it, saying, “Once you have that license, companies will chase you.”
    He was right — that MCSE became my ticket to GTE, my first step into enterprise-scale IT.

    My tenure at GTE was brief because Aerospace came calling with a six-figure offer just before Y2K — an opportunity too great to refuse.
    After Aerospace, I founded my own consulting firm — Ahead InfoTech (AIT) — and entered what I now call my twelve years of plenty.

    One of my earliest clients, USC Perinatal Group, asked me to design and implement a secure LAN/WAN connecting satellite offices across major hospitals including California Hospital Medical Center, Saint Joseph of Burbank and Mission Hills, and Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital.
    We used T1 lines with CSU/DSU units and Fortinet firewalls; I supplied every workstation and server under my own AIT brand.

    Through that success I was referred to additional projects for Tarzana and San Gabriel Perinatal Groups, linked by dedicated frame-relay circuits — early-era networking at its finest.
    Momentum carried me to new partnerships with The Claremont Colleges and the City of West Covina, where I served as Senior Consultant handling forensic and SMTP (email) engineering.

    Word spread further. An attorney client introduced me to an opportunity in American Samoa to help design and build a regional ISP, and later to a contract with Sanyo Philippines.
    During this period Fortinet was still new, and I became one of its early resellers. I preferred building AIT servers and workstations from the ground up rather than reselling mass-produced systems.
    DSL was just emerging, yet most clients relied on dedicated T1 lines — real hands-on networking that demanded patience and precision.

    Those were the twelve years of plenty — projects stretching from Los Angeles hospitals to overseas data links.
    By the time AWS launched in 2006 and Azure in 2010, I was already managing distributed networks and data replication.

    When I returned to Corporate America, my first full-time role was at Payforward, where I led the On-Prem to AWS migration, building multi-region environments across US-East (1a and 1b) and US-West, complete with VPCs, subnets, IAM policies, and full cloud security.
    That’s when I earned my AWS certifications, completing a journey that had begun with cables and consoles and matured in the cloud.

    Education, experience, and certification merged into one lesson:
    Discipline comes first. Validation follows.
    Degrees and credentials were never my starting line — they became the icing on the cake of years of practice, service, and faith.

    My Philosophy: Code Like a Craftsman

    Photography taught me patience. Martial Arts taught me form. IT taught me precision.
    All three share one secret: the art lies in repetition with awareness.

    As Ansel Adams said:

    “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”

    Coding feels the same. When logic becomes unclear, I focus. When code seems inadequate, I find peace in understanding.

    The Developer Path

    1️⃣ Core Web Skills

    HTML | CSS | JavaScript (ES6+) | Git | GitHub
    Learn Free: freeCodeCamp | Traversy Media

    2️⃣ Frontend Framework

    Master React or Next.js.
    Courses: Max Schwarzmüller Udemy | Colt Steele Bootcamp | Jonas Schmedtmann JS Course

    3️⃣ Backend & APIs

    Choose Node.js or Python (Flask / FastAPI).
    Watch: Corey Schafer | Course: Angela Yu 100 Days of Code

    4️⃣ DevOps for Developers

    Learn Docker, GitHub Actions, and Cloud Deployments.
    Watch: TechWorld with Nana

    5️⃣ Labs & Simulators

    No hardware? Use Whizlabs Labs | Replit | Microsoft Sandboxes

    6️⃣ Portfolio

    Build three apps (CRUD, API, SPA) + README + screenshots + a short blog for each.

    Final Reflection

    From library nights in Koreatown to pushing code in the cloud, this path proves that curiosity and consistency still change lives.
    Keep learning, keep building, and remember — every keystroke is one more kick toward mastery.
    This blog will continue to grow as technology changes — come back often and build along with me.

    🪶 Closing Note

    I share this story not to boast but to inspire those still discovering their own path in technology.
    Everything here is told from personal experience and memory; if a date or detail differs from official records, it’s unintentional.
    I’m grateful for mentors like my LACC professor, who once told me to look up a name not yet famous — Bill Gates — and earn my MCSE + I.
    He was right: that single decision opened countless doors.

    I don’t claim to know everything; I simply kept learning, serving, and sharing.
    My living witnesses are my son, my younger brother, and friends who once worked with me and now thrive in IT.
    After all these years, I’m still standing — doing what I love most: helping people through Information Technology.

    ⚖️ Legal Disclaimer

    All events and company names mentioned are described from personal recollection for educational and inspirational purposes only. Any factual inaccuracies are unintentional. Opinions expressed are my own and do not represent any past or current employer.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • 🖥️ Path to Become an Infrastructure Engineer (Ivy Falls)

    From Customer Service Rep to PC Specialist, Network Engineer, System Administrator, DevSecOps, and now Infrastructure Engineer — a journey built on faith, discipline, dedication, and gratitude.

    Introduction: The Path Is the Practice

    My story didn’t begin with servers or certifications.
    It began at All Electronics Corporation in Van Nuys, California, where I worked full-time from 6:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., taking two Metro buses and walking a block from the station — rain or shine — from December 1990 to late 1995.

    I woke as early as 4 A.M. to catch the first bus at Western and 3rd Street in Los Angeles, sometimes heading straight to my evening shift at the Taco Bell drive-thru in Glendale.
    Those were humble, exhausting days that taught me discipline and grit — lessons that would shape every part of my career.

    At All Electronics, I became fascinated by the IC — Integrated Circuit, the heart of every desktop computer. I wanted to understand it, not just sell it.

    Back in my Koreatown apartment, I turned curiosity into calling.
    No Google. No YouTube. No AI.
    Just library books and endless nights of self-study. I intentionally crashed my computers and rebuilt them until every fix became muscle memory.

    Once confident, I started offering free repairs and computer lessons to friends, relatives, and senior citizens — setting up printers, fixing networks, and teaching email basics. Those acts of service opened the door to my first full-time IT job at the University of Southern California (USC) as a PC Specialist.

    I still remember waiting at the bus stop in the dark, dreaming of the day I wouldn’t have to ride in the rain. Years later, those same dreams became reality — not through luck, but through faith, discipline, dedication, and gratitude.
    The rides changed — from buses to a BMW, an Audi, and now a Tesla — but what never changed was the purpose: to keep moving forward while staying grounded in gratitude.

    Season of Refinement

    While working full-time at USC, I entered what I call my season of refinement.
    By day I supported campus systems and users; by night I was a full-time student at Los Angeles City College (LACC) and a weekend warrior at DeVry University, studying Management in Telecommunications.

    It was during this time that Microsoft introduced the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) program.
    One of my professors at LACC encouraged me to earn it, saying, “Once you have that license, companies will chase you.”
    He was right — that MCSE became my ticket to GTE (now Verizon), my first step into enterprise-scale IT.

    My tenure at GTE was brief because Aerospace came calling with a six-figure offer just before Y2K — an opportunity too good to refuse.
    After Aerospace, I founded my own consulting firm — Ahead InfoTech (AIT) — and entered what I now call my twelve years of plenty.

    One of my earliest major clients, USC Perinatal Group, asked me to design and implement a secure LAN/WAN connecting satellite offices across major hospitals including California Hospital Medical Center, Saint Joseph of Burbank and Mission Hills, and Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital.
    We used T1 lines with CSU/DSU units and Fortinet firewalls; I supplied every workstation and server under my own AIT brand.

    Through that success I was referred to additional projects for Tarzana and San Gabriel Perinatal Groups, linked by dedicated frame-relay circuits — early-era networking at its finest.
    Momentum led to new partnerships with The Claremont Colleges and the City of West Covina, where I served as Senior Consultant handling forensic analysis and SMTP/email engineering.

    Word spread. One attorney client introduced me to an opportunity in American Samoa to help design and build a regional ISP, and later to a contract with Sanyo Philippines.
    During this period Fortinet was still new, and I became one of its early resellers.
    Refusing to rely on mass-produced systems, I built AIT servers and workstations from the ground up for every environment.
    DSL was just emerging, yet most clients still relied on dedicated T1s — real hands-on networking that demanded precision and patience.

    Those were the twelve years of plenty — projects that stretched from local hospitals to overseas data links, from LAN cables to international circuits.
    By the time AWS arrived in 2006 and Azure followed in 2010, I had already been building and managing distributed networks for years.

    When I returned to Corporate America, my first full-time role was at Payforward, where I led the On-Prem to AWS migration, designing multi-region environments across US-East (1a and 1b) and US-West, complete with VPCs, subnets, IAM policies, and full cloud security.
    That’s when I earned my AWS certifications, completing a journey that had begun with physical servers and matured in the cloud.

    Education, experience, and certification merged into one lesson:
    Discipline comes first. Validation follows.
    Degrees and credentials were never my starting line — they were the icing on the cake of years of practice, service, and faith.

    My Philosophy: One Discipline, Many Forms

    Whether in Martial Arts, IT, or Photography, mastery comes from repetition, humility, and curiosity.
    As Ansel Adams wrote:

    “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”

    Everyone can take a photo; not everyone captures a masterpiece.
    Everyone can study tech; not everyone understands its rhythm.
    Excellence lives in awareness — the moment when curiosity meets purpose.

    The Infrastructure Engineer Path

    1️⃣ Foundations

    Learn the essentials: Windows Server, Active Directory, DNS/DHCP, GPOs, Networking (VLANs, VPNs), Linux basics, and PowerShell.
    Free Resources:

    2️⃣ Cloud Platforms

    Start with AZ-104 Azure Administrator.
    Use free tiers to lab: Azure | AWS | GCP.
    Courses:

    3️⃣ Automation & DevOps

    Learn IaC (Terraform/Bicep), Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD.
    Watch TechWorld with Nana.

    4️⃣ Labs & Simulators

    No hardware? Try:

    5️⃣ Portfolio

    Document every lab, build diagrams, post scripts on GitHub, and write short lessons learned.

    Final Reflection

    From bus stops to boardrooms, from fixing desktops to deploying clouds — the principles never changed: serve first, learn always, and build things that last.
    This blog will continue to evolve as technology changes — come back often and grow with it.

    🪶 Closing Note

    I share this story not to boast, but to inspire those still discovering their own path in technology.
    Everything here is told from personal experience and memory; if a date or detail differs from official records, it’s unintentional.
    I’m grateful for mentors like my LACC professor, who once told me to look up a name not yet famous — Bill Gates — and earn my MCSE + I.
    He was right: that single decision opened countless doors.

    I don’t claim to know everything; I simply kept learning, serving, and sharing.
    My living witnesses are my son, my younger brother, and friends who once worked with me and now thrive in IT.
    After all these years, I’m still standing — doing what I love most: helping people through Information Technology.

    ⚖️ Legal Disclaimer

    All events and company names mentioned are described from personal recollection for educational and inspirational purposes only. Any factual inaccuracies are unintentional. Opinions expressed are my own and do not represent any past or current employer.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 “The Light That Never Goes Out” — Jet Mariano

    (October 22, 2025 — Guideline #18 from Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living”)

    Fall reflection of the Idaho Falls Temple with the Snake River in the foreground—a visual reminder that God’s light remains constant even when clouds move through.

    Excerpt

    “Hopefully, we will do as the Master did and acknowledge that God is still there and never doubt that sublime reality—even though we may wonder and might desire to avoid some of life’s experiences.” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Intro

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s Guideline #18 addresses the fundamental issue of constancy in a world of crisis. We are promised that trials—the stormy and dark moments—will come. The world often responds with fear and panic, but the disciple finds peace in a different reality.

    The core instruction is simple and absolute: “Know that the Son of God is always there. His light will never go out, and the cloud cover will pass.”

    As an Infrastructure Engineer, I understand the concept of a High Availability (HA) System—a service guaranteed to remain functional without failure, no matter what happens to individual components. The Lord is our perfect, 100% available HA resource. Our faith is the mechanism by which we connect to and draw power from that never-failing light source.

    Perspective

    The High Availability (HA) System Analogy
    Faith in Jesus Christ provides us with a spiritual redundancy and uptime guarantee that no mortal system can match.

    ElementThe Network (Mortal Life)The Spiritual Parallel
    The Primary ServerOur own strength, energy, and will to endure.Our personal resolve, which can be depleted or “go down.”
    The Failover SystemThe backup system that ensures continuous service during a crisis.Jesus Christ: The perfect, always-on resource. His light will never go out.
    The DowntimeThe “stormy and dark moments of life”—trials, afflictions, Gethsemane-like anguish.Feelings of being forgotten, forsaken, or unappreciated (as the Savior felt).
    The Uptime GuaranteeThe system is guaranteed to remain functional (100% availability).The Sublime Reality: God is always there; the cloud cover will pass; the Atonement is total and constantly available.

    Elder Maxwell reminds us that just as the Master acknowledged that God was still there even as He drank the bitter cup, we must never doubt that sublime reality, even if we wish to pray away the pain.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    To fully utilize this constant source of light, we must practice connecting to the divine HA system daily.

    1. Acknowledge the Source: In every prayer, I start by explicitly acknowledging God’s constancy and omniscience—that He lives in an “eternal now where the past, present, and future are constantly before Him.” This grounds me in the reality that my current struggle is only a single frame in His perfect, eternal video stream.
    2. The Enduring Test: I try to view current perplexities and intellectual shortfalls not as system failures, but as a temporary “muddled, mortal middle.” The ability to endure well and remain faithful while the outcome is still uncertain is the true test of my connection to His light.
    3. Refusal to Be Uncomforted: In moments of deep difficulty, I actively refuse to be uncomforted. I deliberately turn my thoughts toward the promises I have received and the knowledge of Christ’s character, choosing to believe that He is there and that my temporary “downtime” is only a small moment.

    Final Reflection

    The assurance that His light will never go out is the ultimate security doctrine. We can be vexed by uncertainties in the immediate steps ahead, but we can have clear faith in the ultimate outcomes at the end of the trail.

    Our ultimate safety is found in keeping our precious perspective wherever we are and keeping the commandments however we are tested. The Lord knows our individual bearing capacities, and because the Son of God is always there, we have the power to receive help and guidance over adverse things.

    What I Hear Now

    “Your current crisis has an expiration date. His light does not. Stay connected.”

    Link to the Talk

    “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4bVYkkNeWE

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

error: Content is protected !!