Jet Mariano

Tag: 21 Guidelines for Righteous Living

  • 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.

  • The Stretched Soul—Making Music Only When Stretched

    The Manti Temple: A testament to souls stretched by faith. Elder Maxwell taught that the soul is like a violin string—it only makes music when it’s under tension. Our greatest works, like this one, emerge from our deepest stretches.

    Intro

    The journey of discipleship is rarely comfortable; it is, by divine design, a process of tension. Before we can accept that tension, we must first recognize our divine capacity. Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s Guideline #16 addresses this necessity, giving us the perfect, two-part charge: “Believe in yourself not only for what you now are but for what you have the power to become… and let the Lord stretch your soul.”

    The Manti Temple stands as a physical testament to enduring effort and spiritual pressure. Like that magnificent structure built by saints who were stretched, we are only capable of fulfilling our highest purpose when we embrace our potential and accept the load of our trials. The core truth is: The soul is like a violin string. It makes music only when it is stretched.

    Excerpt

    “Someone has said that the soul is like a violin string. It makes music only when it is stretched. And because he loves you, the Lord will stretch your soul.”

    — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Perspective

    The System Stress Test Analogy

    As an Infrastructure Engineer, I know that hardware is pushed to its limits before deployment to guarantee reliability. Our spiritual development follows the same principle of Stress Testing. The stretching is not a punishment for a failed system, but a loving process to ensure maximum spiritual resilience and capability.

    ElementThe Process (Mortal Life)Spiritual Capacity (The Soul)
    The BlueprintSelf-Belief: Believing in the “great possibilities” the Lord sees in you.Acknowledge your divine identity and potential for greatness.
    The MechanismTension: Applying controlled, intense load to force reliance on a greater power.The Lord’s tutoring (trials, grief, and opposition) designed to force us to choose Him.
    The OutcomeMusic: A refined, resilient character, fitted for greater service and happiness.The ability to endure well and fulfill the promises you made long ago.

    Elder Maxwell makes it clear that God “will tutor us by trying us because He loves us, not because of indifference!” We must trust that the Father, being perfect, is fitting us for further service and eternal joy.

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    To utilize the power of this guideline, we must actively participate in the stretching process:

    1. Reframing the Crisis: I consciously reframe moments of deep difficulty—the moments when I feel stretched thin—not as random misfortune, but as the precise tutoring designed to fulfill my potential. I remember the violin string: if I feel this tension, I am close to making music.
    2. Give Your Only True Possession: I strive to recognize that the only possession truly mine to give is my will. When faced with a trial, I work to let my will be “swallowed up in God’s will” rather than demanding that my will be done. This submission is the only way the stretching can be successful.
    3. Endure for the Witness: I understand that some experiences are not explainable in the moment. I must endure the trial of my faith, trusting that the witness and the understanding of the lesson will come after I have held fast through the stretch.

    Link to the Talk

    This principle is delivered in:

    Guidelines for Righteous Living – Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    What I Hear Now

    “The only way to play a celestial symphony is to accept the necessary tension of mortality.”

    Final Reflection

    We cannot ask for immunity from tribulation when the only perfect man who ever walked the earth did not have it. The courage to face life’s challenges comes from knowing that the Lord has placed us here now, precisely because of the skills and talents that are packaged within each of us. By accepting the stretching, we allow our souls to be made resilient and ready to sound forth a lasting, beautiful melody.

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

  • “Elder Maxwell taught that spiritual reflexes…”)

    Morning light at the Orem Utah Temple—where discipline becomes devotion and reflex turns into righteousness.

    (October 20, 2025 — Guideline #8 from Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living”)

    Excerpt

    In moments of pressure, there’s no time for debate. What we practice daily determines what we choose instinctively.

    Intro

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s Guideline #8 teaches that discipleship is not just knowing what’s right but becoming the kind of person who does what’s right automatically. Just as an athlete relies on muscle memory, disciples rely on spiritual reflexes—responses trained by repeated obedience.

    In my world of IT, when systems crash, there’s no time to analyze from scratch. I act on instinct built from years of disciplined practice. Spiritual life requires the same readiness—decisions born not of panic but of principle.

    Perspective

    The Quarterback Analogy
    Elder Maxwell used the example of a great quarterback to explain righteous reflexes.

    ElementDescriptionSpiritual Parallel
    The QuarterbackA great quarterback doesn’t pause mid-play to analyze how to hold the football.The individual in life’s fast-moving moments.
    The ActionProper technique is internalized—it’s all reflex.Righteousness must be practiced until it becomes instinct.
    The ReasonLife offers too many temptations and sudden tests to always stop and reason through them.We need habits of holiness, not hesitation.
    The GoalThe quarterback throws correctly without thinking.The disciple chooses correctly without delay—spiritual safety through reflex.

    Elder Maxwell reminded us that we cannot afford slow moral decisions: “Do the right thing out of reflex and not agonize over a temptation to which you then might succumb.”

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Righteous reflexes aren’t built overnight—they’re shaped through disciplined repetition. My daily rhythm keeps both body and spirit tuned to respond to life’s pressures with steadiness and faith.

    Every night, I review tomorrow’s priorities, focusing on what’s urgent and important. I close my day with scripture study, prayer, and meditation. At 4 a.m., I start again—prayer first, then stretching, followed by 120 straight push-ups to keep my body strong and my mind awake.

    Breakfast is clean and balanced before I shower and prepare for work. If I’m early, I swing by either the Oquirrh or Taylorsville Temple to photograph the morning light—my quiet offering before the day begins. By 6:30 a.m., I’m at my desk, handling the priorities of the day.

    Saturday is for temple worship. Sunday is for renewing my covenants. Then Monday begins again. These patterns are not habits of routine—they are habits of devotion. They’ve become my spiritual reflexes: instinctive, practiced, and constant.

    Closer Reflection

    Elder Maxwell’s “righteous reflexes” remind me of Bruce Lee’s legendary speed—so fast that 1970s cameras could barely record it. Lee trained until motion became instinct; every move came from memory, not hesitation.

    Spiritual reflexes are the same. They come from daily, disciplined practice until obedience is automatic. Bruce Lee said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

    In IT, the same principle applies. After years of handling systems under pressure, I’ve learned to respond instinctively—knowing where to look, how to act, and when to stay calm. It’s muscle memory built through faith and repetition.

    Whether in martial arts, spirituality, or technology, true mastery comes when preparation and reflex move as one—when right choices and right actions flow as easily as recognizing the palm of your own hand.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    When pressure comes, I don’t have to think twice. I’ve already decided to do what’s right.

    What I Hear Now

    “Keep practicing righteousness until it becomes your reflex.”

    Link to the Talk

    “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4bVYkkNeWE&t=300s

    Behind the Shot (BTS)

    Captured outside the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple under a moonlit sky—a quiet reminder that repetition builds readiness. Every photo, every prayer, every early start is practice for spiritual precision.

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

  • MIT8: “Loneliness with Righteousness”

    Crescent moon rising above the Taylorsville Utah Temple spire—captured in double exposure before sunrise. 70-200 2.8G mounted on tripod

    Excerpt

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that the loneliness that sometimes comes with righteousness is where we grow closer to God—and where we learn the courage of “But if not.”

    Intro

    At 6 a.m., Oct 17, 2025, I pulled over at the Taylorsville Temple and framed a moon-over-spire double exposure while listening (again) to Elder Maxwell’s 21 Guidelines for Righteous Living—especially Guideline 20. This week’s trials were real, yet the Spirit kept bringing me back to Daniel 3: God can deliver—but if not, we still will not bow. That truth has turned my fear of workload into faith to move forward with Him.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    • Righteousness can feel lonely, but that is where we come closer to God.
    • Fidelity means not bowing—even when the fire is hot.
    • God is able to deliver; But if not, disciples still trust and obey.
    • Act in faith now—serve, pray, and work; heaven’s help becomes practical courage.

    Perspective (direct quotes )

    The Story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
    To emphasize this point, Elder Maxwell recounts the biblical story:

    The Fiery Furnace: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace that was heated to such a high temperature that the men who tended the furnace died.

    The Fourth Figure: The scriptures describe the three young men walking around in the midst of the furnace unharmed. The scripture then says, “And there was a fourth figure in the fire and its form was likened to the Son of God.”

    The Promise: Elder Maxwell concludes that when you are passing through these trials and lonely moments, the Lord will be especially close to you.

    They were cast into the fire because they refused to bow to the idol of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:16–17). Their loyalty brought them closer to God—the pattern for all discipleship.

    Scripture (Daniel 3:17–18)

    17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
    18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • Pray, then step into the hard tickets and deadlines: God is able—but if not, I still will not bow to fear or compromise.
    • Serve and mentor anyway; courage grows as I lift others.
    • Keep temple focus and steady duty; closer to God is the goal, not merely quick fixes.

    Final Reflection

    Elder Maxwell’s witness reframed my week: **God can deliver—**and often He does. But if not, I can still move forward with Him. As I prayed and worked, impressions came and solutions followed. Either way, the fire became a classroom, and I felt closer to God than ever.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “God is able—but if not, I will not bow.”
    If there is a furnace, there is also a Fourth.

    What I Hear Now

    “Trust Me. Whether I calm the fire or walk you through it, you are not alone.”

    Link to the talk

    “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell (YouTube)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4bVYkkNeWE&t=300s

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

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