Salt Lake Temple at sunset. Shot at 50mm to catch the sun breaking through—lighting the place where covenants begin and where light reminds me to endure.
Excerpt
Don’t dream it’s over. The fight is not done.
Intro
Easter came quietly this year. No crowd, no noise—just stillness and reflection. As I listened to General Conference, one message stayed with me: love—not just when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard.
Notes from President Dallin H. Oaks
“Today we might say that we are commanded to love our adversaries. All mortals are beloved children of God.”
“As followers of Christ, let us follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers.”
Perspective
“The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” —Doctrine and Covenants 18:10
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” —Matthew 5:9
Practice (today, not someday)
Today I choose to love without contention. To stand firm without becoming harsh. To help without expecting anything in return. To be a peacemaker… even when it’s not easy.
Final Reflection
Loving others is not weakness. It is discipline.
It does not mean surrendering truth— but choosing peace over pride, and patience over reaction.
Easter reminds me that because of Him, death is not the end… and neither are our struggles.
There is more ahead. So I keep going.
Pocket I’m Keeping
Choose to be a peacemaker. Always.
What I Hear Now
“We can follow the example of Jesus Christ… by choosing to love others—even if they show little or no love toward us.”
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28
Silver was counted. Souls were not. And yet, heaven never made that mistake.
Intro
When Joseph was sold by his brothers, the price they accepted revealed more about them than it did about him. They saw inconvenience. God saw a deliverer.
Years later, that same pattern would repeat—this time, with the Savior Himself.
Notes from Scripture
When Joseph’s brothers cast him into the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver, they did not understand what they were doing. What looked like betrayal became the very path that would preserve their lives.
Joseph later declared: “It was not you that sent me hither, but God” (Genesis 45:8).
The prophet Zechariah later described a people who misjudged the worth of a shepherd, offering thirty pieces of silver—an amount that exposed how little they understood.
That same number would be used again when Judas betrayed Christ.
Perspective (Direct Quotes)
“It was not you that sent me hither, but God” (Genesis 45:8)
“A goodly price that I was prised at of them.” (Zechariah 11:13)
“The worth of souls is great in the sight of God” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10)
Practice (Today, Not Someday)
Today, I will remember that people are not measured by convenience, appearance, or past mistakes.
I will choose to:
See beyond what is visible
Speak with respect, even when it’s not returned
Treat every person as someone God has never discounted
Final Reflection
Joseph was sold for silver—but he was never defined by it.
The Savior was betrayed for silver—but He chose to redeem, not condemn.
The world will always try to assign value based on what it understands.
But heaven does not negotiate the worth of a soul.
Pocket I’m Keeping
No one I meet today is “cheap” in the eyes of God.
What I Hear Now (Direct Quotes)
“The things which some men esteem to be of great worth… others set at naught.” (1 Nephi 19:7)
“For behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh… that all men might repent and come unto him” (D&C 18:11)
Morning stillness. A reminder that even in quiet moments, deliverance has already begun.
Excerpt
Deliverance doesn’t come by chance—it comes through sacrifice.
Intro
There are moments in scripture that don’t just tell a story—they reveal a pattern. The Passover is one of them. What happened in Egypt was not only deliverance from bondage, but a living symbol of something far greater that would come.
Notes from Alma / Moses / Christ
The Lord has always taught His people through patterns—preparing them before the miracle even happens.
“And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.” — Alma 34:14
Even before Israel was freed, the Lord established a way for them to remember. He wasn’t just saving them—He was teaching them.
Perspective
After nine devastating plagues, Pharaoh still refused to let Israel go. Then came the final warning:
“And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt…” — Exodus 11:6
This time, protection required action. The Israelites were commanded to mark their homes with the blood of an unblemished lamb.
“And the blood shall be to you for a token… and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” — Exodus 12:13
Even before the deliverance happened, the Lord asked them to remember it:
“What mean ye by this service?” — Exodus 12:26
The lesson was clear: salvation comes through obedience and sacrifice.
Practice (today, not someday)
Today, I pause and ask myself: Do I recognize the ways the Lord has already passed over me?
Do I see His hand protecting, guiding, and delivering me—even when I didn’t fully understand it at the time?
Like the instruction given in ancient Egypt, I choose to remember now—not later.
Final Reflection
The Passover was never just about Egypt. It was pointing forward—to Christ.
As Jesus sat with His apostles before His crucifixion, He established a new remembrance:
“This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” — Luke 22:19
“This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” — Luke 22:20
Just as the lamb’s blood spared Israel, Christ—the true Lamb—offers deliverance to all of us.
“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” — 1 Corinthians 5:7
He didn’t just free people from physical bondage. He frees us from sin, fear, and spiritual death.
There was a time in my life when I thought losing an opportunity was the end. I carried that weight—questions, frustration, even a sense of being left behind. But looking back now, I can see something I couldn’t see then.
The Lord was passing over something I thought I needed… to lead me to something He knew I needed.
What I once saw as loss became redirection. What felt like silence became protection. And what I thought was delay became preparation.
Just like the children of Israel, I didn’t fully understand the deliverance while I was still in it. But now I see—He was already making a way.
Pocket I’m Keeping
Deliverance comes through sacrifice—and Christ is that sacrifice.
What I Hear Now
“And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law…” — Alma 34:14
“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” — 1 Corinthians 5:7
Oquirrh Mountain Temple under the first supermoon of 2026 — a reminder that light always returns.
Excerpt “With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve.”
Intro Some messages arrive when the heart needs reassurance more than instruction. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk reminds me that discipleship is not about perfection today — it is about hope for tomorrow. Like the rising of the moon over the temple, light returns even after the darkest moments.
Notes from Elder Holland Elder Holland teaches that the gospel is meant to inspire progress, not discourage effort. The Lord does not expect immediate perfection. He asks us to keep trying, trusting in the power of the Atonement to help us grow over time.
Perspective (direct quotes) “First of all, if in the days ahead you not only see limitations in those around you but also find elements in your own life that don’t yet measure up to the messages you have heard this weekend, please don’t be cast down in spirit and don’t give up.”
“The gospel, the Church, and these wonderful semiannual gatherings are intended to give hope and inspiration. They are not intended to discourage you.”
“With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don’t always succeed.”
President George Q. Cannon once taught: “No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will.”
Practice (today, not someday) Today I will remember that effort matters to God. Progress matters to God. Trying matters to God. I will move forward with faith, even when growth feels slow.
Final Reflection Hope in the gospel is not based on perfection — it is based on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Tomorrow really can be brighter than today because God is patient with our growth.
Pocket I’m Keeping “We get credit for trying.”
What I Hear Now (direct quotes) “Tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” “He will never desert us.”
a monarch resting on a sunflower — a living parable of light, patience, and lift.
Excerpt
When trials feel like too much, remember: the Lord proves us to strengthen us. Like a butterfly on a sunflower, we are held up by light we didn’t make and warmth we didn’t earn.
Intro
Elder Henry B. Eyring taught that through the glorious Atonement, Jesus Christ knows exactly how to succor us. Strength doesn’t grow in comfort; it grows when we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could bear. If we continue in faith — especially when it feels impossible — we become spiritually stronger.
Notes from Conference (Oct 5, 2025 General Conference)
Christ can succor perfectly because He has felt every mortal challenge.
Proving times are strengthening times, not signs of abandonment.
Discipleship is continuing — never giving up, always trying again in Him.
Faith while it’s hard invites His power to change us.
Perspective
God is mindful — of sunflowers and butterflies, and even more of souls. Elder Neal A. Maxwell reminded us that there are more stars than grains of sand, yet “souls matter more than stars.” If heaven attends to sparrows and petals, it will not forget your name, your tears, or your next step.
Practice (today, not someday)
Whisper a prayer of trust: “Lord, I choose to keep trying.”
Do one small act of goodness for someone who can’t repay you.
Write a line of gratitude for help you didn’t expect.
Sit in a patch of light — outside or by a window — and breathe until your shoulders lower.
Final Reflection
The Atonement is not just rescue; it is renewable strength. Trials may bend us, but in Christ they do not break us. Keep turning your face to the light. He will meet you where courage runs thin and hope begins again.
Pocket I’m Keeping
“Proving is strengthening.” When the wind rises, roots go deeper.
What I Hear Now
Be steadfast. Keep moving toward Me. I know how to carry you.
