Jet Mariano

Tag: Discipleship

  • “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 “The Challenge to Become”

    Day: Autumn flowers and clear sky framing the Orem Utah Temple—captured before my proxy endowment.
    Night: The Orem Utah Temple illuminated under the moon—taken after completing sacred ordinances.

    Excerpt

    Becoming is more than doing—it’s transforming. The gospel doesn’t just ask for effort; it asks for change.

    Intro

    These photos were taken on October 18, 2025—before and after my proxy endowment at the Orem Utah Temple. The sunlight and moonlight felt like bookends to a sacred day.

    I never photograph temples as a tourist. Each image is a memory of worship—an imprint of the moment I performed sacred ordinances and left a part of my old self on the altar. The lens simply helps me remember what the Spirit taught that day.

    President Dallin H. Oaks’ message “The Challenge to Become” echoed in my mind as I walked the temple grounds: the gospel is not about what we do but who we become through covenant living.

    Perspective

    The temple reminds me that becoming is a process. Every ordinance refines character. Every act of service—inside or outside the temple—draws me nearer to what Heavenly Father intends me to be.

    President Oaks’ invitation is personal: the world values performance; heaven values transformation. My work, my worship, and my quiet efforts at home and at Church are all shaping me into something more Christlike.

    When I leave the temple, I ask not, “What did I accomplish?” but “Who am I becoming?”

    Direct Quotes from President Oaks

    “It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”

    “In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”

    Practice (today, not someday)

    I will focus less on checking boxes and more on softening my heart. In every task—whether leading, fixing, or serving—I’ll remember that heaven measures growth, not status.

    Becoming Christlike happens quietly: through patience with others, humility in learning, and gratitude after every challenge.

    Final Reflection

    President Oaks’ counsel changes how I see discipleship. The gospel isn’t a checklist; it’s a journey of transformation. Every temple visit, every ordinance, every prayer adds to who I am becoming.

    I’m grateful the Lord sees me not as I am but as I can be. That vision gives purpose to every struggle, reminding me that growth is the goal—and grace is the guide.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”
    That single line redefines every effort I make.

    What I Hear Now

    “Keep walking. You’re not just doing—you’re becoming.”

    Behind the Shot (BTS)

    Saturday, October 18, 2025—before and after my proxy endowment at the Orem Utah Temple. The late afternoon light revealed bright autumn blooms; by nightfall, the temple glowed beneath the moon. Both shots symbolize the Lord’s invitation to grow from light to greater light.

    Link to the Talk

    The Challenge to Become — President Dallin H. Oaks
    https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2000/10/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng

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

  • MIT8: “The Healing Power of Service”

    Lightning breaks over Saratoga Springs Temple—framed through the open driver’s window, with rain reflections and the flower bed lit by my Tesla.

    Behind the Shot (BTS)

    I waited patiently for the perfect lightning strike, switching my iPhone to video mode so I could later capture the exact frame. I parked strategically, rolled down the driver’s window, and composed the scene—rain-slick path, temple reflection, and the flower bed on the left illuminated by my Tesla’s headlights. I took over fifty shots, braving 55-mph winds and heavy rain until I was drenched to the bone.

    Tesla’s Summon feature became my safety net—it allows the car to move itself up to 20 feet in a straight line. I’ve visited this temple many times and know exactly where to park during storms like this. When the lightning finally hit, my car quietly rolled beside me, heater set to 75°, ready to bring warmth after the storm.

    Excerpt

    Setbacks lose their sting when we turn outward. The surest cure for heaviness of heart is to lift another’s. In serving, we find strength we didn’t know we still had.

    Intro

    After proxy endowment at the Saratoga Springs Temple, rain came hard—55 mph winds, lightning cracking over the spire. I was soaked through but determined to capture the moment. This week was one of the toughest—under the weather, training a new engineer, racing the Windows 10 → 11 deadline. Yet, even weary, I pressed on. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, “When difficulties come, don’t feel sorry for yourself. Lose yourself in service… When you feel down, lift other people up.” That truth steadied me more than the storm.

    Perspective

    In IT, storms don’t always come from the sky—they come from deadlines, downtime, and people who depend on you. The temptation to withdraw is strong, but the gospel has taught me that light returns when I reach outward. Service becomes medicine: teaching, fixing, lifting, sharing, mentoring. Each act reorders the soul toward purpose. The temple reminded me that the Lord’s work never pauses for weather, and neither should mine.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    When exhaustion whispers, “You’ve done enough,” I’ll answer with quiet action. I’ll keep helping the next person who needs guidance—whether that’s a coworker puzzled by PowerShell or a friend weighed down by unseen battles. The Savior’s healing always flowed outward; so must mine.

    Final Reflection

    The downpour cleansed more than the temple steps—it washed away my self-pity. I realized that serving amid struggle doesn’t drain me; it refills me. My soaked jacket, cold hands, and the warmth of my car’s heater at 75° felt symbolic: heaven never leaves its servants freezing in the storm.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Lose yourself in service.” When the clouds gather again, I’ll remember this night of lightning and light—how the act of giving steadied the heart that was slipping.

    What I Hear Now

    “Lift others. That’s how I’ll lift you.”
    The whisper wasn’t from the wind but from the One who calms it.

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

  • MIT8 – Bad breaks and trusting the Lord

    Super Harvest Moon rising through thin clouds over the Draper Utah Temple. Double exposure, short telephoto (70–100 mm f/2.8) on tripod.

    Excerpt
    Setbacks aren’t a verdict; they’re the venue. What feels like a bad break can become a disguised doorway when we trust the Lord’s larger view.

    Intro
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught that “bad breaks need not ruin a good man or a good woman… so often in life opportunity comes disguised as tragedy,” and, “trust the Lord, for He sees your possibilities even when you do not.” Those lines met me this week. Sleep was thin, appetite gone, heart stretched—but even the stretch nudged me heavenward.

    Perspective
    There are no super heroes in IT—no capes, no instant rescues. Systems fail, humans tire, plans bend. The real test is not whether I dodge hard things but whether I meet them with faith, honesty, and steady work. Joseph didn’t waste Egypt, and Job didn’t waste ash and silence. I don’t want to waste my own classroom of adversity.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • Whisper a prayer of trust: “Lord, I choose to keep trying.”
    • Do one quiet act of goodness for someone who can’t repay you.
    • Write a single 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
    Worry took sleep and appetite, yet the Lord met me in the stretch. He didn’t remove the weight; He strengthened my will and widened my view. A bad break does not define me; how I walk through it, with Him, refines me.

    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.

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

  • Hidden in Plain Sight: Camouflage, Storms, and the Light That Never Fades

    Green dragonfly camouflaged among yellow-green croton leaves; wings catch a thin line of light.

    Excerpt

    A dragonfly vanishes into the croton leaves—nearly invisible until the light catches its wings. Even when we can’t see, the Light is still there.

    Intro

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell compared life’s dark weather to a storm where we cannot see the sun but know it is still there. Likewise, in our stormy moments the Son of God remains constant. This image of a camouflaged dragonfly became a quiet parable of that promise.

    Notes from Elder Maxwell

    • “You’ve all been in a storm… when you couldn’t see the sun but you knew it was still there. Likewise… the Son of God is always there. His light will never go out.”
    • Hope is not wishful thinking; it is trust in a steady, unwavering Light.
    • Our task is to keep moving by faith when sight is momentarily withheld.

    Perspective

    Camouflage works because color and pattern mimic the surroundings. Fear does the same—blending truth into the noise until guidance seems gone. But the Light hasn’t moved. Shift your angle, breathe, and let the glare settle; suddenly the wings glint, and direction returns.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • When anxiety spikes, pause and pray: “I know You’re here even if I can’t see.”
    • Name one current “storm,” then write one way Christ has lifted you before.
    • Look for small glints—scripture lines, kindness, music—that catch the light.

    Final Reflection

    Faith is the discipline of remembering the sun in a storm and the Savior in shadow. The scene may hide Him for a moment; it cannot extinguish Him.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “His light will never go out.”

    What I Hear Now

    Hold course. Let Me be your fixed point while the weather passes.

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

  • Waiting for Wings: Patience, Light, and a Morning Butterfly

    Morning butterfly perched on a dew-tipped blade of grass, reflected in still water as sun rays break through—an image of quiet patience and light.

    Excerpt

    Patience is not indifference—it’s caring deeply and trusting God’s timing. This image came from quiet hours beside dew and light, waiting for a butterfly to choose the leaf.

    Intro

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught that patience is “caring very much” while submitting to “the process of time.” It partners with faith, agency, humility, and love. Photographers know that rhythm: you prepare, you wait, you don’t rush the scene—and grace arrives.

    Link to the Devotional

    “Patience” by Elder Neal A. Maxwell (BYU Devotional)

    Notes from Elder Maxwell

    • Patience isn’t passive; it’s faithful submission to God’s wiser timetable.
    • We “run with patience,” not a sprint—enduring well, not merely long.
    • Patience protects agency—we don’t force outcomes or people.
    • It ripens discernment: we learn what matters most and let lesser things rest.
    • Tribulation “worketh patience,” which yields experience and the “peaceable fruit of righteousness.”

    Photo Field Notes

    Early-morning dew, low angle, and stillness. I set a full-frame body with a Nikon 105mm f/2.8G on a spider tripod, remote trigger attached. I hid off-axis, letting the leaf steady and the light settle. The butterfly came only when the world quieted enough to feel safe. Exposure and focus were ready—the rest required waiting.

    Perspective

    Macro work is a sermon in inches. If I keep opening the “oven door,” the scene falls flat. When I trust the light, honor the creature’s freedom, and wait, the frame fills with reverence. So it is with discipleship: God’s work in us is real but rarely rushed.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • Replace one hurry with one holy pause.
    • Let someone else’s agency breathe; resist “fixing.”
    • Choose one worthy thing and stay with it past the fidgets.
    • Pray, “Let patience have her perfect work in me.”

    Final Reflection

    Patience is obedience prolonged—faith that keeps the shutter half-pressed until grace enters the frame. God’s timing is not late; it is luminous.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Patience makes possible a personal spiritual symmetry.” (Maxwell)

    What I Hear Now

    Wait with Me. I’m shaping both the moment and you.

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

  • MIT8 – “Watching the river run”

    “watching the river run” — Big Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Long-exposure fall stream; motion becomes grace.
    Shot very low on a tripod with remote shutter. 4-second exposure at f/11, ISO 200 to smooth the water like silk while keeping the scene crisp.

    Excerpt

    The current is fast and the banks are close—but I can still choose calm. Today I’m learning that peacemaking starts inside me, then flows outward.

    Intro

    This stream looks like my week—swirl, speed, and color. I can’t control every bend, but I can decide the spirit I bring into each conversation.

    Notes from Elder Gary E. Stevenson(Oct 4, 2025 Sat AM GC)

    • Peacemaking is a Christlike attribute that begins in hearts, then homes, then communities.
    • It requires courage and wise compromise without sacrificing principle.
    • Lead with open hearts, not closed minds; extended hands, not clenched fists.
    • Taught by Jesus Christ in scripture and reaffirmed by living prophets today.

    Notes from Elder Kelly R. Johnson(Oct 4, 2025 Sat AM GC)

    • Seek validation vertically, not horizontally.
    • When others try to label us by weaknesses, stand strong in who we truly are—children of God.
    • Identity in Christ anchors peacemaking; it removes the need to win and invites us to love.
    • President Russell M. Nelson has taught that using labels can breed animosity, judging, and division; peacemakers look past labels to divine identity.

    Perspective

    Peace isn’t pretending tensions don’t exist. It’s choosing the Lord’s way—firm in truth, soft in tone, willing to listen, ready to reconcile. Knowing whose I am steadies who I am, so I don’t need to fight for labels or approval.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Stop: rehearsing comebacks; seeking validation from reactions and “likes.”
    Start: pray before hard talks; state principles clearly, then ask sincere questions; offer one olive-branch action (thanks, brief apology, or specific help); write “I am a child of God” at the top of today’s notes.

    Final reflection

    Rivers carve rock not by force but by steadiness. Peacemaking works the same—courageous, principled, and patient because my identity is anchored in Him.

    Pocket I’m keeping

    Extended hands, not clenched fists—rooted in the quiet confidence of a child of God.

    What I hear now

    Be brave and gentle. Hold to truth. Let peace start in your heart and flow to your words.

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

  • Soul-Stretching Days: Learning to Let God Shape Me

    Night setup: Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8G on tripod • Manual/Bulb • 30-second exposure • f/2.8 • ISO 2400

    Excerpt
    It struck on a day I never expected—like the day I lost my father, on my birthday. The same jolt ⚡️ twice. Bitter and sweet at once.

    Intro
    Some experiences arrive unannounced and unforgettable. The day held joy—time with loved ones, a wonderful dinner, thoughtful gifts 🎁 (I treasure shirts and cologne and keep them for years). Yet the soul-stretching overshadowed the sweetness, and the ache still lingers.

    Notes from Elder Neal A. Maxwell
    • “It takes time to prepare for eternity.”
    • God customizes our curriculum—He gives what we need, not always what we like.
    • Discipleship is daily; steady choosing matters more than dramatic moments.
    • Meekness is strength under control.
    • Cheerfully submit: trust His timing and tutoring.
    • Be grounded and settled in Christ to endure well, not just long.

    Perspective
    The lingering pain doesn’t mean I failed; it means the lesson matters. Like completed IT projects etched in memory, some days don’t fade—they shape.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    • Pause to breathe and pray before I speak.
    • Trade rumination for one small act of service.
    • Write three lines of gratitude (including a gift I’ll lovingly keep).
    • Use meek words with firm boundaries.

    Final Reflection
    Bitter because it hurt. Sweet because love showed up. Both can be true while God stretches my capacity for trust and kindness.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    “Customized by a loving Father.” Not random storms—tailored tutoring.

    What I hear now
    Be still. Do the next right thing. Let Me do the shaping.

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

  • Marked In Time – “21 Guidelines for Righteous Living” – Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Setting crescent moon over the Taylorsville Utah Temple at dawn—just left of the spire—captured as a double exposure with a 70–200mm f/2.8G lens.

    Personal Note
    I listened to this 37-minute devotional more than twenty times from yesterday to today. It felt like a magnet—I couldn’t let go of it. I even fell asleep with it playing.

    Intro

    The Three Forms of Suffering:

    1. Suffering from Sin and Stupidity
    Quote: “There’s the kind of suffering we undergo which is very real and that’s the suffering that happens because of sin and stupidity. We do dumb things. We do things that are wrong. And then we suffer.”
    This first type of suffering is a direct consequence of our own poor choices, mistakes, or sins. It’s a natural outcome of actions that go against divine or moral laws.

    2. Suffering as a Part of Life Itself
    Quote: “There’s a second form of suffering and that goes just because it’s a part of life itself. The scriptures say the Lord maketh the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike.”
    This refers to the universal hardships and natural adversities that affect everyone, regardless of their righteousness. These are inherent stresses and strains built into the mortal experience.

    3. Soul-Stretching Suffering (The Highest Form)
    Quote: “But there’s a third form of suffering which is the highest form of suffering… There is that suffering brothers and sisters which we undergo in life because we believe because of who we are. It is that kind of suffering which comes to us because God loves us and will stretch our souls.”
    This is the most profound type of suffering, intended for our growth and refinement. It comes from a loving God who seeks to stretch our souls and help us achieve our divine potential, even when we don’t understand the reasons in the moment.

    Excerpt

    A beloved apostle mapped out a way to face “first-class challenges” with first-class discipleship—seeing suffering clearly, choosing joy over pleasure, and letting God stretch the soul He loves.

    Notes from the Devotional

    1. Make Jesus the Light of Your Life
    Quote: “Make Jesus the light of your life. And then by his light, see everything else. He is your best friend. And if you will worry most about what that friend thinks about you, you’ll be safe.”
    This counsel encourages prioritizing a relationship with Jesus Christ above all else. By focusing on what He would have us do, we can find true safety and guidance.

    Perspective

    7. The Difference Between Pleasure and Joy
    Quote: “Sometimes young people need help telling the difference between pleasure and joy… pleasure is plastic… It’s like the cotton candy you buy at the amusement park or the fairgrounds. It melts quickly in your mouth... But you will never find a substitute for joy.”
    This insight distinguishes between fleeting, superficial happiness (pleasure) and a deep, lasting state of being (joy). He reminds us that while pleasure is a temporary sensation, joy is an eternal principle centered in Christ.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    8. Righteousness as a Reflex
    Quote: “Righteousness has to become a matter of reflex. There are too many temptations and too many circumstances in life for you to always give an intellectual analysis of the sin or temptation… You’ve got to have good reflexes.”
    He taught that living righteously must become second nature. Through consistent practice, our choices should become automatic, allowing us to respond correctly to temptation without prolonged deliberation.

    The Loneliness of Righteousness (narrative bridge) — #20

    Quote: “When Shadrach Meshach and Abednego three young men were thrown into the fiery furnace that was heated to a temperature so hot that the men who tended the furnace died. The scriptures tell us as the three of them walked around in the midst of that 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.’ When you are passing through these trials and some of those lonely moments the Lord will be especially close to you.“
    Elder Maxwell used this powerful biblical account to illustrate that even in moments of extreme loneliness or adversity due to righteousness, the Savior is intimately present and provides comfort and protection. This reinforces the idea that choosing to live righteously, even when it means standing alone, brings us closer to God.

    Final Reflection

    16. The Stretched Soul
    Quote: “Believe in yourself not only for what you now are but for what you have the power to become… 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.”
    This powerful analogy illustrates that growth requires discomfort. The challenges and hardships we face are not random but are purposeful, serving to refine us and help us reach our full potential.

    Pocket I’m keeping

    9. Guard Your Storehouse of Memories
    Quote: “Be very careful about what you let come inside your storehouse of memories. Those memories will be there for a very long time.”
    This is a call to be mindful of what we expose ourselves to, as our experiences and what we consume mentally become part of our inner spiritual landscape for the rest of our lives.

    What I hear now

    12. Bad Breaks and Disguised Opportunities
    Quote: “Remember that bad breaks need not ruin a good man or a good woman. They may even make him or her better as they did Joseph in Egypt… So often… in life opportunity comes disguised as tragedy.”
    This point offers a hopeful perspective on adversity. It suggests that even the most difficult experiences can serve as catalysts for personal growth and may contain hidden opportunities for a greater good.

    Link to the Devotional: “Guidelines for Righteous Living” Elder Neal A Maxwell, Oct 9, 1979 BYU-Idaho Speeches

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    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • “Peacemakers Needed” – President Russell M Nelson

    Salt Lake Temple, sunset from the JSB window. Waiting for the flare taught me: contention is toxic—anger never persuades; hostility builds no one. Be a peacemaker.

    BTS (behind the shot): From the Joseph Smith Building, shooting through the window glass with my trusty 14–24mm f/2.8 at 14mm. I bracketed exposures and waited for the sun to flare behind Moroni without losing the cloud detail. Patience, angle, and a clean pane made the rays sing.

    Excerpt

    When words run hot, the Spirit runs quiet. President Russell M. Nelson’s call—“Peacemakers Needed”—reminds me that covenant disciples build and bless, even under fire. Today I’m choosing to cool my speech, lift my neighbors, and let charity do the heavy lifting.

    Intro

    The world feels loud. But on the temple roofline tonight, light broke through and stitched the sky together. President Nelson’s sermon lands the same way: direct, steady, hopeful. Peacemakers aren’t passive; they’re disciplined disciples who speak higher and holier. This post is my small practice at that.

    Notes from President Nelson (Sep 2023)

    • Contention is toxic and common—even at home. “Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions. Regrettably, we sometimes see contentious behavior even within our own ranks… spouses and children belittled, angry outbursts used to control, ‘silent treatment,’ youth who bully, and employees who defame colleagues.”
    • Contention is evil. “Make no mistake about it: contention is evil! Jesus Christ declared that those who have ‘the spirit of contention’ are not of Him but are ‘of the devil’… Those who foster contention are taking a page out of Satan’s playbook.”
    • What people really need from us. “If a couple in your ward gets divorced… a missionary returns early… a teenager doubts his testimony—they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ in your words and actions.”
      “If a friend on social media has strong views that violate everything you believe in, an angry, cutting retort will not help. Build bridges of understanding.”
    • Peacemaking is a covenant choice. We can choose contention or reconciliation; charity is the antidote and the temple empowers us to cast the adversary out of our relationships.
    • Our standard of speech: If anything is “virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy,” say that—to faces and behind backs.

    Perspective

    Peacemaking isn’t “peace at any price.” It’s covenant keeping with our mouths, our posts, and our reactions. The temple in view—Salt Lake—reminds me: God gathers, builds, and refines. If I’m with Him, my words should too.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    • Pause before post. If it won’t lift, it won’t live on my feed.
    • Bridge the gap. Ask one sincere question where I disagree.
    • Name the good. Offer one specific, praiseworthy sentence to someone who needs it.
    • Close the loop. Repair one relationship where my words cooled the room.

    Final Reflection

    Light rays don’t fight the clouds—they pass through and transform them. Peacemakers do the same with hard moments. Charity takes the sharpness out of sentences and puts strength back into souls.

    Pocket I’m Keeping (one-liner)

    “Charity is the antidote to contention.”

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes from President Nelson)

    • “Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.”
    • “Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice.”
    • “Make no mistake about it: contention is evil!”
    • “If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy we can say about another… that should be our standard of communication.”
    • “Now is the time to bury your weapons of war. The pure love of Christ is the answer to the contention that ails us today.”

    Link to the talk

    President Russell M. Nelson — “Peacemakers Needed.” (Official text/video on ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

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  • Spiritual Momentum: Five Small Choices that Move Mountains

    St. George Utah Temple — staged long-exposure. I set the camera on a tripod, framed the composition, and patiently waited for a car to pass and paint light across the scene while the moon peeked through the clouds. Momentum takes patience—and a steady heart.

    Excerpt

    Small, steady choices create spiritual momentum. Tonight I staged the scene—one camera locked down for a 20-second exposure while I waited for a car to drive slowly and paint light across the temple. Planned movement, steady heart.

    When life feels hot and hurried, deep roots matter. President Russell M. Nelson shows us how to build momentum that lasts—covenant by covenant, day by day.

    Intro

    Momentum changes games—and lives. President Nelson compared it to a team that grabbed two quick baskets before halftime and never looked back. “Momentum is a powerful concept.” In discipleship, positive spiritual momentum keeps us moving when heat, headlines, or hard days try to slow us down. And while “none of us can control nations or the actions of others or even members of our own families,” we can control ourselves. His five invitations—small, steady choices—gather power:

    1. Get on the covenant path (and stay).
    2. Discover the joy of daily repentance.
    3. Learn about God and how He works.
    4. Seek and expect miracles.
    5. End conflict in your personal life.

    Notes from President Nelson (Sep 2022)

    • “With all the pleadings of my heart, I urge you to get on the covenant path and stay there.”
    • “Ordinances and covenants give us access to godly power. The covenant path is the only path that leads to exaltation and eternal life.”
    • “Please do not fear or delay repenting. Satan delights in your misery. Cut it short. Cast his influence out of your life! Start today to experience the joy of putting off the natural man.”
    • Daily worship/study nourishes testimony; without it, faith can crumble “with frightening speed.”
    • “God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.” Do the spiritual work and believe, “doubting nothing.”
    • “I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives.”
    • Promise: acting on these brings increased momentum, strength to resist, more peace of mind, freedom from fear, and greater family unity.

    Perspective

    • Covenant power is real. Baptism, sacrament, and temple covenants plug us into godly power.
    • Repentance is progress, not punishment. “Please do not fear or delay repenting… Cut it short… Start today…”
    • The climb is designed to change us. “Now, a caution: Returning to the covenant path does not mean that life will be easy. This path is rigorous and at times will feel like a steep climb. This ascent, however, is designed to test and teach us, refine our natures, and help us to become saints. It is the only path that leads to exaltation.”
    • Peacemaking is discipleship. Ending conflict invites the Prince of Peace into the room.
    • Miracles may take time and may not match our first request—but the Lord moves the mountain in His way, in His time.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    Pick one small action to spark momentum today:

    • Schedule the temple (or step toward worthiness with your bishop).
    • Write one concrete repentance step; do it before bed.
    • Give God 10 undistracted minutes—scripture + prayer.
    • Ask for one needed miracle and the faith to act.
    • Make peace with one person (forgive or seek forgiveness).

    Final Reflection

    My staged photo worked because the camera stayed still while the light moved. Discipleship is the same: a heart fixed on covenants lets grace “paint” our lives with motion and light. Small, holy repetitions—repent, learn, believe, reconcile—create a current that carries us when our own strength fades.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Walking the covenant path, coupled with daily repentance, fuels positive spiritual momentum.” That’s my pocket sentence for the week.

    What I Hear Now

    Keep the camera steady—covenant steady. Let Me provide the light and the timing. Do the small things today; I’ll handle the mountains.

    Link to the talk

    President Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum.” (General Conference)

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  • Marked in Time – Sep 12, 2025 – “Meek and Lowly” (Elder Neal A. Maxwell)

    Manila woke to a sky of soft fire, and the spires answered. The world often mistakes meekness for weakness, but heaven doesn’t. Meekness is how we hear the ‘still, small voice’ in a loud century, how we keep working without being seen, how we forgive when no one claps. In that quiet courage, the Lord gives what He promised—rest for the soul and light for the road.

    Excerpt

    Meekness isn’t weakness—it’s the enabling power to wear Christ’s yoke, learn of Him, and endure well. It quiets pride, softens intellect, and turns stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

    Intro

    Today I revisited Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s 1986 devotional, “Meek and Lowly.” The world treats meekness as quaint; heaven calls it essential: “For none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart” (Moroni 7:44). Jesus invites, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly” (Matthew 11:29). Meekness is the key that makes discipleship possible—steady work, quiet strength, and “thanksgiving daily” even in stern seasons.

    Straight line

    Wear His yoke, learn of Him. Meekness is how disciples are taught by the Yoke-Master—an education for mortality and eternity.

    Do good—and don’t weary. Maxwell stacks the stretch: do good and don’t faint; endure and endure well; forgive and forgive “seventy times seven.”

    Drop the heavy baggage. Meekness sheds fatiguing insincerity, hunger for praise, and the “strength-sapping quest for recognition.”

    Meekness deepens discipleship. God gives challenges to keep us humble (Ether 12:27). Meekness steadies us when misrepresented or misunderstood.

    One missing virtue matters. Like the rich young ruler, other strengths can’t compensate for missing meekness—it alters decisions and destiny.

    A friend of true education. “Humbleness of mind” opens us to things we “never had supposed” (Moses 1:10); without it we’re “ever learning” yet missing truth (2 Tim. 3:7).

    Pride is in all our sins. Meekness breaks those polished chains—resentment, offense-hunting, murmuring, and small, myopic views of reality.

    Ears to hear. The meek listen long enough to recognize the Shepherd’s voice and turn “rocks of offense” into stepping stones.

    Grace flows to the meek. “His grace is sufficient” (Ether 12:26). Without meekness there is no sustained faith, hope, or charity (Moroni 7:43–44).

    Line upon line. Meekness partners with patience—time to absorb, repent, and be made strong in weak places (Ether 12:27; 2 Nephi 28:30).

    Final reflection

    Meekness is not passivity; it’s power under covenant. It lets Christ carry the kingdom while we do our duty, turns offense into learning, and keeps us rejoicing when no one’s clapping. If I would know the Lord better, I must wear His yoke longer.

    Pocket I’m keeping

    • Wear His yoke → learn of Him
    • Do good and don’t weary
    • Shed praise-hunger; drop old grievances
    • Listen longer; recognize His voice
    • Ask “rightly,” wait “line upon line”
    • Let grace make weak things strong

    What I hear now

    “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me… and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

    Link to the talk

    BYU Devotional — “Meek and Lowly” (Neal A. Maxwell, Oct 21, 1986)

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  • Marked in Time Sep 10, 2025 — Finding Joy in the Journey

    San Diego California Temple — made on an early iPhone. Daylight reminds me it’s less about the lens and more about the eye and the feeling. This house is family to me—my firstborn was sealed here on 12/12/12 at 12:00 PM.

    Excerpt
    President Thomas S. Monson teaches that joy is not in the distant future but in the daily moments we cherish with gratitude and love.

    Intro
    Life changes—sometimes suddenly, often gradually. President Thomas S. Monson reminds us that we cannot pile up tomorrows and expect joy to wait. Joy is in the journey now—in gratitude, in kindness, in cherishing those around us before it is too late.

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Change is constant; the key is learning what matters most.
    • Childhood, family time, and simple daily joys vanish if we postpone them.
    • Don’t wait for tomorrows that never come; love must be shown today.
    • Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
    • Gratitude transforms lack into abundance; ingratitude blinds us to God’s gifts.
    • Challenges will come, but we choose whether to cherish or neglect the people we love.
    • Christ’s example—serving, forgiving, and loving to the end—shows us how to live joyfully.

    Final reflection
    Time never stands still. My regrets are not about things I did, but things I left undone—words unsaid, kindness unshown. President Monson’s reminder echoes: joy is not about someday; it is about today.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Hug my family more, speak my love more.
    • Write the note, send the message, make the call—today.
    • Guard against letting stress eclipse people.
    • Give thanks deliberately, even for the small, ordinary blessings.
    • Joy = gratitude in motion.

    What I hear now
    Joy is a daily decision, not a future destination. If I train my heart to see God’s gifts in every moment, life itself becomes the journey worth rejoicing in.

    Link to the talk
    “Finding Joy in the Journey – President Thomas S. Monson

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  • Marked in Time — “According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts” (Neal A. Maxwell)

    Waxing gibbous moon peeking through stormy blue over the Jordan River Utah Temple, Friday night (9/5/25), framed by leaves and looking East South East of the sky.

    lle’s “preconditioning,” included the Power of Now reference, and linked the YouTube clip you gave me:

    Excerpt
    Desire steers destiny. Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that God judges “according to the desire of [our] hearts”—and helps us train those desires toward Him.

    Intro
    Maxwell reframes agency at its core: desires are the drivers. Genes, circumstances, and environments matter, but—as he reminds us—“there remains an inner zone in which we are sovereign, unless we abdicate.” In that sacred space lies our real agency.

    Eckhart Tolle explains the other side of the equation in what he calls preconditioning:

    “Mental and emotional filters: our minds are filled with ingrained narratives, beliefs, and emotional patterns that act like lenses through which we view the world.”

    (The Power of Now; also shared in his YouTube talk on preconditioning)

    Those filters shape perception, just as culture, family patterns, and past wounds bend behavior. Yet, as Maxwell insists, they cannot erase that sovereign inner zone. What we persistently desire is who we become—and what we receive.

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Desire is more than preference; it’s a real longing that directs agency and outcomes.
    • God mercifully considers our desires, works, and degrees of difficulty—yet won’t force us.
    • Satan desires our misery; wrong desires make us our own victims.
    • Lukewarmness flattens the soul; righteous desires must be relentless, daily.
    • Education of desire = learn truth and learn to love it; small acts create spiritual momentum.
    • “Do you,” President Brigham Young asked, “think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless they love it? No, they will not” (Journal of Discourses, 7:55).
    • Some desires must dissolve (envy, self-pity); weak righteous desires can grow strong.
    • Parents teach and model, but each soul must choose; God’s arm is stretched out still.
    • In process of time, holy desires produce holy works.
    • Preconditioning may set the stage—but the sovereign inner zone decides the play.

    Final reflection
    My outcomes track my appetites. When I aim my wants at ease or applause, I drift. When I aim them at Jesus, momentum returns. Desire is today’s steering wheel. Elder Maxwell’s reminder of the inner zone keeps me accountable: I can’t blame culture, genes, or preconditioning. They explain, but they don’t excuse. Tolle helps me name the filters that fog my lens, but Maxwell reminds me that God still waits on what I choose to desire.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Pray, then plan by desire: “More holiness give me” → schedule one aligned act.
    • Replace envy with intercession: bless the person I’d be tempted to compare with.
    • Feed the flame daily—scripture, sacrament, service—before screens.
    • Name one mis-aimed desire and starve it for a week.
    • Measure progress by direction and devotion, not dopamine.

    What I hear now
    If I train my want-to, God will shape my able-to. Even a spark—“I desire to believe”—is enough for Him to begin multiplying light.

    Link to the talk
    “According to the Desire of [Our] Hearts” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

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  • Marked In Time: “The Tugs and Pulls of the Word” – Neal A. Maxwell

    When the sky sings, even the moon waits its turn. Saratoga Springs Temple at dusk.

    Excerpt
    Many aren’t in transgression—they’re in diversion. The world tugs; disciples choose differently. My notes and how I’ll apply them this week.

    Intro
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell warns that diversion wastes “the days of [our] probation.” God’s plan isn’t pleasure—it’s happiness. The difference is discipleship.

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • The lures are old; the amplification is new—tech, media, hype.
    • Diversion builds “personalized prisons”: “of whom a man is overcome…”
    • Mortal honors are transient—“they have their reward.”
    • Remedies: Holy Ghost, family, worship/prayer/scripture, wise friends, Joseph-in-Egypt reflex (flee).
    • “Far country” is measured by fidelity, not miles—return is possible; resilience is covenant DNA.
    • God prizes who we become more than rank—our real résumé is ourselves.
    • See things as they really are/will be; give glory to God.

    Final reflection
    My risk isn’t rebellion; it’s drift—scrolls, refreshes, small hungers for applause. Diversion is bondage with nicer branding.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Access the Spirit first (scripture, prayer, sacrament), then apps.
    • Family first—real talk over parallel scrolling.
    • Choose friends/inputs that aim at Zion.
    • Flee fast; repent resiliently.
    • Measure worth by being (meek, patient, submissive), not spotlight.

    What I hear now
    Say “stand aside” to the world. Post the image, close the tab, sit with gratitude. The moon keeps rising; I don’t need every notification to matter. Souls > stars > stats.

    Link to the talk
    “The Tugs and Pulls of the World” — Neal A. Maxwell.

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  • Marked in Time — “Consecrate Thy Performance” (Neal A. Maxwell)

    “Heart, soul, and mind.” When we offer all, He consecrates our performanc. Saratoga Springs Temple · waxing gibbous moon

    Excerpt
    Consecration isn’t giving things as much as yielding self. When heart, soul, and mind align with God, He consecrates our efforts for lasting good.

    Intro
    Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that ultimate consecration is our will swallowed up in the Father’s. Step by step, His grace is sufficient, and our performances are consecrated “for the lasting welfare of [our] souls.”

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Consecration = yielding will to the Father—one stepping-stone at a time.
    • We often “keep back part” (skills, status, habits); partial surrender still diverts.
    • Worth is fixed; assignments change—He must increase, we decrease.
    • Good things can crowd out the first commandment; beware lesser gods.
    • Acknowledge His hand; avoid the “my power, my hand” trap.
    • Discipleship polishes us (rough stone rolling): contact, friction, meekness.
    • Surrendering the mind is victory; God teaches higher ways.
    • Jesus is the pattern—never lost focus; Gethsemane above all other miracles.

    Final reflection
    My hardest “part” isn’t money—it’s control. God wants a consecrated person more than a perfect portfolio. Yielded work beats impressive work.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Ask daily: “Lord, is it this?”—take the next small stone.
    • Worship before work; name His hand first.
    • Hold assignments lightly; hold Jesus tightly.
    • Trade applause for alignment.
    • Measure by love, patience, meekness.

    What I hear now
    I’ll hand Him today’s schedule, camera, and keyboard—and let Him aim them. Consecration is hourly trust; even detours can be consecrated.

    Link to the talk
    “Consecrate Thy Performance” — Neal A. Maxwell.

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  • Marked in Time — “If Thou Endure Well” (Neal A. Maxwell)

    Saratoga Springs Utah Temple with a rising waxing gibbous moon.

    Excerpt
    None of us is immune from trial. Elder Neal A. Maxwell teaches that if we endure well, today’s struggles are shaped into tomorrow’s blessings. Here’s my mark-in-time takeaway and how I’m applying it.

    Intro
    I listened again to Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s devotional “If Thou Endure Well.” The sentence that stayed with me: None of us can or will be immune from the trials of life. However, if we learn to endure our struggles well, they will be turned into blessings in eternity. That’s both bracing and kind—God doesn’t waste pain when we place it in His hands.

    Straight line (what he’s saying)
    • Mortality guarantees opposition; surprise is optional.
    • Enduring well ≠ grim hanging-on; it’s faithful submission, patience, and continuing to choose light.
    • Timing is part of God’s tutoring—deliverance sometimes tarries so discipleship can deepen.
    • Gratitude and meekness change how trials shape us. They don’t shorten the storm, but they change the sailor.
    • The Lord consecrates affliction to our gain when we refuse cynicism and keep covenant routines (scripture, prayer, sacrament, service).

    Final reflection
    Enduring well is a decision repeated—quietly—over and over. It’s choosing not to narrate my trial as abandonment, but as apprenticeship. It’s trusting that God is doing more with my life than I can see from the shoreline.

    Pocket I’m keeping
    • Expect opposition; practice patience on purpose.
    • Pair prayers with small, durable acts (keep the next covenant, serve the next person, take the next right step).
    • Measure “progress” by faithfulness, not by ease.

    What I hear now
    Tonight’s images—reflections, a quiet bench, a waxing gibbous over the spire—feel like a lesson in waiting. I can’t rush the moon to its mark, but I can keep framing, steady my hands, and choose light again. If I endure well, God will finish the alignment.

    Link to the talk
    Full devotional: “If Thou Endure Well” — Neal A. Maxwell (BYU Speeches).

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  • “In Him All Things Hold Together” Elder Neal A Maxwell

    Syracuse Utah Temple at blue hour beneath a setting first-quarter moon. I lingered long; the nudge lingered longer. In Him, the night—and I—held together.

    Intro
    I lingered at the Syracuse Utah Temple until the first-quarter moon slid above the spire and the stars came on. The nudge I felt there was the longest I’ve ever carried from any temple—it stayed even while I was shooting. Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s cadence kept pacing me:

    “In Christ all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)

    And he widened the frame of my night with this:

    “I wish to talk about your unfinished journey. It is the journey of journeys… The trek awaits—whether one is rich or poor… married or single, a prodigal or an ever faithful. Compared to this journey, all other treks are but a brief walk in a mortal park or are merely time on a telestial treadmill.” —Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    The temple path made that “journey of journeys” feel less abstract and more immediate—boots on stone, heart in hand.

    The straight line
    Perishable skills expire; portable virtues don’t. The Lord is shaping “men and women of Christ”—meek, patient, full of love (Mosiah 3:19). When life frays, covenants are the stitching; Christ is the seam that actually holds me together.

    Final Reflection (Maxwell, in his own words)

    “These attributes are eternal and portable… Being portable, to the degree developed, they will go with us through the veil of death.”
    “Since He is risen from the grave, let us not be dead as to the things of the Spirit… In him all things hold together.”

    Standing beside the flower bed and the pale stone, I felt why: if I let Him order my heart, He will also order my steps.

    Another line the night underlined
    Elder Maxwell ties the sky to our discipleship:

    “At Christmastime we celebrate a special star… placed in its precise orbit long before it shone so precisely… ‘All things must come to pass in their time’ (D&C 64:32). His overseeing precision pertains not only to astrophysical orbits but to human orbits as well… our obligation to shine as lights within our own orbits.” —Elder Neal A. Maxwell (see Philippians 2:15)

    Insight: The moon over Syracuse wasn’t an accident; neither is where God has set me. If I stay in my covenant orbit—quiet, steady, on time—He’ll handle the timing and the alignment.

    What I hear now

    • Let Christ carry what’s flying apart. Pray first: “Hold this together in Thee.”
    • Choose portable over perishable. Practice a trait before a technique.
    • Shine in your current orbit. Steward the people and places already set around you; heaven runs on precision and timing.
    • Serve quietly. Authority of example > argument.
    • Take the yoke & learn (Matt. 11:29). Small obediences teach His large qualities.
    • Return, then refine. Revisit the same place (and person) until the light matches the message—the nudge at Syracuse taught me that.

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  • “Meeting The Challenges Today” Neal A. Maxwell

    Last light, first peace. Syracuse Utah Temple. 🌅

    “Meeting the Challenges of Today” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Intro

    Driving to the Syracuse Temple, I queued up Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s 1978 devotional “Meeting the Challenges of Today.” One line kept burning: God’s foreknowledge and foreordination “underline how very long and how perfectly God has loved us and known us with our individual needs and capacities.” That changes how I face pushback—not with heat, but with holy steadiness.

    Listening loop: I’ve listened/read this message 30+ times since Thursday—car to Jordan River, then to Syracuse. Each pass peeled back another layer.

    Selected lines (to read slowly)

    • “In the months and years ahead, events will require of each member that he or she decide whether…to follow the First Presidency.”
    • “A new irreligion seeks to make itself the state religion…using preserved freedoms to shrink freedom.”
    • “Be principled but pleasant…perceptive without being pompous.”
    • “We were measured before and found equal to our tasks…God will not overprogram us.”

    Doctrine Note: Foreordination ≠ Predestination

    Foreordination is a conditional stewardship, not a guarantee. God can foresee outcomes without forcing them; agency remains intact.

    • David: God foresaw David’s fall but did not cause it. David chose Bathsheba; agency—and accountability—were David’s.
    • Martin Harris (116 pages): God foresaw the loss and prepared a remedy centuries earlier (see D&C 10; Words of Mormon).
    • Conclusion: God is never surprised; we are never compelled. Foreordination calls us to faithfulness, not fatalism.

    When minor defeats loom

    “There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, that others will step forward, having been rallied to righteousness by what we do.” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    How I’ve seen this: when I was knocked down at work, unexpected help appeared—quiet encouragements, timely messages, and small mercies that kept me moving. God’s compensating provisions are often people.

    Practice today: Who can I quietly rally by how I show up? Act first; announce later.

    My working understanding now

    • God doesn’t live inside my clock. He sees past–present–future at once.
    • Agency is real. He allowed me to choose Utah and walk hard roads; He wasn’t the cause of every sorrow, nor surprised by any of it.
    • Compensating provisions exist. He prepares remedies far ahead of my missteps.
    • **We are not foreordained to fail, but called to succeed—**and to become.

    Becoming, Not Just Describing

    Maxwell doesn’t invite us to argue; he invites us to become. Utah’s quiet—sometimes lonely—became the classroom where I finally studied harder, worshiped more steadily, and let the doctrine soak until it changed my reflexes.

    How I’ll practice becoming (small and daily):

    • Act > announce: do the next right thing before I say the next right thing.
    • Covenant rhythm: weekly temple worship, even when feelings lag.
    • Charity first: measure responses by love, not by likes or score-keeping.
    • Ask once, then release: honor others’ agency as God honors mine.

    Working creed: God foresees; I choose. If I stay on the covenant path, I’m not “stuck”—I’m becoming what my blessing already pointed to.

    Foreordination (Maxwell’s core teaching — extended excerpt)

    “Foreordination is like any other blessing—it is a conditional bestowal subject to our faithfulness… Prophecies foreshadow events without determining the outcomes… God foresaw the fall of David, but was not the cause of it… God foresaw, but did not cause, Martin Harris’s loss… and made plans to cope with that failure over fifteen hundred years before it was to occur.”

    Premortal memory (often called the “council in heaven”) — Joseph F. Smith:

    “In coming here, we forget all, that our agency might be free indeed… by the power of the Spirit… we often catch a spark from the awakened memories of the immortal soul, which lights up our whole being as with the glory of our former home.” (Gospel Doctrine, pp. 13–14)

    Why this belongs here: Foreordination honors agency; mortal forgetting protects it. The Spirit’s “spark” is what turns doctrine into direction—reminding me who I’m to become, not scripting how I’m forced to get there.

    When minor defeats loom (for this week’s online heat)

    “There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, that others will step forward, having been rallied to righteousness by what we do.”

    Application: in the FB pile-on, unexpected help appeared. God’s compensating provisions are often people. Charity begets courage in others.

    Tone to keep (even online):

    “Be principled but pleasant… perceptive without being pompous… have integrity and not write checks with our tongues which our conduct cannot cash.”

    We cannot judge who will come (God’s sight ≠ our verdicts)

    “The Lord… said, ‘Cast the net on the right side’… If he knew beforehand the whereabouts of fishes in the Sea of Tiberias, should it offend us that he knows beforehand which mortals will come into the gospel net?”

    Application: He knows who will soften, when, and how. My job is faith and kindness—not forecasting souls.

    A living (not retired) God

    “One dimension of worshipping a living God is to know that he is alive and seeing and acting. He is not a retired God… He is, at once, in all the dimensions of time—past, present, and future—while we labor within time’s limits.”

    Takeaway: He foresees without forcing, prepares without pampering, and lives to help—now.

    Final Reflection

    If God truly knew us and trusted us with these exact days, then opposition isn’t proof He abandoned us; it’s evidence He appointed us. Foreordination isn’t status—it’s stewardship; not a guarantee—but a charge to be faithful.

    What I hear now

    • Choose loyalty early; live it quietly.
    • Be firm without sharpness—principled but pleasant.
    • Treat foreordination as fuel for service, not status.
    • When weary, remember: we were measured before, and God won’t press more than we can bear.
    • Let pushback refine your discipleship, not redefine it.


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  • “I Love To See The Temple”

    Jordan River Utah Temple — filmed today around 3:15 pm on the way home from work. Summer birds, soft wind, and a steady spire through the trees… “a place of love and beauty.”

    Intro
    On the way home I pulled over where the Jordan River Temple rises above the trees and filmed a slow, quiet pass. The line kept looping: “a place of love and beauty.” With the temple in view, “I’ll prepare myself…” didn’t sound like childhood someday—it sounded like a choice for today.

    Song
    I Love to See the Temple — Janice Kapp Perry

    I love to see the temple;
    I’m going there someday
    to feel the Holy Spirit,
    to listen and to pray.
    For the temple is a house of God—
    a place of love and beauty.
    I’ll prepare myself while I am young;
    this is my sacred duty.

    I love to see the temple;
    I’ll go inside someday.
    I’ll covenant with my Father;
    I’ll promise to obey.
    For the temple is a holy place
    where we are sealed together.
    As a child of God, I’ve learned this truth:
    a family is forever.

    Final Reflection
    This children’s hymn grows up with us. “I’ll go inside someday. I’ll cov’nant with my Father; I’ll promise to obey.” The melody is simple; the promises are not. Preparation is worship. Obedience is love in motion. And “As a child of God, I’ve learned this truth: A fam’ly is forever” is more than a lyric—it’s a covenant Christ makes possible in His house.

    What I hear now

    • Prepare beats postpone. If it’s “my sacred duty,” act today.
    • Covenants quietly reorder life. “I’ll promise to obey” changes calendars and priorities.
    • Keep the temple in frame. Let “a place of love and beauty” shape how I speak, serve, and schedule.
    • Family is the point. Live so “a fam’ly is forever” feels true at home, not just in song.

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