Draper Utah Temple, late-morning sunbeams after summer clouds—color in the garden, light on the steeple. A small, literal “flood of light.” 🌤️✨🌸
Intro Some days we feel a homesick tug for “another place”—only a mist of memory, but real enough to re-center us. President Joseph F. Smith taught that through obedience we sometimes catch a spark from awakened memories of the immortal soul that lights our whole being. Elder Maxwell adds that most of us arrive in mortality as buds of possibility, meant to open under covenant light—not merely to admire truth, but to apply it.
Final Reflection Think of yourself not only as you are, but as you can become. Our premortal traits still whisper here; environment matters, but eternal identity matters more. Light from the Restoration isn’t for display—it is for development: meekness, patience, mercy. Knowledge informs; obedience transforms. Keep placing today’s light on today’s altar until those buds of possibility unfold.
What I hear now
Receive impressions before the morning mists burn off.
Lead with identity; let environment follow.
Nurture buds with small, exact obedience.
Move truth from admired → applied—light becoming life.
Called to serve.” Elder Mariano’s missionary tag resting on well-used scriptures—belief becoming deeds. 📖
Intro
I’ve been looping Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s “Called to Serve.” Two voices keep converging: King Benjamin’s charge, “If you believe all these things,see that ye do them” (Mosiah 4:10), and Elder Maxwell’s reminder that **deeds, not words—and becoming, not describing—**define discipleship. Mere assent without application is like hearing a lecture but skipping the lab. The audit is personal: Am I taking the field trip with the Savior, or just acing the lecture?
Final Reflection
“One mistake we can make… is to value knowledge apart from the other qualities to be developed in submissive discipleship… Being knowledgeable, by itself… is not enough… It’s like being briefed on a field trip but never taking the field trip.” And then the piercing question: “Are we steadily becoming what gospel doctrines are designed to help us become? Or are we… rich inheritors… but poor investors…?” —Elder Neal A. Maxwell, Called to Serve (BYU, Mar 27, 1994)
Elder Maxwell won’t let truth stop at the ears. Doctrine is meant to develop us—into merciful, meek, patient disciples. King Benjamin removes the wiggle room: if we believe, we do (Mosiah 4:10). Knowledge informs; obedience transforms. The treasure we’ve inherited only yields a return when we invest it in daily, quiet, consecrated doing.
Elder Maxwell says our “defining moments” rarely stand alone; they’re preceded by small, subtle preparatory moments and followed by many smaller moments shaped by them. His Okinawa story (age 18) shows how a single spared moment led to a lifetime pledge—and then came years of quiet confirmations: the Lord’s short, crisp promptings (often “more instructions than explanations”), the urgent nudge to “write the letter now,” and the painter’s metaphor—countless brushstrokes that outsiders may not value, but God is “in the details.” Put beside King Benjamin’s charge, the pattern is clear: belief ripens into decisive, timely doing. Knowledge informs; obedience transforms. Defining moments are built, one obedient brushstroke at a time.
What I hear now
My past can shape me, but it will not script me.
Charity tells the truth and sets kind boundaries.
Don’t just know the gospel—become it.
Belief proves itself by doing (Mosiah 4:10).
Trade admiration for application—put today’s light on today’s altar.
Measure growth by Christlike traits formed, not facts recalled.
Keep taking the “field trips” of faith—show up, serve, endure cheerfully.
Rain on the glass, light in the heart—‘Have you received His image in your countenance?
Intro Yesterday after work, I was driving in the rain and decided to swing by the Taylorsville Utah Temple to photograph it through the windshield. The lyric asks, “Does the Light of Christ shine in your eyes?” Storms don’t decide that—presence does. The rain softened everything, but the temple remained steady, a quiet reminder of “a beauty from within.”
His Image in Your Countenance (Janice Kapp Perry) — full song
With no apparent beauty that man should Him desire, He was the promised Savior to purify with fire. The world despised His plainness, but those who followed Him Found love and light and purity—a beauty from within.
Chorus Have you received His image in your countenance? Does the Light of Christ shine in your eyes? Will He know you when He comes again, for you shall be like Him? When He sees you, will the Father know His child?
We seek for light and learning as followers of Christ, That all may see His goodness reflected in our lives. When we receive His fulness and lose desire for sin, We radiate His perfect love—a beauty from within.
The ways of man may tempt us, and some will be deceived, Preferring worldly beauty, forgetting truth received. But whisperings of the Spirit remind us once again That lasting beauty, pure and clear, must come from deep within.
Final Reflection Two lines won’t leave me: “Does the Light of Christ shine in your eyes?” and “We radiate His perfect love—a beauty from within.” The first is a question of identity; the second is a promise of overflow. Christ does not polish the surface—He converts the source. When His fulness displaces our old appetites, radiance stops being borrowed and starts being reflected. The world chases visibility; disciples seek visibility of Him. And like last night’s view, life can be rainy without being dim. If He is in frame, light still finds us—and then finds others through us.
What I hear now
Holiness isn’t cosmetic; it’s conducted through a willing heart.
Eyes preach what lips can’t; let them carry peace.
Reflection over performance: light, not glare.
Repent quickly so the window stays clear.
Trade comparison for compassion; both can’t live in the same face.
Keep the Temple in frame when the week gets rainy.
Ask nightly: “Did someone feel His love in my countenance today?”
Each step will leave its mark. “My footsteps are protected / By one who cares to see my life.”
Intro “Though I am young, I know the way; the road lies marked before me.” Youth isn’t drift; it’s direction. And “I stand free to weave my life from my heart’s lovely pattern”—agency as craftsmanship. The quest isn’t loud or showy; it’s steady steps on a marked road, shaped with God.
The Quest (full lyrics) Seminary Album, “The Quest,” 1977
Though I am young, I know the way; the road lies marked before me. I can progress, rejoice, and grow— the sources given to me to know.
That sweet, unchanging promise: the Quest.
For I stand free to weave my life from my heart’s lovely pattern. I have a vague soft’s memory of what I was, yet cannot see— that helps me not to faulter.
Often I stand alone, forsake the crowds around me; seek strength to live the truths I find, clothe modestly my flesh and mind— my spirit’s humble and refined. I can be pure because I see the joy that waits eternally.
Each step I take will leave its mark, for each step leads me somewhere; and though the end is deemed to sight, the steps I take, if true and right, will bring me exaltation.
I know I do not walk alone— my footsteps are protected by One who cares to see my life shine forth in beauty and love and light, exalted and perfected.
Often I stand alone, forsake the crowds around me; seek strength to live the truth I find, clothe modestly my flesh and mind— my spirit’s humble and refined. I can be pure because I see the joy that waits eternally.
This is my quest. This is my quest.
Final Reflection “Each step I take will leave its mark… and though the end is deemed to sight, the steps I take, if true and right, will bring me exaltation.” Small, faithful steps compound. And “I know I do not walk alone—my footsteps are protected…” The hidden gem is how standards (modesty of flesh and mind, truth first, crowd second) are framed as joy: “I can be pure because I see the joy that waits eternally.”
What I hear now • Agency is artistry: I’m weaving a life with God, not winging it. • Holiness is glad, not grim; joy powers obedience. • Standing apart is part of discipleship. • The Lord walks the road with me—protection, light, and finish.
Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple — double rainbow before the storm.
Intro On the drive to my 7:30 pm proxy endowment, I played the Seminary song “Free to Choose” and felt the nudge to write. The song isn’t about doing whatever I want; it’s about turning agency toward the light—again and again. When it says:
“So I choose freedom, and there I learn to walk within the light… what leads me to free to choose again— and again…”
that’s discipleship: choices that keep future choices open. And when it warns,
“If I refuse… don’t be confused; …can slip and fall— got to stay free to choose,”
it’s honest about missteps. Freedom shrinks when I’m captured by habits, pride, anger, or appetite; it grows when I repent and realign with Jesus Christ. That’s why the temple fits this song so well.
Song: Free to Choose (Seminary album, 1987)
I’m free to choose, to win or lose, no matter who comes and tries to turn my head around— and I’ll be fine.
I’m in control; I’m free to choose, I’m free to choose.
I’ve heard the news that I can choose the song I sing and what I want to say— what I got tied.
I will set my goals, ’cause I’m free to choose.
So I choose freedom, and there I learn to walk within the light. He said I’ll choose what leads me to free to choose again— and again—so when I choose,
If I refuse, don’t be confused; just understand that I can cross the line, can slip and fall— got to stay free to choose.
Choose what I will be; I am free to choose.
So I choose freedom— I am free to choose.
How the song teaches agency (my takeaway) • “I will set my goals”—Agency is deliberate, not drift. • “Walk within the light”—Freedom is not rebellion; it’s alignment. • “Choose again—and again”—Agency is renewed daily on the covenant path. • “If I refuse… can slip and fall”—Repentance restores freedom; sin constricts it. • “Got to stay free to choose”—Guard the heart from anything that addicts, divides, or dulls the Spirit.
Reinforced by Elder Neal A. Maxwell “[God] wants us to have joy. We cannot do that unless we are free to choose. But neither can we have that joy unless we are willing to be spiritually submissive day in, day out, and unless we exercise that grand and glorious freedom to choose in which people truly matter more than stars.” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “Free to Choose,” BYU Devotional, March 16, 2004
“So, brothers and sisters, here we are in Eden, and Eden has become Babylon… Even if we leave Babylon, some of us endeavor to keep a second residence there… Babylon does not give exit permits gladly… No wonder Jesus’s marvelous invitation to leave Babylon’s slums and join Him in the stunning spiritual highlands goes largely unheeded.” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “A Wonderful Flood of Light,” BYU Devotional, March 26, 1989
Final reflection Agency is God’s gift; joy is the fruit of using it His way. The world shouts for weekend commutes back to Babylon. The temple whispers, “Choose light again.” Tonight I choose freedom by choosing Christ—so I can keep choosing tomorrow.
Manila Philippines Temple — first light through the palms. When I joined the Church there were 4 missions in the Philippines; today there are 26. From 1 temple then to 13 now (3 operating, 10 under construction). Truly, “miracles of knowledge” — and truth can grow and thrive.
Excerpt
A quiet temple night—and a Seminary song—reminded me that “miracles of knowledge” are all around us, and that I can be glad to be me while still becoming better.
Intro
Some moments stay because they’re loud and unforgettable. Others stay because they’re quiet—so quiet you almost miss them. My August 9 visit to the Taylorsville Utah Temple was one of those moments. It was an only whisper kind of day that made me pause and take in where I am in life. In that stillness, the Seminary song “I’m Glad I’m Me” (from Gates of Zion) returned and reframed where I am—technically, spiritually, and personally.
Notes from the “Seminary Song, Gates of Zion Album, 1979″
I’m glad I’m me
Today is warm and wonderful, it’s my day What a time to be alive There’s miracles of knowledge all around me And man can soar, truth can grow and thrive
The world has waited breathlessly for this day And I’m part of what they waited for With those who before I share the blessing Opportunity not dreamed about people
I’m glad I’m me and yes I’m glad I know the answers Know why I’m here and what I’m living for I want to be the best I can be I want to do What I was sent here for
I have work to do while it’s still my day There’s so much love and happiness to gie I’m glad to think that I was counted worthy That I was saved for this great day to live
I’m glad I’m me And Yes I’m glad I know the answers Know why I’m here, and what I’m living for I wan to be the best I can be I want to do What I sent here for
Perspective (direct quotes) — aligned to the song
“I must work the works… while it is day.” — John 9:4
“Seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” — D&C 88:118
“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” — Mosiah 2:17
Practice (today, not someday) — phrased from the lyrics
Know why I’m here: write one sentence of purpose for today and read it before you start.
Be the best I can be: choose one skill to sharpen (document the “miracle of knowledge” you used).
Do what I was sent here for: finish one task that directly blesses a person/team.
Share the blessing: teach one thing you learned (short note, screenshot, or 2-minute huddle).
Final Reflection
When I first started in IT, “miracles of knowledge” looked very different—no Azure, AWS, or GCP; the Internet for a few universities; rooms of hardware; Google not yet a verb; AI still fiction. Today we carry more compute in our pockets than those machines ever dreamed of. That’s not just progress—it’s an everyday miracle. Knowing why I’m here, I want to be the best I can be and do what I was sent here for: stay curious, be ready for the unexpected, show up prepared, learn from every storm, and find meaning in the work and relationships along the way. I’m grateful for this moment—where heaven’s whisper meets technology’s light. And yes, I’m glad I’m me.
Pocket I’m Keeping
Know why I’m here; do what I was sent here for.
What I Hear Now
“Be the best you can be—today.” • “Use knowledge to lift.”
