Jet Mariano

Tag: Joseph of Egypt

  • MIT-8 “Prepared in Plenty, Protected in Famine”

    Prepared in plenty, protected in famine. Light always comes after preparation.

    Excerpt
    Preparation today becomes provision tomorrow.

    Intro
    Pharaoh’s dream wasn’t just symbolic—it was a warning. Through Joseph, God revealed a pattern: seasons of abundance followed by seasons of scarcity. The difference between survival and suffering would depend on one thing—preparation.

    Notes from the Scriptures

    Pharaoh saw in his dream seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Through revelation, Joseph interpreted what others could not.

    (Genesis 41:1-36)

    The solution was simple, but required discipline: store during the years of abundance so there would be enough during the years of famine.

    President Gordon B. Hinckley later echoed this same principle:

    “I want to make it very clear that I am not prophesying, that I am not predicting years of famine in the future.”
    “There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed.”
    (“To the Boys and to the Men,” General Conference, October 1998)

    Preparation is not fear—it is wisdom.

    Perspective
    Joseph didn’t just interpret the dream—he acted on it. Because of that, when famine came, Egypt didn’t panic. They were ready.

    This principle is not limited to ancient times. It applies to finances, to spiritual strength—and even to daily work.

    In IT, I’ve seen the same pattern again and again.

    Systems run smoothly during “years of plenty.” Everything works, tickets are light, and it’s easy to assume things will stay that way. But when failure comes—and it always does—the difference between chaos and control is preparation.

    Documentation is our “stored grain.”

    The modern “corn in Egypt.” Documentation and preparation today become survival tomorrow.

    When systems go down, when key people are unavailable, or when something critical breaks, those who prepared can respond with clarity. Those who didn’t are left scrambling.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    Today I will prepare while things are working. I will document, organize, and plan—not just for my benefit, but for those who may depend on it later.

    Final Reflection
    Joseph didn’t store grain for himself. He prepared for a future he could not yet see. And when the famine came, he was in a position to save others—including his own family.

    Preparation is never wasted. It becomes someone else’s lifeline.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    What I prepare today may save someone tomorrow.

    What I Hear Now
    “We lose our life by serving and lifting others. By so doing we experience the only true and lasting happiness. Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made. …”
    “The Celestial Nature of Self-Reliance,” October 1982 general conference

    “In their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all…”
    Alma 1:30

    “I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die”
    (Genesis 42:2)

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  • MIT-8 “Two Coats: Obedience, Loss, and New Beginnings in the Life of Joseph of Egypt.”

    Taylorsville Temple before sunrise. Joseph lost his coat twice, yet the Lord was already preparing the next chapter.

    Excerpt
    Joseph lost his coat twice, but he never lost his faith.

    Intro
    Joseph’s story is one of repeated loss followed by unexpected elevation. Twice in his life he lost a garment and the position he held, yet each time the loss became the doorway to something greater. His life reminds us that obedience does not always prevent hardship, but it does guide us through it.

    Notes from the Scriptures

    Joseph’s first loss came while he was still young, living in the land of Canaan. His father loved him deeply and gave him a coat of many colors. That gift, however, intensified the jealousy of his brothers. When Joseph came to check on them, they turned against him.

    “They stript Joseph out of his coat, … cast him into a pit,” and later sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:23-28).

    Though everything familiar was taken from him, Joseph remained faithful. In Egypt, his diligence and integrity earned the trust of his master.

    Later, another trial came. Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tried to persuade Joseph to betray his trust and commit adultery. Joseph refused each time, remaining loyal both to Potiphar and to God.

    When she attempted to seize him physically, Joseph fled.

    “He left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” (Genesis 39:12)

    The garment she held became false evidence against him, and Joseph was thrown into prison.

    Yet even there, the pattern continued:

    “Because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.” (Genesis 39:23)

    Joseph lost his position twice, yet his faith remained steady.

    Perspective
    Joseph’s story is not just about loss but about endurance. The second setback could easily have shaken his faith. Instead, Joseph continued to trust the Lord.

    Nephi experienced something similar. As a young man he left Jerusalem with his family, abandoning comfort and security to follow the Lord’s command (1 Nephi 2:2-4). Years later, after reaching the promised land, conflict within the family forced him to leave again.

    Nephi obeyed once more and established a new community, where the people eventually lived “after the manner of happiness” (2 Nephi 5:27).

    Both stories teach a profound truth: sometimes obedience leads us through repeated trials before it leads us to peace.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    Today I will remember that setbacks do not cancel God’s promises. When circumstances change, when plans collapse, or when losses come unexpectedly, faith can remain steady. Obedience today prepares the way for tomorrow’s new beginning.

    Final Reflection
    Joseph’s garments were taken, his freedom was taken, and his circumstances were taken. Yet his faith was never taken. God was quietly shaping his future through every trial.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    When obedience leads to loss, trust God anyway.

    What I Hear Now
    Like the Jaredite barges, life can feel submerged by waves.

    “they were many times buried in the depths of the sea … but the wind did never cease to blow them towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:7)

    Link to the talk
    (Add the original talk or scripture reference if you want to link it.)

    IT Reflection (My own story)

    Joseph’s life reminds me of moments in my own IT career. Systems crash, projects fail, companies restructure, and sometimes the work we built disappears overnight. Yet those disruptions often become preparation for something new.

    Just as Joseph rose again through faithfulness and diligence, many of the hardest moments in technology work have eventually opened doors to deeper learning, new responsibilities, and greater trust.

    Sometimes losing the “coat” simply means the Lord is preparing us for a different assignment.

    © 2012–2026 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.

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