Jet Mariano

Tag: Moses

  • MIT-8 — “He Turned Aside: Choosing the Sacred”

    After choosing not to react, I came here. Among the tulips and the temple, I was reminded that peace is not something we find by accident. It is something we protect by choice.
    Since the scaffolding was removed, the temple has been drawing people all day. I had to patiently wait for the right moment as visitors passed by, taking photos and selfies, until everything cleared.
    Sometimes, stillness is not given. It is waited for.

    Excerpt
    “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight…” (Exodus 3:3)

    Intro
    There are moments when something sacred is placed before us, but it does not demand our attention. We must choose to notice it. We must choose to turn.

    Moses did not just see the burning bush. He chose to turn aside.

    Notes from {Speaker}
    Reverence is not just an aspect of spirituality. It is the foundation of it.

    Elder Ulisses Soares taught that reverence requires intention. It invites us to step away from distraction and give our full attention to what is holy.

    Perspective (direct quotes)
    “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight…” (Exodus 3:3)

    “Moses, Moses” (Exodus 3:4)

    “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5)

    “Come and fear not, and lay aside every sin…” (Alma 7:15)

    “Deny yourselves of all ungodliness…” (Moroni 10:32-33)

    Practice (today, not someday)
    Today, I will turn aside.
    I will step away from distractions and from reactions that disturb peace.
    I will choose what is sacred over what is immediate.

    Final Reflection
    Turning aside is not only about moving toward something sacred. It is also about choosing what not to engage.

    Today, on my way to the Filipino Ward in Midvale, Utah, I was looking forward to watching my grandson take part in the Primary musical presentation on Palm Sunday.

    Along the way, I encountered a tense situation on the road that could have easily escalated. For a brief moment, everything paused, and I had a choice.

    I could react.
    I could confront.
    I could escalate.

    Or I could turn aside.

    I chose to remain calm.
    I chose not to engage.
    I chose to continue forward.

    I made it to the chapel. I watched my grandson perform. I spent time with fellow members.

    Afterward, I drove to Temple Square and stood among the tulips, seeing the Salt Lake Temple—quiet, steady, and free from scaffolding.

    Moses turned aside to see something sacred.

    Today, I turned aside from something that would have taken that moment away.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    “I will now turn aside.”

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes)
    “When God saw that he turned aside… God called unto him…” (Exodus 3:4)

    Link to the talk

    Reverence For Sacred Things – by Elder Ulisses Soares

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  • MIT-8 — “Here Am I: From Objection to Calling”

    Moments like this remind me that moving forward is rarely about feeling ready. It is about trusting enough to go when called. Like Moses, we may question, hesitate, and even doubt, but the promise remains the same: “I will be with thee.”

    Excerpt
    “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh…?” (Exodus 3:11)

    Intro
    There are moments when God calls, and instead of stepping forward, we hesitate. Not because we lack faith, but because we see our own limitations more clearly than our potential. Moses felt it. I have felt it. And perhaps we all have, in our own callings, careers, and responsibilities.

    Notes from Scripture
    Moses did not accept his calling easily. In his encounter with God at the burning bush, he raised concern after concern—six in total. Each one revealed a different fear: inadequacy, lack of knowledge, fear of rejection, personal weakness, comparison, and finally, frustration when results did not come quickly.

    Yet each time, the Lord did not withdraw the calling. He responded with assurance, instruction, power, support, and patience.

    Perspective (direct quotes)
    “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh…?” (Exodus 3:11)
    “I will be with thee” (Exodus 3:12)

    “But, behold, they will not believe me…” (Exodus 4:1)

    “O my Lord, I am not eloquent…” (Exodus 4:10)

    “O my Lord, send… by the hand of him whom thou wilt send” (Exodus 4:13)

    “Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people?” (Exodus 5:22)

    “The Lord uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible” — President Russell M. Nelson

    Practice (today, not someday)
    Today, I will stop disqualifying myself before even trying.
    I will move forward even when I feel unprepared.
    I will trust that if I am called, I will also be supported.

    Final Reflection
    Moses’ objections are not just ancient history. They are alive in our daily lives.

    In my IT journey, I have faced my own “Who am I?” moments:

    • Standing in front of leadership during critical migrations
    • Identifying blockers others could not see
    • Carrying systems that entire departments depended on

    There were times I felt:

    • not qualified enough
    • not ready enough
    • not supported enough

    Yet just like Moses, the pattern was always the same—step forward, and help followed.

    In my IT journey, I have faced moments where I had to step into complex problems that carried real impact across the organization. The pressure was real, and the path forward was not always clear. But as I moved forward step by step, the way opened.

    In other moments, I questioned:
    Why am I the one carrying this?
    Why does it feel harder after I stepped in?

    Moses asked the same thing.

    And still, the Lord did not remove him. He strengthened him.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    “I will be with thee.”

    What I Hear Now (direct quotes)
    “I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say” (Exodus 4:12)

    © 2012–2026 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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