Jordan River Utah Temple — Rain on Glass. iPhone shot from the driver’s seat; focus on the droplets to let the temple bloom softly behind. Light edit for contrast/clarity on the foreground drops.
Excerpt When life is heavy, rest isn’t escape—it’s yoking with Christ and keeping covenants. Even through rain-blurred glass, the temple holds steady.
Intro After sacrament it poured. I drove to the Jordan River Temple and stayed in the car, letting the storm drum on the windshield. Through a thousand raindrops, the spire stayed true. That quiet minute was my rest.
Perspective (direct quotes)
“Come unto me… and I will give you rest. … My yoke is easy.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
“Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
President Russell M. Nelson: Covenant keepers have increased access to the power of Jesus Christ and are entitled to a special kind of rest through their covenant relationship with God.
Principles
Rest comes with the yoke, not from running away.
The covenant path stays visible—even when everything else is blurry.
Small, steady acts (prayer, sacrament, ministering, temple) invite power and peace.
Practice (today, not someday)
Name one burden and yoke it to Christ in prayer.
Keep one covenant action (text a ministering message, schedule a temple visit).
Trade one distraction for five minutes of stillness with the scriptures.
Pocket I’m Keeping Covenants > chaos. I can rest while it rains.
What I Hear Now “Walk with Me.” • “Let the temple teach you to rise.”
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.”
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:
Get on the covenant path (and stay).
Discover the joy of daily repentance.
Learn about God and how He works.
Seek and expect miracles.
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)
