In Matthew 16 we read: 1 The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.2 He answered and said unto them,...4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it,Matthew 15:1-2, 4 I have always … Continue reading What does Adultery have to do with Signs
Oscar Kirkham was one of the great men of the Church and among the Church’s most respected Scouters. He served in the First Council of the Seventy and was a significant presence wherever he went. Often in meetings he would rise to a “point of personal privilege” and then, when recognized, would proceed to say … Continue reading Your Name is Safe In Our Home
Matt Grow, a historian, said this about dealing with history. Be careful about [historical] sources of information that just seek to tear people down [or I might add using historical sources yourself to tear others down]. Look instead for sources of information that are based on records left by the people themselves, and that seek … Continue reading Be Fair with Those in History
The following is from an October, 2013 version of the Virtue Wheel book. Former IBM CEO Sam Palmisano has said, “An organic system, which is what a company is, needs to adapt. And we think values – that’s what we call them today at IBM, but you can call them ‘beliefs’ or ‘principles’ or ‘precepts’ … Continue reading Virtue verses Values
Note the arch of these stories from the Savior's life, from peaceful, to contentious, back to peaceful Centurion's Servant What a heart-warming story this is; the Roman overlord has respect for the local religion, such that he even contributes to it by building a synagogue. He is clearly respected by the people, who beseech the … Continue reading The Arch of Opposition
I came upon a set of documents from early in my career recently that I thought might be interesting to young professionals. I suspect many large organizations give templates or formal process definitions to these sorts of things, but that's not what caused me to create them. I decided on my own that a yearly … Continue reading Personal Professional Plans
Today my Sunday School instructor in teaching about the Sermon on the Mount concluded with an interesting graphic on the chalkboard. In it she stacked horizontally the topics covered in the Sermon on the Mount. On top of it she drew a church, pointing to the Savior as the key to it. It reminded me … Continue reading Summary of the Sermon on the Mount
Location: Cana In 2011 I was asked to speak to our local congregation on Christmas Day. In preparing the sermon, I was struck by the fact that we know so little about 95% of the Savior's life. Here's what I said Life Between the Nativity and His Baptism I have wondered if at times we … Continue reading Lessons from the Marriage at Cana
Contents: Naming of Jesus Presentation at the Temple Visit of the Wise Men Flight to Egypt Slaughter of the Infants Return from Egypt Visit to Temple at Twelve Years Old. Naming of Jesus Per instructions in Leviticus 12, Jesus would have been given a name, and circumcised eight days after birth. If born on the … Continue reading The Visit of the Magi and Other Post-Birth Events
A number of years ago I stumbled upon this classic speech by Sterling W. Sill, "Bottles and Books" (May 1, 1977) given at BYU. I've quoted some of it in this entry, Emotions vs. Intellect. I have listened to it half a dozen times. It was so inspiring it caused me to find one of his … Continue reading “Hang on the walls of your mind the memory of your successes”
Kip on Character 