Category: witness
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My Lap
For about a year Magic would curl up in my lap and sleep. Sometimes this was for several hours. Then Ether came and has tried to claim my lap since then. But Magic isn’t going to let him bully her and I won’t either. Magic was in my lap this morning and Ether walked up…
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Saying Lord Lord
There has been a heated debate for the thirty years I’ve been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as to whether Mormons are Christians. You’ve probably read my own thoughts about my hesitation to call myself a Christian, but that is not what this post is about. Jesus said…
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Being Poor
I have been very poor by US standards. I continue to believe that it was never that bad. I lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on day old bread for several years. But I was never in any danger of actually starving. I had a very cheap apartment but was never homeless until the…
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Charity
Times are rough but I am blessed. The struggle is real and necessary but so is the gratitude. I want a more abundant life so that I can bless more people with mine. I’ve been studying the scriptures today but I have also been drinking. Those probably cancel each other out. I am not content.…
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The Left Hand of God
Most of the scriptures that I have read that say anything about it at all insist that we try to be on the right hand of God. That is the place of so-called honor. But there is also much less competition to be seated at the left hand of God. A man will get nearer…
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Covenants
I am not an obedient man, but I like to think I can make and keep covenants. Stephanie and I have been faithfully married for almost 30 years. That is the covenant I am most proud of keeping. My oldest son’s mom made me promise that I would not try to take him from her.…
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Freedom of Religion
The Restored Gospel would have not been possible without freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. It is no coincidence that the world was only ready for modern revelation in the United States where those freedoms are at least theoretically guaranteed. The LDS Church does not go where it would be…
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The Authentic Me
There is a horrible lie in our culture that all we need to do is be ourselves. Bill Cosby joked that cocaine made the real person come out. He asked: But what if I am an asshole? We all know how that turned out. People should generally not be content with themselves. We are a…
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Doubting My Doubts
One of my favorite Apostles is Dieter F. Uchtdorf. He’s charming and measured. He gave a conference talk about doubt and faith and it revolved around the idea that we should doubt our doubts and not doubt our faith. Jesus told a man to believe and the man responded: I believe help me to overcome…
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The Works
It can be successfully argued that the Christian Bible (as opposed to the Hebrew Bible) preaches a religion based on grace not works. Since at least the Reformation there has been a tension among Christians between faith and works. The Book of Mormon clearly teaches the importance of good works. Mormonism leaves me with little…
Latter Day Sinner 