Sunday, December 9, 2018
2018 Highlights
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
About Christina
When I married Christina, I definitely felt like I was "marrying up." She is a woman of many talents and virtues. I'm happy for the chance to share a few of them with you.
Christina is very musical. In high school she was the drum major for the Pasco High marching band for her junior and senior years. She played the oboe, clarinet, flute and saxophone. She taught herself to play the piano and can play the hymns and primary songs. She has a beautiful voice and I love to hear her sing.
Christina is a teacher. She has a talent for explaining things to our children, whether it be a gospel doctrine, historical event, or an algebra problem. She home-schooled our children for several years before taking some time off to help me heal.
Christina is a nurse. She's helped our children to deal with everything from broken bones to late nights with the flu. She's performed surgery to remove splinters and comforted infants after getting their immunizations. When we found out we'd need to go to Seattle for several months while I underwent a stem cell transplant, she insisted on coming to be by my side. Her courage and constant care were a great blessing to me. There were many days when I felt discouraged and depressed but Christina was always there to cheer me up and refill my hope-o-meter.
Christina is an accounting wizard. She has managed to keep us afloat through many years of schooling, through several years of self-employment, through eight pregnancies and births, and through our latest medical adventure with a stem cell transplant.
Christina is a wonderful mother. When we were dating, she shared with me that this was her goal in life. Having eight children isn't easy, there are many times when we feel like perhaps we've bitten off more than we can chew. But we have a great family and really enjoy doing things together!
Christina is also an excellent cook, trip-planner, and home decorator. She is repulsed by seafood. She doesn't have a favorite color, but if pressed, she would probably say she likes white, off-white, cream, or yellow. After 19 years of marriage, she has developed a tolerance for black licorice and Led Zeppelin, though she would prefer anything vanilla and the soundtrack to a musical. She rarely has any free time, but when she does she enjoys sewing and reading.
I'm really glad to have Christina in my life!
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Politics is a load of hooey
It turns out that members of my church are not fans of President Obama, as evidenced by his 18% approval rating in our membership. The lowest approval rating for any faith organization. Which is fine, I guess. But what bothers me is the vitriol that I hear against him from my fellow members.
For a church that has experienced it's fair share of persecution based on hyperbole and half-truth, we sure seem ready to dish it out to others. There are three attitudes that I see on my side that really bother me.
FAILURE OF GOODWILL
John Gardner, the secretary of health, education, and welfare under Lyndon B. Johnson gave a good definition of political extremism:
"Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: An excessively simple diagnosis of the world’s ills and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all... Blind belief in one’s cause and a low view of the morality of other Americans–these seem mild failings. But they are the soil in which ranker weeds take root... terrorism, and the deep, destructive cleavages that paralyze a society." (John Gardner, No Easy Victories)
From 2001 through 2008, I was really bothered by all of the obvious hatred that the left felt for GW Bush. To me it felt like they were right there with him leading up to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but then as soon as things began to go south, they turned on him. And not just by way of disagreement or principle. It seemed to me that some of them took an almost devilish pleasure in calling him a liar and pointing out each little fault or stumble. They considered him too stupid to write a speech on his own, yet clever enough to trick them all into supporting his adventures in the middle east.
After President Obama was elected, I hoped that the right would take a higher road. That if my side disagreed with him, it would be for good policy, not because of a visceral dislike for the man. Nope. One of the first anti-Obama books that I saw was "the Obama Nation" by Jerome Corsi. Nice little play on words there, right? Obama-nation, abomination. Subtle. It reminded me of when some second-grade bullies at school thought it would be funny to call me "Contami-Nathan." Ha ha, never got old.
I was surprised at how quickly the far right was able to foment a distrust in and a hatred for President Obama. Not for his policies, but for him as a person. It was just like what the far left did to President Bush during his tenure. And what the right did to Clinton during his and the left did to Reagan during his and... do you see a pattern, here?
I'm all for political debate and disagreement, but doesn't this feel reminiscent of the anti-mormon attacks on Joseph Smith? Digging and prodding for any unsavory details while ignoring any good that he might have accomplished?
DISMISSING OPPOSING VIEWS AS INVALID
My dad gave me a recording several years ago by Hugh B. Brown. In the beginning, he addresses his audience of graduating BYU students with some political advice. "First, I’d like you to be reassured that the leaders of both major political parties in this land are men of integrity, and unquestioned patriotism. Beware of those who feel obliged to prove their own patriotism by calling into question the loyalty of others... Strive to develop a maturity of mind and emotion and a depth of spirit which will enable you to differ with others on matters of politics without calling into question the integrity of those with whom you differ. Allow within the bounds of your definition of religious orthodoxy variation of political belief... I’ve found by long experience that our two-party system is sound." (Hugh B. Brown, Profile of a Prophet)
I went into the Masters in Communication program at Eastern Washington University as a defender of the conservative faith. I often engaged with my professors and classmates in political debate. I emerged from my studies with my conservatism intact. But I had also gained a respect for my friends on the left that I didn't have before. I realized that they actually had many good arguments for their positions and that if I didn't see any validity to my opponents' point of view, then it really meant that I didn't understand that point of view very well.
PROPAGANDA AND THE RAH-RAH RIGHT
Talk radio. I ate this stuff up when I was in my twenties. All of the hosts are funny. It felt great to feel like I was part of a movement. To feel that there were millions of like-minded folks all over the country that were "in the know."
But in my thirties, I began to have a change of heart. One quote that President Hinckley gave has stuck with me. "Our generation is afflicted with critics in the media who think they do a great and clever thing in mercilessly attacking men and women in public office and in other positions of leadership. They are prone to take a line or a paragraph out of context and pursue their prey like a swarm of killer bees." Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something
I began to notice that most of the stories weren't about promoting the politics of the right but about denigrating the members of the left.
I also began to see how self-serving it all was for the talk show hosts. "Hey, i just came out with a new book. Hey, I'm coming to speak in your town. Hey, the democrats are attacking me again, they want to shut us down. Hey, I just hired a new private security guard- I'm really putting my life on the line to get this to you." Just a constant siege mentality. Always talking about broadcasting from bunkers and threats from our government (I know it's a joke, but really). The point is, the shows may be about politics, they may be about advancing the conservative agenda (whatever that is nowadays), they may have their sincere moments, but at their heart they are about promoting and sensationalizing the host.
I mostly listen to NPR now. Not because I agree with the politics of their hosts, but because I much prefer their tone of discussion and willingness to at least pretend to look at both sides of an issue.
So that's it. I'm not trying to change anyone's politics, but can we please be nice to each other?
For a church that has experienced it's fair share of persecution based on hyperbole and half-truth, we sure seem ready to dish it out to others. There are three attitudes that I see on my side that really bother me.
FAILURE OF GOODWILL
John Gardner, the secretary of health, education, and welfare under Lyndon B. Johnson gave a good definition of political extremism:
"Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: An excessively simple diagnosis of the world’s ills and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all... Blind belief in one’s cause and a low view of the morality of other Americans–these seem mild failings. But they are the soil in which ranker weeds take root... terrorism, and the deep, destructive cleavages that paralyze a society." (John Gardner, No Easy Victories)
From 2001 through 2008, I was really bothered by all of the obvious hatred that the left felt for GW Bush. To me it felt like they were right there with him leading up to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but then as soon as things began to go south, they turned on him. And not just by way of disagreement or principle. It seemed to me that some of them took an almost devilish pleasure in calling him a liar and pointing out each little fault or stumble. They considered him too stupid to write a speech on his own, yet clever enough to trick them all into supporting his adventures in the middle east.
After President Obama was elected, I hoped that the right would take a higher road. That if my side disagreed with him, it would be for good policy, not because of a visceral dislike for the man. Nope. One of the first anti-Obama books that I saw was "the Obama Nation" by Jerome Corsi. Nice little play on words there, right? Obama-nation, abomination. Subtle. It reminded me of when some second-grade bullies at school thought it would be funny to call me "Contami-Nathan." Ha ha, never got old.
I was surprised at how quickly the far right was able to foment a distrust in and a hatred for President Obama. Not for his policies, but for him as a person. It was just like what the far left did to President Bush during his tenure. And what the right did to Clinton during his and the left did to Reagan during his and... do you see a pattern, here?
I'm all for political debate and disagreement, but doesn't this feel reminiscent of the anti-mormon attacks on Joseph Smith? Digging and prodding for any unsavory details while ignoring any good that he might have accomplished?
DISMISSING OPPOSING VIEWS AS INVALID
My dad gave me a recording several years ago by Hugh B. Brown. In the beginning, he addresses his audience of graduating BYU students with some political advice. "First, I’d like you to be reassured that the leaders of both major political parties in this land are men of integrity, and unquestioned patriotism. Beware of those who feel obliged to prove their own patriotism by calling into question the loyalty of others... Strive to develop a maturity of mind and emotion and a depth of spirit which will enable you to differ with others on matters of politics without calling into question the integrity of those with whom you differ. Allow within the bounds of your definition of religious orthodoxy variation of political belief... I’ve found by long experience that our two-party system is sound." (Hugh B. Brown, Profile of a Prophet)
I went into the Masters in Communication program at Eastern Washington University as a defender of the conservative faith. I often engaged with my professors and classmates in political debate. I emerged from my studies with my conservatism intact. But I had also gained a respect for my friends on the left that I didn't have before. I realized that they actually had many good arguments for their positions and that if I didn't see any validity to my opponents' point of view, then it really meant that I didn't understand that point of view very well.
PROPAGANDA AND THE RAH-RAH RIGHT
Talk radio. I ate this stuff up when I was in my twenties. All of the hosts are funny. It felt great to feel like I was part of a movement. To feel that there were millions of like-minded folks all over the country that were "in the know."
But in my thirties, I began to have a change of heart. One quote that President Hinckley gave has stuck with me. "Our generation is afflicted with critics in the media who think they do a great and clever thing in mercilessly attacking men and women in public office and in other positions of leadership. They are prone to take a line or a paragraph out of context and pursue their prey like a swarm of killer bees." Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something
I began to notice that most of the stories weren't about promoting the politics of the right but about denigrating the members of the left.
I also began to see how self-serving it all was for the talk show hosts. "Hey, i just came out with a new book. Hey, I'm coming to speak in your town. Hey, the democrats are attacking me again, they want to shut us down. Hey, I just hired a new private security guard- I'm really putting my life on the line to get this to you." Just a constant siege mentality. Always talking about broadcasting from bunkers and threats from our government (I know it's a joke, but really). The point is, the shows may be about politics, they may be about advancing the conservative agenda (whatever that is nowadays), they may have their sincere moments, but at their heart they are about promoting and sensationalizing the host.
I mostly listen to NPR now. Not because I agree with the politics of their hosts, but because I much prefer their tone of discussion and willingness to at least pretend to look at both sides of an issue.
So that's it. I'm not trying to change anyone's politics, but can we please be nice to each other?
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles
I have a friend at church who I think of as the grandfather of our ward. I admire him for his faith and knowledge of the gospel. I look forward to seeing his smile every week as he greets me. Today he asked me for an update on my life. He told me that he knows that I have had more miracles to share. So here goes.
This is a topic that has weighed heavily on me. I am so grateful for what God has done for me and my family. For the comfort He gave us during our ordeal. For the many friends He placed in our lives to love and support us. And yet, to be honest, it's hard to rejoice when I see so many others suffering through challenges of their own, where the outcome doesn't look as good. My sister-in-laws's dad is fighting ALS, a disease with no cure. Our families were friends as I was growing up, and I've known him since I was eight or so, and I know that it has been hard on her and her siblings to watch their father slowly degenerate.
Another family who was close to mine lost their mother several years back to cancer. She was almost like an aunt to me. She was a good, faithful member of the church and I know that it has been hard for her family to be without her.
I know of a young girl who lives close by who has been battling cancer and was just told that it has moved to her lungs and been given very little time to live. A friend of ours from Seattle recently finished his battle with cancer and passed on, leaving a young wife and daughter. My cousin is fighting leukemia (hang in there, Kent!)
I know that these are all good people who are certainly no less deserving of miracles than I. One thing I've realized though is that while I absolutely believe that my continued life is a miracle, it is not the real miracle. The real miracle is God's love for us. I know that we won't always have our prayers answered, at least not the way we might want them to be. But I also know that He loves us. I know it, because I have felt His presence with me. And although I am grateful to still be alive, I am even more grateful to know that He is really there and that He cares about me, my family, and all of us.
This is a topic that has weighed heavily on me. I am so grateful for what God has done for me and my family. For the comfort He gave us during our ordeal. For the many friends He placed in our lives to love and support us. And yet, to be honest, it's hard to rejoice when I see so many others suffering through challenges of their own, where the outcome doesn't look as good. My sister-in-laws's dad is fighting ALS, a disease with no cure. Our families were friends as I was growing up, and I've known him since I was eight or so, and I know that it has been hard on her and her siblings to watch their father slowly degenerate.
Another family who was close to mine lost their mother several years back to cancer. She was almost like an aunt to me. She was a good, faithful member of the church and I know that it has been hard for her family to be without her.
I know of a young girl who lives close by who has been battling cancer and was just told that it has moved to her lungs and been given very little time to live. A friend of ours from Seattle recently finished his battle with cancer and passed on, leaving a young wife and daughter. My cousin is fighting leukemia (hang in there, Kent!)
I know that these are all good people who are certainly no less deserving of miracles than I. One thing I've realized though is that while I absolutely believe that my continued life is a miracle, it is not the real miracle. The real miracle is God's love for us. I know that we won't always have our prayers answered, at least not the way we might want them to be. But I also know that He loves us. I know it, because I have felt His presence with me. And although I am grateful to still be alive, I am even more grateful to know that He is really there and that He cares about me, my family, and all of us.
The Grateful (not to be) Dead
I went to a car show with my eight year old boy Derek yesterday. We had a lot of fun walking around and picking out favorite cars together. It always amazes me to see the obvious care and time that some people have put into their classic cars. Being an air-cooled VW aficionado, I was excited to see an old camper bus on display. The back window had several stickers in it, but one caught my eye. It looked like an old Grateful Dead sticker, but instead it read "Grateful to not be dead." I can relate!
I've been having a thought run around my head lately. It has to do with the classic Bible story about the 10 lepers. It's the one that we usually here in church when there is a lesson or talk that has to do with gratitude. In the story, Jesus heals ten people of their leprosy. Excited, they all run off to tell their friends and families the good news. Only one returns to express gratitude to the Savior. The moral of the story is that only this one showed gratitude for the miracle that occurred in his life.
But now that I think about it, I imagine that all ten lepers went home and felt gratitude towards the Savior for healing them. I imagine that every day for the rest of their lives they thought about what had been done for them. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that all of the lepers probably felt gratitude in their hearts. I think that the real difference is that the one leper stopped to actually express that gratitude. He did something with it by going back to the Saviour and thanking him. He showed his gratitude by his actions.
It's really easy for me to identify with those nine lepers. The rawness of the ordeal we've been through has started to fade. And yet, not a day goes by that I don't think about it. And we are still feeling the aftershocks of it in our family. I am grateful in my heart for the miracle that I'm still here. But I want to show that gratitude through my actions. I hope that I can.
I've been having a thought run around my head lately. It has to do with the classic Bible story about the 10 lepers. It's the one that we usually here in church when there is a lesson or talk that has to do with gratitude. In the story, Jesus heals ten people of their leprosy. Excited, they all run off to tell their friends and families the good news. Only one returns to express gratitude to the Savior. The moral of the story is that only this one showed gratitude for the miracle that occurred in his life.
But now that I think about it, I imagine that all ten lepers went home and felt gratitude towards the Savior for healing them. I imagine that every day for the rest of their lives they thought about what had been done for them. The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that all of the lepers probably felt gratitude in their hearts. I think that the real difference is that the one leper stopped to actually express that gratitude. He did something with it by going back to the Saviour and thanking him. He showed his gratitude by his actions.
It's really easy for me to identify with those nine lepers. The rawness of the ordeal we've been through has started to fade. And yet, not a day goes by that I don't think about it. And we are still feeling the aftershocks of it in our family. I am grateful in my heart for the miracle that I'm still here. But I want to show that gratitude through my actions. I hope that I can.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Filling our lamps with faith in Jesus
I don't know if I can say that I look forward to speaking in church, but I would much rather have been there today to give this talk that I had prepared than staying at home with stomach cramps. I am so grateful to have a wonderful wife who cheerfully offered to speak in my place so that I could stay home and rest.
Filling
our lamps with faith in Jesus
Brothers
and sisters, I would like to talk to you this Easter morning about
filling our lamps with faith in our Savior. In the parable of the ten
virgins, Jesus likened the members of the church to people who had
been invited to a wedding. All ten of the women in the story had
brought lamps to keep watch for the bridegroom to come. But the
bridegroom was delayed and the night grew late. Five of the women had
brought enough oil to keep their lamps burning. The other five didn't
have enough. As they went off to look for oil to buy, they missed the
entrance of the bridegroom and were unable to attend the wedding
celebration. Although these women started out with oil in their
lamps, just like their sisters, when the time came that they really
needed those lamps, they had gone out.
Elder
Bednar retold this parable in conference two years ago and likened
the lamps to personal testimony and the oil to conversion to the
gospel.
A
little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with cancer, a blood cancer
called lymphoma. It was an aggressive disease that had already spread
through my lymph nodes, my spleen, and my bone marrow. It later
spread to my spinal column.
I
have received many blessings during this ordeal, both physical and
spiritual. I can testify that God does not leave us alone in our
times of need. From the day that I was diagnosed, I have often felt a
blanket of comfort surrounding me and my family. We weren't prepared
temporally for this trial, but I feel that in many ways we were
prepared spiritually. When this trial appeared in our lives, we had
oil in our lamps.
I've
seen others go through difficult trials in their lives and I've seen
that through our choices, these trials can either bring us closer to
God or lead us away from Him. And it largely depends on how much oil
we have in our lamps. Will we be ready when darkness comes into our
lives? Will we have enough oil to light our way? Or light the way for
our children and families?
Developing
a personal relationship with Jesus
One
way we can fill our lamps is to develop a personal relationship with
our Savior. After the death of Jesus, Peter was called to lead the
church. As the prophet, he wrote an epistle to the saints in Asia
minor who were being persecuted. He speaks of the testimony that
these saints had, notwithstanding that they hadn't been present to
see the Savior. They hadn't witnessed His miracles or heard Him give
a sermon.
Whom
having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not,
yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
These
saints not only had faith in Christ, but had a love
for him. This is a question I've asked myself many times. Do I love
the Savior? I believe in Him, but how can we build a
relationship with someone who we don't see, at least not very often
:) How do I develop a love for him?
When
I was about five years old, my grandfather passed away from colon
cancer. My grandparents lived in Ogden Utah, and my family lived in
the Tri-Cities. We saw each other once or twice a year. I don't
remember what he looked like, but I do have a few memories of being
with him before he passed away. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I
felt a kinship to him. I wish we could have bonded through something
else, maybe a love for woodworking or board games :) But I've been
thinking a lot about my grandpa through my own experiences. I've
asked my Dad to tell me more about him. I've seen pictures of him
when he was younger. He reminds me of one of my brothers. I feel
closer to him because I've made an effort to learn more about him and
I've felt an empathy for him as I've had to go through some of the
things he had to face in his life. Although I barely remember him, I
love him.
I
think that building a relationship with Jesus requires this same
effort, and although we may not see him or hear his voice aloud, we
can have a loving relationship with him.
Jesus
told his disciples in the gospel of John (14:10), “if ye love me,
keep my commandments.” I believe that this adage can be reversed.
In other words, if we keep the commandments, we will learn to love
the Savior. How? Because when we are obedient, we will be blessed.
And when we are blessed, we will feel closer to our Heavenly Father
and to his Son.
I've
seen this many times in my life. I'm not a perfect home teacher. But
I've noticed that when I go, and put effort into preparing a lesson
and praying for the families in my care, I invariably feel the spirit
after the visit. And one of the fruits of the spirit is love. And I
feel more love for the savior when I feel that I'm doing what He
would have me do.
One
of my favorite movies is “Fiddler on the Roof.” I know, it's a
musical. It has people singing and dancing. It has not one but four
love stories. There isn't a single car chase or a fight scene or an
explosion. But it is such a powerful movie.
The
main character is a father named Tevya. The main conflicts in his
movie stem from his desire to maintain tradition and faith even while
his whole world changes around him. Does that sound familiar? Think
about how much our world is changing around us, every day. I really
like that throughout the film, Tevya talks through his problems with
God. He talks to him as a real person, who really cares about the
details of his life. Just like we might talk to our dads.
Heavenly
Father is an awesomely powerful being who deserves our reverence and
respect. But he is also our literal father who loves us and cares for
us. I remember as a teenager, I heard a talk in church that made an
impression on me. The speaker taught us the importance of using
proper prayer language, using the words thee and thou to show respect
for our Heavenly Father. When I served a Spanish-speaking mission, I
was surprised to learn that in prayer it was considered proper to use
the tu form to address Heavenly Father. The tu form is
how you would address family members or friends with whom you are
well acquainted. Usted is the form that you would use for
someone to whom you want to show respect. As missionaries, we were
instructed to use the usted form with everyone as a gesture of
respect and to refrain from appearing too familiar with others. And
yet, when we prayed, we were taught to use the tu form. It
almost seemed a reversal of our practice of using thee and thou in
the United States. But it made me realize again that God is our
father in heaven, that we should be familiar with him.
In
another mission experience, we were having our weekly district
meeting. One of the sisters gave the opening prayer and began with an
enthusiastic, “buenos dias, padre” or “good morning,
father.” A few of us elders gave a little laugh at her
nontraditional opening, but the more I thought about it, the more I
felt that it was appropriate. I think sometimes we lean too far
towards treating our God like a visiting dignitary with a lot of
propriety and maybe a little bit of pomp when maybe it would be to
our benefit to treat him like our father.
Intellectual
understanding vs. spiritual understanding of the Atonement
According
to Wikipedia, there are 7 billion people on earth today. In 1900, the
population was estimated at 1 billion. Demographers estimate 100
billion humans have lived on the earth.
Val
Johnson wrote an article last year for the Ensign in which he stated,
“The number of planets in our galaxy alone could easily be in the
hundreds of billions. Considering that there are hundreds of billions
of galaxies in the visible universe, the number of planets is so
large as to be incomprehensible—truly worlds without number
(see Moses
1:33–35)”.
R. Val Johnson, Worlds
without Number,
Ensign 2013
We
are taught in the scriptures that the atonement is an infinite
atonement, and covers all of God's creations. In one of our Sunday
School manuals, the Doctrines of the Gospel, we find the
statement: “The infinite Atonement affects worlds without number
and will save all of God’s children except sons of perdition.”
We
know that God's children are as numberless as the sands of the sea. I
mention this because these numbers are incomprehensible. And the idea
that the death of one man could atone for the wrongs of everybody who
ever lived, everybody who ever will live, and even those who may have
lived on countless other worlds is difficult to comprehend. It is
hard to understand how it would work on an intellectual level.
And
not only that, but we believe that Jesus not only suffered for our
sins, but that he suffered our pains and sorrows in the garden of
Gethsemane so that “he [might] know according to the flesh how to
succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:12)
The
atonement isn't something that we can understand by reading about it.
Or by studying it out in our minds. The atonement is an event that we
can only understand spiritually through our own experience with it.
Called
to witness
On
my way home from church last week, I had just been asked to speak
today. I thought to myself, I don't feel qualified to speak about the
atonement. It is such a big subject, the central subject of the
gospel. I'm not a scriptorian. I'm not a spiritual giant. I'm just a
regular member of the church who struggles to get his kids ready for
church on time, do his home teaching, and read the scriptures as
often as I know I should.
But
then I started thinking about what really would qualify someone to
speak about the atonement. And I realized that there is a much better
qualification than knowledge of the atonement, and that is experience
with the atonement. And I have experienced the power of the atonement
in my life.
I've
said this before, but I have a new-found love for the word remission.
Every time I go through any test or experience that shows that I am
now cancer free, my heart is light and I get a big smile on my face.
This is a huge miracle in my life! But someday, I'm still going to
die. At least, statistically, that is what happens to the majority of
us humans. And I hope that it is many, many years from now.
But
there is another meaning of the word remission, and it refers to the
cleansing of sins. The Savior testified that He had that power, the
power to forgive sins. Most of the people didn't believe Him. It
didn't fit in with what they already believed about the world. But he
does have that power. I know because I have felt it in my life. And
as good as it feels to be in remission from cancer, I know that the
real miracle in my life, in all of our lives, is the remission of our
sins.
I
know that you have felt that power as well. That is why we are here
today, to celebrate our Savior and His atonement for us.
The
word “gospel” is translated from Greek. Most of you probably
already know that it means “good news.” What an understatement!
Good news is when you take your car to the mechanic and instead of
needing an engine replacement, he tells you that one of your switches
is dead. Good news is when you find out your teacher will give you an
opportunity for extra credit on your final exam.
The
atonement is much more than that! It gives meaning to our lives. It
tells us that any suffering that we go through is not in vain, but to
our benefit. It teaches us that we are not alone, no matter how dark
our lives might be at times, we have a savior who knows us, who loves
us, who suffers beside us and will ultimately triumph with us.
I've
really enjoyed seeing my friends share their thoughts on the
atonement on Facebook and other social media sites. I think that the
church’s' Because of Him campaign is a great way to share
our feelings with the world during this Easter season.
When
we seek out gospel experiences and share them with others, we are
filling our lamps with oil. In the parable of the ten virgins, the
five who are prepared are not able to share their light with those
who are unprepared. And it is true that in the moment of necessity,
we won't be able to just give our faith to another. But through
sharing our experiences now, we can help others to fill their lamps
and build their reserves.
Mary
Cook said in a recent conference talk, “decide now to do all you
can to fill your lamps, that your strong testimony and example may be
woven into the lives of many generations—past, present and future.
I testify that your virtuous life will not only save generations, but
it will also save your eternal life, for it is the only way to
return to our Father in Heaven and find true joy now and throughout
eternity.” When you save a girl, you save generations, April
2013 conference
I
know that as we fill our lamps with faith in our Lord, we will be
prepared when times of darkness and trial inevitably come to our
lives. And moreover, when we share our light with others, we can help
strengthen them as well. I am grateful for our Savior and for His
atonement on our behalf. I hope that we can all remember him and
experience His love more fully in our lives.
In
Jesus' name, amen.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Test anxiety
I hate tests. I didn't mind them so much when I was in school. I usually had a pretty good idea of how well I'd score based on how much preparation I'd put into it. And although you could say my future depended on how well I performed, that connection didn't feel very solid to me. But now the tests I take usually involve physical discomfort and with some of them the outcome could mean a poor prognosis for my future survival. Not something to look forward to.
On Thursday I was given a PET scan in Yakima. The results weren't what we'd hoped for, but I'm not sure yet what they'll mean. The short version is that the radiologists discovered an anomaly in my head and that my doctor is going to refer me to an ear/nose/throat specialist to see how best to get a tissue sample from the area and to see if it contains any cancer cells.
I'm not in panic mode. But after several months of slow improvement and good clean scans, it is not fun to be worrying.
If you've never experienced the pleasure of a PET scan, I'll give you the rundown. The day before, you need to watch your diet and exercise. Specifically, you are not supposed to exercise and you are not to eat any carbohydrates or sugars or indulge in anything that contains caffeine. This is to make sure that your blood sugar is low. The day of the scan, you'll need to be fasting, except for clear liquids. A nurse will give you an IV injection with a radioactive dye. Then you wait for an hour, sitting in an easy chair in a dark room while the contrast (radioactive dye) spreads throughout your body. I actually slept for 15 minutes or so. Then you're put in a tunnel-shaped scanner, told to lie as still as possible, and you are scanned for about 45 minutes.
The images that are generated are really neat. They are in 3D and you can rotate them and see your bones and organs. Certain organs and cells have a higher uptake (they take in more of the radioactive dye) and show up much brighter on the images. Your brain and kidneys will show up really bright. So will cancer cells, which makes a PET scan good for measuring cancer development.
According to Medline, abnormal PET scans can be caused by an infection. The article also states that a PET scan can show areas of poor blood flow. I do have a sinus infection and had taken a dose of nasal spray right before the test. Afrin constricts the blood vessels in your nasal passages, so Christina and I are hoping that this will explain the abnormalities in my scan results.
I'm grateful for my church. Once a month we have a special meeting where we don't have any assigned speakers for our sermon. Instead, any member of the congregation can stand up and share their feelings about God or how the gospel has helped them in their lives. I feel closer to my fellow travelers as I listen to their triumphs and struggles. I also feel closer to the Lord as I can see evidence of his love in our lives. I don't get up to share my own experiences more than once a year or so, but even when I'm not sharing, I'm thinking about what I would say if I were to get up. It's a good experience because it makes me more aware of the Lord and his influence in my life and take stock of where my faith is.
Anyway, in a weekend filled with some anxiety over my test results, today's meeting was very grounding for me. I'm ready to put this whole cancer experience behind me, but I realize that the Lord might not be through with me yet. I believe that he has a plan to make me into the man that I need to be. I've felt his love for me and my family. We've passed through setbacks before and can do it again, if necessary.
On Thursday I was given a PET scan in Yakima. The results weren't what we'd hoped for, but I'm not sure yet what they'll mean. The short version is that the radiologists discovered an anomaly in my head and that my doctor is going to refer me to an ear/nose/throat specialist to see how best to get a tissue sample from the area and to see if it contains any cancer cells.
I'm not in panic mode. But after several months of slow improvement and good clean scans, it is not fun to be worrying.
If you've never experienced the pleasure of a PET scan, I'll give you the rundown. The day before, you need to watch your diet and exercise. Specifically, you are not supposed to exercise and you are not to eat any carbohydrates or sugars or indulge in anything that contains caffeine. This is to make sure that your blood sugar is low. The day of the scan, you'll need to be fasting, except for clear liquids. A nurse will give you an IV injection with a radioactive dye. Then you wait for an hour, sitting in an easy chair in a dark room while the contrast (radioactive dye) spreads throughout your body. I actually slept for 15 minutes or so. Then you're put in a tunnel-shaped scanner, told to lie as still as possible, and you are scanned for about 45 minutes.
The images that are generated are really neat. They are in 3D and you can rotate them and see your bones and organs. Certain organs and cells have a higher uptake (they take in more of the radioactive dye) and show up much brighter on the images. Your brain and kidneys will show up really bright. So will cancer cells, which makes a PET scan good for measuring cancer development.
According to Medline, abnormal PET scans can be caused by an infection. The article also states that a PET scan can show areas of poor blood flow. I do have a sinus infection and had taken a dose of nasal spray right before the test. Afrin constricts the blood vessels in your nasal passages, so Christina and I are hoping that this will explain the abnormalities in my scan results.
I'm grateful for my church. Once a month we have a special meeting where we don't have any assigned speakers for our sermon. Instead, any member of the congregation can stand up and share their feelings about God or how the gospel has helped them in their lives. I feel closer to my fellow travelers as I listen to their triumphs and struggles. I also feel closer to the Lord as I can see evidence of his love in our lives. I don't get up to share my own experiences more than once a year or so, but even when I'm not sharing, I'm thinking about what I would say if I were to get up. It's a good experience because it makes me more aware of the Lord and his influence in my life and take stock of where my faith is.
Anyway, in a weekend filled with some anxiety over my test results, today's meeting was very grounding for me. I'm ready to put this whole cancer experience behind me, but I realize that the Lord might not be through with me yet. I believe that he has a plan to make me into the man that I need to be. I've felt his love for me and my family. We've passed through setbacks before and can do it again, if necessary.
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