Third Hour

So you're packing up and leaving for college, huh? Or maybe you're staying in your hometown and attending school there. No matter what, lots of transitions await you. The next 8 months will be some of the most challenging, surprising, revealing, frightening, and fun of your life. Here's some advice you may listen to or you may ignore—but either way, you'll eventually find out I'm right. Cheers. 1. Get over yourself (but be confident). You may have been principal cellist or all-star quarterback or valedictorian in your high school, but no one at college will care about that. Hanging onto those kinds of accomplishments in adult life will not get you anywhere. They're just the wrong currency. People will admire you if you're smart, talented, athletic, disciplined, etc., but you have to continue to be good and prove yourself. The competition away from home is much steeper, and you will be humbled. That being said, work up the courage to try hard with academics and extracurriculars. There will be an adjustment period... View the full article

In case you missed it, last night marked this year's commencement of Shark Week, a wildly popular, annual installation on the Discovery Channel all about—you guessed it—sharks. It features content ranging from the history of sharks to everybody's favorite—shark attack stories. If this video doesn't make you want to stay out of the water I don't know what will. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=HLoHZ9hajAQ Interestingly, there is one biblical story that, with the proper digging, may have the potential to land itself a primetime showing on this popular series. What could it be? Jonah and the Whale. Indeed, there is compelling evidence out there that Jonah wasn't swallowed by a whale or some other enormous fish, but was actually engulfed by a great white or some other kind of shark. Crazy, I know. While it would undoubtedly make his survival story sound even cooler, is this just fantastical folklore? Or, is there a legitimate case to be made that Jonah was swallowed by the great great great (x30) grandfather of Jaws himself? Let's take a look. A 'Great Fish' via ChurchofJesusChrist.org Many of us are aware... View the full article

I recently splurged and spent $1.50 on a book at Deseret Industries. It's called Dead Sea Scrolls and was published by the San Diego Natural History Museum back in 2007. While flipping through it, I came across something delightfully unexpected. But before I explain what the surprise was, let's talk about Alma. For almost 200 years now, critics have taken various stabs at an assortment of names used in The Book of Mormon. Criticism of the name Alma, however, is unique. Why? Because apparently, Alma is a girl's name. What the critics have to say about Alma Criticisms show up in a few different places that I was able to track down. This first criticism comes from a book called The Maze of Mormonism, by Walter Martin (published in 1975): The next two examples come from the same writer—Robert McKay. One was published in The Utah Evangel and the other in The Inner Circle. Both publications were related, and part of an evangelical effort to draw people away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day... View the full article

In the movie Arrival, the main character literally learns to see the future! because she learns the language of the aliens. This movie gives a hard tip of the hat to determinism. If you don't know what determinism is, check out this Wikipedia article Linguistic Determinism. To sum up: there are some things the mind cannot fathom if there isn't a word for it in the language. Could it be that language dictates what we can think about? Admittedly, some languages can teach us new concepts and change how we interact with surroundings... But to what extent??? As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe that we had a life as spirit children of our Heavenly Father before this life. So, this idea has such interesting implications! If our thoughts are limited by language, what does that mean for our time spent as spirits? Does language limit the amount of truth and light we are able to access? NO? YES? MAYBE? Language is an enabler, not an... View the full article

Deciding to prepare to enter the temple is a big deal! The temple is a wonderful place for spiritual growth and learning. It's where we go to make sacred covenants with God. But sometimes it can be difficult to get a straight answer about what may be the best way to prepare for the temple. I don't know about you, but before I went to the temple I was super nervous. I didn't really know what to expect. Aside from reading the temple preparation pamphlet, I wasn't really given any advice or instruction on how to prepare. Admittedly, I'm the over-preparer type so my anxiety was naturally higher than most. But with something as sacred and solemn as making covenants, I wanted to make sure I was as prepared as possible! Alas, I wasn't as prepared as I could have been. So I've thought of a couple of things that I wish I had known before I entered the temple. I want to share a few of these preparation strategies... View the full article

In my study of Church history, I've learned about a lot of amazing people — but there are few whose testimonies I admire more than Lucy Mack Smith's. Raised by faithful parents, Lucy was no stranger to spiritual experiences, which served her well as the mother of the first prophet of the restoration. In fact, before Joseph received the First Vision, Lucy knelt in a grove herself, praying that her husband would find spiritual truth — and she received a vision that brought peace to her soul. She was a woman of deep, abiding faith in the Lord and love for His gospel. She believed that her son saw what he said he saw — God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ — and that through Him, Jesus' Church was being restored to the earth. So when others doubted Joseph and disparaged his testimony? Lucy was not having it. Thus begins our story of how she came to prophesy to a mocking pastor. She told him that not only was... View the full article

The Book of Mormon indicates that it is important to "remember how great things the Lord had done for [our] fathers." In Utah, there is a bonafide holiday to commemorate the great things the Lord did for many of the early church's mothers and fathers; what history insists on calling the Mormon pioneers. As members of the Church, we have heard many stories relating the faithful prayers and dogged determination that enabled beleaguered Saints to press forward to their mountain home. We are greatful to them for obvious reasons. While remembering the Mormon Pioneers is perfectly alright, it doesn't hurt to remember other "fathers." The Jamestown colonists were pioneers before pioneering was cool. Jamestown The National Parks Service provides a brief history of the ill-fated colony: "On December 6, 1606, the journey to Virginia began on three ships: the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. In 1607, 104 English men and boys arrived in North America to start a settlement. On May 13 they picked Jamestown, Virginia, for their settlement, which was named... View the full article

Above is what might be my favorite picture from my entire mission. It's because of what it represents to me— what I think true happiness looks like. JOY. This photo was taken just moments before Mautaake (Mow-tah-kay), the man pictured above, entered the waters of baptism. In the bright sunlight, he held his little girl in his arms and could not stop smiling. She couldn't either, as if she sensed the significance of what was happening. But why were they grinning from ear to ear? Was it because he had found a hundred dollar bill on the side of the road? Had he just received that coveted promotion at his job? Was he finally debt free? Did all of his stock market investments suddenly triple in value overnight? Try again. Rice and Salt I spent two years serving as a missionary in the Republic of Kiribati. Following several countries in Africa alongside Haiti, most lists consider this island nation the poorest in the world. For much of my time there I... View the full article

Whether you are preparing for a family function with all the cousins or lunch for the church congregation, you are going to struggle to find simple, straight-forward recipes that everyone can (and will) eat. Here are some ideas that are easily adjustable to a variety of food allergies and restrictions so everybody can chow down and enjoy! (Note: All of these recipes are safe for people with peanut allergies, shellfish allergies, tree nut allergies, and egg allergies. Many are vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free. Several recipes here are vegetarian “meatless” but do include meat broths! Additionally, many store-bought broths are NOT GLUTEN FREE, so be sure to carefully select gluten-free broths. Swanson, Campbell's and other brands usually offer them.) Chili (gluten-free, lactose-free,vegetarian, vegan) The basic components of Chili are (crushed) tomatoes, beans, beef, bell pepper, and spices. Keep the shredded cheese and taco chip toppings separate and this is a classic recipe that is also gluten-free and lactose-free. Plus, if you measure out a small portion without meat, it can be vegetarian... View the full article

President Russell M. Nelson spoke of equality and unity, among other topics, on Sunday at the 110th annual national convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). "At a press conference . . . I explained that a fundamental doctrine and heartfelt conviction of our religion is that all people are God’s children," said President Nelson. "We truly believe that we are brothers and sisters—all part of the same divine family. "At that same press conference, President Derrick Johnson [the NAACP's president and CEO] and I issued a joint invitation for all people, organizations, and governmental units to work with greater civility, to eliminate prejudice of all kinds, and focus on important interests that we have in common. "Simply stated, we strive to build bridges of cooperation rather than walls of segregation." The Church has made their collaboration with the NAACP a "high priority" over the past year and a half, according to Newsroom. The Church has worked with the NAACP to provide greater education opportunities for underprivileged... View the full article

Interfaith coalition Faith Counts is hardly obscure. With over half a million likes on Facebook (and counting!) it's certainly got a lot of momentum — which is just one of many reasons we're so excited that they recently featured a Latter-day Saint in their "Faces of Faith" series. If this is your first time hearing of Faith Counts, let me bring you up to speed. The coalition's website states its purpose succinctly and beautifully: "Faith Counts, LLC — a nonprofit, non-denominational organization comprised of faith communities representing nearly 100 million Americans. We’ve come together to share a simple message that “faith counts.” Each day, faith inspires people to reach out and help others. It connects them to a diverse and vibrant community. It empowers them to rise above the sometimes gritty reality of everyday life. There is a growing sense that faith should somehow be kept private. Many are embarrassed to share how their faith makes them who they are. We want to change that. So dive in and explore! No matter what... View the full article

I want to have more non-member friends. But I'm nervous I might offend them when I invite them to read the Book of Mormon or be baptized. That's right, I said 'when.' I can't imagine myself not inviting someone I care about to receive what I believe to be the highest source of joy possible. This leads to potential problems; what if I become friends with someone who will never convert? To explore this situation I sought out someone who I knew believed differently from me and was very unlikely to accept my invitation to be baptized. A Pastor. Pastor Logan Let me start by saying I think Pastor Logan is a good man. He lives behind enemy lines as it were, running several congregations throughout the state of Utah. When asked about the nature of friendships he was quick to point out the biblical foundation for fellowship and camaraderie. “The Savior said to follow Him, and as people follow Him they fall into the congregation of people walking in His footsteps.” Pastor... View the full article

It seems like it's been roughly 1000 years (just an approximation) since the Church announced their plans to film a live-action Book of Mormon series. Then, last spring, we heard some amazing news: the first videos, featuring the story of Lehi and his family, would be available in September. Yet September came and went with no new videos and no word on when they'd be released, leaving us all scratching our heads and wondering what happened. But good news: the live-action Book of Mormon videos ARE coming... And while the Church has been rather tight-lipped about when they will be released, sources claim that it's going to happen soon. After all, 2020's Come, Follow Me curriculum is the Book of Mormon — so waiting to release the videos? Well, it probably wasn't a coincidence. So what can we expect when we finally do get to see the videos? To put it succinctly, some pretty amazing stuff. Quick Facts Nephi, Sam, Laman, and Lemuel (Sam Petersen) courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints /... View the full article

Called "Children and Youth," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' new program will roll out in September 2019. A special worldwide satellite broadcast will kick off the initiative on September 29th, led by M. Russell Ballard. Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will host a Face to Face broadcast about "Children and Youth" on November 17th. The new initiative begins as the Church ends its 100-year collaboration with the Boy Scouts of America and ends the Personal Progress system for Young Women. A letter was sent Monday, July 15, 2019, to general authorities and officers of the Church and local leaders around the world. The letter says the following: "The principles taught in this effort for children and youth represent a higher, holier way to encourage the rising generation to follow Jesus Christ and apply his gospel in all areas of their lives. This major effort will include gospel learning, the privilege of service, personal development, and exciting activities." The Young Women program will move... View the full article

Several meetinghouses for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have caught fire this year. In January, a beautiful meetinghouse being constructed in the St. George area was destroyed. In early June, another fire severely damaged a church building in Farmington, New Mexico. Now, just a few days ago, a fire completely engulfed a church in Cottonwood Heights. Related: Arson Destroys LDS Stake Center The Cause via Farmington Daily Times What may be the common cause between all three of these chapels burning down? Lightning? A faulty electrical wire? Nope. ARSON. While the source of the latest fire has yet to be identified, authorities already suspect that foul play was involved. Per the Gephardt Daily, Keith Garner—a public information officer for the United Fire Authority— stated that “most of the time, with something like this we turn toward human-caused." It's always heartbreaking to hear of the Lord's beautiful and sacred meetinghouses being damaged in any way. Especially if it wasn't by accident. This story will be updated as we gather more information regarding the... View the full article

Latter-day Saint scholar Hugh Nibley once wrote that the story of Enoch found in the Book of Moses "offers the nearest thing to a perfectly foolproof test—neat, clear-cut, and decisive—of Joseph Smith’s claim to inspiration." Why? Because, unlike The Book of Mormon, we have actual ancient records about Enoch that we can use as a measuring stick against what Joseph wrote about Enoch. This article explores just one striking similarity between Joseph's Enoch, and the Enoch we've come to know from ancient documents. I apologize in advance for how academic this is going to get, but when trying to answer the "How do we know this?" questions, academia is usually the answer. Enoch and Mahujah The Old Testament briefly mentions Enoch in Genesis 4 and 5. After that, he's not mentioned until Luke 3 (and then only as one name in a looong genealogical list.) He shows up again in Hebrews 11, which casually mentions how Enoch was so righteous that he never died, but was translated. The final mention... View the full article

Opinion MILD “STRANGER THINGS” SEASON 3 SPOILERS Season 3 of “Stranger Things” opens with Dustin returning to his friends in Hawkins, Indiana, from Camp Knowhere science camp. He pulls his friends together to climb to the tallest hill in town and set up a radio tower so that he can talk to “Suzie” the girlfriend he made at camp who lives in Utah. As they hike they begin discussing why they need to set up a radio tower. Max: I’m pretty sure people in Utah have telephones. Dustin: Yeah, but Suzie’s Mormon. Lucas: She doesn’t have electricity? Max: Oh, that’s the Amish. Will: What are Mormons? Dustin: Super religious white people. They have electricity and cars and stuff, but since I’m not Mormon, her parents would never approve. Suzie is discussed regularly throughout the season as the smartest person Dustin knows. While other characters debate whether or not she is real. But does this amount to insulting Latter-day Saints? Not even close. Suzie ends up appearing in one scene in the final episode of the season. The camera lingers over her room, and... View the full article

A panic-inducing power outage turned into something amazing at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City. A five-hour blackout in New York caused thousands of locals and tourists to congregate on bustling streets and sidewalks. The Millenial Choirs & Orchestras, comprised of members who traveled from around the Western United States, opted to use their heavenly musical abilities to help entertain those forced onto the street by the blackout. The response has been remarkable. Thousands were moved by the beautiful music which glorified the Savior. Check out a few of the clips below. https://twitter.com/briallenhopper/status/1150198299254767616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1150198299254767616&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.calledtoshare.com%2F2019%2F07%2F14%2Fnew-york-city-power-outage-forces-choir-in-carnegie-hall-to-street-to-sing-i-believe-in-christ%2F https://www.facebook.com/TrimbleGreg/videos/351650309097355/ Even Jenny Oaks Baker—who was traveling with the choir—joined in. She played a beautiful rendition of "I Stand All Amazed." https://www.facebook.com/jennyoaksbaker/videos/2272287643031434/ What a wonderful moment. An unexpected power outage in New York turned into a faith-promoting event for thousands. That's something worth celebrating. View the full article

A little while ago I stumbled across an app with a pretty simple yet brilliant concept. It's called Be My Eyes. The basic idea is that someone who is blind or visually impaired and needs help seeing something—whether reading a street sign, an expiration date, matching socks, etc.—can place a call and a volunteer from anywhere in the world can answer and be able to easily assist them as they point their phone at whatever they need help visualizing. What a useful app. A Simple Mac and Cheese Label I've only had one experience answering a call in the short time I've had the app—the number of volunteers far outweighs those who are visually impaired—but it was an experience I'll never forget. I was running up a hill when my phone rang. Someone needed help. As I answered, a pleasant elderly woman asked for my assistance in reading the baking instructions for a Costco sized tray of mac n cheese. I was easily able to read them off for her,... View the full article

Pew Research Center offers a smorgasbord of interesting statistics and factoids about pretty much everything under the sun, including religion. Every so often, they publish a Religion Landscape Study full of general information about religious groups across the country. Their most recent landscape study was published in 2014. You can check it out right here. After perusing its data, I've selected five data sets having to do with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint that you might find informative. Check 'em out: 1. More Latter-day Saints believe in Heaven than any other religious group These results are super interesting. 95-percent of Latter-day Saints who participated in this survey say they believe in Heaven. I mean, I'm not sure why that number isn't one hundred percent, but whatever. As it turns out, we're leading the way in this category, with a stronger belief in Heaven than any other faith/denomination. 2. Latter-day Saints are in the scriptures more often than almost any other religion Second only to our Jehovah's Witness... View the full article

What do we mean when we say, “I feel the Spirit”? It's a phrase that has been heard in nearly every church-related activity, from within the walls of the temples to around-the- campfire at youth conference. There has been a great deal of confusion on this subject. Why is it so hard for members of the Church to confidently identify when they feel the Spirit? Why is it that so many members have various descriptions for what it means to feel the Spirit? Why is it that some (assuming equal levels of righteousness) feel the Spirit at different times? What do we mean when we say, “I feel the Spirit”? Who Is The Spirit and How Does One Feel Him? The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit, without a body of flesh and bones (see D&C 130:22). He is often referred to as the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, or the Comforter. He “witnesses of... View the full article

Dennis Schleicher knew he was different from a young age. What he didn't know was the incredible bullying, persecution, and pain he would receive simply for being attracted to the same sex. "We know you're gay," Dennis recalls his mother saying accusatorially when he was a teenager, venom in her voice. In an episode of Richard Ostler's podcast "Listen, Learn & Love," Dennis explained that it wasn't the first time he had heard his mother's distaste for those in the gay community; she frequently detailed how same-sex couples would burn in hell. "I am," he blurted out, affirming her attack. He had no idea that only a few days later, he'd be victim of another vicious attack — this time physical. At age 17 in his high school in Connecticut, Dennis innocently went to use a crowded bathroom. Before he could recognize what was happening, he was pinned against the wall and brutally beaten by five other students — all because they suspected he was gay, a label he hadn't even... View the full article

I wish I had more to say about this quick video other than "it's funny" and "it's got a couple Latter-day Saint missionaries in it," but that's actually all it comes down to. It's funny, and it features a couple of Latter-day Saint missionaries knocking doors in Houston, Texas. The Facebook page UNILAD published it earlier today, and it has since racked up almost 600 thousands views. Take a look: https://www.facebook.com/uniladmag/videos/1055583561305465/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAEe8HTq_8DvHE2oyHKRW1RhdRlO8SbLbeIwbphfnEfvOBX-RrURHDFErLA5RAZCNy33UXEiK99leLVHXM_pgM_q-aZxqaWMGNpztCpmFfxlTcwFSgT2CX829zShHZLHopHZu7XTh_eH7T69wJ6vqRc5JTgzVUHA58AXdZoKf3UpjDfvNv-J54KGx_DhVeFactvTgDrd5evqE2OGLPh-77NaBbjGAuaNZa59F8H80U_5ZL5PGjswFOpko45QZ4ZEcHWfcgtYZaVXYfUWw-7400BiZMR47_Jyl1KNuftu2sFTANVX53S9mpC-6Flzxm9-NFDCgrirZAykXwK89djj-w9tOXWPGe7JMNJEw&__tn__=-R In case you're wondering (because apparently on some devices it's too blurry to read), the doormat says, "HI I'M MAT." Reactions have been interesting I'd probably recommend not going to the comments section of the video, because people can get weird. But there were a few diamonds in the rough. Here are a few good ones: Everybody loves a good dad joke every once in a while. But something tells me there miiight have been a little something more to this one. Could it be that one of these missionaries was an Elder Matt or something along those lines? Because that would have been even more puntastic. Does anybody... View the full article

Here we go again. If you're not familiar with the Anti-Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint material available on the internet, just trust me when I say it's nearly infinite in reach and topic. As far as YouTube goes, one of the most-watched types of videos involves meeting up with young missionaries of the Church, typically in an effort to expose or stump them with extremely difficult questions or hostile encounters. I recently stumbled across what I presumed to be yet another of these frustrating videos. And—against my better judgment—I clicked on it. Go ahead and take a look if you would like, you may be surprised at what you find (it's pretty long so feel free to skip through some parts). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQJrindD3Ng What I saw in this video was so refreshing it put a smile on my face. The interviewer, Chris LaForest, really seems to be genuinely interested in learning about the Latter-day Saint faith and the work that these young missionaries do. He asks sincere questions without sounding... View the full article

The premiere of NBC's new comedy sketch competition, "Bring the Funny" nationally debuted the '"Studio C" spin-off group, "JK Studios." How'd they do? By all accounts they killed it. The judges followed the fans lead, praising the unique theme of the sketch and noting the engagement the comedians had with the audience. Overall, JK Studio's performance was enough to move on to the next round of the competition. Tune in Tuesdays at 8:00 PM MST to see if JK Studios has what it takes to be the funniest sketch group in the country! Check out their full sketch below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0G4_DpYsgA View the full article