Fether

Dude has spent 31 years in the church - I'm sure he's heard that advice already. That's my answer - I don't have anything to add to the conversation, and I don't believe youtube comment sections to be worth the electrons they're run across.  The things that matter are genuine connections with real people, not who can spam a comment section the most. 
What did you tell him to do?

I do not believe such a scripture exists (If I am wrong I would be most glad to learn otherwise).  I do not think D&C 88:32 applies beyond a single individual.  As far as a public celebration for anyone other than the Celestial Kingdom - I am skeptical of any celebration other than Satan and his followers - and I doubt that even they would celebrate except for those of whom they would have gained power over.   If anything those that fail to make and keep covenants (loyal to G-d in every way) I see only regret - except the the individual exercising their agency.
 
The Traveler

Balancing my faith in the leading of the Holy Spirit with the spiritual caution that the human heart is deceitful above all else, I must constantly seek the Spirit's guidance while remaining vigilant against blaming my own cravings on God. 😉

I dont always succeed, just to clarify. But I’ll give some examples of things I’ve gotten rid of or changed.
- Sleeping longer than 8 hours. 6 1/2 - 8 hours is perfect. Anything less is insufficient and beyond that is unnecessary and almost always is a catalyst to a lazy day. Lazy days don’t make me happy so I no longer sleep longer than 8 hours. I use this rule instead of the “wake up early” rule. I still end up waking up really early most mornings, but the 8 hour rule gives me room to adapt when needed
- Studying controversial church topics. Regardless as to whether the article is faithful or not, it drains my energy to read those things. It’s intellectually stimulating, but fails to feed me spiritually. In fact it starved me more. I choose to love longer read those unless it is necessary to help someone. This is one I fail at often, but I am working on it
- Playing video games when I have other more important things to do. I save all video games for when my other tasks are done (like scriptures, journaling, preparing for the day, etc.) and only when my kids are asleep.
- Playing games online. This is one I am working on myself with. I’m trying to teach myself to not get angry when I lose to someone else online. This is similar to the sports thing you mentioned earlier.

- Sleeping -- In most cases I sleep until I wake up.  If something is critical I am more concerned about getting to bed than waking up.
- playing games -- I like playing physical games.  I have great difficulty with games of chance.
- Studying religious topics -- I love studying anything religious, scientific, political or social.  Most such writing is not well founded in logic.  Most religious material quotes about 1% of related scripture and lots of opinions (but only the opinions that agree with the intended premise)  - very little raw data (historical or research).  One exception was Hugh Nibley.  I usually avoid currently written stuff and tend towards stuff that has remained reverent for at least 50 years.  It is interesting that 99% of the climate stuff from 50 years ago was concerned about triggering a new ice age.  As per religious arguments (Christian) almost all arguments (controversies) are logically referenced in the Gospel of John with Jesus Christ dealing with the Scribes and Pharisees. 
A favorite scripture about religious things is Ecclesiastes chapter 1:
It is called the New Testament but all things testified of in the New Testament were testified of in previous ancient texts.  It seems to me that whatever a person can religiously fantasize they can justify somewhere in Biblical scripture.
 
The Traveler

Sounds like the words of someone who is bad at sports

I suspect (but do not know) that the More Good Foundation is moving more of its focus to video productions.  David Snell, for example, used to do a lot of articles here; and he’s now a host with Saints Unscripted (a project that is tied to the MGF, though I don’t know how much control they have over it).
I am by no means “in the know”, but I have a generalized impression that MGF doesn’t quite know what to do with ThirdHour at this point—either the website in general, or this forum in particular.

I never competed in the usual team sports beyond church ball - but back in the 60's I was on a softball team that won the all church wide tournament - but it was not because of me.  I do have a bronze in armature competition for skiing and cycling.  Currently cycling is a little bit of a disappointment - for the over 70 (I am 75) there is a guy that is 80 that always beats me and after my accident last year my wife has insisted that I quit competition.   Since I love her more than competing it looks like I am left with skiing and cycling for pleasure.
As for support for college teams - I have always been somewhat of a BYU fan.  Across all sports that BY U competes in - accumulatively they are ranked in the top 10 - but the football team laid and egg in their bowl game.  In basketball we lost our two centers for the season and thus struggle with national caliber teams. 
Even professional teams struggle.   There is only one champion so there the other 31 teams will disappoint their fans (some more than others).   And the team that is the champion will disappoint their fans more over the next 10 years than win championships.   So unless you enjoy routing for a looser (which I don't) reality will bring more disappointment than the joys of bragging rights.
But @LDSGator is right about lesson learned through sports.  For example - in the ancient Grease Olympic games, the title of those officiating the competition to make sure everything was fair was cheaters.  That term has a most interesting evolution in the longest existing sports on this planet.  Sometimes I wonder if sport competition bring less love and compassion towards the best of competitors. 
 
The Traveler

I also remember reading somewhere that last year, or some year before that, the federal reserve stopped trying to keep annual inflation around 2-3% and are not trying to keep the decade long average to 2-3%.

My wife pointed out that she doesn’t remember our grocery bill ever being as high as it is.
Its going to be VERY interesting to see what the next few years bring. Another crash followed by a return to normal? Or are the conspiracies true (and the last few years have quite the track record of conspiracies) and this is the new normal?

The new inflation numbers are out, we’re now running a little more than 7%.  Is anyone besides me feeling it?
In related news, there’s a family of traveling minstrels that show up at the grocery store parking lot with their cardboard sign and a violin and a speaker.  They are quite talented, and I enjoy their performance, so I don’t mind giving them a buck.
Today, however, the guy argued with me. He said “A dollar? This is for food! For rent!”  I told him it’s what I had, he just looked at me with scorn and refused to take it.
I guess I can see his point. Fast food joints around here pay 15 bucks an hour, the minimum wage keeps going up, rents keep increasing. Inflation stinks. A dollar is the new small pittance of coins to a street beggar.  Suddenly, raking in about 200 bucks in a couple hours just doesn’t go as far as it used to.

Sounds like the words of someone who is bad at sports

Perfect post.
The old joke goes like this-“The pope claims to be infallible but no Catholic believes it. The prophet says he is not infallible but no LDS believes it” 
 
For the record I think the prophets and leaders are great men, but they are humans like the rest of us. 

David O McKay had a VERY strong journaling habit and because of this we have a large amount of records of his day to day dealings and inner thoughts. He helped bring the church world wide and he was one of the Prophets alive during the civil rights movement. I’m sure there is more coming because it is like a 25 hour long audio book and I’m only 3 hours in.
So far it has shared David O McKays dealing with public slander from a family member, him eating rum cake and tell everyone to chill out, problems  Bruce R McConkie and Joseph Fielding Smith caused for the church, the birth of non-doctrinal teachings that still permeation in the church, some of the things the brethren were concerned with in their meetings, the racist views he held, and a statement from him where he says he has never seen Christ (which isn’t a big deal, but you don’t see much of)
It does an incredible job of painting a picture of what our leaders are like and how just like us they are. There are a ton members today that hold on to these unrealistic views that the Prophets are somehow ascended to a higher plain than us and speak with God face to face every day. I think everyone should read this book and stop mystifying the brethren  that lead us. Let’s follow them to the end, but don’t expect them to be something they are not.

Greatest series I have seen in a LONG time. It’s an original story that doesn’t lean on its origin series. It uses the nostalgia and fan service cards in a very classy manner

I subscribe the Darren Daily, which is a daily video from Darren Hardy about success and excellence in life.
This morning he had a video about following your gut and he pointed out he never ever once regretted following his gut, nor had he ever heard someone say they regretted following their gut.
I shared his experience and it got me thinking. My gut feelings tend to be extremely reliable and I know in the past I have defined that “gut feeling” as being from the spirit. Can that feeling, in some way,  be related to the spirit?

I am not bright, I am not especially spiritual, I am not especially good.  When the spirit speaks to me, it is a clear, unambiguous, transparently obvious experience.  I'm guessing that's so, because I'd miss or dismiss anything else. 
I know the difference between a gut feeling and an emotion, and my gut feelings have always urged caution or flight, usually with an increase of anxiety if I don't follow my gut.

Is it fair to say that all "inspiration" comes from one of three sources: the Spirit, ourselves, or the devil? If so then gut feeling is really just a manifestation of one or more of those sources and could vary from one person to the next. I personally don't like the terminology because it doesn't acknowledge the pros and/or cons of each source.

I would add that it works when I trust my gut while following the commandments and it’s on important matters. I remember times in my life making bets (not with money) based on a gut feeling and it too didn’t work out.
If I were to explain the confirmation I had in dropping out of college to move to Vegas (ok ok… this doesnt sound good so far) to work, I would describe it both as spiritual confirmation and as a gut feeling. I don’t know how to distinguish the two. Our experience there and since has been nothing but blessings.

One possibility, it seems to me, is that Daniel was already a public figure in a leadership position and his religious preference was known—for him to visibly cease praying would have effectively been a public renunciation of his faith, one that his co-religionists throughout the Diaspora would be apt to follow.
In Alma’s case, it seems the church remained fairly close-knit and was able to strengthen each other notwithstanding the burdens and restrictions the Lamanites placed upon them.  No one in the church mistook Alma’s lack of prayer for a lack of faith.

If my gut says something, I take it as a time to do some extra analysis, but I rarely trust my gut. This is because while I don't think I have clinical anxiety, I tend to get anxious and overthink things on occasion. My gut isn't very reliable in and of itself. 

I think there is a such thing as a “gut feeling” that is a spiritual gift - but I also think it’s possible that not everyone has it; and that where the spiritual gift doesn’t exist, it’s fairly easy for the human psyche (or a deceptive spirit) to come in and fill the gap.  I think that’s one reason journaling is important—so you can log the feelings as they come, and with the benefit of hindsight and knowing how each instance turned out, get a better refined sense of the borderline between something that’s divine inspiration versus something that . . . isn't.
For myself:  I’ve found that gut feelings not to do something tend to be more reliable than gut feelings that I should do something.  And of course, D&C 8 (or 9?) reminds us that it’s a combination of heart and mind—we don’t give a blank check to either influence.

It’s interesting you say that because some of the biggest mistakes I've made were when I trusted my gut over my mind. It’s not just me either. I’ve seen people “trust their gut” and lose money, burn relationships, and ruin their lives. 
 
Trusting your gut is nice, and I’m glad it works for you, but often times I hear people say that and get into massive trouble. Someone can “trust their gut” and run off with their secretary, leaving a long term relationship. Or, they can “trust their gut”, dislike a new co worker, and never give that guy or girl a chance, even if the new person does literally nothing wrong. I could go on. Your gut/instinct can lie to you too, but if you (generic) have a big/fragile ego you won’t be able to see it. 
I think most people should trust their mind and think things through rather than their gut. 

From what I have found, a good majority of what Charity is is empathy, if one can feel what the other person is feeling, they can more fully Koran with and comfort. I’ve been seeking to have empathy more and more in my life and it’s been pretty incredible and has helped me with my charity.
I have a sister-in-law that had a very difficult life, much of which is self inflicted. When I first entered the family, I had a lot of empathy for her and was always excited to talk to her and help her grow. Fast forward to 4 years later and the same problems she had when I met her have compounded. She continues to make the same mistake and her sorrow and anger just get bigger and bigger. Having empathy for her has become extremely exhausting. My wife and I have avoided being around her because we can’t take the complaining and the hollow “self help” conversations she wants to have.
So for the question. How does someone maintain. Charity in a situation where is is exhausting and stressful to do so, and there doesn’t seem to be an end to it?
Is the answer to continue just more empathy and patience? 

I subscribe the Darren Daily, which is a daily video from Darren Hardy about success and excellence in life.
This morning he had a video about following your gut and he pointed out he never ever once regretted following his gut, nor had he ever heard someone say they regretted following their gut.
I shared his experience and it got me thinking. My gut feelings tend to be extremely reliable and I know in the past I have defined that “gut feeling” as being from the spirit. Can that feeling, in some way,  be related to the spirit?