The Sublime Roundabout

I’ve heard a lot of talks, or sermons, in my day. Some of them are more meaningful than others. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have had the privilege of hearing our Church leaders speak every six months of my life. There are five sessions of conference, with around ten talks per session. So, that amounts to 100 talks per year, and as I’ve been around for 44 years, that means I’ve heard 4,400 talks in my life. Of all of these talks, there is one that stands out - and I’ve only ever read it. It’s found in Matthew and Luke, as well as being found in 3rd Nephi. I am speaking of the words of the Savior commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. In it, we have what is the only real discourse from the Savior, the only lengthy speech on any subject. The rest of His ministry is spent in episodes, interactions with His apostles and servants, with women and children, with Pharisees and rulers and centurions and friends.... But for just this once, we ge...

Lives intersect And lines run parallel From now on, our lives will intertwine

Luke 2. I’m not sure there is a more frequently read passage of scripture in all of Christendom. The events surrounding the birth of the Savior are as well known to me as the face of my mother, from whom I first heard the stories in the first place. It’s delightful and a truly beautiful story. But what often doesn’t get the attention is Mary. Wait - you say. There are entire churches dedicated to Mary. Cathedrals and universities and roadside waystations and tortilla chips and.... Yeah. I know. Mary is revered and for very good reason. We really only get two passages or scenes in the New Testament about Mary, including the events at His birth and then again at His death. But she was so important to the world that she was prophesied of and seen in vision across the world. All of this isn’t what grabs me about this miraculous and worthy woman. No, what grabs me is this passage from Luke 2: 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. As mentioned in a pr...

This is my family tree. You can click through to see a larger image, if you'd like. It's an interesting depiction - one of several I could generate that would show family members back several generations (in this case, there are five generations). I am quite proud of where I am from and who my ancestors are. Each of them has left a part of themselves in me, in the same way that my children carry a piece of me with them, which they will pass on. This is an image of my DNA results. It wasn't surprising - I'm mostly from northern Europe, and my family tree is sufficiently well-researched to bear that out. My g reat-great grandmother was born in Sweden and came to Utah when she was very small (it's a great story). I also knew about the Jewish ancestry - one of my most storied ancestors is Alexander Neibaur . This week's lesson starts out with the stories surrounding the birth of the Savior. Matthew, from the Jewish perspective, gives us a detailed (if som...

Dear Constant Reader - This year in our LDS (Mormon?) community we are starting a new thing. Now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that I am religious. If you have been a reader of this blog in the past, you’ll know that my religious feelings are deep and poignant. I believe in God, I believe that we are His children, and that He has a plan for us. I am also not ignorant of the issues that exist in the Church, most of which are due to the culture of the Saints, and some of which are questions I have that are unresolved.  Maybe that’s a post for another day. But I’m encouraged, nonetheless, by the new curriculum and emphasis on personal and family study. I have always felt that the Church and all of its attendant programs were really just tools for saving individuals and families. I also very strongly believe that God wants a relationship with each of us, one that is lasting and beautiful and fulfilling... To that end, and in that Spirit, I will be using my blog to wr...