Virtues of the Word

What do you do when, despite all your hard work, despite all your faith and prayers, despite everything you could possibly do, all hopes die? When the worst possible thing imaginable happens, it feels as if all helps and comforts flee (Hymns 166, Abide With Me). All people around the world have moments when all seems in vain. A student fails an important exam, changing their entire future. A father fails to be hired for his dream job. A person decides to abandon their spouse and children. A beloved mother says farewell to a child for the rest of this lifetime. Surely after such devastations, all hope is lost. What do you do? You carry on. Long ago, a number of learned men and women saw a sign in the heavens, signifying the birth of a baby boy. So, they packed up their most prized gifts and began the long, long journey to seek the holy child. Obviously, these men and women had to know who the child was. What was worth such a long journey? What did they hope to see? A man who would one d...

Two boys found a pair of shoes on the side of the road. They looked around and saw the owner a long way off. The younger boy thought it would be funny to hide the shoes. However, the older boy wisely said that instead of hiding them, they should put a silver dollar in each shoe. They did so, then hid to see the reaction. When the man returned from the field, he was surprised to find two dollars in his shoes. Extremely grateful, he knelt down and thanked his God for the strangers who have helped him and his poor family who were in desperate need. The younger boy witnessed this prayer and his life was changed forever. (Gordon B. Hinckley, Some Lessons I Learned as a Boy , April 1993 General Conference) Who are the greatest teachers in our lives? It could be a parent or grandparent. Perhaps a school teacher or religious leader. But don't underestimate the power of a sibling who is also learning to do what is right. As youth grow and mature, they start to see the world around them diff...

Who is your hero? As children, we look at heroes that can fly, that fight crime, and that defend the weak in hopeless battles. These are elements that are essential for a childhood hero.  As we grew up, we realized what a hero really is: someone we look up to and respect because of who they are and what they do. In this sense, we find great men and women who we try to emulate. Men and women like George Washington, Mahatma Ghandi, Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and many others. These heroes inspire us to become more than who we currently are. They inspire us to do something with our lives. As we grow physically, we find many of these heroes. Then as we grow spiritually, we discover an entirely new class of heroes. This class of heroes are men and women who not only inspire us to become more than who we are, but also inspire us to reach out and lift others. These are men and women who put others' needs before themselves. They have learned an importan...

On June 16, 2024, the host for the longest running radio broadcast, Music and the Spoken Word, retired from that position so that he could serve as a mission president for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am proud to have known Lloyd Newell and consider him a friend. I took a class from him and I continue to treasure my time with him.  As I have listened to Derrick Porter, the new host, I have found myself captivated with the messages he shares. I have also been truly inspired by his story in being called. I found myself wanting to create thoughts in a "Spoken Word" format as well.  I once heard Elder Boyd K. Packer share a creative way to study: study for and write a talk, even if you haven't been asked to share one. Then file it away. Not only have you learned something from your study, but you also have a prepared talk ready for whenever you are asked to give one. So, I have created this blog to keep and organize my writings. I have named this blog ...