We had an interesting conversation today in our Sunday School class. It was related to the chapters we have been reading in The Book of Alma. The discussion was about why some people feel that repentance is painful. Many do. I have at times as well. We probably all have. To cut to the end of our discussion, that is the adversary trying to cause you to feel like it is not worth it to improve. It is not worth removing the guilt and shame of past mistakes. It is not worth the trouble or is not needed. None of those answers will remove the pain.

I once had a manager whose idea of a one-on-one meeting was to spend the entire time complaining about my teammates. - by name. But let’s talk about the kind of meetings that actually matter if done correctly: the one-on-one meetings. When done right, these gems can transform your work, school, and home life.

Alma and Amulek made choices and followed the Lord and their faith in Him. Alma chapter fourteen not only contains one of the more horrific scenes in the Book of Mormon, maybe in all of scripture but also provides a great example of choices made. God will not force us to do the right thing. He has given us our agency.

In Chapter 5 of Alma, Alma preaches to the church in Zarahemla. They are not doing as well as they should be doing, and Alma is called by the Lord to command them to repent. In the process, he asks many questions throughout his sermon. It was suggested in a Sunday School Class that these could be used for self-reflection and pondering.

Jesus told his followers, and we see in many other places in the scriptures, that all who ask will receive an answer.  All who seek will find, and all who knock shall have the way or the door opened to them.  I have wondered, probably like all of us at some point, if this is just an unlimited or unqualified promise for us.  Can I have anything I want just for the asking?

The church is not a set of books, a bunch of buildings, or a series of classes. It is not a typical organization, a charity, or a business. The church is more than a set of doctrines or beliefs. The church is us. The church is the "Body of Christ" or everyone working to become more like our Savior.

The true essence of wisdom lies not just in possessing it but in the very act of acquiring it. This notion is truly inspiring. The journey towards wisdom starts with the persistent desire and decision to 'get' wisdom.

Reflecting on my time spent in theaters during the 1980s, it’s a surprise when I stumble upon a film that I didn't catch at the time. 'Midnight Run' is one such film. I’m a big fan of Charles Grodin. His deadpan straight way of delivering comedy I’ve always loved. And the chemistry between him and Robert De Niro is really fun in this movie.

What we are reading this week in the #ComeFollow Me program is about the midpoint in the entire story, or history at least, of the Book of Mormon. It’s weird to think that when Mosiah took over with the plates, 470 or so years had passed since Lehi and his family came across the water. That’s like us today, looking back at the 1600s or so. That's a long time.

Reading this book was not just a journey into note-taking techniques for me. It led me, and a surprising number of other readers I found on the internet, into a transformative practice that challenges the conventional wisdom of how we compile, process, and generate knowledge. If you love note-taking and knowledge management, enjoy writing (or would like to), or are involved in researching anything, I highly recommend you take a spin through this book.

In reading the Book of Mormon, so many of us get to the Book of Mosiah and look forward to King Benjamin’s speech; it goes on for multiple chapters, is filled with gospel truth, and is quoted so often by so many that it just feels comfortable. So, this time around, I want to learn from something outside of the most famous speech in the Book Of Mormon.

Generally, I wouldn't say I like business books. When I say “generally,” I mean I hate them all the time. I try to be open-minded. Maybe there are a few out there that I would enjoy, but I haven’t run into them yet. I’m also not a huge fan of self-improvement books either. Business books are like the worst of the self-improvement ideas written with big corporate words to make them sound impressive. I now only want to read book abstracts to help me through this process. If an abstract hits a chord with me, I might download the book. I’m not holding my breath for that, but who knows??

We have been given the gift to kneel down and speak to our Maker. Have you ever thought about that directly? The King of the Universe, the infinitely powerful and infinitely loving God, has given us the gift of prayer. Even more, He pleads with us to speak with him.

The Lord has already won victory over death. He gives that freely to all. I sometimes think about, and am in awe of, how personal the rest of His gifts He gives us through the Atonement.

“This is the Way” . . .

On step at a time, over and over again. One sacrament at a time. Repenting over and over again. Praying to the Father and learning to be more like Jesus day after day. Returning to the temple to serve and learn over and over again. Enduring is not waiting, it is growing, learning, and serving.

The most common way to think about "feasting on the words of Christ" is to think about the scriptures. There is good reason for that, they are obviously the readiest source of the words to read about Christ, but in an of themselves are they sufficient?

A bit of an extended version of a talk, or sermon, that I shared today with some added sections that I did not use due to time limitations. I share many thoughts on prayer and end with a personal story about my mother’s best day and some Grosbeak birds as well.

There is a line in the Hymn, "Thy Will, O Lord, Be Done," that is beautiful and tells me much about the atonement of Christ and the nature of Christ.

I have found it helpful to see how Nephi laid out his themes into chapters. I find more nuance and more meaning by thinking about the "how" as well as the "what" Nephi is telling his descendants (and us of course) on these plates.

I find it very rewarding to not only imagine the life of the people in scriptures, but to try the best I can to understand their life, their culture, their history, and how they lived. This gives me much greater insight into what they are writing, what their prophecies may mean, what message they are sharing, and what I could gain from that message. It also opens my heart to the spirit of the Lord where I can gain my own personal insight.