*. Eye of the Tiger .*

*. I'm Teaching Seminary!!! .*

I found out yesterday (April 22) that I am going to teach seminary next year. This comes after taking the REL 370 class where a handful of students were asked to come back and take the next class REL 471. Everybody in the REL 471 class was an amazing teacher who was trained and prepared to teach the gospel to the youth. We were informed that only 4 out of the 20 students (in REL 471) would be invited and given a spot to student teach next year. The statistics were against me. In fact, we were also told the because of the churches hiring freeze, very few teachers would actually be hired to teach full time. There's not a lot of turn-over in seminary teaching, so the only reasons why spots would open up are if a teacher retired (fat chance in this economy), if a teacher got sick and wasn't able to teach, or with the opening of new schools. I had prepared myself to accept the Lord's will whatever it may be and was very surprised when I got the call inviting me to accept a position at UCAS - Utah County Academy of Sciences. This is not a full time position, mind you, and I only have a job for the fall semester. After that (and from my understanding), I will be either invited to teach for another semester or thanked for my participation and asked to move on with my life. After two semesters of teaching, I will be offered a full-time teaching position or again, thanked and asked to move on. The statistics are still against me but I've come to the realization (or the faith) that if the Lord wants me to be a seminary teacher then I will be. If not, then He has something for me to learn in the next few months. All I know for sure is that the Lord is opening a door for me and I am going to walk through it. I'm excited for this new adventure. I would love to spend the rest of my life teaching the youth the gospel. It would be a dream come true.

*. Me...during Finals .*

'Nuff said

*. Let The Playoffs Begin .*

*. The Maughan Shack .*

"No other success can compensate for failure in the home. ...The poorest shack... in which love prevails over a united family is of greater value to God and future humanity than any other riches. In such a home God can work miracles and will work miracles. ... Pure hearts in a pure home are always in whispering distance of Heaven."
--David O. McKay

*. What does "Easter" mean? .*

Last night I couldn't sleep. I had some things on my mind and so I pulled out my journal and began to free write. My mind went a million miles an hour and my pen struggled to keep up, so I began to draw instead of writing. I drew a whip, a crown of thorns, and a wooden cross. I was thinking of today - 1,976 years ago. The day that Christ would be judged by an earthly tribune and sentenced to a most brutal and trialing death. My pen wrote the word "Easter" next to the cross, then I drew a slash and wrote Atonement. I began to think of the betrayal of God's Only Begotten Son and the pain that he must have felt from loosing a friend.
My mind reverted back to the Atonement and I wondered what Christ felt as my image or my name passed through his mind. I remembered these words from the song, "This is the Christ":

I read his words, the words he prayed while bearing sorrow in Gethsemane. I feel his love, the price he paid. How many drops of blood were spilled for me? With saints of old in joyful cry, I, too, can testify, “This is the Christ!”

Then I wrote the word "Easter" on my page and wondered where the name came from. I understood the significance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but I had no idea where the name "Easter" came from. So I googled it and got this response (ironically from ChaCha.com):

The name "easter" comes from the ancient German goddess Ostara "The Teutonic Goddess of Spring" (called Eostre in Anglo-Saxon).

After more online research, this answer was confirmed. So there it is. The day of Christ's resurrection got it's name from a German goddess and the world has turned the day into a celebration of the death of winter and the beginning of spring and summer. We know better. We know that we are not celebrating the death of anything. Yes, we are grateful and ever indebted to the Messiah for "suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind" ( Alma 7:11) and we know that "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isa. 53:5) But we do not celebrate the Saviors death. We celebrate the Saviors life and ressurrection. That is why we don't have the cross as a religious symbol. We celebrate the emtpy tomb because it means that "He is not here, but is risen!" (Luke 24:3-6). Christ triumphed over death making it possible for us to do the same. Our atoning brother bridged the gap between life and death and gives all the free gift of immortality and offers eternal life as a conditional gift. What a glorious and exciting week! I would encourage everyone to take some time and remember what happend on this weekend 1,976 years ago. I love the testimony of Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon:

“And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives! For we saw him.” (D&C 76: 22-23)

Ezra Taft Benson gave said:

As one of His latter-day witnesses, I testify that He lives today. He is a resurrected Being. He is our Savior, our Lord, the very Son of God. I testify that He will come again as our glorified, resurrected Lord. That day is not far distant. To all who accept Him as Savior and Lord, His literal resurrection means that life does not end at death, for He promised: “Because I live, ye shall live also.” (John 14:19)

Christ lives again. That is what we celebrate. That is what Easter is all about.

*. A Tribute to Thomas S. Monson .*

For most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Thomas S. Monson has been a role model, a hero and (undoubtedly) a prophet, seer and revelator. I came across these photos today and wanted to share. This is a photo tribute to the Prophet of the Lord.

Voice: the faculty or power of expressing opinion or choice.

I've recently been thinking about my voice. Not by audible voice that comes from a "a little box inside my throat," but my opinions, beliefs and thoughts. Is it wrong to have an opinion about a subject or controversy that doesn't involve me in the least? Should I be actively voicing my concerns and opinions about the government and the direction in which they are headed to my colleagues ? Should I be publishing my religious expectations and beliefs on facebook? Should I argue about the economy and hard times on my blog? It is my right. Is it my duty?

The first amendment to the constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..." and they haven't (for which I am grateful), but it seems to me that more and more people are using their online activities such as facebook, twitter, and blogger to shout their opinions and beliefs louder than their network. Far be it from me to take away anyone's rights, especially the first amendment, but do my friends and family want to see fun and cute pictures of me and the wife or would they rather debate whether Mitt Romney is campaigning for 2012 or if the recession is coming to an end? Would you rather hear about our recent trip to the Logan Temple or hear my opinion about BYU's newspaper's (The Daily Universe) flawed caption that accidently read "The Twelve Apostates" instead of "The Twelve Apostles" under a picture of the brethren? Would my (very small) audience rather see pictures from my intramural football game or highlights from the latest headline crashing sporting event from the NCAA and NFL? Should my voice be about me or about my opinions?

Well...I guess that depends on what you want to hear.