Balboa park, San Diego

Here are some pics from our visit to Balboa park: I'll post more of our vacation later.

Tribute to my best friend

12 years ago I married this amazing woman. She is beautiful, strong willed, intelligent, witty, passionate, kind, spiritual, loving, fun, athletic, a wonderful cook, inspiring and down right gorgeous. We have had 12 wonderful married years together. I've fallen in love with her so deeply, and I cannot even imagine my life without her. I've learned and will continue to learn so much from her. Stacie, I love you.

Lost in La Jolla

San Diego Temple


In Doctrine and Covenants 109:22-23 it reads:

22 And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy ^aname may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine ^bangels have charge over them;

23 And from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ^aends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfil that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days.

Last week I had the opportunity to take my family to San Diego on vacation. We were there for a week. Thursday night we were at the beach in La Jolla. It was beautiful. We watched the sun set into the ocean. We were staying in a rental house over by Balboa Park. I decided to try to take some back roads that I was not familiar with to find my way back to Interstate 5. Well needless to say... we got lost in the hills of La Jolla. And of course, me being the man, did not need to stop and ask for directions. How hard could it be to find the Interstate? right? We drove around for quite some time, me, my wife, my 4 girls, and my mother-in-law. I think that they were getting inpatient with me. We ended up on top of a hill. It was dark. As I looked over the hill, there was the San Diego Temple all lit up. It was as if it was floating in air. What a beautiful sight. What I desire most in life right now is to see all of my daughters get married in the temple, and I did not even plan this. I didn't plan on taking them to the temple grounds. I missed out on this opportunity. God in a gracious way, allowed us to have this experience.

How many of us our lost in one way or another? Making turns on roads unfamiliar. If we have faith in God, and we are doing our best, I testify it will lead to the house of God.

If you are in Utah right now, and are interested in knowing more about the temples of God, there is an open house for the public, at the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple in Salt Lake. click here for a reservation.

For more information on LDS temples go here.

Linsey and Alissa looking out into the sunset at La Jolla.

A man named Amulek

There is a man that I can't wait to meet when I move from this life to the next. His name is Amulek. Read in the Book of Mormon, Alma chapter 10-15. Concentrate on the traits and the things that Amulek did. He emulated the traits of our Savior. He displayed obedience, a sense of urgency to help others come to our Savior, patience, love and understanding, courage, forgiveness, and giving up family and friends for what was right. I respect and look up to him, and can only hope I can display the same traits in my life. He was a man forordained and lived up to his potential. I wonder if he knows the effects of what he did so long ago, have on God's children today. I'd like to express gratitude for his example and courage.

The food man

24 And see that ye have ^afaith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.

I read a great article in the paper the other day on a man who exemplifies this traits. What have you done with your time lately?

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12407428

Are you a stumbling block?

In Alma 4:8-10 it reads:

8 For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their ^ahearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did ^bnot believe according to their own will and pleasure.

9 And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great ^acontentions among the people of the church; yea, there were ^benvyings, and ^cstrife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.

10 And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great ^astumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.

This was a short time after there was peace with the people of God. In Alma 1:30 it reads:

30 And thus, in their ^aprosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were ^bnaked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon ^criches; therefore they were ^dliberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no ^erespect to persons as to those who stood in need.

How quick do we forget? The Lord blesses us in so many ways both spiritual and temporal when we are righteous. How can we sustain what it talks about in Alma 1:30? I believe as soon as we stop serving others and giving to others, the sooner we forget and get caught up in our own blessings both temporal and spiritual. We get stuck in our comfort zones, and we don't share temporally or spiritually with those around us. Then pride does its thing, and we end up like the same people in Alma 4. So, I ask this question. Am I a stumbling block for those around me? Have I got caught up in my own spiritual and temporal blessings? What am I giving back?

Where do you receive your wages?

I read in Alma chapter 3 verses 26-27 this morning stating:

26 And in one year were thousands and tens of thousands of souls sent to the eternal world, that they might reap their ^arewards according to their works, whether they were good or whether they were bad, to reap eternal happiness or eternal misery, according to the spirit which they listed to obey, whether it be a good spirit or a bad one.

27 For every man receiveth ^awages of him whom he listeth to ^bobey, and this according to the words of the spirit of prophecy; therefore let it be according to the truth. And thus endeth the fifth year of the reign of the judges.

So ponder this.... Where do you receive your wages?