It's good to be back.  I feel like I really got a lot out of this chapter.  It could be simply because this chapter has a couple of verses which always seem to prick my heart.  Maybe, maybe not.  Anyway... It seems this chapter is all about love.  One of the verses found here is so poignant, it pricks my heart every time...

An interesting concept was brought up during an interesting class I had on Sunday. Last year, I went to the normal gospel doctrine class almost all year and enjoyed almost every class.  We had a fabulous teacher who really brought the class alive with discussion about interesting concepts.  Never once was a spirit of contention fall up...

I just finished reading Alma 7 and, once again, am in a state of mind which makes it hard to actually get any spiritual nourishment from it.  I'm not entirely sure what's going on with me now-a-days, but I don't really like it all that much. Anyway...  Here goes with what I got from the chapter (it being among the best chapters in the ...

Well....  It became time again quickly to have a LAN party after the craziness of the holiday season.  So, we decided to have one two days ago.  It was fairly awesome. I didn't bring my camera, so I don't have a video of this one, but suffice it to say that this one was pretty darned fun.  It started with Eric Hansen and I lo...

Once quite awhile ago, my brother came to me and asked me why we go to church, and where is the doctrine concerning church attendance.  In addition to Moroni 6 : 4-6, I also gave him Alma 6 : 6. Other than that, this seems to just be a transition verse from preaching in Zarahemla to preaching in Gideon. It also speaks about membership of t...

I actually read this yesterday while I was about ready to fall asleep, so, I didn't write anything.  However, I did make a goal last year to read through the entire Book of Mormon and write about each and every chapter, so here's what I remember about Alma 5. Within the first 3 verses, Alma makes it apparent that he is talking to the people ...

Well... Nothing too exciting in my life, but I thought I'd tell everyone that I wrote a new song.  As you can probably guess, it's called Dance With Me.  It's nothing more than a bass-line I came up with and a few more instruments. I've gotta say though, Ryan Phillips, the guy on the guitar is awesome.  I love working with him, an...

Awhile back, almost every gentoo / gnome computer I built would do this wonderful thing called "auto-mounting" all devices plugged in via USB. Well, I really didn't know what or how this was done until it started not doing it any more. So, I went over to my brother's house armed with a determination to figure this stuff out, and I'll ...

I'm not entirely sure what to write, but I know I've got to write something.  I figure I'll just put fingers to keyboard and see what thoughts spew forth. Lately, I've been feeling a bit of a slump spiritually.  It's not uncommon for me to go in cycles of spirituality, but this time, it's a bit different.  I haven't felt the desire...

Well I never thought it would a big Christmas because our family has never really had a big one any ways. I started off trying my best to bring the Christmas cheer to others ( something I never do) but I upset and just couldn't make anybody happy. All my family really wanted was snow, we've not seen snow in so long. My two little brothers have neve...

My last place of employment had a large amount of data being imported from multiple companies on a daily basis which was then imported into a database and processed throughout the company. I was the lucky guy who got to write the application which imported all of the data from as many as 10 different locations daily. Having never directly dealt...

Woah... It's like been a long time since I wrote in my journal, huh? Ohwell, so I've been a little busy, okay? Yesterday night a group of missionaries (Elder Musick, Topham, me, and Elder Reinwand) got together and we decided to go and sing. We all sing really rather well together, so we thought we could help some people feel the Spirit with t...

I told you I love you, And yet you broke my heart. you had to run around, Behind my back! Now I'm sitting here, I can't think of anyonelse! But the one thing rings in my head, Why was I never good enough for you? How come I'm alone? I wanted to give you my heart, But you just can't be true, Can you? Now your running around, Trying to m...

Man... I'm just tired.  Today was weird..  So... Studying chapter 5 right now, I'm brought to another realization that even the families of Prophets aren't perfect (hello, Lehi was a prophet, and he managed to have Laman and Lemuel...) The specifics to which I refer is Sariah's murmuring, and reaction when she saw her 4 boys return fr...

Earlier today I wrote about my experience trying to get a Logitech Orbit AF webcam installed in Gentoo Linux. About 2 hours later, I finally got Skype 2.0 beta to work (after figuring out a problem with QT), and upon loading it, configuring it, and finding someone with whom to test it (thanks, mindjuju), I finally got a webcam to act as a streami...

Sitting here pondering what to write. I could write about a synopsis of 1st Nephi, which I finished last night, or I could just dive into 2nd Nephi.  I think I'll do the latter. Verse 6 could be quite the controversial verse, for people who didn't like the Spanish conquest, or Christopher Colombus.  Yet, the verse still is what the ...

Oh wow.  Man, life just keeps getting more and more interesting...  along with frustrating, slightly scary, and faith-promoting.  I won't get into the details here, though, because I want to talk about something else. One thing which came at me as quite intriguing today during church was the concept of "Doctrine of Gratitude&...

 So I wasn't really interested in getting yet another member of my little growing studio family, but I couldn't help but get this one after playing it at the local music store.  Found it on a killer sale at samash, so I pulled the trigger. Available to all studio clients for recording. Isn't she gorgeous? She sounds awesome, too....

Holy cow.  My journal is done.  I still can’t believe it.  Wowza. I started writing in my journal every day on January 1st, 1990.  About ten years later, I found that I had journals scattered all over the place, and with my technical background - I hated the disorganization of something that might be precious someday.&nb...

Okay, I was watching the latest Miss Universe the other day and it was kind of like watching a train wreck.  You don't want to look, but you can't bring yourself to turn away.  The interesting part about it was the question and answer portion which is supposed to be the most important part of the competition (yeah right!).  They had ...

So lately, I've been posting little snippets on social networking sites about how awesome I think my wife is.  I really don't know exactly what has been throwing me into this state of absolute gratefulness for her, but it doesn't seem to be slowing down. I guess I'm just having a good hard realization that (only 2nd to God himself) she is th...

Hmm....  I'm kind of tired right now, but I figured I needed to read some scriptures... This time around, I realize how being under the rule of a tyrant would be absolutely horrible.  In this case, Alma was under the rule of one (or more) of the Amulonites - which were his wicked peers when they were the king's priests.  Talk about...

Holy cow.  My journal is done.  I still can’t believe it.  Wowza. I started writing in my journal every day on January 1st, 1990.  About ten years later, I found that I had journals scattered all over the place, and with my technical background - I hated the disorganization of something that might be precious someday.&nb...

The hymn the choir sang "I Feel My Savior's Love" was absolutely gorgeous!  Well done, Orem Institute Choir!  What a great way to begin a general conference.  Had me in tears by the end of the hymn.  Thank you, Institute Choir! L Tom Perry's talk about teaching in the home brought back both thoughts of my upbringing,...

Ya know...  The first verses of this chapter brought back some well-known stories of Mormon culture.  The most potent one being the experience Joseph Smith had in a Missouri jail surrounded by a mob of people cursing and glorying in their raping, murdering, and wickedness against the Mormon people. Parley P. Pratt said the following in ...

It is quite refreshing to note the surety with which President Eyring states the following: "First, the very fact that you have been offered the oath and covenant is evidence that God has chosen you, knowing your power and capacity. He has known you since you were with Him in the spirit world. With His foreknowledge of your strength, He has ...

 So... I don't even know where to begin. Honestly, my life is so full right now, I feel as though I might decide to curl up into a remote corner of the world somewhere and hide for a few months. That said, each day I seem to manage to get up with a renewed strength to attack the day's duties with a renewed vigor.  Even though it's cl...

When new clients come into the studio, I never quite know what to expect.  Tonight, I met a wonderfully talented young lady named Christie Berube, and proceeded to be wowed by a wonderful song she had written, called "Daddy's Little Soldier". While working through this song, I was almost moved to tears again and again while we fle...

While reading this chapter, the first thing that stood out to me was a misconception I've had about Zeniff going back to the land of Nephi. I thought, until about 10 minutes ago, that Zeniff tried to go inhabit the land twice, when in reality, the first time he was by the Lamanites, he was spying on them.  Nothing too earth shattering, just ...

One thing I noticed while reading verses 7 through 11, apart from the torn emotions of all the people, was what caused their emotion. Why did they feel so "amazed" and fille with "pain and anguish", and with "exceedingly great joy"?  Well... When was the last time you felt filled with pain and anguish for some...