Standing Outside The Fire

      Country music has always held a special place in my heart for as long as I can remember. To me, it's as real as it gets. Real people, singing about real life. Brad Paisley quotes in one of his songs: "You're not supposed to say the word 'cancer' in a song, and tellin' folks Jesus is the answer, can rub em' wrong. It ain't hip to sing about tractors, trucks, little towns, and Momma . .  yeah that might be true. But this is country music, and we do. . " -("This Is Country Music" by Brad Paisley).
      To me, listening to good country music is like reading the book of Proverbs. There's good advice everywhere! Walking the line, keep on keepin' on when you feel like you're going through hell, standing up for what you believe in, loving, living, and giving Jesus the wheel. One of the songs that I love is called "Standing Outside The Fire" by Garth Brooks. In it He talks about taking chances, and how some of us let fear of failure keep us from reaching our full potential and living life. And even how we sometimes look at others who set their goals high and fail, but go on to succeed eventually and thing that the risk is not worth it.

   

We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk it the tables being turned

We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always come with getting burned

We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall

We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all

 Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried it is merely survived
If you're standing outside the fire

There's this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can't abide standing outside the fire

      How many of us let the fear of striking out, keep us from playing the game? We feel like were doing the best we can, but inside we feel like we can do better. We can always do better, and nothing is stopping us from reaching our full potential, except our own self doubt, if that be the case.

       For me, I've never been able to settle for less than what I know is the best I can do. I know I got that from my Dad, and throughout my life, it has taught me a lesson. We don't have too sit to the side while we watch others reach their full potential. We CAN accomplish anything we put our minds too. 

      And of course, our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to be happy. And He wants us to reach our full potential. He's always there for us. And with Him, "nothing shall be impossible." -Luke 1:47  

       So next time you think you're not good enough to live up to your full potential, remember that even if we fall short, our Savior Jesus Christ is there to help us make up the rest. We can do it. Trust in Him and He will help us. "So don't you sit up on the shoreline and say you're satisfied. Choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance that tide" -("The River" by Garth Brooks).

HUMBUCKER

      Do you remember the days when electric guitars first made their big debut? Neither do I! So i did some research and found out. Get this: they was invented around 1931 and used primarily for Jazz music. Can't imagine what else it got used for after that era. . . oh wait. Pictures of Elvis, The Rolling Stones, and all those guys are popping into my head. Its utilization took off! Who would have though you could get so many different sounds from such a simple thing. It wasn't so simple . . .
     When I got my first guitar, I remember my Mom said. "Hey don't you like this one." I did, I liked all sorts of different kinds. My favorites were the "V" shaped one's, like you see a lot of professional guitarists play, or the really cool crazy lookin' ones that guys can just shred on. But at that point in my musical studies I didn't need something like that. What I didn't know then, I do now. Every single one, no matter what, feels and plays completely different. From a Fender Stratocaster to a Gisbon Les Paul. You wouldn't think would ya?
     Mostly, the raw source for the type of sound you produce comes from the pickups. Small, magnetic, box looking things that sit right under where you pluck the strings. Basically, they are a magnet with metal coil wrapped around them and metal pole receptors fastened on. The whole idea being to pick up the vibrations from the metal strings via magnetism. The different combinations of the metal and magnet is what makes the different and unique sounds. And of the many different recipes that manufacturers have for building pickups, there are two types that are most popular for electric guitars.
     First, the single coil pickup. It was the first developed and is still implemented in world famous guitars today. True to it's name, it has one coil mounted on the magnet. They tend to have a twangier, duckier sound to them. When  I played with friends and in bands, I was always given a hard time because my guitar sounded too twangy. I didn't care though because that's how I liked it! The only downside to single coil pickups, is that because of the single coil on them, they tend to pick up stray radio frequencies that come out through your amplifier as an annoying buzzing sound. It could get very irritating at times, because sometimes you'd play very detailed and particular parts but they wouldn't sound right amongst all the hum and extra noise. 
    For this purpose was the humbucker invented. Essentially, it's two single coil pickups that share one magnet at their base. The key is the two coils instead of one. This way, they both pick up the string signals, but the radio frequencies they also create cancel each other out. That's how the name "humbucker" came about. To buck the 'hum'. With two coils, that annoying buzzing sound no longer manifests itself, and you're left with a clear, crisp, and much louder signal! But, now that were all tech'ed out on six strings, let's look at something a little more righteous . . .

    If you look around the world, there's about four hundred thousand or so different denominations that preach from The Bible. It is the word of God, no doubt at all. For years and years it has baffled even the smartest scholars, to how such a diverse group of men and women over such a long period of time could compile a record so coherent and correct as the Bible is. There's no other answer than it is the word of God. But why are there so many different denominations that seem to teach so many different things that all have scriptural backing from the very same book? There's all sorts of different doctrines that can be brought out, and so many different other ideas as well. But how can we know what's truth and what's not? By the mouth of two witnesses. -Mathew 18:16
     Just like an electric guitar pickup, the key is two. Two coils - two records. The other record I'm talking about is The Book of Mormon. Another testament of Jesus Christ. It's the record of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and their dealings with God. And the American prophets and their testimonies. With the Bible, we read the word of God. But with The Book of Mormon and The Bible as one, we can know the exact word of God.(Ezekiel 37: 16,19) No more stray radio frequencies, no more half truths, and no more loopholes. They complete each other and allow us to hear what God wants us too hear. 
    I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God, and I know that it only adds to the Bible of the truths that we already treasure. Together, they teach us in perfect clarity, God's word. I know both record's to be true, because the Holy Ghost has bore testimony to me, and I cannot deny it. I know that if we want true clarity, we must have not only one, but both records.
    God's word never ceases.

  

   
    
    
    
    
 

Northern Stars

      When I was kid, I remember watching Tony Hawk land the 900 on TV. It was by far, the most amazing thing I had ever seen. It was unthinkable that someone on  a skateboard could launch off the side of a half pipe, spin two-and-a-half revolutions, and then come down and land back on the board. In 1999 he was the first ever to land this trick in competition at the X Games, and it was a big deal for action sports. People said that the ground shook that day. It made a huge impact because it took his sport to the next level.
      Ironically that same year, Travis Pastrana, who is also an action sports legend, praised skateboarding and Tony for moving action sports forward as it did. Something he said his sport (freestyle motocross) could not do. In 2006 he landed the first double back flip on a dirt bike in X Games history. It was about the same feeling and just as magnificent as when Tony hawk Landed the 900! And this time, the ground really did shake!

     The accomplishments that these two men made were legendary. But they didn't happen overnight, and they weren't one-shot deals either. It took Tony Hawk eleven tries to land the 900 in competition before he finally landed it. And for Pastrana, he had landed double back flips riding a motorcycle on his ramps at home, into a foam pit, or on dirt. But never of the height, or the setting in competition where it counted. Falling short performing that feat at the X Games meant serious injury or death. Either one of them could have quit, or given up, let someone else do it, or walk away. But they didn't, and that's what made them great.
     Were faced with choices like this each and every day. Life has a tendency to suck (for lack of better words). One day were bulletproof, and then the next were broken. We find ourselves down for the count, but we have all have the choice to get back up. . if we want too. We can choose to get back up, and we can choose to keep trying when it seems like everything is pinned against us. It's never a matter of what we can and can't do, it's a matter of what we want to accomplish and if were going to do what it takes to get there.
      Before we came to this earth, we knew we would pass through the veil and forget everything up to that point. We knew we chose God's plan and that meant coming to get a body, and be subject to not only joy and happiness but also the pains and trials that came with it. We knew this life wouldn't be easy, but we knew it would be worth it. There are things we have to go through, that just don't make sense. . We fall short, we miss chances, we make mistakes, and we screw up. . several times even! Thats just how life goes sometimes. But with the help of God and our Savior Jesus Christ we can turn those mistakes, and shortcomings all into lessons. There wouldn't be any point to life life we couldn't!
      We learn and progress by making mistakes and learning lessons. When Thomas Edison was asked if he felt like a failure after falling short over nine thousand times when inventing the light bulb, he replied: "I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp." After the ten thousandth attempt, Edison accomplished his goal. He never let failure hinder his dreams, he only used it to push himself further.
     If we trust in our Savior, who went below the imaginable to give us this priceless gift, we can move past anything that tries to hold us back. That "when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down. . " (Helaman 5: 12) It's all about building our foundation on the rock of our Savior Jesus Christ, so that we can turn our shortcomings and mistakes into northern stars that lead us in the right direction.

Why Don't We Drive Cars On The Moon?

      In the world today there are many different concepts of being "saved", but the most usual description among Christian denominations is not burning in hell, or escaping eternal damnation. Easy enough right? Ultimately we are saved by our Savior, Jesus Christ. His infinite atonement is what makes it possible for us to return to live with our Heavenly Father again. But how do we become "saved"?
      The doctrines of my faith go a lot further than simply implying that we are either saved or not, but I want to focus on specifically the manner in which we seek our salvation from God. Some say that by grace and grace alone we are saved, that with faith and believing we win our salvation. This is a common belief among many denominations. Some also say that our works alone will be the ultimate factor in our final judgment. So which one is it? 
      The truth is, we need both our faith, and our works.
 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified. . For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:14-26)
        This is a lot similar to how an auto engine works. If you would ask someone how a car runs, they would most likely tell you that it runs on gas. This is true, and obvious as well. But there is another necessary thing for your car to run as well. Just as important, but sometimes overlooked. . . Air. 
     This is the breakdown of where the power comes from inside a four stroke engine:
On the first stroke, the piston pulls down, and the gas and air mixture comes in through the valves at the top - INTAKE. Then, the piston pushes upward to squeeze the air/fuel mixture together - COMPRESSION. Just as that happens, the spark plug ignites the gas/air mixture and creates the combustion - POWER. That small explosion forces the piston back down and the other valves open at the top, letting the exhaust gases  out - EXHAUST.
      Now that we just learned what powers an engine, we can learn what the significance is. Looking specifically at the intake stroke, we see that both gas and air are required. If you have one without the other, or the ratio in the mixture is off, the motor won't run properly. Even when the spark plug fires, the gas alone will not keep the engine running, and neither will the air. You need both. This combination mixed with the spark from the spark plug is what moves us.
      Our works and our faith must go hand in hand for us to receive the full effect of God's gifts. His grace and mercy aren't conditional, He loves us all. And through Jesus Christ's atonement we can all be saved, but we must show our willingness and gratitude by doing good works and believing. 
     "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7)
      It is my humble prayer that we can all remember to have faith and do good works to those around us, just as our great Redeemer did. We must show our gratitude for the wonderful gifts the we have been so mercifully given. Truly we are blessed to do so!
       

Drive It Like You Stole It, Treat It Like You Own It

     Since I can remember I have always learned so many simple and priceless lessons from my Dad and my Grandpa. "If you're gonna do something, make sure you do it it right", or "Take your time with what you're doing, nothing beats quality". There are so many other examples that I can't even count. One of the ones I remember most is to "Take pride in what you have, take care of it and it will take care of you for a long time".

     There was no better implemented possession that this applied too more than our vehicles. Most people know, I live and die with the bow-tie. Im a born and raised Chevy guy and that will never change. Thats just how it is. I learned early to take care of my trucks. You work em' hard but you clean them up good after. Whether is was oil changes, spark plugs, radiators, tune-ups. . I always made sure to take care of them. When I did, they took care of me. Sure, small things happen here and there. . . But nothing to crazy thats not a routine fix.

      So here's a super sport 454 big-block engine. Sucks gas, hauls . . . fast. The type you hear coming from a mile away, roaring like some kind of monster. The ones that just have that loud "chug, chug, chug, chug" sound and when they pull up next to you you have to turn up your radio cause it somehow got turned off. . . You can bet the guy with this under his hood knows a things or two about fine tuning. Were talking about the top performance of American engineering, putting out 750+ horsepower. This isn't a fancy pants Italian exotic car, or your mom's prius, This is American Muscle. You couldn't pull a dollar off the dash board after his beast takes off the line. With all this in mind, you have to wonder how much this guy takes care of his car. . . Yeah it might be worth one pretty penny, but I would have no doubt he rips that thing around the streets then takes it home and babies it like a newborn child.

      There's no difference between this scenario and our own human bodies. We might have grown accustomed to the normal functions of the human body over time, but none the less they are incredible machines. No matter how fancy or advanced technology gets, nothing can measure up to the technicalities and absolute perfection the body has. The functions, the way we heal, they way we think, the brain, the eye, are all things that science has yet to explain. Make no mistake, we are not randomly conspired organisms that have developed over a long period of time and somehow evolved into what we are today. Charles Darwin only made it possible to become an intellectually fulfilled atheist. Something like this couldn't have just happened at random. Our bodies in fact, are of divine design.

      One of the reasons we are here on earth is to gain a physical body. Before, when we lived with our Father in heaven, we saw he had what we didn't. A body and His infinite wisdom and knowledge. As part of his plan of happiness, we too were to gain a body and the knowledge we could. And here we are, with bodies of our own. Like a sixteen year old with the keys to a brand new Corvette, ready to hit the highway. What a lot of us sometimes forget is that God threw in an owners manual too.

      You wouldn't put sugar in the gas tank of your brand new Corvette, and you probably wouldn't put bad gas in either. You'd want too take the best care of it you could, I'd hope. With our bodies it's a just a little different. We don't really notice the immediate effects of what we put into them until a little later down the road. One cigarette won't kill you, neither will a beer here and there, but when the filters in our bodies start to give way then we find ourselves in a world of hurt. Thats why the Lord has revealed his word of wisdom to us in these latter days. He has commanded us not to partake of street drugs, alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, or anything else that would harm us. We are also encouraged to exercise and take care of ourselves, not to eat too much and to avoid extreme diets. This was all revealed to us through modern day revelation and living by this will bring us not only physical blessing but also spiritual.

      It all comes down to how you want your engine to run. You can listen to the guy who designed it and take care of it. Or you can wear it out and run it to the ground. The word of wisdom is here to protect us from harming ourselves. If we follow it and take care of our bodies, we will only feel the blessings of a healthy motor.

Play It From Your Heart

     Jimi Hendrix is easily one of he greatest guitarists that has ever lived. In his time, he blew people away with his amazing abilities and a unique style that nobody else knew existed before. He was incredible, and most people are shocked when they find out that he didn't read music.
    For musicians, the actual sheet music is the basis of what you hear when the real music starts to come. Like the written script to a play. Its a pretty vital part. And you'd think it would be absolutely necessary especially in Hendrix's case being the musician he was. Sometimes thats not the case. 
    We have all heard music played that is good but just doesn't speak to us. Often times the case is that musicians get so focused on the written ink, than the music itself. It takes away from what its all about.
      True music comes from the heart. Thats exactly how Hendrix played and you can tell when you listen to his music. It was real, it was distinct.  You knew you heard one of his songs when it came on the radio and there was no mistaking it. He didn't spend so much time focused on the written music that it took away from what it really meant. It came to life.
     Sometimes in life we focus too much on the "checklist" style of living. We get so caught up in making sure all the boxes are checked off with being perfect, fitting in with the normal society, being the "tailor made" saint, or even having material possessions for status. Much like being too focused on the sheet music instead of the actual music. In this case, focusing on the textbook human being rather than living and enjoying life. We sometimes even put more emphasis on being the "textbook" person rather than being a real human being!  When we do this we forget what its all really about!
    We learn in the second book of Nephi, chapter two that "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."  -Verse 25.

    Were not just here in this life to get a body, choose the right, and go home. That might be the bare naked version of it, but theres more too it. Were here to have joy in our journey! We can fulfill the purpose in this life and still enjoy it. It's what were supposed to do! Thats what life's about.
    We can get stressed out over getting the boxes checked, and being exactly as perfect as it is written in the music. Thats why it is important to love life and live it from your heart. Thats where the true happiness is. We know living the gospel isn't the easiest thing in the world, but it makes it a whole lot easier to love the journey. So make the best of it and play it from your heart!

Lipstick On A Pig

     Its October, and we all know what that means. Besides the harvest season, and the trick or treaters, November follows right behind. In other words, it's voting season, and if you have been paying even a little attention to what has been going on you know there is a lot of hostility, a lot of hot button topics, and a lot at stake.
     If you're hoping to hear a missionary's take on how things should be, I'm sorry to disappoint, but it is not my place at this time to do so. Those who know me know I stand up for what I believe in and I am very passionate in that regard. However, I only aim to give a warning of common sense and reason to those who want to hear. This is why:
     Long story short, a former stake president near my home stake in Arizona is running for senate. If Mormons haven't been in the news enough already right? There's nothing wrong with anyone running for an office. The thing is, is that now we have faithful members of the church suddenly changing their views on topics and switching sides. Its not my business, everyone had their agency, but it couldn't be because they just want to vote for their stake president right? Or because he is a Mormon? This has created an uproar in my hometown. From what Ive heard, theres a miniature civil war going on among the LDS there. Does it really come down to a person's faith to decide if they are worthy to fill a seat in office? Does it really come down to a person's faith to decide if they are a good person period?
     To be honest, this news was sickening to me. I have my own opinions and reasons to draw my conclusions from. But this isn't just happening in Arizona. I'm sure everyone knows who Mitt Romney is. And I'm sure if you know who he is, then you know he is a Latter Day Saint. Surprising as it is (not really) some people won't vote for him only because he believes in that "crazy Mormon bible" and for others thats the only reason they will vote for him! So in other words, it doesn't matter who you are or what you've done as long as you go to church every week in x,y, and z congregations you're set!
     Luckily, there is still some common sense floating around. I'm not endorsing any candidate, I'm not telling anyone to vote this way or vote that way. I'm not telling everyone to go join different churches, or telling people not too. I'm only using these as examples to get a point across.
     There are good people all over this world, in every country, in every culture, in every religion, in every walk of life. And there is the opposite, in all the same places. Satan doesn't pick favorites. He may put more of his influence on more important things but he is always trying to pull as many souls as he can down to his misery. Sometimes we let our bias arrogances blind us from this truth.
     Christ loved everyone. He didn't hold his affections and love to any one group of people, he spent his mortal ministry with all who would hear him. How do you think we all are doing with following Him in this regard?
     Sometimes we have to agree to disagree, we have to love each other and look past the differences in our doctrines, and we have to come together.

    
    When we can move past our differences and work together for the good of our communities, then we will truly accomplish things in making the future brighter.
    This is what Christ taught, and I know if we can all do this we will be able to overcome and problems in our world today and really fix the problems we have in our society that seem so daunting.