When I was 10 or 11 years old, I remember a Sunday School lesson on "the Plan of Salvation."  It was the first time I saw a visual representation of this unique doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It looked something like this:

Although I encourage you to take the time to study this doctrine more carefully from official sources, the basic idea is that before we were born, we lived with our Heavenly Father as His spirit children.  He presented a plan to us, whereby we would have the opportunity to gain a body and to progress and become more like Him.  It involved being born – forgetting our Father and our life together with Him – and experience the challenges and joys of mortality, and make choices for ourselves in a realm outside of the powerful influence of our good and perfect Father.  After death, our spirits would go to a "spirit world," to await a judgment of our choices and desires relative to the knowledge and opportunities we had in life.  This judgment would determine which of three kingdoms we would enter for eternity: the celestial, terrestrial, or telestial.  Not shown above, but illustrated in the lesson I remember, was that the celestial kingdom was portrayed as a sun; the terrestrial, a moon; and the telestial as stars.  There was also a destination called "outer darkness," where only the worst of the worst would go.

This plan was very intriguing to my 10-year old mind.  In fact, as I have learned more about its intricacies over the years since, it has only become more so.  It is much more than just a simplistic heaven or hell, but an intelligent and fair explanation for who we are, why we are here, and what happens after death.  If this is the first time you are hearing about these ideas, I'm not sure what your reaction is, but my initial reaction was one of wonder and amazement.  I believe that the Holy Ghost gave my young heart a testimony of the truth and goodness of this doctrine, and I have never come across any theology that equals the beauty and simplicity of it.

If there is a flaw in this diagram, it is that is glosses over the central role of Jesus Christ in making this plan possible.  You see, in allowing us to come to an environment away from Himself where we would be subject to both good and evil influences, God knew we would make mistakes and wrong choices.  He knew that we had to have this freedom – or agency as it is called – to choose for ourselves or we would not be able to develop our character and become more like He is.  The problem is, that even one wrong act would render us imperfect and unworthy to return to the holy presence of God.  So our Heavenly Father sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be born just like we were, to experience the trials and vicissitudes of mortality just like us, to suffer temptation like we do, but never to yeild to it, always honoring His Father.  When the time came, "the Lord ... laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6), whereby "God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also" (Alma 42:15).

Jesus explained what we must do to receive His grace and the gift of forgiveness:

      And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
      Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.(3 Nephi 27:19-20)

This is the gospel, the "good sound."  This is what I believe, and looking back I can see how God has been re-teaching me some of the many things I once knew when I sat at His knee.

I believe that there are "tricks" to success in life.  By "tricks," I mean secrets—but they're not really secrets, they're just ways of doing things that yeild the greatest effect for the effort put forth.

What I want most for my children is for them to understand the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and come to know that God is their literal Heavenly Father and feel His profound love and care for them.  Modern-day prophets urge us to teach our children the gospel in weekly family home evenings.

As a trained educator, I used to feel that in order for teaching to be effective, children had to behave, sit still, and listen while I presented a well-prepared lesson on a gospel topic.  This would be great if it were always possible, but as parents inevitably come to know, most children don't/can't sit still and listen very long unless they're interested in a TV show or a video game.

Today I helped my eight-year old son prepare a lesson on "how to know that the Book of Mormon is true."  (The idea for this topic came to me yesterday as I was reading this article out of the Friend magazine to my daughter yesterday.)  I read with him from the Introduction of the Book of Mormon that there are basically three steps: 1) read the Book of Mormon, 2) ponder its message, and 3) ask God in faith if it is true. “Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5).”

We wrote the three steps on word strips and had other members of the family stick them up on a board when they identified the step.  I wrote a basic outline of the lesson on an index card for my son to follow so he could be in charge of the lesson himself. He did a great job.

In reflecting on this afterwards, I realized that children learn much better and more thoroughly when they are actively engaged and when basic principles are presented clearly and simply with periodic revisiting and repetition, rather than by trying to get them to sit still, listen, and give me the answers I'm looking for while I present my elaborately prepared lesson.

There.  That's the "trick" I learned today.  I don't mean that we shouldn't or don't need to prepare lessons, but perhaps we should prepare differently, with a focus on learners learning, rather than teachers teaching.

Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. (Alma 37:6).

Inner peace is really what we are all looking for.  Everything else is, in the words of the soothsayer, "a cup that can never be filled."

Inner peace and power come from knowing who we are, a theme also present in the Lion King.  We come to know who we are as we 1) accept our past, 2) feel we are loved, and 3) choose who we will be.  Actually, I wish it were this simple.  But, in fact, I believe we come to know who we are by revelation.  It is a spiritual journey.  It cannot be forced, any more than you can force a seed to sprout and flower.  (But you can plant the seed, and nurture and protect it.)  It was such for Po in this movie.

And this is a weird one.  As I looked at the menacing wolves at the beginning of the film, bustling about in the foundry making cannons, I thought, What could sustain someone in such a dark and evil life?  What sustains any of us?  If we are more than just physical beings, then we need more than just physical nourishment.  Some pine away in a life of addiction, feasting on pleasures and escapes that increasingly do not last.  Some draw continual strength from prayer, fasting, the Word of God, and losing themselves in service to others.  Most of us lie somewhere in between these extremes, struggling each day to make our choice.  But I believe our power to choose is greatly affected by what we feed on, whether it be dreams and plans of comfort and security; schemes of lust and power; or entering into covenants with God, and walking in His ways.

Inkscape is a "free treasure," if there is such a thing.  My thanks to all who have spent countless hours bringing this powerful vector graphics editor to all of us freely.

I struggled to learn how to make a simple symmetrical trapezoid in Inkscape.  I found the answer here but it took some searching.

1. Draw a rectangle.
2. Convert it to a path (Path > Object to Path)
3. Use the node select tool (F2) to select the two corners of the rectangle that you want to adjust to form a trapezoid (You have to hold down the shift key to select multiple nodes).
4. Press the comma or period keys to move apart or bring together the nodes.

Step 4 doesn't seem to be well documented, but it sure is a handy trick!

"Draw Freely!"

And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles. (The Book of Mormon, Mormon 9:19)

For the past month I've been studying for my second exam in a series of five that I need to pass in order to gain a professional certification I'm seeking. When I arrived at the testing center this morning, for confirmation they asked me what exam I was there to take. It was then I discovered that I had inadvertently registered for the third exam in the series, not the second that I was prepared for.

I had already paid $150 to register for the test, and it was too late to cancel or change tests. The only choice I had was either to take the test I had registered for or not (and lose the money).

The first miracle is in my reaction to this. I was calm, relatively. I realized that freaking out or making a fuss wasn't going to help anything. I decided to go ahead and take the exam, since I would have to take it later and at least it would give me practice.

Of all five exams in the series, this third one is probably the one I have the most real experience with in my job. But I still encountered many concepts I was not familiar with. Thankfully the tests are multiple choice and I could rule out some choices and make educated guesses. For two and a half hours I went over the 75 questions, changing many of my initial answers.

I received a print-out of the results after finishing, and was delighted to see that I had passed (just barely)!

You might say that I had some lucky guesses. You could say that I'm a pretty good test taker. Maybe I was just familiar enough with the concepts and terminology because of my work. But to me, it was a miracle. A blessing from my Heavenly Father.

Why it strikes me as such is partly due to my situation. I have a full-time job and am trying to support my family of six on a single income in troubled economic times. I also spend many hours each week fulfilling my Church responsibilities. I am trying to spend quality time with my children, because I don't want to miss seeing them grow up. I am seeking this certification to advance my career and be a better provider. I have been prayerful in seeking the Lord's help in my life and trying to do His will.

I do not say these things to boast, but because I believe this is how I have shown my faith by my works (see James 2:18). In both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, we are taught that miracles are wrought by faith.

And now, my beloved brethren, if this be the case that these things are true which I have spoken unto you, and God will show unto you, with power and great glory at the last day, that they are true, and if they are true has the day of miracles ceased?

Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved?

Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain (Moroni 7:35-37).

However, faith is not a way to manipulate God. The greatest faith of all was expressed by Him who prayed

Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done (Luke 22:42).

I was ready to accept not passing my exam today. Faith is not faith if it is hinged on a certain outcome.

Verily, I say unto you, there are those among you who seek signs, and there have been such even from the beginning;

But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.

Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the will of God (Doctrine & Covenants 63:8-10).

Faith is doing the best we can, trusting that God knows, sees, and understands far more than we do; and He will take care of things according to His good will. He loves us. We are his children. He knows each of us by name, and somehow watches over each one of us, guiding our steps and customizing our individual curriculum.

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him (Job 13:15).

Thanks to 98CoupeV6.  Modified slightly by what worked for me.

DISCLAIMER
If you do this wrong, NONE of your keyless entry fobs will work!  Perform at your own risk!!

^ The system accepts up to three transmitters. The transmitter codes are stored in a stacking-type memory. If a fourth transmitter code is programmed, the code for the first transmitter is erased.

^ Entering the programming mode cancels all learned transmitter codes, so none of the previously programmed transmitters will work. You must reprogram all of the transmitters once you are in the programming mode.

You must complete steps 1-6 within 4 seconds of the previous step to keep the system from exiting the programming mode.

1. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
2. Press the "Lock" button on one of the transmitters. (An unprogrammed transmitter can be used.)
3. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0) [Key all the way in the OFF position].
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3 two more times using the same transmitter used in step 2.
5. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
6. Press the "Lock" button on the same transmitter. Make sure the power door locks cycle to confirm that the system is in programming mode.  (I think the lights on the dash dim and come back on).
7. Don't mistake what happens in step 6 as registering a transmitter, you've only entered programming mode.  Wait a second, and press "Lock" again on the same transmitter pressed in step 6.  This registers that transmitter.  The door locks will sound (again) and the lights on the dash will blink once (again).
8. Within 10 seconds, press the "Lock" button on the other transmitter(s). Again, door locks will sound and lights in the dash will blink to confirm the registration of each transmitter.
9. Turn the ignition switch to LOCK (0) to exit the programming mode. 
10. Confirm that transmitters work.

 

Today I came across a great resource for implementing the 20 Critical Controls for network security at a small business or company.

This year, my church gave me the opportunity to speak to the congregation on Mother's Day.  As I prepared my remarks, I wanted to find some quotes that would appeal not just to mothers but to women who didn't have any children of their own.  I found some choice ones I'd like to share here:

The spiritual rewards of motherhood are available to all women. Nurturing the young, comforting the frightened, protecting the vulnerable, teaching and giving encouragement need not—and should not—be limited to our own children (Elder Russell M. Nelson, “Lessons from Eve,” Ensign, Nov 1987, 86).

 

 

Female roles did not begin on earth, and they do not end here. A woman who treasures motherhood on earth will treasure motherhood in the world to come, and “where [her] treasure is, there will [her] heart be also” (Matt. 6:21). By developing a mother heart, each girl and woman prepares for her divine, eternal mission of motherhood. “Whatever principle of intelligence [she] attain[s] unto in this life, it will rise with [her] in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through [her] diligence and obedience than another, [she] will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (D&C 130:18–19).
      In my experience I have seen that some of the truest mother hearts beat in the breasts of women who will not rear their own children in this life, but they know that “all things must come to pass in their time” and that they “are laying the foundation of a great work” (D&C 64:32–33). As they keep their covenants, they are investing in a grand, prestigious future because they know that “they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever” (Abr. 3:26) (Julie B. Beck, “A ‘Mother Heart’,”Ensign, May 2004, 75).

I found a tiny little cricket on my lily buds today: