Sunday Sentiments: Jesus the Christ

 In 2020, I set (and met) the goal to read Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage. 

As Easter approached, I went back through my notes and highlights from Jesus the Christ to see what stood out to me about Christ’s character during that reading; specifically His attributes, His behavior, and the way He treated* others.

(Let me just interject a plug here for the digital resources on the Gospel Library app. There are definitely some kinks (I submit feedback all the time), but I really love the ease of marking and adding notes as I study. I enjoy going back and reading the thoughts and ideas I jotted down during previous study sessions, and I often copy and paste quotes from Conferences and other teachings into my scriptures. It's just a whole lot of fun! Plus, you can use all sorts of colors and make things pretty!)

Here are some of the things I marked in the book (I’ll include the chapters where the quotes are from. Unfortunately, the digital copy doesn’t show the page numbers - I'll submit feedback):

Christ had the attributes of God and man and met the qualifications to be the Redeemer. 

Jesus Christ was the only Being suited to the requirements of the great sacrifice:

1—As the one and only sinless Man;

2—As the Only Begotten of the Father and therefore the only Being born to earth possessing in their fulness the attributes of both Godhood and manhood;

3—As the One who had been chosen in the heavens and foreordained to this service… (chapter 3)

These attributes are what made Him eligible to provide the Atonement for us. 

He gave His life for us willingly. 

It’s important to understand that Jesus Christ had a choice. Our omniscient God knew the choice that Christ would make, but God’s knowledge of that choice doesn’t diminish the agency that was involved. The Savior willingly died for our sins. 

…He voluntarily surrendered His life, and permitted His own decease through an act of will. Born of a mortal mother He inherited the capacity to die; begotten by an immortal Sire He possessed as a heritage the power to withstand death indefinitely (chapter 3).

Christ had to come to earth to obtain a physical body. As a resurrected being, He now has all the essential characteristics of the Father.

During that antemortal period there was essential difference between the Father and the Son, in that the former had already passed through the experiences of mortal life, including death and resurrection, and was therefore a Being possessed of a perfect, immortalized body of flesh and bones, while the Son was yet unembodied. Through His death and subsequent resurrection Jesus the Christ is today a Being like unto the Father in all essential characteristics (chapter 4).

I don’t know if we realize that having a body makes us more like God. It’s no wonder Satan would have us abuse our bodies, neglect them, and hate them. Even our Savior had to take this step of receiving a body to become more like the Father. We are truly blessed to have mortal tabernacles.

Jesus Christ learned line upon line, precept upon precept. 

I think we sometimes assume that Christ knew all during His mortal existence, but He experienced gradual knowledge and understanding over time just as we do. Even His comprehension of His mortal mission was developed throughout His lifetime.

Christ’s realization that He was the chosen and foreordained Messiah came to Him gradually. As shown by His words to His mother on the occasion of the memorable interview with the doctors in the temple courts, He knew, when but a Boy of twelve years, that in a particular and personal sense He was the Son of God; yet it is evident that a comprehension of the full purport of His earthly mission developed within Him only as He progressed step by step in wisdom. His acknowledgment by the Father, and the continued companionship of the Holy Ghost, opened His soul to the glorious fact of His divinity (chapter 10).

He was capable of sin. 

It wasn’t an inability to sin that kept Him sinless. He had every bit of agency God’s children are entitled to. 

Our Lord was sinless yet peccable; He had the capacity, the ability to sin had He willed so to do… The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews expressly taught that Christ was peccable, in that He was tempted “in all points” as are the rest of mankind (chapter 10). 

(Side note: my digital copy of Jesus the Christ is full of word definitions I had to look up. While reading it, I would sometimes think, “Okay, Brother Talmage, did you really use these words in 1908, or were you just showing off?”)

Christ’s body was subject to mortal conditions, but He cared for His body and was healthy.

In recounting Christ’s calming of the sea, Talmage wrote:

Jesus found a resting place near the stern of the ship and soon fell asleep. A great storm arose; and still He slept. The circumstance is instructive as it evidences at once the reality of the physical attributes of Christ, and the healthy, normal condition of His body. He was subject to fatigue and bodily exhaustion from other causes, as are all men; without food He grew hungry; without drink He thirsted; by labor He became weary. The fact that after a day of strenuous effort He could calmly sleep, even amidst the turmoil of a tempest, indicates an unimpaired nervous system and a good state of health. Nowhere do we find record of Jesus having been ill. He lived according to the laws of health, yet never allowed the body to rule the spirit; and His daily activities, which were of a kind to make heavy demands on both physical and mental energy, were met with no symptoms of nervous collapse nor of functional disturbance. Sleep after toil is natural and necessary. The day’s work done, Jesus slept (chapter 20).

The Savior heals in phases. 

This is something I noticed about the story of the ten lepers. Traditionally that story is taught as a tale of ingratitude, for only one of the ten returned to Christ to thank Him for the healing. But in addition to that, the story illustrates how Christ doesn’t necessarily heal all at once. The lepers were offered physical healing, but the one who returned to thank the Lord was given additional spiritual healing as Jesus pronounced, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 17:19).

Talmage shared another example: 

A blind man was brought, and Jesus was asked to touch him. He took the sightless one by the hand, led him outside the town, applied saliva to his eyes, laid hands upon him in a ministration, and asked him if he could see. The man answered that he saw dimly, but was unable to distinguish men from trees. Applying His hands to the man’s eyes, Jesus told him to look up; the man did so and saw clearly… This miracle presents the unique feature of Jesus healing a person by stages; the result of the first ministration was but a partial recovery (chapter 22).

 Christ was truly selfless.

After Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, Satan tempted Him to use His power to obtain food, but He would not. In fact:

… we find no instance of a miracle wrought by the Lord for personal gain or relief of His own need, however pressing (chapter 24).

 

I confess I have a very imperfect relationship with Jesus Christ. There's a lot I don't understand about His sacrifice and the necessity for a Savior. But I am ever learning and striving for greater knowledge of spiritual things. I look forward to studying more about our Redeemer this year.

*I’ve really struggled with tense in this post. I’ve gone back and forth between present tense and past tense. Mortality and eternity make for difficult grammar choices! Haha!

 

Friends in All Places

Sometimes your friends aren’t who you thought they’d be…

Sometimes it’s your third cousin you’d never heard of who tried to start a family blog and found you because you had already taken the URL she wanted (with the family name), and now, twenty years later, you routinely text each other memes about dinosaurs and photos of everything growing in your garden.

Sometimes it’s a girl from your church congregation that you used to think was so mean, you even wrote about how mean she was in your journal!

Sometimes it’s your step-mom’s former co-worker that ended up being your co-worker, and you quit your jobs at the same time to have babies, and now you lend her your muffin pans, and she buys you Tootsie Rolls.

Sometimes it’s the penpal in Texas that you were randomly assigned to by a paid service in a teen magazine, and you’ve kept in touch since you were 11 year-old JTT fanatics but have never met in person. 

Sometimes it’s the mom of a guy you went to high school with. 

Sometimes it’s the girl you didn’t get along with when you were teenagers but you relate to very well now that you’re both grown up and over yourselves.

Sometimes it’s the girl that sat behind you in 7th grade math who was obsessed with Leonardo DiCaprio, and she was so funny you just couldn’t ever let her go (and you had lunch with her yesterday, in fact, and took turns casually walking through the restaurant to see how may old people were there) (a shocking amount - hence the walks).

Sometimes it’s the girl you had dance class with when you were three years old, and you grew up and both married that dance teacher’s nephews. 

Sometimes it’s the mom of your daughter’s ex-boyfriend… who also happens to be the mom of a girl your son spent some time smooching on the side during his senior year of high school. 

__________

One thing that adulthood has offered me is a wider range of friendship possibilities. I'm still in touch with friends from childhood, but now I have friends of all ages and life experiences. Sometimes, the way I make friends might be a little unusual (read about one case here), but hey! It works!

Sunday Sentiments: Teachings of the Living Prophets

We had a busy weekend, and I wasn’t able to get this post finished on Sunday. I wanted to make sure I posted it before General Conference, so here are my Sunday thoughts… on Thursday…

—————

When I was finishing my degree, I took a class called Teachings of the Living Prophets. In that class, I came to better understand that the primary role of the prophet and the apostles is to testify of Jesus Christ. 

Joseph F. Smith taught that "These twelve disciples of Christ are supposed to be eye and ear witnesses of the divine mission of Jesus Christ... they must know, they must get the knowledge for themselves. It must be with them as though they had seen with their eyes and heard with their ears and they know the truth. That is their mission, to testify of Jesus Christ..." (in Conference Report, Apr. 1916, 6).

Since taking that class, I listen more carefully to what the prophets and apostles say about Jesus Christ. Typically at the close of their Conference addresses, they will make a final statement about Jesus Christ. Sometimes when I go back and study the most recent Conference talks, I will flip through the Liahona (or, more likely, scroll through my phone) and read the closing paragraph from each apostle looking for their witness of Christ while keeping in mind that they must have this testimony with them as if they have seen with their eyes and heard with their ears. Here are what a few of them said in our last General Conference:

“I bear testimony of Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of Peace, the Son of the living God.” -Elder Stevenson

“Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of our faith, writing countless new chapters with us. He is the Beginning and the End—the end of our shame and suffering and the beginning of a new life in Him, letting us receive His grace, leave the past behind, and begin again with a new dawn, as many times as we need.” -Elder Kearon

“I testify of the love, the mercy, and the grace of our Savior and Redeemer. He lives. We are His; we are children of the covenant. As we believe in Him, follow Him, and trust Him, He will lift us from our sorrows and our sins. Then, beyond this mortal life, in our Father’s house, we will live with Him forever and ever.” -Elder Andersen

“I testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is our strength, our Redeemer, our hope. If we trust Him, He will make our spiritual power equal to every trial we are called to bear.” -President Eyring

“I joyfully witness that Jesus Christ is our living Savior.” -Elder Bednar

“I bear my sure and certain witness that Jesus Christ lives and because of His Atonement, we can be one with Him.” -Elder Cook

“He lives. I absolutely know it. He loves you. He gave His life for you. He pleads with you to come unto the Father through Him.” -Elder Renlund

“I testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Only Begotten Son of God, our Eternal Father.”-President Oaks

Sometimes Conference is hard for me because I listen with the ears of the world, but there are a few things I’ve started doing to help keep my heart in the right place:

-Listen with faith instead of fear.

-Focus on sparks of truth - a little nudges from the Holy Ghost that say, “You know this is true!”

-Listen for the things I’m already doing right rather than the things I’m doing wrong (pay attention to inspiration instead of guilt).

-Focus on how the speakers witness of Christ.

-Take a break from social media

In a few days, the apostles will bear witness again - fulfilling their primary responsibility to testify of Jesus Christ. I look forward to feeling the Spirit as I hear snippets of truth and reassurance. 

Currently (April 2026 Edition)

 Reading:

Wearing: an Aerosmith shirt and black leggings with ankle socks. Watch out, Gen Z! This old lady's ankles are showing!

Eating: leftovers from our April Fool's dinner.

Watching: Hamnet. I've been watching it for two weeks now. Why can I watch an entire season of a TV show in one day but only ten minutes of a movie at a time?

Singing: "Love Somebody" by Maroon 5.

Buying: Easter stuff for the kids. 

Annoyed by: the two kids sitting on the couch with me currently who won't stop putting their feet on each other. 

Playing:

We got this one for ourselves for Valentine's Day, and we just had our first run through.

Listening to: 

Trying: fish oil supplements. My eye doctor recommended that I take fish oil to help with my dry eyes. I’ve always avoided fish oil because people have told me it smells bad in your breath and can even make your skin smell. But I bought some “burpless” fish oil, and so far I haven’t had any issues with smells. I told Scotty if I ever smell “fishy” he needs to let me know. 

Laughing about: the fidget intestines I saw at Smith & Edwards yesterday. 

Who comes up with this kind of stuff?

Craving: McDonald's breakfast. 

Suffering from: sore feet. I have a really boring post underway in which I tell you all about my neuropathy. Look forward to that (if it ever makes it to publishing). 

Procrastinating: picking up prescriptions, ordering Daisy's contacts, paying Nicky's PT bills from when he injured his leg a year ago, and most forms of household cleaning (though I did scrub the toilet yesterday). 

Loving: seeing people get pulled over for running red lights. It’s gotten out of hand around here. Last week there was a death nearby due to someone running a red light. Occasionally the police will monitor certain intersections and pull people over, and I’m always glad to see it. 

Feeling: tired. I got sick twice in a row a few weeks ago, and I’ve had very little energy since. I don’t know if I have some lingering fatigue from being sick, or if it’s something else, but this girl is tired! 

Grateful for: stability.

The Fool's Cafe

In 2019 we started a tradition called The Fool's Cafe. We have an April Fool's dinner with a mystery menu. We serve nine dishes in three courses, and each dish has a silly code name, so the kids don't know what they are ordering. Each year, we do this a little differently. One year, instead of a silly, mystery menu, we did a dump meal where we put all the food directly on the table (with a plastic table cloth), and had our kids eat with their (gloved) hands. They didn't like that version very much. Party poopers. 

Daisy: Not Amused

I, personally, loved eating that way because, at the end of the meal, there were hardly any dishes, and we were able to just gather up the table cloth and throw it away. We should eat like this often. It's an untapped life hack. 

One year I made everyone eat with silly tongs. Sometimes I give them random utensils (enjoy eating with your ladle/spatula/measuring cup). One year we were in California on vacation with Tim and Amber, so we forced them to join in the fun (the only time we've had guests, thus far). I'm pretty sure Amber hid some vegetables she was refusing to eat.

We have a playlist of silly songs we listen to during our meal. 

It's fun, and we make it quick and easy. I usually just find random food around the house that we need to get rid of, make up funny names, and use it as a way to use up stuff that isn't getting eaten. 

Daisy is going on a school trip tomorrow, so we had our April Fool's dinner a day early so she wouldn't have to miss it. 

This was definitely one of the fastest thrown together, low effort Fool's Cafe experiences we've had, but the great thing is, you can blame almost anything on April Fools. Our folding table was lopsided because one leg was extended farther than the other. Our table cloth didn't fit because it was a piece cut off and saved from another party. The asparagus was way overripe. We just called out "April Fools!" to it all. 

Burn the food? April fools! Drop a plate and break it? April fools!

It works.

So if you want a fun activity for April Fools, have yourself a silly dinner. Use it to clean out your pantry, and if anything goes wrong, act like it was intentional, and yell out, "April Fools!"

On THAT Note (part II)

Since I posted about the notes on my phone last week, I’ve needed to expound on a couple of my lists. A few days ago, I wrote about my list on my phone about the kind of person I want to be. Today I’m going to give more details about another topic: Little People sets I want to buy.

As a kid, I had a lot of Little People sets - the farm, the car garage, the zoo, and more. In fact, I think I might have had all of them that existed. Or maybe between my family and my extended family, I played with all of them. When I look back at photos of the sets, they are all familiar and I remember playing with each of them. If I owned all of them, I was truly a spoiled child! I wish we still had them! I didn't know what a treasure they were! I think all that remains - and it's at my mom's house - is the Little People airplane. 

Sidenote: I had no idea they were called "Little People" when I was a kid.

As you probably know, Little People have been completely revamped for the modern-day child. Nothing will ever compare to the originals, but I like the current Little People as well. When Nicky was little, we had Noah's ark, the farm, and the nativity. Then when we had Daisy, I couldn't resist the Disney princess sets. We still have the nativity and the princesses (though I donated some of their castles to the Church nursery). 

In recent years, they have come out with a lot of fun collectors Little People sets, and I confess, I've been a sucker for them. I've seen them online and felt a great desire to start my own Little People collection (I've had the same urge for Polly Pockets). For years I've thought, "Should I start a collection?" but I never did because 1) I didn't want to find somewhere to put them and 2) I didn't want to spend the money.

But that all changed when the Lost set dropped. 

My heart longed for Little People, and my friend Christie ended up giving me the Lost set for my birthday this year. Then my friend Lynsie gave me the Golden Girls set for my birthday, and that secured my fate - I was going to start collecting my own Little People!

With some birthday money and leftover funds from selling pumpkin rolls last fall, I started investing in my collection. I didn't go hog wild - I just started watching the prices on a few sets I liked, and I bought some when I saw good deals. My collection now consists of:

Up

The Notebook

Back to the Future

E.T. 

Nightmare Before Christmas

Golden Girls

Lost

and as of this week, Beetlejuice.

And then there are the princesses as well that we have from Daisy, which are currently in storage. She doesn't know this, but they will not be going with her when she leaves this house. They will stay in my possession for future grandkids. 

As my Little People sets started rolling in, I found myself in a predicament. Part of the fun of the collection is the boxes that they come in, but I don't want them to just sit in boxes looking pretty because the other part of the fun of the collection is to unbox them and play with them. This made me more understanding of my friend's husband who has a massive toy collection and has made a habit of purchasing two of everything - one to keep in the box and one to play with (I originally thought he was a little extreme. I get it now). 

I decided that I am going to keep the Little People sets in their boxes, but only temporarily. I am going to build my collection for a while, and then, when I become a grandma, I will open my Little People sets. That is going to be my "grandma prize" when my first grandchild is born. There is no timeline for this yet - I could be a grandma two years from now, twenty years from now, or never. (If the answer is never, then I'm going to have to do my opening for my 60th birthday party or something). 

And that is why one of the notes on my phone is titled "Little People" - because I am keeping a running list of the sets I want to buy so I can watch for sales and build my stash. 

It's finally happening, folks. 

Top Board Games of 2025

You’ve been asking and asking about our top board games of 2025.* Every year we keep track of what we play (and who wins), and sometime around the new year, I tally them up and post our most played board games for the year. 

I’ve kept you waiting for three long months, and now I’m finally ready to reveal our top five from 2025!

Our top board games are determined by how many game nights they are played at (as opposed to how many times they are played. It wouldn't be fair to calculate a thirty minute game we play five times in one night against a two hour game we play once). Also, some of the games we play are "card" games or "dice" games, or what have you. If you are bothered by me using the term "board games" for them collectively, I will leave you in your discomfort with no apologies. 

Without further ado, here is our list from 2025:

5th Place

In fifth place, we had a tie between Qwirkle, Qwixx, and Ticket to Ride: Europe. 

4th Place

Coming in fourth is a game I'm really bad at: Take 5. I kind of loathe this game. It's usually a given that I will lose Take 5 and Karma (Karma didn't earn a spot on this list - thank heavens. Stupid game. Grumble, grumble). 

3rd Place

Five Crowns came in third, which surprised me because I didn't realize we played this as often as we do. 

2nd Place

It's no surprise that Bohnanza made the list this year. It usually does. We have been Bohnanza fans for about 20 years. I bought this for my brother for Christmas one year. Then I borrowed it and never gave it back. 

(Sorry, Bubba. IOU a Bohnanza. Or did I already replace it? I don't remember. I know it's crossed my mind frequently for the past decade as I've faced my guilt). 

1st Place

For the third year in a row, Ark Nova reigns supreme. I can't believe we've been playing it for so long because it still seems like it's a new game to us. This one (in my opinion) was really hard to learn, but now that we've got it down, we are master zoo builders. I play Ark Nova on my phone every day, and Carlie makes sure we play it regularly at the table. 

Now you can sleep better after waiting so long for this news. I hope the thrill was worth the anticipation. 

*Not really. 

On THAT Note (part I)

One of the notes I have on my phone is a list about the kind of person I want to be.

I recently made a new friend, and there’s a pattern that unfolds when I am getting to know someone. We tend to show our best selves in the beginning. In a new friendship, it’s easy to be who you WANT to be. Then, as time goes on, and things get more comfortable, we show more of our true selves. Our flaws and weaknesses become more visible, and we shed the facade we might have had. That’s when we figure out what our friendship really is. 

I don’t think we’re necessarily being “fake” - we’re just on our best behavior. I don’t even think we’re always aware of it. However, while I was getting to know my new friend, I did notice that I was presenting a much better version of myself, and I knew at some point, I’d show her the bad and the ugly. For a while, though, it was just the good. 

While I was showcasing the good, I started keeping notes about the kind of person I want to be. If I could truly be that person, here are some of the traits I would wish to have:

▪️Speak positively about other people. Be generous with compliments in front of others and behind their backs.

▪️Create horseshoes, not circles. 

▪️Be a multiplier.

▪️Leave a positive online footprint.

▪️Go about doing good.

▪️Love and delight in many things (rather than having a strong dislike for many things).

▪️Handle rejection gracefully.

▪️Don’t speak negatively about my body.

▪️Accept healing (let go of trauma, move on, forgive).

▪️Share my testimony.

▪️Always be “potluck ready.”

▪️Be positive (don’t drain people with negativity).

▪️Hold my peace. Always think before sharing my opinion or critiquing others.

▪️Enjoy people.

▪️Be who I am without making excuses or over explaining myself.

So let it be written, so let it be done!

(I have a lot to work on).

Taking Notes

I keep a lot of notes on my phone. They are very handy and very important. I reference them all the time and consider them an extension of my brain. Without my notes, I would be significantly dumber. 

Some of my notes are:

A to do list (boring but necessary) 

A shopping list 

Books I want to read

Ideas for blog posts

Little People sets I want to buy

Blood pressure readings

Ideas for things I want to do with my kids

Things the kids say 

A list of people I buy Christmas gifts for

Ideas for home lunch

Food notes (this is where I jot down restaurant info - like which sushi rolls we like, how spicy to order my meal, etc)

Moments I have felt that God is real

Things to pray about 

Words I like

The kind of person I want to be

I’ve always been one to take notes or “jot it down.” It’s not uncommon for me to be talking with a friend and suddenly say, “Hold on a sec, let me check my notes!” to which my friend might say, “Wait… You have notes about Cafe Rio?” and I reply, “You don’t?”

Prom Things

Daisy went to prom for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Learning the ropes of the modern-day school dances has been a challenge for me. My kids go to the same high school I went to, so some things are the same, but a lot of things are different.

Having a date is no longer a requirement. People attend in all sorts of configurations. Tickets are for individuals (whereas they used to be for couples). Things are less formal, at least at our high school. At homecoming you have everything from gowns to jeans and Hawaiian shirts. I don’t think anyone rents tuxedos for formals anymore. There are no longer professional photographers at the event. They usually only have one slow song. 

I’ve learned that, when it comes to dances, my job is to make sure my kids have clothes and flowers (and flowers aren’t always an expectation anymore). Other than that, I only step in if I’m asked. I started off trying to help with a lot of things with Nicky, but it only caused frustration. Now I just tell my kids to let me know if they need help with anything. I don’t give suggestions or offer specific assistance u less they request it. If I think they’re going to miss their dinner reservation, I just let it happen. If they don’t have someone lined up to take their photos, so be it. 

The day of prom, a Facebook group showed up on my feed where there was a discussion about proms. A parent asked a few questions, and the people participating in the discussion were from all over the country. I was fascinated by what they said about their proms. Here are a few things I learned about proms:

Some are planned by student government (that’s ours), some by teachers, some by committees, and some by parents.

Some schools require the students to meet at the school, and then they are bused to the prom location.

One school said they host a breakfast from 12-2 a.m. to try and keep the kids sober (I don’t know how that helps).

Ticket prices range from free to $300 per ticket! (Ours are $15 per ticket, and people complain that it’s too much).

Some schools only allow certain grades to attend prom (ours is “junior prom” but all grades can attend. The junior class plans it, and the royalty is selected from the juniors).

One school said the attendees travel convoy style with a police escort from prom back to the school for a lock in event (they stay at the school overnight for activities).

Some proms have sit down meals and different “rooms” with rented activities like bounce houses, arcade games, etc. 

Multiple schools said they issue random breathalyzer tests. 

I’ve heard of schools reducing the number of dances they hold each year, and I’ve heard of schools completely eliminating dances. Our school has six dances per year, so that ends up being almost every six weeks. I don’t think I’d be sad if our school reduced the number of dances. Especially now that I just have girls. It’s heart breaking when my daughter doesn’t get asked to the dance, but it’s also stressful and a source of worry when she does! It’s an experience I want my kids to have, but at the same time, school dances have been a huge pain in the tuchus. 

Sunday Sentiments: Cheering for One Another

We are just short of two weeks away from General Conference. Time flies in between Conferences now that I’m a real life grown up. We were talking to Nicky about it last week, saying, “Can you believe this will be your second General Conference on the mission?” It’s also crazy to think that it’s been six months since President Nelson passed away.

One of my favorite talks from October’s General Conference was “Cheering Each Other On,” by Sister Dennis.

Simply put, her message was that we all need to have a sense of belonging and purpose, and we all experience silent struggles, thus, we all need to “cheer each other on in our journey of discipleship no matter our circumstances.”

Cheering each other on can happen in a lot of different ways. It might mean complimenting someone, expressing gratitude, or giving words of encouragement. It might mean offering a seat or lending a listening ear. And it definitely means showing genuine happiness for the successes and good news of others. 

When I was working on my practicum for school, I came across some research by social psychologists that showed that good relationships are not distinguished by how we respond to each other's disappointments and hardships but by how we respond to one another's good news. Good fortune for others can bring feelings of envy or competition, so we need to be careful about how we respond when something good is going on in the life of another person. 

There are four ways we typically respond to someone else's good news:

1. Active-Constructive

This is giving an enthusiastic and sincere reaction. "That's amazing news! I'm so happy for you. Tell me more..."

2. Passive-Constructive

This is giving a silent or modest support response. "That's cool."

3. Active-Destructive

This response downplays the importance of the news or brings attention to the potential problems. "You bought a new house? I guess you won't be retiring anytime soon."

4. Passive-Destructive

This is being uninterested, ignoring the news, or turning the focus back on yourself. "Well, I got a new job offer this week!"

We've probably all experienced each of these responses from both sides. 

If we are truly cheering each other on, we will give an active-constructive response when good things happen to other people. We can do this by:

• Paying attention
• Asking lots of questions
• Celebrating (when appropriate)
• Sharing the news with others (when appropriate)

I, personally, am not naturally good at this, and it's something I'm always trying to improve on. But I have some friends who are very good at it, so I'm always excited to share good news with them because they are so genuine in welcoming my joy. It's such a good feeling to have people cheering you on. I hope I can get better at creating that feeling for others. 

Sister Dennis said that it "takes great courage for some of [us] to to step into the arena of life everyday, knowing [we] may be judged unfairly even though [we're] doing the best [we] can against daunting odds..."

Sometimes we forget that when others have good fortune or when something looks like it comes easy to someone, there are still hard things going on behind the scenes. 

She continued, "it is a basic human need for all of us to feel a sense of belonging, to feel that we are wanted and needed and that our lives have purpose and meaning, no matter our circumstances or limitations."

As we navigate the hard things in life, it's always nice to have someone rooting for us. I really liked Sister Dennis' message and want to try to be better at cheering others on - remembering that we're all just trying our best, and we can boost one another through encouragement and love.  

It’s Too Hot For March (and ten other random facts)

Fact #1: I’m a sucker for cute Krispy Kreme donuts. I mean… I never actually buy them because the flavors they do are kind of yucky, but they are always a visual temptation. Like, today I saw that they have a basketball donuts, and I don’t give a lick about basketball, but I’m almost convinced to care about March Madness now that I’ve been exposed to cute food associated with the sport. 

Fact #2: I’ve felt an urge to be silent lately - almost a fear of putting any of my thoughts or words out into the world. Part of this is because of the ugliness and cruelty out there. It makes me want to retreat. Another factor is the takeover of AI. Everything is filtered. Everything is fake. Why bother putting something genuine out there?

Ironically, for those very reasons, I shouldn’t stay silent. I read once that 90% of the content in social media is generated by 10% of the users. Would the silent percentage show us what is good in the world if they contributed? Maybe. Maybe not. But it's interesting how few voices have control over so much of what we see. 

Fact #3: This week has been insane. Scotty has been in Mexico for work (you guys! He ate bone marrow and ant larvae. I can’t even think about it because it makes me feel sick, and the pictures don’t help. He said it was actually really good - they made him eat it before they would tell him what it was). 

Anyway, back to the fact - this week has been insane. There have been so many things on the calendar and so many places to be - sometimes I needed to be in two places at the same time. I can’t believe I made it to Thursday! 

Fact #4: All the girls are getting their mission calls, and it is so exciting! With the age change to 18, the girls are on the move! We’ve had at least one friend opening a mission call each week lately. 

Fact #5: We continue being able to talk to Nicky every Monday. It’s such a blessing to be able to do that. It really feels like we’re more involved in his mission. One year ago, March 14th, was when he opened his mission call! I can’t even believe it! The last year has been the fastest year of my life so far. Nicky has been out for almost nine months, and my girls just started their fourth quarter for the school year.

Fact #6: In addition to time flying, I keep being shocked by how old and big my kids are. I catch glimpses of Zoe in my peripherals, and I almost flinch at how tall she is. It catches me off guard almost everyday. 

Fact #7: I got this message from Eva’s teacher the other day:

Fact #8: This week I’ve had the misfortune of dropping things under my van multiple times and having to retrieve them. If you drive past my house and I’m crawling around on my hands and knees in my driveway, please avert your gaze. I’m probably trying to find a can of Diet Dr. Pepper or an empty Rubbermaid container before I run it over. 

Fact #9: Daisy went to her first prom last weekend. She got asked just a few days before (asked on Monday, dance was Friday). We are finding that it’s a lot harder to send our daughter out on a date than it was to send our son. Scotty was tracking Daisy the entire time and had the doorbell camera fired up the second she got home. 

Fact #10: We had a really warm winter. So warm that the weeds never stopped growing. I didn’t get to enjoy my winter wardrobe to its fullest, and I’m kind of bummed about that. I feel like my body and mind are messed up from the lack of seasons. I’m fine that it didn’t snow (give me one moderate snowfall a year, and I’ll take the rest in rain), and I’m okay that it wasn’t mega freezing, but I need at least two weeks of 20-degree weather. Just enough to dress in my snugglies and drink a hot chocolate and wear my favorite coat. I didn’t drink a single cup of cocoa this year. 

Sunday Sentiments

This year in our Church curriculum we are studying the Old Testament. I always struggle with the Old Testament because I look at it through an eye of presentism. I know all the platitudes - "things were different back then," "study it symbolically instead of historically," "we don't know the whole story," - but I've never been able to shake the deception, the bigamy, or the mistreatment of women in the OT. I can't help it - I get angry. But every four years when the Old Testament comes around, I try. So for 2026, I promise, I'm trying. But I'm still angry. 

Frances Taylor Gench, Presbyterian minister, said, “Biblical texts . . . do not exist to make us comfortable. They exist to make us think, to be engaged by God, and to effect our transformation.” Okay, fine, I’ll keep trying to figure it out. 

In this week's chunk of reading, we learn that Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, was "defiled" (raped) by Shechem, the son of the local ruler. There is a lot missing from this story, but Shechem seems to objectify Dinah not only by sexually assaulting her but by trying to take possession of her. In the end, Dinah's brothers, Simeon and Levi, kill a bunch of dudes including Shechem and his father. Then the bible moves on to technicolor dream coats and leaves us with a whole lot of plot holes (Genesis 34). 

Depiction of the rape of Dinah

Simeon and Levi killing the people of Schechem

This story of Dinah is not included in the Come Follow Me manual for the week, but it was addressed in a podcast episode I listened to (found here). I felt drawn to this story and to some of the things shared in that podcast, so a lot of this post is going to parallel that episode. However, let us first rewind to November 2025 when I last taught Relief Society. 

I was assigned to teach from two talks from the October 2025 General Conference: The Family Proclamation - Words From God by Elder Rasband and The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ by President Oaks. Now, marriage and family as a topic is kind of my thing, and this was one rare time when I was able to teach “my thing.” While earning my marriage and family degree, I took an entire class on the Proclamation, and I know my stuff. But, in knowing my stuff, I’m very aware of how delicate a topic it can be for many people, so as I planned the lesson, I prepared for the various directions the discussion could go including the topic of abuse. After all, the Proclamation boldly states, “We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God.”

The topic of abuse didn’t come up during the lesson, but I was ready for it. I studied the Church’s policies and teachings thoroughly, and I knew the Spirit would give me utterance if needed. I would love to share a slew of information about the Church’s stance on abuse here, but I already know this post is going to be a long one, so I will keep it to two short quotes:

1.

“If you have experienced any kind of abuse, violence, or oppression, you may be left with the idea that these events were somehow your fault and that you deserve to carry the shame and guilt you feel…The abuse was not, is not, and never will be your fault, no matter what the abuser or anyone else may have said to the contrary. When you have been a victim of cruelty, incest, or any other perversion, you are not the one who needs to repent; you are not responsible.” 

2.

“There is no place for any kind of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal—in any home, any country, or any culture. Nothing a wife, child, or husband might do or say makes them ‘deserve’ to be beaten. No one, in any country or culture, is ever ‘asking for’ aggression or violence from someone else in authority or by someone who is bigger and stronger.

Those who abuse and who seek to hide their grievous sins may get away with it for a time. But the Lord, who sees all, knows the deeds and the thoughts and intents of the heart. He is a God of justice, and His divine justice will be served.”

(See “He is Risen with Healing in His Wings: We Can Be More Than Conquerers” by Elder Kearon). 

The tragic reality is, abuse in all its forms is far too common, and it’s not talked about enough. The older I get, the more I learn of people I know and love having suffered abuse throughout their lifetimes, so no wonder it’s in the scriptures. It’s a plague as old as time. 

In the podcast I mentioned earlier, the host, John Hilton, shared some excerpts from a publication by Dr. Amy Easton-Flake (assistant professor of ancient scripture at BYU) entitled “Recognizing Responsibility and Standing with Victims” (you can read it here, but it’s a 30-page scholarly essay, so I’ll give you a couple of highlights). 

Dr. Easton encourages us to call abuse what it is. She writes, “Although we may be understandably uncomfortable using disturbing terms such as rape and abuse and may prefer to use terms such as defiled and mistreated, it is important for us to accurately label these events. Failing to do so prevents us from recognizing the horrors that occurred anciently and more importantly from acknowledging the horrors that still occur today. Using more euphemistic terms is part of the culture of silence that enables atrocities to continue.”

She also explains why she believes it’s beneficial to discuss stories like Dinah’s, “These texts create a biblically sanctioned space to name and discuss abuse within a church setting, and it may give individuals the freedom and space they need to share their own stories and then to work toward recovery. Silence enables the continuation of abuse. Consequently, among the great benefits of feminist scholars’ biblical interpretations is that their productive readings of dismaying texts help us to openly discuss modern challenges such as violence, abuse, and the exploitation of those who are marginalized and disadvantaged. Often their readings also reveal how God and the Bible editors are not sanctioning the violence found within the Old Testament; rather, these stories exist to be condemned and to show the need for a different way. Ideally our collective study of these stories will lead to our collective resolve to end abuse in all its varied forms.”

Abuse is a complicated and broad topic, and at this point, I have to confess I have no idea how to conclude this post. What are the solutions? I don’t know. Why does God allow his children to suffer from such atrocities? I don’t know. For many, the very existence of such evil is reason to believe there isn’t a God while others have found God through it. My hope is that, in the end, all victims may heal and receive recompense for their suffering. 

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“When the frailties and imperfections of mortality are left behind, in the glorified state of the hereafter… then shall woman be recompensed in rich measure for all the injustice that womanhood has endured in mortality.” -James E. Talmage

"We know that on some level Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It's our faith that he experienced everything - absolutely everything. Sometimes we don't think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don't experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means Jesus knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer - how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student-body election, He knows that moment when the brakes locked, and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virginia. He experienced gas chambers at Dachau. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism.

There is nothing you have experienced as a woman that he does not also know and recognize. On a profound level, he understands about pregnancy and giving birth. He knows about PMS and cramps and menopause. He understands about rape and infertility and abortion....

...He understands your mother-pain when your five-year-old leaves for kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth-grader, when your daughter calls to say the new baby has Down's Syndrome. He knows your mother-rage when a trusted babysitter sexually abuses your two-year-old, when someone gives your thirteen-year-old drugs, when someone seduces your seventeen-year-old. He knows the pain you live with when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children who ever come are visitors, when you hear that your former husband and his new wife were sealed in the temple last week, when your fiftieth wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all that. He's been there. He's been lower than all that.” -Chieko Okazaki

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Additional resources from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on abuse: 

Life Help: Abuse

Abuse (Help for the Victim) 

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About ten years ago, a professor from BYU-Idaho presented some historical findings that suggest prominent Relief Society leader, Eliza R. Snow, was gang-raped by eight men during the Mormon War in Missouri in 1838. While the account of the assault comes from a second-hand source, there are some indicators from Eliza’s writings during that time that support the claim. You can read an article on the topic written by the BYU-I professor here. Eliza was a powerful and influential woman who did so much good for her community. I wish we knew more of her story. 

This is an unusual way to end a blog post, but I wanted to share this information about Eliza because she was an inspiring woman who suffered many hardships, and someone might connect to her experience.