Kyra Moon

By the time fall semester started, no one was asking anymore if we were cousins. Each day we spent as much time together as possible. After classes were done we'd walk partway home together. Sometimes we'd walk together to one of our apartments, but other days we would part at the corner of 600 East and 700 North, giving a brief but affectionate hug and kiss before temporarily parting to eat our own dinners. (When we found out that our farewells had an audience in the house at that corner, Kevin and I were sure to give a hearty handshake the next time, marching opposite directions as the girls in the house laughed and cheered.) It was new and wonderful to be in love, but I still had some nagging doubts. Was Kevin getting tired of me? I asked him about it and he looked at me as if I was crazy. I had dragged him on a family outing that got us on the mountain next to Mount Timpanogos. I had him come along with me as the lone guy to a girls' outing at Olive Garden. He listened ...

A few weeks ago, I read an article by economist Tyler Cowen entitled "Want to Help Fight Climate Change? Have More Children." Apparently Mike Lee read the same article because after he stopped talking about tauntauns and seahorses in his speech about the Green New Deal he alluded to it. I've been thinking about it ever since, trying to decide how I feel about it. I think a lot comes down to the same idea I talked about last week. What do our hearts treasure? What do we value? Let's talk about Utah County for a minute. Utah County has a pretty high birth rate, and recent innovations show evidence for that. We went down there during Jim's spring break because there seemed like lots of fun things for kids to do. There are the museums at Thanksgiving Point. There's the Neighborhood Art Center in the mall. There's even a kids' section at the Harold B. Lee library. If we'd gone in the summer we could have gone to some epic playgrounds and splash pad...

Sunday did come. And to be honest, it was a bit somber. As I lay in bed this morning, I thought to myself, "I bet there was a terrorist attack today." It wasn't a premonition so much as an appraisal of the world we live in right now. And, sure enough, more than 200 people were killed in Sri Lankan churches and hotels today. As I looked through my Facebook feed, there was some really sad news interspersed with the bright family pictures and quotes from apostles. Friends who had died recently. Parents who didn't have long to live. This was shaping up to be a gloomy Easter, complete with a cold rain. During church, a speaker mentioned that because of Christ's resurrection we can see loved ones again. As I thought about it, the initial reason that we will see loved ones again is because we will die ourselves. We will be spirits, but we'll still see each other. Many people believe that -- even some atheists say they don't believe in God but do believe in life a...

There isn't much in the Gospels about the days following Jesus' death. Were they making plans for how to move on? Were they trying to remember everything Jesus said to get a hint at how to proceed? Were they wondering if they'd been on the wrong team all along? Were all the people who had supported Jesus on Palm Sunday completely flabbergasted at the trial that had happened so fast they didn't even have time to figure out if they were still going to support Jesus or not? The answer is, we don't really know. Interestingly, we have a more detailed account of what things were like for the Nephites and the Lamanites while Jesus was dead. It was dark. People were devastated. They were not shocked -- they had been warned that these things would happen, and now they were seeing the fulfillment of those prophecies. In either case, it was a terrible time. The apostles lost their dear friend and leader and their sense of direction. The Nephites lost their cities, their famili...

I am not moved to love Thee, O my Lord,     By any longing for Thy Promised Land;     Nor by the fear of hell am I unmanned To cease from my transgressing deed or word. Tis Thou Thyself dost move me,—Thy blood poured     Upon the cross from nailed foot and hand;     And all the wounds that did Thy body brand; And all Thy shame and bitter death's award. Yea, to Thy heart am I so deeply stirred     That I would love Thee were no heaven on high,— That I would fear, were hell a tale absurd! Such my desire, all questioning grows vain;     Though hope deny me hope I still should sigh, And as ray love is now, it should remain. -"To Christ Crucified," translated by Thomas Walsh One reason I love this poem is how it captures what President Nelson said in his talk "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives" when he said "There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or...

(This is another Holy Week post.) I have been surprised by how much I like the Good Place. The first episode was totally bizarre (like Spy Kids, my younger sister pointed out), and I still cringe at the substitute swear words and innuendo (at a RS activity tonight I told people I didn't even say "Oh my gosh" until recently, and only when my kids are all crying at the same time or refusing to get out of the car, if that gives you an idea for what kind of language I'm used to). But even so. I think it is hilarious and thought-provoking. Just like yours truly, har har. One of the last episodes of the third season has really gotten me thinking lately. (Warning: Spoilers abound.) The judge of the universe has caught up with our friends, and they try to defend themselves by saying that no one  has made it into the Good Place since the early 1500s because life is just too complicated now for us to do more good than bad. Every breath we exhale now adds to the carbon dioxide i...

(This is part of my Holy Week series.) As I've observed my boys the past few days, I've thought about how much their personalities are shaped by each other. They of course come a certain way but I think about how they might bring out the methodical, the wild, the responsible, and the kind in each other. Some of it is following someone's example whereas some of it is in reaction to another's behavior. I think we're all the same way. I think of how friendships have shaped me over the years. Most of them have helped me be open and trusting, but a few left me with a defensive shell. To a large extent my interests have been affected by the interests of those around me. It makes sense, of course. If you're with toxic people, it's hard to not be defensive and wary. If you're with irresponsible people, you either become irresponsible yourself or become overly responsible to compensate. If you're with dishonest people, it can be so hard to remember what truth...