Kyra Moon

 In honor of International Men's Day, here's to all the Elders Quorums who help people move in and out. They manage to get mattresses up narrow staircases and box springs into basements, and they don't even complain when a big box is full of textbooks instead of blankets. They help tie down the furniture in the stuffy, dusty moving truck. They stand there thoughtfully as they gaze at the truck, and they always say, "I bet we can fit it all in tighter." And how do we repay them? With a slice of pizza or a popsicle. If they're lucky. For lifting where you stand and not shying away from trials, we salute you.

 "And whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life." -Doctrine and Covenants 51:19 I love the idea of stewardship. I love the idea of understanding that you have the responsibility to take care of something.  One of my favorite illustrations of stewardship comes in WALL-E. The humans have lived an easy, boring life for hundreds of years, and there is really no reason for them to change. But the captain learns more about Earth and realizes, "We have to go back." They need to go back because it is their responsibility to take care of the Earth. And then, in the credits, you get to watch them taking care of the Earth. It's so neat. It's hard to explain the empowerment that comes from feeling a sense of stewardship. I felt it a bit when Kevin was the building coordinator of our church building in Michigan. In that temporary calling, he was in charge of making sure people knew how to cl...

 "And let every man deal honestly, and be alike among this people, and receive alike, that ye may be one, even as I have commanded you." -Doctrine and Covenants 51:9 It was the 19th century, and a young religion on the American frontier was figuring out how to take care of its members. Actually, it was 2007, and I was in seminary studying the Doctrine and Covenants. We had reached the sections about the Law of Consecration, and our teacher had concocted a game to make it more applicable to us.  Our class was in charge of a "fish farm." It didn't involve real fish, just graphics and spreadsheets. The purpose of the activity was to end up with as many fish as possible. Each day, our teacher would show us how many fish there were in the pond. If we left the fish alone, they would grow up and reproduce. If anyone hoarded the daily allotment of fish, the supply would dwindle. (I don't quite remember how all of this worked, but it made sense back then. I hope it m...

 "A child who sings is a happy child." - Elder Enrique R. Falabella Based on the 1yo's newest word ("stop!"), the sibling of a child who sings is not always a happy child.

 I've been reading Psalms lately and it's been interesting seeing how many verses are devoted to enemies and fear. Honestly, the author seems kind of paranoid! (I mean, David did have King Saul out to get him, but still.) It made me think of the many different fears almost everyone has had this past year. Some things I read would make me think, "Why on earth are you scared about that???" Then there are things that I worried about and wondered, "Why are other people being so dismissive of this?" Some of them came to pass, but most didn't. Meanwhile, some people's fears that I dismissed have come to pass. Turns out it's hard to predict the future. (I have been wrong plenty of times this year.) Anyway, what I have realized with all of these fears is that we sometimes get into arguments about which fear is more plausible when really all we need sometimes is a good dose of validation. Ideally, when you validate someone's fear they'll be able t...

One hundred and fifty-seven years ago, seven brave men took the difficult journey from Panguitch to Parowan, Utah over a snowy mountain pass. The only way they could progress through the deep snow was by laying down quilts one after another and walking on them.  Tonight, two young boys took the difficult journey from their bedroom to the couch. The carpet was apparently volcanic and the only way they could progress was by laying down blankets one after another. The going was slow, but in both cases, they made it to their destination.

 Great news, everyone! The Great Gatsby is now in the public domain so you can download it, print it, and enjoy it with your egg nog and pumpkin pie. Which means, of course, avoid it entirely.