Leading LDS
There’s a new blog called Leading LDS that you can find at LeadingLDS.com. 
It’s similar to this blog in that the purpose is to help inspire, motivate, and correct wrong attitudes. Where this blog takes the approach of teaching correct doctrine and looking beyond the sunday-school answers, Leading LDS focuses on teaching correct leadership and moving beyond the easy “coasting through this calling” level of leadership in the church.
Conversation with Elder Bednar
One of the most recent posts is a video from the church’s HR department entitled “A Conversation on Leadership With Elder David A. Bednar.” Kurt, the author of the blog states that this video “is exactly what [his] site is about.” I’ve got to say, everyone should watch this video. So click one of the links, check out this awesome blog, and make sure you watch/listen to this fireside with Elder Bednar. I just can’t tell you how powerful and helpful it is for anyone who is, or ever will be in a leadership position, in—or outside—the church.
I’m a fan of Tim Ferriss and websites like lifehacker. In fact, my wife will tell you “he’ll do anything that Tim Ferriss tells him to.” I counter that it’s not true because Tim’s main flaw is a fairly selfish bent and basis for a lot of what and why he does things. Besides, to do everything he recommends is impossible, since you’d spend way too much time on it, and not adhere to the fundamental premise behind his book: simplify life (including income flow) so that you can enjoy life your way, not the way somebody else dictates. The same goes for lifehacker.
However, I feel that this underlying message resonates with those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We’ve been repeatedly told to simplify our lives and focus on the things that really matter. Thus for me, shortcuts, tips, tricks, and “lifehacks” that help me cut down on the garbage and focus on what’s most important, are a key part of becoming a better husband, father, ward member, home teacher, and the man Heavenly Father wants me to be.
I thought it would be great if somebody did a “Lifehacker for Mormons.” Part of the idea came from things like my information on how to pay your tithing online (which I posted as a page, instead of an article, because it didn’t seem to fit the purpose of this blog), or Travis’ great scripture study hack he called “spiritual cross-training” which helps keep daily study interesting and powerful. Since there are many very unique aspects of the way we live our lives, it would be great to have a place where people share their hacks for Mormon life.
Just over a 2 weeks ago, we visited a site in downtown Salt Lake that I’ve been wanting to see ever since I first stumbled across some information on it, on the internet.
Its called the Gilgal Garden, and is located at 749 E 500 S, Salt Lake City, UT. The gardens were built by Thomas Child, who worked on it throughout his life. He named the place after the location where Joshua had the Israelites take 12 stones and place them together as part of a covenant and memorial, after crossing the Jordan river on dry land. Bro. Child was sculptor and put his own interpretations of scriptures, into stone. The piece for which he named the garden, features 12 stones in a circle, with an etching of “The Captain of the Lord’s Host” standing at the head. Because it was basically his backyard, the garden is somewhat secluded and hidden. You can read more about the garden at Wikipedia, or I have uploaded a scan of the walk-through self-tour guide.
My Grandfather, J Ballard Washburn, gave the devotional at BYU-Idaho this past Tues., the 9th of Feb. 2010. He entitled his talk “Our Mission In Life” with the “Our” referring to each of us, as a married couple, or individuals when we find our eternal companion, or “You and Your Sweetheart” as he parenthetically put it in the title.
Personally I really enjoyed the talk. He made some powerful points about putting one’s wife above himself, and the Lord above everything. He used two examples from his own life that he said he was ashamed to share, because they were bad examples, but that we can learn from them.
Just over a year ago, I posted my second post on Sacred Symbolic. Anyone can post once, so I consider the 2nd post the proof that I was serious about my new project of trying to write up various restored gospel truths, as I studied them, found them, etc.
Its been a great year, and I’ve seen tons of changes in my own life. This blog has meant a lot to me, as you–those who read–give comments and feedback. It has kept me thinking, studying, and praying about doctrines of the gospel, in times when I might otherwise have given little time to such matters, because of the press of less spiritual–but often more loudly demanding–challenges of everyday life. For that I thank all who read.
Many of you may have heard about Elder Oak’s recent BYU-Idaho devotional address. I just wanted to collect some of the information here for you to read/listen to/watch. Its an important message at an important time.
First, read the full text of the talk at LDS.org, or download the MP3 at BYU-I’s devotionals archive.
Second, here’s an article the Church posted about it, along with the following Q&A video with Elder Oaks, about the talk:
Some of you probably know because you know me, or have noticed by my video and other media posts: I am kinda an amateur dabbler in video production and film making.
So I was excited when I noticed that the church announced a new DVD set as a resource for teaching Old Testament in the upcoming year. There are 56 videos in the set, many of which are new, or have never been available for purchase previously. There are also many, many other visual resources. From the preview video, they look like great quality reenactments of Old Testament stories. The reenactments either include, or other resources have, life-like renderings of the Tabernacle, Temple at Jerusalem and other stuff that can seem very distant until you see video that looks very real, as if peaking into the past. I’m excited to see all this new stuff, and see if it aides teachers in real Sunday School teaching situations.
You can watch the preview video they made here:
If you’re interested in how technology like this can help advance the purposes of the church, Bryce Haymond at TempleStudy.com posted, and started a Google Wave, about about using Google Wave to advance the purposes of the church.
I just wanted to give a quick update on some things.
First, this is still the right place. I changed the skin/theme to one that I felt was more professional and less busy. The old one had that cool “ancient scrolls and scripture” feel, but I just didn’t like it as much as I wanted to. This new theme is much better on the eyes and more functional. Hope you all like it as much as I do.
Second, I fixed the video in the Political Iconography post. Seems it wasn’t working, and that’s probably why nobody commented on that post. Still, an interesting video, and it should be working now. There’s a link below it to Youtube, in case its not.
Third, I have begun updating the J Ballard Washburn page, under resources (at the top). The first major update is a talk that he told me was “the best talk [he'd] ever given,” though he couldn’t remember giving it. I’ve posted the video on that page, and you can download an MP3 of it there as well. I’ll add more soon.
Nancy, who comments here, pointed out to me a very interesting and well-made video about iconography in politics today. It explores powerful iconography in use in American politics today. It a great video about symbolism used in the propaganda of our time. “Iconography” in particular, is essentially the same type of symbolism I employ in the design of this blog: using pictorial symbols or icons to convey meaning.
In fact its the same kind that we use a lot in computers and the internet, but its just so common, we don’t think about it much. For example, the little orange icon under the “Sacred Symbolic” title–at the top of this blog–with the white circle and a couple curved lines that appear to radiate out from it, mean “you can click here to subscribe or follow our RSS or Atom Feed” to anyone who uses Feeds. These “Feeds” are ways that websites update other sites and anyone who wants to subscribe by feed reader such as Google Reader, of any news posts or other changes that have been made to them. If you use facebook or Twitter but are not familiar with feeds or feed readers, its kinda like following another person on those sites, but instead you’re following the blog or website through your feed reader.
Recommitment
This blog has seen far too few updates of recent. I’ve been extremely busy starting a couple small businesses, while working two other jobs, all while serving as an assistant stake clerk, a husband, and friend.
I recently stopped working on another blog, and expect to shuffle up the job situation in the near future (hopefully Heavenly Father agrees).
C S Lewis
On top of this, a friend I haven’t been in contact with for several years, asked me about a quote I used once in a lesson in church. I found it after a little searching and was surprised and intrigued to become reacquainted:
“Vice is a monster of so frightful face, as to be hated needs but to be seen; but seen too often, familiar with her face, we first endure, then tolerate, then embrace.” – Alexander Pope (An Essay on Man)
Then just the other day I ran across a related quote from C.S. Lewis:
It’s similar to this blog in that the purpose is to help inspire, motivate, and correct wrong attitudes. Where this blog takes the approach of teaching correct doctrine and looking beyond the sunday-school answers, Leading LDS focuses on teaching correct leadership and moving beyond the easy “coasting through this calling” level of leadership in the church.
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Tevya
