My reply to Chancellor Blank's letter

Chancellor Blank,

I appreciated your message sent via various methods to members of the UW-Madison campus community on January 26, 2017 concerning the UW-Madison student desiring to form an "alt-right" organization on campus.  From what I understood, the main points of your message are that the University does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, threats, hate crimes, etc. and that the actions of this individual do not represent the University community as a whole.  However, I felt that your letter could have been crafted differently in order to communicate those points without resorting to the belittling of that student's viewpoint.

First of all, I felt that the inclusion of the student's 2005 arson convictions were irrelevant to the conversation.  As stated in your message, some students may have made mistakes in the past, but having paid their debt to society, they should not be discriminated against.  This information may have been appropriate to include if it was related to the organization the student is attempting to form.  However, the student's desired organization claims to be affiliated with the American Freedom Party, which was not founded until 2010.  As this student is not one of the founding members, the inclusion of this information only serves to unnecessarily vilify the student in question.

Secondly, the American Freedom Party, while holding relatively radical viewpoints, is an association of citizens of the United States of America, who have the right to express their viewpoints, no matter how unpopular they are.  I do not necessarily agree with their viewpoints, and suspect that most UW-Madison students don't agree either, but they are still viewpoints.  As a member of a religious faith whose history is riddled with aggression and discrimination from the government because of viewpoints we hold, I feel that you went too far in stating that you were "heartened to see many students state their strong disagreement with the views of this group."  As the Chancellor, you are a government official and have the responsibility to keep the Office of the Chancellor in a viewpoint-neutral position whenever possible.

Third, you say, presumably in reference to the student expressing his opinion and disseminating literature on campus supporting his opinion, that "the mere presence of this activity is concerning." As you state in the following sentence, "handing out political information and expression [sic] objectionable, even hateful, viewpoints is not illegal nor a violation of campus policy."  I would add that the free expression of viewpoints, without fear of government reprisal, is protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the basis of a healthy democracy.  I would conclude that this activity should not be concerning, but encouraging.  It is a sign that our campus is a place that allows for the free exchange of ideas, even those that are unpopular.

Let me be clear in stating that I do not agree with the viewpoints expressed by this student on our campus.  I do not agree with white supremacist groups, or with violent action against others, especially when motivated by racist, sexist, or otherwise inappropriate ideologies.  However, I believe that, lacking any evidence of inciting people to violent action, this student has done nothing wrong.  And having done nothing wrong, it is unfair for him to be publicly disparaged in a message from the Office of the Chancellor.  I do feel that it would be appropriate to remind the student body that discrimination, hate crimes, threats, violence, etc. are unacceptable and illegal, and do make it clear that the actions of this student do not represent the viewpoints, policies, and mission of the University.  I would hope that in the future this information can be communicated to the student body without resorting to the denigration of a member of our campus community.

Respectfully,

Glen Thurston
Graduate Student

I have a confession to make (or why I'm okay with the recent election)

My fellow Americans,

I write to you in the wake of the federal elections we held on Tuesday.  It appears as though Mr. Donald Trump will be chosen by the Electoral College as the next President of the United States.  I have seen strong, negative reactions to this news from some of the people I am privileged to associate with as I go about my day.

There are a couple of things I need to get off my chest, things that I don't feel could be done justice in the course of a typical conversation.  I'm writing this post to stay true to myself, and allow others to understand how I see things.  I've bolded them for your convenience.

First of all, I am a registered Republican.  Hopefully this doesn't come as a surprise to those who have sincerely listened to my opinions on political issues.  While I don't agree with everything the national party does, I feel that as a voter who is registered in Utah County, Utah, my ideals, beliefs, and values most closely align with the Republican platform, and that the discrepancies between how I think and the party platform are trivial.

You should also know that I have had to opportunity to vote for electors during three presidential elections.  The second big confession is that I voted for Barack Obama in 2008, the first year I was eligible to vote.  My 18-year-old self was trying to figure out exactly what my beliefs were, and how important each of them were.  In fact, I'm still trying to figure that out today.  In any case, I thought President Obama would do a better job than Senator McCain.

I was out of the country, serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for the first two years of Pres. Obama's service.  When I came home I began to think more about how I felt on certain issues.  By the time the 2012 election came around, I felt that Mr. Mitt Romney could do a better job than Pres. Obama.  However, as you all know, Mr. Romney did not win the presidency.

There was certainly a large helping of doom and gloom passed around a lot of Republican dinner tables that year.  The end of the world was near, and our country would soon fall apart.  Except that it didn't.  Yes, I was opposed to a lot of the policies Pres. Obama was in favor of.  But he was still the leader of our country, and over the next four years, I came to appreciate what that meant.

Now, in 2016, the candidate I thought would do the best job will again not be chosen as President.  It's probably because Mr. Evan McMullin ran as an independent candidate, among a large variety of factors.  Going into election night, all the polls suggested that Secretary Hillary Clinton would be chosen as our next president.  My next confession is that I felt relieved as I watched the likelihood of Sec. Clinton's election slowly diminish, and Mr. Trump's chances increase.  I disagree with Sec. Clinton on a majority of the issues.  This isn't to say that I think Mr. Trump is the candidate I think should be in office.  Remember, I think Mr. McMullin would do the best job.  But Mr. Trump has a lot of policies, at least the ones I could elucidate, that I agree with.

Now, for the lessons I hope people learn from reading this post.

1. When your candidate doesn't get elected it isn't the end of the world.  Pres. Obama received a second term in office, and America isn't that different from when he first was elected.  Our freedoms are still in place.
2. Americans support the president, because he is the president.  While I have disagree with some of the policy choices Pres. Obama has made, I still support our government.  In fact, when Pres. Obama has finished his term in January, he is welcome to my home for dinner.  I think we could find a lot of things to talk about that we agree on.  Because we're both Americans, and more importantly, we're both human beings.
3. Although Mr. Trump will be our next president, we need to support him in his office, just as we would support whoever we voted for.  You don't have to agree with everything he does in office, and you are allowed to express your opinions.  But in four years he'll have to account for the actions he's taken.  In the meantime, please be civil.  This election sure hasn't been and that's the change we need the most.

My fellow Americans, we are Americans.  We've endured a lot together, and we can endure the next four years.  In fact, we can endure them well.  

To my Californian friends, please don't leave us.  CalExit is not a solution to anything.  Americans don't give up and leave when their candidate doesn't win.  They stay involved in the political process, make their opinions known, and work together to make America a better place.

To my friends who would have been happier with Sec. Clinton as our next president, please don't leave us.  Americans stick together, through thick and thin.  We've survived as Civil War as a country, and we don't need to survive another.  Stay involved, keep voting, and contribute to the greatness of America.

Finally, to everyone, please continue to be the people in "We the people." America needs all of us.  Please don't let us down.

Patriotically yours,

Glen K Thurston

Citizen of the United States of America

This blog is a zombie -- you can't kill it. But this isn't a zombie post.

I feel like a zombie right now, but that's because I've been getting up early every day, either to get ready for church, or to go running, because I'm excited for college football (#GoCougs), or because the kids are awake.  I've got a lot of little projects that I keep cycling through during my free time, this blog being one of them, so I keep track of what's going on with Slack.

Slack is a program (kids these days would call it an app, but I'm old enough to remember when Windows 3.1 was what there was) that is designed to consolidate messaging between members of a team, like at a company or business.  I've taken the features available on the free version and turned it into my own private version of Facebook. See my previous post.

I wanted to show you how I use Slack, and invite you to join our Slack if you're interested.  Right now, the Slack is really centered around the things that I think are important, but you can help make it even better.

First of all, you should know that you can create more than one Slack "site."  So, on the left-hand side, in the green oval, you'll see that I have 3 Slack sites that I'm a part of.  One of them is from work (we mostly use it to share YouTube videos with each other, so that we can do research and not miss out on the nonsense that happens in the office), one is a personal one for my writing projects (like this blog, the novel I'm working on, my atrophying podcast, and my social media presence), and the third is my "public" Slack, which I'm hoping to use as my mini-Facebook.

Inside the red circle are the main channels within the Slack.  A channel is like a page within Facebook.  Kind of.  They're more like chat rooms.  All channels have to be in all lowercase (this is a stupid limitation) and begin with a #.  #announcements is the main channel on the Slack.  Everyone who will ever join the Slack is automatically added to #announcements.  We use it for... well, announcements.  Things like announcing new channels, welcoming new people to the Slack, explaining rules that are particular to our Slack, reporting on the progress of my other projects, and meta discussions about the Slack itself.

The other channels I have set up are mostly centered around discussion topics:

• #cfb is for college football, including the Top 25 ranking I do throughout the season (see my Twitter feed @gkthurston for more details).
• #photos is for sharing pictures that I don't want to be as public as they are on Twitter/FB.
• #pkmngo is for talking about Pokemon Go, mostly posting updates about which Pokemon we've caught.
• #politics is for political discussions.
• #running is for updates about my running activities, and to help keep myself motivated to run.
• #scripturestudy is for sharing insights that you find while reading the scriptures.  It helps me me even more motivated to study the scriptures.
• #sports is for discussion of all sports, though right now I just have a bot adding college football scores as they happen.
• #random is for discussions that don't fit anywhere else, like sharing funny videos.

I also have a series of channels that are location based.  The idea behind these is that when group members travel, they can post in the channel belonging to that area, and the Slack members who live there can give them advice about places to see, things to do, where to eat, and even set up a meet.  I'm currently subscribed to all of the location channels, and I'm the only one that really uses them.  But it's a good way to remind people of where and when I'll be.

You'll see that a lot of these things aren't information I want to be available to the general public, which makes it hard to decide who to add to the Slack.  So far, the problem has been solved by a lack of interest from others.  But I think a good minimum standard is people that I've met in real life and had a significant interaction with.

The last thing I'll write about is keeping up with the Slack.  It's designed to be a messaging program.  It's not very effective if people don't check it often.  But with the low amount of posts, it's not very rewarding to check the Slack constantly.  The best solution is to download the app on your phone (available on both Android and Apple as far as I know) and let it notify you when things happen.

Anyway, if you want to join the Slack, you have to be invited.  And you have to contact me to send you an invite.

My Thoughts on What Bruce Jenner Did

Please be aware that this is a rough draft that I may never have the time to polish.

Before we get started, here are some assumptions I'm making.  If you disagree with these, please just assume they are true for a moment.  I'm a scientist, not a lawyer or logician:

1. God exists.  If there is no God, there is no compelling reason to make a decision in any direction, besides the relatively short-term consequences of that decision.  
2. God is our Heavenly Father.  As such, he created us in His image.
3. "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."
4. Same-sex attraction is real, but is not a action.  Homosexuality is the result of acting on same-sex attraction.

I don't think that what Bruce Jenner (or whatever he wants to be called now) did should be celebrated.  

Please carefully read the above sentence before you jump down to comment.  This sentence, except for maybe what is between the parentheses, is exactly what I would say to someone at work, school, church, wherever I am, if they asked me how I felt about the how Bruce Jenner thing.

Personally, I think that what Bruce Jenner did was wrong, both in my eyes, and in the eyes of God.  We should discuss that more.  This goes back to my second assumption, God created us in His image.  But does God make mistakes?  I don't believe that he does.  God gave some people the tendency to become alcoholics.  God gave some people the tendency to become chain smokers.  God gave some people the tendency to commit homosexual acts.  In fact, everyone has the tendency to commit sin and go against God's commandments.  Did God make a mistake?  What about those born with physical disabilities, or those born with Down's syndrome, or those who are born with six fingers?  God doesn't make mistakes.  He gives people challenges in order for them to grow into the people He knows they can become.

Does everyone having challenges make everyone a terrible person?  Absolutely not.  But should we celebrate people for committing sin?  Again, absolutely not.  Please don't misunderstand me on this point.  I don't care that much whether my neighbor has tendencies to become a chain smoker, to become an alcoholic, or whether they experience same-sex attraction.  I feel sad for them because they can be difficult things to deal with, but I feel happy for them because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is available for them to use.  I feel happy about the Atonement because everything that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement, including the difficulties we suffer in mortality.  But I do not believe in celebrating the fact that my neighbor is a chain smoker, is persistently drunk, or participates in homosexual behavior.  This applies to Mr. Jenner as well.

Because gender is an essential characteristic of eternal identity, do you think that God would accidentally give someone the wrong sex in mortality?  Whether He does or He doesn't, it isn't accidental.  But because gender is so eternal, I believe the situation will be corrected in the eternities, just like any other unfairness we encounter in mortality.

So, while I feel that Mr. Jenner has had some difficult things to deal with in his life, I believe that the Atonement of Jesus Christ will bring more healing than any surgeon could.  And his elective surgery is not something to be celebrated.

Mormon Response: Please explain the part prayer plays in your life.

Recently I've been determined to expand my Mormon.org profile.  Part of this involves answering questions about my faith in 2000 characters or less.  I've decided that these might also be good to post here, since I don't really have time for a lot of writing anymore.  I've decided to call these Mormon Responses, since I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka a Mormon) and I am responding to something people might potentially ask me.
Please explain the part prayer plays in your life.

Prayer plays a large, huge, enormous role in my life.  I strive begin every morning with prayer.  I try to do this after I'm a little more awake, usually after I've taken a shower.  I also try end each day with prayer, hopefully before I'm so tired that I'm falling asleep.  I'm not perfect at this, but I'm trying.  I also try to pray with my family both morning and night, which goes better or worse depending on whether my one-year-old is trying to get into something.

We also pray at every meal, thanking God for providing for another meal.  I pray when I'm feeling good, I pray when I really need help.  I thank God for the many ways he blesses me: a loving family, constant nourishment, a living prophet, a safe home to live in.  I ask Him for I things I think I need, keeping in mind that He knows what I really need and will give them to me if I ask in faith.

Prayer seems to be inextricably alloyed into my soul.  It's a part of me.  The best part: knowing that He hears my prayers.

Welcome to Wisconsin

Not the chemistry building, but a pic from the bus stop.

So much has happened this month!  I'm just trying to collect a few of my first thoughts and impressions of Wisconsin.

Baby Thor loves his new home!

We went to Sam's Club on one of our first days here, which isn't too far away from our apartment.  They sell wine at Sam's Club!  I didn't even know that.  Not that I'll ever buy any, but I guess it just doesn't sell that well in Provo.

Sam developed hand, foot, and mouth disease right after we got here.  We had a rough couple of days, but just rolled with the punches.

One of the first things the Chemistry Department had us do were the qualifying exams.  They aren't used for a whole lot, but they were certainly intimidating still.  They're graded on a pass/fail standard, so they aren't too stressful.  I just wanted to brag a little bit about how I was the first person to finish the inorganic chemistry exam, but I still passed.

Just a few our details from the rest of our adventures so far (you'll have to imagine the rest of the stories, I guess):

I think these seats are original to the building

• I love hearing Baby Thor laugh and giggle.  He really loves being thrown onto our bed.  
• It's wonderful to have LDS friends nearby.  Brian Graham also came from BYU this year, so we've been spending time together during our new grad student training.  It's also great to remember how awesome it is to show up at the local ward and meet a wonderful group of people who are accepting of you the way you are.
• Wisconsin cheese is delicious.  We got some cheese curds and other local cheese in Middleton, which is essentially a suburb of Madison.  I think we'll always have cheese on hand.
• I hate the humidity.  It's like living in a cloud of warm sweat.  Maybe I just don't like the fact that I can't afford, and it doesn't make sense, to buy an air conditioning unit this year.  
• Lastly, Baby Thor falling asleep on his own has been such a blessing.  He definitely understands that being carried into his room means that it's time to go to sleep.
• Some of the classrooms are okay, but others of the lecture halls, and especially the teaching labs, are absolutely outdated and should probably be re-done.  If I was looking at being a professor instead of a grad student, I might think twice about teaching here.
  
  

  

  Lecture hall stuck in the 60's. 

A Summer-y Summary

Turns out that it's been forever since I've blogged.  I mostly blame getting a smartphone for that (yes, I just got one this summer) and Twitter.  And Facebook.  And social media in general.  And writing in my journal, which is exactly like blogging, except that I can be perfectly honest and candid without offending anyone.

So, I guess it's time to set some new blogging goals.  How about monthly? Maybe more often if I can.  For the between times, be sure to check out my Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ accounts, where I'll post my spur of the moment thoughts and ideas, and where I don't feel bad about forgetting to post anything.

A note on my social media policy: anyone can follow me on Twitter and see all my tweets.  Anyone can follow me on Google+ and see some of my posts.  Only people who I know in real life and I would call my friend (like I might give you my cell phone number) can add me on Facebook and see anything.  I think I'm essentially invisible on FB otherwise.

Back to the summer-y.

Baby Thor is huge now!  He can walk around (while supported by the couch, his parents, or whatever else he can climb up on) and loves climbing all the stairs we let him find.

My favorite thing is that he can now understand things we say to him (like No, Touchdown, and questions he doesn't know the answer to).  He is the cutest boy in the world and now I can't wait for football season to start.  (Thor, Touchdown! *Baby Thor throws his arms up above his head*) Maybe he'll learn to say words soon.  Then we'll be in trouble.

I spent the summer working at a temporary position ultimately for a pharmaceutical company called Actavis in their Salt Lake location.  It's been a real adventure and I've learned a lot about future careers.  (I will not spend the rest of my life conduct the same tests over and over on different products)  I somewhat surprised everyone by putting in my two-week notice, but when you're moving to another state there's not a real possibility of continuing your work.

I expect great things from you Wisconsin.

Speaking of moving to another state, we're getting ready to move to Madison, Wisconsin for graduate school in the next few days.  I have a vague idea of how cold the winters are going to get and how good the cheese will be.  At least those seem to be the only things my fellow Utahns know about the state.  All I know is that if your license plates say "America's Dairyland," there better be some incredible milk and cheese, to rival even the BYU Creamery.

Hayley and Sam took a trip to Oregon for a family reunion with Hayley's folks.  They had a great time, but it left like they were gone for way too long (10 days is a long time.)  While they were away, my 4th cousin from France named Christophe Doremus came to visit.  We had an awesome time, I found out that I can somewhat understand French, and I learned some basic vocabulary (breakfast, lunch, dinner, cake, ice cream, apple juice... we mostly had meals together.)  He and my parents took off to San Francisco and to Bryce Canyon, leaving me all alone on two separate occasions.  Worst days ever.  0/5 stars.  Would not buy again.

A Utah Railway train. Way different than Frontrunner.

I've been riding the Frontrunner train this summer, which has been a good adventure.  90 minutes each way
gives you a lot of time to think about life and the universe.  And restart my scripture reading habit - I read through the Book of Mormon again this summer.  And it helped me study for the advisory exams I'll be taking as soon as I get to Madison.  Did you know that there's no official publication to study for the ACS Analytical Chemistry exam?  Neither did I, and I'm confident that all my class notes from forever are packed up in a box somewhere at the moment.

But I miss seeing my family most of the day.  Leaving home at 6 am to be at work by 8 am, then not getting home until 7:30 or 8 pm makes for a weird loneliness.  It's hard to describe.  But getting to work as much overtime as I wanted was nice.

By the way, has anyone noticed that Pinterest is just Google Image Search except that you can save things?

Wow.  This ended up being a lot longer than I thought it was going to be.  I guess it's okay because I'm making up for months of no posts.

I watched the Saratov Approach on Netflix the other day.  It was really good, especially for an LDS film.  Go watch it right now and then come back to this.  Seriously.  It's only 100 minutes long or something.

And I'll be watching Guardians of the Galaxy soon.  That will be exciting.

You can tell that I'm running out of things to say by the increase of one-sentence paragraphs.  Let's call this the end for now.

Thank You for Tithing

Tithing is one-tenth of our income.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we have the opportunity to pay tithing. Tithing is mentioned in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. As revealed in modern times, the law of tithing requires members of the Church to "pay one-tenth of all their interest [or income] annually." These funds are used by the Church to pay for meetinghouses, temples, help support missionary work, manuals and publications, and even subsidizing the education of those attending Church universities, like BYU. None of these funds are used to pay or compensate local Church leaders for their service.

Now, ten percent may seem like a large commitment, but the blessings of the Lord are equally as large. As we read in the Old Testament, the Lord promises He will, "open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10)

I believe the Lord in this promise. I have seen great blessings come because of my paying tithing. Recently, I have been blessed with the opportunity to have a job while I am between finishing my bachelor's degree and starting my Ph.D. program. I was busy finishing my finals, so I wasn't able to very actively search for jobs. I just sent my résumé into the void with a little prayer. I now realize that the opportunities I have been given are because the Lord is blessing me for paying my tithing.

So I don't see tithing as a tax or a burden. I see it as an opportunity to receive some of the best blessings Good promises his children. And I only have to pay 10% of my income! For these blessings, I would be willing to give all. I am thankful for tithing.

Women and the Priesthood

I write this post at the risk of being considered bigoted or sexist, or some other negative thing.  I also hope not to further the controversy created by this topic.  I wish only to share what I believe and know.

Recently, there has been a "movement" in the Church to have women ordained to the priesthood.  In this post I hope to express and elaborate on the feelings I have towards the women who carry this sentiment.

I begin by stating that I am not opposed to women being ordained to the priesthood.  If President Monson announces in General Conference tomorrow that all worthy women will be ordained to the priesthood, I would still sustain him as a prophet, seer, and revelator.  But I don't think that will happen.

If these "feminists" are honestly waiting for an answer from God, then they would be wise to look at what as already been revealed on the subject.

Sheri Dew
http://www.mormonchannel.org/sites/default/files/conversations-sheridew-388x258.jpg

Consider the following quote by Sister Sheri Dew while serving in the General Relief Society Presidency, delivered in General Conference:

My young sisters, some will try to persuade you that because you are not ordained to the priesthood you have been shortchanged. They are simply wrong, and they do not understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. The blessings of the priesthood are available to every righteous man and woman. We may all receive the Holy Ghost, obtain personal revelation, and be endowed in the temple, from which we emerge “armed” with power. The power of the priesthood heals, protects, and inoculates all of the righteous against the powers of darkness. Most significantly, the fulness of the priesthood contained in the highest ordinances of the house of the Lord can only be received by a man and woman together.  Said President Harold B. Lee: “Pure womanhood plus priesthood means exaltation. But womanhood without priesthood, or priesthood without pure womanhood doesn’t spell exaltation.”1

It appears to me that the Lord does not intend to ever ordain women to the priesthood.  That isn't to say that women are not entitled to the blessings of the priesthood.  Being ordained to the priesthood affords me no advantage whatsoever over women.  I would even go so far to say that this is the way the Lord wants his Church to be set up.

Consider this quote from "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.2

This is how families are supposed to be.  Notice that all responsibilities are shared between parents and spouses.   I agree with Brother Kelly Ogden, who recently wrote

I would surmise that if any persons in the Church have an issue with women not receiving the priesthood by ordination, then they are not attending the temple. And if they are attending the temple, they do not really understand what they are hearing and experiencing there. 3

I know that it doesn't seem "fair" to some.  But I know that this is what the Lord has given us through His prophets.   I know that this is the Lord's true Church.  I know that the priesthood blessings are available to all who are worthy of them, regardless of gender.  I know that Heavenly Father loves His children, both male and female, and would not be unfair to one in favor of the other.

Now, go and watch General Conference!

Prierium Saga #3

Continued from Prierium Saga #2.

For those who are wondering about Baby Thor, he's still not born, but there are less than 2 weeks to go.  There will for sure be a post when he is born.

            Jenny helped herself to her feet. 

            “So why didn't you change?”

            “Shielded coat.  Keeps the P-rays from getting through to me.”

            Jenny stared at the stranger with a puzzled look on her face as they started leaving the pool and began to walk south.

            “P-rays.  Like X-rays, but from prierium, got it?”

            “So the P-rays are what made me change?  You could have shielded me a little, you know.”

            “There wasn't enough time.”

            “So, which government agency do you work for?  There's no use in hiding it from me.  I can see that you are an agent of some kind.  It's like your brain is screaming it at me.  Plus, only an agent would look out for their own safety before letting me know about the dangers of P-rays.”

            The stranger stopped walking, turned, and stared at Jenny, trying to make out if she was bluffing or not.  If she was, it was the best bluff he had seen in a decade.

            “Alright, I am Agent Brock Anderson.  I am a government agent for an organization called the Terrestrial Homeland Executive Mission, or T.H.E.M. for short.  We are in charge of all the cases where conventional tactics and thinking simply aren't good enough, like prierium-related incidents.  We try to keep a low profile; the public wouldn't react very well to threats from people with superpowers.  Of course, I assume you know I will have to kill you if you tell anyone about what I just said.”

            Jenny looked at him, unsure of whether or not he was serious about killing her.

            Anderson continued, “Now let's get back to finding this other change-ling so we can go home.”

            “Wait a minute.  What are you going to do to this 'change-ling' when you find him?” Jenny asked, even using air quotes around the word “change-ling.”

            “The same thing we do to all change-lings: try to convince them to work for us, or obliterate them.”

            “Obliter... You can't do that!” Jenny stuttered, then yelled.  “He's a person too, you know.  You can't just go around killing people.”

            “Well, that's my job.  I keep normal people safe from superpowered psychos.”

            “What about people like me?  You made me a change-ling and I didn't even have a choice!  Wait, I'm a change-ling.  That means...”

            Jenny suddenly realized that Anderson was going to make his offer to her eventually.

            “That's right.  After this mission, you belong to T.H.E.M., or us, dead or alive.”

            “Oh...” Jenny said in a quieter-than-usual voice.  There wasn't much to talk about after that.  Jenny was too busy contemplating what her future was going to be like.

            Jenny could barely get the words out of her mouth. “We're here.”

            They both looked around and realized they were in the industrial part of town – on Ironton Boulevard.

To be continued...

△A35B1-8.3

Prierium Saga #2

Continued from Prierium Saga #1

            Jenny and the stranger made their way to the swimming pool.  It was fairly easy to sneak in.  The majority of the university police had already gone home for the day; the night shift had to split their time between watching the pool and patrolling the football stadium.  The stranger looked down at his radio, which had started making clicking noises.  He paced back and forth for a minute and then declared, “We should move up to the balcony.  The signal seems stronger up there.”  As a sidenote he added, “Just make sure that you don't change.”

            “That I don't change?  What do you mean?”

            “If you get too close you might change.  Just don't get too close and you won't have to worry about it.”

            “Hold on just a minute,” demanded Jenny, as they made their way up the stairwell.  “I knew that I might get hurt following some weirdo like you, but I wasn't prepared for this.  You better explain what 'change' means or I...  I...”

            If Jenny had gotten to finish her sentence, it would probably have ended with some unbelievable threat, like throwing the stranger off the Empire State Building.  Instead, she quietly whispered, “I don't feel well.” 

            “You got too close.  It's the changing.  It'll be over in a minute.  Just try not to get too excited about it,” the stranger muttered, still fiddling with his radio.

            Jenny fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.  She could feel her head spinning with the room spinning in the other direction.  Her vision alternated between blurry and black, and she couldn't hear anything around her.  Jenny's vocal cords tightened as she tried to scream; nothing but a whimper came out.  Then, just as suddenly as it started, it was over.

            “...will do that to you, you know.  Rather unpleasant process,” Jenny heard the stranger finish.

            “What will do what to me?” Jenny groggily asked.

            “See that light blue powder on the ground?  That's prierium.  It will change you.  That's what started the fire here.  Someone was changed by it.  I'm surprised there was any active prierium left though.  Must have been reactivated by the high humidity.”

            “It made someone start a fire?  And I don't feel any different at all.  How did it change me?”

            “It probably gave someone pyrotechnic capabilities.  It's different for everyone.  It might still need a couple of seconds.  Here, let me help.”

            As he finished his explanation, the stranger slapped Jenny hard in the face.  She was taken aback at first, and then angry.  Suddenly, she felt her mind open and her skin tingle.

            “I can feel something,” she started out.  “Wait, not something, someone.”

            “Who do you feel?”

            “Someone with the ability to shoot fire out of their hands.  He's still close by.”

            “Well, then, take me to him,” the stranger said as he carefully swept up the light blue powder into a canister.

To be continued...

△A35B1-8.2

Prierium Saga #1

MUU is proud to present a serial story. Please enjoy...

The Prierium Saga

It was an unusually warm April day at Henry Eyring University.  Jenny was sitting in her math class struggling to concentrate.  It was a beautiful day and she could see students sitting on the lawns outside through the classroom window.  How she wished she could just enjoy the sunshine!  As if that wasn't enough of a reason to be distracted, Jenny was graduating at the end of next week and this was her last lecture before final exams.  “I wish I hadn't put off taking this stupid math class until now,” Jenny muttered under her breath. “I just want to get my degree and start making some money.”

Even though it felt like an eternity to Jenny, the math lecture did eventually end.  The professor was giving the students last minute advice for the final, but Jenny didn't care.  She quickly made her way to the exit and started on her way home.

She decided to change things up a little, since it was such a nice day, and walk home down the hill on the south side of campus.  On her way down the hill, however, she noticed someone that stood out just a little bit.  Jenny had never had a reason to be afraid of anything or anyone, so she walked right up to him and noticed a strange device in his hand.

“What's that?” she asked.

“The best word to describe it is a radio, but that's not quite it.  You are very curious; do I know you?” he replied rather sternly.

“I'm Jenny.  You're very curious yourself, dressing like a detective with such a warm overcoat on a hot day like today.  What's your name?”

“Well, little girl,” the stranger started out.  That's how he saw her, even though she was in her early twenties.  “I'll have you know that what you call an overcoat is not just an ordinary overcoat.”

“What is it then?  It's not some sort of invisibility cloak, like in Harry Potter, is it?”

“No, it's nothing like Harry Potter.  We stopped using magic a long time ago, after we discovered prierium.”

“Prierium?  Is that like an element?  Are you some sort of chemist?”

“Well, I'm not so much of a chemist as I am a...,” the stranger began, interrupted by Jenny's high-pitched voice.

“And who's we?  Are you part of some organization?”

“Fine, I'm part of the local chemists' union,” he replied in the hopes that she would let him get back to his search.  But the stranger underestimated Jenny's persistence.

“Look, mister,” said Jenny in a very serious tone, characteristic of a person with her high level of self-confidence, “I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just creep around a university campus, looking super-weird, and acting very suspicious with explaining yourself to me.”

“And who put you in charge of the universe, little girl?  Are you the weird police?”
“The weird police,” Jenny thought to herself.  “That would make an awesome band name.”  She then replied aloud, “No, are you, Mr. McWeirdpants?  You're weird enough to be the captain of the weird police!”

The stranger in the not-magic overcoat began to walk away.  “I've really got a job to do, so if you'd leave me alone with my weirdness, that would be wonderful, little girl.”

Jenny had to run a little bit to catch up to him.  “Would you quit calling me a little girl!?” she yelled, almost at the top of her lungs, loud enough for people walking past to stare at them.  She lowered her voice a little and said very sternly, “I'm twenty-one.  That hardly qualifies as little anywhere in the known universe.  Plus, I'm getting my bachelor's degree next week.”

“Oh, so you think you're smart, little girl?”

Jenny's eyes glared back at the stranger. “No, I know I'm smart!”

“What are you studying again? Some soft science I bet,” he quipped.

“Psychology,” she asserted.

“Like I said, a soft science.  Not smart.  Goodbye, little girl.”

The stranger turned around and went on his way.  About a block later, he realized he was being followed.

“You know,” Jenny called out, “I'm just going to follow you around until you tell me what you're up to.”

Jenny was still right behind him.

“Okay, little girl.  If I tell you what I'm up to will you leave me alone?”

“Maybe.  It depends on what you're doing.”

“Fine.  I'm looking for things that are out of place and unexplained.  Prierium usually has that affect on humans.  Have you seen anything out of the ordinary lately?”

“No, but...”

“That settles it then.  Your stubborn streak and thick-headed nature will be entirely useless to me, little girl.”

“Would you let me finish?” cried Jenny.  “I haven't seen anything unusual, but I heard that the police were having a hard time finding the cause of a fire at the university pool.  The pool has been closed for a week or so until they determine if the pool is safe.”

“An unexplained fire?  Well, little girl, maybe you and your psychology degree will come in useful after all.  At the very least you know how to think.  I'll make you a deal.  You can come with me to the pool and help me investigate, but after that you leave me alone.  That means no following, no stalking, no acknowledging that I was even here.  Deal?”

“Deal… for now,” Jenny smiled.

To be continued...

△A35B1-8.1

Stake Conference Talk

I spoke in stake conference yesterday, and this is what I said, since I didn't post on Friday...

One of the most quoted passages of scripture is the Savior’s admonition, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”  In fact, the extent to which we keep His commandments seems to be the Lord’s litmus test for whether we truly love him.  Later on in the same chapter he says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”  To the elders in Kirtland He said, “If thou lovest me thou shalt serve me and keep all my commandments.”  Today I would like to speak on the service the Lord expects of us.

In Section 20 of the Doctrine and Covenants, given at the organization of the Church in this dispensation, we learn that Christ “gave unto them commandments that they should love and serve him, the only living and true God, and that he should be the only being whom they should worship.”  How can we serve the Lord?  One way that clearly stands out to me is to by fulfilling our callings and assignments in the Church.  I hope that I do not sound boastful as I share some of my experiences in serving the Lord.

After returning home from my mission, I served as the ward mission leader in our ward.  As part of my responsibilities, I attended the weekly ward council meetings.  Shortly after my wife and I were married, I attended a meeting where we discussed the need the Bonneville 7th Ward, which is a Spanish language ward, had for couples to come and serve for a one-year period, as told to the bishop by the stake president.  I had a feeling that this might be something for us to do.  I felt even more so when it was mentioned that only one of the couple had to speak Spanish.  I was nervous as I returned home after the meeting and shared my feelings with my wife.  Thankfully, she was very excited about this opportunity and we decided that this was something we needed to do.  

After being in the 7th Ward for a couple of weeks, we were asked to serve as special needs teachers in the Primary.  Our class consists of one wonderful, 8-year-old boy, named Randolph.  Randolph is special because he has autism.  He has a need for schedules, structure, and consistency.  The first couple of weeks teaching him were difficult, and I honestly wondered whether we had made the right decision after all.  But we pressed on, knowing this was what the Lord would have us do.  We were able to find a way to help Randolph learn during Primary, with the help of his parents, his schoolteacher, the ward Primary presidency, and stake leaders.  We came together as a team to help restructure Randolph’s environment so that he could learn with the other children.  Today, Randolph is able to sit for fifteen minutes at a time in sharing time, and in the 8-year-old primary class with the other children.  In between, Randolph has five minute breaks.  To be honest, these breaks are my favorite part of Primary.  Sometimes we play with our Hot Wheels cars, other times we look out the window at the passing cars and motorcycles, and Randolph yells at them to come back to church..

I think that by serving Randolph I have seen more clearly how much the Lord loves me, and all of His children.  I have seen inspired Church leaders come together to bless the life of one little boy, just as they do to bless my life.  I researched extensively about autism and tried to learn everything I could about it, to be able to understand what Randolph is thinking; I remember the suffering the Lord went through to know how to help me.  I have gained a friend that is now excited to come to Primary every week and learn new things. Most of all, I have gained a friend in the Savior and am excited to come to Primary every week and learn more about Him through the teachings of little children.

I do not claim to know the reason for the Lord’s commandment to serve Him, but I have a strong feeling that it is at least partly because as we serve Him, we come to know Him and His love much better.  His love is a comfort, and an example of how we should love those around us.  The more we inject charity into our being, the more we feel and understand it, and the more we can emulate it.  Being a scientist, this reminds me of my organic chemistry classes.  Before I go on, I would like to explain that my favorite branch of chemistry, (yes, I’m a nerd) is analytical chemistry, not organic chemistry.  But this example from organic chemistry seems fitting.

Organic chemistry is the study of carbon-based molecules, which is just about everything.  A large part of the discipline, as those who have taken an organic chemistry class know, is being able to predict reactions between organic molecules, and use that knowledge to construct different molecules that may be helpful in certain areas, whether in be a new drug, polymer, plastic, or protein.  In order to best make those predictions, understanding of the molecules involved, especially where the different electrons in the various orbitals are wont to go, is critical.  Just as understanding the electronics of an organic molecule increases our capacity to synthesize new materials, understanding of the Lord’s love for us and His desire to serve us increase our capacity to love and serve those around us in a Christ-like way.  

I bear testimony that the Lord’s love can become a real power in our lives.  We can begin by simply looking for examples of the Lord’s love for us in our everyday comings and goings.  Most importantly, we can learn of the Lord’s love for us as we serve Him by serving those around us.  In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Blessings of the Temple

The Provo Utah Temple

Yesterday, I got the chance to go to the temple with my brother and watch him make sacred covenants with God in preparation for his service as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was such a wonderful experience!  It comparison to the other buildings of other faiths that I have visited, the temple always brings the Spirit more fully, and it is always such a calming experience.

In the temple, we make sacred covenants with the Lord, just as He has always asked his people to do. The ancient Israelites had the tabernacle while they were in the wilderness, and the temple in Jerusalem, until it was destroyed.  Thankfully, the Lord has once again given his people the opportunity to make sacred promises with Him.  These promises have been a wonderful blessing to me, both on my mission, and in my marriage, and are the choice blessings the Lord promises His people over and over in scripture.

The Best Two Years

A bedroom window view of Porto

It is common to hear among missionaries of the Church returning home that their missions were the best two years of their lives.  It is also common to hear mission presidents, experienced men charged for ensuring missionary safety, welfare, and well-being while serving their missions, tell returning missionaries not to get stuck in the past, and to make the following two years the new best two years.  My mission was certainly a wonderful experience.  I was able to come closer to God than I had in my entire life.  My testimony of the gospel grew as it was challenged daily.  I found out what I truly believed, and found my limits in many areas.   I often stop to remember the things I learned during those times.  The mission is truly an unforgettable experience, but I'm in many ways glad that I won't have to pass by that way twice.

Câmara de Lobos, my home for six months

It has been a little more than two years since I returned home from my mission, and looking back, these are truly the new best two years.  Firstly, I started school again.  I didn't realize how much I loved school until I wasn't allowed to attend for two years.  I've learned so much and grown in even more ways from my educational experiences.

When I came home I was still given opportunities to serve in the Church.  I served for a long time as a ward mission leader, a member that coordinates the efforts of local wards, or congregations, with that of the full-time missionaries.  It was exciting, fulfilling, and gave me another view of how the Church operates.  I have since been able to serve in even more capacities in the Church.

Hang on tight and don't let go!

The biggest blessing of my entire life developed, occurred, and continues through these last two years — my wife.  We re-met (that's another story that has already been told) exactly a year ago this week, began a wonderful courtship, and married in the Draper Utah Temple for time and eternity.  We are now expecting our first child (Thor, until we know the gender) and it just doesn't seem like life could get any better.  But we know it will.  The challenges of surviving graduate school as a family, and raising children, await us.  Because the challenge is hard, the reward will be great.  I just can't wait to see what the next two years will bring.

The Book of Mormon: A True Story

For more information, or to order a free copy,
go to mormon.org/book-of-mormon/

I wish there were a clearer way to explain how I know the Book of Mormon is true.  I simply do.  I've read it.  I've prayed about it.  I've received an answer from God that it is true.

One of the earliest memories I have of actually knowing that the Book of Mormon was true took place when I was 14.  I had just attended the National Scout Jamboree in Virginia and was on a tour of Church History sites with my Jamboree group.  I clearly remember going to the Sacred Grove, the exact same grove of trees where Joseph Smith himself first prayed vocally, and feeling an overwhelming sensation that the Book of Mormon was true.

I have been where Joseph Smith was.  I've been to his house, I've been to the printing shop he asked to print the Book, I've been to Nauvoo, where people were forced to leave for believing in the Book.  This isn't some elaborate lie contrived by conspiring men.  The events were real, and the book is real.  It stands today as a witness of the veracity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as a witness of the truth of Jesus Christ and His mission.  Those who don't understand the significance of these statements, and the life-changing implications they carry, would do well to obtain a copy of the book, and study and ask for themselves.  As for me, my life will never be the same because of it.

Christmas - A Message of Hope and Peace, even for Newtown

Here I am, posting on the last day of the world, according to someone who misinterpreted the Mayan calendar.  I am confident that there will be many days of blogging and of life to come.

I was very tempted to write something political in relation to the shooting that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut last week.  I could have written something about the way the situation was handled, could have been handled, should be handled in the future.  I could have commented on gun control, mental health issue awareness, or a multitude of other related topics.  As I began typing, I have realized that this isn't what really needs to be discussed.

Why did this event make headlines all over the country?  Why are the events of a tragic day in a New England town slightly larger than Eagle Mountain showing up on the front page of my newspaper?  Precisely because they are tragic.  Because there are parents in this town who have lost children and are grieving their loss.  Because we have a glimpse into what they are feeling by imagining how we might feel had this happened to us and our children.  Because even though we are on the other side of the country, we feel obligated to help them in some way.

But what can we do?  We certainly cannot return their children to them.  We can, however, comfort them and bring them happiness this Christmas.  How?  Simply by focusing on the meaning of Christmas.

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Why are the events of a silent night in a Middle Eastern town slightly larger than Tocquerville celebrated on an international level?  Because they were the beginning of an incredible mortal ministry of the Son of God, the beginning of another reteaching of the eternal truths of God.  Because His life would eventually lead to His death, and a Heavenly Father grieving over the suffering and death of His Son.  Because Christ gained a perfect vision and experienced everything everyone would ever feel.  Because even though it occurred on the other side of the world, His love helps and heals all men everywhere that allow it to.

Just as the wise men in the Bible, we must seek Him.  As we learn about Him, and as we learn His teachings, our hearts will be healed and made whole, and our struggling souls sustained.  We can learn of His marvelous plan, more marvelous than His birth, that we will one day be reunited with our families, and that we are entitled to live with them eternally, if we so desire.  We can learn that He has not left us alone, nor abandoned the world, but has sent messengers to communicate to us what He would have us do.

The true meaning of Christmas is not what we will receive, but what we will give in return to the One who gave the greatest gift of all.

Things I Like

I've recently discovered that I like a lot of new things.  I like when my wife cuddles with me.  I like going to Primary to teach and play with our new autistic friend.  I like being a horse and crawling around the room, even if it gives me a rugburn on my knuckles.  I like going to school and taking math finals, mostly because it means that I'm done with the class.  It helps that the test was timed, but open book.  I seeing the snow fall and wondering if Heavenly Father thinks the snow is as pretty as I think it is.  I like slipping down the hill south of the Clyde building, and then not feeling guilty watching other people slip down the same hill while I'm waiting for my wife to come pick me up.

Most of all, I like coming home and feeling the love and the Spirit in our home.

The Best Week

Leaving Park City on Sunday

I wish there were sufficient words to describe how happy I feel, knowing that I am sealed to my wife for all eternity.  It's interesting to me how many in the world view marriage as a temporary thing, with divorce as an option, or don't know if their relationships will end at death.  To be clear, I don't mean to say that there aren't circumstances where divorce is appropriate.  Certainly abusive marriages, which limit a spouse's ability to speak their mind, or confine them to living in fear of their spouse, are dangerous and damaging.  And perhaps leaving is the best thing in that case.  But for me, it isn't an option.

My marriage is something sacred.  Not only have I made promises to my wife, I have made promises to God.  And because of that, He has promised me that Hayley and I will be married even after this life.  I find comfort in knowing that my marriage isn't some silly, mortal experiment, to be forgotten at the end of this life.  Instead, the relationship that I am continuing to build every day will be treasured forever.

And is that what everybody really wants?  If we were truly honest with ourselves, don't we all need someone to be there for us every day?  Aren't we going to want that to be forever?  I know that I want that, and that Hayley will forever be my top priority.  Am I going to make mistakes? Undoubtedly.  But the feelings of love and forgiveness that prevail in our home keep me fearless in moving forward, and continuing to open myself up to Hayley.

I just wish that everyone could feel the love that I feel from Hayley.  She is so patient with me, and loves to be with me, just like I love to be with her.  I am grateful that she supports me in my schoolwork, and that she is willing to just love me with all her heart.  I know there were so many times where I prayed for this, and I'm so glad that this blessing has finally arrived.  And I'm even more grateful that God has promised me that it never has to leave.

Scripture Reflection

I have a hard time not thinking of myself as a missionary when I read the scriptures, even though I’ve been home for a year and a half now.  And up until recently, it’s been hard for me to remember to study the scriptures on a regular basis.  It seems like life has been busy and getting in the way.  Thankfully, I’m engaged to a wonderful young woman, who recently returned from serving her own mission, who is more than willing to help me with anything. 

Choosing someone to marry was an interesting process for me.  I remember being in the mission field and, while trying not to worry too much about it and focus on the work at hand, pondering the enormity of the decision that was in my future.  I realized that while the choice was mine to make, and that Heavenly Father would probably provide many opportunities for me to make a correct choice, I was still afraid to make a wrong choice.  I suppose I felt like the Ethiopian eunuch who said, “How can I, except some man should guide me?” (Acts 8:31) This fear led me on an adventure of many interesting first dates, without much else following. 

Then spring term came and I took the Marriage & Family course offered here.  I felt so enlightened, and somewhat foolish, since the things I was supposed to be doing to receive the help I wanted were staring me in the face the whole time.  Quote after quote and scripture after scripture began to resonate with me and lead me to actions that I would never have thought of before.  I guess it was less like action, and more like a change in my thinking.  Like Saul, immediately there fell from [my] eyes as it had been scales: and [I] received sight forthwith, and arose.” (Acts 9:18)

I began to see the little pieces of revelation and inspiration that Heavenly Father had been sending me all along.  Of course, there were times, especially leading up to my proposal, where I second-guessed myself, and the things I had been receiving.  Like Peter, I doubted that I was interpreting what I was receiving correctly. (Acts 10:17)  But I thank the Lord for His patience with me as promptings were confirmed multiple times, and I knew that this was what I was supposed to be doing, and that Hayley was the person I was supposed to be marrying.