Issued Warnings

Twenty-three years, seven months, and eight days.

According to my estimation, that's how long I had been driving before being pulled over for the first time ever by a Bountiful City policeman Sunday while on the way to church.

My crime? I wasn't wearing my seatbelt.

I saw the lights flash in my rearview mirror, realized I had failed to buckle up in my rush to get where I was going early (seats in the chapel are becoming harder and harder to come by as the Island of Misfit Toys expands—now with nearly 600 members!), and I instantly knew that I was toast.

Well, it was a good run while it lasted.

Fortunately, the officer—Officer Plowman! (no relation)—was very kind and let me go with just a warning. My record of driving without a moving violation remains intact. Along with the warning, he gave me a very educational pamphlet with some harrowing data.

"If you or anyone in your vehicle aren't properly restrained," it read, "you can be issued a $45 citation."

The possibility of a fine sure gets your attention. But how about these statistics, which were also included:

"During the last five years, nearly half of fatalities on Utah's roads were unbuckled."
"Three out of four people ejected from the car in an accident perish."
"When the driver is belted, 87% of children also ride with a seatbelt. Be an example and buckle up."

Thank goodness for the warning. "It won't happen again, Officer," I assured him.

Then, as I went on my way and drove the rest of the distance to church, the thought that occurred to me was this: It's good to have warnings given, or else far-worse consequences are in store for ignoring the law or repeated violations. The consequences could be dire, indeed. My not wearing a seatbelt doesn't affect only me; it could be dangerous to others, as well.

Consider an oft-ignored or ridiculed warning such as this:


"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. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets."

What a blessing it is to have prophets, seers, and revelators who can see the storms, both ongoing and forthcoming, and who warn us accordingly. They do so not to limit our choices or to have power or control over us but, because they both know that ultimate happiness is impossible through sin (see Alma 41:10) and they can see what is coming, they do so out of love and genuine, Christlike concern for all of God's children.

To ignore such a warning—well, the consequences could be dire, indeed.

Gratitude amid Chaos

During my travels out on the streets today, I saw something that affected me deeply. It is an image that has haunted me all day long. And I expect it will be in my thoughts for months, if not years, to come.

It was something that I caught a glimpse of for only about three or four seconds, because as much as we like to rubberneck and stare at things that have gone boom out there on the roads, traffic, like the show, must go on.

What I saw was several different things going on at once: At the scene of a car accident, where one vehicle had collided violently into another, a half-block or so from where I pulled from a parking lot out onto the street to head the opposite direction, a person lay there, motionless, on the ground. A paramedic was performing CPR, working frantically over the motionless person, while another obviously emotionally distressed family member or friend sat inconsolably nearby, being attended by another medical professional. It all happened right out there on the asphalt, in the middle of the street. A police officer, I believe, was working to restore order where there was, for the moment, chaos.

There but for fortune, as the old saying goes, that person lying there helpless could have been you or me or any one of us. Sometimes, it feels like we're stuck in a game of dodgeball, and the ball can strike indiscriminately and without regard for who you are or where in your journey you're at—literally or figuratively.

I said a little prayer for that helpless person, the grieving family member, and those who rushed to aid. I hope the scene ended better than how I left it. Which was all any bystander could do at that moment.

I am grateful for the reminder of what is really important here in this mortal existence—to see people giving their very best like that in a moment when fate had handed someone one of life's worst blows. I'm grateful for people who respond to calls like that, doing a job under enormous pressure that I could never, ever do.

It's a roundabout way of saying it, but amid all of the junk and click bait and jokes and memes and everything else that clutters up our collective online experience, I take this little space in which I write tonight to express gratitude for the good, the bad, and the ugly that can make up this mortal existence. If we can recognize the lessons when they are presented to us, they can help us to keep it all in perspective, to grow, and to be grateful to the Lord for the journey. I remain grateful at the close of this day for one day more above the ground. I am grateful for the many the Lord has placed in my life at this time who bless my existence in countless ways.

Above all, I'm just grateful.