Mr. Paco's Opus

My copies of these four books arrived in the mail yesterday. I co-authored them along with a handful of other talented writers and editors. (To be honest, though, I am responsible for somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters of the content.)

The Reading Horizons Reading Library (fourth edition) contains hundreds of passages on various topics of interest for beginning readers, totaling more than 800 pages altogether. They are the product of countless hours of brainstorming, research, writing, editing, rewriting, and rewriting again over the past decade. The topics include everything from animals, Earth science, biology, sports, and technology to culture, famous places, world historical figures, famous firsts and even pumpkin chunking, parkour, and the legend of the Chupacabras, to name just a few.

It's been a labor of love for all involved, and I'm grateful for what we have created together and for the many who will benefit from using the Library. I've been a contractor for Reading Horizons for almost 11 years now. I would recommend our methods and products to every beginning or struggling reader and ESL student.

Family Dinner/January 2018

On Sunday, we celebrated our January birthdays at monthly family dinner. Dallin, this year a senior at Layton High, is 18 years old! They grow up so fast. It's hard to believe that in a few, short months he will be getting his paperwork ready to submit for serving a mission. We also sang "Happy Birthday" for Jessica, whose birthday is today (the 30th).

A Prophet's Voice

Though we were deeply saddened as a Church by the passing of our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, from "this frail existence," the work of the Lord moves forward, "boldy, nobly, and independent," as Joseph Smith said. At a press conference last week, we learned that the senior Apostle, Russell M. Nelson, had been set apart as the 17th president of the Church in these latter days. For counselors, he had chosen Presidents Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring.

I know that President Nelson is a prophet of God. As he spoke, I could feel the mantle of his calling already on his shoulders. And I look forward to sustaining him and his counselors formally during this April's solemn assembly at general conference.

To my LDS friends who are saddened to see Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf no longer a counselor in this new First Presidency, now back in his place in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as well as Pres. Eyring now serving as second counselor where he had once served as first counselor, I say: This is not any sort of "demotion" in any sense of the word. We will still hear from and be taught by both frequently, and they aren't going anywhere.

There is precedent for this type of change when a new prophet has been called. Pres. J. Reuben Clark Jr., for example, had served for many years as first counselor to both Presidents Heber J. Grant and George Albert Smith during the 1930s and 1940s when President David O. McKay, who became prophet in 1951, called Pres. Clark to instead be his second counselor and another Apostle (Stephen L Richards, who had higher seniority) as his first counselor. Shortly thereafter, Pres. Clark remarked in general conference: "In the service of the Lord, it is not where you serve but how. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one takes the place to which one is duly called, which place one neither seeks nor declines." A similar reorganization in 1970 with the calling of Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith moved Pres. Hugh B. Brown from the First Presidency back into his place in the Quorum of the Twelve.

Though Pres. Nelson is at the helm here on Earth, I know that the Lord is in charge of His church, and His work goes forth. What an exciting time to be alive! We have so very many reasons to be grateful.

Issac's Blessing

The first Fast Sunday of the year was also the day on which my nephew Isaac Jeffrey was given his LDS baby blessing by his father, Jeff. Yours truly, along with Ike's other uncles and a couple of grandparents, stood in the circle for the priesthood ordinance.

Afterward, we congregated at Jeff's brother's house for a family brunch. I provided a box of Mike & Ike candy I found at the store last week for this very photo op:

Unfortunately, Ike began to cry just as I was about to snap the photo.

It's always great to be surrounded by family, including part of Scott's and Claudia's gang. My cousin Jared's son Jordan was also in town from California and joined us for this occasion.

The Brass Serpent and the Iron Rod

In a semi-recent elders quorum lesson in my EQ (one of four on the Island of Misfit Toys!), the instructor posed this question: "When we approach God in prayer to ask Him for forgiveness, how long does it take Him to grant our request?"

I was one of those to answer and posed the thought that, if we are sincere and are penitent, He grants it right away. He wants to give us this blessing. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught us in the mission field that preaching repentance is not condemning others; instead, it is offering them one of the greatest blessings God can give!

How beautiful it is to know we worship a God who's forgiveness is there for the asking! The Brass Serpent that Moses held up to the children of Israel in the wilderness is there for us all if we will not harden our hearts and refuse look up at it. It was a simple thing to do, and yet many perished because they were too stubborn or unbelieving merely "to look to God and live" (Alma 37:47).

It's a simple act of faith to get down on our knees, to offer a heartfelt prayer, to ask for forgiveness. And the granting of it is simple, in its essence, too.

Alma the Younger taught: "Now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you" (Alma 34:31; emphasis added).

Having said that, of course, and because "faith without works is dead," our sincerity in asking for forgiveness must almost be accompanied by action. I've learned that while we individually don't have to sacrifice or suffer to repent (because Christ suffered for us), we do have to sacrifice and suffer to change. We must not only cease bad behavior(s), we must also replace it/them with a good one(s). We have to daily choose to take hold of the Iron Rod as we strive to put off the natural man, to become someone different than we were before. It's not easy, and the pathway of discipleship was always meant to be. The same goes for breaking free from things that are not necessarily sins but bad habits.

In the October 2016 general conference, Elder Lynn G. Robbins taught: "An unwillingness to sacrifice as part of our penitence, mocks or belittles His greater sacrifice for the same sin."

It's one part simple, one part tough. But we have help. We have so much help to guide us along the journey. It is there in the simple, Sunday school answers of prayer, scripture study, attending meetings, and so forth. It is also there in those along the same journey who buoy us up in our efforts to change, like the ugly duckling who turned over time into a beautiful swan (metaphorically speaking).

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine bravely and opened expressed on social media that he has been struggling with a pornography addiction. In admitting to this, he also asked for the help of his friends by beginning a daily habit of posting as to whether or not that day was a "win," or a day in which he had succeeded in avoiding temptation.

I've been following this friend's posts since, and I've been amazed by both his progress as well as the incredible amount of support he's received from others as one or two days of "wins" have, at last counting, become now two weeks' worth. It's been inspiring to see his will to change. It also inspires me in my efforts to confront my own challenges.

When our "favorite sins," and we each have them, enter our thoughts or come around wanting to hang out again, like Peter in the New Testament, we each must answer the Lord in our own way if we love Him "more than these" (John 21:15; emphasis added). I use "these" in this sense being those things that would get in our way on the path of the Iron Rod.

Prophet of the People

This past Sunday, I was asked to go to the care center branch in our stake to give a talk in their sacrament meeting service. I have been attending and helping out with various functions at this branch for a number of years now, and I never cease to be floored the amazing people in the branch and the Spirit I feel each time I go. This time was no exception.

For my topic, I chose to speak on the Prophet Joseph Smith, as his birthday (December 23) is another birthday we recognize around this time of year. In concluding my message, I got to once again stand before a congregation of the Church and bear testimony of our latter-day prophets, in particular my witness that President Thomas S. Monson holds the same keys Joseph held.

Then, last night, I went to the local Megaplex for my fourth viewing (don't look so shocked) of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. As the closing credits began to roll, I checked my phone for any text messages or news. I was deeply saddened to read more than one post on social media alerting me that our dear prophet had passed away earlier in the evening.

As a Church, we're always sorrowful when any of the General Authorities shuffle off this mortal coil, but especially so when it's our president. I join with my fellow Latter-day Saints today in mourning this wonderful, bold, caring, exemplary man who has now been reunited with the wife he lost a few years ago and has gone onto his reward in the rest of our Lord.

If you're a Latter-day Saint and are looking for a great read, or even if you're just a friend of the Church, I would highly recommend reading his biography, To the Rescue, by Heidi Swinton. It's a phenomenal book. I learned so many things about our prophet that I did not previously know. For example, in all of the years he went to East Germany behind the Iron Curtain, he was warned by the U.S. Embassy more than once that they could probably not do anything to get him out if something went wrong—and yet he went anyway, time and again. This is the kind of person he was.

I know President Thomas S. Monson was a prophet of God. I also know that those of us who remain behind in these troubled times have nothing to fear, that in a short amount of time we'll see the First Presidency reorganized and another called to lead us with great faith and strength in his absence. My thoughts and prayers are also with President Russell M. Nelson and the other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles today.

New Year's Eve

Like many of you, JB and I rang in the New Year with a Star Wars movie marathon, starting with The Force Awakens, which was followed by A New Hope.

No, the Star Wars marathon was not my idea. Honestly! Her sister's family joined us for part of the evening, and it was their idea. I promise.

In addition, we enjoyed some delicious panetón, a Peruvian tradition for NYE:

The year 2017 was one of many changes, but most of them were good ones! We're looking forward to many more great things to come in 2018.

Happy New Year!