Tuesdays with Muerte

Bhutanese with English subtitles, 2013, 80 minutes, color, France/Finland,  World Documentary About the Film In 1999, King Jigme Wangchuck approved the use of television and Internet throughout the largely undeveloped nation of Bhutan, assuring the masses that rapid development was synonymous with the “gross national happiness” of his country, a term he himself coined. Director Thomas Balmès’s film  Happiness  begins at the end of this process as Laya, the  last remaining village tucked away within the Himalayan kingdom, becomes enmeshed in roads, electricity, and cable television. Through the eyes of an eight-year-old monk impatient with prayer and eager to acquire a TV set, we witness the seeds of this seismic shift sprouting during a three-day journey from the outskirts of Laya to the thriving capital of Thimphu. It is here the young boy discovers cars, toilets, colorful club lights, and countless other elements of modern life for the first time. "Bal...

This is the second installment (Part 2 of 3) of my  Becoming a Godly Teacher  series.  It is a cognitive reflection on what it means to "teach one another" based on the scripture  D&C 88:77-79 .  What does it mean to teach one another?  And what happens when teaching one another is done diligently  (over time)?  This post will also revisit some lingering questions from the previous installment on ( D&C 88:122-123 ).  E.g. Can more than one teacher be "appointed" at a time? Is there a difference between the role of a gospel teacher and a secular teacher? Note: A major assumption I'm making is that gospel learning and secular learning are both aided by the grace of God.  In fact, I believe that all knowledge is of God and pertinent to His kingdom.  Through the grace of Christ, we can know the truth of essentially all things, when it is expedient for us to understand them. (v.79)  E.g. What is taught in Biology 101...

Summary This is a recording of an hour-long fireside. It features two married couples, both whom have recently "graduated" from the Slate Canyon YSA ward (with honors). In panel discussion style, they respond to dating- and marriage-related questions posed to them by their former peers. Questions were asked and answered in 4 sets of 3-4 questions over the course of the hour. Panelists Maizy and Tyler Cloutier Shelly and Marty Cluff Moderator Bishop Van Orman Participants Slate Canyon YSA Ward, Provo YSA Stake ≈100 ward members in attendance Recording Information Recorded on Sunday, 2014-01-19 at the "Blue Roof Chapel"  by Bryan Tanner using the VoiceRecorderHD app on an iPhone5. Additional Information While the audio recording of the dating panel is good, the real value of this post is the additional 5-page document , compiled by Bishop Van Orman, summarizing responses from a FAQ dating questionnaire he sent out to 20, former ward...

I have always wondered why Missouri is called the Show Me state. After a tiny bit of digging, I unearthed a marvelous story behind Missouri's mysterious sobriquet. Note: The slogan is not official, but is common throughout the state and is used on Missouri license plates. The most widely known legend attributes the phrase to Missouri's U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1897 to 1903. While a member of the U.S. House Committee on Naval Affairs, Vandiver attended an 1899 naval banquet in Philadelphia. In a speech there, he declared, I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me. Regardless of whether Congressman Vandiver coined the phrase, it is certain that his speech helped to popularize the saying. The use of Vandiver's phrase, "show me," during his sti...

O Nata Lux: Lyric translations: English O Light, born of Light, Jesus, Redeemer of the world, with loving-kindness deign to receive suppliant praise and prayer. Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh for the sake of the lost, grant us to be members of thy blessed body. Lux Aeterna: "O Nata Lux";  Composer: Morten Lauridsen;  Conductor: Paul Salamunovich;  Los Angeles Master Chorale and Sinfonia Orchestra Of all the words in the text, the word I especially adore is, " Loving-kindness ."  I love how the scriptures use it to expound on the motivations of Christ's mercy. After reading and thinking about the following two scriptures, I encourage you to listen to the piece again and bask in the calming assurance of His perfect love. Hosea 2: 19-20  —"And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness , and in merc...

What manner of men [teachers] ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.  [ 3 Nephi 27:21, 27 ] This is not a brief post.  But it is organized (Part 1 of 3).  In this first installment, you'll find my responses to eight questions I thought of as I pondered  Doctrine and Covenants 88:122-123 . Overarching Questions I approached my personal study with two questions in mind. How can I pattern my teaching after the Savior's? What modern-day teachings has God declared about teaching ? Questions to Ponder While there are countless scripture I could have turned to, I chose to limit my study to two verses of scripture: D&C 88:122-123 .  With these two verses and my two overarching questions in mind, eight key questions came to mind.  I list and responded to each of these in their respective subheadings below: What is this scripture essentially saying about teaching? What do these verses reveal about the role of a gospel t...

My roommate Dan Randall and me at the 2013 AECT Convention in CA. Why Do I Always Wake Up 5 Minutes Before My Alarm Goes Off?   At the center of your brain, a clump of nerves—called the suprachiasmatic nucleus—oversees your body’s clock: the circadian rhythm. It determines when you feel sleepy and when you feel bright-eyed. It controls your blood pressure, your body temperature, and your sense of time. It turns your body into a finely tuned machine. That machine happens to love predictability. Your body is most efficient when there’s a routine to follow. So if you hit the hay the same time each night and awake the same time each morning, your body locks that behavior in. And that’s where things get sciency. Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/53710/why-do-i-always-wake-5-minutes-my-alarm-goes#ixzz2l9AFPrZl What is Oxford Dictionary's 2013 Word of the Year?  Every year, Oxford Dictionary names a Word of the Year, the word “that is jud...