Thoughts and stories, by Pal

 I know Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, and he is as true and good as any human on this earth! Elder Holland: What They Heard is Not What He Said By  Daniel C. Peterson  · September 7, 2021 Cover image via the Church Newsroom. To read more insights from Daniel, visit his blog:  Sic Et Non . Between my first arrival on campus in the fall of 1970 and my retirement on 1 July 2021—a span of fifty-one years—all but approximately eight years were spent as a member of either the student body or the faculty of Brigham Young University.  I say this not for nostalgia’s sake, and not even because my now-advanced age and the sheer length of that elapsed period amaze me, though they do.  (Jacob’s words, at the end of his life and of the book that bears his name, in which he writes that “the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream” [Jacob 7:26] resonate with me more and more.)  I say it because it suggests how ver...

This article by Wallace Goddard, from Meridian Magazine, has some insights that were new to me, even after 60 plus years of marriage .  Now I am a widow, it helps me look back on my married life, and understand, even more, some of the differences my husband Wayne and I brought to our marriage.  We were a most unlikely pair, as far as our native talents and interests were considered.  He was a total sports fan, and I couldn't care less about them.  I loved music and art!  But we also were both very committed to the Gospel, and had several interests we shared -- such as a love of live theater.  It would have been helpful to have read something like this early on in our marriage! When Spouses Make Each Other Crazy By Wallace Goddard  · December 4, 2017 People are as different as foods on a buffet. For example, I am an extrovert. I do my thinking on the outside. I think out loud. Nancy is an introvert. She likes to thi...

This is a delightful article which would be good for newlyweds to read.  Also those of us who have been married much longer.  The principles apply no matter  how long you have been married.  Mariah Proctor is the daughter of the editors of Meridian Magazine. Eight Lessons I Learned From the Hardest Year of Marriage By Mariah Proctor  · October 27, 2016 To sign up for Meridian’s Free Newsletter, please  CLICK HERE Images above via Amber Weimer and Katie Ruth Scoresby respectively.  Firstly, if this first year of marriage is truly the hardest, then sign me up for sixty more! I’ve genuinely enjoyed my time being married to this man I chose, but I can see how it’s an adjustment to join your life with another person. I’ve learned some lessons that might be helpful to those counting down until their big day, or amusing to those whose first year was long ago. Lesson one: how to skin a moose. No, I’m just kidding. That...

This letter touches my heart!  I have known people with physical flaws, and their hearts and spirits are usually very kind and understanding of all others.  Perhaps Richard Paul Evans' experiences mentioned below have given him the insight and inspiration to write such great books! http://www.richardpaulevans.com/index.php/2014/12/29/woman-church-sent-anonymous-letter/ To the woman at church who sent me an anonymous letter By Richard Paul Evans He is writing this last year's most read entries on his blog.  It can be found here: Dear Friends, please help me get this letter to the person who needs it by sharing it on your Facebook page, email and Twitter. Thank you. Dear Anonymous, I was very much disheartened by your anonymous letter. I was saddened that you hadn’t the courage to include your name so I could help you understand the truth. Since I must believe that you wouldn’t possibly “friend” a “man like me” on your...

I found this great article this morning on LDS Living, and it is from the blog: LDS Smile  (ldssmile.com)   --- I want to give them credit for it, and I have condensed it a bit, and written a comment of mine, or two --       In Lds Living it was entitled :   "How to not be offended at Church" When Writing the Story of Your Life, Don’t Let Anyone Else Hold the Pen JANUARY 29, 2014  BY:  JOHN HUNTINGHOUSE "One of the most disheartening e-mails we receive on a daily basis are ones that go along the lines of “a member has done something to me that make me angry and consequently I have stopped going to church.” All of us face our own fellowshipping/members issues. We will almost always find ourselves in various situations where we could choose to be offended by the actions of others whether intentional or not. I have found myself in plenty of these situations and sometimes I am the better man, realizing that it wasn’t inten...