Tag Archives: Light

Oct. 6, 2025 – Light shining in darkness

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Caption?

A young Eucalyptus tree growing on a volcano

Light penetrating the clouds as we walk through them

Lunch with missionaries who just arrived on the island

Sunsets and moon-risings

Sand refined and smooth

I could talk about the challenging moments this week, in all their varieties – physical, emotional, and spiritual – but I feel to focus on the light that shone through to illuminate each of those learning moments. As Elder Peter M. Johnson read in General Conference on Sunday, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God…I am the light which shineth in darkness…” (D&C 6:21) The light of General Conference including the music was a personal blessing. Sister Tracy Browning taught, “Sacred music can shine the Light of Christ on the hearer and can pour it into the heart of the singer.” (Sister Tracy Y. Browning, 2nd Counselor in the Primary General Presidency)

We began our General Conference having prayed all week for those preparing and participating in the conference. After the Saturday morning session we had breakfast at a members home with the full-time missionaries and other guests. A non-member friend of the family was there and we all had wonderful conversation about Jesus Christ and the Church. He was very anxious to bring ‘religious structure’ back into his life. We all encouraged with love.  

Later that day, we felt prompted to visit our neighbors. As we entered their home to pleasant smiles, Jana’i looked up from the tea-leaf weaving project she was preparing for local school children. I said, “Can we tell you why today is such a blessing?” Curtis and Jana’i nodded yes. “It is General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” They again nodded with some recognition of what this is. We continued, “It is so wonderful to hear so much encouragement and joy and messages about Jesus Christ.” Jana’i replied, “I feel and appreciate your enthusiasm.” From prior conversation we knew that their son had been baptized years ago when some of his friends left on missions. They talked about other friends they’ve had who are members of the Church and have had a positive influence on them. To our invitation to join us to watch General Conference they politely said, “Maybe next time,” so we gave them the link and encouraged them to participate. After more mutually enjoyable conversation we departed till our next visit.

We’d like to now share a couple examples of light shining through some challenging moments this week.

Emotional – At our Addiction Recovery Program (ARP) support meetings we often feel some of the weight that we imagine addicts carry as they seek healing and sobriety in a world filled with ongoing trials and temptations. There are times when I personally feel overwhelmed for them and my heart aches. True, we don’t know exactly what they are going through. But we do our best to love and read scriptures with them and encourage the light of Christ to shine through the darkness. ARP Step 5 involves the principle of confession and more than one person expressed how hard it is to confess to ecclesiastical leaders who haven’t experienced what they are going through. When I bore my testimony this week, I feel like I fell short of expressing Christlike love. But after the meeting the Spirit helped me see light that was indeed shining through the darkness, even though not obvious to me at the time.

Spiritual – One form of spiritual darkness is when doubt or fear accompanies the loss of hope in one or more eternal blessings. But here again, the potential light is in the process of applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ, learning the truth thereby overcoming or allowing Christ to disperse the darkness. I won’t go into personal specifics here, but I am learning more and more what He meant, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Revelation through the Holy Ghost while studying the Word – frees us from many things including darkness that can come from false or incomplete understandings.

As an engineer, my ears perked up this weekend when President Eyring said, “Long ago I sought to learn physics and mathematics in my college years. I felt overwhelmed…” He went on to express how challenging and discouraging it was. He prayed and received, “I am proving you, but I am also with you.” He then shared, “I learned that my struggle with physics was actually a gift from the Lord. He was teaching me that with His help, I could do things that seemed impossible if I had the faith…” (Henry B. Eyring, Oct. 2025)

As we review our week, mission, and life, we see that most days have been filled with light. A young Eucalyptus tree growing on a volcano, light penetrating the clouds as we walk through them, lunch with missionaries who just arrived on the island, sunsets and moon-risings. The blessings of the Gospel, the Earth, and family are wonderful. The more we study the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the brighter we see our past, present and future. We are very grateful for our Father in Heaven, His Son Jesus Christ, and the comfort and revelation from the Holy Ghost. Like life, while walking on the beach, our bare feet leave depressions in the infinite and perfect grains of soft coral sand. When we turn back we see the waves rush in and flow back out, our footprint gone, the sand even more refined and smooth. As we walk intentionally through life with Him, baring our souls amidst his righteous waves, He refines us even in the process and presence of his beautiful creations. We are grateful for these moments, and the light of the Earth and all our Father in Heaven has prepared for his children.

Aloha, and Mahalo.

Aug. 18, 2025 – A still small voice, and a house sketch

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When is your most likely time for personal revelation? When is the earth, wind, and fire quiet and the mind at peace enough to hear that “still small voice?” (Ref. 1 Kings 19:12) For me it is early in the morning after a good nights rest, just before I’m conscious enough to remember yesterday’s concerns or todays obligations, yet aware and calm enough to allow my thoughts to be guided by God’s whisper (D&C 85:6) and perfect mildness. (Helaman 5:30) In full disclosure, this doesn’t happen every morning, but I wish it did. This week it happened on Saturday morning and it was persistent. Over and over I imagined myself getting out of bed, opening my journal and drawing a simple two-dimensional sketch of a house in which I was writing the elements of a ‘House of Order.’ Okay, perhaps that wasn’t very revelatory as, like many of you, Joan and I had been studying Doctrine and Covenants Section 88 the day before in preparation for teaching on Sunday. The phrase, ‘House of Order,’ comes from a well-known scripture, “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;” (D&C 88:118).

So, what was the revelation? It was that I needed to keep this lesson simple and clear and help our sixteen- and seventeen-year-old students apply part of its powerful message. The problem was, Section 88 is an “olive leaf” of peace to the Saints; it contains some of the most powerful and revelatory doctrine about God, his galactic creations, his work, his power, his light, even the light and power of Christ. As we studied this week we were filled with so much wonder that we didn’t know how to choose the portion that we should focus on for our class. “It’s all great; we want to teach it all.” It was overwhelming. Revelation provided the answer; focus on learning and preparing to learn by establishing a house (or personal life) of prayer, fasting, faith, learning, glory, order, and of God. So I finally got up and drew the imagined house in my journal, opened the scriptures and began to populate the house with some of the things God wanted all to teach and learn (D&C 88: 77-80), followed by the process of being most effective at teaching and learning (D&C 88:118-126). 

It wasn’t until standing in front of these wonderful youth on Sunday that I realized they were starting another year of school (some were even heading off to college), and during our discussion we could see and feel that they were grasping more fully God’s reasons for them to learn spiritual as well as secular knowledge so that they could be effective in His work (which may have something to do with the Lord including the “parable of the man sending his servants into the field and visiting them in turn” (D&C 88:51-61). You decide. And by the way, Sister Hardman’s cinnamon roll creations helped satisfy classroom taste buds while providing an object lesson or spiral symbol of Gods galactic creations.

There are definitely applications of D&C 88 to our work as group leaders in the Addiction Recovery Program. As Sister Hardman and I prepare with faith, prayer and learning to establish a setting or house of God, participants experience love and support. We learn right along with them and this week was no different as we moved from the “thorough repentance” steps into the sustaining steps 10 through 12. Step 10, is “Continue to take personal inventory and when we are wrong, promptly admit it.” The more I studied this step the more excited I grew that this is an emphasis I need each day to get over some of my compulsive behaviors such as being prideful, judgmental or impatient. Among other principles, this step includes being intentionally accountable to God, drawing close to him in morning and evening prayer, and throughout the day to protect us from drifting back into old habits. “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (D&C 88:63)

I’m realizing that if I truly want to stop unfavorable habits I need to more continuously remember the Saviors Atonement, example and teachings throughout the day. I need to watch myself, anticipate the triggers, and be ready to apply Christ’s power to help me be better. This scripture in the Book of Mormon means so much more to me now. “If ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.” (Mosiah 4:30)

This week we took several excursions to keep our physical and emotional house in order and to enjoy Gods creations; his children and nature. We took the coastal lava flow hike called the La Perouse Bay, a historical isolated bay on the south tip of Maui with coral beaches, black goats and powerful waves. On another day we ascended a small trail near the top of Haleakala. We visited the Wunders in Pukalani, a faithful couple upcountry who are continuously serving and very interested in our work. They loaned us a DVD called, “Road to Zion – Travels in Church History, The Hawaiian Episodes.” We love learning Hawaiian church history. So we camped out in our meetinghouse library for two evenings (the only place we could find a DVD player). And of course we regularly massage our bare feet walking along fine-sand beaches.