The Gray Report

This summer has been a full one! Brandon and I finished it off (mainly Brandon) with two short training videos for Freshman Mentoring here at BYU. They played in the Marriott Center on the Jumbotron in front of hundreds (if not thousands) of incoming freshmen and their peer mentors. It was pretty neat!

This morning studied the Book of Jarom in the Book of Mormon. A significant verse I found that I had never really paid much attention to was in verse four there is a small formula to receiving revelations (or guidance from God). Jarom states, "And there are many among us who have many revelations, for they are not all stiffnecked. And as many as are not stiffnecked and have faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the children of men, according to their faith. " The term "stiffnecked" means pride to me. I am not positive if that is all that is entailed in the word but I think that works in this case. I understand Jarom to be saying that those who humble themselves and develop a trust in God will open the lines of communication to the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost plays as small or large part in our lives as our faith allows it to. Thus I see humility and faith as key components of what Jarom feels to be tools to receiving revelation. I ...

Near the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Lehi tells his sons about the importance of agency and action. "And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon." (2 Nephi 2:14). I have been thinking about this concept off and on for a long time. I noticed on my mission while listening to Elder Bednar's talks that he often quotes this verse and refers to this idea in his speeches. It seems that Lehi is hitting on something that so often we all forget in our daily life, regardless of what has happened in the past we can choose how we will act in the present. "You got to let go of the stuff from past - because it just doesn't matter! The only thing that matters is what you choose to be now." This quote, as great as it is - is not from Lehi or anyone in the Book of Mormon....

I am finally stepping up to the plate and writing briefly about the films I viewed before the marriage happened. Since August 12 I have seen many other films (more than I can think of right now) and will not worry about writing about ever single one of those. However, I will begin the habit again of writing!! This was a new addition to my educational documentary film rage I have been on in the recent months. Unlike The Lottery and Waiting For Superman, Whatever It Takes follows the story of one administrator and one of his students. There was much less about schools as a whole, and more about how this guy was full of grit and fuel. Like the other films I have seen it motivated me to be an educator, but the film was less powerful and emotionally stimulating as the others. I thought it was ok, but I now better understand why it was not popping up as the first option on Netflix for someone interested in educational documentaries. So it has been said that is perhaps one of the best f...