Musings on Life and Living

Scouting has been a part of my life since I was eight years old and joined a Wolf Den while attending the Peoria (Illinois) Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly after, my family started attending church in Morton, Illinois, and I joined Pack 229, which then led me to Troop 229. I earned my Eagle, the highest rank possible in the Boy Scouts of America, in 2001, right before my 18th birthday. This was a huge challenge for me and required me to leap over several hurdles, including not learning how to swim until I was 16, coordinating a blood drive for the American Red Cross, and taking on leadership roles in my Troop. After earning my Eagle and graduating from high school, I didn't do anything else with the Boy Scouts of America again until September 2010, when I began serving as Webelos Den Leader, which I did for three years. As a Webelos Den Leader, I had primary responsibility for making sure my boys were ready to cross over into Boy Scouts. ...

[I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting on June 26 about the prophetic mission of Joseph Smith, Jr. I chose to focus on the doctrines of the Gospel that were restored through Joseph, drawing from the Articles of Faith and other latter-day scripture. What follows is a fairly accurate transcript of my message.] “More, Save Jesus Only” Sacrament Meeting Talk - 26 June 2016 June 27, 1844 was a dark day for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their beloved prophet, Joseph Smith, and his brother, Hyrum, had been arrested and taken to jail, again, just three days earlier, this time on charges of inciting riot after Joseph, as mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, had ordered the printing press used by the Nauvoo Expositor destroyed after the paper was used to print slanderous stories about Joseph and other Church leaders, as well as treason against the State of Illinois. Accompanying Joseph and Hyrum at Carthage were two members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostl...