About This Blog

This blog is dedicated to truth and understanding. It's mainly ideas from an LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) member's perspective to an LDS audience. However, this blog is in no way affiliated to the Church. These are my own views, according to my knowledge and understanding–so, be nice! In my experience, I have found that truth can sometimes be very difficult to receive or accept. It requires humility towards God, good intention, and sacrifice; having no expectations. I'm learning not to be reactionary to new information. This has allowed heaven to open up a little bit more for me. It's easy to think that we already have the truth, but we are still commanded to know God in this life.

I probably tend to be preachy, and I apologize if it comes across that way. These musings will likely come from my personal journal and mostly reflect my own strong opinions and feelings. Sometimes I like to contrast things to make my ideas more clear. I also like the language and intensity of the scriptures. Give it to me straight, Rocky! My audience was written as myself in mind. I hate the idea of forcing my ideas on others, and I prefer the spirit of sharing and persuasion. In large company I tend to be reserved, and opening up to people in a public forum is beyond my comfort zone; but I feel this is right for me. It helps me condense my thoughts over the past few years, and to talk about these things more openly. I'm naturally a goofy fellow in company of close friends and family; however, the topics I talk about here are very important to me.

I had the opportunity to hear from then Elder Uchtdorf on my mission on three separate occasions. Each time he gave the following great advice to the effect of, “always study the gospel as if it were your first time”. Don't let studying the gospel become boring or rote. Our journey to know God is such a fascinating journey, and we have to know the language of the scriptures to help us recognize and seek truth. Having God teach us truth by the Spirit is always amazing. This journey to find God is between you and nobody else.

I believe we're all on a journey to know God in this life. This blog is intended to invite all in discussion, questions, opinions–all in the spirit of respect and fellowship. The ultimate source of truth, of course, is God. Learning directly from God is my endeavor.

In the end, I'm just a regular guy with tons of weaknesses and shortcomings. Whatever I say that doesn't jive with what the Spirit tells you, then good grief…discard that junk. I just hope something good comes of this.

¡Paz y amor!
-Mr. Jones

Approaching Zion by Hugh Nibley:

What things then should we think about, and how? Here the Prophet is very helpful. In the first place, that question itself is what we should think about. We won't get very far on our way until we have faced up to it. But as soon as we start seriously thinking about that, we find ourselves covered with confusion, overwhelmed by our feelings of guilt and inadequacy—in other words, repenting for our past delinquency. In this condition, we call upon the Lord for aid, and he hears us. We begin to know what the Prophet Joseph meant about the constant searching, steadily storing our minds with knowledge and information—the more we get of it, the better we are able to judge the proper priorities as we feel our way forward, as we become increasingly alert to the promptings of the Spirit which become ever more clear and more frequent, following the guidance of the Holy Ghost: and as we go forward, we learn to cope with the hostile world with which our way is sure to bring us into collision in time. That calls for sacrifice, but what of that? Eternal life is not cheaply bought.