I've had the privilege of many opportunities to speak and teach at Church in past years. Much of that was while travelling to wards or branches other than my own, and mostly when my children were not present. In short, I have shared my testimony more often with strangers than with those closest to me. This blog is an attempt to rectify that.
NB: This blog was started in 2015. It covers some things I said or wrote several years before then. I haven't revisited any of those materials for the purpose of adding up-dated notations or corrections. Since then, I and my views could well have changed. Lessons have been learned, insights gained, and opinions have been refined or altered. So, to paraphrase a better and holier writer than I, if there are faults, please forgive them, and just keep your attention focused on the things that really matter. Regardless of whatever changes might have taken place in me or my opinions since anything here was written, I remain committed to the doctrine of Christ and the practice of faith within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. -- September 21, 2023.
NB: When I deliver talks at Church, I do use my notes to guide me. Often I read them as slavishly as possible, because (although I always used to 'wing it' when younger) I know that the best time to expend the effort to obtain inspiration and craft an effective message is before standing up at the pulpit, and I trust those efforts to be reliable for those purposes. So I rely on them, on what I thought, felt and prepared to say while sitting, often for many hours, at my desk, praying, reading books, passages of scripture, conference talks, or whatever else was moving me at the time. But I don't rely on that exclusively. I also allow myself to change an expression, add commentary, flip or skip segments of the prepared talk while I am in the midst of delivery, always seeking to be available to divine inspiration, if any will be given, in the moment. I even do that occasionally when inserting talks into this on-line format, or I sometimes try to remember and recreate here the changes I made when speaking. So the final product here is always a unique blend of prior preparation and those spur of the moment impressions and, therefore, is not necessarily a perfect representation of what I actually said on the Sunday that I shared whichever talk it is you are reading. But hopefully each entry here fairly and accurately presents principles of the gospel and testimonies in which some readers might find inspiration. I have put them here especially for my family and close friends, but it is my hope that anyone reading this will find it beneficial.
~ MC
~ MC
Titles Times Topics (see topical list below)
Here I list the titles for each blog entry along with the original dates (if known) of presentation (as a talk or lesson) and their respective category headings. Each title is a link to the actual entry. The main index is in the order they were added to this website; after that are chronological and topical lists. To skip this page and go straight to the most recent entry, use the "blog" link above. For additional stuff, visit the "Other Stuff" link above. See way below for an index of social media miscellany that I have included.
Hail to the Pioneers
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* = likely inaccurate date
July 19, 2009
Space November 29, 2009 2010 (exact date unknown) June 14, 2009 July 11, 2010 Space October 1, 2010* February 20, 2011 January 23, 2011 March 23, 2011 April 17, 2011 September 2009 2011 (exact date unknown) September 2009 December 13, 2009 February 14, 2010 August 31, 2014 January 17, 2010 April 18, 2010 October 22, 2003 August 15, 2010 2005 September 16, 2012 March 20, 2012 October 16, 2011 November 2010 (exact date unknown) September 22, 2013 April 8, 2012 June 26, 2011 October 18, 2015 March 13, 2016 October 16, 2016 December 1~25, 2016 December 18, 2016 January 31~February 4, 2017 December 1-25, 2017 March 18, 2018 September 16, 2018 June, 2018 December 9, 2018 September 22, 2019 October 27, 2019 February 16, 2020 June 6, 2021 June 20, 2021 January 23, 2022 February 13, 2022 September 18, 2022 October 30, 2022 February 12, 2023 April 3-9, 2023 April 23, 2023 May 9, 2023 June 11, 2023 September 17, 2023 October 15, 2023 November 19, 2023 November-December 2023 January 28, 2024 February 18, 2024 March 10, 2024 March 24, 2024 |
Character, Faith, Pioneers, Trials
Space Character, God the Father, Heavenly Mother, Holiness Faith, Fasting, Peace, Repentance Faith, Trials Atonement of Jesus Christ, Forgiveness, Scriptures Space Atonement of Jesus Christ, Education, Holy Ghost, Teaching Atonement of Jesus Christ, Forgiveness, Obedience, Repentance, Sacrament, Testimony Becoming Like Christ, Character, Integrity Children, Family, Parenting Children, Church, Education, Heavenly Mother, Primary, Relief Society, Sunday School, Youth Programs Atonement of Jesus Christ, Character, Forgiveness, Repentance Atonement of Jesus Christ, Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ, Peace Becoming Like Christ, Charity, Obedience, Salvation, Service Christmas, Easter, Jesus Christ, Love Church, Family, Heavenly Mother, Jesus Christ, Love, Marriage, Scriptures Character, Church, Happiness, Jesus Christ Gossip, Grace, Integrity, Jesus Christ, Joe Strummer, Love Atonement of Jesus Christ, Charity, Forgiveness, Grace, Humility, Love, Satan, Virtue Becoming Like Christ, Charity, Perfection, Sainthood, Service Atonement of Jesus Christ, Becoming like Christ, Character, Jesus Christ, Mercy, Satan Prayer Armour of God, Joe Strummer, Repentance, The Book of Mormon Atonement of Jesus Christ, Character, Grief, Mercy, Plan of Salvation, Suffering Becoming like Christ, Care for the Poor, Covetousness, God the Father, Hell, Jesus Christ, Opposition, Vincent Van Gogh Individual Value, Jesus Christ, Love, Missionary Work Apostles, Atonement of Jesus Christ, Family, Military Service, Peace, Prophecy, Prophets, Repentance, Satan, War Atonement of Jesus Christ, Easter, Grace, Sacrament Grace, Jesus Christ, Repentance Callings, Character, Priesthood, Women Apostles, Church, Jesus Christ, Testimony Atonement of Jesus Christ, Grace, Joy, Missionary Work, Repentance Agency, Children, Christmas, Family, Gratitude, Healing, Jesus Christ, Joy, Peace, Prayer, Sabbath, Scriptures, Service, Teaching (and others) Christmas, Jesus Christ Interfaith Dialogue Charity, Christmas, Jesus Christ, Judgement, Family, Sabbath, Service... Atonement of Jesus Christ, Easter, Jesus Christ, Sacrament, Salvation Becoming Like Christ, Jesus Christ, Testimony Gifts of the Spirit, God the Father, Love, Missionary Work Atonement of Jesus Christ, Bible, Liahona, Natural Man, Standard Works, The Book of Mormon Holy Ghost, Love, Ministering, Understanding Apostasy, Church, Family, Gender, Joseph Smith, Restoration, Standard Works Atonement of Jesus Christ, Sabbath, Sacrament, Worship Jesus Christ, Joy, Love, Ministering Children, Fatherhood, Family, Joseph (Father of Jesus), Parenting Hate, Love, Repentance, Sin Accountability, Charity, Love, Missionary Work, Preparedness, Prophecy, Self-Reliance Exaltation/Eternal Life, Jesus Christ, Repentance, Salvation Commandments, Covenant Path (, The), Covenants, Doctrine of Christ, Jesus Christ Atonement of Jesus Christ, Forgiveness, Repentance Atonement of Jesus Christ, Crucifixion, Easter, Jesus Christ, Sacrament, Spirit Prison, Resurrection, Washings (Ordinance) Becoming Like Christ, Exaltation/Eternal Life, Interconnectedness, Temples, The Pearl of Great Price Interfaith Dialogue, Jesus Christ, Love Children, Covenant Path (The), Covenants, Example Discipleship, Forgiveness, Guilt Covenant Path (the), Covenants, Jesus Christ Superstar, Love Adversity, Covenants, Jesus Christ, Plan of Salvation, Service Assertive Love, God the Father, Interfaith Dialogue, Peace, Peacemakers, Prejudice, The Book of Mormon Charity, Godly Sorrow, Grace, Love, Nephi's Psalm, Repentance Belonging, Church, Jesus Christ, Service Discipleship, Jesus Christ, Palm Sunday, Perfection, Repentance, Sermon on the Mount |
A Chronological List
(October 22, 2003) The Legacy of Sainthood
(2005) Wrestling with the Lord in Lake Simcoe
(June 14, 2009) Live as if...
(July 19, 2009) Hail to the Pioneers
(September 2009) Reconciliation and Transformation & How do we know we are Saved?
(November 29, 2009) God
(December 13, 2009) Christ's Love
(January 17, 2010) Gossip & the Gospel
(February 14, 2010) How Shall I Love Thee...
(April 18, 2010) Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts
(July 11, 2010) A Lesson in Forgiveness (that I needed at the time, and still)
(August 15, 2010) The Quality of Mercy
(ca. October 1, 2010) Teaching
(November, 2010) The Invitation is to All
(2010, month unknown) Rest in the Lord (on Peace of Mind, Penitence & Fasting)
(January 23, 2011) The Place and Source of Character
(February 20, 2011) Remembering Jesus (on Obedience & Excuses)
(March 23, 2011) "Not on My Watch"
(April 17, 2011) On the Auxiliaries of the Church
(June 26, 2011) On Repentance
(October 16, 2011) Coveting, Caring and Consequences, or, Service, Self-Sacrifice and Spirituality
(2011, month unknown) The Heart of All Things
(March 20, 2012) The Good in Grief
(April 8, 2012) "Is it I?"
(September 16, 2012) Winning the Victory
(September 22, 2013) Wars and Peace
(August 31, 2014) On Happiness & The Risk of Falling Away
(October 18, 2015) Women and the Priesthood
(March 13, 2016) The Living Christ
(October 16, 2016) Witnesses of Christ
(December 1-25, 2016) Light the World 2016
(December 18, 2016) Share the Gift
(Jan. 31-Feb. 4, 2017) World Interfaith Harmony Week
(December 1-25, 2017) Light the World 2017
(March 18, 2018) Holy Week
(June 2018) From Other to Brother: The Transformation of Otherness in the LDS Missionary Experience
(September 16, 2018) A Christian's Guide to the Experience of God
(December 9, 2018) No Safety in the Scriptures
(September 22, 2019) Speaking to Another's Understanding
(October 27, 2019) "Interfaith Learning" at St. Stephen Lutheran Church
(February 16, 2020) Worship
(June 6, 2021) Rejoice in the Lord
(June 20, 2021) Principles of Fatherhood
(January 23, 2022) What God Hates
(February 13, 2022) "If ye are prepared..."
(September 18, 2022) Repentance and Salvation
(October 30, 2022) On the Covenant Path
(February 12, 2023) Tell a New Story
(April 3 - 9, 2023) Holy Week 2023
(April 23, 2023) Why go to the Temple?
(May 9, 2023) Interfaith Dialogue & Polarization
(June 11, 2023) Guiding Children on the Covenant Path
(September 17, 2023) On Forgiveness and Guilt
(October 15, 2023) God loves you
(November 19, 2023) On Adversity
(Nov-Dec., 2023) Interfaith Offerings on Peace
(January 28, 2024) On Being Perfect
(February 18, 2024) Repentance and God's Love
(March 10, 2024) On Belonging
(March 24, 2024) Being Perfect
A Topical List
It should be kept in mind that where a topic is identified with an entry, it is because it seems to play a significant role in the talk or article in question. However, many of the topics listed here are actually mentioned in many more entries than are identified with them (like "Grace", for example).
"Social Media Musings" entries (linked on the Other Stuff page)
Why I am not a Catholic (Facebook, Sept. 24, 2013) - link
On Doubting & The Book of Mormon (Facebook, Dec. 31, 2018) - link A Rhyme Takes Time (Facebook, Jan, 10-11, 2019) - link Walter Rane's Gabriel (Facebook & Twitter, Jan, 18, 2019) - link Receiving Refugees (Facebook, Nov. 23, 2015) - link The God Who Weeps (Facebook, Jan. 15, 2020) - link Labouring Because of a Love of Language (Facebook, June 16, 2023) - link |
A Poetic Conversation (Twitter, Oct. 9, 2018) - link
A Lengthy Dialogue (Facebook, December, 2018) - link Boys Will be Boys (Facebook & Twitter, Jan. 15, 2019) - link Gaining Conviction (Facebook, Jan, 23, 2019) - link On Homosexuality and the Church (Facebook, June 7, 2019) - link Book of Mormon Memes (Facebook, 2023) - link |