This morning I woke up to my very frustrated son, who handed me a big ball of yarn tangled in knots. “Dad, can you fix this?” The yarn had been about 80 feet long, and it was clear my 8-year-old had been working on it with increasing frustration. There were a lot of tight knots. …
Author Archives: benmortenson
400th anniversary of the Mayflower
This year marks 400 years since the ship called the Mayflower sailed to Plymouth carrying the a group of pilgrims. Their journey was remarkable, and their legacy of seeking religious freedom even at great risk helped define Americans for generations. During the first year after arriving in the new land, about half of the people …
What makes you feel the need to floss?
I have a friend who told me he has a gap between two of his teeth that catches food. He has to floss it every day, sometimes after every meal, or it becomes unbearable. And while he’s at it he usually just flosses the rest of his teeth. He’s got healthier gums than a lot …
Focus on Me, not the Storm
One of my favorite stories about miracles that Jesus Christ performed was the night that He walked on the water of the sea of Gallilee, and He helped Peter to do it also. Jesus was walking to reach His disciples in a boat, and when they saw Him coming they were afraid. He said “Don’t …
His coming was predicted
The coming of Jesus Christ as the son of God and the savior of the world was promised, foretold, and foreshadowed many times before His birth. Adam and many of the early prophets were commanded by God to offer animal sacrifices as the way to worship Him. Abraham, “the father of the faithful,” was commanded …
All shall rise
When reflecting on the importance of Jesus Christ, one of the significant promises He gave is that all people will rise from the dead and receive a glorified body. This fact was disputed by some in his day, and is misunderstood or unknown by many people in ours. This promise was part of the Plan …
Take Chances, Make Mistakes, and Get Messy!
The title of this blog was the famous motto of Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus. I was a big fan of the idea as a kid! Now as a parent… well, I strugggle. This month I helped our three kids make sugar cookies. I know that the best way for them to learn …
Continue reading “Take Chances, Make Mistakes, and Get Messy!”
What do you want most?
A friend told me recently that he has been praying to want to want to do the right things more. He had noticed his desire to do good things was not as strong as he would like it to be, so he was wrestling with God to change, to have more desire to do and …
Rocks
Today as we were walking down the dusty trails of the Garden of the Gods, I picked up my daughter and carried her on my back. I could feel her pockets were full of big rocks: treasures she had picked up along the way. I set her down and explained that this is like a national …
Ask specifically
“God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe.” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Recently I have felt the importance of requesting of …
On the Path of Life... 