What I’m Thinking
It’s easy to be skeptical these days when so much of what we read and see is edited, manipulated or manifestly false. How can we ever be certain that anyone is ever telling us the truth?
We can never have absolute certainty.
We may fact check, cross reference and secure supporting evidence for what another has said but at some point we must consciously make the decision to believe or disbelieve the stories and information that are presented to us by others.
With this as our backdrop, let me tell you a story I heard when I was a boy.
In 1820 in a small town somewhere in New England, a 14-year-old boy went for a walk in the woods close to his family home. We don’t know all the details, but in the woods that day there was a light brighter than the sun coming down between the trees and in the midst of the bright light, this young boy saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. Not only did he see them but he spoke to them and they to him.
This is quite the story. The implications for us if this story is true cannot be overstated. And true is exactly what Joseph Smith (the 14-year-old boy) claimed it to be. Not just once, but repeatedly until he was martyred for his belief.
So was he telling the truth?
None but Joseph Smith will ever know with absolute certainty whether this story is true or not. What we must decide is whether or not we will believe him.
Laying aside the skeptical, critical, and cynical opinions of others, we must grapple with this story and all its implications and then conclude for ourselves what to believe.
Since hearing this story for the first time as a boy, I’ve personally read Joseph Smiths personal account of the events many times and have analyzed, questioned, and challenged it.
I cannot know with absolute certainty, but I am confident that he was telling the truth. I personally choose to believe that there was a light in the woods.
If you’d like to know more about the story I’m talking about, you can read the full account here.
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What I’m Reading
Here are a few quotes I highlighted this week as I continue to read 12 Rules for Life.
If you slump, shoulders forward and rounded, chest tucked in, head down, looking small, defeated and ineffectual — then you will feel small, defeated and ineffectual. (Page 26)
If you present yourself as defeated, then people will react to you as if you are losing. (Page 26)
Anxiety-induced retreat makes everything retreated from more anxiety-inducing (page 21)
What I’m Doing
I believe that often we miss the beauty that is on our doorstep because we fantasize and long to see other places.
This week I’ve spent some time exploring places close to our new home. There’s no Eiffel Tower or medieval castle for sure, but what I’ve seen is equally pleasing to the eye and gladdening to the soul. We should explore new faraway places, but if we fail to see all the good that already surrounds us, we will frequently be unhappy.
Thank you for reading.
