my life » Religion http://blog.devonck.com and a few of the recipes that fuel it Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:40:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Children of Eden http://blog.devonck.com/2009/12/06/children-of-eden/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/12/06/children-of-eden/#comments Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:17:49 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=550 On Friday, I had the opportunity to attend BYU’s final performance of Children of Eden with a date. It was an amazing musical, and I was glad to be able to see it. My date and I were both grateful that our knowledge of our Heavenly Father extends Children of Eden … continue reading: Children of Eden]]> On Friday, I had the opportunity to attend BYU’s final performance of Children of Eden with a date. It was an amazing musical, and I was glad to be able to see it. My date and I were both grateful that our knowledge of our Heavenly Father extends Children of Eden beyond that which is found in the Old Testament. It would be so depressing to think that God no longer spoke to His children, or that there would be no way to experience His love for us until we returned home upon our deaths. As beautiful as the musical was, it was even nicer to know the true nature of God’s love toward His children.

]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/12/06/children-of-eden/feed/ 0 No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/27/no-god-but-god-the-origins-evolution-and-future-of-islam/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/27/no-god-but-god-the-origins-evolution-and-future-of-islam/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:43:59 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=370 By Reza Aslan, this book is a wonderful in-depth introduction into a history of Islam. I think I learned at least as much about the Muslim faith from this book as I did about American Christianity last semester from Brother Fluhman, and that was a fantastic class. So I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Islam. … continue reading: No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam]]> By Reza Aslan, this book is a wonderful in-depth introduction into a history of Islam. I think I learned at least as much about the Muslim faith from this book as I did about American Christianity last semester from Brother Fluhman, and that was a fantastic class. So I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Islam. Because of final projects and other upcoming events, it may be a while before I finish another book.

]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/27/no-god-but-god-the-origins-evolution-and-future-of-islam/feed/ 0 The Quran http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/11/the-quran/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/11/the-quran/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:53:00 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=354 Right now I’m reading No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan, and I think that one of my goals for this coming summer will be to read the entire Quran. No, I’m not apostatizing from the Church, and yes, this will be in addition to my regular study of the scriptures. I just think it … continue reading: The Quran]]> Right now I’m reading No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan, and I think that one of my goals for this coming summer will be to read the entire Quran. No, I’m not apostatizing from the Church, and yes, this will be in addition to my regular study of the scriptures. I just think it will be beneficial to have a better understanding of Muhammad’s teaching and how they differ from some of the practices of fundamentalist Islamic sects. So, if anyone can suggest a good English translation of the Quran, please let me know — my Arabic is horrible.

]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/11/the-quran/feed/ 0 Elder Jay E. Jensen http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/10/elder-jay-e-jensen/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/10/elder-jay-e-jensen/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:13:23 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=352 Elder Jensen spoke on “Building Upon the Rock” and gave the following suggestions for effective scripture study:

Pray Make prayer a part of your scripture study — without prayer, you may be treating His words like those of an ordinary magazine. Pay the Right Price Whether studying chronologically or thematically, make a concerted effort to learn and receive personal revelation. Look for Patterns, Themes, … continue reading: Elder Jay E. Jensen]]> Elder Jensen spoke on “Building Upon the Rock” and gave the following suggestions for effective scripture study:

  1. Pray
    Make prayer a part of your scripture study — without prayer, you may be treating His words like those of an ordinary magazine.
  2. Pay the Right Price
    Whether studying chronologically or thematically, make a concerted effort to learn and receive personal revelation.
  3. Look for Patterns, Themes, and Connections
    “I will give you a pattern in all things” (D&C 52:14)
  4. Create Outlines and Write Scripture Insights
  5. Mark, Annotate, and Write in Your Scriptures
    Someone once told me that “if you’re not studying the scriptures with a pencil in your hand, you’re just reading them.”
  6. Teach What You Learn
    Teach to learn, don’t learn to teach.
]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/10/elder-jay-e-jensen/feed/ 0 Broomball and stake conference http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/01/broomball-and-stake-conference/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/01/broomball-and-stake-conference/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:21:33 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=210 Broomball Our ward played broomball at the Seven Peaks Arena on Friday. Having never played broomball before (think of a cross between hockey, shuffleboard, and lacrosse), I really had no idea what to expect. I was really glad that I’d worn my boots, because a lot of people … continue reading: Broomball and stake conference]]> Broomball Our ward played broomball at the Seven Peaks Arena on Friday. Having never played broomball before (think of a cross between hockey, shuffleboard, and lacrosse), I really had no idea what to expect. I was really glad that I’d worn my boots, because a lot of people were falling down constantly. Overall, it was a lot of fun, even if I am still kind of sore (not from falling on the ice, but from trying to keep by balance) two days later.

This weekend was stake conference for us, which was nice, and not just because it gave me a chance to get a real nap in this afternoon. Elder Costa of the Presidency of the Seventy gave some excellent talks and added just the right amount of levity to the meetings. Separate from the stake conferance, Elder Hales gave a nice CES Fireside address on the importance of keeping ourselves on a spiritual high ground (relating it to a scenario from the Book of Mormon where a leader was defeated after being persuaded to leave his position at the top of a hill — see Alma 47:10-14, 18-19.)

Although the coming week looks pretty busy, it’s guaranteed to be better than last week. So I have that to look forward to, in addition to a wedding reception on Friday and the BYU Hunger Banquet on Saturday. And if you’re reading this, then my web host is probably back up and running, hurray!

]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/03/01/broomball-and-stake-conference/feed/ 0 A meeting, a book, and an announcement http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/15/a-meeting-a-boo-and-an-announcement/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/15/a-meeting-a-boo-and-an-announcement/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:14:37 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=128 Wow, what a busy day. Not really, but it sure felt that way. After my class this morning, I was able to attend a meeting with some students visiting from Biola University. The nature of the visit was to improve interfaith relations (for those unaware, Biola University, like BYU, is also a religiously-centered school.) Obviously, those who had come to visit … continue reading: A meeting, a book, and an announcement]]> Wow, what a busy day. Not really, but it sure felt that way. After my class this morning, I was able to attend a meeting with some students visiting from Biola University. The nature of the visit was to improve interfaith relations (for those unaware, Biola University, like BYU, is also a religiously-centered school.) Obviously, those who had come to visit from Biola and the students from our campus who attended the meetings already had fairly positive interfaith relations, so the conversation dealt more with interfaith relations in general. One of the more interesting conclusions that was reached was that, often, when an Evangelical says that a Mormon (a member of the LDS Church) is not a Christian, he or she is commenting more on the nature of the Church’s theology rather than the faith, belief, worthiness, etc. of said Mormon. In other words, it’s nothing personal.

When I got home for lunch, I quickly finished the last few pages of Morningside Heights by Cheryl Mendelson. Overall, I enjoyed it, and I will read the sequel Love, Work, Children when I have the opportunity. I was mildly surprised when, perusing my Goodreads account, I discovered that I’ve had No God But God: the Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam on my to-read list for 14 months, so I will read that before any of the other books on my list. As a side project, I’m trying to get a ward book club organized, and our first meeting is set to be this coming Wednesday, which means that I might as well wait until then to decide which book to read next.

Midway through the afternoon, my boss dropped a bombshell on the office by announcing that he would be transitioning to working half-time so that he could devote more time to outside ventures. While I doubt that his decision indicates in any way the current status of the company, it’s weird to think that over the summer I might be putting in more hours than him. And as an intern, it does little to inspire me to take a full-time position with the company should one be offered me. (I mean, seriously, when your boss thinks there are more interesting projects elsewhere, what is that expected to do for morale?)

Lastly, I’ve stopped syndicating this blog to my Facebook profile. It seemed somewhat pointless to have the content duplicated there. Oh, and I’ll post the handouts from tonights’s Institute lesson sometime tomorrow.

]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/15/a-meeting-a-boo-and-an-announcement/feed/ 0 -1 Lame Car, +1 Awesome Devotional http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/13/1-lame-car-1-awesome-devotional/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/13/1-lame-car-1-awesome-devotional/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:52:46 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=125 First order of business: to celebrate the disappearance (or rather, removal) of the car that has been blocking our driveway for the past two weeks. If that happened to be yours, you can now find it at the city impound lot.

Secondly, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke at the devotional today on the topic of “Remember Lot’s Wife” (Luke 17:32). I managed … continue reading: -1 Lame Car, +1 Awesome Devotional]]> First order of business: to celebrate the disappearance (or rather, removal) of the car that has been blocking our driveway for the past two weeks. If that happened to be yours, you can now find it at the city impound lot.

Secondly, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke at the devotional today on the topic of “Remember Lot’s Wife” (Luke 17:32). I managed to get down a full page of notes for once (pat on the back), but I’ll share just a few of the many highlights:

  • Apparently, what was wrong with Lot’s wife wasn’t that she was looking back, but that in her heart she wanted to go back
    • Possibly she resented the Lord for making her leave
    • She perhaps looked back lovingly at her past life
    • Her attachment to the past outweighed her outlook on the future
  • We should not dwell on days past
  • Claim the embers, not the ashes
  • Faith is always pointed toward the future
  • Lot’s wife thought that nothing that lay ahead could possibly be better than what she was leaving behind
  • Miniver Cheevy by Edwin A. Robinson
  • To yearn for the past or to be dissatisfied with the present are sins
  • Philippians 3:13-14
    • All that Paul had done in the past was nothing compared to his conversion to Christianity
  • There is something in each of us as humans that refuses to forget our own or others’ past mistakes
  • We have a tendency to reach into the past for ammunition when we are in conflict or under stress
    • We should not open past wounds that the Lord gave His life trying to heal
    • This is worse than Miniver Cheevy or Lot’s wife, because we destroy more than just ourselves
  • Forgive and forget, again and again, remembering only enough to avoid committing the same mistake
  • The Lord doesn’t care where we’ve been as much as he cares about where we are and where we’re willing to go
]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/13/1-lame-car-1-awesome-devotional/feed/ 1 24-14 Florida http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/08/24-14-florida/ http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/08/24-14-florida/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:20:51 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=110 It happened again. We got to the championship game and lost. Better luck next year, right? Florida played a good game, and their defense did an impressive job at stopping Oklahoma’s running game. So congratulations Gators, good game.

Tonight was the first night of Institute for this semester, and once again, I was the only one from our ward who showed up. … continue reading: 24-14 Florida]]> It happened again. We got to the championship game and lost. Better luck next year, right? Florida played a good game, and their defense did an impressive job at stopping Oklahoma’s running game. So congratulations Gators, good game.

Tonight was the first night of Institute for this semester, and once again, I was the only one from our ward who showed up. One of the co-chairs has a valid excuse — he’s currently in southern California interviewing for med school. The other co-chair hasn’t come to Institute in two months now, so it wasn’t really a surprise to see that absentee streak continue. The lesson was on the character flaws of Saul, David, and Solomon that led them to lose favor in the sight of the Lord. The handout explains it all much better than I can, so if you’re really interested in the lesson material, follow the link below.

For those who couldn’t make it and would like a copy of the handout:
Institute Handout 2009-01-08 (PDF)

]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2009/01/08/24-14-florida/feed/ 0 Interfaith discussion panel http://blog.devonck.com/2008/12/09/interfaith-discussion-panel/ http://blog.devonck.com/2008/12/09/interfaith-discussion-panel/#comments Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:32:43 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=46 For my American Christianity class today, we had the opportunity to listen to a panel of other students from non-LDS Christian denominations. The discussion was fantastic, and we touched on a lot of points regarding the similarities and differences between our faiths. One of the really great topics was whether or not the grace of God is sufficient to redeem someone from … continue reading: Interfaith discussion panel]]> For my American Christianity class today, we had the opportunity to listen to a panel of other students from non-LDS Christian denominations. The discussion was fantastic, and we touched on a lot of points regarding the similarities and differences between our faiths. One of the really great topics was whether or not the grace of God is sufficient to redeem someone from incorrect theology. In other words, if someone truly believes in Christ, is he or she unable to receive the saving grace of Christ simply because of the specific denomination that he or she follows?) I certainly believe it is, but I don’t claim to know the answer.

]]> http://blog.devonck.com/2008/12/09/interfaith-discussion-panel/feed/ 0 OU Football and a Christmas Devotional http://blog.devonck.com/2008/12/07/ou-football-and-a-christmas-devotional/ http://blog.devonck.com/2008/12/07/ou-football-and-a-christmas-devotional/#comments Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:05:04 +0000 Devon http://blog.devonck.com/?p=30 Other than a less-than-great blind date (more details on that are available to registered subscribers), this weekend was pretty darn good. Unfortunately, I was only able to watch the first quarter of the OU-Mizzou game due to another commitment. (Although, had I known in advance how the rest of the evening would go, I would have stayed home and enjoyed the rest of … continue reading: OU Football and a Christmas Devotional]]> Other than a less-than-great blind date (more details on that are available to registered subscribers), this weekend was pretty darn good. Unfortunately, I was only able to watch the first quarter of the OU-Mizzou game due to another commitment. (Although, had I known in advance how the rest of the evening would go, I would have stayed home and enjoyed the rest of the game and saved $40.) OU’s 62-21 win against Mizzou edged them up to the #1 spot in the BCS standings.

I put in some hours at work on Saturday morning, and then watched the documentary Jesus Camp with a classmate from American Christianity and a couple of her roommates. For those of you who have never seen Jesus Camp, go rent it today. It’s a great view into the Evangelical religious movement and its influence on American politics. I felt that the film was a bit biased against the Evangelical movement, but I’m not sure if that was due to the way it was produced or my own predetermined opinion. A great documentary nonetheless, and I was fortunate enough to be able to watch it with some terrific company.

In the evening, I attended Christmas Around the World, which is basically a composition of folk dances from about twenty countries with a few Christmas songs thrown in for good measure. I more adequate title would be Christmas in the U.S. and Dances from Around the World, but I guess that would be a bit wordy.

Sunday was fairly normal — our Elders Quorum president is getting married in January, so in anticipation of his departure from our single student ward, they release him and his two counselors as well as the secretary (yours truly), but that didn’t last too long, because I was put right back into the same calling just a couple of hours later with the new presidency. I went over to the Hughes’ for dinner (fantastic as always) and watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional in the evening and finished up the day getting in a few chapters of Peace Like a River and, of course, writing this post.

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