Consider

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”  ― Mother Teresa, founder of the Order of the Sisters of Charity. “If you want peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.”  ― Desmond Tutu, South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.” ― Indira Gandhi, the first female…

“The Restore gathering lived up to its name, restoring hope, restoring faith, restoring love.” ― Gordon Monson, Salt Lake Tribune   Some of you who read this will have attended the Restore Gathering last weekend. From the Thursday evening free and gorgeous concert attended by over 600 to Saturday afternoon's last musical number with over 3000 joyful folks standing and clapping, it was a soul and mind-nourishing few days. So…

“This is where I place my faith—in our collective capacity to mobilize love. If we can shift our view of Great Salt Lake from a lake to be avoided to a lake we cherish; from a body of wasted water to an ancient body of wisdom; not to exploit, dam, and dike, but to honor and respect as a sovereign body, our relationship and actions toward the lake will be…

“That was Black Sunday, April 14, 1935, the day of the worst duster of them all. The storm carried twice as much dirt as was dug out of the earth to create the Panama Canal. The canal took seven years to dig; the storm lasted a single afternoon. More than 300,000 tons of Great Plains topsoil was airborne that day.” ― Timothy Egan "American meteorologists rated the Dust Bowl the…

“Minorities are always better off in a culture which protects dissent than in a culture which protects us from dissent.” ― Jonathan Rauch Jonathan Rauch is an atheist. He is also Gay and a long-time gay activist. And he is a brilliant thinker and bridge-builder who understands how dangerous it is to our personal and societal welfare to intimidate, shut down and cancel those who we find disagreeable. He also…

“The only way to erase the margins is to stand with those who are at them.” ― Father Gregory Boyle That is just one gem that I quickly typed into my phone while listening to "G" as his reformed gang members affectionately call him. I had the great fortune of hearing and meeting Father Gregory Boyle at the annual Children’s Promise Conference a couple of weeks ago spoke. In addition…

“The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.” ― President Russell Nelson. Those who know me know that while I love and appreciate much about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there is also much I find in need of further restoration/rehabilitation/revelation. (I could say the same for myself!) While…

“We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.” ― John Green I'm listening to this book for the second time after just barely finishing it. I am enamored with it. Its wit. Its warmth. Its intelligence. Its humility. Its hope for the…

“So much of our emphasis has shifted from LIVING the gospel to BELIEVING the gospel...Beliefs can go through challenge and reformation and evolution without calling into question your commitment as a disciple." ― Terryl Givens Some of you may have listened to a recent BYU weekly devotional talk by Elder Hamilton that set you on edge. If you are like me, you are already on the inside edge of The…

“Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and nonviolence, when it helps us to see the enemy’s point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.”…