Star Wars: The Last Jedi Review

*There Will Be Spoilers*

Before I get into anything substantial I need to clarify that everything I say, unless otherwise stated, is my opinion and my interpretation. I will simply say why I found The Last Jedi to be one of the more intriguing Star Wars movies since Return of the Jedi.

Let me start by saying that I believe that the first thing that I did to ensure a happy experience was to not watch the trailers. I have come to the realization that movie trailers are becoming more and more likely to ruin a movie for the viewer. Not necessarily because there are spoilers but because it puts things into the minds of the viewers. For example, since watching the movie I have gone back and watched the trailers. I can definitely see how some fans could have jumped onto certain fan theory band wagons. These theories could have been the “Reylo” theory, Rey going to the dark side, or Kylo going to the light. The problem with this is that we, as human beings, tend to think that because a theory exists, and we like the theory, it is the only good way to go. This is very apparent in many reactions I have seen to the Last Jedi. I would like to take some time to show my perspective and why I think that many of the “disappointments” were good choices to make, or, in some cases, not bad ones.

1. Porgs

I have read many complaints that the Porgs were too much and that they were, “Just a merchandising ploy”. Here’s the thing, so what? Star Wars has always cared about merchandising. Think Ewoks, all of the different types of Storm Troopers, and pretty much every ship in the galaxy. Also, it was explained that the porgs were created to be an explanation for all of the local puffins found on the island that the movie was filmed on. That being said, porgs are a pretty dumb reason for not liking the movie.

2. Luke

So yeah, Luke is now a hermit that has cut himself off from the force, he has lost hope, and drinks green milk out of some random alien (I’ll admit, that part was a little weird). Sure, Mark Hamill has said that he disagreed with the direction that Rian Johnson went with Luke, but he has also said that he shouldn’t have said anything to the public about it.

I personally liked what they did with him. In the Last Jedi, Luke now has a character development that he didn’t have the chance to have in the original trilogy; he had to deal with the loss of hope. Sure, he had struggles in the originals, but never anything like having your student (who is your nephew) kill most of your others and then leave to take over the galaxy. Put yourself in his shoes. What would you do if you were training your sisters son only to have him go ballistic and kill a bunch of people and try to become the greatest villain? You’d probably lose a little hope and would also probably have a hard time facing your sister. It’s only HUMAN, which Luke still is, even if he IS a jedi master.

The good news is that he overcame the loss of hope and singlehandedly saved the resistance in a very Luke Skywalker-like act. Don’t worry, Luke is still Luke. He just had to remember that.

3. Rose

Alright, I have heard people saying that Rose was “Worse than Jar Jar.” Stop. Stop now. First of all, she has just been introduced and we will see more of her in the next episode. I believe that this movie was more of an introduction to the character rather than a showing of how amazing her character is. Her role actually kind of reminded me of Lando’s in Empire Strikes Back. He played a role but not necessarily a vital one. They were just setting him up for Return of the Jedi. Same thing with Rose. Let’s just wait and see.

4. Admiral Holdo

Having read “Leia: Princess of Alderaan” I was able to recognize the personal, close friendship that Holdo and Leia had since their teen years. This made Holdo’s death even more tragic. However, the main complaint I have heard about this is that her jump to lightspeed shouldn’t have done what it did for a variety of reasons. Alright, if anyone wants to debate me on this issue I will gladly do it. My explanation of this one would be way too long and way too nerdy. Just know that Holdo’s act is in good order.

5. Snoke

Alright, A lot of people are upset that their various theories about Snoke’s backstory didn’t pan out. They wanted him to be Plagueis, Ezra Bridger, Emperor Palpatine reborn, or a host of other already known characters. I never bought any of these theories. I’m fairly certain Snoke has never been seen in any Star Wars movie, TV show, book, or comic book before The Force Awakens. There are such things as new characters. In addition to that, Snoke’s death was necessary and his backstory doesn’t really matter in this story. This is a story of Rey and Kylo. Snoke was getting in the way. Both in fans’ attention and the development of Kylo’s character. If Snoke continued on to the next movie Kylo would continue to be a Darth Vader wannabe and would always be the temper tantrum throwing kid that he has been.

On that note, others have complained that Snoke didn’t see what Kylo was doing. THAT WAS KIND OF THE POINT. Ren was showing that he had become more deceptive than his master. Snoke believed himself safe from the attacks of his apprentice because of his blinding pride in his own power. Kylo used that to his advantage. Such is the way of the Sith.

6. New Force Powers

Some people complain that there are “Made up force powers.” Duh. They’re all made up. Also, The “New” force abilities shown have been around since the old books that are no longer canon. A Jedi apprentice in the “Legends” book I, Jedi showed the ability of making others see things that weren’t there (like Luke with his lightsaber battle with Kylo). Sure, this was in a non-canon book, but it was once canon. The power had been used before. Also, there are always new force abilities. In IV the force was shown as being a power that allowed wielders to see the future, convince people to do things, and talk to dead people. In V Luke uses Telekinesis. In VI we saw Force Lightning. Each new movie brings new abilities. That’s how Star Wars has always been.

7. Leia’s Flight

This may have seemed a bit odd, but it was pretty cool in my opinion. Fans have been wanting to see Leia use the force since Luke said the words, “My… Sister has it.” Now, Leia decided not to go the route of the Jedi but to pursue politics instead. This scene proved that Leia did in fact have that power, just as Luke said. Also, it is a perfectly good way to use the force.

8. Holdo and Poe

Some have complained that Holdo didn’t let Poe in the loop and that caused all of the problems that came after. These people don’t understand how the military works. I am no expert in the ways of military chain of command, but I’m pretty sure that admirals don’t typically take orders, nor do they confide in recently demoted officers. It just doesn’t make sense. Admiral Holdo’s decisions, however, do.

9. Rey’s Parents

I, for one, am a fan of the reveal. She comes from nothing. Some people don’t like this. I think these people don’t understand how the force works. Yoda, as far as we know, wasn’t the offspring of some powerful jedi, nor was Obi-wan. Anakin, although created by the force, wasn’t a link in some Skywalker chain of super force wielders. He was the beginning. He was new. Now, so is Rey. She is the transition character away from the Skywalkers and into something new.

10. The Infinity Mirror

This was, perhaps, my favorite scene in the movie (other than the fight scene after Snoke’s death of course), and here’s why. The first time I saw the movie I didn’t really understand, but the second time it clicked. Rey’s journey, every choice she makes up to this point, is to find out who and where her parents are. She cares so much about belonging to something that she is willing to try going toward the dark side to find her answers. Luke realizes this. It’s what scares him so much. So, she goes. Just like Luke and the cave on Degobah. What I love so much about this scene is that, as she tells Kylo later, she knew that the infinity mirror was going somewhere. It had answers for her. The dark side had answers for her. The only problem? The dark side has no REAL answers for her, and now she knows it. That’s the point. She made the decision in that moment that she was going to fight for the light. This is how she was able to resist Ben’s invitation to rule.

11. The Humor

People have said that there was too much humor. Um, Star Wars has ALWAYS had lot’s of humor. “Aren’t you a little for a stormtrooper?”, “What a piece of Junk!”, “Another happy landing”, every scene with C-3PO and the Ewoks, every scene with R2 and the Ewoks, C-3PO on Geonosis, and every other comedic scene in the movies. Sure, these weren’t as funny as a lot of the one liners in The Last Jedi, but that’s mostly because the writing was a bit better. The fact is that humor, and lots of it, has always been part of the Star Wars galaxy.

12. Canto Bight

I’ll admit, this part of the movie could have been a bit shorter. However, I think that this part was meant more for character development of Finn and Rose than just a quest to find a code breaker. Finn, in particular, does a bit of changing in this part of the movie that will, I think, come into play in the next movie.

13. Didn’t “Feel Like Star Wars”

This one actually annoys me. Star Wars fans have spent the last two years complaining that VII felt “Too much like the original trilogy” and now this one doesn’t feel enough like it? Fans need to make up their mind and stick with it. Also, how did it not feel like a Star Wars movie? Parts of it screamed out to me as mirrors of both prequals and originals alike. The infinity mirror felt very much like the Degobah cave, Luke walking into the resistance camp felt like Yoda’s rescue of Obi-wan and Anakin from Count Dooku, and the entire fight between Luke and Ben felt EXACTLY like Star Wars. “I failed you, Ben” is an obvious (and awesome) call to Obi-wan’s “I have failed you, Anakin, I have failed you.” Luke’s stance even reminded me of both his own from the originals, and Obi-wan’s from the TV show Rebels in his final encounter with Darth Maul. I felt like Rian Johnson had a perfect blend of old and new in the Last Jedi and it makes me excited for his new trilogy.

 

When all is said and done, this is a middle movie. We don’t know anything for sure yet. Who knows, maybe we’ll get some more backstory on Snoke, maybe Rose will die, or Rey’s parents will actually turn out to be Obi-wan or some other Star Wars veteran. Or maybe, just maybe, these people actually know what they are doing. Maybe they are setting something up for the next episode that will blow our minds away. I don’t know what will happen, but I do know that The Last Jedi was much more intricate and complex than some may think. It was, quite an amazing movie, even if some people choose to deny it.

Frozen Fingers

Have you ever heard the song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin? He talks about how, as the title suggests, we should stop letting the things around us stress us out and get us down. He tells us to just “Be happy”. This was not the song that described me even 3 years ago. You see, (and I have not told many people this) I have struggled with depression practically my entire life. I never allowed myself to admit this fact out loud as I saw it as a weakness that was to be ashamed of. As a result, I went through 19 years of my life not listening to the wise Mr. McFerrin. I was not happy.

There were many things that added to my overall misery. I was larger when I was younger and some people found it easy and fun to remind me of this fact on a daily basis, I spent much of my time indoors and on my couch, and being home schooled left me with way too much time to watch the depressing news with my grandma. It seemed that the more depressed I got, the more I would start to do things that only made it worse. I started eating more, sleeping far too much, and wearing pretty much only sweats.

As I rolled down this downward spiral of depression, loneliness, and misery, I began to hurt less and less; it may seem strange, but it is true. However, the hurt didn’t go away like taking a pill for a headache or a wound finally healing. No, it was nothing like that. Have you ever been in a walk in freezer? One of the really cold ones I mean. When you go in, initially, you are cold. This cold turns into REALLY COLD. Pretty soon, your fingers start to tingle, then sting, and, finally, you can’t feel them at all. It isn’t that the cold has gone away or that there is no longer any potential damage, but that your body has finally decided to stop feeling. This is what had happened to me. I guess you could say that my soul had become numb.

I didn’t really notice that I had lost feeling; it just kind of happened. I then stayed in this state for years. Yes, YEARS. I spent those years going through the motions. I went to church, spent time with friends and family, went to school, and watched TV. I remember looking back at this time and realizing that I hadn’t shed a tear, really laughed, smiled, or even yelled in multiple years. I was simply there, and that was it. I put on a show (probably not a very good one though) for my parents and other family, I had all of the right answers for Sunday school, and I always made sure I maintained a high standing with those in any position of authority.

Eventually, anywhere I went, I searched for feeling. I didn’t even care what the feeling I had was. I would have been fine with pleasure, excitement, nervousness, happiness, sadness, anger, or even pain. ANYTHING! But nothing came. The more I tried, the farther and farther down the spiral I went and the more numb my soul became. Until, eventually, I was essentially lost, gone, and nothing but an empty shell.

Now, I am not writing this to make you feel sorry for me or to talk about the darkness’s of this world. Yes, the world can be dark, and yes, I was immersed in that darkness. But, you see, all darkness is is the absence of light and, if given a strong enough light, can be dispelled. I was given access to a portion of that light and, where there was once darkness, there began to be light. I began to feel. My cold, numb hands began to thaw.

I am not unique in my experience. I had my trial and you have yours. I cannot even begin to understand how another person feels in their darkest times, just like I would never expect any of you to know exactly how I have felt. However, for every single one of us, there is a common light extended. I am not ashamed, nor will I ever be, to say that Jesus Christ is my light. He lives. He guided me through my personal damnation, my numbness, and my darkness and brought me into His light. Sure, I still have my dark days and sometimes I get a little cold, but He is always there to bring me back, and will always be.

Just as I am not the only one to feel the darkness, I am not the only one that can feel His light. He calls to you. He will forever shine His light for you. Allow His light to dispel the darkness that may be holding you captive and forever feel the warmth of His love.

 

I Couldn’t Sleep

Wow, it has been quite a while since I have written on here. A lot has happened in the year since I last posted. I finished my LDS mission, I have done some school at BYU, and I have had quite a few… learning opportunities.

You see, near the end of my two years serving in Florida I had become comfortable with my situation. Most people would call a bunch of 18-21 year old kids crazy for leaving the comforts of their lives to live in a new area simply to teach people about Jesus. Most people DO call us crazy. I, however, grew to like it. I loved knowing exactly who I was and what my role was. I knew the material I was to teach and I had fun. I was confident, which was something I had never been before.

Well, the inevitable day came on September 18th of last year. I came home. I sat on the plane, waiting to be thrust back into a world that I thought I was ready for. I remained confident. Those first couple of weeks were great. It was as if nothing had changed. I woke up at 6:30, went for a run, got ready for my day, studied my scriptures, and spent the rest of the day telling stories of my wonderful years as a representative of Christ; my “Glory days”.

The problem, however, is that my “Glory days” were gone and life hit me like a ton of bricks. And then it happened. I couldn’t sleep. This was something that I had dealt with for years before my mission but I hadn’t had much of a problem with it during those two years. To be perfectly honest, I was terrified that first night since coming home that I couldn’t sleep. To me it was as if my entire mission had been wiped away and my past had finally become my present once more. I believed for quite some time that I was a lost cause and that I could never be the confident man I was while I wore the suit and tie. I was done for.

It’s amazing how incredibly alone and tired you can feel when you truly believe that you will forever be stuck in the same place, never to move on or progress. I’m just going to assume that you have felt something similar. Most people have. The bright spot comes when you realize that you are not as stuck as you have led yourself to believe.

It has taken me a while, and I doubt that I have finally grasped the full concept, but I have begun to realize just how silly the idea of being stuck in the past is. In fact, it is quite impossible to be stuck in the past. The past is gone. It is old news, behind you, over. You cannot bring it back and neither can anyone else. For better or for worse, it is gone.

It is true that I can attempt to get myself stuck in the past, but even then, I am simply choosing to do now what I did then. It is a choice I am making now.

One of the most wonderful, and terrifying, things I have learned is that I cannot live in the past. Wonderful because I know that I can make new decisions today to change the course I decide to be on. Terrifying because I know that I cannot rely on good decisions of the past to get me through the decisions I face today. As Rafiki says, “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.”

Overall, however, I believe this knowledge to be some of the greatest knowledge a person can learn, and not just because you can realize that you don’t have to go back to being an insomniac. I think most of us have a past that we have tried to live in or run from. We have a future we are trying to make a reality. However, none of these really matter now. The future is for goal setting and the past is for learning from. It doesn’t matter if I have made the mistakes of ten men yesterday, as long as I am willing to change my decisions to reflect a good man today. On the other side, serving a mission and being a good man yesterday will mean nothing if I do not live up to the standards from here on out.

Every day is an opportunity to change; to become better than I was the day before. Every choice a chance to decide what kind of man I will be right here and right now. Sure I will make more mistakes. Sure I’ll have more sleepless nights, dark days, and  cold nights, but those days will not define me. I will, hopefully, be remembered as someone who never gave up, who didn’t live in the past but who fought to make himself better now. And, hopefully, you will be too.

I know it is possible to leave the past behind and create a better now. I know it is possible to change. completely. A mistake of the past does not have to define the direction of our future, but only if we are willing to change. Christ makes that change possible. He has gone through your past; every second of it. He knows what future you can have. He is there with you and with me every step of the way.

“Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.”

Is God Really Just A Placebo?

 

Have you ever heard of the placebo effect? I have surprisingly heard many different definitions for it, even though it is something talked about by most anyone at one point or another. For the most part, however, when someone brings it up they describe it as wanting to feel something badly enough, or telling yourself something long enough, that it eventually happens. The most prominent example and use of placebo is in medicine and medical studies. Often times doctors will give a patient a placebo medication to see if they can help them without having to use the medication itself. They might give a patient a sugar pill instead of vikadin or a saline solution instead of some other medication. All in all, the placebo effect has become quite useful and quite successful as the body heals itself without the actual drug.

I have talked with a wide variety of people over the last two years, all with their own beliefs and stories. I have talked to the multi millionaires, the homeless man on the side of the street, the people in between, a man claiming to be the reincarnated James Dean, and a man that called himself “Rastamahn” who just walked around with his rasta beenie and sunglasses telling people about his visions. I have talked with Catholics, Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists, Baptists, Methodists, Wickans, Pagans, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Rastafarians, Pastafarians, and members of almost any other religion you can think of. They all have their beliefs and I am fine with that. That is our God given right. With most religions the basics tend to be the same; a belief in a form of deity, basic morals and values, an so on. I expected this, coming on a mission. However, there is one question that was posed to me that I was not expecting and have been thinking about since my first weeks on my mission. “Is God really just a placebo?”

I was sitting in a family’s living room talking to them about their beliefs, when out of nowhere the wife asked the question, “is God really just a placebo?” I don’t really recall what my companion and I said, but it ended up turning into this battle between science and religion that got nowhere, as in all battles between science and religion. It was a great, sincere question that this woman asked and I have been fighting to find out how to word the answer ever since. I cannot promise that my answer to the question will be the answer that will change the world’s perspective; however, I pray that, at least for some, it will help.

In order to answer the question I need to set one thing straight; science and God need not fight against each other. In fact, they go hand in hand. The Lord uses science to fulfill His will; He just knows a lot more about science than we do.

So, are the feelings that we claim to be the Spirit of God really just a simple placebo effect? Are we asking to feel The Savior’s love so much that we eventually feel it because that is the way our body works? Some will say yes and will proceed to explain to you the inner workings of the mind and body. Others will say no and explain the inner workings of the spirit. I say, using the old adage, “A rose by any other name is still a rose.”

An apostle once wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17) And again, a prophet wrote, “For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.” (Alma 5:40). To put it into today’s terms, good comes from God. ALL good comes from God. Whether it is a thought that you should stop and help someone push their car, a feeling of peace or happiness, or any of the other countless ways you can do, feel, or think good, it is from God. Call it placebo if you want, just know that “placebo” is simply man’s explanation and term for God’s miracles.

Some may claim that the life saving cures and procedures that are used today were simply scientific breakthroughs by intelligent men and women. I have an immense amount of gratitude for the brilliant doctors, scientists, and others who help with these breakthroughs. They have saved lives of those I know and love. However, even these breakthroughs, whether or not the men and women who made them believed in God, were inspired by the One who created us all.

So, is God really just a placebo? No, my friends, He is not simply the result of the placebo effect. He is very real. I have felt the power of His hand in my life. I have felt His redeeming love. I have been lifted out of a darkness that nothing of this earth could have brought me out of. He is real. The feelings of peace, joy, love, faith, and so on as you read scripture and honestly pray to your Father in Heaven are very real. Of this I testify, and will continue to testify of until I shall see Him face to face and see Him as He is.

 

If Only Everyone Could Be Like My Mom!

I once read a book titled, “Surrounding Yourself With Greatness” written by a football player named Chad Lewis. He was a tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints. He spoke of his family life, his LDS mission, and his football career, among other things. I love football and so the cover got me instantly hooked. It had a picture of Chad walking off of the football field wearing his uniform and gear after a game and the words “Surrounding Yourself With Greatness” written in large letters. I read the book at a very important time in my early teenage years and it was not what I expected. I was thinking it was going to be about his football career and how he surrounded himself with the best players around. The message I got, however, was much more important than how to win football games. From the book, I realized that we, as human beings, are influenced a great deal by our surroundings. From the social atmosphere and culture, to the people, we become more and more like our surroundings and because of that, it is extremely important that we surround ourselves with greatness. Great people, great morals and values, great ideas and leaders and all the other “greats” you can think of.

I have been extremely blessed to have been surrounded by many of these greats. Many of the most influential of these have been the great women (and their husbands) in my life. Women like Sister Lyon, who was a teacher, a friend’s mom, a great cook, and a great example. Or there is Sister Hansen, who has been like a second mother to me (I’m not sure how she put up with me at her house most days for more than ten years). Then you have my brothers’ wives who have been very close friends. On my mission I have also come across some of the other greatest women I have met. I have met great mom’s to their children, wives to their husbands, and servants of The Lord. Some (but certainly not all) of these women are people like Sister Aven, Sister Rodrigues, Sister Egan, and I cannot forget Sister Barry and Sister Craig. All of these women have taught me something in their own way. All of them are excellent examples of the “Greatness” I have mentioned. With all of I have, I express my utmost gratitude to these wonderful women and wish them a Happy Mother’s Day.

However, there is one woman who stands out above the rest. That’s right, it’s Mom. From birth to the present, my mom has been the greatest example of “Greatness” in my life. I cannot begin to tell you how many fights she has stopped, meals she has made, rooms she has cleaned, hospital trips she has made, life lessons she has taught, dishes she has washed, and lives she has changed. She has helped me and five of my brothers get our Eagle Scout awards, taught us how to cook, clean, learn, study, keep peace, love, listen, and gain testimonies for ourselves, among a host of others things. She has taught me and my brothers how to gain a relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ, who my mom exemplifies so well. If only all of us could be like my mom, the world would be near perfection. In behalf of myself, my brothers, and all others who have been touched by the life of my mom, Melodee Herrick, I say with all my heart, thank you, love you, and Happy Mother’s Day!

Want to know what all of these wonderful people I have mentioned have in common? Check out Mormon.org and find out!
Also, Check out this great video on motherhood!

Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover

I have been thinking a lot about phrases that our parents say to us as we are growing up. Phrases such as,”there are starving kids in [enter country here] that would love to have this food! now eat it!”, “don’t stick your lip out, a bird might come and poop on it!” (My grandma said that one to me. It scarred me for life.), and, “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” So, these phrases keep going through my mind and each time, I realize, more and more, just how profound our mothers and fathers really are. See, I never understood why my mom was telling me that there were starving kids in other countries. How did that apply to my needing to eat my food? I would always think to myself, “man, if there are starving kids, why would I eat this food? I thought you’re supposed to be teaching me to not be selfish. We need to send it to them!” I think what my mom was trying to teach me was that I needed to be grateful for what I had by comparing my situation (a cranky, spoiled kid who didn’t like Lima beans) to kids that had less, and sometimes had nothing at all. Profound. However, I want to talk about another phrase today, and no, not the bird pooping on your lip one (I still don’t see how a bird is going to be able to do that. That is one skilled bird). No, today I wanted to talk about the phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. I love reading. I grew up in a house where watching the tv was the last thing my parents wanted me doing. We didn’t even have tv for the first few years of my life. Instead, we read books. All kind of books; fantasies like “Harry Potter”, “The Inheritance Cycle”, and “Lord of the Rings. Historical fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, and all the other good reads. I even read a cookbook once, and not to try to cook something out of it. I simply needed something to read and the food on the cover looked good. I always chose the book that had the coolest cover. Some had pictures of dragons, some with army men, and, my favorite, pictures of Jedi. (How can you turn down a book with a Jedi on the front?) Whatever the book may be, if it had a cool cover I would read it. Sometimes this way of picking books didn’t end up so well. I started one book at least six times just because I liked the cover, however, I couldn’t get into the book. It was boring, didn’t have a very good plot line, and the characters seemed stiff and cold. On the other hand, I was once searching for a good book to read when my brother suggested a book with probably the most boring cover I could think of. It was a smaller book with a burgundy cover with a bird on the front (something like that). I finally decided to give it a try and from page one I was captured by the greatness of the book. It had a good plot, great writing style, and the characters were real to me. I felt like I was in the story itself. From these experiences I have learned that the phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover” can be taken literally. On that note, I have read a book that I believe to be the number one most judged book, possibly in the world, simply because of the cover and it’s title. Every day, I go out and try to tell people about this book. Every day, it am told that it is not worth their time, even though most of them have never even read a page. It’s terribly frustrating. See, this isn’t just some book that I enjoyed reading. This is the best book. A book that literally changed my life forever. It continues to change my life today. It is called “The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ“. I’ll be the first to admit that the Book of Mormon doesn’t have the most exciting cover. It’s just a simple blue book with gold lettering. No pictures or crazy designs on the front (some editions might have a different cover), no extra creative title. Nothing about the cover itself would make you want to read it. However, I can promise you that our parents are wise when they say, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. It is the word of God, just as the Bible is the word of God, and it will change the life of anyone who reads it, as it has changed mine. That is the promise of the book and it is my promise to you. Don’t judge this book by its cover or by the words of men. Give it a try, read it, ask God if it is His words and find out for yourself. I promise you that you will never regret it! (If you would like to learn more about this AMAZING, FREE book, check out Mormon.org, ask any member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or “Ask the missionaries! They can help you!”)

You Cannot Force Zion

I have been thinking lately of the “Perfect society”. I think of the movies and TV shows in which someone is taken from an imperfect world to a seemingly perfect one. I don’t know if you have seen anything like that but they never end up quite right. Here’s my reasoning as to why they are all failures. It’s forced. It’s fake. Here’s why that is bad. You CANNOT fake perfection. You CANNOT fake charity or politeness. You cannot and you should not. What is forced is not genuine and, therefore, will not last

Let me give you an example. Let’s say, there is a man who is walking down the sidewalk and he sees a beggar or a homeless man on the corner. Well, at this point this man does not feel like giving the homeless man any money or aid of any sort. Perhaps he is greedy. Perhaps he has never been taught charity. Well, what if I came up to this selfish man and pulled a gun on him, telling him that he must give the homeless man some aid. Sure, he might dish out a few bucks at that point in time, but does that really change the man’s perspective? Perhaps for a time. However, that change comes because of fear and fear fades. Eventually, this man will see yet another homeless man or beggar and will walk right by him.

Think, on the other hand, about what would happen if this man had been taught, and learned (Two different things) charity, the pure love of Christ. Maybe this man would help the homeless man with his next meal, find some more clothing, or simply be a friendly ear. He would do what he could. It is the simple concept that we have all heard: “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” So it is with building a “Perfect society.” We will call it “Zion”

I believe that creating Zion can be possible. How? It will not be microchips that force us to do good, laws that demand it, or military force that compels cooperation. All of these things are man-made and, therefore, are flawed. There is but one way.

During Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, a lawyer came to Him and asked a question, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Then came Jesus’ reply, “…Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” What Jesus says next is very important to our topic today, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

I believe that one of the things Jesus is saying here is that if we truly love God and our fellowmen, there is no use for war, violence, homelessness, poverty, etc. If each one of us truly loved The Lord and our fellowmen, would there be any need for the commandments to not kill, lie, steal, cheat, or any of the other commandments we have been given? Would there be a need for a police station? If our number one desire was not for power, to get gain, or to gratify our pride, but instead was for the welfare of those around us as well as pleasing our God, we would not speak of Zion or a “Utopia” as a “What if?” It would be the natural consequence of our love.

My friends, I am still a very imperfect man. I still fail in the aspect of which I have written today. But it is my vision, my personal quest, to become a man who will bring this world one step closer to Zion. Care to join me?

Beware Of Dog

The other day, Elder Rockwood and I were thinking of what we could do or who we could go see. I don’t recall exactly what we were doing beforehand other than that all of our plans had fallen through. We looked through a list of members of our church in the area and chose a name that was close by. As we pulled up we noticed that the house was fenced off with a “Beware of Dog” sign… A couple of them. Well, we’re missionaries in the South where EVERYONE has a similar sign. Usually the signs end up being for a “ferocious” ankle biter like a Pomeranian or a Chihuahua. We weren’t too worried. We rattled the chain link fence to get any dogs that may have been there to come out. Nothing happened.

As we entered the fence, my heart began to pound slightly as we heard, from underneath the house, the clanking of dogs’ choke chains. My heart dropped. Out from under the house came two HUGE pit bulls. I’m not lying when I say that I’m pretty sure that their heads were bigger than mine. Okay, I may be exaggerating, but still, these dogs were huge. They cornered us on the stairs of the porch, teeth showing and ready to make minced meat out of us. I said a silent prayer and braced for the pain of dogs eating me just as Elder Rockwood knocked on the door. Thankfully and miraculously, the owner came and shooed the dogs away and we received no harm; although, my legs were still shaking when we got back in the car. I literally thought I was going to die.

Every day we are faced with things that are just as dangerous, if not more so, than two pit bulls. True, the danger is of a different sort, but it is still danger. The danger I speak of is that of temptation, sin, and all other things that draw us away from our Heavenly Father. You see, each time we are faced with any sort of adversity it is like coming up to a fenced off yard. We have already been warned. The warnings are all over; the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the words of the living prophets today, and a host of other ways. My plea to you today is this, BEWARE THE DOG OF SIN.

Oftentimes The “fenced off yard of temptation” seems harmless. We may say, “Ugh, it’s not like this is a BIG sin.” (Assuming it is a “Chihuahua of sin”) and walk right in, only to later find that what we thought was a chihuahua was actually two large pit bulls. Those things don’t like to let go once they have you. You cannot run. When you alone go head to head with Satan, he will outrun and overpower you every time. Besides, when you realize the mess that you have gotten yourself into, you are frozen with fear, leaving yourself feeling completely and utterly alone.

May I just say that it does not have to be this way. The yard is fenced off with signs all over it for a very good reason. It is not because your Heavenly Father had a couple of extra commandments that He decided to throw at us just to give us more rules. The sins and transgressions we face each day are VERY real, VERY dangerous, and they are NOT chihuahua sized. Listen to the signs that warn you of harm. They are there to protect us from the dangers that we cannot see. They come in the form of loving parents, teachers, friends, the scriptures, Prophets of God, and the Still, Small Voice that is the Holy Ghost.

My plea to you today is this, if you have found yourself facing one of these spiritual fenced off yards, obey the signs and turn away. Turn the other way and walk back to your Heavenly Father. He is waiting with arms outstretched. If you have made the mistake of entering that yard, dogs cornering you and all, do not fear. You are still a child of a loving Father who ALWAYS wants you to be safe in His care. Turn to Him, rely on Him, and I promise you, He will lead you to that safety.

Ebeneezer Scrooge, The Grinch, And Elder Herrick

Christmas for most people is one of the happiest times of the year. It’s full of presents, Santa Clause, Singing, and goodies, that, I’m sure, are made completely out of sugar and food coloring. Houses are decked out with colorful lights and those giant blowup decorations, and in every window you can see a Christmas tree which, if they’re anything like my family’s trees, are decorated with a lifetime of memories, lights, and mismatched tinsel. During the Christmas season everyone is practically floating they are so happy and excited. Everyone, except for Ebeneezer Scrooge, The Grinch, and me.

I didn’t always hate Christmas. Up until I was about ten or eleven I was one of those “Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow” that found it hard to sleep on Christmas eve. After a while thought, it started to become for me what I now see it becoming for others.It was a chore. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved getting the presents and sugar; I just hated everything else. Caroling was simply singing songs that I hated to my parents friends, and freezing my face off while doing it. Buying gifts seemed like a waste of money, and, worst of all, my family would come into town and somehow someone would offend someone else, causing a four hour all out war. Not my idea of “The most wonderful time of the year.”

As time went on I started to hate Christmas more and more. It got to the point where I resented anyone who liked Christmas. I hated receiving gifts. I was “an angry elf”. Every time I would watch any of those “real meaning of Christmas” movies where they say that the real meaning is to give not receive, I would want to gag. When my family would go caroling I would hide in my room and pretend to be asleep until they left then go watch something like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings.

You see, things like getting presents and singing about a reindeer with  red noses never seemed like much fun to me. It never made sense why we celebrate a fat man who sneaks into children’s homes and gives them presents after eating their cookies and milk, no matter how jolly Old Saint Nick was. I had this mindset for quite a while. Each Christmas would ware on me until one day not so long ago.

Strangely enough it didn’t happen during the Christmas season at all. There were no “Yuletide carols being sung by a choir” or carolers singing merry Christmas wishes. In fact, I was in a class on the New Testament one day in the spring just before Easter. Fitting really. You see, my problem with Christmas, when it came down to it, was that the “reason for the season” had been lost. There was no meaning. So, the teacher of the class was talking about the final days of Jesus Christ. His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, His Crucifixion, and finally, the resurrection on the third day. Something hit me that day. Something very real and very powerful made me realize the meaning of this time of year.

I know it’s Christmas time now and everyone likes thinking of Christ as a babe lying in a manger, but when it comes down to what is truly important nothing compares to the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Without it His birth would have simply been a pretty cool birthday party. I know that the parties, presents, and songs about magic snowmen are fun, and I no longer hate them, but I testify that the reason for the season is, and should be, Jesus Christ. Not just His birth, but His life, sacrifice, and resurrection as well. THAT is what Christmas is about. He made it possible to be with our families, Him, and our Father in Heaven for eternity. So, have a good time. Carol, eat an enormous amount of food, and have fun doing it. Don’t be like I was, that’s definitely not what Christmas is about. Have your traditions and the stockings and the lit up trees, but when it comes to the true meaning of Christmas, it isn’t Santa, Rudolph, or presents under the tree, but Jesus The Christ, Lord and Savior. Our True, Redeeming friend.

The Weak Man In the Gym And The Nonexistent Six-Pack

Have you ever gone to the gym and seen that man who you know only comes in MAYBE twice a year? He’s benching roughly sixty pounds, grimacing and grunting while he does it. He might then go to the treadmill and do a painful three minute jog at an exhilarating twenty minute mile pace, sweat pouring down his face. Last, but not least, he goes to the dumbbells and pumps out a solid seven reps with fifteen pound weights. Thoroughly exhausted, he walks out of the gym, having been there for a grand total of thirteen minutes and thirty four seconds, including the three water breaks. You know what the crazy thing is? The next morning, that man looks in the mirror and wonders why he isn’t as “ripped” as Thor or his friend who is at the gym every day.

Yeah, that man was me. I used to think, in some twisted way, that because I “worked out” every now and then I should look like the cartoon superheroes. You know, the ones that have the muscles bulging out more than humanly possible. Well, to my disbelief, I found that twice a year won’t get you a six-pack, and neither will once a week. You know what the hardest part for me to fathom was? You can exercise EVERY DAY and not eat right and you STILL won’t get a six-pack. It blew my mind. It takes diligence, discipline, determination, and a healthy diet.

Now, this isn’t going to be Elder Herrick’s workout and exercise blog; that wouldn’t be a good idea. The point I want to make is simple: To gain the greatest reward, you must put in your greatest effort. This is true for anything. In sports we always say “Practice makes perfect.” The same can be said for musical talents or any skill or hobby. So what about when it comes to things of a more personal, spiritual nature? How does one go to the spiritual gym? I will share three o the ways I have found.

The first way of going to the spiritual gym is through prayer. To keep the analogy, I guess you could say that prayer is like talking with your personal trainer and nutritionist. However, in reality it is so much more than that. God is more than some unknowable, unreachable being who is everywhere and yet nowhere, merciful yet indifferent. THAT is not God. God is your Father. He loves you and wants to hear from you DAILY. Yes, He is all powerful, all knowing, unchanging, merciful, and just. He is all of that and more, and yet, He wants nothing more than to hear from His child, namely, you. When you pray it is like a child going to his or her father and asking for help on his or her homework. He stands ready to bless us, if only we ask. Just like any parent though, He wants to hear from us more than when we are just in a time of need. What better way to get a spiritual six-pack than by prayer?

The second way of going to the spiritual gym is by reading the scriptures. I have always been told, “If you want to talk with God, say your prayers. If you want God to talk to you, read your scriptures.” Reading the scriptures can be compared to studying the exercise and nutrition plan given to you by your trainer. The scriptures are not just here to tell you what to do or what not to do. They are here to show us how to reach our fullest potential.

I had a personal trainer for about two weeks. I thought he was trying to KILL me. What he was really doing was trying to show me HOW to kill my lazy personality and reach my potential. It’s the very same thing with the scriptures. No, it’s not easy; neither is getting ripped.

The third way of going to the spiritual gym is just that, going and doing it. Talking with your trainer and studying the workout plan are fine and dandy but how long and how much will your trainer help you if you don’t actually go exercise? Here’s the thing, Heavenly Father will always love His children. However, that doesn’t mean they will always have His trust. Building that trust is like building your spiritual muscles. Simply put, we build His trust as we DO what He asks of us, whether that be repenting, going to church, helping those in need, or simply being a good example of a Christlike life. In short, we gain our Father’s trust as we become more and more like our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know that no matter who we are or what our past may be, as we do these three things daily; pray to our loving Father in Heaven, Read the scriptures, and strive to do our best to become like His Son, we can build that spiritual six-pack and we will eventually be able to stand confident at the judgement bar of Christ. This I know and leave with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.