Witt's End

It's interesting how some topics worm their way into your mind. It's also interesting how some topics seem to addressed by multiple people at the same time you focus on something, or maybe we're just more attuned to others talking about it at that time. I've been looking through some old journals of mine, and listening to some discussions about this topic. Self care. What does that mean? What is it's purpose? I mean that sincerely especially in a spiritual or religious context. Some have stated that it’s self indulgence, or in opposite fashion a call to service. I think the real answer lies somewhere in the middle. I think we could often replace the term self care with the synonym of self reflection. That repentance is an essential part of the real paradigm of self care. That the atonement of Jesus Christ is the mechanism of true self care. In this life we will face sin, pain, affliction, weakness, illness, and infirmity. That is not only an essential part of this m

Our heroes fall sometimes. They stumble, the muddle, they get tired just like everyone else. Superman has kryptonite, Spider-Man went crazy with the symbiote suit, Achilles had his heel. There are weaknesses and flaws in all of us. The strongest of us.  But because we've placed them on a pedestal for whatever reason, it's exponentially more noticeable. And that can be the hardest thing to recognize and understand. But the most important lessons come from failure, and not always our own. We can't learn how to truly get back up unless we watch someone we respect do the same thing. I've been thinking about this a lot. A large portion of this is a spiritual thing, and another part of it is deeply personal. But examples of mistakes, those are valuable lessons I'll never forget. When I think about stumbles I've witnessed. Whether it was drugs, sex (infidelity or other issues), an injury, or fraud. There have been some stumbles that have caught my breath. I don't k

There are a lot of strong feelings about religion. Even as I write that sentence I can feel the understatement sinking in. I began writing this a couple weeks ago and things have continued to weigh in on my mind on this topic. A few weeks ago I spent some time reflecting on the specific issue regarding the financial holdings and investments of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It spawned a level of discussion I was not anticipating. Some conversations that have resulted in requests on my time, energy, and focus I have not yet finished but wholeheartedly plan to. It got me reflecting a lot about my relationship with my faith in general. As I found myself looking at the current political climate that internal dialogue and investigation went even deeper. Now that the Utah senate has voted to decriminalize polygamy this will just cause more reflection and scrutiny. As will Mitt Romney’s discussion of faith and it’s role in his impeachment votes. I've written some about f

I've been frustrated. I've been reading a lot, and I could post a lot of articles but I'm not going to. I'm going to have a frank discussion and bypass something I've been working on for two weeks for a few minutes and write something from the heart. I'm worried that my sincere desires and actual wishes are sometimes misconstrued and lost in the cyberspace deluge of loud voices and soundbites we call social media. I feel the need to express a couple things here. One, how lost I feel in this increasingly partisan political climate. Especially as someone who wants to be involved in policy and wants to genuinely make changes to society. Two, what my policy goals on a very controversial position is. Those are on my mind and I'm getting it out real quick. So the first point. As some feel lost and caught in between two diametrically opposed political parties. Each with blatant flaws, and focused in on linchpin issues seemingly designed to divide us and g

"Throughout the trial, he said, he was guided by his father’s favorite verse of Mormon scripture: Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good. “I have gone through a process of very thorough analysis and searching, and I have prayed through this process,” he told me. “But I don’t pretend that God told me what to do.”" https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/02/romney-impeach-trump/606127/ "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" Matthew 5:44 KJV ""I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong," President Donald Trump said during his speech at the breakfast. "Nor do I like people who say, 'I pray for you,' when they know that that's not so,” he added, taking an obvious shot at Pelosi, who ofte