In early July I made the drive over to Garden Valley, Idaho to attend the 2006 Lundquist Family Reunion. I’m really glad I went. Beforehand, the prospect of driving 10 hours seemed daunting, but when you just get in the car and do it, it’s not so bad. It makes me worry that something so small has kept me from past family activities.. We had 44 adults and 28 children there. Activities included attending the Cascade parade and fireworks, a day playing at the lake, whitewater rafting, geocaching around the campground, family history skits, games, and talking around the campfire. Talking around the campfire was probably my favorite part.

We talked about how we’d changed over the years, and some of where we were at now, with our current projects and desires. We talked a lot about desire; how change originates not in the actions, but in thoughts–the seed for all action.

I liked how Gen commented that the reason our church doesn’t have nuns is because that would be too easy.

I didn’t spend too much time socializing with my extended family, but kept mostly with those I already knew. It was fascinating, however, just watching the others, knowing that they are my family. Seeing what they do and how they do it. Yeay for family.

I like these scriptures because they invite us to be better with no sense of negativity. There’s nothing wrong with being blessed–it’s a good thing. This does not mean, however, that we should be content with good; there’s often still so much more. The comparison of Blessed and More Blessed shows us that there is often progress yet to me made without belittling our current position and efforts.

13 And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.
14 And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?
15 Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed–yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.
(Book of Mormon | Alma 32:13 - 15)

1 AND it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called, (now the number of them who had been called, and received power and authority to baptize, was twelve) and behold, he stretched forth his hand unto the multitude, and cried unto them, saying: Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. …
(Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 12:1 - 2)

1 AND it came to pass when Jesus had said these words, he spake unto his disciples, one by one, saying unto them: What is it that ye desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father?
2 And they all spake, save it were three, saying: We desire that after we have lived unto the age of man, that our ministry, wherein thou hast called us, may have an end, that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom.
3 And he said unto them: Blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of me; therefore, after that ye are seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in my kingdom; and with me ye shall find rest.
4 And when he had spoken unto them, he turned himself unto the three, and said unto them: What will ye that I should do unto you, when I am gone unto the Father?
5 And they sorrowed in their hearts, for they durst not speak unto him the thing which they desired.
6 And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me.
7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.
(Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 28:1 - 7)

4 And blessed are you because you have believed;
5 And more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel–
6 To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming.
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 34:4 - 6)

Update: in the October 2007 General Conference Elder Oaks gave a talk “Good, Better, Best” on this very subject. He says in part:

We should begin by recognizing the reality that just because something is good is not a sufficient reason for doing it. The number of good things we can do far exceeds the time available to accomplish them. Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives….

Consider how we use our time in the choices we make in viewing television, playing video games, surfing the Internet, or reading books or magazines. Of course it is good to view wholesome entertainment or to obtain interesting information. But not everything of that sort is worth the portion of our life we give to obtain it. Some things are better, and others are best.

Some things in the Gospel seem to work backwards. There are cases where you can have a goal, and working towards it directly is not as effective as ignoring it. To get where you want to go, sometimes you’re better off going somewhere else.

By placing the Lord first, and seeking His will, we usually end up with our own wants fulfilled. By seeking first to fulfill our own wants we may obtain our desire in name only, but our victory is often with cost, and lacks essentials we didn’t think to include.

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(New Testament | Matthew 6:31 - 33)

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them….
(Book of Mormon | Jacob 2:18 - 19)

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said… thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
(Old Testament | 1 Kings 3:5 - 13)

And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
(New Testament | Mark 9:33 - 35)

While I was on a mission Elder Nelson came and visited us; one of the things he spoke on was studying the scriptures by topic. He even said at the next General Conference, speaking on how we can achieve scriptural guidance:

One way is to read a book of scripture from the first page to the last. This method gives good overall perspective. But other approaches also have merit. Attention to a particular topic or a specific theme, supplemented by use of cross-referencing footnotes and study guides, can help to switch on the light of doctrinal understanding.¹

I started keeping something of a study journal, collecting references on a topic. I learned tons, and use it. I may be outgrowing this style, however. The content, once created, is a little inflexible, and there are now too many topics to easily keep track of. So I thought I’d give the online medium a try.. copy-paste works so much better on the computer than with pen and paper. Like just about everything else here, this is primarily for me, but if anyone else gets anything out of it, so much the better. These are meant to be perpetual works-in-progress, continuing to evolve with time and experience.

I guess this is turning out to be a Windows software list.. most things in Linux can be downloaded and installed from the command line. :)

• Crimson Editor
• Firefox
• MemInfo
• MudMagic Mud Client
• Pidgin
• Process Explorer
• PuTTY
• Wallpaper Canger
• Winamp