Brian Stucki

Last night I went to sleep with a canker sore in my mouth that hurt so bad it seemed to define my existence. Today, I woke up and it was all healed. I had completely forgotten about it until I saw the numbing medicine on the counter.

Two months ago I was so tired of the irritation and work it took to have good sight and wear contacts that I was ready to pay nearly anything to avoid it. I had PRK surgery and now I don’t even remember what it was like to wear contacts. I don’t even realize I’m without the contact removal in my nightly routine.

Two weeks ago I wanted so badly to be in better tune with the Spirit so I could help a loved one in a time of need. I prayed fervently for it. Yesterday I caught myself thinking, “I guess it’s okay to skip one day of scripture study because I’m really making progress on this work project.”

My point is that humans are incredibly good at forgetting things that just recently were a big focus point in their lives. The scriptures are full of examples of “how quick the children of men do forget the Lord their God, yea, how quick to do iniquity, and to be led away by the evil one.”(ref) One of the saddest scriptures I know refers to the end of the thousands years that Christ will rule on this earth in righteousness and satan will be bound. After all that time with the Savior, the thousand years will end and men will “again begin to deny their God.” (ref) How is that even possible to forget after all that time?

I think that writing in your journal is the best way to fight our forgetful nature. But I also believe that remembrance is a gift of the Spirit that should be prayed for constantly….if we can remember to do it.

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I’m so grateful to have a knowledge of the true nature of the Godhead. I am careful not to take it for granted. Put plainly, I am a literal son of my Heavenly Father. I love and worship him. Jesus Christ is my older brother and has a personal relationship with me. If I do right, that relationship is capable of saving me from sin. And as the third member of the Godhead, The Holy Ghost guides me in all truth and “witnesses of the Father and the Son.”

I’ve thought a lot about the Holy Ghost this month. I think I should do it more often. His role is so special. I love the idea that He serves to be present and strong but at the same time so inconspicuous as to deflect all attention to the Father and the Son. We’d all be wise to mirror him in that.

“All good people can feel the influence of the Holy Ghost, but only those who are baptized and who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by priesthood authority have the right to His constant companionship throughout life….Your ability to enjoy this divine gift depends on your obedience to God’s commandments, as the Holy Ghost cannot remain with those who do not live according to God’s teachings.”

I feel deeply for those people who lose His companionship because of disobedience. Perhaps we’ve all had our times when we are less worthy to receive his promptings. But it’s important that we regain worthiness and make our way back.

Recently I’ve been praying that the Holy Ghost would prompt me when I’m in company with someone who has lost His companionship. It isn’t important why they’ve lost it. It’s much more important that they have everything they need to regain it. Especially the desire that is necessary but so often lost. My prayer has been answered at appropriate (and surprising) times and I’m so glad for the opportunity to serve. In the process, it has helped me to better understand the Holy Ghost and His process of communication. I hope this becomes a pattern in my life.

If you have not yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost, may I invite you to seek baptism and confirmation by those who have the authority to offer the Gift.

If you’ve lost the companionship of the Holy Ghost, I hope you’ll begin now to regain it.

If you feel His presence in your life, take time today to cherish and strengthen it.

J.E. Littlewood was a professor at Cambridge University. He published work that used mathematics to minimize miracles.

In short, Littlewood’s law teaches that “a miracle is defined as an exceptional event of special significance occurring at a frequency of one in a million; during the hours in which a human is awake and alert, a human will experience one thing per second (for instance, seeing the computer screen, the keyboard, the mouse, the article, etc.); additionally, a human is alert for about eight hours per day; and as a result, a human will, in 35 days, have experienced, under these suppositions, 1,008,000 things. Accepting this definition of a miracle, one can be expected to observe one miraculous occurrence within the passing of every 35 consecutive days — and therefore, according to this reasoning, seemingly miraculous events are actually commonplace.”

I hope I never become so bleak to believe this.

Take the time to recognize the miracles in your life. Keep a record of them. Don’t pass them off as coincidence or commonplace.

One of the nice things about working from home is you can spend time on your personal projects while still working. This week I started scanning pages from the journal that I kept while serving as a Mormon missionary in San Francisco, CA. I’m only 200 pages into the 800 page behemoth of a book but it has been an enjoyable process.

As I go thru the pages of the book, I have so many memories. Not only do I think about the people, the places and the work, but I also remember my thoughts, my goals and what I didn’t know in the early days of service.

It’s impossible to accurately describe what a mission is like for someone. The highs are so high and the lows are hard and trying. I know of nothing else like it and I wish everyone could experience it.

A mission never leaves you. While scanning and reading, I’ve had my memory refreshed on daily activities, but without those details I still think of my mission everyday. I still regularly have dreams where I’m still in the mission field. It’s wonderful.

And now back to the scanning…

This morning I was reading The 95 Theses written by Martin Luther in 1517. As I read it, I was filled with such a strong feeling of God and his dealings with his children throughout time.

For those who aren’t familiar with Martin Luther, he was a monk in Germany in the early sixteenth century. In a trip to Rome, he climbed the Scala Sancta to free his grandfather from purgatory. (These “Holy Stairs” are still there in Rome. I saw them while I was there, though we didn’t take the time to climb them.)

As he reached the top of the stairs, he felt so strongly that it wasn’t right that we would have to pay money and do this act in order to free his grandfather. This was a spark that directed him for the rest of his life. He taught that people don’t buy their way out of purgatory. They believe in and follow Christ.

Luther didn’t have intentions of starting a church. His motivation was to re-align the Roman Catholic Church to follow what was written in the Bible. However, the misaligned pope and cardinals felt the threat and tried to stop it. Luther eventually declared doctrine (e.g., 95 Theses) that more closely aligned with the Bible, he translated the bible to German so everyday people could read it rather than only listen to their priests. People were inspired. He was excommunicated from the church. Those who found comfort in the teaching of Luther formed the Protestant church that we know today.

Why does this apply to me and strengthen my testimony?

Luther encouraged people to think for themselves. He spurred Europe out of “The Dark Ages” and cracked the door open for light. Luther didn’t have authority, nor did he claim it. Some of his doctrine wasn’t correct because he leaned completely on understanding and not revelation. But the work that he did was absolutely critical in the exit from the Apostasy and the restoration of the Christ’s Church and His Priesthood. God started long, long ago so the proper foundation could be set by 1820 and he could begin the restoration of all things.

The story of Luther is amazing. There is much more than can be written in a blog post. Put the movie “Luther” in your Netflix queue and watch it. It’s great.

James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away this morning.

From the official church newsroom:

President Faust, 87, had served in the First Presidency since 1995 and as a General Authority of the Church for 35 years. A Church statement today said that President Faust had died of “causes incident to age.”

President Faust was appointed second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 12 March 1995. The First Presidency is the highest presiding body in the government of the Church.

I’ve always enjoyed the talks given by President Faust. They are full of both humility and doctrine. I’m saddened by the news, but can’t help but picture those on the other side of death quite ecstatic with the entrance of a spiritual giant.

At the end of every month, I write what I call a “Thought Paper.” I pick out something that has been on my mind that month and get it out on paper. I’ve been doing it for years and it has been a wonderful thinking tool.

As you would imagine, this month fatherhood has been on my mind. What is expected of a father? How can I surpass the expectations?

I decided to write, “My Fatherhood Checklist.” In it, I listed six principles that I think a son should rightfully learn from his father. Mothers help teach these principles. So do school classes and church meetings. But my conclusion was that fathers should see to it that these six principle are taught and that a son understands them. Or to make it more personal for me, if my son doesn’t know these principles as he grows up, I am specifically at fault and should be held accountable.

My paper is long. Here is a summary of the six principles:

1) The Priesthood of God is a call to serve. It is to be used to bless and help others. Use it as the scriptures instruct. Accepting the Priesthood holds you to a higher standard. It is your commitment to serve when you are called as a missionary and in any other calling issued from the Church. God will bless you all your life and you have a duty to help bless others. Follow righteous Priesthood holders like the prophet and the twelve apostles.

2) Being wise with your finances will save you trouble and heartache. Work an honest job for your money. Always pay your tithing first, then your savings account, and then your bills. If you don’t have enough for your bills, change your lifestyle. A budget should be kept and money should be tracked. Schools don’t teach this, but it’s absolutely critical. Media will teach you to live on credit but debt is an incredible burden to have on your shoulders.

3) Pornography is as dangerous as a drug. Avoid it at all costs. When others may tell you it is “normal” or “healthy”, know that your father and your Heavenly Father are of an opposite opinion. Avoid it like you would a deadly disease. It teaches disrespect for women and portrays an inaccurate view of the world. It makes you idle in progression. If you do slip, find help from me or your bishop as soon as you can.

4) Respect women. Treat them with kindness. Even in the hard times, always be respectful. This applies to all women, not just the ones that attract you. And more than any others, respect your mother and your wife.

5) Patience is a prized characteristic. Do all you can to learn it. It will make you a better father, a better leader and a better person. It will save you from being both offensive and offended. It will help you control your temper. It will allow you to lead in times of emergency or uncertainty. The more you are patient, the easier it is to do.

6) Learn from history and the experience of others. Learn to love history. There have been so many people who have succeeded and failed, learn from them. Read how cities were created and destroyed. Learn about intelligent and successful women and men and absorb their characteristics. Read The Book Of Mormon and the restortation of the Gospel thru Joseph Smith to see how God deals with His people. When you rub shoulders with giants of past, you become one in the present.

There is a lot more a father should teach his children, but these are the six that I chose as absolutely critical. If from no where else, these principles must come from the father. I’d love to hear what’s on your list.

Of all the commandments lovingly given from our Heavenly Father, the law of tithing is among my favorite. In the Mormon Church, tithing is defined as “a commandment from the Lord to pay one tenth of one’s annual increase or income for the building of His Church on the earth.” This commandment has been present since the early days of the Old Testament and continues to apply to us today. (See D&C 119)

There are three reasons I love this call of sacrifice from the Lord:

1) So often, commandments offer a principle and allow you to rely on the Holy Ghost to know how to act. Being kind to others and having moral thoughts are two examples of this. This can be rewarding but it also allows for missed judgement calls. Sometimes you must learn as you go.

With the law of the tithe, it is crystal clear what is expected. In exchange, Heavenly Father promises very specific blessings. I love the simplicity. I testify that the blessings are always given when this law is followed.

2) The law of tithing is a call to action. You are expected to do something.

The Lord commands, “Thou shalt not kill.” This is easy. Just don’t do it. But the law of tithing says, “Refraining from action is not enough. I need My people to be anxiously engaged.” I like that.

3) I think that most people are giving by nature. As we see earthquakes and floods cover the earth, we all like to help financially when we can. But with each disaster, we see responses from government and charity organizations that are sometimes equally disastrous.

Tithing in the church allows a way for me to give with complete trust that the funds will be used appropriately. The Lord directs this church and the use of it’s funds. I know that. While the money may be handled by human hands, the system and procedures are of heavenly origins.

From one of my favorite speeches of all time:

The solutions to life’s problems are always gospel solutions.

I’d say that is a good thing to remember. It certainly rings loud in my heart each time I struggle.

Just before the last General Conference of the Mormon Church, the church made available for purchase “The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd.”

Previously, this movie was only shown at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square. “This film depicts events from the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament and the Book of Mormon. The story culminates with a portrayal of the resurrected Savior’s visit to the ancient Americas as seen through the eyes of a fictional family.”

The movie is well done. The actors are good and the scenery is beautiful. But more than anything else, there is such a calming feeling while watching this movie. As it shows different miracles and events in the life of Christ, you can feel the Spirit cradle your heart. In the last scenes of the movie, the viewer is shown a depiction of Christ visiting His people in the Americas. The visit really took place and is described in a chapter of the Book of Mormon. This is a wondreful depiction of it.

I actually found this section of the movie on youtube here. It picks up just after Jesus was crucified and the whole world mourned in darkness. Christ visits the people, including the fictional family. There is one scene that especially overpowers me each time. I love it.

If you aren’t familiar with the teachings of the Mormon church and would like to learn more about it, please use my contact page and let me know. I’d love to talk with you about it. I’d be happy to send you this video on DVD and a Book of Mormon as a gift.