AprilandJake.com

Want to sport some mormon.org on your website? Awesomely, they just released a new widget that is actually cool. Press the plus mark at the bottom, copy the code, and add it to your own site. w00t!

Great sketch notes from Mormon Newsroom.

Teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.

Aren't the truths he speaks filled with the confirming feelings of the Spirit! Aren't the words he uses easy to understand and to realize things as they really are. What a great authorized voice he has. It's invigoratingly different than many of the voices we hear today -- full of belief, direction, and conviction. What mercy and love our Lord shows us by spreading His Word of hope among us.

I must not read The Friend enough. These Bright Ideas illustrations are awesome in word and art. Fantastic fun!

And go and get your own blog banner. w00t! It's time for General Conference again!

President Monson is a prophet. He has shown his willingness to follow the Lord and now has been given a great responsibility to bear the word of the Lord to all of us, that we might find happiness in doing His will. Dallin commented on how happy President Monson was when he saw his picture the other day. Seeing him gives me the same feelings. I am very blessed to recognize the Lord's prophet.

This is the place!

I dig the snake nerdiness! This is a video from the burgeoning Khan Academy. This video is definitely one of the sillier ones, referenced under its own "Vi Hart" category (the name of the obviously-eccentric narrator). The subheading on this category: "Recreational mathematics and inspirational videos by resident mathemusician Vi Hart". :)

Khan Academy a great online resource for learning math, science, art, and more at your own pace. I think the way we educate ourselves changes drastically over my lifetime. Khan Acadmey may be a great indicator of the future of education: self-taught, free, ubiquitous resources. Some schools are already moving there.

Turns out that as a grand child you get more than one birthday a year. We had a lot of fun w/ the two little munchkins, Dallin and Mackenzie. The big, little munchkin, Anne, was also celebrating in total joyousness. They are so sweet and we had a fun little party together. Thanks, grandma and grandpa!

Dallin was cracking up up during this cookie monster Spanish lesson.

That is, until it was over and he was almost crying for lack of cookies.

I just finished a great film, Follow Me, Boys!. It's a good, funny film from 1960 about a man who makes being a scoutmaster his life. It's a great and touching reminder to me of how my life has been influenced by good people and of the power that we each have to affect one another for good. Follow me, boys! Yeeeeehaaa!

Mike Otterson has a great way of putting the motivation and emotions involved in proxy ordinances. In his great post about baptisms for the dead:

"[Ordinances for the dead], as Mormons view it, rests on the premise that those who have passed on have the choice to accept or reject the gesture. I knew when I performed the proxy baptism for my father that he was a devout Christian, christened as a baby in the rites of the established Church of England. My gesture in his behalf took nothing away from him, the life he lived and who he was at his core. If there is an afterlife - a belief clearly shared by both of us - then I added opportunity to the goodness of a short but purpose-filled and worthy life. In the doctrines embraced by my particular faith, my offering opened up eternal possibilities, including the eternal “sealing” of his marriage to my mother. Far from slighting my father’s religious persuasions, he retains every ounce of his own free will and moral agency to accept what I did on his behalf. In my own heart, I want to believe he accepted it, but I cannot know that now. What I am certain of, however, is that in whatever cognizance of this life that exists in heaven, that my father will not be offended for a gift generously intended and sincerely given by his son. The worst I can imagine is a “Thanks, but no thanks.”

"Everybody can be good missionaries [sic]!"

"I know that my mom knows that this is true." :) Yes, and I know the gospel of Christ is true too!

There will always be something I leave behind. These are my days.

One of my favorite guiding quotes from Elder Scott about missionary work:

"As a young man, the greatest growth and strengthening experience you can have at this time, bar none, is a worthy full-time mission."

Amazing! "This is it the biggest LEGO Star Wars model ever made - 5195 pieces." And just a few pennies.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Christian. It turns out that we think we are and half of other Americans think we are, according to very interesting study on Mormons in America recently conducted by Pew. The above pie charts are from an interesting infographic accompanying the study.

In all, its a good catalyst for helping us remember our faith. And it so happens that this week's 3rd hour Sunday lesson was on our testimony of Christ as well.