When Moses approached God on the mountain, “God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said … ‘Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground'” (Exodus 3:4-5). The place which Moses was entering had been sanctified, and made into a holy place. As such, Moses was to perform customs that signified that he acknowledged the sacredness of that location (removing his shoes). That mountain side was where Moses would reverentially approach the Creator Himself, and was therefore separated in purpose, meaning, and significance from the surrounding environment.

I have my own sacred space where I go to approach God for special blessings and important questions. It is on a mountainside, away from traffic and human activity, and it is a great spot to read, ponder, and otherwise peacefully enjoy nature. I visit that spot often, but even when I’m not there to commune with God, I’ve made it a point to never engage in irreverent activities while in the area. Because of spiritual experiences that I’ve had there, the location has been sanctified in such a way that I feel as if I would desecrate it if I went there and read Harry Potter or the Far Side. In that way, I instinctively perform certain personal customs to acknowledge that the location is sacred to me. As a result, whenever I visit that spot, I can almost instantly feel the presence of the Spirit. Continue reading →

Most of us have experienced miracles in our lives. I would like to share with you one of the greatest miracles I’ve experienced during my life. My intent is to witness that God is real, and that He does hear our lonely prayers in the moments when we feel the most isolated. Many of us have experienced loneliness and social isolation, and for different reasons. Some of us may have lost our parents. Some of us may have experienced physical abnormalities. Some of us may experience same-gender attraction. Each of these experiences may potentially alienate us from those whom we care about. And often, it may not seem as if any of our prayers and pleas for companionship are answered.

I would like to add my voice to the many who have known and understood what it is like to feel alone. One of my primary motivations is to express my witness that the Savior’s atonement is real. Sometimes, we experience Christ’s grace in terms of a miraculous transformation. This is my experience. Other times, we experience Christ’s grace in terms of comfort, consolation, and strength to endure the trials we face. Both experiences are miraculous, and both are witnesses of God’s love for us. I hope that my story will be of value to those who someone who currently struggles with the experiences I had during my childhood. Continue reading →

Invasive security procedures at airports have incensed citizens of every political party, and have ignited a firestorm of controversy. Many analysts have argued that these procedures don’t actually make American citizens safer, and instead simply create an additional threat for Americans to consider as they make travel decisions. However, despite the ineffectiveness of the security measures, travelers often report feeling more safe as a result. The term security theater refers to “security countermeasures intended to provide the feeling of improved security while doing little or nothing to actually improve security” (Wikipedia).

Interestingly, although the term security theater has been popularized by our aggravating experiences at the airport, security theater is actually a integral part of our daily lives. Many commercial establishments will place fake security cameras in their stores so that criminals will believe that their actions are being monitored (when they really aren’t). Many homeowners place signs warning potential intruders that the property is protected by an advanced security system (when it really isn’t). These fake security measures deter criminals and help customers feel safer. However, the security measures are really a pretense, and don’t actually prevent crime, except through a psychological sleight of hand.

Recently, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on things I do to help myself feel like a more righteous person without actually making myself better. Continue reading →

Jeffrey Thayne

Emmanuel Levinas was a Lithuanian Jew who lived from 1906 to 1995, and studied under some of the most influential thinkers in Europe. He later moved to France and authored one of the most exciting and original philosophies of the 20^th Century (at least, that’s how I see it). Levinas introduces a whole new language for talking about our experience of the Other. Because this is a new way of talking about things, this post may not be as crystal clear as other posts. Not everything in Levinas’s worldview translates into plain English. However, I believe that this new way of talking about the world can lend valuable insight into the experience of being a human among humans.

In Contrast with Western Philosophy

Levinas saw his ideas as a response to Western philosophy. What is Western philosophy? Western philosophy traces its ancestry to ancient Europe, to countries such as Greece and Rome. It is the philosophy that you and I are already familiar with. It permeates our thoughts, ideas, and even how we make sense of the world. In Western philosophy, truth is generally considered to be the unchanging, foundational principles of the Universe. Philosophy itself is thought to be the method of reducing the flux of everyday experience to a set of static principles. For Western philosophy, there is no loss in this “reduction,” because we are making the world intelligible, or reducing the chaos of daily experience to simplicity. From the Western perspective, making sense of the world is explicating the world in terms that we are familiar with. Continue reading →

Tonight, I decided to open to a random page of the Old Testament, and spend time studying whatever chapter I landed in. The initial verses of the chapter startled me: “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23: 1-2, emphasis added). The footnotes in the LDS scriptures add that the term “visited” can be interpreted as “been mindful of.”

The New International Version of the Bible reads this way: “Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: ‘Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:2, emphasis added).

I live in a single’s ward in Provo Utah. I doubt that any other setting on earth provides as many opportunities to teach. There are Sunday School lessons, Priesthood lessons, talks in Sacrament meeting, home teaching messages, spiritual thoughts during home evening or ward prayer. Few people can spend several years in a Provo singles ward without having plenty of opportunities to master the art of teaching. Well… mastering the art may take a lifetime, but we certainly have plenty of opportunities to practice. Continue reading →