The Cry of The Trumpet

I lay before you Mormon’s lament, a voice that trembles for a people who once called themselves believers.  It was written for us today because it happens amongst us now. Hear the hush between his words, the small, stubborn grief that will not be quieted. Similarly today, I see the righteous being driven out, step by measured step, as if the world exhales them into exile. Light is no longer welcomed; it is folded away, hidden beneath the hands of those who fear its burn.   They turn from truth and gorge on feeling, carried by tides that move them rather than by choices made with clear eyes. Anger rises where conviction should stand; softness becomes hardness; the Spirit’s pleadings fall like rain on stone. They have lost God, or let Him slip like a thread through their fingers, and the land remembers what it once was—civil, delightsome, bright—and grieves what it has become.   Yet we must speak. While we remain in the flesh we must declare the truth,...

Integrity, Influence, and What a Conversation Revealed Recently, I stepped into a political conversation almost as an experiment. I wanted to see whether calm, respectful, good‑faith dialogue was still possible on difficult topics. At first, it genuinely seemed like it was. Two of us were able to talk through concerns, ask sincere questions, and even find a workable compromise. It felt like a small reminder that “a soft answer turneth away wrath” and that reasoned conversation can still build bridges. But then the dynamic changed. A third person entered the thread already escalated, and the tone shifted instantly. My neutral questions were suddenly interpreted as extreme positions I didn’t hold. Motives were assigned to me that I never expressed. The conversation stopped being about ideas and became about assumptions, accusations, and group loyalty. What struck me most was how quickly the original conversation partner shifted once the audience changed. Positions we had calmly explored ...

In today’s culture, we often treat any discomfort as contention. If a conversation feels tense, if a truth stings, or if a correction disrupts the status quo, we assume someone has been “contentious.”   But scripture paints a very different picture. Christ Himself was often direct, confrontational, and uncompromising—yet never contentious.   And modern prophets teach that disciples must be valiant in the testimony of Jesus, not passive, fearful, or silent. 1 This post explores the difference between contention and valiant testimony , using Christ’s own ministry as the model. What Contention Actually Is (and Isn’t) LDS scripture is unambiguous: “He that hath the spirit of contention is not of me” ( 3 Nephi 11:29 ).   Contention is anger‑driven, ego‑driven, and adversarial.   It seeks to win, not to heal.   It springs from pride, not love. But confrontation—truth spoken clearly, boldly, and lovingly—is not only allowed but required of di...