The Cry of The Trumpet

Stanza 1   I walked two winters with a quiet mouth,   the days folded thin and softened at the edge.   In hush I found a lantern, small and south,   its scripture-light a slow and steady pledge. Stanza 2   I kept my voice like coins beneath my tongue,   and watched the small cruelties lengthen, spread.   Regret sits with me now at every sun:   I should have spoken sooner, called for stead. Stanza 3   Silence taught me how loneliness tastes cold;   it taught me how the world can look the same.   Yet from that hush a different music rolled—   a faith that bends to mercy, not to blame. Stanza 4   I learn to read the lines that once were dim,   to let the verses light the path I tread.   Each wound becomes a map, each lesson hymn;   the hurt is soil where gentler wisdom’s fed. Stanza 5   I will not b...

Today, I was struck by the phrase “ with sharpness ” in Doctrine and Covenants 121:43 . In our culture of heightened sensitivity, we often hesitate to speak plainly, fearing we might offend or unsettle. But in our effort to be gentle, we sometimes cross a line—from compassion into compromise. We begin to soften truth not out of love, but out of fear. And in doing so, we risk being untrue to ourselves, to God, and to those we’re called to love with honesty. The Lord has warned against this very impulse: “ you feared man more than God ” ( D&C 3:7 ). When we let the fear of disapproval outweigh our duty to truth, we trade divine trust for temporary peace. Correction, when needed, is rarely comfortable. It can sting. It can wound pride. And if the heart receiving it is not humble, it may even provoke anger. But discomfort is not the same as harm. In fact, when someone is wandering, a vague or diluted warning may do more damage than a clear, courageous word. To s...

Jesus said something startling in Matthew 10:34:    “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” Wait—what? Isn’t Jesus the Prince of Peace? Isn’t peace the goal? Yes. But not the kind of peace that hides harm or avoids truth. Not the kind that keeps dysfunction intact just to preserve appearances. Jesus brings a sword—not to wound, but to divide. To cut through illusion. To separate healing from hiding. Peacekeeper vs Peacemaker A meme I came across recently captured this tension beautifully: - Peacekeeper: Avoids conflict. Keeps the surface calm. Stays silent to keep others happy. Calls dysfunction “grace.” - Peacemaker: Steps into truth. Confronts what harms. Builds what’s healthy. Brings God’s kind of peace—the kind that heals, not hides. This distinction matters more than ever. We live in a time when the lines between truth and deception, healing and enabling, are becoming stark. The temptation to “...

When acting in a leadership role, local church leaders must exercise discipline in their verbal asides and public remarks. While personal opinions and differences are natural, expressing disagreement or disapproval—whether directly or through subtle comments—during official responsibilities undermines fellow leaders and auxiliary efforts. This behavior does not reflect the principle of sustaining others in their callings. Concerns or differing views should be addressed privately and respectfully with the appropriate individuals—not voiced in front of the congregation or group. Publicly signaling disapproval, even indirectly, weakens unity and diminishes trust. Leaders carry influence. Use it to uplift, support, and sustain—not to sow doubt or division.

3 Nephi 12:10–12   (See also Matthew 5)  "And blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake; For ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you." These verses from the Savior’s sermon in the Book of Mormon echo the Beatitudes of the New Testament, promising joy and eternal reward to those who endure persecution for righteousness’ sake. We often imagine such persecution coming from outside the faith—from those who do not understand or accept the gospel. But what happens when the persecution comes from within our own community of Saints? This is a harder truth to face. Yet, from personal experience and scriptural precedent, I have come to understand that sometimes the most painful reviling, judgment, o...

When the spirit flees in the middle of a lesson at church, we may be tempted to blame a comment shared, but we may have a bigger responsibility ourselves. You see, the spirit cannot be fully present when hard feelings exist between the saints in the room. It may not be what is said, but how you feel about the speaker. Another possibility would be our reaction to an uncomfortable truth that has stung us and which we do not wish to see. In those cases, it is easier to turn from the truth and perhaps blame the person making the statement for offending us and letting anger hide an opportunity for unwelcome growth. In many spiritual traditions, it's taught that the presence of divine peace or inspiration can be hindered not just by what is said, but by the disposition of those listening. This invites a deeper reflection: when someone speaks and discomfort arises, is the disruption caused by the speaker’s words—or by the quiet resistance within us? Even when someone speaks...

Conflicted about calling attention to sinful behavior? You are not alone. Prophetic voices in scripture—Jacob who mourned the need to rebuke a mixed assembly, Nephi who wept in the garden and drew both repentance and rage, Alma who counseled his son with tenderness and firmness—remind us that speaking truth in love is costly and necessary. Silence is rarely neutral; when we withhold necessary correction others may read our quiet as approval or permissiveness. This post offers a pattern, grounded in Alma’s counsel to Helaman and the tone of Doctrine and Covenants 121, for preaching repentance so the vulnerable are protected, the guilty are summoned to change, and the community is steered toward repair. Scriptural Examples - Nathan and David (2 Samuel 12): name the sin plainly so the heart can return. - Jesus (John 8; Matthew 18): protect the vulnerable, expose hypocrisy, and prioritize private restoration before public rebuke. - Paul and Peter (Galatians 2): public corr...