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...

More and more people are entering the covenant path—and they come from all walks of life. Not all are polished or “white collar.” Some have walked hard roads, carrying the weight of past mistakes. But when these brothers and sisters truly come unto Christ, their loyalty runs deep. We saw this in the Book of Mormon with the Lamanites.  "if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee" ( Alma 22:18 ) "as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away" ( Alma 23:6 ) These “newer” members—those with rougher pasts—often bring a fierce devotion and a hunger for righteousness. Their zeal is not just emotional; it’s rooted in deep gratitude and transformation. Consider how the Lamanites responded to the threat of the Gadianton robbers, a gang who had sworn to uphold secret combinations in order to get gain: Lamonites "And it came to pass that the Lamanites ...

Moses once proclaimed, "would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" ( Numbers 11:29 )  And Joel later prophesied, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." ( Joel 2:28-29 ) In these last days prior to the coming of the Lord, we may well expect Moses's wish to be fulfilled as Joel prophesied.  We have been counseled in recent years to learn how the Holy Spirit speaks to us and to cultivate a closer relationship with the Spirit of the Lord in preparation for His coming.   "But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." (President Russell M. Nel...

Wheat and the church have been on my mind this past year as I watch false teachings spread and faithful people falter. To make sense of what I’m seeing, I want to walk through the biblical process of sowing → harvest → threshing → winnowing and show how each stage maps to conversion, testing, and purification in our day. Sowing AI rendition of the parable of the sower When seed is sown, the farmer’s hope is simple: life will grow. In spiritual terms, sowing is the proclamation of truth and the work of discipleship. New converts and renewed hearts are the visible fruit of faithful teaching and prayer.  In some souls the word takes hold and in others it withers.  1 , 2 Tares Wheat on the left and Tares on the right The Scriptures warn that tares will grow alongside wheat. Tares look like wheat at first, but their roots and fruit differ.  We hear about the tares sown by the enemy amongst the fields.  These remain until the harvest whe...