Spare the rod

Looking back, my Primary teacher probably should have used a paddle on us — our class was kinda naughty. 

Coming soon!

Not that anyone could get those two things mixed up...

Sketchbook Special Edition: General Women's Session

What a contrast to what's been in the headlines lately! Love one another, serve one another, do good — what if we could get the whole world to try some of those things?

The General Women's Session was awesome! The videos were a nice way to introduce I Was A Stranger. What a way to serve one-on-one and have it make a difference!

The music was awesome, the talks were amazing — certainly worth reading or watching (even if you're a priesthood holder!). I can't wait for the rest of conference!

By the way, if you have little ones (or even bigger ones) you need to keep engaged during general conference, be sure to print out copies of the Mormon Cartoonist's Conference Activity Packet — they're highly recommended!

Sketchbook: Low standards

I usually don't wax political, but after I heard about the bombings in Pakistan I just couldn't get it off my mind. It's one thing to make a political statement, but it's something completely different to target innocents on a playground. I'm convinced there's a not-so-special place in the underworld prepared for people who commit such heinous offenses.

Thank goodness general conference is coming up — I think a lot of us could use a mega-dose of good news right about now!

He is not here

Happy Easter! Here's a wonderful Easter message. Enjoy the day!

The Tomb

The time following the crucifixion must have been difficult for Christ's followers to endure. The scriptures don't say much about what happened on this day, but I'm sure it was a day of great introspection.

Hallelujah!


On a completely different note, remember that tonight is the General Women's Session of General Conference. And just in time for General Conference, the Mormon Cartoonist's Conference Activity Packet is available! Use it wisely!

Hallelujah

As we approach Easter, it's important to pause and remember what it's all about. The Friday before Easter is the day of the crucifixion. I've never been able to bring myself to draw that, so we turn to Gethsemane instead.

Where the shadows lie

Thank you for indulging me. The road does, indeed, go ever on and on.

Smaug

Frodo

Gollum

Boromir

Pippin

Something to celebrate

Did you know that tomorrow, March  25, is J.R.R. Tolkien Reading Day? It's an event that encourages reading, particularly reading Tolkien's works.

To commemorate the event, we at the Oregon DOT made these ads/memes to run on our social media accounts.

Here are a few of the finalists.  Check back periodically through the day, I'll put up some more every couple of hours.

The Final Frontier

I've often wondered why they don't show holiday celebrations on Star Trek, but I think I may have just figured out why.

First there were hot cross buns. Now, this!

Sis. Kerry Jo and Sis. Han had some interesting Easter adventures. This was before the egg dyeing incident, obviously.

Sketchbook: Collections

For me, collecting fast offerings as a deacon was a strange experience. Maybe it was just my particular route, but it seems like I had all the "less-active" people, the ones who only came to church on rare occasions: Christmas, Easter and the Primary program.

There was one house on Minuet Drive where the guy who answered the door would make the same joke every month: "Each time I get paid, I throw all my money up to the ceiling. Whatever the Lord wants, he catches and keeps; I spend all the rest." The worst thing was that every time I went there on fast Sunday, they were cooking the most delicious breakfasts. He'd also ask me if I wanted a bite of something before I left.

Funny thing, though. He always put something in the envelope as a fast offering. 

Shake it up

Sometimes as a missionary you just have to do something to make things a little different.

Lifting the load

Don't bury those talents

Everyone is Irish today!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Two great tastes

To be honest, both of these are on our menu for tomorrow — just not for the same meals!

One eternal round

Yes, it's a Geek Week leftover. It won't happen again for another year!

Sketchbook: Pi for everyone!

Happy Pi Day! I thought it would be appropriate to share not just one, not just two, but 3.14* sketches today!

Have an amazing Pi Day: celebrate wisely.

*Or an approximation thereof...

Everybody wave!

It's a missionary math gag — and I mean gag! (At least I didn't go off on a tangent).

Thank you for your patience. We're almost done with Geek Week. Just one day more!

Culture club

OK, maybe it's not fair to pick on Justin Bieber all the time...

Drumroll, please...

 Welcome once again to Geek Week, the days leading up to Pi Day (3.14). I guess technically we're not celebrating a full week, but — like pi itself — it's an approximation.

This is a week (or time frame, if you will) where the jokes are just a wee bit nerdier than usual, more often than not leaning toward the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) end of the continuum.

And what better way to kick it off than with some of the infamous alphabet gags!*

*I apologize in advance

By their fruits

One of my Facebook friends recently posted about a wild concert they went to in Rexburg, home of BYU-I. It got me wondering what that would look like...

Everyone's a winner!

I think the same thing every time I open the Family Search app!

Think of it as an early warning system

It's actually not a bad idea...

Sketchbook: An unsolicited critique

...and it was shortly after that happened that Nephi took all those who were friendly toward him and fled. Coincidence?

That's why they call it "Sharing Time"

I've seen this happen before!

It's a 24/7 thing

Actually the one time I was really sick as a missionary, it was kind of cool (other than being really sick, that is!). Ward members brought us food, the ward mission leader took me to the doctor, and the doctor gave me all kinds of interesting medicine! It was nice to see ward members rally around to try to help me feel better.

Called to not serve

That's the worst, trying to get a substitute when you're supposed to be the substitute!

Getting lost in translation

For me, getting any of my homework done was a miracle!

Yet another day to celebrate!

It's March 2, Read Across America Day, sometimes known as Dr. Seuss's birthday. It's a day in which we celebrate reading and encourage young readers!

We thought it would be fun to capitalize on it with a public service announcement/meme to share on social media.

There was another one that I started but didn't pursue (below). Not that it was a bad idea, but it didn't go along with the reading theme. It looked more like the Cat in the Hat was part of a work zone safety campaign. And although I'm sure he's all for work zone safety, that's not what Read Across America is about, and there could be licensing/copyright issues that we didn't want to deal with.

Anyway, celebrate the day with a good book — and put a wocket in your pocket!

Spring cleaning

There was one apartment in our mission where we were tempted to do this. We got permission to take a week off from proselyting just so we could clean it up.*

*For any missionary moms out there, that was the exception rather than the rule!