Players gotta play

The only reason I knew who was playing in the Super Bowl while I was on my mission was because one of the zones had an activity that included watching the game. It was on a Monday — our preparation day — so it's not quite as bad as it sounds. And it only happened once.

Name them one by one

Counting blessings doesn't work if you want to go to sleep. It tends to have the opposite effect!

It's almost never too late to start

Semester finals were last week for our high school. Teachers had to have grades turned in by Monday before the start of school. Kids are still trying to turn in assignments to up their grades today.

The spirit of the fast

It's very possible that one of the green things on his plate is asparagus. Very possible!

Sketchbook: The broken bow

Sometimes it's easy to misunderstand what you read.

There's no foundation to this

Say what you want about conditions at your local high school, but it sure beats walking through the halls of middle school! Bless those teachers who choose to teach middle school as a career! 

Another sign in the heavens

It would be nice if it was that easy. 

Alarming news

That's one way to get someone to come to church!

The legacy

We had a huge snowstorm last week — that lasted for about twenty minutes. And then the sun came out.

Speak their language

It helps to have more than one user's manual!

Sketchbook: Riiiiight

Someone I know recently discovered the Mutual app. He's enjoying it quite a lot!

A helping hand

I was reading about someone who said they got help from the other side when they were doing some family history research. So I went there.

Go forth with faith

It takes a lot for the missionaries to cancel a dinner appointment. It's only happened to us once, but they came anyway so the sick elder could have some soup and his companion could have a home cooked dinner. And a little respite from caring for a sick companion!

It's legendary

They come in waves

There's a popular burger joint located at the freeway exit just south of our local temple. Every time we go there after the temple, we can count on at least two or three other families from the session being there at the same time.

A lot of restaurants prepare for mealtime rushes; they prepare for a fresh wave of Latter-day Saints every couple of hours.

Sketchbook: Missing snowman

We've got snow in our forecast. Time to search for those missing snowmen!

One spring day

In the spring of 1820, Joseph Smith was just a teenager looking for some answers. Like most teenagers, he had no idea how his life was going to turn out.

Like a lot of lifelong members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I've heard, told and taught the Joseph Smith story dozens of times — if not more — in a couple of different languages.

I've recently been listening to the Joseph Smith Papers' podcast of the First Vision, and it's enhanced my perspective and understanding.  I highly recommend giving it a listen. Put it on your to-do list!

Let me take you away from all this

Gotta hand it to Ishmael's family. They must have had a LOT of faith!

Who's that knocking at my door?

I know the greenie joke has been done to death, but I don't think I've ever seen it done with an alien. Incredible Hulk? Check! Sick missionary? Check! Leprechaun? Check! Alien..?

On a side note, I've been informed that using context clues, this joke may not work. The picture on the wall is of the Paris Temple. In France, new missionaries are called blue rather than green. 

When the lights go down

A lot of people think it's a huge job to put up the lights on Temple Square. I think that it would be a huge job to take the lights down!

And where do they store the lights in the off season? Is there a big storage area under the Tabernacle with bins full of lights? Or maybe there's a section in granite vaults where they keep them.

Maybe it's just one the mysteries of the kingdom!

It's all in your head

Sometimes those blow dryers can get hot!

Sketchbook: Growth on all levels

A week ago Sunday we had a fifth hour discussion about the new Children and Youth Program. This came out of my notes.

Looking to the future

One person's short term is another person's forever.

My teaching pool is frozen

As a missionary in Korea, I got transferred to a new area right before Christmas, and my companion and I were both new to the area — we didn't know anyone. The transfer carried over into the new years — January 1 and the Lunar new year — so the entire transfer felt like one long holiday season. That was the hardest time ever to try to find people to teach!

Cold contacting

Sometimes I think I was one of the lucky missionaries: I never had things thrown at me. Or maybe the people who threw things weren't very good shots.

2019 Top Ten: Part II, 5-1

And now, we start the new year with the rest of the Top Ten! Enjoy!

No. 5
With the adjustments to Church programs over the past couple of years, many of my cartoons have become obsolete.

No. 4
My wife and I had a great trip to Europe earlier this year. We had a lot of fun sharing our adventures with a cartoon travelogue. Here's what happened when we visited with the missionaries at the Paris France Temple Visitor's Center.

No. 3
Remember three-hour church? Are you used to it yet?

No. 2
Written for our day.

...and without further ado, here's the No. 1 cartoon from 2019!

Have a great New Year! I look forward to see what happens this year!