"Sunday Sermon" Luke 9:62: "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." "Remember Lot’s Wife" The most famous example of “turning back” in the scriptures is Lot’s wife. Jesus specifically asked us to, “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Lk. 17:32) How could we forget? Because of … Continue reading “Don’t Look Back” – Luke 9:62
"Saturday Stories" Too Shy for Stardom Disneyland Star My first chance for child stardom took place at Disneyland. I grew up close to Disneyland. Our family couldn’t wait to go to Disneyland when it opened in the summer of 1955. I was four years old. One of the first rides we went on was the … Continue reading I Could Have Been a Child Star (2 Stories)
"Court Case Friday" Issue: Wrong Size Dress or Fatter Bride? I have presided over several small claims cases involving bridal gowns. The lawsuits were all the same. The bride sued the dressmaker because the gown did not fit. The seamstress argued that if the dress did not fit, it was because the bride put on … Continue reading Bridal Gown Lawsuits: Wrong Size Dress, or Fatter Bride?
"Poetic Wednesday" William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is considered to be the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s greatest dramatist. As an English major in college, I was required to take a full semester class on “the Bard.” I enjoyed listening to the recordings of famous actors as I followed along with the text. … Continue reading “All the World’s A Stage” – A Famous Poem About the Stages of Life by William Shakespeare
"Sunday Sermon" Elder H. Burke Peterson's First Stake Conference (Garden Grove) In 1972, H. Burke Peterson was sustained as a new General Authority. The next week, he presided over the Garden Grove Stake Conference. I was in attendance at the Saturday Priesthood Leadership Meeting. The meeting was supposed to last two hours. However, Elder Peterson … Continue reading Fallible Church Leaders – A Story
"Saturday Stories" My favorite sport growing up was body surfing. One summer, I heard that a hurricane off Baja was generating big waves on SoCal beaches. I grabbed my fins and drove to Huntington Beach. The waves were huge. I put on my fins and swam out to sea. The crushing waves were brutal. The … Continue reading Lesson of the Lazy Lifeguards – A Story
"Court Case Friday" Fingerprint Experts A benefit of being a judge is that I get to learn all sorts of interesting stuff from expert testimony. For example, I learned that a fingerprint match does not guarantee conviction. The location of the print is critical. For instance, was it inside the window at the point of … Continue reading How did police ID and catalog criminals before fingerprints and photos? Answer: “Anthropometry”
"Poetic Wednesday" Stephen Crane (1871-1900) was a popular American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His classic Civil War novel, “The Red Badge of Courage” was required reading in high school. THERE WAS A CRIMSON CLASH OF WAR There was a crimson clash of war.Lands turned black and bare;Women wept;Babes ran, wondering.There came one … Continue reading “There Was a Crimson Clash of War” – Famous Poem About the Senselessness of War
"Sunday Sermon" The Lord has repeatedly warned: “Be not deceived!” We are admonished to “Be as wise as serpents and yet without sin.” (D&C 111:11) Use Multiple News Sources News sources are not only biased in their writing, but in their selection of stories. They “cherry-pick” and “card stack” their articles. To guard against news … Continue reading “Be Not Deceived” – Misinformation and Conspiracies
"Saturday Stories" My "Big Band" I was very involved in music in high school. I played the saxophone and clarinet in the several bands and orchestras, and I was the student conductor for three years. During my junior year, I was invited to join a professional “Big Band” that played for dances. I was the … Continue reading My Disaster at the Leisure World Dance
The London Edition 