Table of Contents

Blog                                                                              Page Number

Evaluative Conclusion                                                           1

Boy Scouts of America: 121 Merit Badges                            2

World Travel                                                                        3

Why we need more Charity                                                   4

Camping among the Bears                                                     5

New Orleans Mardi Gras                                                      6

The Divine Potential                                                              7

The Influence of the True Church                                          8

John Lasseter and Steven Spielberg are at BYU                    9

Thanksgiving with the Family                                                10

The Motivation of a Successful Workout                               11

The Power of a Super Hero                                                  12

Believing “Pass” the Fear                                                       13

Two Years of Opportunities and Memories                            14

Enduring to the End: Teaching Brooke                                   15

The Changes to expect as a Return Missionary                       16

Climbing to New Heights: A Personal Narrative about Overcoming  17

Research Topic Blog                                                                18

Boyd K. Packer: Wisdom of an Old Crow                               19

The Longest Yard of my Life                                                   20

Response to Elder Eyring’s “A Child of God”                         21

Evaluative Conclusion

Page 1

I have finally completed my 20 entries for my blog. I’ve never kept a blog or for that matter a very stable journal. Yet, this has been kind of a rewarding experience because I get to write about anything and people get to view my thoughts and stories. I’m glad I can officially say I’ve blogged about something.

The hardest part of doing these blogs was meeting the deadlines, which was mainly due to procrastination. However, it was also difficult to come up with something to write about. I’d always feel the need to blog about something, but it never effectively came together. I was surprised to find myself writing about certain topics that I hadn’t considered, such as the Mardi Gras blog and the boy scout blog.

The best part of blogging was just writing what I wanted to have heard by others. It was also fun reflecting back on several experiences, which made me laugh most the time. It was also fun to comment on other blogs from other students because I could agree or disagree with what they had to say.

Overall, it helped me appreciate the process of writing that I’ve neglected over the years. Keeping a blog allows the writer an opportunity to put their thoughts and feelings down. With a blog it invokes an unlimited opportunity to be heard.

Boy Scouts of America: 121 Merit Badges

Page 2

                                                                

There are a 121 merit badges in the Boy Scout of America program. How do I know that? Cause I managed to get every single one of them. Getting all the merit badges is a feat that by any stretch is physically and mentally demanding.

It started when I moved to Texas, as I joined with a new scout troop. My scout master was eager to work on merit badges and disperse all the knowledge he had about camping. His enthusiasm ignited a similar excitement that led me to pursue the educational opportunities each badge presented. It wasn’t long before I took advantage of every scout camp and clinic that offered the badges. Pretty soon I was at seventy-five merit badges and I hinted to my dad that I was finished. He then simply advised me, “Your already at seventy-five, why not get all of them?” It was an easy statement, but once again it reiterated what I had accomplished and what I could accomplish.

I finished the last merit badge, water skiing 3 months before my eighteenth birthday (the cut off line). Overall, I’ve white water rafted the freezing Colorado rivers, sailed a boat on the calm Kansas lakes, biked over fifty miles in one sitting, hiked over a couple hundred miles, rock climbed, slept in a man-made shelter, shot bows and guns, dug at a professional archeology site, wielded, etc. Another great thing is the professional intake from the people I met, such as a drafter, a Houston police officer, an orthodontist, a photographer, a lawyer, etc.

My younger brother also managed to get them all, but he went on to earn 127 because they added more after my departure from the program. My older brother was able to climb to 56 badges (which was fine with him), but it was mainly due to the fact that he struggled to get the necessary help. Regardless, you only need 21 for your eagle and 56 far surpasses that. It wouldn’t of been possible to get this far and to get my eagle without the help of loving parents, a wonderful scout leader, and an older brother who led by example. It was truly an adventure and one that I hope to work towards again with my kids if they so choose. 

World Travel

Page 3

I echo the words of the famous Johnny Cash lyrics “I’ve been everywhere, man.” Travel has ironically always been something that intrigued my dad since it was limited to him in his youth. He set out to see as much as the United States as he could and in response we always got hauled as a family. I’ve managed to set foot in forty-nine of the fifty states. The only state that has seemed to evade my footprints is far out of reach for me, Alaska. This is frustrating because it seems that it is most likely going to detract me from my flawless record of fifty for some time since I have no intentions of going there anytime soon.  

I’ve lived in six states throughout my life. I’ve visited countless cities that include places like Honolulu, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Washington D.C, and much, much more. Most the places are a vague memory, since I had very little interest in Gettysburg or Plymouth Rock at such a young age. Still it is neat to think that I’ve been there, but I definitely feel obligated to replicate my steps and explore these places again some point in my life.  

I’ve managed to travel to Mexico multiple times since I live so close to the border. Other foreign places I’ve been include the Bahamas, Canada, and as far as France and the Netherlands. I love travel because when you’re in front of something you’ve seen so many countless times in pictures, textbooks, and movies, it is fascinating! I plan to continue on this tradition my dad has started in this family and go see the rest of the world. My goal presently is visit every livable continent and the various places of interest within each. A lifelong pursuit I hope to take with my family.  

Why we need more Charity

Page 4

Charity is a widely discussed topic within the scriptures as well as heavily reviewed within the church. It is a pursuit that all people should strive to incorporate more entirely into their lives. We are taught that “if you have not faith, hope and charity, you can do nothing” (Doctrine and Covenants 18:19). Yet “above all things have fervent Charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

 Charity can be anything from simply opening a door for someone to organizing a food drive. It places others in front of you which tears down pride. One of my favorite parables is of the loving kindness exhibited with perfection by the Good Samaritan as he happened upon a wounded, mugged, stranger.  “A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he [stranger] was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10:33-34).

Charity is one of my favorite gospel principles because it is not about you, but about others. Charity is truly the purest love we can display in our hearts. May we follow the counsel of our beloved prophet Thomas S. Monson when as counsels “Charity never faileth.” May this long-enduring Relief Society motto, this timeless truth, guide you in everything you do. May it permeate your very souls and find expression in all your thoughts and actions” (General Conference report October 2010). May we always remember to have this pure love of Christ in our hearts and souls. 

Camping among the Bears

Page 5

It had been ten restless days of brutal hiking with overweight backpacks to slow us down. I didn’t want to think about the distance we overcame, but Brother James (our leader) was boasting loudly over dinner, “We’ve gone over a hundred miles.” Quite an accomplishment, especially since the majority of it was up. Still, I just wanted to finish my food and finally reward myself to a comfortable, nights rest rather than dwell on all the pain I had accumulated over the course of our hike.

We filed in a single line as we marched unified back to camp. Suddenly the guy in front of me stopped instantly and I slammed into the back of him. I was going to give him a mouthful since I was far from a mood of playing games, but he chirped softly “There’s a bear in the bush in front of us”. I could tell by his frightened tone that he wasn’t trying to throw a trick over my head. Oddly enough I felt nervous, as well as the other people huddled about us. We had heard horrific rumors of nasty bear attacks from random campers and were severely warned to watch out for them. Yet we failed to see a bear anywhere until this last evening.

“What should we do”? One of the younger guys uttered as he pointed towards the bush.

I thought quickly back to what we were told in case we encountered one these monstrous creatures and said the first thing that came to mind, “Quick throw rocks at it!”

The bushes rustled violently as torpedoes of rocks flew randomly into the abyss of leaves. Suddenly I heard a “thud” sound from a rock and a pathetic whimper.

“We got him” I cheered! With that there was a sigh of relief that was felt by our group. We went back to our tents and I finally got a peaceful, worry free, nights rest. In the morning, to our disgust all our food had been torn open and eaten. Brother James was laughing at the sight “Who got who?”

New Orleans Mardi Gras

Page 6

A lot of people tend to be intimated by New Orleans annual festive celebration, Mardi Gras. Crowds without limits, over the top costumes, and outrageous parades that destroy the streets with littered goodies thrown by masked individuals on the floats, can be quite startling for someone’s first experience. However, it is an event like none other and one I would carefully recommend in good spirit to all to attend.

New Orleans is known for their food and “king cake” is a special treat that comes with the festive activities of this time of year. It is a giant cinnamon roll with purple, green, and yellow (Mardi Gras colors) sugar spread across the top. It is a simple, but an incredible, indescribable treat. However, be careful not to accidentally swallow the plastic baby hidden inside the cake. Tradition says whoever gets the baby has to buy the next king cake. 

The parades are intense to say the least. Huge elaborate floats with vivid colors and designs come one after another down the roads tossing all manners of goodies into the air. Thousands of people line the streets and throw their hands up yelling for the attention of those willfully tossing out the beads, toys, and candy. Sometimes one has to be cautious because you never know if a full bag of beads will slap you across the face.

These parades can sometimes go all day long, but nothing compares to Mardi Gras Day (the last day of the festival). Instead of standard floats, huge semi-trucks pull massive trailers filled with eager throwers who would want nothing more than to spoil the crowd with their surplus of goodies. It is trucks after trucks which come non-stop for almost four hours throwing everything imaginable into the frantic, wild crowd. It almost gets repetitive, but it is so wild and different from anything you’ll ever do that it never gets old.

Mardi Gras is wild, unpredictable, and something that everyone should try at least once. There are things I would strongly recommend avoiding, but the majority of the events are family friendly. It is like nothing else, just come prepared to throw your hands up and scream eagerly.