The Undaunted

Ever since the Ensign edition that covered the pioneers who went through hole-in-the-rock I have been rather obsessed with it. It turns out that I have direct ancestors on both sides that went on that incredible passage through the deserts of southern Utah. Even if my mom or dad told me about it before (im sure they did) but it didn't hit home until this past month or so. I went on a trip with school to southern Utah and to the grand canyon. The landscape down there is beautiful and majestic but as formidable a landscape as I can imagine to try to cross in wagons and on foot. Gerald Lund, author of The Work and the Glory, wrote a historical novel about these first saints that forged and carved the road that many would follow to the San Juan mission. Its aptly titled, "The Undaunted."

While the main character is completely fictional, the events of the trip actually occurred and the author cited his sources at the end of each chapter. The Undaunted did more than provide entertainment and a good story, it helped me come to know of the bravery and the faith of those that went before me. It drew me to my fathers and the indomitable spirit that they possessed in following a prophetic call and assignment all the way to the end. I am overwhelmed with the gratitude that I feel. Along the route that the saints took and right next to San Juan hill (it wasn't so much a hill as an incredibly steep ascent near the end of their journey) someone carved into the sandstone, "We thank thee, O God." If men and women who have been pushed beyond anything that I can comprehend can say that then who am I to ever utter a word of compliant? I am humbled by the example of these faithful,willing saints. I thank my God that I have these amazing examples to inspire me to live to a higher call. The Kingdom of God is on the earth and His work is rolling forward.

Who says Idaho is ugly?

One of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day of school/work up in Rexburg is to go for a drive. Like tonight. Granted, I have no money so the drives are rather short, but a 10 mile trip out into the fields does me a lot of good. Here are some shots that I think didn't turn out too badly.

 Rexburg from the top of the northern Menan Butte

 Sunset over a wheatfield.

 I liked the sunshine on the cloud. Sad, i know.

 More wheat.

 Moon rise over the silo. Same silo as moon pic.

 Nearly got the car stuck for this pic.

 A bit of water next to the road.

 Made for a nice reflection.

Another attempt at being "artsy." The end.

Sometimes Life is Perfect

Last weekend was pretty much spectacular. I lead a very spoiled life, but I am very grateful for it. So being spoiled isn't such a bad thing if you recognize that you are spoiled, right? Anyhoo, I went on a geology field trip to the grand canyon. We started off stopping at the place where lake Bonneville drained. Its in Idaho. Yep. We examined the channel it carved through some basalt, and I took my very first picture of my rock hammer. The holes in the rock are vesicles (bubbles) that formed from the gaseous basalt as it flowed as lava.

Don't worry if you aren't impressed or interested by this statement. It just proves how nerdy I am. Following the stop in Inkom, Idaho, we went to a gas station in Utah. No joke. There we examined the different water levels of the body of water that is currently the great salt lake. Also we discussed how the "bench" along the mountain is actually a fault and that everything built on it is located on a seismically unsafe region. Memo to self: don't live on the bench. From there we hopped, skipped, and jumped (or maybe just drove) to the Bingham  copper mine. It was big, as always.

Following the mine we headed to BYU's museum of Paleontology and got to watch as dinosaur bones were removed from rock and were prepped to be put on display or shipped off to other museums. It turns out that dinosaur bones are like legos and you can use someone else's legos to complete your own skeleton?

And I want Ben to hunt an Elk of THIS size. 

After that we went the long haul to St. George with the periodic spotting of cinder cones (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinder_cone) and in-depth discussions of fault-lines and geologic forces at work in central/southern utah. We camped just outside of St. George next to some petrified sand dunes. We called it the "no fun" zone because the rules included: no fire, no climbing on rocks, no sleeping on the grass, and no smiling. That last one might be made up... 

The next day we drove to Colorado city to look at all the polygamists. No joke, look carefully at the name of this gas station. The ladies we met inside were super friendly and all of them wore long dresses and some of them wore bonnets. Plus the houses around there were pretty massive, but not mansion-like. 

We went to a part of the grand canyon that very few people see. And seeing how my little pamphlet is all the way on the other side of the room, the name will remain a mystery. We had to off road a bit to get there, and I was impressed with those 12 seater Chevy vans that we rode in. No wonder why the BYU-I fleet coordinators don't like the geology department... So we continued on until we were met with a view like this-

Thats a 2000 foot vertical cliff right under them. Then after a "bounce" its another 1000 feet to the river.

My frozen, terrified position is due to that incredibly long way down. Manly, no?

To reinstate my dominance over the multimillion year old landscape I flexed at it. Manhood restored. 

And here are some pictures that I snapped of the group while we were there. I preferred taking pictures of others rather than having my picture taken. So if you are bored by this part, just skip. 

View from the cinder cone, looking at the other cinder cone. The two vans are scale.

 The campground facing the valley.

 This pavilion was put up some 40 years ago. You can see how much soil erosion has occurred in the last 40 years. Pretty neat, yeah? Now just wait another 10,000 years and we'll have another arm to the canyon! By the way, the rock hammer is used to provide scale for the picture. Its a point of reference. Or perhaps I have an obsession with that hammer. Who knows.

 After we broke camp we headed off to see some dinosaur tracks in southern Utah. The landscape was pretty amazing.

 Here is one of the sets. My professor was being a "dinosaur." He was a terribly serious man who never goofed around.

 Another set. This sucker was much bigger. My paleontology skills tells me it was an allosaurus. Or maybe its impossible for anyone to tell what made the tracks. But it doesn't stop me from making up stuff. It was way cool.

 The view as we walked back to the car. So GREEN!

 On Sunday we stopped by the St. George temple for about an hour to walk around the grounds and to go inside the visitor center. It was a very nice way to end the week. I just wish we could have done a session.

After that we drove back home. The ride home wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and we had good conversation the entire time. It was a very wonderful experience, and my favorite part would have to be having a temple experience while surrounded by God's creations. Its pretty amazing that we have this beautiful world to live in, and this experience just helped me remember some of the Lord's tender mercies in my life. This is the truncated version of my adventures, and we stopped about a million more places, but it was much less picturesque and had more to do with the technical analysis of the landscape and how it formed. Next on the list of adventures is Latin dancing and then Mesa Falls. I love life! 

A unique Elder Maxwell quote

"Our perfect Father does not expect us to be perfect children yet. He had only one such Child. Meanwhile, therefore, sometimes with smudges on our cheeks, dirt on our hands, and shoes untied, stammeringly but smilingly we present God with a dandelion--as if it were an orchid or a rose! If for now the dandelion is the best we have to offer, He receives it, knowing what we may later place on the altar. It is good to remember how young we are spiritually."-Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Happiness is a Pursuit

Happiness can come from unexpected places. Sometimes we have to look for it or search it out to find it. Today, in anticipation of my geology field trip as well as the rest of my career, I purchased a rock hammer. Now my list of geologic tools consist of a hammer and an eye piece. I"m pretty much a professional. Now the purchase of a tool is not a significant thing, in fact all I could think about was how much food that hammer is worth to me, but it made me rather happy. It became symbolic of my future--of future adventures and exploits where growth and development will occur. Of a future where I can provide a modest lifestyle for my future family. It became a symbol of my talents and abilities and potential. Yeah, I probably was losing it by looking that much into a piece of steel and rubber but that is that. In a life where it seems like my best laid plans or ideas don't come to fruition always, its comforting to know that my future looks bright. And the picture of the temple is also symbolic of the turmoil and uncertainty of the world with the immovable gospel standing in the face of it. I feel artsy and thoughtful tonight? Or maybe I should just go to bed... oh well. Summary- I love life and finding happiness. 

I only blog when I'm happy?

Looking back at my blogs in recent history, I have found that I am generally in a good mood or have had a good day when I blog. Not that its a bad thing, mind you, but it sure helps me appreciate how good my life is when I'm all stressed out about little, stupid stuff. Last week was rather intense, but very good. Two tests, one research project, one Russian violinist, one cold, one group assignment, some 7 hours of additional study, one girl, eight rail road ties, one Paul Cardall, one new bishop, two birthdays, one very full, grateful heart.

My life is just packed full of tender mercies that surround me constantly. It takes me a minute to see them, or more accurately, to recognize them for what they are. I have a habit of getting caught up in the bustle of things but thankfully days like today allow me to see things as they really are, and not merely just as they seem. President Henry J. Eyring (Henry B.'s son) presided over our ward conference where we sustained our new bishopric. Its rather interesting how much I have grown to love my previous bishop and his counselors. I have only known them for a month, but they have made a pretty significant impact on me in that month. The gospel can unite people faster than anything else in the world. Well, I feel like a nice long walk, so I believe I'll end here. Life is pretty amazing :)

The Attitude of Gratitude

Right now I just feel really grateful. Really grateful. I had a few challenges this past week, but they were really nothing. I had some pretty awesome spiritual experiences, the most memorable of which occurred in the temple on Saturday. I preformed sealings and witnessed as many of my own ancestors and distant relatives received the crowning ordinances of exhalation. It was a very tender moment and made me realize how much I have to be grateful for. I have a wonderful (and crazy) family that supports me in my crazy antics and has always given me a path to follow that results in personal growth and betterment. Today, being Easter Sunday, was especially nice because it was an opportunity to remember something that my elder brother did out of complete selflessness. I have been pondering a lot about where my life is headed, and what things await me in the future. While I don't have all the answers that I would like, I have enough to know that my future looks amazing, and that I can't wait to continue living a truly blessed life. I know that my Savior lives, and because He lives, everything matters. Life is wonderful :)