This year the performances are Thursday through Sunday, December 8th – 11th at 6:30, 7:00, and 7:30 each night.

I was in the performance last year as one of the three wise men and will be in it this year as the prophet Jeremiah ana Micah.

If you have the opportunity to go see it it’s well worth it. At the end of the performance everyone (the cast and the audience) sing Joy to the World together which everyone always enjoys.

It’s always very cold at it, so remember to dress very warm.

The lyrics:

We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned

We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always comes with getting burned

But you’ve got to be tough when consumed by desire
‘Cause it’s not enough just to stand outside the fire

We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall

We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all

They’re so hell-bent on giving ,walking a wire
Convinced it’s not living if you stand outside the fire

Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you’re standing outside the fire

There’s this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can’t abide
Standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you’re standing outside the fire

Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you’re standing outside the fire

I know the song is about love, but I want to apply it to life in general, and more specifically to business.

It’s amazing how this world teaches people to be safe. Most people are taught growing up to get an education so they can get a good secure job. Our education system teaches people this from day one. It’s like it’s the education systems way of surviving. They tell people that the only way for them to get a job or to get ahead financially is by getting a good education or by getting more education. They teach that a good secure job is the only way to live in this troubled world. I disagree.

Life is not tried it is mearly survived if you’re standing outside the fire.

Now, this isn’t to say that not having a safe secure job is for everyone. The world NEEDS those people who go to work 8-5 each day. I need those people. But it just doesn’t work for me. In fact, as far as I’m concerned there is no such thing as a safe secure job anymore unless you work for the government or for the LDS church (and even the government isn’t that secure). Companies aren’t loyal to their employees anymore just as employees aren’t loyal.

I believe standing inside the fire is taking a risk and going out on your own. Starting your own business. Risking failure. Risking financial hardship in order to get out of the rat race, in order to be financially free, not depending on someone else to put food on the table. Some would argue, on the other hand (myself included), that working for someone else is standing in the fire. You’re just waiting to get burned (by your employer, a co-worker, a downsizing…).

The world (and acadamia) has taught us that following the status-quo is what is correct, that we need to do what we’re taught, and that we HAVE to have insurance. I think the status-quo is changing.

From a religious standpoint, I believe there are a lot of people who stand outside the fire of their religion. They don’t get into it deep enough to have it make that big of a difference in their life. I think if more people would get into the fire for that which they believe, the world would be a better place. For me, I have a hard time standing up for what is right in a group when I know something is wrong. I know that standing up would be putting myself in the fire and it’s hard for me. I need to change that. A lot of other people need to do the same. There are a lot of things that are taught by religions that aren’t convenient for most of the members of that religion, so they don’t follow those teachings. This is standing outside the fire.

Basically I’m just trying to say that standing outside the fire isn’t ok for me.

I’m also admitting that I don’t mind country music!

This morning Kim was studying something I believe in preparation for a lession she’s supposed to give in church and she asked me where the scripture is that says “Where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.”

I wasn’t sure, so I googled it:

http://www.google.com/search?q=where+your+treasure+is+there+shall+your+heart+be&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial

and sure enough the answer came up as the first result.

Google is a treasure.

On our trip we drove past a few signs that point to Manti which got me thinking about our annual trip to Manti to see the Manti Pagaent. Last year when we were there we stayed overnight at the Yardley Inn and Spa bed and breakfast and got up in the morning and went to the mormon temple in Manti. It’s a fabulous building with a super rich history behind it. Thinking about how the temple sits on a hill got me thinking about the view of the Provo Mormon Temple and the Mt. Timpanogos Mormon temple that my friends the Kristensens will have when their new house is built in Saratoga Springs. It’s an amazing view of Utah county where they can see both Mormon Temples.

I thought some of the people who read my blog who aren’t Mormon, might be interested in some of the things I believe. Mormon Temples aren’t meant to be misterous places, they’re just sacred places where we (mormons) go to learn more about Jesus Christ and his plan for our salvation.

I studied for a couple of weeks the scripture references in the back of the Book of Mormon’s index about whatever I could think of that would releate to the second coming. I wrote stuff down including references and my thoughts on their fullfillments. Now, I just finished putting them on a wiki page so I can add to it and others can contribute too.

Signs of the Second Coming

The page needs some help still. I don’t know that much about prophecies being fulfilled. Also, I don’t know that much about wiki, other than what I read on the page about editing it. If you do know about either one of these, feel free to edit the page (click the link at the bottom). When you do, let me know (john AT jonasfam DOT com).

Welcome to the LDS General Conference Scriptural Index. This index links from scriptures to the general conference talks that cite those scriptures. So, for example, suppose you want to know who has cited 1 Ne. 3:7 in general conference; click on the Book of Mormon link at the left and scroll down to 1 Ne. 3; there you’ll find the answer. Who has quoted Matt. 5:48? Use the New Testament index to find out.

Find it at http://scriptures.byu.edu