The Mormon Monk

This being the Christmas season, we naturally think about Jesus Christ and gifts--particularly gifts that we might give Jesus Christ as a token of our love for and gratitude to him. We tell the story of the wise men found in Matthew 2 and discuss the potential meanings of their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We remember the Savior's mission and the gift that he gave us, the atoning sacrifice without which no other gift would be meaningful. But one gift, a gift that Jesus Christ commanded us to remember is almost always left out of the Christmas story, one you will find in Matthew, chapter 26, verses 6-12: 6 ¶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 When Jesu...

Every December we celebrate Christmas, and that celebration generally entails thinking up new ways to remember and emulate the Savior whose birth we celebrate: Jesus Christ. One popular way to remember Christ's example is to surround yourself with the questioning acronym WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? You can buy bracelets, jewelry, tracksuits, giant beanbags, magnets, stuffed animals and other products emblazoned with these four letters. If remembering the acronym WWJD really made people more Christlike, one would suspect that the sheer volume of merchandise currently available for purchase online would have already kickstarted the Millennium and triggered the Second Coming. All of this is a roundabout way of saying that I suspect that the WWJD acronym really isn't that effective, perhaps because of its ubiquity. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints frequently tout the virtue of wearing a CTR (Choose the Right) ring, which they hope will inspire them to make ...

On December 26th, Hutchins family members celebrating the holidays in New England will gather for a white elephant gift exchange. If that doesn't sound exciting, check out this video of last year's event. UPDATE: Ok. I know there's no video. Sorry--This is about my fifth attempt to load one. You'll just have to wait for a hard copy to become available (and for those of you who are coming to the White Elephant, you won't have to wait long). Sorry!

When I posted my prospective hymn submission two weeks ago, several of you provided helpful feedback that pointed out a few weak spots in the poem (thank you!). I'd be grateful for similarly constructive criticism of this draft: Be Fruitful At birth each spirit fin'lly gains The body it will need To sit upon our Parents' thrones And act as God in deed; But gender is eternal, not A random circumstance: Our mortal roles were foreordained, Not left to genes or chance. On earth we seek a spouse who lifts Us up, a true helpmate Without whom we cannot progress To God's celestial state. For men and women cannot be Exalted while apart; Our better halves must complement And help perfect each heart. That marriage was ordained in heav'n The scriptures make it plain-- Where Adam, Eve and God all join To make one flesh of twain. As equal partners husbands, wives Must learn to do God's will: And His command to multiply Remains effective still.