The computer is timing out. I'm talking about time. What luck.

I'm sitting here in the Newark Public library.  Finally, a decent computer.

As I waited for the computer to become available, I was just stunned by how much information we have at our fingertips.  In each bookshelf, we have at least a hundred books, each one hundreds of pages long.  In the bookshelf to my right, we have books of history, the presidency, a seperate book about the president's wives, the civil war, a book about native american tribes, another one listing TV shows from 1995 to 2007, over in the shelves even further to the right, you have two books on D&D. (I checked.  Habit.)  You have Mormonism for Dummies, you have shelf after shelf of paperback romance books, you have Terry Pratchett, and an incredible amount of information.  If you were to live here, and just start reading books, you might finish them all before you die.  Maybe.

There's just too much information here in the world for any one man to process.  That's in books alone.  Then, you have the Internet.  Even if you were to remove all redundant material...Click here for something mindblowing.

As the first little picture there says, if you were to read all of the Internet from one end to the other, it would take 57,000 years reading nonstop.

In all this, it's important to prioritize.  There are things that are downright bad, things that are good, better, and best.  We each have 80 or so years, a gift from God to use as we see fit.  If we choose, we could go to lolcats and read all about certain cats are denied cheezburgers.  We could spend any amount of time reading on forums about webcomics, gaming, books, fantasy, romance.  (I should know, that's how I spent a lot of time three years ago.  Except for the romance part.)

But that wouldn't be best. 

God has commanded us to seek wisdom from the best books.  I know that if we will spend time reading from the best books, something I've interpreted to mean the scriptures, we will have happier lives.

You can find the Scriptures with your local missionaries.  Or, since you're on a computer right now, why don't you check out the scriptures right now?

Moments that really matter

I agree with this wholeheartedly.  So often, as we go through life we just get lost in the motions.  We don't really enjoy life for what it is.  It kind of reminds me of another quote:

"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away."

I have some experience with this.  About six months ago, I was still in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, serving a mission in that area.  On the day after I found out I was leaving, we went for a run.  As we jogged, I was struck by the beauty of the area.  As the sun rose over Center City, I appreciated Philly as never before.  Sure, it's still covered with trash and bums, but it truly is a beautiful city.  All of the church spires, the few trees that there are, send light scattering randomly.  Beautiful.

In the same way, if we just look at the earth and enjoy nature, we will be truly happier.  A sunset, a leaf from a tree, that beetle crawling on the ground.  Just sit back, and let God paint you a masterpiece.