A Reading Plan

I'm currently reading 3 books, 4 if you count the scriptures. I'm listening to one on CD in the car as I drive, then one for book group that I read at work or when ever I can, and once again have picked up the book "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling", by Bushman. I'm reading the last one at night.

I have a LARGE collection of books, and over the last year I've given many away or sold them for nothing. But with my mom moving to Boise Idaho I am now officially inheriting my fathers books. I was going to get the whole set of "journal of discourses". But I said it was OK for them to go to my brother Mark. I just don't have the room. I do however have all of Hugh Nibley's and many other books. They are thick books that I realized I may not ever get to. They may just sit there and people will ask have you read these? There are about 25 books. 10 of them being Nibley's. I'm nearing 40 and if I don't get a start on them, it may not happen.

This is my plan: read one book a year by taking the number of pages in the book, dividing it by 12 and then have the goal to read that many pages per month. For instance with Rough Stone Rolling, as to where I am now, I will read 36 pages a month till the end of 2011. If I read more, great. If I read less, I'll have to add that to the next month.

Here are the books on my list except Nibley's:

The Mortal Messiah (vol 1, 2, 3) by McConkie

The First Thousand Years

The Second Thousand Years
The Third Thousand Years
The Fourth Thousand Years
All by Skousen
The Last Days by Gileadi
The Book of Isaiah by Gileadi
Days of the Living Christ (vol 1,2) Skousen
The Fate of the Persecutors of the Prophet Joseph Smith by Lundwall
Spiritual Survival in the Last Days by Yorgason's
The Sign of the Son of Man by Wise

In thinking about it today, I realize that some of the newer ones may sight the older ones and there may be some repetition, but I will deal with that as it comes along. I wonder what I'll read in 2012.

Looking Into Eternity

Tuesday Jason received his Endowments at the Seattle Temple. After it was all over and we were in the Celestial Room the worker that helped Jason wanted to show him the sealing rooms. We went up there and he had us look into the mirrors that look like this:


You can see by looking into one mirror and the mirror in the back that reflect off each other hundreds of times both ways. The symbolism is that we are eternal. We have a past and a future that is eternal.

Well I was bending all around trying to see me as I was holding Jason's hands. All I could see of me was the here and now. Jason I could see going on and on. I got a message from that. We don't really know our future, how long we will live on this earth, what will happen to us why we are here and how and when we will die. We can live a good life and have some idea of how our next life will be. But I could see Jason going on and on. I guess that means that I don't need to worry about myself, but I'm here to be a "help meet" for him to get to where he wants to be and where I would like him to be. I didn't ask Jason if all he could see was me, but if so it would be the same message for him. It's kind of beautiful, isn't it?

The savior said to forget about self and serve others and when you do you find your self. That's the message - help people! I see it every where in the scriptures.

Help meet:
IE a helper suited to, worthy of, or corresponding to him.
Moses 3:18; Abr. 5:14. TG Marriage, Wives.

The temple is the great symbolism of our membership. - Howard W. Hunter