Idaho Falls and Logan

A few weeks after Boise, the next two talks will be given in Idaho Falls on a Saturday evening and then Sunday, in Logan. Locations and times are being arranged. I will post those as soon as they are finalized.

Following Logan, the next talk is tentatively planned for Centerville, Utah, but no time has been set for that one.

The only venue confirmed is Boise. However, there will be some Utah locations including Provo, then I'm considering Grand Junction, Colorado, St. George, Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada before concluding next year on September 9, 2014 Phoenix, Arizona. I mention this in advance because there have been those who have offered venues for planned locations. Giving advance notice may assist in getting things finalized.

Boise will help in estimating a number of things, including the size of a facility needed, the time discussions will take and the difficulties of getting the recordings completed and available. The hope is to see new people, let them listen to something about the religion Joseph Smith was restoring, and have both understanding of and faith in that religion rebound from the rather moribund state we currently find Mormonism.

If you have read what I've written and plan to attend, I would ask you bring someone who is struggling with their faith, or alternatively someone who isn't, but who thinks poorly of me. Either will do. I would like to speak to those who haven't heard me, or who dislike me, or whose faith in the Restoration is failing.

Boise will be on a Tuesday night. It will be "come as you are." Bring your scriptures. For Idaho Falls and Logan, bring your scriptures and a copy of the Lectures On Faith. Idaho Falls will be casual dress and for Logan, I will be in Sunday dress.
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Finally, to respond to an inquiry about the upcoming talks and the cost of buying recorded copies:

I have great empathy for the poor. They are generally the most generous people on earth. They have the Lord's greatest concern and respect. What is said in the Psalms about the poor should make us all sober about their plight.

With respect to the work I am doing (and make no mistake about it being work) understand:
-I pay my for my wife, myself and whatever family members come to attend.
-I am not paid anything for the recordings of any of my talks (never have been and never will be). Anything left over after costs of production are entirely donated by me and I receive nothing.
-I pay for the costs of renting the facility where I speak, requiring from me a greater price than for anyone who attends, for they pay nothing for the facility.
-I pay for the cd's of my talks. My wife has purchased many copies from Benchmark Books and Confetti Books which we subsequently gave away.
-I will drive ten hours to get to Boise and home on the day of the first talk.
-I am inconveniencing myself so that others living in Boise or nearby are not inconvenienced. This will be true of all the locations.

If you feel you ought not to suffer any inconvenience, and should always be given for free what takes the time and money of others to make available, then you can entertain your view, but please allow me to have a different one. As for warning me that "critics" will find fault with paying for recordings, I grant critics the right to fault me for that, and anything else they feel inclined to criticize. When time permits, I will put the transcripts on this blog. If you will wait, then you can have for free what others pay a dear price in time, money and effort to make available for you.

Having said that, let me be clear: I fully expect criticism of anything and everything I do. I do not need to be defended by friend or foe. No one needs to explain my motives, take offense at criticism directed at me, or praise my efforts. I'm irrelevant and energy spent on such things is entirely wasted. This is about faith in the Lord and the religion He was working with Joseph to return to the earth. That matters. I don't. Rather than take a moment's notice of me, look to the Lord and His purposes.

When I hear criticism about me, my first thought is "they're probably right." So if you feel inclined to defend me, instead why don't you reflect that "they're probably right."

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On an unrelated topic, here is an old story set at the time of the Babylonian captivity:

There were two men, one a scribe the other a zealot. Both were poor. Both sought favor with God. At the first, the zealot was the poorer. The scribe was named Ezra whose living came from the work he performed transcribing scrolls. As circumstances permitted, he used his means to buy the leather scroll from the priests, made from the skins of the sacrificed lambs. He then spent his days transcribing the work of Jeremiah from a scroll he borrowed, thinking them of worth to study and of value to others who might purchase the scroll and be benefited from his labor. When he finished his labor, the scroll was placed for sale by Ezra. The scroll, however, was stolen by the poor zealot because he could not pay and he believed it was important to have the words of Jeremiah, believing they came from God. For Ezra, the loss cost him the year's labor. The zealot took not only the scroll, but also Ezra's savings to buy the leather, and the year of labor spent upon it. Nevertheless, Ezra forgave the theft and did not trouble himself over it, commending to God the good which his labor might bring and hoping the means would be provided that he might make another. But the zealot excused himself of his own theft and thought himself greatly blessed, even favored by God, because he had God's prophecies before him. At the end which of these two were the poorer?