It Just Isn't Fair -- or Is It?

by Kari Diane Pike

Warning: My intention was to write a well-planned, brilliant post that would bring a smile to your face and a laugh to your heart -- but life is so full of contradictions. It just isn't fair.

I know, I know -- there is opposition in all things. Without opposition, we would not be able exercise our agency. It is all part of the great plan of salvation. I do know that. I also know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. Without his atoning gift, we would be lost and all creation would be for naught. I know the Savior lives. I know the Savior loves us. Everything he did, he did because of his love for each and every one of us. This is the thought that keeps me going today. In the midst of the chaos of right versus wrong, and joy versus sorrow, I find peace in knowing the Savior and who we are and why we are here.

The other day, a sweet friend lost her husband in a tragic car accident. He was 23 years old. He proposed to her during her recovery from the ovarian cancer that struck her in her late teens. They had already been through a lot together. When I heard about the accident, I first thought, what's the point? That is so not fair.

Another friend is faced with the possibility of losing not one, but two of her three boys. Born with a genetic disorder that affects their muscle structure, they were recently diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and the eight-year-old has developed an arrhythmia that could cause sudden death at any time. I can't help but think That is so not fair. Then I read their mother's blog and I feel their faith and testimonies. The boys talk about how if they do die soon, how cool it will be to get to serve their missions together in heaven. Their courage astounds me as I read about their requests to their parents to be able to die in specific ways -- one wants to go quickly and quietly -- the other wants something dramatic like getting shot in the heart. Knowing these boys, even that rather morbid request made me laugh.

This morning, the storm-cleansed sky shimmered as the suns rays burst over the tops of the mountains. At first I felt like it was mocking me. With all the tragedy going on, it should be dark and gloomy, right? I opened my scriptures, looking for peace and hope. My eyes opened wide as phrase after phrase brought joy to my heart: The Lord is near, the Lord God will help, Lift up your eyes, Awake! Awake! Put on thy strength, O how great the goodness of our God, Cheer up your hearts, I know in whom I have trusted, O Lord, I have trusted in thee and I will trust in thee forever, O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.

The earth and everything on it was created for a purpose. We were created for a purpose. Jesus Christ sacrificed his very life so that purpose can be fulfilled. How grateful I am for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge and power it gives me. I am grateful for covenants that teach me how to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. I am grateful for the blessings of the temple and the sealing power that makes it possible for families to be forever. And I am grateful for little children who teach me the power of simple faith over things that, to our mortal eyes, do not seem fair, because if you really think about it, where would we be if life suddenly became "fair?"

Something to think about...

posted by Valerie Ipson

Math is Hard

By Stacy Johnson

When I was in college the first time, I took the placement test for math.  I didn't pass any of it.  The dumb thing is that I passed math in high school (by the skin of my nose apparently.)  I had to take those "don't count for anything classes" like 055 and 077, the kind where you have to learn to add, multiply and use fractions.  I'm not even joking you.  I felt like an idiot...but I digress. I finally took my first 100 level class just before my then boyfriend got home from his mission.  Shortly after we married, we signed up to take my second to last math class together.  I thought I was going to breeze through that class.

We had to do lots of homework assignments a number of quizzes and a few tests.  I got 100% on every homework assignment not because it was easy, but because I worked my butt off knowing I'd really need the points  in the end. When it came to test time, I rarely did as well as I thought I would and I was grateful for a little breathing room those points allowed me.  My husband, on the other hand, rarely did his homework, but always seemed to be able to breeze through the tests with at least a high C or B.  So, when it came time to take the final, I figured out what each of us needed to get on the test in order to get an A in the class.  My hard work and effort paid off and all I needed was some lousy number like 50% in order to maintain my A in the class.  Ben, on the other hand, needed to get some outrageous (seemingly unreachable) grade of 99% in order to raise his B to an A.

I got a B and he got an A.  

I never took another math class after that...

until now.

Over 20 years later and here I am, finally taking that last math class...

College Algebra Math 142

Can you sense the drama?

I have been going to ASU for almost 3 years now and I am just now taking my last math class, the one I need to graduate.  And you know what?  It isn't as hard as I remember.  Why is that?  I've decided that my life experiences have showed me that some of the equations we used in algebra really have value in the real world.  I have used math without even knowing I was doing it all these years.  I don't know what I was so afraid of.  I understand most everything, now that I have some life experience behind me.  Maybe it is my teacher, maybe it is my maturity (joking), or maybe all those math lessons in high school really paid off and I really did know that stuff, just didn't know how to apply it...until now.  

Now I feel qualified to tell you about your potential rate of return on investments (without providing any advice on that subject), I can tell you how they measure the amount of energy created (joules) in an earthquakes of different magnitudes, and I can tell you what the H+ measurement is if I know the pH level (I also learned that water is neutral, neither acidic or a base).  I can tell you lots of things about APR, tax rates, and can now use Excel for basic statistical analysis, among other things.  And, I can tell you what I need to get on the test tomorrow in order for me to get an A in the class.  Even though I studied my heart out, I will most likely settle for a B, but that's ok with me.  

My oldest son took the same class last semester and got a C. *wink*

Wish me luck.

Reigns vs Reins: a Brief Look at English Usage

 by Marsha Ward

Today I want to investigate the difference between the words reign and rein, with side tours to rain and lines. But first:

Reign is a noun (person, place or thing) describing what a king does between his coronation (crown placed on head, scepter handed over, etc.), and his death or disposition (head removed, drummed out of the country, and the like) . My handy Webster's New World Dictionary, revised and updated, ca. 2003, cites it thusly: "1 royal power 2 dominance or sway 3 the period of rule, dominance, etc." In the intransitive verb state, it also means "1 to rule as a sovereign 2 to prevail," as in "peace reigns." I'll briefly mention regnant, an adjective meaning ruling, predominant, or prevalent, but only to point out the g in there, so you think about g being in the ruler's reign.

Also, if you think of "sovereign" or "peace reigning," you won't confuse reign with rein or even rain.

A rein (noun) is "1 a narrow strap of leather attached in pairs to a horse's bit (the mouth thingie) and manipulated to control the animal: usually used in plural. 2 a means of controlling."

You can talk about "giving free rein" if you mean to "allow to act without restraint." That can apply to ideas or actions.

Since rain sounds like the pair above, I'll mention that this mostly refers to that wet stuff that falls from the sky. Of course, there are variations, but they aren't too important in this context.

I promised you a look at lines. Here's why it's important when we discuss reins. The latter word is used when you're referring to a character who is astride a horse and what he or she is holding in one or two hands, depending on their riding proficiency. The former, lines, is the word used in the context of wagons, stagecoaches, and other animal-drawn conveyances. Okay, vehicles! They are those leather straps the teamster or coachman uses in directing his intentions to the animals in harness. Never, never, never use the word reins in your historical novel when your character is driving a vehicle.

Your Homework: How is an ox-powered cart or wagon directed by the driver?