I Love You Today

Fourteen years ago this last weekend the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was bombed by domestic terrorists. 186 people died and over 800 were injured. I was in high school at the time. As my friends and I were talking about the bombing one day, the comment was made that you never know what is going to happen, so you should never miss an opportunity to tell your loved ones that you love them. As a consequence, for some time thereafter it was not uncommon to hear one of us say "I love you today" to another. I was again reminded this weekend how important it is to say "I love you today" to the important people in our lives.

My wife has blogged about our weekend experiences on our blog , but I wanted to jot down my own thoughts and feelings. My wife has a cousin whose facebook status recently asked those who read it to pray for a friend of his whose three month old had recently died in his mother's arms. This was particularly sad for us because our son is almost three months old and we can't imagine the pain that would come from losing him. Then, on Friday night a young man from our church and his girlfriend (someone's babies) were tragically killed in a car accident. We had just seen them shortly before at a church activity. It is such a sad story. It hit me even harder than it may otherwise have done because I now have a son. I can't imagine losing him and the sorrow that the separation would bring. I know that, because of the Atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we will all live again and that we will be reunited with our kindred and beloved dead. However, I also know that the separation from those beloved friends and family members - especially when it is sudden and tragic - can be extremely sorrowful and difficult to bear. Nevertheless, hope and comfort can be found in and through Jesus Christ who is "mighty to save."

I know this post might not fit in with the type one might expect from the stated intentions for the blog, but I wanted to encourage everyone to take the opportunity to say "I love you today" to the important people in their lives. I know that I am going to make a concerted effort to do so more often. Likewise, please pray for those who lose loved ones; that they may be comforted during their separation and that they may find peace.

Finally, to all my friends and family who read this, please know that I love you today.

Adding my Voice to the Fray

I have been pondering starting this blog for some time. My wife and I have a blog, where we post updates on our family (particularly our wonderful newborn and first born), but I wanted to start a blog for different kinds of posts. As the title of the blog suggests, I am young (relatively, at least -- I still consider myself young). I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly referred to as Mormons). And I am a conservative. I love my faith and issues of faith in general. I also love following politics and current events. Often, I find myself wanting to express an opinion regarding what is going on in politics and the world at large and, sometimes, issues of faith and my religion in particular. As can be expected, any such opinion is framed by my status as a "young Mormon conservative." Hence, the title. I doubt many people will care much what I have to say. That's not why I'm doing this. If you do care to read and comment on this blog, please be respectful. I welcome comments and questions and a healthy, respectful debate. However, any profanity or ad hominem arguments or comments will be disregarded and removed. Let the "fun" begin.