New Gospel Forum

So I have been thinking about my scripture study habits. I really enjoy when I get the opportunity to share things I have discovered with other people, or learning their views on scriptures. In searching I have failed to come up with a decent gospel forum where sincere, active members are trying to strengthen their testimonies. In fact, the only one I have found is full of people who seem to be rationalizing their lifestyles. In thinking I have decided to create my own forum. It's purpose will be for posting and researching information and viewpoints on the scriptures. I will be using it along with my scripture study to post items of interest to me. If some of you want to participate I would love to have the wealth of knowledge and opinion added to what I have to contribute. Right now I just have the Book of Mormon posted, and am intending to divide it by Sunday School lessons. Let me know if you would like to be involved. It is at www.davidosmith.com/forum. I would also be grateful for input into the whole idea.

Umm, what am I getting into

Okay this little post has been going around and I love the concept so here it goes...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

To Hell with the Pamph

So I had heard the rumors, but last night the rumors were removed as I witnessed Kirby Heyborne's part in a Miller Lite commercial. My opinion is that he has sold out his values. He has built himself as a representative of LDS values. Being in a public spotlight position he is accountable for the way he represents himself. By acting in that commercial he has destroyed himself as a representative of those values.

watch the commercial here

The Likely End of Singles Wards

Well, I got released from my calling as Sunday School first counselor today. It made the whole leaving thing a little more real. I will be going to the Ashford, CT ward. It all just feels so bizarre. I have those mixed emotions. It is time to get on with my life, but at the same time I am sad to be leaving so much family and so many friends. I will also be sad to be leaving the desert. The summer hikes and trips I have gone on are certainly going to be missed. I will miss going out water skiing with family. Hiking Mount Timpanogos. Really I will miss mountains in general as well as wide open spaces. There are things about the Utah culture I won't miss.

Certainly my least favorite day will be fast sunday because I will be missing the family parties. Thursdays will also be awful because I will be missing family lunch and ultimate frisbee. I know there will be frisbee in CT, but it's not the group I have been playing with for 3 years.

The nicest part about going is the advancement of my life. It definitely feels like my life is getting stale and it is time to go. I know I got into the right school for the right degree. I often wonder what I will become in 3 years. Where will I go? That is an answer I will have to discover with time.

I am grateful that Aimee always reminds me to write in the blog. No pictures this time, but just some scattered thoughts.

so enjoy and I will let the world know how Nauvoo goes. It will be a couple weeks before I have time, but I will.

A Whole Life in a Few Months

Wow, where to start. As Aimee rightly pointed out: a lot has happened since my last post. I returned from my New York trip to interview with schools. I did accept an offer from the University of Connecticut. I can not express how excited I am to go. They were only accepting two students and I got one. Lots to do, definitely need to spend more time getting ready. School starts August 25th, so I should get going. The position comes with an assistantship which includes a full tuition waiver (which accounts to about $13,000 per semester) and a stipend of about $9,500 a year. I am especially happy not to accrue a lot of debt while finishing school. A couple of weeks ago I did get a call from NYU asking me to attend school there. It felt really good to get accepted, but it didn't feel quite right. Probably because I can still get a good education without being forever in debt.

In a couple of months I will be heading to Nauvoo for 7 weeks to assist the lighting designer with the pageant there. I am really glad they asked me as I have wanted to do this for the past three years and this may be my last chance. It feels good that they want me and the disappointments they have expressed about me going off to school. It will certainly be a job to be missed.

Austin got home from his mission. Much to my mom's dismay we kidnapped him and forced him to carry a 45 pound pack through the desert. We had a great hike in Slickhorn Canyon. The ruins were spectacular. They were harder to find than the ones in Grand Gulch that Darren and I experienced last year. I think Aimee was also sad to lose Corbin for the weekend. My poor sister, too. We took Chad along and it was the first time since before they were married that they have been separated, and the first time in even longer that they haven't been able to talk or text for more than a few hours. Fortunately I didn't have anyone at home to be sick with loss over me. It was such a good time, we got hail and rain and waterfalls and just an amazing trip.





Austin, Chad, and I also messed around one night with painting with light. It turned out really better than I expected considering the conditions we were working with.

I am really at an odd spot in my life right now. I can feel that it is time to move on, but I just have to burn the time until that happens. I know I am going to the right school and that it will put me somewhere great, but what all that means I really don't know.