j . a . m . k . m . b: Rivalry Week

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

"This is our one and only chance at mortal life—here and now. The longer we live, the greater is our realization that it is brief. Opportunities come, and then they are gone. I believe that among the greatest lessons we are to learn in this short sojourn upon the earth are lessons that help us distinguish between what is important and what is not. I plead with you not to let those most important things pass you by as you plan for that illusive and non-existent future when you will have time to do all that you want to do. Instead, find joy in the journey—now.

... Professor Harold Hill, one of the principal characters in [The Music Man], voices a caution that I share with you. Says he, “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”

f you have children who are grown and gone, in all likelihood you have occasionally felt pangs of loss and the recognition that you didn’t appreciate that time of life as much as you should have. Of course, there is no going back, but only forward. Rather than dwelling on the past, we should make the most of today, of the here and now, doing all we can to provide pleasant memories for the future.

Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”³ We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”

In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Church member Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Vietnam. For two years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words. What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same situation—not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would ever see them again? Wanting to provide something his family could recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote—and I quote: “These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”

Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”

Said the Lord in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, “In nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.”¹⁰ May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues.

Brothers and sisters, my sincere prayer is that we may adapt to the changes in our lives, that we may realize what is most important, that we may express our gratitude always and thus find joy in the journey."

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Rivalry Week

I know a few of you have been waiting patiently for me to bring up this topic. Finally, I have succumbed, and the BYU-Utah football game this weekend is finally on the table. Sorry Matt and Sam, I'm not going to add fuel to the fire of this already ridiculous rivalry by predicting a BYU win. I'm not going to badmouth Utah and everyone who went there. I'm not going to sing the praises of BYU and everything about it. Instead, I'm simply going to share with you over the next few days some of my favorite BYU-Utah moments...5 of them to be exact. I gave extra weight to games at which I was actually in attendance.

Here then, is the beginning of my Top 5 BYU-Utah games of all time.

Tie: #5

The Kaneshiro Klank

This was a tough game to watch at times. Angela and I were with my brothers, Spencer and Dan, and a bunch of their buddies, sitting in the north endzone of Rice stadium for the game. We were decked head to toe in blue, and the buddies even had their blue "cone-heads". The game see-sawed back and forth, with BYU finally taking what seemed to be a big enough lead at 26-17 with under 3 minutes to play. Utah proceeded though to run back the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, and then they held BYU on their next posession. Here's where the fun started. Utah's first play from scrimmage is a 54 yard pass completion to about the BYU 20 yard line. In classic Ute fashion, the receiver then felt it necessary to tell the BYU guys what he thought of them, and he got a personal foul penalty. A few plays later, it came down to this: BYU 26, Utah 24; 22 seconds left; 32 yard field goal attempt by kicker, Ryan Kaneshiro, to win the game. In my mind, it was over. My pride was swallowed, my crow was before me on the plate ready to be eaten, and my tail was tucked. We happened to be in the endzone behind the goalposts where the kick was happening so we saw it all unfold. The kick was up, and despite the roar of the Utah crowd's premature celebration, everyone could clearly hear the "DOINK!" as the ball hit the right upright squarely, and bounced harmlessly away. I'm not sure what was better - the fact that we'd won, or the incredulity of the Utah fans to have defeat snatched from the jaws of victory in such a manner. It was particularly satisfying to rub it in the Utah fan's face who had been elbowing Angela all game (I didn't find out until later or there would've been a problem). And to cap off a brilliant outcome, the Richards clan got their picture in full color, front page and center, of the Provo Daily Herald. I actually have the picture at home, but couldn't find it online for this blog edition. Good times Cougar fans, good times.

Tie: #5

1989: Detmer...

There was a stretch of 23 years under LaVell Edwards that Utah only won two games. Once in 1978, and again in 1988. The 1988 game was painful for me. My East High buddies and I snuck into Rice Stadium and made our way down to the blacktop behind the North endzone to watch. I was, of course, the only one of my friends cheering for BYU in 1988, and I paid for it as Scott Mitchell led Utah to a big win. So come 1989, I was anxious to not have a repeat of the 1988 game, and boy was I in for a treat. Long story short (too many highlights to share here), Detmer was magical, and Utah's humiliation was complete with a 70-31 victory that didn't even feel like it was that close. Think we can replicate that this week...? Me neither.

And check out the video on this site for a little background if you're new to the rivalry:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=635&sid=4843349

1 comment:

samandbrodi said...: Yeah, I was there for the goal post clank. That was brutal and a heartbreaking loss.

I do have to say that getting yourselves on the cover of the Provo Herald is very impressive considering that there are 10s upon 10s of people that actually read that paper.

I am not ready for this game. I am always shocked that when the game ends that I am either so happy or so bummed. Why does a stinkin' sport bring out so many emotions.

If it plays out like usual, it will be a wild game.; November 19, 2008 at 10:22 PM

j . a . m . k . m . b

Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Oct 2008

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Rivalry Week

1 comment:

Important Links

Blog Archive