…the parched land shall become a pool, and the thirsty lands springs of water…(Isaiah 35:7)

Stories of Faith and Miracles

By the Women of Ward Radio

By Rex Goode


Categories: Issues

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The Women of Ward Radio

I’ve been watching Ward Radio for a long time now, around two years, I think. They used to call themselves, Midnight Mormons, but after the president of our church asked us to stop referring to ourselves as Mormons, the channel rebranded itself as Ward Radio.

A fairly recent change to the channel was the introduction of The Women of Ward Radio, featuring some really wonderful women talking about our faith and often debunking the false information being spread about women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A recent episode was suggested by the wife of host Cardon Ellis, Brittany Ellis, called, “God is Real: Overcome Your “Faith Fatigue” By Recognizing Miracles!” It carries a message I needed to hear and I wanted to share it with you.

The cast for this episode includes the aforementioned Brittan Ellis. Brittany is one of my favorites of the show for a lot of reasons. One of the big reasons is she is really a no-nonsense kind of person that I think the male members of the cast, especially her husband, need. There is also Charlotte Barns. Over many episodes, I’ve been getting to know her and her insightful views into women’s issues in the Church. Finally, there is Megan. I’m sorry that I don’t know Megan’s last name. The description of the video doesn’t identify the cast, but Megan is just a wonderful person that has the high and holy calling of teaching Sunbeams. I always love seeing her on an episode.

One of the stories explored in this episode is that of the journey of the Ellises dealing their little daughter having a rare cancer and the miracles that happened that comforted them and held them up. It’s another reason I think so highly of the Ellises. I can’t imagine it. I don’t want to imagine it. We who are parents all pass through the valley and shadow of suffering when we see our children suffer, and the not-so-good news is that it doesn’t end when they’re grown. Then, maybe it is good news, because it has to do with the Good News of the gospel and the mortal opportunity to grow in faith and strength through the hard experiences.

If you watch the video, and I hope you will, Brittany teaches a lesson about having such strong faith that God will bring about a quick resolution and then watch that possibilty fade into the reality of the long haul. It’s enough to challenge even the strongest faith. Her faith persevered and she gained from that a firmer faith in the reality of God and his love for us.

Charlotte shared about a friend who was going through cancer and related some of the miracles she saw during that time. Talking about her kids, she says that we can’t be “helicoptering” our children. Children need to have faith experiences too. I wholeheartedly believe in that, and I know I’ve been more concerned about them in their trials than I was as a boy in my own trials.

Megan shared about her willingness to provide a kidney for her aunt who was experiencing kidney disease. I never realized how rigorous the testing is to make sure that a donor is a match for the patient. She did a year of test after test to make certain. One miracle happened. Her aunt’s kidney disease abated and the transplant wasn’t needed. As we have learned, there’s always a trial waiting to come in to take the place of another. Megan’s final test in the process revealed a health issue for her that she didn’t expect. She has always been unusually healthy and it really affected her.

What impressed me about Megan’s sharing is that she is right in the thick of it. It’s a lot easier to share a former struggle that to talk about something you’re experiencing in the here and now. My philosophy is that the best situation for sor solving problems is as close to the here and now as you can. I also believe that sharing a struggle is a major part of dealing with it. In my mother’s generation, you would never share it if unless you had no other choice. I feel that Megan shows amazing courage to put it right out there, along with the effects of the struggle on her faith.

Megan used the term, “faith fatigue.” I like that a lot more than “faith crisis.” I can’t remember ever having a faith crisis, but I’ll gladly admit to finding faith to be tiring. Sometimes, you just want something to be resolved right now, immediately, with just a single prayer, no worrying, no crying, just a quick resolution.
My family has been going through a trial for the last few years and every step of the way, we pleaded with God to intervene and make it go away. We wanted him to return it all to the way it should be. At those times, you tell him, “I’ve been doing everything I’m supposed to do. I’ve been told that it brings blessings. Why am I not getting the blessings?”

It seems like it would be easy to just choose to not have faith anymore, but I think that faith isn’t a power that originates with us. It is a gift, and sometimes I think I couldn’t stop believing even if I tried. I certainly could just declare myself to not believe and put on a really good show of it, but I can’t see myself not having faith in the promises of God. He’s fulfilled so many of them.

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Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Being Direct

The Path Away from Niceness Culture

By Rex Goode


Categories: Issues

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There’s this thing these days that people are referring to as “niceness culture” or “a culture of niceness.” Most modern thought about it has to do with the hazards of such a culture in the workplace. As an employer, I see it very clearly.

When it comes to problem-solving, planning, even discipline, it is entirely possible to be too nice. Rather than rework the many articles that have been published about the problems of toxic niceness in companies, I want to address similar questions as it relates to Christianity and the ever-expanding identification with Jesus Christ as a teddy bear god.

Discipleship of this false god involves victimhood, toleration of sin, and the doctrine of eat, drink, and be merry (2 Nephi 28:8). The belief is that because this god is all about love, the deeds we do, no matter how injurious to others, will be forgiven without repentance.

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Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


And They Said It Wouldn’t Last

Yet, It Has

By Rex Goode


Categories: Family,Marriage,Personal,Same-sex Attraction

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I’ve been thinking long and hard about the many challenges I’ve faced from people of the opinion that a gay man has no chance of having a long, successful marriage.

One solitary statement made by a detratcor was this: “Gay people and straight people cannot attach to one another.” While I can’t claim to know enough about what internal struggles other same-sex attracted men have experienced, they surely can’t claim to know enough about my internal struggles that lead me to see my life differently than they see theirs. (more…)

39 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Natural Consequences

Being a Child of God

By Rex Goode


Categories: Doctrinal,Perseverance,Personal

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See below*

I recently came across a story** about an Anglican vicar who  regularly preached about the love of God and the hope of eternal life because of the mercy God shows to those who believe in him.

Much of his preaching was also about the effects of God’s love on our lives, how he deals mercifully with us from day to day, despite our many failings.

His flock took great comfort in his words and he was well-loved. He was tolerant, kind, and had a knack for solving mysteries. (more…)

44 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Why Am I Here?

A Thoroughly Mormon Question

By Rex Goode


Categories: Inspiration,Personal,Same-sex Attraction,Tolerance

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It’s a common question you hear when we Mormons are trying to share our religion. For us, it is the crux of understanding our basic doctrine about life and its purpose. It’s a question I like. The other two questions that often go along with it are:

“Who Am I?”

“Where Am I Going After This Life?”

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51 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


An Uncertain Sound

What’s a 12-Year-Old Supposed to Do?

By Rex Goode


Categories: Abuse,Personal,Same-sex Attraction,Support

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I know I’m behind the times in writing about this now. I’ve had a two-month illness that has kept me from the keyboard for anything but the most urgent business needs. Seems like things like this happen when I can’t write about them and I’m always playing catch-up with the current events. I’ve thought about it ever since it happened, deeply and with a lot of introspection and nostalgia.

I’m referring to when a 12-year-old girl named Savannah used fast and testimony meeting to “come out” to her congregation that she is gay. I don’t want to break the incident down into fault-finding or criticism of either Savannah, her parents, family, or priesthood leaders. I think a lot of very opportunistic people have already done that ad nauseum, and usually without truly knowing what was happening in any of their hearts and minds. I’ll admit before I say anything else that I don’t read minds, especially long distance, so to blame people would be nothing more than political posturing and I won’t do that. (more…)

46 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Trusting in the Promise

When Others Speak Evil of You

By Rex Goode


Categories: Doctrinal,Inspiration,Marriage,Personal

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On 7/21/2017, I had come home early from work because Barbara told me that our daughter Melissa and the triplets were coming over and I wanted to help make dinner for them. I baked some biscuits and then kept part of the dough to make wiener wraps for them. I got the biscuits done and had rolled up the sausage dogs into the dough and put them in the fridge until Barbara was supposed to show up with the kids.

While relaxing between cooking and the arrival, I got a call from a friend, who was also supposed to come for dinner. He said that he had a blowout on the way to our house and that he was close to our church building, so he was going to pull in there. He said he needed the bathroom and I figured I would have to let him into the church building with my key.

On the way, I called Barbara to see if she had picked Melissa and the kids up. She said that she was at the church building too, that Melissa told her to meet them there. When I got there, Melissa came out of the building and my friend ran in.

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50 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Object Lessons

an observation from learning how to make pottery with a friend of mine

By Eric Chaffey


Categories: Inspiration,Perseverance,Personal

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Art and creation is a process and nearly always an opportunity for growth and development. Quite often, creating anything though is bound to get messy. (more…)

45 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Affordable Kindness

The Low Cost of Generosity

By Rex Goode


Categories: Issues

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Something seems to be fleeing quickly out of this world and it saddens me to see it go. With social media, I daily witness examples of the demise of kindness in our daily communications. I think we ought to really call it, “antisocial media,” because it is increasingly devoid of civility. If kindness ever leaves completely, I fear we are doomed. There will be no turning back.

Incivility takes many forms, some subtle, others blatant. Hurling epithets, oppressive name-calling, and the indiscriminate use of profanity are not the only ways to be unkind. Deceit, rumor-mongering, veiled threats, and not-so-righteous indignation all perpetuate a climate of ill will. (more…)

47 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Jesus’ Love Is All My Theme

When We’re Not Exactly Right

By Rex Goode


Categories: Issues

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It has been a long time since I’ve written here. Yesterday, one of my neices asked me if I was writing, and the only thing I could claim to be writing lately is progress notes and technical manuals. I could’ve probably have added abuse and incident reports.

I started a new business with my best friend and have been so locked into the never-ending due dates that I don’t really even have time to think about writing other things. Today, though, I feel the need to speak out about something that has been very much in my mind and heart lately.

I always wanted to be some kind of social worker and for the last 12 years, I’ve been one. The joy of helping people who are at a disadvantage has exceeded my expectations of what it would be like. It balances out my other job as a software engineer. (more…)

44 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


All is well! All is well!

Reflections on “Come Come Ye Saints”

By Eric Chaffey


Categories: Acceptance,Disability,Faith,Issues,Perseverance,Personal,Same-sex Attraction

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This hymn has been on my mind a lot lately. Somewhat intentionally to be sure. It’s a hymn that’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and was one of my father’s favorite hymns. I’m at a point in my life where it’s become even more meaningful; especially the last verse.  (more…)

43 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Between Guys

A Tribute to My Friend and Mentor, Guy Newgren, Sr.

By Rex Goode


Categories: Gratitude,Personal,Same-sex Attraction

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Guy

Guy Newgren, Sr.

Last week, I attended a funeral for a man I first met at his son’s funeral. Guy Newgren, Jr. and Guy Newgren, Sr. both came into my life at opposite ends of a personal journey of mine. The time I have know Guy Newgren the elder spans a part of my life that represents the most growth I’ve experienced and he was a big part of it. Who I was when I met the son and who I was when the father passed away are two very different men. (more…)

45 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Were There Not Ten?

What Groups Continue To Do for Me

By Rex Goode


Categories: Issues,Perseverance,Same-sex Attraction,Service,Support

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James Tissot The Healing of Ten Lepers

James Tissot
The Healing of Ten Lepers

I’ve been part of support groups that help men who are attracted to men since 1994. After twenty-two years, you’d think I wouldn’t need them anymore. Most people’s attitude about support groups is that, if you join one at all, you should stay just long enough to get your life back on track, and then leave.

I spent the first thirty-eight years of my life in hiding from everyone, including, in many ways, myself. Finding support groups saved me and helped me see that there was no real reason to hide, especially from myself. (See Knowing Worth and Worth Knowing: What Support Groups Did For Me.)

With the new confidence I gained from coming to understand that I was not alone and that I had great worth in the sight of God, I probably could have stopped going to support groups at some point. Many people think I should. I haven’t and I’d like to explain why. (more…)

43 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Till the Day Christ Found Me

Reflections on “There But For You Go I”

By Eric Chaffey


Categories: Faith,Inspiration,Perseverance,Personal,Prayer,Same-sex Attraction

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In 1947, the song writing team of Lerner and Loewe created a musical called “Brigadoon.” It’s a fantasy that takes place in the highlands of Scotland in a village that only appears once every 100 years. One of the songs that I’ve always loved and always brings tears to my eyes is called “There But For You Go I.” (more…)

47 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.


Knowing Worth and Worth Knowing

What Support Groups Did For Me

By Rex Goode


Categories: Family,Issues,Personal,Respect,Same-Sex Marriage,Support

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GGATEIf you knew me 22 years ago, you would have not really have known me. Who I was on the inside and who I was on the outside were two different men. There’s an old Freudian-type of idea that men with facial hair are symbolically hiding something. I don’t really buy that idea, but for me I think it was true.

It’s hard to describe the inside-man. So much time has passed since I knew him that I don’t remember him that well.
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58 people like this post.

Copyright 2024, Inner Vessel Productions.