[caption align="aligncenter"]Happy Family[/caption] The first thing he thought about, was: where can he and his family travel to in the next two weeks? He thought about travel first, not because of what he does professionally, but because of the power it has, to open a family's eyes to the beauty all around. Like Mark, I often think of the beauty of a loving family, the calming effects of a warm…

[caption align="aligncenter"]Mormon Travel To Capernaum[/caption] At Capernaum, there are two doorways in and out of the synagogue. After the temple was destroyed, all synagogue entrances (coming from Jerusalem) were closed and a back door was opened. The symbolism may mean that we are now coming from the Diaspora into the place of worship and must return to the Diaspora. Jews' synagogue prayers used to end with the hopeful words, "Next…

[caption align="aligncenter"]Sabbath Wine & Bread[/caption] To the Jews who commemorate the first two reasons for the Sabbath, a sip of wine is partaken, followed by bread. The prayers recited include a recollection of the past, with an eye to the future where an even greater deliverance is anticipated. In this sense, it is a chiasmus that focuses on the atonement in the center. The Savior’s atonement began with suffering and…