Branden Huckstep

Attorney | U of I Law Alum | USU Alum | JAZZ | IDAHOME | Politics | Guns

[NewsForce @Newsforce]

Just gonna leave this here.

[Branden Huckstep @BMHUCK]

TRUMP! #LFG

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr @RobertKennedyJr]

What "MAGA" really means

The phrase has troubled liberals who think it is a call for a return to an America before civil rights, gay rights, and women's rights. But I have a more generous interpretation, one that is truer to my experience of Donald Trump as he is today. "Make America Great Again" recalls a nation brimming with vitality, with a can-do spirit, with hope and a belief in itself. It was an America that was beginning to confront its darker shadows, could acknowledge the injustice in its past and present, yet at the same time could celebrate its successes. It was a nation of broad prosperity, the world's most vibrant middle class, and a idealistic belief (though not consistently applied) in freedom, justice, and democracy. It was a nation that led the world in innovation, productivity, and technology. And it was the healthiest country in the world. I have talked to many Trump supporters. I have talked with his inner circle. I have talked to the man himself. This is the America they want to restore.

[Ryker @RykerJackson97]

I remember my first day in the MTC. I was eating dinner with my district when one of the leaders, possibly the MTC President, stood up to address us. His remarks were relatively short, and I only remember one thing that he said, but that one thing he said was impressed so deeply upon me that I’ve never been able to forget it since.

He said, unlikely though it seemed then, that half of the missionaries present at that dinner would end up leaving the church within the next 10 years. I remember the room falling into a kind of stunned silence, punctuated by a few bouts of nervous laughter. His point seemed to come out of left field, and was so direct and clear that I didn’t really know how to take it.

Looking at the Elders and Sisters around me, I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that. We were all so faith filled and dedicated, the concept that half of them would abandon their covenants seemed absurd. I didn’t really see his point, either. Why would he try to put such a negative idea in our heads to discourage us?

With all of that being said, however, his claim struck me and, in the words of Enos, ‘sank deep into my soul’. I made a conscious commitment then and there that I would not be among those to fall away. I highly doubt I was alone in this; such a feeling permeated the entire room. Of course WE wouldn’t. WE were special, WE were different.

I was naive. I’d say at least a third of those present have left the church by now, and that’s probably an optimistic estimate.

Since that time I’ve often wondered why we were given those statistics, and what purpose they served. I think I know now. It was a word of warning. A call to prepare and avoid complacency. Missionaries tend to feel spiritually invincible, at least I did. The week before heading home I had my entire life planned out, and I was going to ensure that I was at the same level of spirituality and consecration that I enjoyed on my mission. The idea of a faith crisis, of struggling to feel the spirit, was nonsensical. It would all be the same.

That, of course, was not the case. Coming home was hard, and as years went by I found myself dealing with some rather severe crises of faith. I thought I had heard all the anti-Mormon claims on my mission, but I hadn’t, and it took me some serious study and prayer to overcome many of my doubts and become spiritually stronger.

Needless to say, there were times when I almost became one of those statistics mentioned my first day in the MTC. I realized quickly how foolish I was to assume that I’d always be at the spiritual high of missionary service.

I’m not writing this to be discouraging, quite the opposite. I’m writing this to remind you, and me, that faith is hard, and that we need to be strong. Don’t assume that your testimony will never be shaken. Don’t assume that you can avoid the struggle of deepening faith. Don’t assume that you’ll be the outlier.

Some of those missionaries I knew who have since left the church are people that were spiritual giants. They were the kind of people that I assumed had indestructible testimonies. They were the kind of people that I looked to for guidance when I was struggling. But, they fell away.

We are all vulnerable. We all need to be building our testimonies of the Gospel and broadening our foundations on the Savior every week, every day, and every hour.

Hold to the rod, heed not the great and spacious building, and press forward with steadfast faith in Christ. Amen.

[Branden Huckstep @BMHUCK]

@bradypete3 #brokenpipes #springheadaches

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

the bird is freed

[Marius Hauken @mhauken]

Your iPhone is about to receive a new update on Monday.

And it's going to transform how you experience your phone forever.

Here are 9 new features that will change everything:

[Tim Young @TimRunsHisMouth]

Today while you spend more money for gas and groceries than ever before... remember it's OK because the Biden White House says it's the best economy ever.

[Ben Shapiro @benshapiro]

I'm sorry the Constitution is happening to you. Or rather, I'm glad that the Constitution is happening to preborn children.

[ThePersistence @ScottPresler]

The SCOTUS leaker failed.

[Ben Shapiro @benshapiro]

Weird how fast we switched from "men can give birth" to "women can't be equal in America without the ability to kill their preborn children."

[Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog]

What is a woman?

[Greg Price @greg_price11]

Roe v. Wade was decided by seven white men and overturned by a woman and a black man!

[Branden Huckstep @BMHUCK]

#TopGunMaverick is a masterpiece hands-down. Tom Cruise crushed it, and this movie turned out to be everything I wanted and more. Go see it, you won’t be disappointed!

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

As I was saying …

[Josh Hammer @josh_hammer]

Lia Thomas is a man.

[Austen Allred @Austen]

I used start every day walking from the monument of Lenin in Kharkiv, Ukraine, past statues that were riddled with bullet holes during World War II.

I would wonder what an attack on Kharkiv would be like.

I didn’t think what’s happening now was possible in my wildest dreams.

[Spencer Cox @SpencerJCox]

There is evil in this world. Tonight we pray for the safety of those in Ukraine.