LPW

Husband and Father, BYU, Utah Jazz, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Bacon Cheeseburgers, Hunting, Camping, Sports, and Philly Cheesesteak

[LPW @LPeteW]

@SportyMcSports SGA and the others are ruining the integrity of the game. That’s why nba ratings are dropping

[LPW @LPeteW]

@rtmccombs Arkansas just got a big-time center out of Europe today, right? What does that mean for BYU chances with Ekezie?

[LPW @LPeteW]

@rtmccombs Especially because it wasn’t my money haha. He was extremely fun to cheer for and now I get to keep cheering him on for years to come

[LPW @LPeteW]

@rtmccombs Thanks Robby. I love reading your articles.

[LPW @LPeteW]

@jansonboy301 @DevonWspoonFan I just think it’s funny people HATE Ahmed and think he’s useless. He joined the team after the season started. It takes some time to learn. I would love him as a back up center. Hopefully KY can bring in two centers better than Ahmed but that is a tough ask

[LPW @LPeteW]

@Irieska They transferred back home. I’m not saying LDS people are more loyal. I’m saying they feel more comfortable in Provo so they are more likely to stay. There are also guys like Fouss and Keba that feel comfortable in Provo. Find guys that fit.

[LPW @LPeteW]

@tiffanee_dawn There’s plenty of good men that could do it. There’s plenty of good women who could do it. Honestly, I don’t trust our country in its current state to choose anybody that is good to do it. There are forces working that keep good people from rising to power

[Spencer Linton @Spencer_Linton]

Fantastic logic and insight from @colincowherd on why the NBA product in 2026 is struggling so much and why ratings and fan engagement are down big.

[LPW @LPeteW]

@ByuSome We’ll be fine! I do think Ahmed will end up leaving but if he stays he can be a back up with good size……hopefully 3rd string haha. Diomande isn’t a shooter and doesn’t show much potential offensively. Rob hurts a little but he was so one dimensional.

[LPW @LPeteW]

@erc95 I’m fine with Rob leaving. He’s a decent shooter when wide open and missed so many wide open lay ups. Was a liability on defense and didn’t offer anything rebounding. Is he extremely talented getting to the hoop? Yes. But I want the point guard to play both ways effectively

[LPW @LPeteW]

@rtmccombs We are so used to being overachievers for our recruiting ranking….it really stinks to be the other way around. We need to build culture with 4 year guys and add 5 stars in. Until then I think we’ll have a lot of disappointment

[LPW @LPeteW]

@BYUGuy87 He’s tall

[Lawless Republic @LawlessRepublic]

BYU is under fire for welcoming Jake Retzlaff into their Pro Day.

His return embodies Christlike love, empathy, and forgiveness. That's BYU Football.
https://t.co/Sru5V5gbtw

[LPW @LPeteW]

@joewheat27 @CFBHome I’m proud of BYU that they suspended Jake for breaking the honor code. And I’m proud of them for not holding it against him long-term. Christ’s invitation is to, “go and sin no more” he condemned the sin without condemning the sinner. For which we are all eternally grateful

[Clint Teeples @TeeplesCY]

When The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it spent $1.58 billion on humanitarian aid in 2025, critics quickly compared the figure to the Church's total assets.

The implication: measured against that wealth, $1.58 billion is unimpressive.

But this critique overlooks a fundamental reality of global development. Giving money away effectively is often harder than earning it.

In development economics, the primary constraint on aid is rarely a lack of cash. It is absorptive capacity. There is a persistent myth that the solution to global suffering is simply to write the check. In reality, flooding a fragile region with capital without the necessary infrastructure often does more harm than good, fueling corruption, destabilizing regional markets, or creating permanent dependency.

Effective humanitarian work requires logistical networks capable of moving 37 million pounds of food across 196 countries, trusted local partners to ensure aid reaches the last mile, and oversight systems that prevent funds from disappearing to administrative graft. These structures take decades to build. The church's steady climb from $906 million in 2021 to $1.58 billion in 2025 reflects an institution scaling its infrastructure, not just its generosity.

Most global NGOs face a structural dilemma: to distribute billions, they must hire thousands. The Gates Foundation, one of the world's most sophisticated philanthropic organizations, once spent roughly $1 billion on operations to distribute $3.7 billion in aid.

The Latter-day Saint model attempts something different. In 2025, members contributed 7.4 million volunteer hours, the equivalent of 20,000 hours of service every single day. By leveraging a global lay ministry and local volunteers, the system multiplies the impact of every dollar without the corresponding bureaucratic overhead.

The most persuasive argument for a measured approach is the focus on long-term independence. Short-term aid stabilizes families. Long-term skills create independence.

The outcomes from free self-reliance courses offered in more than 100 countries make the case concretely. Within six months of completing a course, 41% of participants improved their ability to provide for their families, 47% found new or better employment, and 61% started or expanded a business. Whether it is a woman in the Philippines launching an enterprise that now employs her neighbors, or a refugee in Croatia learning English to enter the tourism industry, the goal is the same: moving people from the humanitarian column to the self-sufficient one.

Critics frame the church's financial reserves as a hoard. But the institution manages them through the logic of perpetual stewardship, the same logic that governs Harvard's $50 billion endowment or the Gates Foundation's long-term capital strategy. Institutions designed to endure for centuries do not manage resources the way a five-year project does.

For a global religious institution, reserves serve two essential functions: crisis readiness, the ability to respond immediately to unpredictable disasters without waiting for a fundraising drive, and institutional durability, ensuring the safety net does not vanish during the next global economic depression.

If $1.58 billion is dismissed as unimpressive, the critique has stopped being analytical and become ideological. What number would satisfy it?

The more relevant question is whether a system built on steady expansion, volunteer labor, and a deliberate focus on independence actually helps more people over time than a one-time liquidation of reserves ever could.

Measured against the standard of deliberate, sustainable impact, a billion-dollar trendline is not a failure of generosity. It is evidence of a system built to last.

[LPW @LPeteW]

@bpdub21 @TheMontyShow Classic crying wolf. If he didn’t throw his head back on every play then I think he’d get more foul calls. But at least he’ll be ready for the NBAs theatrics haha

[LPW @LPeteW]

@joewheat27 Ahmed played G League. Rob Wright was baylors top returning player. Davis was top player at his school. I think there’s plenty of talent left to make a March run. My issue is that they look like they don’t give a crap

[LPW @LPeteW]

@chadcluff @nihilists4jesus What’s wrong with Idaho?