Hi everyone. Today is Easter Sunday, and I have a few thoughts that I wanted to share about the Savior. Every spring, when I can start going outside without bundling up, I love feeling the warmth of the sun on my body. It makes me look forward to summer hikes and seeing everything turn back to green. Colorado is a great place, but the winter doesn’t want to let go sometimes, so in between spring snowstorms, I appreciate the warm days. Anyway, as I was outside enjoying some sun and pondering in the quiet, my thoughts went to Christ. He is the light that warms us all and changes our…

This week, I chose a picture that we took on a hike in Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. I like it because of the pine trees that parallel the rock hoodoos. I love Bryce Canyon because of all the interesting rock formations formed by thousands of years of erosion from water and wind. These harsh elements of nature wore down the softer sandstone and left a huge basin of these majestic pillars. It is also cool because the whole scene suddenly emerges from what seems like a typical pine forest as you approach. The views are particularly incredible at sunrise or sunset when the oranges, reds, and yellows…

This is a picture of a stream that cuts its way through a peaceful meadow in Rocky Mountain National Park near Grand Lake.  Actually, it is not just any random stream. It is the Colorado River, fairly near to its headwaters. Here, the water isn’t deep and is not fast  moving.  It would not sweep you off your feet or cause more of a problem to you than wet ankles. You could traverse it in a few carefully chosen steps.  And yet, the water from this river is the same water that carved the Grand Canyon with its power.   Christ’s gospel of living water is like that too. If you…

The picture I chose today is from Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.  I like it because it shows a big rock wall cut from a mountain.   As I pondered it further, it reminded me of the prophesy in Daniel about the gospel covering the earth as a stone cut without hands.   This mountain wall was also cut without hands and left this beautiful solid face in its place.   As the gospel spreads across the earth, the solid rock from which it was cut is the Savior Jesus Christ.   We can look to Him with confidence and know that He is our foundation. Aaron

My thought for this week was once again inspired by a beautiful hike that we did in Rocky Mountain National Forest last week. On the hike, we came across this old barn in the middle of a beautiful meadow with the snow-capped mountains in the background.   We didn’t see another human on the entire several-hour hike, and it felt like how it must have been for the homesteaders who built that barn. I think I would have thrived in that world.  When I am away from “civilization,” I feel the spirit all around me.  I think that is why I like the mountains so much.  I have a running commentary…

Yesterday, my dad and I went on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park and came across this bridge.  It was on a trail that we have not been on before but was very beautiful.  I think we were about the only people hiking in the whole Grand Lake side of the park, so it was really peaceful and quiet.  It had snowed over the weekend and ours were the only footprints.  I love being in the mountains after a fresh snow.  It makes everything feel cleaner and cushions the sounds. As we approached the bridge, I could see and hear the sound of the babbling brook that made its…

I love reflection pictures. This one is from the East Inlet trail of Rocky Mountain National Park.  When I see the reflection of the mountain in the stream, it makes me think of Ezekiel’s prophecy about the water flowing from the foundations of the temple and healing the Dead Sea. I learned on Sunday that this is why all of the temples have reflecting pools.  Christ is referred to as The Living Water, and water is used a lot in the scriptures as a symbol of Christ’s atonement.  Mountains are often used also as a symbol of the temple.  The mountains definitely are a place where I can feel close…

Hi everyone. I am introducing a new series that I am calling “Finding Christ in Nature.” At my church, I had been given an assignment over the last year to write a post in the local church newsletter about the scripture readings that we were all studying each week in the Old Testament. Recently, my bishop asked me to change up the assignment a bit and, instead of focusing on the scripture readings, to find or take a picture of something in nature that reminds me of the Savior and write about that.  I love this assignment because it helps me to always be thinking of Christ and looking for…

Originally published December 24, 2021 This week we celebrate the birth of our Savior. I love Christmas the best of all the holidays. I love to see the colorful lights in the neighborhoods, especially when there is a white snowy backdrop. It brings to me a feeling of serenity and joy. It signifies that there is something different and special about this time of year. I spend a lot of time outside listening to music and running up and down our driveway. It is how I clear my head and blow off steam before I can settle down for bed.  I love being out there, especially now when I can…

Originally published December 4, 2019, on Jepsonfiles.com Hi everyone. Thank you to those of you who are watching my YouTube channel. I will make another video soon but today I wanted to write something longer. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the warmth of a Christmas tree and the lights that are decorating rooftops. I love the Christmas music and even the bustle of shoppers. I love the cold weather and the snow on the ground and the frosted pines that are so abundant where we live. But the thing that I am the happiest about is that everyone is a little bit kinder, a little…