Perry Ekimae

  Tyler J Perry “Thou shalt not kill.” – Exodus 20:13 “Slay him, for the Lord hath delivered him into thy hands.” – 1 Nephi 4:12 “That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another. God said, ‘Thou shalt not kill’; at another time he said, ‘Thou shalt utterly destroy.’” – “The Happiness Letter” [1] “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” – 1 Corinthians 14:33 “Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.” – Doctrine and Covenants 132:8 INTRODUCTION In my first mission area, I tracted into the home of a man, who, to my recollection, was an Adventist minister. He was cordial and accepted our invitation to read the Book of Mormon. We set a date to return and check in with his progress. At the time of the appointment, we sat down together and discussed his reading. He had started from the beginning of 1 Nephi. His first objection I, to thi...

Tyler Perry I stand on the street corner in front of the Institute building, a converted dentist’s office across the street from the community college.   There are about a dozen other Institute students also holding yellow signs with blue lettering.   I am younger than most, if not all of them, and I see them as spiritual giants.   Some of them have given two years of their lives to serving God as missionaries.   Others have the wisdom of study and experience.   They have all overcome things, and they are showing their faith by being here.   And our leader is a man who I respect greatly, a pillar of spiritual fortitude. Me?   It had been a struggle to get here.   A bad relationship with a guardian, angst about the poor economy crumbling before my eyes, and the typical travails that come with being an adolescent male of the human species have held me back from being like them.   I mask those concerns behind a sharp wit, an analytical mind,...