Jerry Earl Johnston

Woman’s hands in winter gloves make a heart symbol with sunset shining through.

Faith

Here are several memorable quotes from “Following Jesus: Finding Our Way Home in an Age of Anxiety” by Henri J.M. Nouwen.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Journal of a grateful journalist — How do you say ‘thank you’ when it’s tough to be grateful?

There’s never a time when saying “thank you” should feel inappropriate, and never a time we can say we’ve gone beyond the need to be grateful

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

How living simply is ‘the most radical level of freedom’

“To live simply,” writes Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan monk in New Mexico, helps achieve a “radical level of freedom”

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

A candidate for the post of ‘America’s Pastor’

For decades Billy Graham held the title of “America’s Pastor.” And when he died, there was no heir apparent

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

‘The Book of Mormon,’ a cutting-edge musical, now suffers from self-inflicted wounds

One actor says the musical will have to do some serious rewriting before the show is fit for public consumption again. The truth is, the transmission has been torn out

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Sports

Former Salt Lake Bees player David Fletcher making good with Angels

Once considered an an iffy prospect, he’s now proving to be spark plug at the top of Angels’ batting order

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Learning to revere feelings of reverence

When most people lie on their death beds, personal connections will be all that matter. We’ll rejoice in the ones we’ve made and lament the ones that got away

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

May flights of angels sing thespian, missionary to his rest

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: Emotional medicine for the Corona Blues

Bits of insight and wisdom that I’m hoping will help me make sense of the coronavirus pandemic

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Symbol? Logo? Emblem? No matter. Folks love it

A new symbol for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was announced at the recent general conference

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Finding the point in pointless death

“Love is stronger than death,” writes Henri Nouwen in “A Letter of Consolation.” The pain we feel at a person’s death is there because we loved them so much.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Piety, pizza and putting on airs

What an experience at the Pie Pizzeria and the examples of Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama show about about the biblical teaching to become like a little child.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

A sweet edition — and addition — to Elder Holland’s opus

The new volume by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Witness for His Names,” is a handsome little book that discusses the dozens of names and titles given to Jesus Christ, ranging from Adam and Adonai to The Way and The Word.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Stained glass window created by F. Zettler (1878-1911) at the German Church (St. Gertrude’s church) in Gamla Stan in Stockholm, depicting the Nativity Scene - Image

Faith

How candles, a ‘missing’ baby Jesus are reminders of Mom at Christmas

My column about my mother and Thanksgiving strummed enough heart strings that I’m going to let her take another star turn for Christmas

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Giving thanks for mom’s Thanksgivings

The most important thing about my mother’s kitchen rituals was she believed cooking and serving, eating and sharing should be a spiritual experience

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

A fresh take on Joseph and his many-colored coat

Stephen Mitchell gives the story of Joseph and his brothers a refurbishing in “Joseph and the Way of Forgiveness”

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Music — the royal road to unity

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: Learning patience from song loops and the desert sun

All day the local radio station had been warning senior citizens, people with heart problems and those on medication to stay inside. I was all three people. And I was out in the heat.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Stained glass windows in the chapel at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Provo depict the Good Shepherd, the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: Our duty doesn’t end with family; it begins with family

Raising a loving family isn’t our final goal. It’s the starting point. Our final goal is to feel familial love for everybody.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

An aerial view of the Mississippi River.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: My father’s undying affection for ‘Old Man River’

Father’s Day is Sunday. That’s the day when aging sons spar with memories of their departed dads. I’ve been sparring with the memory of mine.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

The Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's "Infinity Mirrored Room —The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away" is displayed at The Broad, a pop-art styled museum, on its first day open to the public Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, in downtown Los Angeles.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: Basking in eternal bliss, for 45 seconds

Even in glaring and blazing Sin City, it’s possible to find a little niche filled with the kind of light that can illuminate the face of God.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

N.T. Wright, author of the book "The Resurrection of the Son of God," is shown in March 2003 when he was bishop of Durham elect and praying in the Choir of Westminster Abbey, London, March 11, 2003.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: The ‘sweet spot’ where Christian minds meet

N.T. Wright is considered the go-to guy in New Testament studies these days. He has been compared to C.S. Lewis. And his book, “Simply Christian,” is seen as the gold standard for a concise explanation of what it means to be Chri

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Father Charlie Urnick attends the church doors ceremony in 2015. He celebrates Mass at St. John the Baptist Catholic church in Laughlin, Nevada, and then heads across town to celebrate two Masses at Riverside Casino.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: Father Charlie’s slot-machine ministry

Father Charles B. Urnick is an orthodox Catholic. He’s just not an orthodox person. After celebrating an 8 a.m. mass at the “official” church, he hustles across town and conducts two masses for the masses in the showroom of a casino.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

File: Retired University of Georgia professor Coleman Barks talks about his work translating the works of the ancient Persian poet Rumi Monday, Aug. 14, 2006 in Athens, Ga. Barks, 69, who has spent the better part of his three-decade career transforming t

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: An evening of contrasts with poet and translator Coleman Barks

In lesser hands, the whole affair would have felt affected. What carried the day was the authentic humanity of Barks, as well as the humanity in the 700-year-old poems he’d come to share.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

This stained glass window in St Gummarus Church in Lier, Belgium, depicts Jesus and the Apostles at the Last Supper, with Judas Iscariot in front.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: Bishop Bird’s frail existence

Meet Bishop Boyd Beesley Bird. Bishop Bird is a bald, 220-pound newspaper columnist who loves baseball, poetry and T-bone steak. Some think he’s me. But I’ve never been a bishop. Still, we do share some traits.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Pope John Paul II, top left and clockwise, Dorothy Parker, Fanny Crosby, the Rev. Billy Graham and Paul Simon, right, and Art Garfunkel.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: The terribly strange age of 70

Back in the 1960s, Paul Simon penned a song called “Old Friends.” In one line he says, “How terribly strange to be 70.” I was 21 at the time and 70 seemed strange and terrible indeed. Now I’m 70 myself.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

A Nativity scene is on display on the Main Street Plaza in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: When the manger becomes music to our ears

A couple of weeks ago I played emcee for a Christmas carol singalong at the old Box Elder Tabernacle in Brigham City ... for Christmas carols, no points are given for “degree of difficulty,” only for “degree of devotion.”

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

Max McLean as C.S. Lewis in “C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert.”

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: A fresh play about C.S. Lewis holds its own with the best

Martin Luther once asked, “Why should the devil get all the good tunes?” Max McLean looked at the current batch of Broadway plays and asked a similar question: Why should the devil get all the good theater reviews?

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

President Gordon B. Hinckley speaks at The First Presidency Christmas Devotional at the Conference Center, Sunday, December 2, 2001.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: Headaches, healing and President Hinckley

I was with President Gordon B. Hinckley the day after the Twin Towers came down. I’d been sent to interview him for a newspaper piece. And his soothing, salve-like comments eased my jittery nerves.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist

A portrait of Etty Hillesum, circa 1939.

Faith

Jerry Earl Johnston: A spiritual giant hiding in plain sight

Nov. 30 marks 75 years since the murder of Esther “Etty” Hillesum. If you can’t place the name, read on. She’s well worth getting to know.

By Jerry Earl Johnston, Columnist