C. David Belt's Blog, page 2

C. David Belt adds another excellent book to his ever-growing stack with The Once and Never Queen. This book is a fantastic mix of history, mythology, romance, and horror. Fans of Belt’s other works will enjoy cameos and life updates from characters we already know and love, but they’ll also fall in love with Bedwyr MacNeill, modern-day cowboy and Templar knight, and Gwenhwyfar, the titular Once and Never Queen. There is a lot of Welsh in this book, but the author has thoughtfully added a helpful guide to keep the names and pronunciations straight. I loved this book, and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Elissa C. Nysetvold, author of Nightwalker

Cindy and I are travelling, returning home tonight. We had the opportunity to visit Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico. Many Latter-day Saint archeologists believe this is part of the Land of Ishmael, ruled over at one time by King Lamoni, where Ammon served as a missionary. While the bulk of the ruins at this site were built well past the Nephite period, the foundation for the site, including the foundation for the temple pyramid, was laid in part during Lamoni’s reign and Ammon’s ministry. We saw a cenote there (a limestone sinkhole filled with rainwater). These are the only sources of drinking water in the area, recalling the Waters of Sebus, where Ammon miraculously fought the men who came to scatter the flocks of King Lamoni. We saw the dense forest, recalling the wilderness so often mentioned in The Book of Mormon, where people so often got lost. We saw a lot of imagery at Chichen Itza, including, most prominently, the feathered serpent, representing Kulkulkan, recalling Jesus’ counsel to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) Many Latter-day Saint archeologists believe that Jesus was the inspiration for the “feathered serpent.” We also learned that, traditionally, worshippers at the festivals where the “feathered serpent” is manifested at certain times of the year wear red across their foreheads, recalling the Amlicites who marked themselves with red in their foreheads to declare that they were Lamanites. (Alma 3:4)

We saw and heard about representations of the Mayan calendar. The Mayans had two main calendars, one that used 360 days for a year, and one that had 364.25 days for a year. They understood the second calendar was more accurate, but operated by the 360-day calendar, adding an extra “month” of 20 days every 4th year. This recalls 3 Nephi 1 where the unbelievers claimed that Samuel the Lamanite’s prophecy that Christ would be born before six years had passed away had not been fulfilled, because the six years had passed. They set a date on which, if the sign of His birth did NOT come (a day and a night and a day with no night and a new star in the heavens), the believers would be put to death. Why the delay? If the six years had passed, why give them “an extension?” It certainly wasn’t out of the goodness of the unbelievers’ hearts. I believe it was because six years HAD passed, according to the 360-day calendar, but NOT according to the 364.25 day calendar. The time was approaching, and many believers were losing hope. However, Nephi prayed, and the Lord told him that the sign would be given that very night. And that night, the word of the Lord and Samuel’s prophecy was fulfilled. The Lord’s promises are always fulfilled. And while I don’t need physical evidences of the truth of The Book of Mormon, such evidences are really cool…

I haven’t been very honest lately. Or rather, I’ve kept silent about many things. Tonight, that comes to a (partial) end.

Life has been difficult lately. I was laid-off in May. While Cindy and I were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, on a trans-Atlantic cruise, the news came by email. In the middle of dinner. After the cruise, while we were in Barcelona, Spain, a pickpocket stole my cell phone. (Apparently, the pickpockets of Barcelona are world-infamous.) My boarding pass for the flight home was on that cell phone, but that was the least of the problems the theft caused us. This made for a very sour end to our wonderful vacation.

And then we came home and began the job search. As of this writing, it is still on-going.

We’re struggling, to say the least, but we’ve been surviving—not well, but surviving. So far.

The job market for senior software engineers is tough, especially if one has gray hair. I’ve gone through extensive interview processes with multiple companies—one such company had six rounds of interviews. I passed each round. And still didn’t get the job. One company told me, after several interviews, that I was on a short list of two. And, according to the VP of Engineering, of the two, he liked me better. However, after two weeks of waiting for a final answer, they decided not to hire either of us. A couple of weeks ago, I was actually offered at job during a late-night phone call. I was supposed to get the paperwork the next day. However, the next day, nothing came. The following day, they finally texted me to say that they were not going to hire anyone at the present time.

And then there are the recruiters who ghost you without giving you any feedback or to even inform you that you did not get the job.

One of my daughters has become convinced by the lies published by evil and designing persons that she must now flee the country, due to the results of the last election. I may never see her again in this life.

I’ve never faced a Christmas season like this before.

And on top of that, the Cowardly Crusaders of Cyberspace continue their relentless attacks.

As I said, it’s tough right now.

At least I’m getting a lot of writing done… And I have received a number of very positive reviews for “The Witch of White Lady Hollow” and its sequels.

In addition, I’ve been privileged to work with amazing narrators on the audiobook versions of my books: Karen T. Miller, William R. Smierciak, Leanette Bailey, and Jesse Gossett. Karen is currently producing the audiobook for “Haunted by the Neverborn,” and she is doing a magnificent job.

And my wife still loves me. That means everything. I honestly don’t know why she does, but I thank God that she does.

My mother (who lives with us) still loves me.

I still pay my tithing on my unemployment checks. I still go to church faithfully. I still go to the temple to worship. I’m very grateful that I can still go to the Temple to worship.

Four of my six children are still faithful in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I mourn for the two that are not. I have not given up on them—and I never will—but they do not communicate with me. But four of my children and theirspouses and children are faithful. They still love me. And I am grateful for their love and support and their faithfulness.

As hard as life is right now, I know that God has not abandoned me. In so many ways, that has been the theme of my books—God never abandons us, not even in our darkest hours. And He never will.

In the movie, Holiday Inn, Bing Crosby’s character, in his lowest of moments, sings an Irving Berlin song, “I’ve Got Plenty to be Thankful For.” In the movie, he listens to a recording of himself singing that song. He criticizes his performance. He feels down in the dumps. But then his housekeeper comes in and gives him a dose of the truth. It changes his perspective.  

So, though life is hard right now, I’ve got plenty to be grateful for.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

That includes you, Andrew. I do wish you a joyous Christmas. I hope you find peace. There is peace in Jesus Christ. In fact, it is only through Him that we can find lasting peace. It is only through Him that we can find true joy.

Peace on Earth, and good will to ALL men and ALL women.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!

What’s a man to do when his Christian standards are tested on every side, and he’s pitted against competing evils? In this riveting page-turner, author C. David Belt has conjured up a refreshingly original story replete with mythical Greek villains and modern weapons!

Michael D. Clark, author of Woven Tales of Greek Mythology

Do you skip or rush through the Amalickiah chapters?

In “The Book of Mormon,” Amalickiah is arguably one of the greatest villains.

You may not like the Amalickiah chapters, but the Lord put them in “The Book of Mormon” for a reason. Please don’t skip over them. Knowing the difference between good and evil is essential to our salvation. Without the bitter, we cannot truly understand the sweet. Without understanding Amalickiah and recognizing who he was, we don’t fully appreciate Captain Moroni (one of the greatest heroes of “The Book  of Mormon”).

As a horror novelist, I write villains all the time. Without a well-written villain, the story falls flat. A well-written villain must be believable. You may abhor his or her motivations, but you can at least understand how he or she got there (and pray that you never get there yourself). As the writer, I have to get into the villain’s head and understand what makes him or her tick. Some days, that is easier than others. Some days, it is… a struggle.

For me, at least, it is easier to understand the depravity of those who actually commit horrific acts of evil than it is to understand those who support and enable them. The supporters and enablers know what the villains have done, but cheer them on anyway. People actually march in the streets in support of monsters who commit unspeakable acts against innocents. Unspeakable, even for me.

Amalickiah had many, many supporters. They were ordinary people who enabled a monster. Without his supporters, he wouldn’t even have been a footnote.

Now, before I go on, I have to state unequivocally that I am NOT comparing any current political candidate to either Amalickiah or Captain Moroni.

Last night, I read a social media post by a woman who said she was GLAD that one of former President Trump’s supporters was murdered by the would-be presidential assassin. If she couldn’t have Trump dead, she’d take the death of an innocent man as a consolation prize because of the victim’s political views. As the many horrified and angry responses came in, she showed absolutely no remorse. She dug in. She mocked those who expressed shock at her reveling in depravity.

And sadly, she is not alone.

I’m struggling to understand that level of hatred, that level of evil, that level of callous disregard for human life, and that absence of empathy for the devastated family of the victim. There was no remorse, no compassion: just evil. It doesn’t matter what your politics are or who you are going to vote for. This is beyond politics. This is satanic.

There truly are monsters out there. They smile and have no remorse as they embrace evil. They walk among us. And that terrifies me.

It should terrify us all.

But the very fact that we are terrified means there is hope for us. It means that the Spirit of the Lord has not “ceased striving” with us. It means that we can still distinguish good from evil. It means, that with God’s help, we can still stand up against evil.

I don’t care who you vote for. That’s up to you. Pick the candidate you think is best, or at least, the lesser of two evils. I can respect you even if your choice is different from mine. This isn’t about politics. This is about who we are as a people, as individuals, as children of God. This is about recognizing evil and standing against it. This is about choosing to be on the Lord’s side.

This is about becoming Captain Moroni.

And that means we have to read about Amalickiah.

(The first part of this post is an expansion of an earlier post: https://unwillingchild.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/i-say-ye-john-dickinson/)

John Dickinson is not the best-remembered of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, and that is, in my not-so-humble (and almost always correct) opinion, a profound shame.

Dickinson was a member of the Pennsylvania delegation to the Second Continental Congress in 1776, and in that congress, he was the leading voice against American independence. In fact, when it came time for the members of Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence and to pledge to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, Dickinson resigned from Congress, refusing to sign.

His reasons for doing so, when viewed strictly through a modern lens, seem, at best, misguided, self-serving, unamerican, or, at worst, even treasonous. However, to view Dickinson’s actions through such a lens would be to do a great and loyal American a terrible disservice. Dickinson was a true American patriot and an honest and selfless man who laid his life on the line for his country. He argued forcibly that American independence was wrong at that time, because he believed the colonies could not win a war against the greatest military power in the world (Great Britain), he believed the colonies would need the help of a great foreign nation (and we did—France) before we could declare independence. He also believed we needed a national government in place before we could declare independence (he was one of the authors of the Articles of Confederation and insisted they be completed first), and he believed that violence was not the answer to settling the dispute. While I am grateful that the voices for independence won out (and that very narrowly and only by a miracle—and by that, I mean by Divine intervention), I can understand all of Dickinson’s arguments. A lot of what he said made a ton of sense when viewed through the lens of 1776. What Dickinson did, he did out of deeply held principles.

After refusing to sign the Declaration and resigning from the congress, John Dickinson enlisted in the militia and served with the Continental (that is, the American) Army. He served faithfully and bravely. In fact, at one point, he refused a commission as an officer and served as a lowly private. And after the revolution, he continued to serve his nation until the end of his life.

John Adams, the future second President of the United States, led the push for independence in congress, and he and Dickinson were bitter and vocal opponents. However, when Dickinson refused to sign the Declaration, Adams said of his opponent, “Mr. Dickinson’s alacrity and spirit certainly become his character and sets a fine example.” In other words, Adams praised his rival. Even though they were political enemies in a cause they both held to be of supreme importance, they respected each other as human beings.

Can we not learn from Dickinson’s and Adams’s examples? We can disagree strongly over issues we think to be of vital importance and still not resort to hatred and violence against those with whom we disagree. Dickinson was wrong, but he was sincerely and honestly wrong in his firmly held principles, and he was still an honorable and brave man.

Now, I’m an old (some might say very old) soldier. I served in the United States Air Force as an officer and pilot. I flew combat aircraft—the B-52 bomber, specifically. (There: I mentioned an aircraft.) While I was never called upon to drop a bomb in wartime, I was prepared to do so. I trained to do so. I risked my life over and over in that training.

I believed what I was doing was essential to preserve our liberties. I still do. And I have great respect and love for the men and women who stand between us and the darkness.

Many years ago, we hosted an exchange student from Ukraine. Her name is Olya. We grew to love her dearly, and she came to love us in return. After she finished her year and went home to Ukraine, we sponsored her to return to the U.S. and attend BYU. She joined the Church within a month of her return. She is now married in the temple of God and has two lovely children.

Her father, Yuri Polazhynets, was once a Major in the Soviet Rocket Forces in the former U.S.S.R. That means that he was in charge of nuclear missiles aimed at the United States. As a B-52 pilot, I was prepared, if called upon, to vaporize targets such as the missile base where Yuri served. He was, in other words, my enemy. Well, that’s not strictly true. The Soviet people were not my enemies, but their leadership was. To help me keep that distinction in my heart (between the Soviet people and the Soviet leadership), I made it a point to study the Russian language in college to better understand the people. I believe that learning a language can help me better understand how people think, how they form thoughts and ideas. But if I had ended up dropping a nuclear bomb on Yuri and his missile base, that distinction wouldn’t have mattered to him and his family. And if he had been responsible for launching a nuclear missile to wipe out my base and my family, I doubt that distinction would have mattered a whole lot to me either.

But despite that, there never has been any hatred between us.

Yuri and I are now friends.

So, having said that, I sincerely believe that there definitely are reasons to stand up and fight. We read in Alma 48: 11-13 and 17 about Captain Moroni, one of my personal heroes:

“And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;

“Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.

“Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.

“Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.”

So, yes, there are times and circumstances when it is necessary to stand and fight. But such times and circumstances rarely happen in our homes, our families, our neighborhoods, our wards and stakes, our workplaces, or in our daily lives. Most of the time, it is not the sword that is needed, but the heart.

The apostle John states in First John 4: 20 and 21,

“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

“And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

In April 2023 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson said,

“Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.”

He also said in April 2022,

“My call today, dear brothers and sisters, is to end conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home, and your life. Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others—whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue, or a resentment for someone who has hurt you. The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who despitefully use us.”

In John 13: 34 and 35, the Savior said,

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Even when Yuri Polazhynets and I were military enemies, there was never any hatred between us. Now, there is only respect and friendship.

John Adams and John Dickinson were political enemies, but they respected one another, despite their differences.

How much more should we love and respect our spouses, our children, our siblings, our parents, our extended families, our neighbors, and those with whom we associate? Including those who have wronged us? Especially those who have wronged us?

As recorded in Luke 23: 34, in the midst of His agony on the cross, Jesus said of those who were killing Him,

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

He had the power to smite them all, to take His just vengeance on His tormentors. But He forgave them. He asked His Father to forgive them. And I believe that the Father suffered too, watching His dearly beloved Son suffer. Jesus asked Him to forgive those who hurt His Son.

In D&C 64:10, he said,

“I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men.”

All men. All women. Including those who hurt us and hurt those we love. There are no exceptions.

Sometimes the sword is the only remedy. It was during the days of Captain Moroni. And the days of John Adams. And the days of my maternal grandfather, Rufus Spann, who fought in World War II—including D-Day. But those times are few, and we earnestly pray that most of us will never live through such dark times.

No, the sword is rarely the answer. The answer is almost always Christ-like love.

By Ben Savage!

By the talented Ben Savage!

Coming in October!

By the talented Ben Savage!

Cover art by Ben Savage