• The Roman East was rich and the Roman West wasn’t. Maybe that’s not why Rome fell why Constantinople kept on truckin’, but it didn’t help. It’s hard to fight for your life on a budget. But the Roman East was probably always richer. Rome rose in the poorer area. The difference was the trajectory. When Rome rose, the poor West was getting richer fast while the rich East was static. That meant a lot of new resources and capital that a savvy power could use for momentum. When Rome fell, neither the West nor the East were growing, but Rome was poorer.

• Recent converts are a joy to be around. They are just so excited about all the new good stuff. Objectively speaking, they are less informed, less experienced, and probably less advanced in holiness than many established members. But the gospel shines through them more. When Alma wanted to bring the Zarahemla people back to the faith, he mostly didn’t ask them to cast their minds back to when they were righteous. He asked them to cast their minds back to when they were repenting.

And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?

• And Zacchæus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

• The location of a curve on the graph is unimportant. It is just a number.  It is its shape, its trajectory, that defines it.