I'm so grateful for your class. I learn something new every day, and even if it's not a spiritual fact, it still brings the Spirit. Your class is the easiest class I take because you allow me the choice in everything I do in this class. It gives me the chance to lean naturally and in a way I love, and if that means it takes more work, it's far easier than anything else I'm doing. I have the gift of agency, but you make that gift integral to your class, and I'm so grateful for it. On a different note, thank you for your class--all of your classes--but especially World Civ. You have reawakened my love for history. As with everything, nothing is set in stone, but I'm going to be going to college for a bachelor's in History. It's not fully your fault, but it's kind of your fault. Thanks for making it easy to be excited for that! --Sabrina L.

Thank you for everything you have done for my siblings and me this semester. You have made it, as Ken would say, SUBLIME! I have learned a lot  from watching you teach your class and from the way you live your life. Thank you for how much you care, I hope that one day you will be able to see how much of an impact that has. --Faith W.

Thank you for being a teacher that is always loving, always understanding, and always close to my heart. Thank you for putting up with me and for cheering me up on the daily. --Gabby N.

Thank you so much for giving so much of yourself to me, my family, and everyone else. You are an incredible example of genuine kindness, wonderful humor, and endless support. You manage to make me feel so happy and like I have meaning every. single. day. Thank you for scoring every project, saying every quote, and making me laugh without fail. You mean so much to me! --Mia N.

Thank you for being an amazing history teacher this semester. Multiple times during class I've felt the spirit. Like when we talked about empty chairs at Thanksgiving. You're doing a great job as a teacher. --David M.

Mr. C is a dynamo. He is passion is contagious incarnate. Interest is one of the keys to truly effective learning – both on the part of the students and of the teacher – and Mr. C seems to always be interested in whatever he’s teaching. This would be insufficient alone, though. “To be a great orator, you have to love the people,” is one of my favorite quotes from him from this last semester, and the same is true – maybe even more so – of teachers. Luckily, as much as he cares about what he teaches, he cares about people more – about his students. It’s difficult to overstate how much this matters. Because he cares about them on a deep and personal level, they care about him. Because they care about him, they become party to his interest in the lesson material and learn better because of it. Such is Mr. C's teaching philosophy in a nutshell, as far as I can tell. The class that I had with him over the last semester is one of the best I have ever been in. I can say with full confidence that if you find his classes boring or unengaging, there is something wrong with you. I can also say for certain that in his class you will learn much more than is on the syllabus – much more about a wider range of topics, life lessons that will stick with you much longer than most of the official class material will. --Zoe E.

I have had some of the best days I have ever had with your class. Every time I am in your class I am always happy. I do not know how I would be if I had not met you. Your class is the 3rd class I have ever been happy in. --Kaleb P.

I know your class is like really fun and crazy sometimes, but I honestly love your class and you. You go through some extremely hard things but still show up and teach us. I don't know everything you go through but I know some things and you're lie right up there next to Zeus. Thank you for everything you do! --AJ

You are one of the greatest teachers I have ever had in my life. I have felt the spirit more in your class than in any other. It's hard to live up to your own expectations but you lived up to everyone else's 10-fold. Thank you! --Bryce H.

Your class is extremely chaotic and I had a lot of fun. I'll miss you during summer break. --Anonymous

This is my thank you letter to you. Junior high sucks, but I had something to look forward to every day--your class. I always was happy in your class and even if you haven't realized it you've helped me a lot. Not just mentally but educationally and spiritually. --Adri

I have had a real hoot and a holler being in your class. I really enjoy learning about all the wacky things that have happened in the past and writing funny quotes from people showing us random things. Your class is my favorite, it really makes me feel happy, and doesn't even feel like school. --Emma S.

Thank you so much for being such an understanding and awesome teacher. You have really inspired me to be a better person and think differently about things. You have been the best teacher I've ever had in my life, no doubt about it. --Sevyn M.

Thank you so much for being an awesome teacher. Thank you for teaching me, and thank you for understanding how we feel, and thank you for helping us get through the year. I hope I can come to your class next year. --Adam M.

Dear Brother C, thank you for everything this year. You're an incredible teacher and person. You've taught me so much this year and I can't wait to see you next year! --Lily R.

Bro. C, you are one of the best teachers I've ever had. Thank you for teaching us in a way which makes history fun and interesting, and absolutely great each day. I always come home with a smile, eager to tell my family about how great history was. I want to thank you for teaching in a way that invites the spirit, and that is enjoyable and that makes it like that for everyone. I really can't thank you enough for such a great year. --Mona C

You have made my Liahona experience so amazing!! Thank you for all the things you have taught me and thank you for making history such an amazing place to be. I feel peace, and happy, when I walk into your class. THANK YOU! --Noelle S.

You are by far the best teacher I have ever had. Thank you. I look forward to your class every day which is saying a lot because I don't really enjoy school. You show me that you care, even when I may not show it. --Emmaree A.

Thank you sooooo much for being my history teacher this past year! You make history really fun and interesting. At my old school I always hated learning about history but now it's my favorite class. You've helped me realize how much I love learning about my country's history and how important it is. I'm really grateful for all of the time you have spent getting lessons ready, grading tests, and grading projects. you've taught me a lot this year. I have a great love for this country and its past and you've helped me learn more about it. Thank you for all that you do for us. Can't wait for next year! --Elyn L.

Thank you so much for teaching this year. I learned so much in your class (as always) about both history and the lessons you work so hard to impress upon us. I appreciate all the work you put into your classes. You're a fun teacher and I can't wait for next year. --James F.

Thank you for making 7th grade a little bit more bearable. Your class is so great and I hope you never leave this school. I leearned so many cool history facts this year and loved pretty much everything about it (except for the long speeches when it's lunchtime). --Aspen S.

I enjoyed today; thank you for inviting me. You continue to pour good and giving into all that you do. It's always a pleasure to witness your passion for influencing young people. In Dr. King's speech he says, "I'm not worried about that, because I've been to the mountain top." It reminds me of you. I'm of the opinion you invite people to join you in your joy of the mountaintop--that joy of life that you sprinkle like fairy dust into every room you enter. --Alanna H.

This is not a text, it's a genuine, from the bottom of my heart, thank you! I know the effort it takes to teach all of our kids, especially mine. Thank you for your patience, your help, and your kindness--it's greatly appreciated. In particular, thank you for making Sydney feel seen for all the effort and hard work she tries her best to do, for making her feel seen and understood, for making her feel special. Both she and Carson love your classes and have been affected by your testimony and encouragement. --Michelle B.

Thank you, Brother C. Thank you for making school fun. --Grant G.

Thank you for all the work you put to teach our twisted middle and high school minds important things. You are the best history teacher I have ever known Keep up the heartfelt speeches, keep op the good work, and most importantly, keep up the Lord's work. --David B.

Dear Brother C, thank you. Thank you for being a teacher, a role model, and thank you for being my FRIEND. You help me get through my life every school day. I wake up every morning before school and I don't want to get up. But I do and I never regretted it because i have my friends, and I have History class. When I say my goal is to be the next History teacher, I mean it. I look up to you, man. Thank you for finding me. --Emrick P.

Though some teachers have qualms about expressing favoritism, I possess no such reservations, and I unabashedly claim you as my favorite. The sheer number of seeds you have sown in my mind is incredible. I still don't know how you created such a fun and trusting space. I hope that I will have the strength and purpose to nourish all of them. Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into making this year tailored to each individual in an engaging way. I felt your zeal and compassion this year, and count you among my kindred spirits. --Kinlee

I have made new friends and befriended old foes with the aid of this class. I have never learned so much in any class, and I was always impressed with the concepts and intelligence being displayed. No amount of gratitude could repay Mr. C and my fellow students for the enlightenment I underwent throughout the entirety of this course. Most subjects we discussed were complex, yet Mr. C navigated them with comprehension and simplicity. This balance allowed me to learn a lot more than I imagined. Mr. C had style and gave this class a personality and I loved it. This class was welcoming, it was valuable, and I am forever grateful to Mr. C for making it the best it could be. I am a better speaker, a better student, and a better person. It was a personal as well as an educational journey and I would encourage everyone to take this class because it’s more than worth it. Thank you, Mount Liberty College, and thank you, Mr. C - Roman M

Thank you so much for all of your hard work this year. I love this class so much, and thank you so much for that. I don’t know how to words, my english isn't working y mi español también está muerto. But just thank you. --Almaya

Hey Brother C, I just wanted to say thank you for being such an amazing teacher and for making class so great this year. This was my second year taking a history class at Liahona and by far my favorite. I can tell that you have worked so hard to improve the class and I believe that it has paid off. I learned so much, and was able to come more out of my comfort zone by trying new things, talking to new people, and even going to the academy twice this year even though I was scared and didn't know anybody there, all because of you and your class. I also became brave enough to use the Zoom as often as possible (which I have really enjoyed and is one of my favorite additions to class) because I knew that you wanted to see and hear me,and because I knew you cared. I believe I really have become a better, more confident-in-myself-and-my-importance person because I was in your class this year, so thank you Brother C. Thank you. --Grace L

Thanks for being LITERALLY The best history teacher i've ever had and thank you for being willing to grade all of our projects when you really just want to go to bed which makes you the coolest, most awesome, most loving, most funny, most Best, most fun, most AMAZING DE and academy History teacher in my word! We love you Bro C and I hope you know that for the rest of your life! --Ella D

Thank you for yet another season of learning. Once again, you have put your all into it and it has paid off into an even better season. You connect with the students and make sure they know how much you care for them. You have meant so much to my families life and have done such a good job bringing History to life and making sure that every kid connects with it. You make the class fun, but still make sure the kids are learning. --CJ

Hey Brother C! Thank you so much for all of your help over all of my years at Liahona. I want you to know how much I and all of the DEs appreciate how hard you work to make it a good experience for us. Getting all of that Zoom stuff to work today was amazing! Never stop trying to improve your class and I know it will become even more amazing than it already is.

Bro. Jones, I would just like to say that your teaching is amazing. I’ve had some bad experiences with teachers in the past, but your class is one of the best ones I’ve ever been in. And I NEVER thought that I would ever LIKE to go to a class, but you proved me wrong. Even though I am a DE student, you still make it enjoyable, so I would just like to thank you for being such an amazing teacher, and allow me to love school, they need to give you a raise. -Grayson Pimentel

Every mother has dreams she wants for her children that are as wide as eternity. One of my most pressing dreams was for my children to be influenced in their youth by wise mentors who loved them and could awaken their souls to greatness. I will never forget the first time I heard Chris Jones’s voice boom through my computer speakers and into the lap and heart of my then 12-year-old daughter. I knew in that moment that this man would profoundly change my daughter’s life for the good, but what I didn’t know was that he would change mine too. There are teachers with a deep intellectual grasp of their material and an ability to teach it with skill. There are also mentors who are so alive with genuine passion for life and for their students development, that those students will cross oceans and continents to meet that mentor’s expectations. Because Chris Jones is both, he has inspired my daughter to set lofty goals, develop talents, traits, and rich friendships, and study books, ideas, and mind-stretching material far beyond her comfort zone. As a bonus, he’s inspired me and my other children to do the same.

I have taken several of Chris Jones’ classes and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of them. Each individual class tests your limits in a different way and it’s fun to see how much you can grow, both intellectually and as a person, throughout the semester. It was never very easy, but it was always very fun. I walked away from each class feeling inspired and more knowledgeable about the subject. I loved his classes and would enthusiastically recommend them to anyone!

My experience under Mr. C’s tutelage was a life changing experience. During the classes that I was privileged to take under him, I enjoyed some of the fastest growth, both mentally and emotionally, I have ever experienced. Throughout that time, I was guided in an open and friendly environment where I felt that my thoughts and opinions were appreciated and welcome. I was challenged and stretched as my comprehension and study skills were strengthened. I learned and applied new skills, including the ability to make connections between things that I was studying and my everyday life. As I was pushed to grow throughout the semesters (even though it hurt a little bit along the way), I have been proud and grateful to be able to look back at the growth I made, and see how much my life has been changed for the better, all because of one inspiring, influential individual.

I am truly thankful for Chris Jones (Mr. C) and what he has taught me through his classes. Having participated in his TJYC 2 and 3, Politics & Government and Economics classes, I regard him very highly. His outstanding teaching style is inspiring to a students mental creativity. He consistently creates an environment of liberty for his students to form opinions on their own, completing the cycle of belief formulation from mad throwings around of wild and wacky ideas to cohesive and neatly set elements in a now solid argument. He does this without a heavy hand of influence and uses choicely placed droplets of information, advice and ideas to bring the student(s) back from the apparent cliff of disaster. Sometimes he would present, expertly, a tiny and vaguely absurd idea that advances along your own line of logic which you may run with for a while until you realize just how far out of left field your idea was! The effect causes you to correct and redirect your thinking and reasoning. For the freedom to think, to allow my thinking to take its natural cycle and form solid reasonings with my well informed and well challenged ideas, I will always be thankful. He has facilitated my acquisition of higher thinking skills as well as a love for knowledge that is not unchallenged by other strong minds. The ideas being finally hammered out until the important things become sure.These are gifts that I will carry with me throughout my life. Mr. C is a mentor who doesn’t just stick to the typical teaching box. His teaching style is one of active learning and not just passive and rote memorization. He comes up with ways to inspire and push your limits, fostering a love for philosophical and moral debate. I am truly a different and stronger person because of his mentoring.

I had the opportunity of taking a class that was taught by Mr. C my Junior year of high school. I can honestly say that it was my favorite class that I attended during that year. Mr. C was always attentive to all his students and helped them grow in ways that we wouldn’t have expected. I really liked how he took the time to get to know us, and then proceed to push us out of our perceived limits so that we could grow. Being forced out of my comfort zone helped me to learn so much more than if I had stayed where I was comfortable. I also enjoyed the sense of humor that Mr. C brought into each of the classes. Of course he was serious at times, but he also knew that fun was essential to learning. The camaraderie, fun, and personal growth that happened in that class wouldn’t have happened without Mr. C as our teacher. Over all, I learned a lot from Mr. C, and I would gladly take another class from him.

Why I LOVED Mr. C’s classes. My my, where to start! Well besides the fact that Mr. C is absolutely hilarious while teaching world history and choir, he really knows his stuff. Mr. C teaches with a passion and finesse that I have never seen in another teacher. He enjoys what he does, and he really cares about all of his students. In history he teaches in a way that draws in all of his student’s attention so they are not just sitting in a boring lecture about history but sitting in a battlefield or a castle or a crowded street with tons of cool people from history in a front row seat looking at their lives. Pretty epic huh? Mr. C teaches history in the form of a story. Students like listening to stories more than lectures!!!!! Mr. C is not just an educator but a teacher of history and choir and life, a mentor to all of his students, and the greatest friend EVAHH! As far as choir goes Mr. C teaches that music and choir is not about how well you can sing but how much you try and just enjoy it. He helps all of his students feel more confident with who they are as a person, as a singer, as an astronaut or as ANYTHING and helps teach all of his students to go the extra mile and work hard to accomplish their dreams and to never give up because it is possible. And he teaches us “don’t be stupid” and to “be nice” and “if we are ever about to do something stupid don’t dare think about it until we invite him to come along.” Mr. C is pretty dang fantastic.

Chris Jones’s class was the most memorable escapade of my junior year in high school. I was in his choir class and I remember always looking forward to two full hours of singing. Mr. C was able to take a group of kids who had never sung together, some not even knowing how to sing, and turn them into a choir. I particularly loved Mr. C’s individual attention to his students. His dedication to them was very apparent. You could see how much he cared about the kids he taught. I remember talking with Mr. C on several occasions and receiving very sound advice. I am grateful for the time and effort he put into his students. That was the best part. You could see he really wanted to be there and teach his students. His example will always be a great influence in my life.

I would not be the young man that I am today if it weren’t for Mr. C, as we so loyally nicknamed him. He taught with a rare and enthusiastic power that just lit up the classroom with an excitement for learning. It was contagious and it wasn’t long before everyone was equally enthralled by him. I do not remember a day where I was not excited to go to his class, (except for when he told us there would be substitute filling in for him). He not only taught with eagerness, but also…fondness, you might say. It felt as if he desired the success of every single one of his students no matter who they were. He didn’t look at us as his next task to be fulfilled as so many teachers do today, but as individuals with unique needs and dreams. My fondest recollection of his class was the day that he told me to shape up. Before that moment I had been a rowdy and disrespectful student and I’m sure that I caused a lot of grief for many of my past teachers. However, Mr. C had gained so much respect from me and every other student in that classroom that his words struck home. When I left school that day, I was truly changed. He made me into the young man that I am today.

History has always been something I’ve enjoyed learning about. During the years before I met Mr. C, however, I took so many classes that had me memorize birth and death dates and battle casualties. It was exhausting, and I was soon going down a path where I had lost much of my enthusiasm for history. When I first came into our really two-student American history class, however, something just clicked. He so obviously loved it. It was invigorating for me to see that there was someone else who thought that the civil war was fascinating, regardless of the exact time they fired on Fort Sumter. Soon I was reading history books for the fun of it again, and this more or less led to my completion of my two novels, which have been some of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. But I have learned more from Mr. C than just a re-awakening of the awesomeness of history or stories of diamond necklace thefts, although those are some of the coolest things on the planet. One of my favorite things about taking classes with Mr. C is that he genuinely loves EVERYTHING. Before I met him, I was having internal turmoil because I thought that I would have to chose between viola and writing and history and just pick one thing to be interested in. He taught me that I can love all those things, and more, and in the end be better off because of it. Words can not describe how much this has impacted my life. I’m sorry this post is turning into the kind of Dawn to Decadence chapter that I protested against being assigned to read, but Mr. C is one of my favorite people of all time. His class is one of the highlights of my week. He’s changed my life in so many ways. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Mr. C is a fantastic teacher and I have learned so much from him. I didn’t really like history before his class but now it’s my favorite subject! He has always been there for me and I really appreciate it. He is a wonderful person that only deserves the best.

Have I ever told you how great a teacher you are! You’re the only history teacher that has actually made me interested in history and now it’s my favorite subject! You’re a great teacher and I’m so glad your family and mine are such good friends! Thank you for being such a great teacher and person!

I have only taken one class with Mr. C in my whole life. That’s four short months of knowing him. But he really has made such a difference in the way I approach everything. School actually has meaning, because he cared about what he taught me. His caring didn’t stop at the academic material, either. He actually listened to me, when some teachers would have dismissed me as a silly 14-year-old girl who didn’t think things through properly. Mr. C cared about me. I know that sometimes I can test people’s patience. I’m usually pretty good in classes, but sometimes I have bad days and whenever I had those I would come to class and leave feeling so much more hopeful for the future of the world in general and my life specifically. And he actually took time to appreciate the individual talents of each student. It isn’t just some general feeling of goodwill toward humanity that makes Mr. C special. It is recognition and genuine appreciation of the individuality of each person that makes he special. Whenever I am in contact with him I feel important, and that is pretty rare. He taught me to question everything. When I started formal schooling I started to think that it’s best to just fall in line except in those situations where you are encouraged by leaders to state opinions. Mr. C helped me keep the fire and curiosity that I had as a child, and I am so thankful for that. It’s hard to keep that spark, but he was instrumental in helping me to not be content merely with fitting in.

I’d just like you to know how much of an impact you have made on my life. I feel that not only do I belong, but I can help others to belong somewhere as well. After all, everyone should belong somewhere. I feel that, I can make a difference in this evil world, not can but WILL make a difference. I have already strengthened many relationships that are making my life so much happier, and I believe that my classic, good humor is making them feel good too. My time in the Forgotten was unforgettable. I had so many emotional roller coasters at sim week, before the Forgotten I was afraid I was going to explode, cry, or throttle someone (thank goodness I didn’t, that would have been a lot of paperwork). That second day morning, I had had it with the entire simulation and the people in it. I was sitting in Karmesia, talking to a friend, when a person (the guilty will remain nameless…), when he who must not be named flipped me off my chair, grabbed me in a tight grip, then shoved me roughly out of the room, and told it was just a simulation. This was only one of my terrible experiences that morning. I was so fed up with it, I cried for an hour. I prayed and recieved nothing. So I went back in to the T.I.R room where I heard Tannen shouting “Noah Richards!” I asked if she meant Nyah. The next thing I knew I was being carted up to the sick room. I believe that being in the Forgotten was the answer to my prayer. I was actually talking to Anna, and I said absently “what if they were sick and we weren’t?” Heh. She’s the one who took it all the way. Anyway, as soon as I arrived at the sick room, I thought: this is it. I’m done. I mean, come on, small, tiny room, four pitchers of water that were gone In three hours, no air conditioning. My life was over. Then YOU shook my hand and said “welcome to the REAL simulation” I knew something good would come out of that cramped room, but what we came up with was genius. The best thing was the center of it, the standards (not rules) you came up with. You told me I have a voice here, and if I couldn’t say it, you would for me. I noted that in simulations week, there are sides, never in between. The Independent Republic or Karmesia. But the Forgotten was in the middle, it was the center. Where refugees and others alike could come and feel like they belonged. I remember you and I being the only ones willing to give up our places in the shelter, then others joined on. I remember when the Armor tried to take you. We were all still sitting at the table with you in the middle, I remembered my job, to stay by you because you needed friends. I jumped in the middle with you, and almost instantly everyone followed. I know it was just a simulation, but things like that can happen in real life, and I’m glad about what I’ve learned being in the Forgotten. 1. Everyone has a voice. 2. Everyone belongs. 3. We don’t write songs or stories, we don’t create art, and we don’t build things. But we can. Not just physically but spiritually, and mentally. 4. We build families, we build friends. 5. We have standards, not rules. 6. Jesus Christ is the center of all things good and charitable, and when we do his work, we are serving our Savior. Thank you so much! You and everyone else has made me a better person. I’m able to face the evil things of this world with my head held high. Always Forgotten, but never forgotten.

One week ago today I was adopted in to the Quarantine Room. I was carted up to the tiny little room and brought before the little group sitting around the table. I never thought that a few “sick” people crowded in a tiny little room with no air conditioning and no water or food could change my life so much. While much of the Sim forgot about us on Wednesday, the lessons I learned that day were unforgettable. For some reason the close quarters made me feel closer to the “sick people.” I didn’t judge any of you for pointing out flaws in our plans, or for complaining about being stuck in a hot room. I literally felt like any of you could be my super awesome cousins. I learned in that room what it felt like to be accepted, and how to accept others. I learned to sincerely listen to other’s ideas, and to consider more possibilities. I learned how to keep big secrets. On Thursday I learned to work with the Forgotten as a team. We worked together to do interviews, make trades, keep people out of our borders, and make mischievous plans. I learned what it felt like to be told your leader tested positive for the disease that was going to kill everyone. (Mr. C., when you told us you tested positive I literally felt like you had told us you had a terminal disease and was going to die in a few days. It felt that real!) At the end of Thursday I learned to open the borders and have everyone come in to question you. I learned to let go of all the secrets I had been hiding inside and to be open about everything. On Friday I learned to welcome all people in and treat them like I treated the few trapped in that little room with me. I learned even more the power of unity, and the reality of imperfect people. I learned that everyone has something important to say, and listening to them could completely change the outcome. I learned how much one person could totally change the situation, whether it be with a lot of money (Michael) or a bomb (Nick) or a brilliant principle about family (Amanda). I learned how one person could impact a whole room of people with a few core rules, a big heart, and a loud voice (@Mr. C). This was my third year attending Sim Week, and I learned more this week than I have the my past two times combined together. Thank you all for changing my life and impacting me with unforgettable lessons. Thank you a million times over, and I will never forget any of you.

Mr. C, I haven’t tried to express my feelings in words until now, I don’t even know if I can but I will try. I started out in Karmesia, and when it started to fall apart my friend Elise Day said that I should come with her and join the Forgotten.  I didn’t know who the Forgotten where, and because I am a very loyal person I didn’t want to leave my original country. But Elise was finally able to drag me over to the Forgotten. The moment I stepped into the room I felt welcome, and at peace about being there.  Before I felt so much pressure about every chose I made, I felt that I couldn’t make a single decision because I might make a bad choice. But when I came to the Forgotten I felt that it was safe for me to make the decision that I thought was best, and that you would support me in it. I would like to let you know that you made a huge impact on my life. You inspired me, and showed me the what a single person can do. I could see many of my heroes in you, and it gave me hope to someday be like them and you. Thank you so much!