Would you dare to carry around a talking rattlesnake?

March 17, 2019 Good morning Brandon, I am surprised I have not printed this off and sent it to you yet! Last Sunday our Bishop was asked to speak in anticipation of Ward Conference which is today. YOU may remember his Stake Conference talk about the sacrament that floored me and that I sent to you. I had never heard anything like it. To have Sacrament meeting be like a funeral for Jesus and his body to be under the white alter right there on the stand for all of us to take of was a mind blowing concept. @ Bishop Beau Barney speaks humbly but courageously. And some of his concepts cut right to the core. I asked him for a copy of his talk. This is the email I wrote him asking/ requesting:I tried but I couldn't keep up. (notes in my journal)Sun, Mar 10, 3:23 PM (7 days ago)

to beau\Dear Bishop Barney,\Thank you for teasing your wife so mercilessly before she spoke. You are human after all! :) She said she is used to it.\
I carefully looked up :
26 And we atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our cchildren may know to what source they may look for a dremission of their sins. \


1- talk of Christ

2- rejoice in Christ

3- preach of Christ

4- prophecy of Christ

5- write of Christ\

How many of those do I do?\By the time you included that at the end of your talk we were all waiting for an answer to our problems, all the problems you had reminded us of. WE WANTED THE ANSWER!\And it is an answer we can do/ actuate / follow/ perform. It is not an impossible answer. We just have to make room in our lives to do it.\You already know why I am writing this letter. I want a copy of your talk if at all possible. _____\Yep you have to fill in the blank.\\B. Q. Adams contributed 3 or 4 times in EQ today. I went to briefly visit with him afterwards. He loved Sister Jen Barney's talk. I told Sister Jen that she was phenomenal and that I deeply appreciated her sharing personal efforts to be intentional parents like:

1-reading the BoM as a family last Oct -Jan.

2-sharing how daughters/son call asking to be picked up when a PG-13 is being shown at a friend's house.\You know the law of witnesses: Law of witnesses: in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established, D&C 6:28 (Deut. 17:6; Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1; Ether 5:4; D&C 128:3). \I tried to confirm/ compliment/ reassure BQAdams by asking him how he felt as he heard you explain about the dangers of smart phones. He said, "We have had many talks about this over the years." Then I tried to send it home by saying: "I thought I was listening to Bishop Adams up there today."\Dear Bishop, Thank you for your tremendous courage. Not very many will take it to heart. But they will remember each time they think about that rattlesnake. \Admiringly & Respectfully,\Vern\PS. I gave the CD of "Mothers that Know" and a personal letter to a daughter in law last year, hoping. . . \I haven't heard back yet Just waiting for the right opportunity to follow up. We'll see.\

beau.barney@gmail.com\Sun, Mar 10, 4:04 PM (7 days ago)\to me\

You are very kind Vern! I will send you a copy a little later this evening.\

Ward Conference Theme (2 Nephi 25:26)

Snake Story: A little boy was walking down a path and he came across a rattlesnake. The rattlesnake was getting old. He asked, "Please little boy, can you take me to the top of the mountain? I hope to see the sunset one last time before I die." The little boy answered "No Mr. Rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you'll bite me and I'll die." The rattlesnake said, "No, I promise. I won't bite you. Just please take me up to the mountain." The little boy thought about it and finally picked up that rattlesnake and took it close to his chest and carried it up to the top of the mountain.

They sat there and watched the sunset together. It was so beautiful. Then after sunset the rattlesnake turned to the little boy and asked, "Can I go home now? I am tired, and I am old." The little boy picked up the rattlesnake and again took it to his chest and held it tightly and safely. He came all the way down the mountain holding the snake carefully and took it to his home to give him some food and a place to sleep. The next day the rattlesnake turned to the boy and asked, "Please little boy, will you take me back to my home now? It is time for me to leave this world, and I would like to be at my home now." The little boy felt he had been safe all this time and the snake had kept his word, so he would take it home as asked.

He carefully picked up the snake, took it close to his chest, and carried him back to the woods, to his home to die. Just before he laid the rattlesnake down, the rattlesnake turned and bit him in the chest. The little boy cried out and threw the snake upon the ground. "Mr. Snake, why did you do that? Now I will surely die!" The rattlesnake looked up at him and grinned, "You knew what I was when you picked me up." [v- I hate that story! You are supposed to teach little kids kindness!]

Sister Joy Jones: (Primary General President of the Church) recently said: In today’s world, I see many parents handing their child a snake. I am speaking of smartphones. Even in impoverished countries, I have witnessed children using smartphones. The trend seems to be the same wherever I go, whether in Utah, Europe, Asia, or West Africa. I recently spoke with a youth leader whose opinion was that “putting a cell phone with an internet connection into the pocket of a young person is like placing a hot coal in their pocket—they will get burned.” [#2 stabbingly true concept]

We cannot put cell phones with internet access into the hands of young children who aren’t old enough to have been sufficiently taught, do not yet have necessary reasoning and decision-making abilities, and who don’t have parental controls and other tools to help protect them. Every phone should have safeguards... This is also good counsel for adults. No one is immune to the bite of a poisonous snake.

• So, brothers and sisters, in what ways can our smartphones be considered poisonous or deadly today? Let me just mention a few:

1. Pornography 2. Social Media 3. A constant flow of unworthy music 4. Mind-numbing or violent video games 5. Binge watching Netflix or YouTube videos

All of which are highly addictive and have been linked to much of the increase in anxiety, depression, and suicide we are seeing today. [What? This seems way over the top.-v]

For example: pornography is so addictive and so destructive to society that the General Manager of the KC Royal’s baseball team (Dayton Moore) actively addresses the issue with his players and publicly fights against it. He says: “When we continue to look the other way, it’s not going to get better. What you permit, you promote, what you fail to confront, you condone.” [I tried to write this one down but it was gone after the first effort.-v Moore wants us to take a stand and not allow certain things in our presence. Does that mean our Bishop wants us to do that too? I suspect so. What you permit, you promote, what you fail to confront, you condone.” ]

As for social media: (Colin Kartchner/Social Media Activist) has shared the following: Social media's negative effects on youth mental health and too much screen-time is the underlying link to the current epidemic rise in teen depression and anxiety, eating disorders, self-harming, suicide ideation and suicide itself. We must teach our kids that their worth does not come from likes, followers, or Snapchat streaks. [Jargon that I don’t use.-v] And yet this issue is not just with youth. He continues: Smart phones and social media are the new drug of choice in homes. They hooked parents, disconnected them from their kids, distracted us from who is truly important, and taught us that "likes" = self worth--and now our kids are modeling us. Kids need our eyes and our love and validation more than ever before. Showing your kids you love them is 2% effort and 98% just putting down your phone. (Colin Kartchner-Local Social Media Activist) [v-those numbers made me stop and think. I personally don’t believe that one.]

(In a recent address to Seminary and Institute teachers, Elder Rasband explained what’s going on with our youth in the Church: He taught:

Fear and despair: that’s what is going on. Fear of not being accepted by friends. Fear of academic performance1, pressures, and problems at home2 they can’t solve. Fear that they can trust no one3 and no one trusts them4. Fear of being alone5, and fear of being in groups6. Fear that they are a burden to others7. Fear of organized religion or any religion8. Fear that there is no solution or relief to their pain9. Fear prompts discouragement and despair, anxiety and depression; fear fuels frustrations that have no good conclusion. [v-Fear also fuels frustration and anger that can be focussed to effectuate helpful resolutions and conclusions. I know, I practice it regularly. Fear God and live! 13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.] Fear believes that no one will understand and, worse yet, that no one even asks, “What’s the matter?” Fear in its many forms is manifest unfortunately in the cruelest of conclusions—suicide. [v-Yikes, our bishop dared to mention suicide? #3]

When Utah’s governor set up a task force last year to tackle the surge in teen suicides, he asked President Nelson to appoint a Church leader to that service. President Nelson assigned me the daunting responsibility. I have learned no one is immune. Teen suicide is a crisis reaching all around the world. Statistics show that suicide is now among the three leading causes of death among youth ages 15 to 24. And this: “Suicide attempts are 20 times more frequent than completed suicides.” Those, my dear brothers and sisters, are cruel statistics.

We must all face this issue. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we must commit to do everything we can to reshape the thinking that suicide is an answer, a response even worth considering. We must talk to teens about suicide and love them out of considering it as a solution to their pain. President Monson’s life embodied the phrase “to the rescue.” We need to take that as our charge.

Brothers and Sisters, let me tell you what else is happening to our society and especially our youth. They are becoming desensitized. [v- i have experienced this! In fact it is hard to remain feeling and sensitized.] The term used to describe this in the scriptures is past feeling. Many of them are not feeling things. Many are losing a sense of sacred things. Many are almost like Zombies simply going through the motions of life in a virtual way at best. [#4 another potent word: Zombies-v]

This is one of Satan’s great tricks. He is cheating many souls out of having a mortal experience at all because he can’t have one. He is tempting us to become so involved in technology and media today that at best we have a virtual life and no real physical experience at all. [I watched a youtube video this week of a guy who put on his virtual goggles for a week! After he removed them he loved the fresh air and outside smells of nature. Nothing can replace those. (and there you are Brandon stuck in prison. Do they ever let you out to feel the wind, rain, smell the spring air or watch the clouds in the sky?)-v]

Elder D. Todd Christofferson has explained it this way: The importance of having a sense of the sacred is simply this—if one does not appreciate holy things, he will lose them. Absent a feeling of reverence, he will grow increasingly casual in attitude and lax in conduct. He will drift from the moorings that his covenants with God could provide. His feeling of accountability to God will diminish and then be forgotten. Thereafter, he will care only about his own comfort and satisfying his uncontrolled appetites. Finally, he will come to despise sacred things, even God, and then he will despise himself. (“A Sense of the Sacred,” BYU Devotional, November 7, 2004) [v- the still small voice.]

If we are paying attention brothers and sisters, this is precisely what we are seeing today. Everything God initiates, Satan imitates. His imitation of Sacred things are secret things. His tactic is for us to keep things secret and hidden without anyone knowing. Many youth today are trying to hide so much that eventually it overcomes them, they don’t know how to fully cope with or to fully communicate about these secret things. [v- #5 anti secret. I agree.]

Brothers and Sisters, if you are not aware of all that is happening on your children’s phones, devices, or computers then, let me be bold enough to say to you that you have no idea what is going on in your child’s life and there may be many secrets you are unaware of. Many youth today live on their phones. (Unfortunately, many adults and spouses do too)

Truly brothers and sisters, we do have a deadly snake problem among us as modern-day Israel. Yet, so did ancient Israel. In fact, the scriptures teach us that there were many fiery serpents among them, they bit the people, and much of the people of Israel died.

What could they do to solve their snake problem? After they had been bitten, the Lord prepared a way that they might be healed. It was simple: All they had to do was to look; (If they would simply cast their eyes upon the brazen serpent which Moses did raise up on a pole before them, they would live. But, because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished. (1 Nephi 17:41)

Symbolically, the brazen serpent on the pole represented Jesus Christ who in the meridian of time would Atone for all sin, be raised upon the cross and crucified that we might be healed physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and in every other way possible.

Brothers and Sisters, for us the answer is just as simple today. And yet because it’s so simple, many around us today are dying physically and spiritually because many are too unwilling1, too distracted2, too selfish3, too worldly4, too concerned about being popular5, or just simply too lazy6 to look to Christ and live and teach their children to do the same. [#6 powerful labels-v]

Brothers and Sisters, this type of effort on our part will simply not be good enough. We cannot afford any more physical or spiritual casualties, especially among us. Yet, brothers and sisters, I can testify that if we don’t change anything in our own lives and if we don’t choose today to be “Intentional Parents” like President Nelson and my dear, sweet wife Jen has just taught us, the problem won’t get better, it will in reality get much, much worse.

So, where do we start?

Well, first it would be best to avoid the poisonous serpents in the first place. In the words of, President Ezra Taft Benson: “it is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent.” [#7 this one gives me a big, BIG smile.-v]

(“The Law of Chastity,” New Era, Jan. 1988, 6)
So, what preventative measures can we take? Dan Coats: (Senator of Indiana) explained: There is something very wrong when children are treated as obstacles to parental self-fulfillment... It creates young people who later find themselves unable to form their own families. [OUCH! Should we take that one personal?-v] And this self-centered destruction of the family is not only an individual tragedy, it is a national crisis. [It is so nice to know that even a guy in Indiana is noticing!-v] (“America’s Youth: A Crisis of Character”) Sister Julie Beck (General RS President) speaking of “Mothers Who Know” explained: They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all. Their goal is to prepare a rising generation of children who will take the gospel of Jesus Christ into the entire world. [I absolutely love it!-v This is the letter and CD I gave to Bonnie in ‘17. This one is personal to me.]

Their goal is to prepare future fathers and mothers who will be builders of the Lord’s kingdom for the next 50 years. That is influence; that is power. (“Mothers Who Know,” October 2007) Sister Joy D. Jones: Primary GP (Provides 5 very specific and practical ways we can do this in the home.) She says:

1. Some parents opt for flip phones for their children to limit usage to calling and texting. 2. I know families who have designated a single, high-traffic area in their home where electronic devices are used. These families call it a “media room,” and all their devices are kept in open view, in the light. Never is any one person alone in the/their-v room on a media device. 3. Other families have opted for rules like no phones in bedrooms or bathrooms. 4. Some simply say “never alone with a phone.” [v- those are 5 nice powerful simple words but impossible to to keep/ adhere to.] 5. Still others gradually add access to apps their children can use with software that allows the child’s phone to be configured by the parent. This way they teach that trust is earned and that phone safety is important. Whatever the needs are for our individual families, let’s teach each family member to use technology wisely and positively from the start—to develop a moral mindset. She warns: “You wouldn’t take your children and leave them alone in the middle of NYC, but that’s effectively what you’re doing when you allow them to go into cyberspace alone.”[1] Jason S. Carroll, a professor of family life at BYU, stated, “We safeguard our children until the time they can safeguard themselves.” The brain stem, which houses the pleasure centers of the brain, develops first. Only later do the reasoning and decision-making abilities in the frontal cortex fully develop. “So kids have the gas pedal without the full brake.”[2] [#8 stabbingly true concept.-v]

In reality, it was the Nephite parents that had the ultimate solution: (And this is the scriptural theme for next week’s ward conference) They declared: 2 Nephi 25:26 26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Elder Rasband: Added: Jesus is the Answer. Dear President Nelson has said, “When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation ... and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives.”

This is illustrated well in the biblical episode of Peter walking on water: Matthew 14:28-32 (We read:) 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

When Peter’s focus was on Christ, miracles occured in his life. When he focused on the world around him, he sunk into fear and deep despair. So, it is with each of us. [#9 stabbingly true concept. Stabbed right to the heart.-v]

So, brothers and sisters, how can we look to and focus on Christ and avoid the many worldly distractions around us today? I would invite each of us to look to and focus on Christ in the following 3 ways:

1. Teach the Gospel in your home and make it a priority 2. Communicate openly and often with your children in a spirit of love 3. Focus on Christ through sacred ordinances and the temple

1. Teach the Gospel in the home: (How can we best do this?) Follow the prophet by studying the Come Follow Me curriculum as a family and hold regular FHE Teach your children to live the standards found in the FSOY pamphlet Teach and encourage your children to study the scriptures personally for themselves. Encourage enrollment in Seminary & Institute courses.

2. Communicate openly in a spirit of love Take more time for your kids. Time to just talk to them and to listen to them, open up a line of communication Don’t be too busy with other things that don’t really matter Don’t selfishly put your own hobbies and interests above your kids.

3. Ordinances and the Temple: Do indexing, Family History, and be worthy to attend the temple as a family. Come prepared to partake of the sacrament worthily each week and focus on the Savior instead of distracting devices. Make the temple and your covenants your top priority.

Brothers and Sisters, as we look to Christ and focus on Him in these ways, we will come to realize what Sister Dew realized when she said:

Sister Sheri Dew: (The Savior isn’t our last chance; He is our only chance. [#9 again!-v] Our only chance to overcome self-doubt and catch a vision of who we may become. Our only chance to repent and have our sins washed clean. Our only chance to purify our hearts, subdue our weaknesses, and avoid the adversary. Our only chance to obtain redemption and exaltation. Our only chance to find peace and happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. (April 1999) [b e a u t i f u l - v ]

We will also come to realize what the exemplary intentional parent Helaman taught his two son’s Nephi and Lehi when he said:

Helaman 5:12 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Brothers and Sisters, may you and I more than ever before, look to Christ and live both physically and spiritually! Let us be of good cheer and find joy in the journey despite our circumstances. As we do our part and really try, the grace of Christ will save us from our fears and our sins. May we have the courage to do what it takes to have no secrets.

If you have been bitten by this poisonous serpent in any way, I plead with you to come see me and let me help you get the poisonous venom out of your soul before it becomes fatal. [v-As only a bishop can invite!]

My dear brothers and Sisters come unto Christ and be healed. He is the light, He is the Rock. If we will focus on Him, we will be of good cheer and through Him we will overcome the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. @@@ Can you see why I wanted a copy of that talk? Holy Cow! . . . . .

His wife, Jen, spoke before he did. If you want a copy, I have one. Intentional Parenting. BBB said that: A new bishop is chosen by the most righteous wife in the ward. Sunnie Adams gave us Bishop Q. Adams. Jen Barney gives us Bishop B. Barney. Cute huh! Yes we give lip service in the church. I wonder if the women have come to expect it? Or if they truly believe it? I haven’t been able to figure this one out yet.

Wed. 3/20/19 good morning Brandon, Life is good, I am blessed! FSprogram is down. Yesterday was day 4 of 6 days of missionary orientation. I felt draggy on Monday and came 15min late, I wore my white tie. I felt ready yesterday so I wore a deep azalia tie/deep red violet. I haven’t ever worn one of those before. I put on my red plastic framed glasses to match. No one even commented. @ Bonnie Sewell is our teacher. She is so lively and loud! It has been fun to get to know her better after 5 years of us being here together. She was a beauty! But she is so old and wrinkled now. But her smile would still light a stadium. There are some things I particularly like about her and when I chose to take this class from her last month I made a good choice. 1- She may be loud but she is gentle. Nearly impossible! 2- She never watches the news and doesn’t care about politics. They drag us down and so she is like me and has isolated herself from the world. Her sister needed counseling and the therapist said to skip the news as it is so depressing. So Bonnie took that advice too. She closed the sharing by saying: Maybe that is why I am so happy! Cute huh. 3- The depth and breadth of family history is nearly unmeasurable. And she is exposing us to as much as possible. She has lab activities for us to test our understanding. I love lab activities! Can you imagine? Two wonderful successes yesterday: I got logged into my Ancestry account and I transferred a gedcom! My ancestry account hasn’t been touched for 4 years. I did not even think I had one. Evidently when some missionary helped me back then they must have signed me up. I was shocked. I was just like all the patrons who come in here and say they have never had an account but really have, they just don’t remember. Some good news, my password was the same! 3- Bonnie, like me, has had very few experiences with the other side. Some saints come in here with spiritual communications all over the place. Not her and not I. But she shared one special one she did have yesterday. Back at a girl’s camp on Kolob one year she was asked to share a biography of a pioneer ancestor. She studied him carefully and and with the beautiful sunset on Kolob lake she finished her expose and said how proud she was of her grandfather and that she loved him. She heard him reply, “And I love you granddaughter.” 4- Bonnie classifies her work as fast and dirty versus slow and precise. I showed EHCheney my personal monthly reviewing totals reaching up to 150k last year. I got there by being fast and dirty. I can’t stand wasted effort! I have concentrated on indexing with a goal of 3k per month this year. It fits me so much better. 5- She has done family history her whole life. Not me. 6- She is open and candid, maybe to a fault. Same with me. Such a rich experience to get to know her. @@@ Monday I asked if there was an easy way to see who were your first ancestors to join the church. She said no. That was disappointing. @ I was surprised to not have any of my mother’s siblings listed in FS! After looking at other missing siblings I realized that of course they did not show. . . they are still alive! Their info and ID’s are protected until they die. One more thing I had to learn the hard way!