Hello Janice, Tues. 6/14/22
I have seen Greg from our class over at the FSC a number of times. When I couldn’t attend last week I texted you thinking that you would be able to tell anyone who asked where I was. I had told Greg I would be there that night.
I am sure you have been curious about him like I have. I like it when people new to our class are reserved and don’t just come in and seem to take over.
He attended a DNA class here at FSC at 10 this morning. I saw him sitting in classroom B after the class had ended. When he came by my computer he admitted that he was ordering a new DNA test from Ancestry for $69, on special, because the one he got from someplace else isn’t accepted.
I heard him say at the end of his first BoM lesson with us, I will be back next week. I have been wondering where he was coming from.
Here are 14 things I have learned about him:
1- His divorce was finalized in April.
2- His wife was from Chile.
3- He was converted in 1988 while stationed (in the navy, 17 years) in Rhode Island or something. He was searching for meaning and had quit drinking the year before. A family invited him to their home for dinner and his friend had warned him that they would try to convert him. After dinner the father invited him to watch some church videos. They watched one called the Plan of Salvation and it struck a chord in him.
4- When stationed in Spain in 1990 they had an area conference in Madrid and the ward sent them on a bus to attend. He was hunting for his buddies but saw GBHinkley come out a door all by himself. He couldn’t help himself, he stuck out his hand and they shook. It was a gentle but electrifying shake. He said, “Elder Hinkley” and couldn’t think of anything else to say.
5- Greg got married in ‘07 and has helped his ex wife to bring her parents and siblings to Saint George. They speak badly of him and convinced her to divorce him.
6- He was devastated and so nonfunctional and depressed during Sep & Oct of last year.
14- He quoted this passage as the one that has been his guiding light: 44 But I say unto you, aLove your benemies, cbless them that dcurse you, do egood to them that fhate you, and gpray for them which despitefully use you, and hpersecute you; I told him that I have a hard time with that one!
7- He had heart bypasses done in ‘16 but the cut through ribs and sternum didn’t heal and got infected. He is in pain all the time and wears ice packs when he drives.
8- He got to keep his house but his ex won $250K. Half his value.
9- Dr Hinkle’52 came back from retirement and does both naturalistic and traditional medicine at 600S. Bluff. The amniotic fluid injections he did really helped but 2 of the 7 VA districts in the US no longer support them. :(
10- He thinks he got IBS from a Navy doctor putting him on a strong Antibiotic for two months. He really wanted to retire after 20 years but couldn’t control his bowls and had to leave at 17. A doctor since then gave him some fungicides to kill the bad bacteria that had taken over his bowls and the acidophilus bacteria seem to have helped a lot.
11- Our class has really helped him socially. He can legally attend since his divorce finalized and isn’t so isolated and alone.
12- skip. . . After 3 years of therapy, including hypnotherapy in the military they discovered that. He had always wanted to get married and then was able to.
13- There are more details but you get the picture. I was dying of curiosity about the strange braces he seemed to be wearing under his shirt. They are just ice packs. Boyd had a Latin woman marry and take advantage of him. It seems to me that just being a US citizen is a real drawing card.
Janice, I wrote this mostly for my own benefit. When people share deeply personal things that I have been curious about I like to sort of thank HF by documenting them. It also helps me to remember. I know you are a like minded soul. We both think about our class members. [6/26 Addendum: Greg has dared to contribute in our BoM class since our visit. :) This week there was just one empty chair between us and when Janice mentioned GBH I put two hands on his chest and back and celebrated with him, silly and exposive/expostulating, but fun.]
Sunday, 6/19/22,9:30am. Good morning Brandon, Thank you for your letter! It was so fun to have you try to answer the questions I had posed for Rosario and Steven Gibbs, one of my ministering families. Can you see how much better you are doing! You had a difficult time answering any questions. . . and now you even answer questions I wrote for the Gibbs family! I am so smiling! Thank you. Thank you. And, AND, you didn’t ask me to do a thing for you. It was just a friendly communication! :) @@ I feel like sharing some things and you don’t have to read the next part if you get bored. @ 10 days ago I met with Kent Perkins for my second time. He wanted to meet at ~3 on Friday so we would be able to contact people during working hours. I don’t know what issues he deals with in his life. I know he postponed going on his mission to Texas for Self Reliance because of prostate issues. And his bottom jaw has tremors when his mount is open. Nevertheless he is blessing my life. @ I am thinking that I may have been wrong about having termites. I gathered some of the dropping from the master bedroom shower yesterday and I collected an ant like insect from the bath like the ones I thought might be termites this spring in the bathtub. I looked them up on the internet last night and termites are fat and carpenter ants have three distinct body parts and are black and skinny. I think it is a carpenter ant colony. Is that any better? I think so. Termites multiply and go crazy but carpenter ants take years and years to colonize. There is a guy in Canada on youtube who teaches you how to keep carpenter ants as pets. :) They hibernate in the winter and come awake again in the spring. @ Kent seemed at a loss as to who to contact for my HVAC and plumbing issues. He was good about Farmers homeowners insurance. He also helped me get a handyman for repairing things at the Whipple’s house, Skip Boyce, and that was a huge assistance. @ The good news, Friday morning I realized that why didn’t I look up plumbers myself instead of waiting for him to do it. (Here I was a week later finally realizing that!) So I looked at a website called YELP and they advertised the 10 best plumbers in Saint George. The bad news: the most reviews any of them had was 9. So that really isn’t a dependable sampling. I wrote down about 8 companies and numbers and started calling to line up bids. Black Diamond sent out 2 people for me. Both plumber and HVAC. Kent kept trying Crystal Clear plumbing and they never answer their phone. Crystal Clear was recommended by Randy Hansen from A-Aire, who did my HVAC last year. When I was sitting with Kent in his office that Friday after visiting with Owen in Kansas City about starting my Farmers claim I took the bull by the horns and called A-Aire again and Randy Hansen answered! I have probably tried texts and vmails 6 times in the last year. I shared with Kent all the texts I had written. :) That helped me feel like I had been a responsible customer. @ Black Diamond is out of SLC but they have representatives here. He passed the message along and made an appointment for the next afternoon. I came home early from FSC and when they came together in the same car I was pleased. It was quite a learning experience for me. Kade the plumber bidder lives in Bloomington and recommends a bacteria treatment for drains/sewer lines leaving your house. HA! Jordan(female) was the HVAC bidder. She had a sales pitch and they both included 3 different bids. She taught me about 14 SEER and 16 SEER:Is 16 SEER worth the extra money?
While more expensive than their 14 SEER counterparts, 16 SEER systems offer a significant increase in energy efficiency. In fact, 16 SEER units are up to 13% more efficient, which saves you hundreds of dollars in energy costs over the years. A 16 SEER unit is about 13% more efficient than a 14 SEER. For every $100 you spend to cool your home with a 14 SEER, you could save $13 on your monthly bill by upgrading to the 16 SEER unit. But just like gas mileage, your ability to meet this maximum efficiency and savings depends on a lot of other factors.
Both of them gave me 3 bids depending on what I wanted to choose. I chose the least expensive: $11K each. Luckily I had called Outwest Air, David Amodt,my deacon back in 1984-5, and neighborhood friend. He told me 5 years ago that I needed to replace my whole system. Last year Randy told me the opposite. This year Randy tells me the same. If I was going to have to replace my whole system. . . I wanted David to do it because, 1- I trust him, 2- we’re friends, 3- I repainted his parents cabinets for Green Valley Cabinets 20+ years ago, 4- His wife teaches orchestra, 5- He is science minded, 6- They both contribute to the community, 7- I visit them regularly! @ So I left the ball in Randy’s court. He told me he would not forget me this time. Ha. I read to him all my texts while he was here and two of them were big deals. In June I needed air conditioning. No luck. In November I needed heat. No luck. I asked him if the squeaky wheel gets the grease and did I need to squeak louder and longer? He said he had phone calls this week he had not answered because he was too busy. I understand that. He is just one guy. But If Roger Eves and Brian DeMille recommend him shouldn’t I be able to count on him? Evidently not. I was even prepared in my mind that he might have a mental illness like me. @@ Anyway since he detected no freon in the system again and it cost me $700 for his visit last year. A month later the expensive freon was gone and when there is too much pressure or two little pressure the heat pump outside turns off. NO wonder the outside unit wouldn’t turn on. @ When I had Outwest Air come 5 years ago they had to bleed off some of the freon because it was overcharged. Alan McMullin had done that for me. That was when Alan told me: “I don’t do this work anymore.” in his old gruff voice. I took him at his word and stopped contacting him. @ They call the air handler the coil. I guess that is the working part inside. @ Well Brandon, this was good for me to get out of my mind and off my chest. You have served me well once again. Thank you. V 10:40am
Pres. Perkins, I am reporting on Steven Gibbs. Of course my report starts with a story: Did you see all those extra Father’s Day candy bars? Were all my ministering brothers there? What about Lloyd Simpson, my T&FH leader? I went hunting. . . I circled the whole hall. No luck. I saw Jeff Buckway with a stack of baskets. Sorry all empty. I saw Janesa Borgerson with the cloth handbag. By the time I reached her she was delivering it to Bishop T. I told him I had 3 brothers not at church and got 3 more after telling them who they were. First I biked to Lloyd’s so he got first choice. Then Whipple’s so Robyn got 2nd choice. And then Steven Gibbs and I ended up with the same flavor: Hersey’s almond. :)
Rosario answered the door when I knocked. She invited me in to visit but I said no thank you. As I rode home I realized that invite was what I had been waiting for! I called Roger E. He was making his Father’s day feast for his kids. No luck. But I changed my shirt and off I went. Rosario answered my knock again. She went downstairs to see if Steve would accept a visit. He would. It was one on one. Steve and Vern visiting.
0- May I ask you some questions?
S- Yes, but I may not answer.
1- When was your last doctor visit?
S- About 6 months ago when they took me off Oxygen after my covid hospital stay.
2- How many meds are you on?
S- 4. But I make substitutions so I don’t ruin my kidneys. The last kidney check was 70% functioning on one and 30% on the other.
I substitute garlic for my blood pressure med.
I substitute tumeric for my inflammation med.
Glen Clement is related to my grandfather Clement. We inherited kidney problems. I have passed over a hundred kidney stones in my life. I passed one, one night when I was in the hospital with covid. Acetaminophen is the preferred pain killer for passing kidney stones. But if you don’t take it soon enough you keep throwing it up because of the pain, so you have to keep taking it until enough stays in your system. (Clement family lives next door!)
3- How is your spiritual health?
S- Good.
4- Is prayer a burden or a pleasure?
S- Prayer is a pleasure, reading scriptures is a pleasure.
5- Where are you reading and studying in the scriptures?
S- Where ever I feel like each day. I concentrate on the NT and BoM.
6- Even though he processes Oxygen better he takes about 5 minutes to make it up the stairs. He runs out of energy and has to wait to recover.
7- Amy Woodbury came through and went swimming with her kids while I was there.
8- I shared about how OT names have been changed to match their characters: 1 Samuel 25. Nabal means fool.
-We both enjoyed the stake primary president’s talk today.
-I shared Q. Adams' story about being tearful and telling HF he did not want to be the next stake president, 4 months before the change.
Besides 7 girls he had 2 sons he raised without a wife. (named Bob and Jim.) When one was on his mission his mission president challenged them to read the standard works before going home if they had been in the field 18 months. This was in the days of allowing missionaries to call home more often. Steve suggested they do it together so they would be supporting each other. Steve finished the OT 2 years after his son got home. HA!
He was made a 70 (seventy) at the age of 22. He was shocked at the old guys he would be isolated with for the rest of his priesthood meetings. He came home from VietNam and they said, since you were not able to serve a mission. . . We are calling you to serve a stake mission. He served as a ward missionary for decades. 70’s were never released until the changes.
He did turn down one calling in his life. In our ward (I believe) they asked him to be a nursery worker and he had to decline. :)
He asked me to say the closing prayer. We did not kneel. :) I felt grateful for him and his life of diligence. I hurt for the long term pain he has suffered.
Monday, 6/20/22 2:31pm, Hello Brandon, You are my “Dear Kitty” just like Anne Frank. @ Walker Plumbing, Tracy Bain-estimator, came today. He is my 3rd bid. Walker bid $14k, Black Diamond bid $14, $13, $11k. Discount Plumber-Josh bid $9K. I have learned all kinds of things along the way. 1- I don’t have leaks everywhere! I just have 2 toilets not working. 2- I don’t have termite evidence. Just carpenter ants. 3- The mice did do some damage but not much. I finally killed them with poison. 4- Outwest Air-David Amodt is going to do my HVAC. 5- Cleaning everyday feels good. :) [I was locked in this worthless zone of thinking only indexing is productive.] 6- My water pipe comes right through the basement wall. That is wonderful access! Nothing like all these poor/limited homes built on a slab. I am feeling optimistic right now. @ I dared to ask my neighbor how he does his windows and borrowed his squeegee Saturday! We also exchanged squash that day. Wednesday, 6/22/22 Hello Brandon, My FSC director’s name is Rand Packer and his wife is Shirlee. He wrote and published a short book in 2007 called “A Lion and a Lamb” which I checked out of the WCL and finished reading last night. It was so uplifting and delightful. Perfect! I absolutely loved it. That is the type of book I would want to write. A DVD was made from it and another book was written by someone else. Willard Bean is the main courageous character and what a wild and adventurous and dedicated soul he was.
2007 2020 dvd2019
Much has been written about Palmyra, the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah in the early years of the Church. But what became of those historic sites after the Prophet Joseph Smith and his family left their small farm in upstate New York? The properties fell into the hands of non-Mormons who became increasingly more prejudiced and belligerent in their hatred towards the Church and its followers.The Saints were driven out of their New York home in 1831. It wasn't until June 10, 1907, that Apostle George Albert Smith was able to purchase the farm for the sum of $16,000. Seven years later, he deeded the property to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for $1.00.After gaining possession of the farm, the Church Authorities were faced with the task of finding a suitable family to occupy it. They needed a man, a fighting man, who could not only farm the land and care for the property but make friends and eventually converts in the hostile community. Those essential qualities were found in Willard Washington Bean.The trials and experiences of the following 24 years are noteworthy as well as interesting and inspiring. The experiences that shaped the lives of Willard and his wife Rebecca Peterson, prior to this call give insight into their growing testimonies and willingness to serve their Heavenly Father. These stories will inspire and uplift and entertain all whose who desire to learn more about the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ and the trials of the Saints.This book has recently been brought to the big screen with the full length feature film in T. C. Christensen's: "Willard Bean - The Fighting Preacher." wiki-In 1907, the LDS Church purchased the farmhouse and surrounding land in Palmyra, New York, that was originally owned by Joseph Smith Sr. In 1915, Bean was sent as a missionary to live at the farm, the first members of the church to live in Palmyra in eighty-four years. [84 years! Brandon!] He was instrumental in acquiring additional properties of historical significance to the church, including the Hill Cumorah. Through his and his family's work three branches of the church were subsequently established in the area. They were released from their mission in 1939, and returned to Salt Lake City, where Bean died on September 25, 1949
This book seems important to me so I am going to record some observations.
1- This is the perfect example of a family story. Rand Packer has great talent and documented with letters from Church headquarters and pictures, an intriguing history and almost a suspense story. The church was not wealthy then. Polygamy had only ended in 1890. Cars were just invented. Horses were still important.
2- Willard’s new wife Rebecca, was visited by the Savior to support her in providing meals and beds for all the missionaries and saints that came to visit.
3- They named their first daughter who was born there, Palmyra. She is RandP’s mother.
4- They were hated and ostracized at first but after 24 years they were loved and befriended and honored by the community. Somehow the blinded, bigotted minds were changed. And those who didn’t change like the head woman of the library council, died and allowed others to change policies. Up until then there was only a shelf of antiMormon literature in the library. No true mormon anything.
5- Willard could do flips both frontwards and backwards. He loved fitness and gymnastics and was a talented boxer. He taught all kinds of kids to box and work out.
6- He knew the scriptures from beginning to end. He quoted anything he needed.
7- I am 5’11” he was 5’9”. Rand isn’t tall either. Rand taught in the church educational system for 37 years and he and Shirley had 9 kids! He has a peace and gentle confidence about him. “You’re a good man,” he said to me once. :)
8- I would love to quote some of Willard’s episodes as spiritual thoughts in our prayer meetings.
9- Bonnie Sewel said she didn’t like the mixture of novel and church in the book. Perhaps because of hearing that I feel the opposite. As you know I have read biographies of Kimball, Benson, Hunter, Hinkley, Monson and good old Hugh Nibley. This book seems similar to me.
10- The Hill Cumorah had been stripped of trees and turned into grazing land. Willard planned and carried out the planting of thousands and thousands of saplings to reforest the hill after it finally became available to the church. [Once again, I learned that waiting, maybe even decades, with God’s help, can make properties available that were not initially available. People eventually die! And attitudes can change from friendliness and great examples.] Powerful figures can assist as they become friends.
12- Eventually Willard built a gas station to advertise the Hill Cumorah!
13- The Moroni monument had its own miracles associated with it. So Fun!
14- Even though no one believed that JS found gold plates where Moroni showed him, tons of people dug trenches up and down the hillside looking for gold! Ha. Willard warned people not to trip in the leftover trenches and holes.
15- The Palmyra banker wouldn’t come down in his price (until he died) but he did provide a bandstand in Palmyra on his bank block for Willard to preach from on Saturday nights!
16- A minister had his credentials confiscated after he invited Willard to preach in his church to his congregations one advertised Sunday night. He became a printer after joining the church.
17- Can you imagine a 5 year mission being extended to 24 years! Oh my crud!
@[ Fri.6/24/22 This afternoon Rand thanked me for my email. I sent it to Sherree, asking her to share it with him. I told him in the email that reading further was optional. I reminded him of that as he thanked me in front of Sherri Schwabb and George Clark at the front desk. He responded, But the subject matter was irresistible! We both laughed. (I am so glad he read it and responded.) ]A Lion and a Lamb/The Fighting Preacher\Inbox\Rand Packer <randpacker@gmail.com>\Jun 23, 2022, 6:38 AM (1 day ago)\to me\Elder Jensen, \ Thank you, Vern, for sharing your kind words about the book and the movie. It was a wonderful experience for us to write the book and then to experience the making of the movie with our children, grandchildren, and relatives who are many of the extras in the movie. It never crossed our mind that it would be made into a movie but we were so pleased with T.C. Christensen's script and production and filming.
Again, thank you for your extended feelings and experience with our efforts to share this little-known window of Church History and our heritage involved in it. \ It is now our blessing to serve with you in the St. George FamilySearch Center.and we look forward to the years ahead as we serve together.\Kindest regards,\Rand
Thurs. 6/23/22 Hello Brandon. Ralph Taegar, my friend at FSC, Recommended the talk the Nelson’s gave at a youth fireside last month. I looked it up and got this article from a newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune:
President Russell Nelson tells young LDS adults to beware of labels, have spiritual ‘FOMO’\Being a child of God is more important than any political, national or other identifier, says leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Russell M. Nelson speaks to young adults in the Conference Center on Sunday, May 15, 2022By Kaitlyn Bancroft | May 16, 2022, 5:00 a.m.| Updated: 9:03 a.m.
Young adults must be careful that labels — whether their nationality, their political allegiances or other designations — don’t replace their most important identifiers as children of God, President Russell M. Nelson, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told a global audience Sunday night.\“The adversary rejoices in labels because they divide us and restrict the way we think about ourselves and each other,” Nelson said. “How sad it is when we honor labels more than we honor each other. Labels can lead to judging and animosity. Any abuse or prejudice towards another because of nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, educational degrees, culture or other significant identifiers is offensive to our maker.”\The 97-year-old church leader’s remarks came during a worldwide devotional for Latter-day Saints ages 18 to 30 and livestreamed from the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.\“If you identify yourself by your political affiliation, you will instantly be categorized as having certain beliefs — though I don’t know anyone who believes everything that their preferred political party presently embraces,” Nelson said. “...Some might label me as an ‘old man.’ But I’m a lot younger than Adam was and Noah, too. Ageism, racism, nationalism, sexism and a host of other ‘isms’ are universally limiting.”\More than 24,000 young adults attended the meeting in person, packing the center as well as the Tabernacle and Assembly Hall on a Temple Square undergoing major renovations. A choir made up of young members from Utah Valley filled the loft usually occupied by The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.\Additionally, Temple Square buildings were open from 3 to 9 p.m so young adults could gather before and after the devotional.\Spiritual ‘FOMO’\Nelson pointed out that it’s not wrong for various identifiers to be significant to people. Rather, he said, they shouldn’t “displace, replace or take priority” over the most important designations of “child of God, child of the covenant and disciple of Jesus Christ.”\He spoke about three “absolute truths” that should form the foundation of a person’s spiritual education: All will die, all will be resurrected and become immortal, and Judgment Day looms for everyone.\“These truths ought to prompt your ultimate sense of FOMO — or fear of missing out,” he said. “You have the potential to reach the Celestial Kingdom [the faith’s highest heaven]. The ultimate FOMO would be missing out on the Celestial Kingdom, settling for a lesser kingdom because here on Earth you chose only to live the laws of a lesser kingdom.”\Nelson said God cares deeply that all of his children have the chance to hear the gospel; that’s why temple work is so significant. The gathering of Israel, he said, is the most important cause on Earth today.\He encouraged young adults to ask questions and “immerse [themselves] in the rich reservoir of revelation.” Doing so, he added, will always lead to greater faith and more knowledge, even if some questions are not yet answered.\Nelson also said people who leave the church don’t deserve judgment any more than people who stay in the fold deserve criticism.\“If friends and family should step away from the church, continue to love them,” he counseled. “... Let your skeptical friends see how much you love the Lord and his gospel. Surprise their doubting hearts with your believing heart.”\‘What would a holy young adult do?’\Nelson’s sermon was preceded by his wife, Wendy Watson Nelson, who asked participants to consider one question in every facet of their lives: “What would a holy young adult do?”\This question, she explained, can increase confidence, productivity, gratitude and clarity of thinking; decrease anxiety and stress; provide motivation; lift moods; and help people resist temptation, detect deception and make better decisions.\It doesn’t matter how busy or monotonous someone’s life is, Wendy Nelson said, or how a person is feeling; this question will still work.\“In short, because this question puts you in touch with the Spirit of the Lord, and with the divine DNA in your spirit,” she said, “this one question can bring you more light and truth.”\For instance, she asked how holy young adults might start their day, talk to their friends and family or prioritize their to-do list. What would they read, write, watch, listen to and wear? If they were falsely accused, betrayed or misunderstood, how would they react?\Wendy Nelson said that among 30 young adults who applied this question to their lives, successes were reported such as increased gratitude for small things, better choices in music and other media, enhanced prayer and scripture study, and decreased jealousy of others.\She also said that, due to “the buffetings of Satan,” many young people have had sacred experiences removed from their lives altogether.\“Whether this has happened to you or not, I invite you to reclaim or to increase the sacred in your life by doing exactly what the Lord has commanded, which is to ‘practice holiness continually,’” she said. “As you live your life in crescendo, trying to be just a little more holy day by day and quickly repenting when you mess up, you will find joy in this life and eternal life in the world to come.”\Friday, 6/24/22 Good noontide Brandon, I watched all of Wendy Nelson’s talk and half of RMNelson’s address as summarized above. It is on Youtube. It is not in print yet so you have the above summary. Have you ever heard of FOMO before? Can you believe our 97 year young prophet coining his own acronyms? So Awesome/in touch/ Cool /Fun! I love it. @ So I’m not sure if God was guiding me or not but I left my phone on vibrate instead of ring while waiting for Discount Plumbing to call to confirm his arrival at my house Tuesday. I was disappointed to have stayed home and not have him arrive. But that gave me an extra day to try to decide if I had really made a good choice/decision. Thursday, EQP. KentP was here at FSC and I asked if I could do business with him for 5 minutes. I carefully recited my proposal and thinking a couple of times and he agreed with me! Tyhf. I had to thank him for being my father-guide in this situation. I did not want to be stupid! @ Robyn W told me that she had not heard back from her handyman that Kent and I rounded up for her: Skip Boyce. I called her on Tuesday eve. I tried his cell number as listed in lds tools and no luck. :( I enlisted Kent’s help again and he sent me his current number. I called him and he explained that nothing on her list was urgent/emergency and he has had other emergencies to take care of. Made total sense to me. I texted Robyn and Kent with the update and now we all know what is happening. @ As I drove home from FSC after my 5 minute visit with Kent, I wondered who I could trust to do my plumbing. I thought of 3 people eventually: Brian Cooper-my nephew, Roberto Linares-my fellow librarian from 12 years ago, and Skip Boyce this new handyman. I hesitate to bring a tattooed plumber into my house. Yep, it looks like I am biased. @@ My daughter Karen’87 has been having plumbers give them bids on replacing their polybutelene-gray pipe as well. I visited with her Wednesday eve. I was entertained to hear that Larry has all these ideas and after he gets people there to do a bid they leave and never report back again! Karen says his big plans scare them off! I think that is so funny! V
Sunday, 6/26, 9:25am. Good Morning Brandon, I walk Summit Ridge drive every night as the sun goes down. I felt too lazy last night so I did it this morning. It was fresh and cool. 82F. @ I am not a movie buff. I watched Top Gun a few nights this week and finished it for my first time. 1986. I remember Tom Cruise being a heartthrob for the women for years. This week I have gotten to see him a bunch. @ As I indexed yesterday I realized that Top Gun had thrills, romance and sentiment in it. Goose got killed when they had to eject into the ocean and the movie did a good job of showing grieving. @ And Tom Cruise has waited until now to make a Top Gun II! He wanted it to be even better and have more advanced technology for filming. 36 years later! @ @ I have listened to RMN’s talk about 10 times, sometimes while going back to sleep. I find by listening over and over again I get into the rhythm of it and all the surprising statements become anticipated and expected. If you and I believe the prophet and apostles there are a load of promises that they are identifying for us. Have you noticed all the promises they have been making these recent years? I absolutely love cashing in on their promises. It feels like when I cash in on a digital download food coupon! :) I’m not cheating or begging, I am just taking advantage of an offer. . . @ So what are some of my observations about Wendy and RMN’s talks? 1- I was surprised to learn that Wendy Watson Nelson is from Canada and taught at Calgary University and specialized in family counseling. She was teaching at BYU when RMN proposed. 2- She spent tons of time holding the audience in suspense. The question she was building up to and making promises about was: How would a holy teen act/respond? She encouraged them to try it for 3 days. Now that is something one could act on! All of the Seminary graduates from within 1.5 hours were invited to the May 15 Aaronic Priesthood Commemoration Devotional. So many came that they could not all fit. 3- RMN presented 3 sets of 3 in his talk. Three things that are never considered in secular education but are transcendental. Three labels we should all own before any worldly labels. Three three fundamental truths that will help you prepare your future course.
I have been trying to remember them. Three sets of three make 9! That’s harder than remembering Wendy’s single question. “Education is very important. I consider it a religious responsibility. The glory of God is intelligence./There is a major difference, however, between the responsibilities of secular educators and my responsibility as the senior Apostle on earth. Their job is to educate and prepare you for your mortal experience—meaning, how to succeed in your life’s work. My responsibility is to educate and prepare you also for your immortal experience—meaning, how to gain eternal life.\Teachings of the finest institutions of higher learning have limitations, because secular education generally ignores three major truths that are rarely addressed:
First, each of us is going to die.3
Second, because of Jesus Christ, each of us is going to be resurrected and become immortal.4
And third, Judgment Day is ahead for each of us.5
These three absolute truths should form the foundation of your spiritual education.
Brandon, knowing that you are holding firm to your belief in Jesus Christ and your membership in the church, gives us another common tie. So sharing apostle talks and insights is a good communication channel. I now have their whole addresses but I imagine that they will come out in the Liahona soon. @@ Looks like I was wrong. RMN did not coin the acronym.
I decided to share my experience with my FSC director with my Terrific Ten + thread and then I decided to send it to your mom. >Chatting with KarenJane\T C Christensen wrote and filmed a movie about a book my FSC director wrote.\The\Fighting\Preacher\I haven't seen the movie but the author, Rand Packer, says he did a great job.\I read the book: A Lion and a Lamb this week in just 2 sittings.\When you read someone's book 📓 you learn about how they think.\I would like to write that kind of book. He did a great job.\Did you know there was not a mormon living in Palmyra for 84 years?\In 1907 the church purchased the JS 🏡 home and sent Willard Bean on his 3rd mission to live there for 5 years with his new second wife, Rebecca. That 5 year calling became 24 years! They even bought burial plots. They figured it was permanent.\Their first daughter they actually named: Palmyra!\There were some kids from his previous marriage.\You can imagine the opposition they faced. At first they had to travel to a distant town because no one would sell them food nor necessities.\Anyway, I wrote down 14 things that impressed me about the book. Of course it was in my letter 💌 to Brandon.\I also dared to send a copy to Rand n Shirlee and have been a bit nervous about it.\It was well received.\Palmyra was-is Rand's mother.\So there is something adventurous about my week.\💘 you,\V\Chatting with Karen\>👌the movie was good. Katrina even saved the movie poster.. 😆
