3 blind mice

Dear Carters and Bruce, My year old neighbors came to church for the first time 10 days ago and second time this week. Last month I asked you to be my illustrators but no luck. No one has contributed for my booklet “Things that fly”. I thought it was the most wonderful idea and I was so proud of it. But I have discovered one huge problem. 4 year olds can’t draw. In fact they really can’t color either.  May be I will just keep giving it to my grand kids each year until they are 10 or 12 and can return it to me complete. . . .

I wrote my little old ladies a letter during church Sunday. I didn’t want to delay for fear I would not want to later. I am not sure if I was led by the spirit but what I ended up writing was not what I had planned. But it felt good.  I stuck in some black line pictures I have taken from the internet of things that fly and just stuck them in spots so it would not be so boring to read.  Happy end of April!  Vern and Eric Yunker.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday, April 24, 2015

dear LaRue, Barbara, and Judy,

25 years is a long time. Good luck making the adjustment to giving Sundays to God in his honor and worship. "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath." God did not make us to worship him we have our agency

He doesn't need worshipers he is whole and complete, perfect. But WE need to worship him. We have the need inside of us to love him and honor him. It fulfills us. It gives us hope. It gives us confidence and security. It motivates us. Everything is in his charge. He knows this life is ugly, hard, and difficult. He knows this life is beautiful, rewarding, and joyful. By opposites we learn and realize. Second Nephi chapter 2.  Without opposites it would be boring and the same. The extremes help us to grow and understand.

We are each unique he designed our lives for our good and growth and a test to see if we would seek him and good things even when we could no longer remember him nor be in his presence. I don't know you sisters very well. But I hear Judy laugh and to be happy is marvelous for her. And watching you other two trek to the mailbox is a treat.

We had a spiritual death when we were physically born. Does this life seem like a test to you?

The world thinks there is no Holy Ghost. But we believe he can be everywhere at once, communicate God's love to us and peace, and direction. Have you ever felt the Holy Ghost?

God is love if you ever feel hate and darkness you know it is not from him.

When others mock you or cheat you or are mean to you, it is not from him. When others bless you and befriend you and complement you and are kind and considerate of you, those are the actions and feelings he wants you to receive. He never does anything but love us and want the best for us." Come unto me all ye ends of the earth. Buy milk and honey without money and without price.”

When we're kind to others we are being his ministering angels. That is sort of a secret that you gals are old enough not to give it away. When we're kind and patient we are letting his influence flow through us. So we become his helpers. His ministering angels. And if we keep practicing we become closer and closer to him and we start to feel the Holy Ghost and he can influence us and we can feel his direction.

We can be washed clean of all our sins each week when we take the sacrament sincerely. We repent and can get a fresh start. He wants us to be like him and Jesus was the perfect example and showed us how to be and become. I love you sisters. I am so so excited and pleased to see you dipping your toes in the water of life again. He is the bread of life! The Church of Jesus Christ.

It is a day he gave us and the home/church to help. Church is for us not for God

Respectfully, Vern Jensen hug hug hug

5/2/15PS. I posted all the cute pictures with this but it keeps jamming up/overloading the website and I can't move or even finish reading the article. So I just removed the picture/illustrated edition. It is counting my visits so now it will say 9 but 4 of those visits were mine. Serves me right for being so proud of my work!vj

d todd christofferson april'15 bps 27

Why Marriage, Why Family

By Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2015 General Conference

"This is, to use the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the “office” of marriage, the “post of responsibility towards … mankind,” that this divine institution “from above, from God” occupies. It is the “link in the chain of the generations” both here and hereafter—the order of heaven."

4/20/15, Monday,2:39pm @ Hello 

Brandon, Welcome to a new week. @ I haven't been able to get up and get going today. I kept falling asleep in my recliner listening to the Saturday pm session of conference. I have probably listened 10 times. It is the 2^nd session I have absorbed. The first one was the General Priesthood session. You are wonderful and are loved by the way! @ The talk that seems the most potentially offensive to me and you is Christofferson's. Did you feel like it didn't apply to you or that oh, not this again? I did. But I journaled about my marriage/ single feelings last week and I feel much more at peace. I even asked myself, “Is this something I need to make an appointment with my psychotherapist, Mark Clayton about? @“The first principles of man are self-existent with God. God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits [or intelligences] and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. … He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with himself” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 210). THIS IS MIND BOGGLING. WHO COULD IMAGINE SUCH A THING? BUT TO JS IT WAS COMMON PLACE, JUST MADE SENSE, HE JUST KNEW IT, IT HAD BEEN REVEALED TO HIM. WOAH, WAS HE EVER GIFTED!! MORE THAN ANY PROPHET SINCE AND PERHAPS MORE THAN ANY PROPHET PREVIOUS. HAVE YOU NOTICED WE DON'T ADD TO THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS NOR PEARL OF GREAT PRICE VERY OFTEN. WHAT HAPPENED? ANS: JOSEPH DIED. : ( @9. The Prophet Joseph Smith offered this summary statement: “The design of God before the foundation of the world was that we should take tabernacles [bodies], that through faithfulness we should overcome and thereby obtain a resurrection from the dead, in this wise obtaining glory, honor, power, and dominion.” WOW. FOR REAL? DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?The Prophet also stated: “We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the celestial kingdom. The great principle of happiness consists in having a body. The devil has no body, and herein is his punishment. He is pleased when he can obtain the tabernacle of man, and when cast out by the Savior he asked to go into the herd of swine, showing that he would prefer a swine’s body to having none. All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not” (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 211). WHO DID THAT COME FROM BRANDON? JOSEPH SMITH HIMSELF. SO WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS COULD WE ASK AND ANSWER USING THAT PARAGRAPH? 1) CAN THE DEVIL BE HAPPY? WHY OR WHY NOT? 2) WHAT DOES OUR BODY DO OR HAVE THAT IS TIED TO HAPPINESS? A. WE HAVE OUR 5 SENSES, B. WE CAN LOVE EACH OTHER AND MAKE BINDING LOYALTY COMMITMENTS, C. WE HAVE ANCESTORS AND CAN HAVE DESCENDANTS THAT WE CAN LOVE AND BELONG TO, D. WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO RAISE OTHERS UP LIKE UNTO OURSELVES, LIKE HF IS, AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, E, WE GET TO SEE WHAT WE ARE REALLY MADE OF AFTER HAVING OUR MEMORY ERASED AND BEEN BORN INTO A WORLD SPIRITUALLY DEAD, F. WE GET TO EXPERIMENT AND START FROM SCRATCH AND SEE WHAT INFLUENCE WE CAN HAVE AND WHAT WE CAN LEARN TO DO AND BE. 3) HOW AM I GOING TO PRESENT MY BODY PURE BEFORE GOD IN THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM? YOU MEAN I AM GOING TO HAVE TO OVERCOME MY ADDICTIONS? AND SELFISHNESS? 4) WHY IS CAIN A KING OVER SATAN? 5) HOW MANY OTHERS WILL BE IN SATAN'S KINGDOM OF MISERY FOR EVER? : ( @13. See 2 Nephi 2:15–18; Alma 12:24; Doctrine and Covenants 29:39; Moses 4:3. Joseph Smith said: “All persons are entitled to their agency, for God has so ordained it. He has constituted mankind moral agents, and given them power to choose good or evil; SOME PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE MUCH AGENCY. LIKE YOU, BRANDON, BUT HOW WELL ARE YOU USING THE AGENCY YOU DO HAVE? WHAT ARE YOU SEEKING AFTER? HOW DO YOU PACIFY YOURSELF? HOW ARE YOU SERVING OTHERS? YOU COULD ALWAYS WRITE US AND DRAW FOR US AND MEMORIZE FOR YOURSELF. to seek after that which is good, by pursuing the pathway of holiness in this life, which brings peace of mind, and joy in the Holy Ghost here, and a fulness of joy and happiness at His right hand hereafter; or to pursue an evil course, going on in sin and rebellion against God, thereby bringing condemnation to their souls in this world, and an eternal loss in the world to come.” The Prophet also noted: “Satan cannot seduce us by his enticements unless we in our hearts consent and yield. Our organization is such that we can resist the devil; if we were not organized so, we would not be free agents” WE WILL RECEIVE AS WE “WILL” AS WE WISH. THOSE THINGS WE HAVE SOUGHT! (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 213). Even those who do not repent are redeemed from spiritual death by the Atonement in the sense that they come again into the presence of God for the Final Judgment RELIEF, THAT MAKES MORE SENSE TO ME. (see Helaman 14:17; 3 Nephi 27:14–15). @19. People may be loyal to one another in nonmarital relationships, and children can be born and raised, sometimes quite successfully, in other than a married two-parent family environment. NOTICE BRANDON HOW HE PUTS THE OPPOSITION TO REST! HE STATES IT. AND THEN . . .But on average and in the majority of cases, evidence of the social benefits of marriage and of the comparatively superior outcomes for children in families headed by a married man and woman is extensive. On the other hand, the social and economic costs of what one commentator calls “the global flight from the family,” weigh increasingly on society. Nicholas Eberstadt catalogs the worldwide declines in marriage and childbearing and the trends regarding fatherless homes and divorce and observes: “The deleterious impact on the hardly inconsequential numbers of children disadvantaged by the flight from the family is already plain enough. So too the damaging role of divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing in exacerbating income disparities and wealth gaps—for society as a whole, but especially for children. Yes, children are resilient and all that. But the flight from family most assuredly comes at the expense of the vulnerable young. That same flight also has unforgiving implications for the vulnerable old.” @ THE PREVIOUS QUOTES CAME FROM HIS FOOTNOTES. DID YOU NOTICE WHO HE MOSTLY DEPENDED ON? THIS NEXT PART IS FROM HIS TALK. @This is, to use the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the “office” of marriage, the “post of responsibility towards … mankind,” that this divine institution “from above, from God” occupies. It is the “link in the chain of the generations” both here and hereafter—the order of heaven. THE OFFICE OF MARRIAGE, THE CALLING OF MARRIAGE, WHAT AN INTERESTING NEW IDEA. @A family built on the marriage of a man and woman supplies the best setting for God’s plan to thrive—the setting for the birth of children, who come in purity and innocence from God, and the environment for the learning and preparation they will need for a successful mortal life and eternal life in the world to come. I LOVE THINKING THAT THIS WORLD WILL PASS AWAY BUT OUR FAMILIES WILL NOT. THEY ARE ETERNAL, UNLESS OF COURSE MEMBERS CHOOSE THE LONELY PATH. PURITY AND INNOCENCE FROM GOOD IS THE PURE TRUTH! I HAVE GRANDKIDS, MY MEMORY WITHOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY IS RENEWED! A critical mass of families built on such marriages is vital for societies to survive and flourish. REMINDS ME OF LOT SEARCHING FOR 10 RIGHTEOUS. NO LUCK! That is why communities and nations generally have encouraged and protected marriage and the family as privileged institutions. It has never been just about the love and happiness of adults. @The social science case for marriage and for families headed by a married man and woman is compelling.19 And so “we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.”20 NOW WE KNOW WHAT WILL BRING THE CALAMITIES! But our claims for the role of marriage and family rest not on social science but on the truth that they are God’s creation. It is He who in the beginning created Adam and Eve in His image, male and female, and joined them as husband and wife to become “one flesh” and to multiply and replenish the earth.21 DON'T YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT THIS? HOW CAN ONE GO TO SCHOOL WHERE THAT IS NEVER TAUGHT, BUT MAN'S PHILOSOPHIES ARE TAUGHT INSTEAD AND EXPECT SOCIETY TO BELIEVE GOD? IT MAKES US WONDER DOESN'T IT! THAT IS WHY WE NEED TO TEACH AND SPIRITUALLY FEED OURSELVES. THE PLAN OF GOD WILL NOT BE COMING FROM THE WORLD. FROM THE WORLD WE GET THE TEACHINGS OF MAN AND THE DEVIL. HOW COULD THERE REALLY HAVE BEEN A FLOOD? HOW COULD MOSES LEAD THE ISRAELITES ACROSS THE RED SEA ON DRY GROUND AND THEN HAVE THE EGYPTIANS DROWNED. ARE THERE REALLY SUCH THINGS AS MIRACLES? HOW CAN I STRENGTHEN MY FAITH?Each individual carries the divine image, but it is in the matrimonial union of male and female as one that we attain perhaps the most complete meaning of our having been made in the image of God—male and female. TOGETHER THEY MAKE ONE WHOLE. AND UNITY IS REQUIRED AND GOD'S PLAN PROVIDES THE PERFECT END TO ANY COMPROMISES WE FORM. Neither we nor any other mortal can alter this divine order of matrimony. It is not a human invention. YES! Such marriage is indeed “from above, from God” and is as much a part of the plan of happiness as the Fall and the Atonement. OK, BRANDON, ARE YOU FEELING DISCOURAGED YET? DON'T WORRY, ALLOWANCES WILL BE COMING UP. @In the premortal world, Lucifer rebelled against God and His plan, and his opposition only grows in intensity. THE WORD PLAN NEVER APPEARS IN THE OLD OR NEW TESTAMENT! DO YOU THINK SOME PLAIN AND PRECIOUS THINGS MAY HAVE BEEN REMOVED? He fights to discourage marriage and the formation of families, and where marriages and families are formed, he does what he can to disrupt them. MY OLDEST DAUGHTER SAYS OUR HOME WAS SURELY NOT A HEAVEN ON EARTH! He attacks everything that is sacred about human sexuality, tearing it from the context of marriage with a seemingly infinite array of immoral thoughts and acts. WHAT? NO WAY. THIS IS SOMETHING SACRED AND PERSONAL. HE WOULDN'T USE THIS PRECIOUS DRIVE WOULD HE? He seeks to convince men and women that marriage and family priorities can be ignored or abandoned, or at least made subservient to careers, other achievements, and the quest for self-fulfillment and individual autonomy. I HEARD DANAH BOYD ON NPR LAST WEEK AND GOT UP AND STUDIED HER FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE EARLY MORNING. I WAS CAPTURED BY HER VOICE AND VOCABULARY AND SPEED OF TALKING AND THINKING. BUT I WAS SO SADDENED TO SEE SHE HAD HER SECOND SON IN JAN'15 WITHOUT A HUSBAND. Certainly the adversary is pleased when parents neglect to teach and train their children to have faith in Christ and be spiritually born again. HOW CAN THEY WHEN THEY HAVE A FAULTY INTRUMENT? HOW DID PEOPLE EVER BELIEVE THE BIBLE? HOW DID THEY SACRIFICE FOR IT? YES IT TEACHES GOOD THINGS TO DO AND BE BUT IT NEVER TELLS WHY! THERE IS NO PLAN! HEAVEN AND HELL, THAT'S A LITTLE EMPTY ISN'T IT? GLORY BE WE HAVE THE OTHER SCRIPTURES! BTW, DID YOU NOTICE THAT IT ONLY TOOK 84 YEARS AFTER CHRIST'S VISIT TO AMERICA BEFORE REBELLIOUS GROUPS BRANCHED OFF. AND DID YOU NOTICE THAT THEY STARTED UP A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CHURCHES? WHY? THEY ALREADY HAD THE TRUE CHURCH? Brothers and sisters, many things are good, many are important, but only a few are essential. @To declare the fundamental truths relative to marriage and family is not to overlook or diminish the sacrifices and successes of those for whom the ideal is not a present reality. THIS IS YOU AND ME. Some of you are denied the blessing of marriage for reasons including a lack of viable prospects, same-sex attraction, physical or mental impairments, or simply a fear of failure that, for the moment at least, overshadows faith. Or you may have married, but that marriage ended, and you are left to manage alone what two together can barely sustain. Some of you who are married cannot bear children despite overwhelming desires and pleading prayers. @Even so, everyone has gifts; everyone has talents; everyone can contribute to the unfolding of the divine plan in each generation. Much that is good, much that is essential—even sometimes all that is necessary for now—can be achieved in less than ideal circumstances. So many of you are doing your very best. And when you who bear the heaviest burdens of mortality stand up in defense of God’s plan to exalt His children, we are all ready to march. INTERESTING With confidence we testify that the Atonement of Jesus Christ has anticipated and, in the end, will compensate all deprivation and loss for those who turn to Him. No one is predestined to receive less than all that the Father has for His children. BRANDON, SOME OF THE DEATH RECORDS I INDEX IN ITALIAN HAVE UP TO HALF DIE AS CHILDREN. THERE IS GOING TO BE ONE HECK OF A MARRIAGE RECEPTION/PARTY ON THE OTHER SIDE WHEN THEY ALL GET CONNECTED/MARRIED! WE FEEL SO ALONE UNMARRIED/SINGLE ON THIS EARTH BUT HF HAS A PLAN. AND IT MAY BE LONG AND PAINFUL IN THIS LIFE BUT WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS, AND WE ARE SPECIAL TO BE CHOSEN FOR THIS GENERATION, AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT THE PROPHETS SAY. SO WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO MARRY US ON THE OTHER SIDE? @One young mother recently confided to me her anxiety about being inadequate in this highest of callings. I felt that the issues that concerned her were small and she needn’t worry; she was doing fine. But I knew she only wanted to please God and to honor His trust. I offered words of reassurance, and in my heart I pleaded that God, her Heavenly Father, would buoy her up with His love and the witness of His approval as she is about His work. IN MY HEART I PLEADED THAT GOD. . . SEE HOW HONEST HE IS! HE DID NOT SAY THAT AFTER SHE LEFT HE KNELT DOWN TO PRAY FOR HER. HE DID IT RIGHT THEN WHILE HE VISITED WITH HER! WE CAN DO THAT. WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT. WE CAN PLEAD IN OUR HEART RIGHT WHILE IT IS HAPPENING! @That is my prayer for all of us today. May we each find approval in His sight. May marriages flourish and families prosper, and whether our lot is a fulness of these blessings in mortality or not, may the Lord’s grace bring happiness now and faith in sure promises to come. YOU AND I NEED TO HAVE FAITH IN THE SURE PROMISES TO COME! @ ~ ~ ~ 4:15PM GBY-BLTPJS, vj @brandon l tom perry joseph smith 

Hello Michael

This font is comic Sans, the rest is in open Sans.  I had never heard of open Sans until I downloaded this first talk.  I just finished listening to it and then reading and marking/ highlighting it. The more I study the book of mormon the more I love it. I mainly study the  conference talks but I am attending a class on Thursday nights, and Jessica made a goal of reading it with her family last year. So I decided to make the same goal last year.  But even though I asked I never heard the ending of her goal.  She is so busy with those 4 wonderful cute little munchkins.  And are they ever munchkins!   You would not believe how active they are! @Uncle Steve and Dave were the most wonderful, Playful, sack of potatoes, water fighting uncles with my first batch of kids that you would not have believed it.  My kids so love those two uncles! Louis born in ’80 and you in ’92 puts quite a spread on our kids so you got lots more of my personal attention than they ever did. And they got lots more of their uncles personal attention than you ever did! @I went to put all my highlighted scriptures away, one by one and I saw all those ones from BKP, Do Not Fear from April’04. Why not stick the two together April ’01 and April ’05?  AS you can probably tell I love these truths and teachings from BKP. Here they are: @The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ—Plain and Precious Things @Boyd K. Packer @Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles @Joseph Smith said, “I told the brethren that the Book ofMormon was the most correct of any book on earth,and the keystone of our religion, and a man would getnearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by anyother book” (Book of Mormon introduction; see alsoHistory of the Church, 4:461). @The first edition of the Book of Mormon: AnotherTestament of Jesus Christ came off the press inPalmyra, New York, in March of 1830. Joseph Smith—anuneducated country boy—had just passed his 24thbirthday. The year before, he had spent a total of about65 days translating the plates. Almost half of it was afterhe had received the priesthood. The printing had takenseven months. @When I first read the Book of Mormon from cover tocover, I read the promise that if I “would ask God, theEternal Father, in the name of Christ, if [the things I hadread were] true; and if [I would] ask with a sincere heart,with real intent, having faith in Christ, he [would]manifest the truth of it unto [me], by the power of theHoly Ghost” (Moro. 10:4). I tried to follow thoseinstructions, as I understood them. @If I expected a glorious manifestation to come at onceas an overpowering experience, it did not happen.Nevertheless, it felt good, and I began to believe. @The next verse has an even greater promise: “By thepower of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of allthings” (Moro. 10:5; emphasis added). I did not knowhow the Holy Ghost worked, even though the Book ofMormon explains it a number of times in a number ofways. @I studied and learned that “angels speak by the powerof the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words ofChrist.” It said, as well, that one is to “feast upon thewords of Christ; [with the promise that] the words ofChrist will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Ne.32:3). @And it says plainly that “if ye cannot understand … it willbe because ye ask not, neither do ye knock” (2 Ne. 32:4). @I also read, “If ye will enter in by the way, and receive theHoly Ghost, it will show unto you all things what yeshould do” (2 Ne. 32:5). I had already done that when Iwas confirmed a member of the Church by the “layingon of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost” (A of F 1:4). @If I had expected in my little-boy innocence some specialspiritual experience, it had not happened. Over theyears as I listened to sermons and lessons and read inthe Book of Mormon, I began to understand. @Nephi had been very badly treated by his brothers and reminded them that an angel had spoken unto them,“but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel hiswords” (1 Ne. 17:45).






When I understood that the HolyGhost could communicate through our feelings, Iunderstood why the words of Christ, whether from theNew Testament or the Book of Mormon or the otherscriptures, carried such a good feeling. In time, I foundthat the scriptures had answers to things I needed toknow. @I read, “Now these are the words, and ye may liken themunto you and unto all men” Itook that to mean that the scriptures are likened to me personally, and that is true of everyone else.
When a verse I had passed over several times took onpersonal meaning, I thought whoever wrote that versehad a deep and mature understanding of my life andhow I felt. @For example, I read that the prophet Lehi partook of thefruit of the tree of life and said, “Wherefore, I began tobe desirous that my family should partake of it also; forI knew that it was desirable above all other fruit” (1 Ne.8:12). I had read that more than once. It did not meanmuch to me. @The prophet Nephi also said that he had written “thethings of my soul … for the learning and the profit of mychildren” (2 Ne. 4:15). I had read that before, and it didnot mean all that much to me, either. But later when wehad children, I understood that both Lehi and Nephi feltjust as deeply about their children as we feel about ourchildren and grandchildren. @I found these scriptures to be plain and precious. Iwondered how young Joseph Smith could have suchinsights. The fact is I do not believe he had suchpenetrating insights. He did not have to have them. Hejust translated what was written on the plates. @Such plain and precious insights are everywhere in theBook of Mormon. They reflect a depth of wisdom andexperience that is certainly not characteristic of a 23-year-old. @I learned that anyone, anywhere, could read in the Bookof Mormon and receive inspiration. @Some insights came after reading a second, even a thirdtime and seemed to be “likened” to what I faced ineveryday life. @I mention another plain and precious insight that didnot come with the first reading in the Book of Mormon.When I was 18 years old, I was inducted into themilitary. While I had no reason to wonder about itbefore, I became very concerned if it was right for me togo to war. In time, I found my answer in the Book ofMormon: @“They [the Nephites] were not fighting for monarchy norpower but they were fighting for their homes and theirliberties, their wives and their children, and their all,yea, for their rites of worship and their church. @“And they were doing that which they felt was the dutywhich they owed to their God; for the Lord had saidunto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuchas ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither thesecond, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by thehands of your enemies. @“And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend yourfamilies even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this causewere the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, todefend themselves, and their families, and their lands,their country, and their rights, and their religion” (Alma43:45–47). @Knowing this, I could serve willingly and with honor. @Another example: We once had a major decision tomake. When our prayers left us uncertain, I went to seeElder Harold B. Lee. He counseled us to proceed.Sensing that I was still very unsettled, he said, “Theproblem with you is you want to see the end from thebeginning.” Then he quoted this verse from the Book ofMormon, “Dispute not because ye see not, for yereceive no witness until after the trial of your faith”(Ether 12:6). @He added, “You must learn to walk a few steps aheadinto the darkness, and then the light will turn on and gobefore you.” That was a life-changing experience fromone verse in the Book of Mormon. @Haven’t you felt at times like Nephi, who said, “I was ledby the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which Ishould do”? (1 Ne. 4:6). Haven’t you at times felt veryweak? @Moroni felt weak and afraid that they “shall mock at ourwords [because of our weakness]. @“… The Lord spake unto [him], saying: Fools mock, butthey shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for themeek, that they shall take no advantage of yourweakness; @“And if men come unto me I will show unto them theirweakness. I give unto men weakness that they may behumble; and my grace is sufficient for all men thathumble themselves before me; for if they humblethemselves before me, and have faith in me, then will Imake weak things become strong unto them” (Ether12:25–27; emphasis added). @Life moves all too fast. When you feel weak,discouraged, depressed, or afraid, open the Book ofMormon and read. Do not let too much time passbefore reading a verse, a thought, or a chapter. @My experience has been that a testimony does notburst upon us suddenly. Rather it grows, as Alma said,from a seed of faith. “It will strengthen your faith: for yewill say I know that this is a good seed; for behold itsprouteth and beginneth to grow” (Alma 32:30). If younourish it, it will grow; and if you do not nourish it, it willwither (see Alma 32:37–41). @Do not be disappointed if you have read and rereadand yet have not received a powerful witness. You maybe somewhat like the disciples spoken of in the Book ofMormon who were filled with the power of God in greatglory “and they knew it not” (3 Ne. 9:20). @Do the best you can. Think of this verse: “See that allthese things are done in wisdom and order; for it is notrequisite that a man should run faster than he hasstrength. And again, it is expedient that he should bediligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore,all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27). @The spiritual gifts described in the Book of Mormon arepresent in the Church today—promptings, impressions,revelations, dreams, visions, visitations, miracles. Youcan be sure that the Lord can, and at times does,manifest Himself with power and great glory. Miraclescan occur. @Mormon said: “Has the day of miracles ceased? @“Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children ofmen? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghostfrom them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or theearth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon theface thereof to be saved? @“Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith thatmiracles are wrought” (Moro. 7:35–37). @Pray always—alone and with your family. Answers willcome in many ways. @A few words or a phrase in a verse, such as “wickednessnever was happiness” (Alma 41:10), will tell you of thereality of the evil one and how he works. @“For after this manner doth the devil work, for hepersuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither dohis angels; neither do they who subject themselvesunto him” (Moro. 7:17). @Generations of the prophets taught the doctrines of theeverlasting gospel to protect “the peaceable followersof Christ” (Moro. 7:3). @Mormon saw our day. He issued this warning: “Exceptthe Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions,yea, except he doth visit them with death and withterror, and with famine and with all manner ofpestilence, they will not remember him” (Hel. 12:3). @When the Lord visited the Nephites, they asked what“[they should] call this church; for there [were]disputations among the people concerning this matter. @“… The Lord said unto them: … why is it that the peopleshould murmur and dispute because of this thing? @“Have they not read the scriptures, which say ye musttake upon you the name of Christ, which is my name?For by this name shall ye be called at the last day” (3 Ne.27:3–5). @The central purpose of the Book of Mormon is itstestament of Jesus Christ. Of more than 6,000 verses inthe Book of Mormon, far more than half refer directly toHim. @So, “we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach ofChrist, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according toour prophecies, that our children may know to whatsource they may look for a remission of their sins” (2Ne. 25:26). @The Book of Mormon is an endless treasure of wisdomand inspiration, of counsel and correction, “adapted tothe capacity of the weak and the weakest [among us]”(D&C 89:3). At once, it is rich in nourishment for themost learned, if they will humble themselves (see 2 Ne.9:28–29). @From the Book of Mormon we learn about: @The plan of salvation or “the great plan of happiness” @The doctrine of Christ and the Atonement @ Why death is necessary @Life after death in the spirit world @ The workings of the evil one @The order of the priesthood @Sacramental prayers @A sure way to judge between good and evil @How to retain a remission of your sins @Clear, prophetic warnings












and many, many other thingspertaining to the redemption of man and to our lives.All are parts of the fulness of the gospel @The Book of Mormon confirms the teachings of the OldTestament. It confirms the teachings of the NewTestament. It restores “many plain and precious things”(1 Ne. 13:28) lost or taken from them (see also 1 Ne.13:20–42; 1 Ne. 14:23). It is in truth another testament ofJesus Christ. @This year we celebrate the 175th anniversary of theorganization of the Church and the 200th anniversary ofthe birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith. In the Church,much will be written and said to honor him. @As usual, there will be much said and written todiscredit him. There always were, are now, and ever willbe those who stir into 200-year-old dust, hoping to findsomething Joseph is alleged to have said or done inorder to demean him. @The revelations tell us of “those that shall lift up the heelagainst mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they havesinned when they have not sinned before me, saith theLord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes,and which I commanded them” (D&C 121:16). They facevery stern penalties, indeed. @We do not have to defend the Prophet Joseph Smith.The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of JesusChrist will defend him for us. Those who reject JosephSmith as a prophet and revelator are left to find someother explanation for the Book of Mormon. @And for the second powerful defense: the Doctrine andCovenants, and a third: the Pearl of Great Price.Published in combination, these scriptures form anunshakable testament that Jesus is the Christ and awitness that Joseph Smith is a prophet. @And I join the millions of others who have thattestimony, and bear it to you in the name of JesusChrist, amen

_

Postcard to Mom in Idaho panhandle

Myrna Wright Jensen
116 Jensen Lane
Harpster, ID 86552
208.983.1688 land
208.451.4170 cell




Hello Myrna,    3/10/15

I write tons.  A day without writing would be like a day without sunshine.So writing you would not be a problem.

*I asked you in my last letter if you remembered Camille’s illegitimate child Danica?*

I appreciate your willingness to apologize.

Thank you for the booklet and the letter.

Vern

#12 font^^Comic Sans style

It Can’t Happen to Me

James E. Faust, April 2002 General Conference

"One of the great myths in life is when men think they are invincible. Too many think that they are men of steel, strong enough to withstand any temptation. They delude themselves into thinking, “It cannot happen to me.” Borrowing a thought from Bertrand Russell, “We are all like the turkey who wakes up [Thanksgiving] morning expecting lunch as usual. Things can go wrong at any time.” 1 Brethren, it can happen to any of us at any time. So much of our course in life is influenced by forces we only partly perceive." #8 font ^^Times New Roman

Dear Are the Sheep That Have Wandered

James E. Faust, April 2003 General Conference

"When my wise mother-in-law saw other children misbehaving, she used to say, “I never say my children would not do that because they might be out doing it right while I am speaking!”"

#7 font ^^

Loyalty

Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2003 General Conference

"Very recently a certain moving picture was acclaimed the best of the year. I have not seen it, nor do I anticipate doing so. But I am told that it is laden with sex, that the use of profanity runs throughout."

#3 font ^^

Loyalty

Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2003 General Conference

"You, of course, have heard of the man who lived to a ripe old age and was asked by reporters to what he attributed his longevity. He replied that when he and his wife were married they determined that if they argued, one would leave the house and go outside. He said, “Gentlemen, I attribute my longevity to the fact that I have breathed so much fresh air during all these many years.”"

#5 font ^^

Parents: The Prime Gospel Teachers of Their Children

By Tad R. Callister, October 2014 General Conference

"I remember my mother, age 90 or so, cooking in her condominium kitchen and then exiting with a tray of food. I asked her where she was going. She replied, “Oh, I am taking some food to the elderly.” I thought to myself, “Mother, you are the elderly.” I can never express enough gratitude for my parents, who were my prime gospel teachers."

#6 font ^^

The Finished Story

Gayle M. Clegg, April 2004 General Conference

"Years ago one of our daughters asked me to come outside and play tetherball with her.

She told me to sit down and watch as she hit over and over again a ball on a rope that wound itself around a pole. After watching several windings I asked what my part was in the game, and she said, “Oh, Mom, you say, ‘Good job, good job,’ every time the ball goes around the pole.”"[I don't understand why this story has been going through my mind this last week.2/24/15 And then to hear it this morning was like an answer to, I wonder where that story is?] #8 font ^^

Three Choices

Joseph B. Wirthlin, October 2003 General Conference

"Recently, I have noticed the large number of self-improvement programs that are available. There must be a tremendous demand for these products, because one can scarcely turn on the television or radio without seeing or hearing promotions for products that promise everything from losing weight to growing a lush crop of thick hair. At times I wonder if the people who make these products know me personally."

#10 font ^^Loyalty

Gordon B. Hinckley, April 2003 General Conference

"Very recently a certain moving picture was acclaimed the best of the year. I have not seen it, nor do I anticipate doing so. But I am told that it is laden with sex, that the use of profanity runs throughout."

#4 font ^^

I experiment all the time and as we get older our eyesight fails. I am writing this in size 8 font.

Now I am writing in size 9 font. And for my grand finale here comes size 10

Why would anyone ever want to write in size 3 or 4 font? Let alone 1 or 2 which I did not even sample! Answer: It saves space. I have an inmate friend I write who is in Purgatory Jail for 4 years. They outlawed letters last year so now I have to send post cards!