The Necessities of Life

Recently as I was praying I found myself thanking the Lord for the necessities of life. As popularly understood, the necessities of life are food, clothing, and shelter. Some people in the world lack one or more of those things. I feel badly for them, and was expressing gratitude that I have those basic things.

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Was Lehi the Only One?

As I began another reading of the Book of Mormon last night, I only got six verses read before I got bogged down in thought. Lehi was obviously touched by the warnings of the many prophets who came into the land “prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed.” (1 Nephi 1:4).

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Hearts of Flesh

I read in Ezekiel 11:19 that the Lord “will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.” That set me to thinking about hearts, specifically about Kerns hearts.

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Exquisite Creations

As a boy wandering around the woods above my house, I fixed May 20th in my mind as the date on which I could find a fairy slipper. A fairy slipper is a pink, exquisitely-formed flower into which you can imagine a fairy’s dainty foot being inserted. Its real name is calypso orchid. It is a low-growing plant which sends up a 5-inch stem topped by a one-inch-long mottled, pink blossom. “Exquisite” is the best word to describe its shape and color. It is unique, and somewhat rare. It belongs to a genus that contains just this one species.

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Ivy’s Rawr

A true story, written hoping that some family artist might illustrate it for a children’s book.
Little Ivy was scared of Rawrs.
Ivy didn’t exactly know what a Rawr was. All she knew was that she was supposed to be scared of them.

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The Road to Jericho

The road to Jericho is littered with people in need of help.
You remember the Savior’s parable of the man on that road who was set upon by thieves, and was left for dead. There were bad guys back in those days, too. There were also those who were uncaring, and those who were too busy to get involved. The priest and the Levite passed the unfortunate man by, but the Samaritan stopped and bound up the man’s wounds. “Samaritan” back in those days was a derisive word, but because of Jesus’ parable it has since evolved to become synonymous with goodness, kindness, and compassion. The Samaritan saved the man’s life. The word “good” has thus forever become affixed to the word “Samaritan.”

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Joy, a poem

Joy requires your gentle presence,
I’m happiest when you’re around:
Life takes on a special essence:
Brilliant lights with symphonic sound.

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The Lord Knows the Details

Last week I had a struggle with my check book. It wouldn’t balance. Not only would it not balance, but my figures and the bank’s figures were hundreds of dollars apart; and if the bank’s figures were correct, I was severely overdrawn.

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Children of the Evangelist

This morning in my study I found this:
“And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven, and abode with him.

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Family Letter, October 2020

At 2:20 I sat bolt upright in bed when a bull elk bugled right above the house. I wasn’t able to see him in the dark, but he bugled eight times before resting for a while. Periodically he’d tune up again. After 4:00 I put my sweat suit on, wrapped my blanket around me, and went out into the back yard and stood under the aspen tree. By the light of the three-quarter moon I imagined that I could see two cow elk eating potatoes about 50 yards away, and two more above them. The bull was over by where the old barn stood. He bugled about once every minute for the 15 minutes that I stood there. In the morning light, the cow elk turned out to be the wheels to Adam’s pivot.

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By Small and Simple Things

I am at loose ends and confused this morning. I don’t know what to do. I reached my goal yesterday of indexing general conference talks, and have no more to do. I’m a creature of habit, and this is going to upset my whole daily routine.

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The Restoration Was For Me

The Restoration is an individual thing. Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, “The revelations of the First Vision were not for Joseph Smith alone but are offered as light and truth for any who ‘lack wisdom.'” (Ensign, May 2020, 110).

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Ladders

President Russell M. Nelson says that “most people do not embrace … truth–either because they do not know where to look for (it) or because they are listening to those who do not have the whole truth or because they have rejected truth in favor of worldly pursuits.” (Ensign, May 2020, 89).

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Can A Coyote Feel Happiness?

I found myself wondering, “Can a coyote (or any animal) feel happiness?” I decided probably not. An animal can feel contentment when its belly is full and its appetites are satisfied; but in order to feel happiness, one must be able to feel and to express gratitude. When one knows from whence one’s blessings come, then one can experience not only happiness, but joy.

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Count Your Many Blessings

I’m a counter. I count everything. While looking at Marjorie’s flower gardens it occurred to me that she has literally thousands of blossoms. She has hundreds of plants, and each one produces bloom on top of bloom. For about half a second I considered the possibility of numbering her blossoms, but it would be an impossibility even for me.

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The Tables Suddenly Turn

Daniel was an adviser and high official working under king Darius. The king’s other officials were jealous of his status, and were irritated by his steadiness and righteousness. They cunningly used his righteousness to bring an accusation against him which caused him to be cast into a den of lions. They then congratulated themselves on their success and cleverness in ridding themselves of their irritant and the man who they saw as their political competitor.

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Different Wavelengths

Mac’s three siblings went to see him at his home on 18 September 2020 instead of going for the traditional Friday morning walk. He had just gotten out of the hospital, and was not up to a hike. His son, Wesley, was there, and reported on his father’s condition on a previous occasion as he was getting out of the hospital. Wes said, “On my way there to get him, I took note of a road sign that warned, ‘6% grade for next 6 miles.’ I wondered out loud how many feet drop in elevation that would amount to. Dad was groggy coming out of the hospital, but without any hesitation, he looked up and said, ‘1,200 feet.'”

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That Which Has Been

It is said, “That which has been is that which shall be,” or that “history repeats itself.”
It occurs to me that two of the world’s most momentous and significant events are going to be repeated, and we’d better be ready for them.

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Patriarch

I have spent my adult life preparing for the next church event. I’ve either been thinking about the upcoming lesson or church talk that I was to give, or planning and preparing for an activity. There has always been something. When one was over and done with, there were the next ones to get ready for.

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Gun Safety

I just awoke from a dream. I pay attention to my dreams, especially when they’re vivid and meaningful as this one was.

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Christ Is God

Several years ago Marjorie was invited by one of her piano students to attend her baptism in another church. The baptism was to be done following the pastor’s Easter sermon. Marjorie found the pastor and the sermon interesting. He was dressed in an Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts. He said that he had been reading the Bible, and had come to the conclusion that he thought that Jesus was a God.

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I Have A Project

I wake in the morning feeling excited. I’m excited because I have a project. I’m eager to start the next step, and to continue putting together my creation. I’m bringing something into existence which has never existed before. I’m developing an idea, and the result is going to be beautiful and useful.

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Languages

I am reading The Two Islands by Thomas Condon. It is a narrative of the geological history of Oregon written for the purpose of (in Thomas Condon’s words) “increas(ing) the interest of the young.” (Introduction, pg 5).

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Sunrise

I have an appointment each morning with the rising of the sun. I try to be in front of my big window as the sun slowly prepares to make its appearance.

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Little Nash-Rambler

Driving to church today I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw a shiny, red, refurbished classic car coming up fast behind me. I have no idea what it was, but it was obvious that it was considerably older than I was. It was also obvious that the owner was very proud of it. It was spotless.

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Disoriented

I have prepared a talk this morning just for Jan. She’ll understand it even if the rest of us don’t. She has been a pilot, and none of the rest of us have ever flown a plane.

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Eyes Glued to the Horizon

It is a dismal morning. The valley is enshrouded in smoke from distant forest fires. The smoke is causing me to miss what would otherwise be a beautiful sunrise. I have an appointment each morning at this hour with the sun as it ushers in a new day, but today the sun has missed our appointment, and the light is diminished.

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Unseen Influences

I have turned my chair so that I can watch the sunrise unfold. I have observed that my sunrise is made dull, ordinary, or magnificent by the positioning of unseen clouds below the horizon which determine whether the rising sun can shine on the tops or the bottoms of the clouds visible from my position. The sun is currently well below the horizon and is able to shine on the bottoms of the high cirrus clouds, but is unable to penetrate the lower cumulonimbus clouds. Everything changes by the minute causing me to rush outside again and again to take a new series of pictures.

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Spectator or Participator

Conditions are building toward the greatest event the world has ever known. The greatest and most momentous event was not a particular battle or war; nor was it the eruption of Mount Tambora, which is thought to have produced the loudest sound ever heard on earth. The greatest event was not the striking of the earth by an asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs. It was not an earthquake or a tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands. It was not even the birth of Christ. All of these things happened as precursors for the greatest event.

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Quiet Places

President Russell M. Nelson said that “Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.” (Ensign, May 2018, 95).

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Mine Forever

Each morning sunrise is a treat and a blessing. Each is special. Each is different. God chooses different arrangements of the clouds and different colors. One morning may be red, another yellow or orange, and the next blue. The 34 peaks that are my eastern horizon are constant and always there, except when they’re hidden by stormy days, or days when the valley is encased in fog. Each morning is spectacular. Each is worthy of my participation.

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Observations on the Sun

When I rise at 4:00 A.M. the world is dark and very cool. Yesterday was a 90-degree day, yet this morning is only 46-degrees. I look to the east and study the familiar silhouette of the 30-40 peaks that constitute my view of the Wallowa Mountains. The sky is clear. Where and when will the sun make its appearance?

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But She Is Pure!

With the whole world on lock down because of the COVID 19 pandemic we aren’t allowed to go to church. We have permission to hold sacrament meetings in our homes where we bless and pass the sacrament, and give talks in our families.

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Watchers of a Beacon

The fourth verse of one of our popular hymns says that “We are watchers of a beacon whose light must never die.” (“For the Strength of the Hills,” Hymns, pg. 95).

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Missing the Message of the Resurrection

As I was reading the account of the verbal exchange between Zeezrom and Amulek in Alma chapters 11 and 12, I became amazed as I realized that Zeezrom knew nothing about the resurrection. I thought that everyone knew that there would be a resurrection.

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Plucky Women

James: “Our ancestor, David Johnson, and his wife Martha Patsey Cutler, moved to an uninhabited wooded area in Indiana Territory in 1816. They started out with four horses, and David hired a man to assist them. The first night out, they hobbled the horses, and the two best ones got away. The hired man was sent back to find them, and they never saw him again.

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Conversation About Birds

James: “Before we start our walk, you need to take notice of all the swallows on Ellen’s power lines. How many are there, and how would you count them?”

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Pure Youth

The scriptures tell us that no unclean thing can be in God’s presence. That being the case, what does this say about the Father and the Son appearing to the boy, Joseph Smith? Kneeling there in that sacred grove, a place of solitude, was a pure 14-year-old boy. He went there with a burning desire to know, to be forgiven of his sins, to obtain direction, and to be good. He went there repenting. He was clean. He was pure, or God could not have come to him.

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Joseph Smith’s Vocabulary

How is it that a barely-schooled farm boy of the early 1800s could have acquired the vocabulary that Joseph Smith possessed? I have several observations about Joseph and his abilities.

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We Are Living in the Future

We are a privileged people. We are living in the future that every prophet of the past looked forward to. Ancient prophets saw our day and longed to be here. We have comforts that no king of the past ever had. We have undreamed-of technology that is far more magical than anything that Pharaoh’s magicians were able to conjure up. Nebuchadnezzar’s wise men knew nothing in comparison to what you know.

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The World is in Motion

The world is in motion. The morning is still, and yet there is movement. There are breezes, birds, and breathtaking beauty. The sun appears to be standing in the early-morning sky, and yet is rapidly moving toward its zenith. It sent its first flash of light over the mountains just minutes ago, and revealed how fast it’s moving by putting its complete, full self above the horizon in less than a minute. Thirty minutes later it is ten times its own diameter above the mountain over which it rose.

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Death and the Spirit World

One of my earliest memories is of sitting on the floor in a nook of our kitchen with my back to the wall, the end of the cabinets to my right, and the freezer to my left. I was listening to my parents and their visiting friends as they sat at the kitchen table. I marveled as their voices began droning, and their words became indistinguishable. I fell asleep. My next conscious moment was of waking up in my own bed. How I got there, I didn’t know; but I assume that my father must have picked me up and put me there.

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A Long Shot

Elder Carl B. Cook, of the Presidency of the Seventy, came from a broken home. When he was six, his father left his mother with five young children. She had to go to work, get a second job, and obtain an education. There was little time for nurturing, but with the help of grandparents, uncles, aunts, bishops, home teachers, and Carl’s priesthood quorums, she managed to raise a future general authority.

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If You Look for It, You’ll Find It

Across the freeway from the tiny community of Perry, Oregon is a high cliff. If you’re traveling north on the freeway and scan the cliff to your left, you’ll likely see mountain goats. They like those cliffs because there is plenty of greenery for them to eat; and predators, like cougars, don’t go there. It’s perfect goat habitat.

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Dates in the Book of Mormon

WHERE DID THE NEPHITES LIVE?
Third Nephi, chapter eight, verse five tells us that the great storm which began at the death of Jesus, happened on the fourth day of the first month. This is according to the Nephite calendar. That pinpoints the date as being April 4th according to our calendar since we know from other sources that Jesus was both born and resurrected on April 6th. He was killed on the 4th, laid in the tomb, and rose on the third day.

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Sunrise

June 20, 2020, the second-longest day of the year. I am up early so that I can watch the sunrise. Sunrise will happen at about 5:15 on the right hand flank of China Cap in the Wallowa Mountains. The sky is filled with a broken cloud cover. The sun is still well below the horizon. Therefore, because of the curvature of the earth, the light of the sun is able to hit the underside of the clouds in my valley. The result is spectacular. An orange, fan-shaped light source below and to the left of China Cap has turned the entire sky orange, yellow, pink, and red.

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The Gift of Repentance

Of all the gifts that our Redeemer gave us through His Atonement, surely the gift of repentance is one of the greatest.
Before I learned of this freely-offered gift, I didn’t like myself very much. I was dirty. I was miserable. I was always going to feel that way because there was nothing that I could do about it. I was always going to feel dirty and miserable because of my sins, and I was powerless to stop sinning or to change anything.

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Leave Five Things Behind

If you would be a light to the world, as the Savior enjoined His Saints to be, then you should strive to leave positive things in your wake, wherever you go.

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Three Exodus Events

It strikes me that the experiences of William Brewster were on a parallel with those of Lehi. Lehi’s life was in danger in Jerusalem, and he was commanded by the Lord, “even in a dream, that he should take his family and depart into the wilderness … And it came to pass that he departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.” (1 Nephi 2:2, 4).

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