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Man with a Purpose
Aunt Peggy said to my father, “James moves like a man with a purpose.”
I now think often of that compliment and observation as I slowly amble to the next thing needing to be done. Moving is harder now. Things take longer. I’m in need of a new knee, I’m 75 years old, and I don’t have the energy that I used to have.
The Book of Elijah
It occurs to me that at least one of our major, and most important, prophets left no book that he authored. I think that unusual. I refer to Elijah. Every other major prophet was commanded to write, and left inspired words to guide and teach us.
Read MoreWhy Are You Good?
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were all good men living in environments not conducive to inspire one to be good. How did they do it? Why did they do it?
Abraham’s own father offered him to be killed for his goodness. Abraham didn’t subscribe to the idol worship of his father and community, so he was bound and put forth as a candidate for idol sacrifice.
Fire
Fire is an interesting study. Oxidation, combustion, and explosions are all the same process. All three are simply oxygen uniting with another substance, but at different rates. The result is that new substances are produced by the union of oxygen with the original substance.
Read MoreInch By Inch
The song says, “Inch by inch, and row by row, I’m going to make this garden grow.” That’s the way we operate. At the beginning of a big job you look ahead and think, “There’s no way I’ll ever be able to get this done.” But you just begin. You do a little each day, and suddenly, one day, the job is done.
Read MoreFrom Last Place to First
The Kentucky Derby in 2022 was won by a horse named Rich Strike. The top 20 horses in the country qualify to enter the derby. Rich Strike was number 21; but just before the derby began, one of the 20 other horses had to drop out, putting Rich Strike in. He was rated last, and was late getting out of the gate. He was initially one of the last three horses in the pack. He wove in and out among the horses, and passed one after another until there were only two running ahead of him. He put on a burst of speed, and passed them by a length to win the Kentucky Derby. It was a hugely exciting race.
Read MoreBullies and Fighting
Growing up in Iowa my grandfather was a scrawny kid that the bigger boys liked to pick upon. He often remembered with shame being chased home from school. As a young father these memories all came back as he observed several terrified boys being chased down the street by another. Conflicting emotions arose within him when he realized that the boy doing the chasing was his own son.
Read MoreDon’t Miss the Train
My father grew up on a remote ranch in Wyoming. Selling the cattle that they raised sometimes involved loading them onto railway cars and shipping them to Chicago, three states away. My grandfather and his boys had to accompany the cattle.
Read MoreScattering and Afflictions of Israel
1920-1945 Hitler and Stalin killed many millions of Israelites
1616-1619 The Great Dying, when 90% of Native Americans perished in pandemics
384 Nephites destroyed by Lamanites
Ages of the Patriarchs
Adam 130 years old when he begat Seth
Seth 105 “ “ “ “ “ Enos
Enos 90
Cainan 70
Mahalaleel 65
He Plans Ahead, Doesn’t He?
Brother Baxter asked me to speak on my experiences as a patriarch, or on anything else that I wanted. Speaking just on my experiences might take me three minutes, so I’d like to expand the topic to include the gathering of Israel.
Read MoreKeeping the Sabbath
Rocky made a very hopeful beginning, but eventually became too busy to attend church. He looked for excuses to not keep and observe other church practices. He purchased a classic Chevrolet Malibu, and gave it a beautiful black and gold paint job. He put the car up for sale, and immediately got a response. The man was coming on Sunday to see it, and would definitely buy it. Rocky said that he’d hold it for him. Many calls were received thereafter from others who were interested, but he told them all that he had already sold the car.
Read MoreChoice
I am struck by the faithfulness of three very young men who were called in their youth as prophets of God. Joseph (who was sold into Egypt), Nephi, and Joseph Smith were all just boys when they began having manifestations which ultimately positioned them to become powerful leaders. All three thereafter experienced terrific hardships which might have discouraged and broken lesser men, yet there is no indication that any of them ever faltered, murmured, or complained. Instead of succumbing to their troubles (which they could easily have done), they chose to believe that their situations had a purpose, and that things would work out. Their optimism and steadfastness seem almost super-human.
Read MoreMarjorie’s Testimony
The gospel of Jesus Christ gives me:
Stability
Direction
Hope
A Failed Patriarchal Blessing?
A woman confided in me that nothing in the patriarchal blessing she received 50 years ago has come to pass, and that she is now too old for those promises to take place. Her patriarchal blessing stated that she would be surrounded by a righteous family, and that is not at all the case.
Read MoreHow I Feel About Death
Terry Fisher called a week ago Wednesday to inform me that his wife, Carolyn, had just passed away. She had surgery a week earlier, developed blood clots, and they overwhelmed her heart. I told Terry that I would consider going to her funeral. He suggested that I might even speak. Thankfully, though, other more appropriate arrangements were made. Her funeral is today, and I don’t have to make the trip to Ogden.
Read MoreNotes from Encyclopedias
1. Aluminum is the third most common element after oxygen and silicon.
2. The Amazon River is the second longest river in the world after the Nile. The Amazon is 4,000 miles long. It begins about 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Andes in Peru. The Amazon falls 16,400 feet in its first 600 miles, and only 800 feet during the rest of its course. Ocean ships can sail 2,300 miles up the Amazon to Iquitos, Peru. The Amazon carries more water than the Mississippi, Nile, and Yangtze rivers together. High tides at the river’s mouth occasionally overpower the river’s current which creates a wall of water, called a bore, that measures up to 15 feet high and rushes upstream.
Who Are the Ukrainians?
I have long been fascinated by statements in the scriptures indicating that the lost tribes of Israel are in “the north countries.” (Ether 13:11, D&C 110:11, D&C 133:26-32, Isa. 49:12, Jer. 3:18).
I worked in the Boise Temple with Steve Buss, who served as a co-mission president in Siberia. I asked him, “What do the patriarchal blessings say about those people?”
Experiences with the Holy Ghost
I recall several times when the Holy Ghost has spoken to my mind in a quotable sentence. The first time was in answer to my desperate, first-ever prayer. It said, “Everything is going to be all right.” That proved to be an understatement.
Read MoreThe Setup
Unlike with the other articles in this collection, I am not the author of the following. This is a wonderful Holy Ghost story as experienced by Duane G. Chadwick.
In 1948 before the Book of Mormon was translated into the Cook Island Maori language, my companion and I were invited to come to a Maori school teacher’s home and speak in a cottage meeting. I don’t remember asking for the appointment and he hadn’t shown prior interest in the church but we were happy to accept the invitation.
The Creation
This I Believe
1. The earth was not created out of nothing. I believe that it was created out of existing materials brought together and organized by God, the Creator. (Abr. 3:24).
2. The earth was not created in a 24-hour day, nor in a 7-day week as we know them. One day in God’s time is as 1,000 years to man. (Abr. 3:4, 5:13). When the scriptures speak of the seven days of creation, they are symbolically referring to periods of time that might have been thousands or millions of years long.
Uncle Bob
Marjorie served us an avocado with our dinner today. She said, “I remember the first avocado that I ever tasted. Uncle Bob brought it from California. None of us had ever tasted avocados before. He said it was really good. I liked it right away.”
Read MoreGive the Holy Ghost a Chance
Marjorie and I are dutifully doing the “Come Follow Me” program. This year it is the Old Testament. We began at the beginning of the year, and read multiple chapters from the Bible each evening. We are currently in 2 Kings, which is far ahead of where we’re supposed to be. We not only do the suggested reading, but also many of the chapters that are skipped in the program. At the end of the year I want to be able to say that I’ve read the Old Testament again. That will be so, except for the dull chapters that explain the details of the Mosaic Law and the trappings of the temple.
Read MoreThe Clock’s in High Gear
I’ve observed that time is passing faster and faster. My 89-year-old non-member cousin put his finger on the cause. He observed that the clock is in high gear, and boy, is it ever. You’ve noticed it, too.
The Lord Himself said that “I will hasten my work in its time.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:73).
Who Art Thou?
King Lamoni, in the Book of Mormon, asked a question of Ammon which we all need to ask and to answer of ourselves. Ammon had just done an astonishing thing, and Lamoni wasn’t sure whether Ammon was a man or a god. Ammon was brought before the astonished king who nervously asked him, “Who art thou?” (Alma 18:18).
Read MoreThe Holy Ghost in Our Neighborhood
I was excited last week when Thomas asked me to speak at his baptism on the topic of the Holy Ghost. The next evening we read an article in one of my books entitled “Coincidences,” and it occurred to me that perhaps the story might be useful in my talk.
I don’t actually believe in coincidences. I do, however, believe in the Holy Ghost, and that He engineers things to happen in our lives when we most need them, and especially when we ask for them.
Sibling Meeting
James: I wish I would have remembered to bring my tape recorder. I found a cassette tape where I recorded dad quoting his corruption of poetry.
Mac: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal … “
Making Time
In his closing remarks in the October 2021 general conference President Russell M. Nelson asked us to do a most unusual thing. Four times he made this remarkable request: He asked us to “make time for the Lord—each and every day.”
Read MoreMinistering
Talk given in Baker Second Ward’s fifth-Sunday meeting 30 January 2022
As I have thought about my topic during the past week, I have identified three principles that apply to ministering:
1. You don’t have to have an assignment to be a minister.
The Priesthood
I found myself thanking the Lord for my Priesthood this morning. It is a privilege to hold. It is an honor. It is a responsibility. It is an incalculable blessing.
Read MoreGod Will Not Be Thwarted
It is estimated that there are about 7,000 languages in the world. Many others have gone extinct. The question is asked, “Why so many? How did this happen?”
Read MoreMaking Time For The Lord
The Lord has said, “I will hasten my work in its time.” (D&C 88:73).
My own 89-year-old non-member cousin has observed that “the clock is in high gear.” And, boy, is it ever. It’s interesting that even he can see it.
Pre-earth Service
In the terrestrial room of the temple yesterday a thought went through my head that I’ve never had before. Since I wasn’t even thinking of such things at the time, and because of where I was and what I was doing, I have to think that it was a revelation to me. I haven’t heard or read anything that the Brethren have said on this matter, so if it is so, the “revelation” was just for my benefit, and is not something that I should be preaching.
Read MoreThe Daily Recipient
Elder Anthony D. Perkins, in his October 2021 conference address used the term “daily recipient.” That caught my fancy. A daily recipient of what? —The Lord’s grace, His blessings, His comfort, His guidance, His joy.
Read MoreGive Me Light
As a 19-year-old young man I was given this book. (The light-blue Book of Mormon with a golden Moroni on the front cover). Because of a voice which I had previously heard in answer to my very anguished, first-ever prayer—a voice which simply said, “Everything is going to be all right”—I knew that something was going to happen when I opened it. I took it home and stood it upright in the center of the desk in my room.
Read MoreCascadia’s Fault
I read a book called Cascadia’s Fault by Jerry Thompson (2011). For the benefit of my family I need to do a book report. The book was a fascinating detective story. It chronicles the evolution of thought which changed scientists’ thinking that the Pacific Northwest was aseismic (no earthquakes) to the belief that this is one of the most dangerous seismic areas in the world.
Read MorePromised Lands Don’t Come Easy
The Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square sings a song so rousing that you become so caught up in it that you just have to move. It is called “Bound for the Promised Land.” The lyrics say, “Oh, who will come and go with me, I am bound for the promised land.”
Read MoreGifts
My Creator has given me many gifts. I am grateful for them, and I find myself thanking Him for them each day. Chief among them is the gift of repentance. The gift of my covenants is another. Third is the gift of my callings (Moroni 7:2) which have developed me and given me skills. Fourth is the gift of the Priesthood which I am allowed to hold and to use. Fifth is the gift of my eternal family.
Read MoreParable of the Gathering
My brother’s ranching outfit faced a gigantic problem. They obtained the grazing allotment on the national forest that another rancher had held for many years, and which he was releasing because of his retirement. This was an exciting opportunity. The allotment covered a vast area, and it was beautiful up there in the mountains.
Read MoreWorth a Thousand Words
I am intrigued by the pictures that general Young Women president, Bonnie H. Cordon, shared during her talk in general conference, October 2021. She told of her 5-year-old son, Tanner, who was assigned to be the goalie in the team’s first game. He became distracted, stuck his hands through the holes in the net, then his feet, and became completely entangled. The two pictures of the boy are priceless. He’s smiling, happy, and completely disengaged from the game and his purpose. He is just like so many people around us who have no idea who they are, or what their purpose in life might be, and who become hopelessly entangled in distractions.
Read MoreVisiting General Authorities
Yesterday (5 December 2021) was a good day. Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the quorum of the twelve came to La Grande to hold a special stake conference. The last time that an apostle visited our stake was 33 years ago, in 1988. It was special to be here for this conference.
Read MoreAlma and His Children
In the middle of the book of Alma are seven chapters that are his parting instructions to his sons. Alma knows that the Lord is going to shortly take him, and there are things he needs to do to prepare. He has two concerns. One is the records and sacred things with which he has been entrusted. The other is his children.
Read MoreProper English
In the old days the kids all had to take classes in elocution. Maybe the old folks had something, as the following stories might illustrate.
Read MoreDad, the Mathematician
As a college student at Oregon State Agricultural College, Dad took all the mathematics classes that he could get. He loved mathematics. He was working toward a degree in agricultural engineering. Following each test, the professors would post the results on the outside of their office doors. Dad’s name was always at the very top of the list.
Read MoreDad, the Boxer
Brent Kerns took 4th place in the Oregon tryouts for a place on the 1976 Olympic wrestling team. His grandmother, Janet B. Kerns, thought that qualified him to be the proper recipient of his grandfather’s boxing medals. She went into her bedroom and came out with two medals which she presented to him. I, James Kerns, had never seen them until this date in November 2021. One says, “Boxing. City Championship Corvallis Ore. 1931.” The other is for the intramural boxing championship.
Read MoreBeing Needed
I have a fear. I’m sore afraid of becoming old and non-useful. Being needed is a basic human need, and I can see where the time might come when I’m either no longer useful or not able to contribute.
In thinking about that, I remembered our mission. I have never in my life been more needed, depended upon, or used than during our mission.
What Have You Done?
As I held you in the crook of my arm this morning, I realized again that I was holding a treasure—a priceless treasure. I began enumerating what you’ve done for me. These things need to be written down.
Read MoreCOVID Test
When Jesus appeared to the Nephites He first identified Himself and invited the multitude to come forward to feel His wounds and to verify that He was, indeed, the crucified Savior. He then called twelve disciples and gave them authority to baptize and to be His representatives in preaching and administering His doctrine. He turned His attention to the multitude and declared these words which have profound implications for our own day:
Read MoreThe Ministering of Angels
I believe that holders of the Priesthood have the power to change the atmosphere that surrounds them. This power stems from the keys that were bestowed upon every man and boy when he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood. Those keys include the keys to the ministering of angels. (D&C 3:1).
Read MoreRight Way Pilot
As a pre-schooler Marjorie hated primary. She didn’t know the other children, and the lessons were dull.
Back then the classes had different names than they do now. The next class that Marjorie would be in was the “Right Way Pilots.” She couldn’t wait to graduate to that class. She says, “Finally, there was light at the end of the tunnel. I was going to learn to fly! The manual had a picture on the front cover of a chubby-faced kid flying a stubby airplane. That looked so fun! I could just see myself maneuvering my plane over the heads of the people as I flew down the stairs at the church. I never imagined flying my plane outdoors. It was just in the church.”