No One is Perfect

Brigham City Temple

 Last weekend, in Sunday School, we had an amazing lesson out of Alma 14.  I have always been intrigued by this chapter as this is where Alma and Amulek were forced to watch righteous women and children, along with their scriptures be destroyed by fire.

Amulek asks Alma why they can’t stretch forth their hands and save them from the flames?  Alma responds by saying this is the only way the fate of the wicked can be sealed.

This scripture has given me peace and comfort in today’s world where women and children are allowed to be defiled and abused, along with a better understanding of why bad things happen to good people.

Our Gospel Doctrine instructor recounted an experience from his mission.  He and four other missionaries were given the privilege of meeting with the president of the temple located within their mission.  The temple president gave each of them the opportunity to ask him anything they wanted.  One Elder, who was scheduled to return home the following week asked, “What advice would you give me as I return home from serving my mission?”

The temple president thought for a minute and then replied, “Remember you are a Child of God.  You were saved for thousands of years to be sent to the most wicked place, at the most wicked time, to even things out.”

Our instructor went on to say, how surprised he was at this answer.  He was expecting the usual, “Go home, get in school, and get married in the temple as soon as possible.    As members of the Church, it’s in our character to be good; this is what makes us a peculiar people.  When we have truly repented of our sins, we look upon the sin we previously committed, with abhorrence.

When people feel guilty, they do one of two things.  They either change who they are, or they try to get rid of those who made them feel that way.  They try to be lifted up by destroying those around them making others look bad.

I love Alma 14!  Particularly verse 11.  May we all remember that we are children of God and have been sent here at this specific time to even things out.  None of us are perfect, but it’s not a bad thing to be peculiar.

Until next time,
Les

Father's Day Tribute

I Love My Dad! That pretty much says it all. Growing up, I was the boy he never had, and that didn’t bother me at all.  Dad raised and bred Arabian Horses, and so we had a big barn.  I loved helping him paint it every year.  My mom would be all worried and say “JACK!  DON’T YOU LET HER FALL OFF THAT ROOF!”  And dad would say, “OK, I got her, she’s fine.”  I think I had more paint in my hair than I put on the barn, but those were the best of times.  I built huts and forts in the orchard, and decorated them with anything I could drag up there. They had curtains and everything. 

I loved getting sports equipment for my birthday and Christmas, the football was one of the highlights and I could throw a spiral pass better than most boys.  I still have that ball today.  When I close my eyes, and smell the leather, I’m that little girl again with pig tails playing catch with dad.  Dad was my sports pal and I was his.  We lived for Saturdays.  We would wake up early, be the first ones on the lake for water skiing on nothing but glass, or the last ones off the mountain at Alta, Snowbird, Snow Basin, Park City, or Deer Valley. No one does hot chocolate like Deer Valley, and a Watson Burger at Alta is on the all time best burger list! If we weren’t skiing, we were off looking at boats or guns, right after we went to visit Grandma. We would leave with a bag of her frozen chocolate chip cookies, that were so nasty, we would pick the chocolate chips out of them and throw the cookie part away . . . sorry Grandma.

Dad never missed a swim meet, and I swam competitively for 12 years.  He would take me to practice every morning at 5:00 AM – sit and watch in the balcony until 7:00, then drop me off back home to hurry and get ready for the bus to take me to school.  My aunt or my mom would pick me up from school at 3:00 drop me off at the pool and I would swim from 4:00 to 6:00.  If dad was off work soon enough, he would pick me up and take me home.  We spent many weekends at swim meets and dad was the only one I could hear cheering me on above the crowd. I swam to the beat of his cheering – and quite often that was pretty fast.

Some of my most favorite memories are of our Lake Powell trips. If there is a Heaven on Earth, it’s up the San Juan River Arm, or Escalante on Lake Powell.  We lived on the boat and dad put extra gas tanks on, so that we could get farther than most other boats for the most pristine camping spots you can imagine.  The boat didn’t move on Sunday.  We found our camping spot Saturday afternoon and it didn’t move until Monday.  Sunday was spent reading your scriptures on any one of the blow up flotation devices we had acquired.

Even in High School I preferred spending my Saturday’s with dad.  In college I helped him train for an Iron Man Triathlon. He was amazing. He ran the St. George Marathon numerous times, the Deseret News Marathon and many 50 milers.  Just as he was there for me, I stood at the finish line for him or rode my bike along the way. 

I always felt safe when I was with my dad, and that included when he traveled with me to Romania to adopt our middle child. My husband stayed home to hold the fort down and dad went with me.  I wouldn’t have made it without him.  Every good childhood memory I have has my dad in it.

So Dad I want you to know how much I Love You, and am grateful for all the life lessons you taught me, many while on the slopes or in the water. 

Happy Father’s Day Dad, I Love You,
Your Pal Les 

Home Dedication

Symbols of Zion Home Dedication Plaque

It’s funny how quickly life can change. It seems like just yesterday that I was a young mom with three small children. Now I’m a grandma with three adult children and two grandchildren! My husband and I don’t look as young as we did 29 years ago, but we’ve earned every gray/white hair on our heads! 

Our youngest daughter got married on May 30th. In the 35 years that I’ve been doing weddings, I made my first wedding dress for pay when I was 14, this is the first wedding that came off without a glitch.

Watching the last four months of work all come together in one magical day for her was the best pay off I could have asked for. The weather was perfect, the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were great, the ceremony was wonderful and it’s nice to know that you are loved by so many people as they file through the reception line. The line finally ended at 9:30, and the food came out almost down to the plate. There were enough leftovers for a few chicken salad croissants the next couple of days, along with a few veggies and dip.  We did have quite a few chocolate éclairs left over, but they made the perfect treats for our Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching families.  We were glad to get rid of them and they were glad to receive them. 

I am so grateful for wonderful family, friends and neighbors.  May we all dedicate our homes as a place where the Spirit of the Lord may dwell, where we can learn to love God and serve others, and where family and friends may feel welcome.

Until next time,

Les