Great Grandfather Thomas M. Adams Stories

The Person I would Most Like To Meet Someday






Before Rachel Bagley was married, she was given a thought-provoking assignment in school: write a paper about the person you would like to meet someday. Rachel Fowler Bagley chose Thomas Marion Adams, who was born November 11, 1900. Tom Adams is Rachel’s great-grandfather. All her life, Rachel was told stories about this wonderful man whom she never met because he passed away a few years before she was born. But this much Rachel knew, he was a man of his word and was very creative in what he did to support his family.

Three stand-out memories about Tom Adams for Rachel are: the purchase of the town of Crosby, Wyoming; the purchase of the orange juice, and the time he took his two oldest children to a movie on a tractor.

The Purchase of Crosby, Wyoming
Who do you know or have you ever met who has purchased a town? Rachel’s great-grandfather Tom Adams did. This town was named for Jesse W. Crosby, Mormon pioneer. The town was started by Dad Jones, prospector and miner, who supplied Thermopolis with coal from Crosby in the early 1890's. There are no residents in Crosby. It is located south of sister ghost town Gebo on county highway 433 past Kirby, towards Lucerne. This is about 60 miles away from Lovell, Wyoming where Tom Adams lived. The coal mines closed here in 1932, so the town was put up for sale…not the land, but all the houses, outhouses and other buildings standing on it. Just seven years earlier, there were 125 kids in the Crosby school.

Today the only thing standing is a single diner. You see, Tom bought the town so he could sell those houses and outhouses. For two years, he hauled house after house as well as the outhouses back to Lovell, where he sold each one to support his family. The town had a general store with an inventory of clothing and other merchandise. His family wore the clothes from that store and gave the merchandise and some of the other clothes away as birthday and Christmas gifts.
Rachel thought this was a very creative way of supporting a family and showed how hard-working and industrious her great-grandfather was.

The Purchase of the Orange Juice
Now we are not talking about one or two cans of orange juice. That is why this story is such a big deal. One day during the time when the United States was at War. “During the Second World War, you couldn't just walk into a shop and buy as much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your car with gasoline whenever you liked. All these things were rationed, which meant you were only allowed to buy a small amount (even if you could afford more). The government introduced rationing because certain things were in short supply during the war, and rationing was the only way to make sure everyone got their fair share. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor dramatically ended the debate over America's entrance into the war that raged around the world. As eager volunteers flooded local draft board offices ordinary citizens soon felt the impact of the war. Almost overnight the economy shifted to war production. Consumer goods now took a back seat to military production as nationwide rationing began almost immediately. In May of 1942, the U.S. Office of Price Administration (OPA) froze prices on practically all everyday goods, starting with sugar and coffee. War ration books and tokens were issued to each American family, dictating how much gasoline, tires, sugar, meat, silk, shoes, nylon and other items any one person could buy. View a listing of all rationed items. Across the country 8000 rationing boards were created to administer these restrictions. The 1943 Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog contains a list of all rationed farm equipment and tells the reasons and benefits of rationing as well as who is eligible. Even chicken wire fencing was rationed. A wartime edition of the American Woman's Cook Book contained revised recipes and gave advice on dealing with food shortages.” (http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/events/rationing.htm)

Every time Tom would go to the store he would check to see if they had orange juice. They would never have it in stock or if they did, there would always be a limit of one or two cans. On this particular day, Tom walked into the store and to his delight, saw a display of orange juice cans stacked very high in the middle of the aisle. He asked the clerk how much he could buy and was told he could buy all he wanted. He had expected a one or two can limit. Well, Tom told the clerk that he would buy all he had and to his surprise ended up getting a full truck load. This cost him $500 which in those days was the price of a new car.

He took the truck load of orange juice cans home and stacked them in the basement until the basement was full. Then he had to stack a bunch of cans in his son Thomas’s bedroom, and even stored many in the bathtub because he was looking for more space to keep the juice.

You might ask what was his wife’s response to this purchase? Lucy, who is Rachel’s great-grandmother, merely said to her husband, “Oh, I see you purchased orange juice.” And that was that. That was the type of relationship they had.

Tom was a man of his word. He did not need or want all of that orange juice and so after he had told the clerk that he would take all they had, he bought all they had. The family would end up serving orange juice to anyone that set foot in their home for quite some time after that.

Going to the Movie on A Tractor
One afternoon, after working in the fields, Tom came into the house and asked his two oldest children, Thomas and Gloria, if they wanted to go into town and see a movie. Lucy was at a school function with the other three children and the family car. Thomas and Gloria were excited, but asked how they would get into town. Tom replied that they would take the tractor. In those days tractors did not have rubber tires and therefore could not go on the road. So the three of them got on the tractor and road into town in the barrel pit along side of the road. They went into the movie theatre full of excitement and energy and Tom asked the children if they wanted to eat popcorn. They said they did, so he bought the biggest tub of popcorn he could and they laughed and laughed at the movie. After the movie was over, they climbed up on the tractor and it was pitch dark outside. The tractor did not have any lights, so they drove home by the light of the moon. When they got home, Lucy asked where they had been and they replied that they had been to the movie. Knowing that they did not have a car to take, she merely responded “that’s nice.” That was the type of relationship she and Tom had. Nothing surprised her. But what a memory for Tom, and his two oldest children. They loved the outing. They were a bit surprised a month later to read in the Saturday Evening Post magazine that the movie did not get good reviews as to being very thought-provoking. They had loved the movie, but more importantly had a great memory together.

Stories Related to Rob (Reid Adams Robison) Dec 24, 2009 by Tom’s daughter Gloria Dawn Adams Robison. (Rob is her son and Tom’s oldest grandson. He has fond memories of his grandfather Adams).

Also, the story of Crosby, Wyoming was related by Grandma Robison to some of her grandchildren (Justin, Jeremy, and Jamie as well as Jeremy's wife Karenin) on Christmas Day 2009.

Christmas 2009 Nativity

Narrated by Amanda
Acted out by the Robison Grandchildren

Put the Spirit of Christ into Christmas

One year Julia came to Grandma when she was putting presents under the tree and insisted that she put one by the baby Jesus in the living room china cabinet where the nativities were on display. She reminded us that after all, it is the birthday of the Savior isn't it?

Great Video Clip for Entire Family & All Your Friends

Christina Gets Kidnapped by the Indians

Here is a great story that Grandmother Robison has related dozens of times about her great grandmother who was kidnapped by Indians when she was three years old. It makes a great story to share in Primary or in a family home evening lesson.

Background. Christina's mother Eliza Adelaide Dolbel and her grandmother Susanne Esnouf Dolbel joined the Church in 1854 after meeting two Mormon missionaries on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands (just off the coast of France). They immigrated to the United States with the Perpetual Immigration Fund. Susanne's husband Philippe and son Jean were to join the women a year later, but never did. So at the age of 52, considered elderly in those days, Susanne and her daughter landed in New Orleans and were assigned to a handcart company to embark upon a 1,000 mile trek to Salt Lake City. (Eliza is reknown for having brought the first guitar to Utah and was the center of attention at many a campfire during the long excursion to the West.) She and were mother were assigned to travel with Christopher Lister RIding and his large, growing family. Eliza was very helpful in caring for the children as Sister Riding was expecting a baby. Upon arrival in Salt Lake, she became the second wife of Brother Riding. Although she was 18 years younger than his first wife, she did have the first wife's approval.

The lesson: This story centers around Christina, the oldest child of Eliza and C. L. Riding. When Christina was three years old, her mother, Eliza had another baby. One day when the baby was very young and Eliza needed a nap, she asked Christina to stay by a tree with a swing outside the house and not go anywhere while Eliza slept. She told her she would call for her when she woke up. At the end of her nap, she called for Christina but there was no answer. She hurried outside and you can imagine the sick feeling she had in her stomach when she saw hoof prints around the swing set, Christina's doll leaning neatly against the tree, and no sign of Christina. Christina would never go anywhere without her doll. Eliza quickly rang the bell used for calling her family to dinner or for sounding the alarm for emergencies. C.L. Riding and his two sons (from his other wife) came running in from the field and upon discovery of what had happened realized instantly that the Indians had kidnapped Christina. Luckily they knew where the Indians' camp had been spotted, so they jumped on their horses and raced for the camp. Just as the sun was setting they pulled into the camp and saw Christina sitting on a horse with one of the Indians. She held out her arms and said "Daddy, I knew you would come." She jumped into her father's arms and was carried safely home. When her father asked her how she knew he would come, she replied that she had been praying all afternoon that he would come." Had he arrived minutes later, the little girl would have been hidden in one of the tents and never heard of again by her family.

What a testimony this is to the faith of a little girl who believed without wavering in the power of prayer. Her great granddaughter was Grandmother Robison, who was often told this story by her own grandmother, Addie Asay Houston, who was Christina's daughter. This story was related to me on August 2, 2009 in Orem, Utah by Grandmother Robison

Neil L Andersen Video

Stories from Past General Conferences - Elder Andersen

Spiritual Mole Crickets

In October 1999 General Conference, Elder Andersen spoke about a quote that the Prophet Joshua gave that is hanging by our front door: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).

He reminded us that the teachings of Joshua are as applicable to us today as they were in bible times. We demonstrate by our daily decisions how we serve Heavenly Father. Elder Andersen observed "Thirty-five hundred years ago as Joshua spoke, it meant leaving behind false gods, going to battle against the Canaanites, and following with sharp attention the words of the Prophet. We can almost hear the whining of the skeptics as Joshua announced his battle plans for taking the city of Jericho. First, he said, they would quietly, without any speaking, circle the city one time for each of six days. Then on the seventh day they would compass the city seven times. Following, the priests would blow the trumpets, and at that time all the people would shout with a great shout. Then, Joshua assured them, the walls would come down (see Josh. 6). When the walls came down, the skeptics were quiet."

Today as in the time of Joshua, we must listen carefully to the prophet and choose to follow his teachings. To teach us with a modern day story, Elder Andersen shared an experience their family had when they lived in Florida.

"Because Florida has a high concentration of sand, lawns there are planted with a large broadleaf grass we call Saint Augustine. A formidable enemy of a Florida lawn is a small, brown insect called a mole cricket.

One evening as my neighbor and I stood on the front steps, he noticed a little bug crossing my sidewalk. “You better spray your lawn,” he warned. “There goes a mole cricket.” I had sprayed the lawn with insecticide not too many weeks previously, and I hardly felt that I had the time or money to do it again so soon.

In the light of the next morning, I examined my lawn closely. It was lush and beautifully green. I looked down into the grass to see if I could see any of the little bugs. I could see none. I remember thinking, “Well, maybe that little mole cricket was just passing through my yard on the way to my neighbor’s yard.”

I watched my lawn for more than a week, looking for signs of invaders, but none was evident. I congratulated myself that I had not overreacted to my neighbor’s warning.

The story, however, has a sad ending. I came out the front door one morning, about 10 days after the conversation with my neighbor. Shockingly, as if it had happened overnight, brown spots covered my lawn. I ran to the garden store, bought the insecticide, and sprayed immediately, but it was too late. The lawn was ruined, and to return it to its former state required a new crop of sod, long hours of work, and large expense.

My neighbor’s warning was central to my lawn’s welfare. He saw things I could not see. He knew something I did not know. He knew that mole crickets live underground and are active only at night, making my daytime examinations ineffective. He knew that mole crickets did not eat the leaves of the grass but rather found nourishment in the roots. He knew that these little inch-long creatures could eat a lot of roots before I would ever see the effect above the ground. I paid a dear price for my smug independence."

Elder Andersen then summarized "We live in a wonderful day. The blessings of our generation are lush and beautifully green. With faith in the Savior and obedience to the commandments, our lives can be full of satisfaction and joy."





Beware of the Evil Behind the Smiling Eyes

In April 2005 General Conference during the Priesthood Session, Elder Andersen shared a story about withstanding evil. In his words, he said "I’d like to tell you of an experience of a faithful Latter-day Saint who is a good friend of mine. I’ll refer to him only as “my friend” for reasons you will understand.

Working as a special agent for the FBI, my friend investigated organized crime groups transporting illegal drugs into the United States.

On one occasion, he and another agent approached an apartment where they believed a known drug dealer was distributing cocaine. My friend describes what happened:

“We knocked on the door of the drug dealer. The suspect opened the door, and upon seeing us, tried to block our view. But it was too late; we could see the cocaine on his table.

“A man and a woman who were at the table immediately began removing the cocaine. We had to prevent them from destroying the evidence, so I quickly pushed the drug suspect who was blocking the door to the side. As I pushed him, my eyes met his. Strangely, he did not appear angry or afraid. He was smiling at me.

“His eyes and disarming smile gave me the impression that he was harmless, so I quickly left him and started to move toward the table. The suspect was now behind me. At that instant, I had the distinct, powerful impression come into my mind: ‘Beware of the evil behind the smiling eyes.’

“I immediately turned back toward the suspect. His hand was in his large front pocket. Instinctively I grabbed his hand and pulled it from his pocket. Only then did I see, clutched in his hand, the semiautomatic pistol ready to fire. A flurry of activity followed, and I disarmed the man.”

Later, in another case, the drug dealer was convicted of murder and boasted that he would have also killed my friend had he not turned around at that very moment.

I have often thought of the communication that came into his mind: “Beware of the evil behind the smiling eyes.” This is what I want to talk to you about tonight.

Let’s begin with what we know. Good comes from God; evil comes from the devil. (Moroni 7:12) They are not, however, equal forces that are fighting each other in the universe. At the head of all that is good is the Christ—He who is the Only Begotten of the Father, who created our world and numerous others. Our Redeemer is a resurrected and perfect being. (Luke 24:36-39) I know He lives.

The devil, on the other hand, “persuadeth men to do evil.” (Moroni 7:17) “He [has] fallen from heaven, … [has] become miserable forever,” (2 Nephi 2:18) and now works “that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” (2 Nephi 2:27) He is a liar and a loser. (D&C 93:25)

The power of the Savior and the power of the devil are not truly comparable. (Moses 1: 1-22) On this planet, however, evil has been allowed a position of influence to give us the chance to choose between good and evil. The scripture says: “God gave unto man that he should act for himself. [And] man could not act for himself … [unless] he was enticed by … one or the other.” (2 Nephi 2:16)

The choice between good and evil is at the very heart of our experience on earth. In the final review of our lives, it will not really matter if we were rich or poor, if we were athletic or not, if we had friends or were often forgotten.

We can work, study, laugh and have fun, dance, sing, and enjoy many different experiences. These are a wonderful part of life, but they are not central to why we are here. 11 The opportunity to choose good over evil is precisely why we are here. (2 Nephi 2:27)

Not one of us would say, “I want to choose evil.” We all want to choose the right. However, the choice of good over evil is not always easy, because evil frequently lurks behind smiling eyes. Listen to these warnings:

“Take heed … that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God.” (Moroni 7:14)

“Ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you.” (3 Ne. 18:18)

“Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you.” (D&C 50:3)

The message is: Beware of the evil behind the smiling eyes!





It's True Isn't It? Then What Else Matters?


In the April 2007 General Conference Elder Andersen shared an experience related a number of years ago by the then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, who spoke of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.

President Hinckley asked the officer: "Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?"

The officer's face clouded, and he replied: "My family will be disappointed. . . . As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me."

President Hinckley asked, "Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?"

With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: "It's true, isn't it?"

President Hinckley responded, "Yes, it is true."

To which the officer replied, "Then what else matters?" (Ensign, July 1993, 2)

Elder Andersen said, "Through the years, I have reflected on these words: "It's true, isn't it? Then what else matters?"


Questions from these three stories:

1. Molecrickets - What are the molecrickets in our lives? What did President Monson and the other living prophets warn us about in this past General Conference?

2. Evil behind the smiling eyes - do you know of places where bad men are calling good evil? What are some examples today? What is Proposition 8 in California all about?

3. It's true isn't it? Do you remember the story in General Conference this past week about the woman who had to dig graves with a spoon. Did the gospel and her testimony matter? Why?

Stories from General Conference

Prize Possession of A Little Boy

Elder Costa in General Priesthood last night (April 4, 2009) shared the story of his seven year old son who was once taking a shower when the power went out. His mother yelled up the stairs that he needed to come down the stairs for family prayer and that he should bring a candle because it was pitch dark. To this instruction, the mother added that he must be very careful with the candle because if he dropped it, it could burn the house down. A few minutes later the little boy was hear clumping and clanging down the stairs. His mother asked him why he was making so much noise and struggling so much. The little boy said that he was carrying his scriptures with the candle. He further went on to explain that if the house was going to burn down, he wanted to have his scriptures with him. (Elder Costa is in the Presidency of the Seventy)



The Egg Salad Sandwich

President Monson told a story about Jamie's mission in this same conference session. He said that there was once a boy named Brad, who was a drummer in a Northern Utah High School Band. The Band was invited to play in the Calgary Stampede Parade in July where Jamie was serving on his mission. All of the band members were excited to compete in this contest because 350,000 watch this particular parade. The band members each did many fund raising projects to get enough money to take the trip from Utah to Calgary.

After traveling all day in the bus, the band stopped for the night in Cardston, Alberta (near where Great grandpa Robison was born in Aetna). Early the next morning the Relief Society in Cardston gave each band member a sack lunch. Brad was sitting in the back of the bus and because he wasn't hungry, just tossed his sack lunch on the rack above the seats. Little did he know that inside was an egg salad sandwich. If you leave an egg salad sandwich in the hot sun for several hours, bacteria will form and you will get food poisoning. Well, Brad's sack lunch sat in the sun for hours. Just before arriving in Calgary, Brad decided to eat his lunch. He grabbed that sack lunch, which was very warm by now, and gulped down his sandwich. Moments later, he was doubled over in pain from the food poisoning. He had to use the bathroom in the bus over and over again. Soon all the band members exited the bus to perform their very important musical numbers, but Brad was missing. Two of his friends searched for him and found him at the back of the bus lying on the floor, doubled up in pain. Both friends had just been ordained Elders so they gave him a blessing using the Priesthood. Instantly Brad felt better, they exited the bus, and the band won the contest. But more importantly, the two young elders had been found worthy to give a blessing on the spot. Oh, that we might always keep ourselves pure enough to call upon the priesthood at any time.



The faith of a Three-Year Old

Sister Barbara Thompson told the story in General Conference this morning of staying with her neices aged 3 and 5 in Boise, Idaho. For Family Home Evening, the Dad and Mom acted out (no not Adam and Eve) the story of Lehi's dream. The mom was the iron rod (the word of God) and had the children hang on to her tightly while the dad who was acting like the muddy water (the evil of the world) tried to pull the children away. It was a great and memorable lesson and they had fun. At the end of the lesson and refreshments, the mother asked the children to remember to pray for the Bishop who needed surgery on his eyes. The three year old little girl then prayed for the Bishop that Heavenly Father would fix his broken eyes. The next day was Sunday. In Church, there was the Bishop conducting the meeting. The little three year old and the five year old knowing looked at the bishop and then at each other and said to each other "Heavenly Father fixed the bishop's broken eyes."

Questions:

1. What was the little boy's most prized possession and why?

2. What makes a Priesthood blessing work and why should we follow that example?

3. What did the little three year old pray for and what was her reaction at Church? What should we pray for?

An Experiment In Human Behavior

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold December morning. He played 6 Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that more than 1000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule

A minute later the violinist received his first dollar bill--then a woman threw money in the open lid of his violin case and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. The one who paid the most attention was a three-year old boy. His mother hurried him along, but the boy stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all of the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All of the parents without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only six people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed he had stopped playing. No one applauded nor was there any recognition given.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth three and one-half million dollars. Two days before his little experiment playing the violin in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats cost $100.

This was a true story.



Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The setting for this test was in a common everyday environment at an inappropriate hour. One must ask this about us a society: do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musician in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things in life are we missing?

I remember a talk given by President Packer where a man in a busy city heard a bird chirping but noticed that no one else was paying attention. So the man tossed a coin into the air and let it land on the pavement. All of the sudden there was silence as people stopped and looked for the coin that had dropped.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What is the most important message in the world today?

2. How can we pay attention to that message?

3. What is our responsibility toward others with the message?

Great Stories From Family History - Honesty

Above is a picture of Greatgrandpa and Greatgrandma Robison. They have 4 children, 19 grandchildren, and 16 greatgrandchildren as of today. On Sunday, February 1, 2009, Greatgrandpa Robison and his oldest grandson Reid Justin blessed Justin and Lisa's twins, Henry and James. The photo was taken on the blessing day.

Grandpa Robison was born 57 years ago next month in Delta, Utah. It was on the 27th day of March. Grandpa's mom and dad had been married almost a year and Greatgrandpa Robison had just been employed by the Farmers' Home Administration, a branch of the Federal Government that made loans to farmers.

Here is a story related by Aunt Elizabeth, who recently had the opportunity to talk to Greatgrandpa Robison about what it was like at the time he was hired:

"When he first started his job in Delta, the office would sent him out to hold office hours at different county field offices so borrowers could come in an ask him questions about their loans and the rules, regulations and climate conditions, crop advice etc. Most of the time no one came. So he was paid to sit there for hours and hours waiting.

What would you do with the time? Would you read a book, the newspaper, a magazine, the scriptures? Would you prepare a church lesson and justify that you were doing something religious on work time? Greatgrandpa Robison said the time did not belong to him. Greatgrandpa Robison felt it wasn't honest to do something non government related with the time they were paying for.... so he memorized the Farmer's Home Administration rule manual. No one else went to that effort. Whenever he was up for a promotion, they would interview him and ask him questions about the
agency, and he knew the answers right off the top of his head. He became the unofficial "rule expert" because he knew the rules and how to apply and interpret the rules without even looking them up. No one in the agency knew the rules like he did.

When Jim Lee, a big official in the head office came out from Washington D.C. the leaders of Farmers' Home Administration in Montana wanted to impress him so they assigned Greatgrandpa Robison to work with him. Mr. Lee realized what a gem Greatgrandpa was knowing the agency from start to finish and took him to Washington D.C. as a national rules expert."

This was all because greatgrandpa Robison did not "steal time" from the government by sitting idle while on the payroll. And he did not tell Aunt Elizabeth this experience. She dug it out of him because they were driving by one of the old field office territories in Fillmore and he said that he used to spend a lot of time here and Aunt Elizabeth asked why and finally got the story out of him.

Don't Judge Too Quickly

Probably, the best known of the scriptures on not judging is "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (3 Nephi 14:1, Matthew 7:1). We must hold back from making final judgments on people, because we don't have the knowledge and the wisdom to do so. We would even apply the wrong standards by which to judge people. Unfortunately, in this day and age, the way of the world is to make comparisons between winners and losers. The Lord's way of final judgment will be to evaluate us with his perfect knowledge of the law a person has received and to judge us on the basis of our our own circumstances, motives, and actions throughout our whole life (see Luke 12:47­48, John 15:22, 2 Nephi 9:25). My mission president's daughter spoke frequently at BYU devotionals. Her husband Rex Lee, was the president. She once said: "The Lord does not grade on a curve." He will judge us in terms of "qualities," not "quotas" (in Janet G. Lee, "The Lord Doesn't Grade on a Curve," BYU 1994­95 Devotional and Fireside Speeches [Provo: Brigham Young University, 1995], pp. 91, 93).

Look at each of the following video clips and notice everyday examples of how people judge innocently but how the people they are judging did not do anything wrong:












In the June 1991, Ensign, I remember a story about not judging shared by a BYU profess, Arthur R. Bassett. He stated that while teaching an institute class, “I was troubled when one person whispered to another all through the opening prayer. The guilty parties were not hard to spot because they continued whispering all through the class. I kept glaring at them, hoping that they would take the hint, but they didn’t seem to notice. Several times during the hour, I was tempted to ask them to take their conversation outside if they felt it was so urgent—but fortunately something kept me from giving vent to my feelings.

“After the class, one of them came to me and apologized that she hadn’t explained to me before class that her friend was deaf. The friend could read lips, but since I was discussing—as I often do—with my back to the class, writing at the chalkboard and talking over my shoulder, my student had been ‘translating’ for her friend, telling her what I was saying. To this day I am thankful that both of us were spared the embarrassment that might have occurred had I given vent to a judgment made without knowing the facts” (“Floods, Winds, and the Gates of Hell,” Ensign, June 1991, 8).

In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin cautions us about judging without knowing all the facts:

Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just--

But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. . . .

And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance. [Mosiah 4:17,­18,22]

Activity:

Discuss ways we can not be quick to judge.
Evaluate each of the video clips and recommend how the observer could learn not to judge.
Learn out to always assume the best of people. Remember this French saying: "it is a very thin crepe that does not have two sides." Discuss the meaning of this quote.

Follow Up Lesson to the Parable of the Ten Virgins

Lamps - lamp of testimony
Oil - oil of conversion

Reread the Parable of the Ten Virgins by adding those words and it gives new meaning

Lesson: They who were foolish too no oil with them.

Were the five virgins who had oil selfish?

Ponder this - oil of conversion can not be borrowed from someone else. The peace the gospel brings is seldomly transferred to someone else.

Each of us must get our own oil. The oil comes one drop at a time. There is no shortcut available. Line upon line. Precept upon precept.

We must come to a knowledge of the truth and be converted unto the Lord. In so doing, we will never fall away.

Preparing for Family Home Evening - Comp Study

Missionaries are supposed to study together for an hour every day.

We have tried and tried...

...just not possible!

But occasionally we hit it hard

Want to see what a Mom and Dad study session looks like?

Our topic was 'conversion'

We researched the question: What are we asking investigators to do for enduring conversion?

We looked at Lehi's dream:

Continually holding fast to the word
Fell Down
Ate Fruit
Heeded not the people mocking them

We studied Enos's story:

Words of Christ sunk deep into the heart
Cried for Soul - Repented
Received forgiveness
Began to Pray for Others

We then went to King Benjamin's Discourse

Prepared to hear as families
Gave thanks
Prepared by the king to listen to the words of an Angel
Fell to the earth
Viewed their carnal state
Asked for mercy through atonement
Received joy, remission of sins, peace of conscience through knowledge of God and the Atonement
Cared about others
Hearts were Changed
Made a covenant to Always remember Christ
Took their names - appointed Priests and Teachers to stir them up to remembrance

Then over to Alma the Younger:(also look at Alma Sr. - taught by revelation, realized he was wrong and went about the repentance process)

Almas the Younger was - Taught revelation by an angel
Fell Down
Tribulation torment, wracked with pain
Prayed for mercy
Remembers pain no more
soul filled with joy
Went out to help others

Studying the impact on the people Alma taught:

Heard words spoken by Alma
Humbled
Hearts changed
Trusted God
Faithful to the End

Now, look at the story of King Lamoni:

Inspired by Ammon
Ammon discerned his thoughts, taught him doctrine
King believes
Cries for Mercy
Falls Down
Dark Veil of Unbelief was cast away - Light comes

Finally - examine the story of King Lamoni's father:

Hard-hearted
Seeds the goodness of Ammon
Wants to learn
Taught doctrine and scripture
Repents Calls on Christ in Faith
Falls down

Whoops - one more: Anti-Nephi-Lehis:

Freely hear missionaries (learned doctrine and scripture)
Convinced of the wickedness of fathers
Brought to knowledge of the Lord
Believe New Traditions
Brought to Knowledge of God
Taught by Spirit of Revelation and Prophecy
Had Miracles in Them
Converted Unto Lord
Never Fell Away
Weapons Buried Deep

Now to make connections to all of these experiences, we need a framework on which to hang these points:

Look at the Description of Conversion in Moroni 8:25-26

Repentance brings baptism brings faith unto commandments brings remission of sins brings meekness which brings lowliness of heart which brings a visitation of the Holy Ghost which brings hope and love which brings diligence which brings prayer unto God with Love of God.

The other scripture that gives the pattern of all these stories to illustrate conversion is Helaman 15:8

Note also Alma 23:6 - converted unto the Lord, never did fall away











It kind of reminds us of that nice 'seminary study room' we had in Millcroft with all the chalkboards

We are going to have FUN with you at home!

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

In interpreting the parables of the Savior, we need to be careful to not put our own interpretations on display in such a way that might detract from what the Savior intended. However, we believe in prophets, seers and revelators. When they interpret scripture, we are on solid footing.

Today, Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed the saints of the Caribbean in a Regional Conference and spoke of the difference between testimony and enduring conversion. The Parable of the Ten Virgins is an excellent lesson to use in illustrating the importance of not living merely on the testimony of our conversion. In likening the scriptures to us, he added the words "of testimony" to references to "lamp' and "of conversion" to references to "oil."

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps of testimony, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps of testimony, and took no oil of conversion with them:
4 But the wise took oil of conversion in their vessels with their lamps of testimony.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps of testimony.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil of conversion; for our lamps of testimony are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Questions:

1. Were the 5 wise virgins being selfish in not sharing their oil with the 5 foolish virgins? Why?

2. Is conversion something that can be postponed, or do we need to be adding to it constantly? How?

Summary:

The oil of conversion cannot be borrowed from someone else. Each of us must earn it for ourselves. Oil of conversion comes one drop at a time. There is no shortcut available. We must learn line upon line, precept upon precept.

A House of Order

Elder and Sister Bednar were recently visiting one of their married children and his family. When they were leaving, their son said, as is the custom in their family, "Dad and Mom, Do you have any suggestions for us that we could improve upon?"

Elder Bednar said, "well, your home is clean but cluttered. The Spirit of the Lord can not dwell in a cluttered home. You have a baby. You are raising that baby where the Spirit of the Lord can not be felt."

When they arrived home in Salt Lake that night, there waiting on the internet were photos of their son's apartment. They had gone to the local Home Depot and purchased shelving units and had reorganized their living quarters.


For Family Home Evening, I thought you might consider this topic - Making a House of Order. As a Latter-day Saints, we are very interested in putting our own homes in order, and in having peace through order.

Here is sample language "Tonight we are going to talk to our two-year-old about how and why we clean up. Then we will go through his dresser and pull out all of the clothes that are too small and store them. The lesson also suggests other ordering activities."

Lehi's Dream - FHE Activity

Lehi's Dream

Do you remember the picture Jeremy chose at the Church Museum of Art. We were on a trip to Utah and let him pick out a poster. The one on Lehi's dream is the one he picked. So, here is the drill: Gather the family round about the kitchen table for this activity. Come stocked with pencils, markers, crayons, stickers etc. You will also need a large poster board or piece of butcher paper and the scriptures.

As you read the story of Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 8) to the family, have everyone take part in recreating the vision on paper. All the family will enjoy participating in this. The youngest children are skilled enough to scribble in a believable mist of darkness. Everyone can add a piece of fruit to the tree. If you have an aspiring artist, let him or her create the large and spacious building with intricate architecture. The mathmetician in the family can make sure the strait and narrow path is precise. And so on for all the parts of the dream.

It really doesn't matter if the youngest kids add their touch to the entire paper. Just ask the older kids to figure out creative ways to incorporate the little scribbles and odd markings into their design. When the poster is done, it can be hung up as a good reminder of the lesson for the week. Hopefully upon seeing it, everyone will remember to hold to the rod!

While the story is being told, or after the picture is completed, discuss Nephi's experience with Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 11)so that all can know the interpretation of each item drawn.

A good treat for this activity would be some new types of fruit that your family hasn't tried before or doesn't get to have often. Make sure that it is a good, yummy sweet fruit!

A good song choice is "The Iron Rod" on page 274 of the hymn book.

Lehi's Dream Is For All Of Us

Here is an assignment for each of you. First I'll tell you a little about our experience this week.

We gathered with Elder Bednar and Elder Gonzales (of the presidency of the 70) and their wives as well as the Caribbean Area Presidency from Sunday evening through Wednesday lunch. It was a wonderful and needful experience for our missions as well as our families. There are some things we need to be doing to stay safe - I mean spiritually safe during the times ahead.

Here is the question I tried to find answers to during our training:

How can we stay steadfast, firm, and immovable during challenging times?

By challenging, I don't just mean difficult, I mean times when our beliefs will be challenged.

This, of course, relates to our children as well as ourselves - how do we help them become firm?

We spent most of our time learning how to learn by the spirit. Elder Bednar said that members of the church are pretty good at understanding what it means to teach by the spirit, but we rarely think about learning by the spirit. We actually did it rather than talk about it. He firmly believes that the best way to learn by the spirit is to act. That means when we are teaching classes or our children we need to invite them to do things rather than just sit and listen. Elder Bednar got us to act by having us share questions we had, answering questions he posed, reading scriptures, and sharing our ideas based on those scriptures. He didn't at all mind standing quietly waiting for us to contribute. He didn't jump into uncomfortable silences - he just waited. He also gave us homework (application) assignments to do during each break and at the end of each session - mostly to work on answering questions or figure out how to take what we learned back to our missions. We can do these same things in our families.

Why did we spend so much time learning to learn by the spirit? Because that is what will protect us. That is the way we receive our own testimonies and understanding of gospel truth.

We need that.

The children need that.

So - in keeping with that method of teaching, here is a way each of you can 'act' in order to learn by the spirit what we need to do to stay firm:

Read 1 Nephi 8 as couples or families. Go through it carefully verse by verse and figure out what the difference is between people who stayed firm and those who didn't. Share what you learned in comments. You may be lead to do answer new questions or find more scriptures - go for it!

I think it would be fun to work as families and draw a picture or make a list about what each group did as they approached the tree. Acting out each groups actions might help find differences.

Here is something to give you a jump start - Elder Bednar said the tree is Christ and the fruit is the Atonement. If you read on into 1 Ne 11 and 12, you will get more definitions of the symbols.

I think it is a perfect story for the kids to enjoy and analyze. You could ask them things like:

• Why do you think those people ate the fruit and then fell away?
• What is the large and spacious building?
• What would you do if someone made fun of you for being a Mormon?

Our Youngest Son is a Star

Family Home Evenings are fun! The grandchildren will love this as Jamie's fame grows and grows!

Who says bands are bad? This one is clean and very, very good!

They're Here! My Semi- Annual Glue-ins from General Conference

Every General Conference time, I love the Thursday following General Conference for that is when the talks are on line. Here are my take-away glue'ins for October 2008.

Elder Andersen - Be Steady

We (must)remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord’s answer will be, “You don’t know everything, but you know enough”—enough to keep the commandments and to do what is right. Remember Nephi’s words: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things. (First Nephi 11:17)

Elder Andersen - Faith is a Decision

"As I laid my hands upon his head, I felt to tell him something that I had not thought about in exactly the same way before. The impression that came to me was: Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. He would need to choose faith.
My friend did not know everything, but he knew enough. He chose the road of faith and obedience. He got on his knees. His spiritual balance returned." (Mark 5:36)

Elder Holland (quoted by Elder Oaks) - Wear White Shirts

“May I suggest that wherever possible a white shirt be worn by the deacons, teachers, and priests who handle the sacrament. For sacred ordinances in the Church we often use ceremonial clothing, and a white shirt could be seen as a gentle reminder of the white clothing you wore in the baptismal font and an anticipation of the white shirt you will soon wear into the temple and onto your missions” (“This Do in Remembrance of Me,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 68). (D&C 20:77)

Elder Oaks - How to Stay Clean

How can we have the Spirit of the Lord to guide our choices so that we will remain “unspotted from the world” and on the safe path through mortality? We need to qualify for the cleansing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We do this by keeping His commandment to come to Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and in that wonderful weekly meeting partake of the emblems of the sacrament and make the covenants that qualify us for the precious promise that we will always have His Spirit to be with us (D&C 59:9).

Elder Uchtdorf - Hope

“Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” This is the quality of hope we must cherish and develop. Such a mature hope comes in and through our Savior Jesus Christ, for “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as [the Savior] is pure.” (2 Nephi 31:20)

Elder Wirthlin - Principle of Compensation.

The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude. (Ether 12:27)


Elder Christofferson - Our greatest object - Build Zion

The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object" (Teachings: Joseph Smith, 186). In our families and in our stakes and districts, let us seek to build up Zion through unity, godliness, and charity, preparing for that great day when Zion, the New Jerusalem, will arise. he Lord called Enoch's people Zion "because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them" (Moses 7:18). Elsewhere He said, "For this is Zion—the pure in heart" (D&C 97:21).

Elder Bednar - Counsel with Lord in Everything

Principle #1. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our doings (see Alma 37:37).

Elder Bednar - Express Gratitude in our Prayers More Often

Principle #2. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we express heartfelt gratitude. (Mosiah 26:39)

Elder Bednar - Pray with real intent

Principle #3. Prayer becomes more meaningful as we pray for others with real intent and a sincere heart. (1 Nephi 1:15)

Elder Scott - Respect Women

In some cultures, tradition places a man in a role to dominate, control, and regulate all family affairs. That is not the way of the Lord. In some places the wife is almost owned by her husband, as if she were another of his personal possessions. That is a cruel, unproductive, mistaken vision of marriage encouraged by Lucifer that every priesthood holder must reject. It is founded on the false premise that a man is somehow superior to a woman. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The scriptures confirm that Father in Heaven saved His greatest, most splendid, supreme creation, woman, to the end. Only after all else was completed was woman created. Only then was the work pronounced complete and good. (Moses 4:17-19; Moses 5:10-11.)

Elder Jensen - Arms of Safety - The Sacrament

The section heading to Doctrine and Covenants 110 gives the context for one of our most relevant verses about enjoying arms of safety. Following this sacred ordinance (passing the Sacrament), Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery retired to pray in private. Following the prayer, the Savior appeared to these two men and said, "Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice" (D&C 110:5). The sequence of events in the Kirtland Temple in 1836 parallels our day and is likened to us. Sabbath after Sabbath, you (who)administer the sacrament to the Saints, who come to sacrament meeting prayerfully, hungering for spiritual healing, hoping, pleading to hear in their minds and hearts these words: "Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice" (D&C 110:5).


Elder Uchtdorf - Lift Where We Stand

Although it may seem simple, lifting where we stand is a principle of power. Most ... live by this principle. They are eager to roll up their sleeves and go to work, whatever that work might be. They faithfully perform their priesthood duties. They magnify their callings. They serve the Lord by serving others. They stand close together and lift where they stand. However, there are those who sometimes struggle with this concept. And when they do, they seem to fall into one of two camps: either they seek to lead, or they seek to hide. They covet a crown or a cave.No calling is beneath us. Every calling provides an opportunity to serve and to grow. The Lord organized the Church in a way that offers each member an opportunity for service, which, in turn, leads to personal spiritual growth. Whatever your calling, I urge you to see it as an opportunity not only to strengthen and bless others but also to become what Heavenly Father wants you to become. May we cease to aspire and cease to retire! (Matt 20:27)

President Monson - Always Accept Callings

President Harold B. Lee said: “When one becomes a holder of the priesthood, he becomes an agent of the Lord. He should think of his calling as though he were on the Lord’s errand.” Now, some of you may be shy by nature or consider yourselves inadequate to respond affirmatively to a calling. Remember that this work is not yours and mine alone. It is the Lord’s work, and when we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that the Lord will shape the back to bear the burden placed upon it. (D&C 107:99)

Elder Holland - Angels Go Before Us

From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children. The scriptures or our own latter-day history, are filled with accounts of angels ministering to those on earth. Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. But most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times. (D&C 84_88)

Family Discusson on October 2008 General Conference

Here are some glue-in type quotes and personal impressions I had during October 2008 LDS General Conference. (Please add yours.)

President Monson - Be good citizens and neighbors and reach out to those of other faiths.

President Uchtdorf - Whether moving a grand piano from the chapel to the cultural hall, or serving in some other capacity, "Lift where you stand". (I appreciated the counsel he gave of cease to aspire...cease to retire.)

President Eyring - Skillful peacemakers search for anything on which opposing parties agree. (This is like finding 'safe space' in crucial conversations.)

Elder Ballard - Our challenges are not any more severe than those of the early saints--they are just different. We're not required to walk across the continent for the church, but rather just across the street to share the gospel message with our neighbors. (Do we open our mouths where ever we go and ask about the Church? Remember those golden questions - would you like to know more about the Church? Or what about the referral dialogue - who do you know and who else do you know who would be interested in our message?)

Elder Hales - We should answer contention with kindness. We should communicate using such means as letters to newspaper editors and blog comments to correct errors of fact, but we should always be cordial. We should speak out to help others understand the truth, but never to score points or to defend our egos. (This is correlated to Elder Ballard's directive last December to get involved in blogs by pronouncing our message to the world.)

Elder Scott - Husbands should show respect to their wives by taking charge of Family Home Evening and other activities. We should pay them more compliments. Bishops should show more respect for the insights of women on the ward council. Priesthood leaders should respect women's opinions and perspectives as much as their husbands'. (I particularly remember the reference to bad culture. We live in a society in the Caribbean where women have not been respected as they should have been and often are down-trodden. We need to show by example and how we speak that this is wrong and is not God's culture.)


President Monson - told the story of a man who cancelled an emergency business appointment because 'the circus keeps coming back, but childhood doesn't. Also said that the fingerprints on those things around the home that you have just cleaned will disappear all too soon, so cherish them while they're there. (There is not a day that goes by where I do not long for the days when the 5 J's were young and at home. I loved the close-knit feeling of being with our family.)

Elder Cook - With the current economic crisis, there is great concern throughout the world. There will in the future be more lean years as well as plentiful years, but if we're prepared in either event, everything will be alright for us. (This is great comfort to me in light of what is happening to our savings right now in the financial crisis experienced in the Stock Market.)


President Packer - During July 24th, 1849 celebration, the Saints in the Salt Lake Valley celebrated their patriotism to the United States despite the fact that Congress had not come to their assistance when they were losing $2 million in property and had otherwise been been persecuted for their faith. (It is not 1830 and there are not just 12 of us is what President Hinckley used to say. We have made alot of progress is moving forth the work of God.)

Bishop McMullin - Told the story of Chinese official who visited LDS Welfare Square and was so impressed with the integrity of the Church that he paid his fast offering in a "red pocket" envelope. He said "If the world loved like this, it would be a much better place." (But each of us can do our part in our own way to set that example by the lives we lead.)

Elder Bednar - Expressing gratitude should be an important part of prayer. "The most meaningful prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few if any requests." Ingratitude invites the wrath of God. (I love the example of connections patterns and themes demonstrated in this talk by comparing temporal creation being linked to and a continuation of the spiritual creation. In this way, Elder Bednar suggests that meaningful morning and evening prayers are linked to and are a continuation of each other.)

Elder Oaks - May I suggest that wherever possible a white shirt be worn by the deacons, teachers and priests who handle the sacrament. For sacred ordinances in the Church we often use ceremonial clothing, and a white shirt could be seen as a gentle reminder of the white clothing you wore in the baptismal font and an anticipation of the white shirt you will soon wear into the temple and on to your missions. (This was a quote Elder Oaks endorsed that was given by Elder Holland 13 years ago. It is a message that needs to be received by all Priesthood holders in the Church in preparation for attending Sacrament meeting. We should all be prepared and worthy at all times to officiate in the blessing and passing of the Sacrament if asked.)

Elder Andersen - said that "we don't know everything, but that we know enough." We each have moments of spiritual power, moments of inspiration and revelation. We must sink them deep into the chambers of our soul. As we do, we prepare our spiritual home storage for moments of personal difficulty. Jesus said: “Settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you.” (To strengthen our own testimonies, I remember the teaching of President Packer who said that a testimony is to be found in the bearing of it.

As you have Family Home Evening this week, why not have each member of the family tell their favorite General Conference memory? Remember that tradition in our family? Your posts and reactions are welcome....