Eloquence of Heaven

Posted: 27 Dec 2009 11:00 PM PST

"The Savior counseled that we should pray for those who 'despitefully use' us (Matthew 5:44). This principle is often overlooked in our prayers. The Prophet Joseph Smith understood it clearly. His petitions were fervent, his motives pure, and the blessings of heaven regular."Daniel Tyler, an associate of the Prophet, recalled an important occasion:" 'At the time William Smith and others rebelled against the Prophet [at Kirtland], . . . I attended a meeting . . . where "Joseph" presided. Entering the school-house a little before [the] meeting opened, and gazing upon the man of God, I perceived sadness in his countenance and tears trickling down his cheeks. . . . A few moments later a hymn was sung and he opened the meeting by prayer. Instead of facing the audience, however, he turned his back and bowed upon his knees, facing the wall. This, I suppose, was done to hide his sorrow and tears." 'I had heard men and women pray—especially the former—from the most ignorant, both as to letters and intellect, to the most learned and eloquent, but never until then had I heard a man address his Maker as though He was present listening as a kind father would listen to the sorrows of a dutiful child. Joseph was at that time unlearned, but that prayer, which was to a considerable extent in behalf of those who accused him of having gone astray and fallen into sin, [was] that the Lord would forgive them and open their eyes that they might see aright—that prayer, I say, to my humble mind, partook of the learning and eloquence of heaven. There was no ostentation, no raising of the voice as by enthusiasm, but a plain conversational tone, as a man would address a present friend. It appeared to me as though, in case the vail were taken away, I could see the Lord standing facing His humblest of all servants I had ever seen. . . . It was the crowning . . . of all the prayers I ever heard' (Juvenile Instructor, Feb. 1892, 127–28)."


James E. Faust,

My Testimony

my prayer was answered last night....my feet and toes were so cold i couldn't sleep so i asked God to warm them....and in a moment they were WARM ! thank you Lord for your tender mercies for all of us !

MY LIFE

WE WILL SUCCEED ! Tom and Mavis Bassett

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going!" Dee Pankratz



About Me: I grew up in Boise Idaho, went to Whitney grade school, South Junior High,played football, ran track, and sang in the choir at Borah High, Ricks College. Came to Provo, Utah in 1976, drove dump truck for Geneva Rock for 3 years, married Mavis Hadley from Montour, Idaho (by Emmett) in 1979, sold cars for 28 years now,I retired in June with ALS..we have 2 beautiful daughters Bambi and Brooke, and Bambi has Alyssa, Brooke has Brynlee and Brielle..it's awesome! I came to Provo when I found out for myself that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was true when I read the Book of Mormon and asked God in prayer April 6th, 1976. He answered my prayer and I felt a burning confirmation in my heart from the Holy Ghost that it was true! I asked if Joseph Smith was a true Prophet, and if the Book of Mormon was true, and I recieved the same confirmation. IT's True, and I'm proud to tell the whole world about it. Jesus Christ is our savior and is going to come again soon. Families can be together forever when you receive the saving ordinances in the Temples. You can find out for yourself too, just read the Book of Mormon free, go to www.scripture.lds.org . Our website is www.tmcfamilyfoundation.org
I just found out I have ALS disease. My heart goes out to the 5000 other folks each year that no

maybe some help !

California-based Isis Pharmaceuticals may have discovered an effective treatment for Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease--a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

The treatment, ISIS-SOD1RX, is designed to shut down the RNA that enables the production of disease-causing proteins. This new approach to inhibit the production of these types of proteins was developed by Isis as part of its "Antisense" drug platform that could potentially be used to treat a variety of neurological disorders, including Parkinson's and Huntington's disease.

Isis has targeted RNA molecules because they affect the expression of all genes. RNA is also a simpler molecule than proteins in that it is composed of four fundamental building blocks called nucleotides (A,C,U,G). Proteins are made from 20 different building blocks called amino acids.

Initially, Isis encountered problems testing its antisense treatment methods due to the molecules being too big to pass through the blood-brain barrier when they are delivered by conventional injection under the skin. The blood-brain barrier is a physiological mechanism that alters the permeability of brain capillaries, so that some substances such as certain drugs, are prevented from entering brain tissue, while other substances are allowed to enter freely.

Isis developed a reformulated version that could be delivered through infusion with a spinal tap device. This novel treatment, which Massachusetts-based Genzyme has an option to co-develop, is being prepared for an upcoming clinical trial later this year.

some thoughts

I'm getting weaker now. I go to Gold's gym every morning. I used to lift weights but now I go swim and do isometrics. It's harder to get out of the pool now I noticed yesterday. I don't want to give this up too!

The storm just now hit Provo. Summer is gone, I love the fall colors and crisp air.

I love my family, and the Lord !

this story is like mine now !

Faith and fearlessness
A couple of years ago, Cliff Williams delivered a sermon.

"What would happen if you had a year to live?" he asked his congregation at The Rock Christian Missionary Alliance in Nampa. "What would you do differently?"

He delivered that sermon standing on his own two feet. He reflects on that sermon, now that he can no longer preach - in the wheelchair from which he can barely stand without assistance.

"I've always said live like you're dying because we are."

There is no irony in his voice as he tells the story, nor regret or worry. But 13 months ago, Cliff noticed a twitch in his right arm. It was apparent playing basketball and softball. And he was tired a lot.

When he dropped something and the twitch went into his shoulder and stayed, he made an appointment with a neurologist.

"I went in there thinking this was no big deal. He started looking me over and got real serious. He said my pre-diagnosis (confirmed later) was ALS. I said, 'what is that?' He said, 'Lou Gehrig's disease.' I knew it was bad."

In ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), nerve cells are gradually lost, muscles become weaker and then nonfunctional. Eventually, a person with ALS is paralyzed.

"I walked out the door and everything looked different. When they tell you (that) you have a terminal disease, the world looks a whole lot different."

One thing that isn't different, however, is the way he lives his life. In his answer to the questions his sermon raised, Cliff is content. "I have my faith. I live what I preach," he says.

But he is, in fact, also dying what he preaches.

"The Bible says there is a purpose behind all things É I've seen glimpses of this. (Which is) to understand how to die. And to help my friends and family know that - in the midst of this - I still have faith and trust God."

As his body has deteriorated, Cliff remains firm in his faith at the thought of death. The process of dying, however, is harder. Though there are those who live a long and productive life with ALS, the idea of a keen mind trapped in a paralyzed body can be terrifying.

"Every time I think I can't handle it, I do."

"With every setback, you can get depressed," says Cliff, paraphrasing Morrie Schwartz, a character in the book "Tuesdays with Morrie," who also had ALS. The original quote was published in a book called " In His Own Words."

"Give yourself the freedom to be depressed - but don't stay there."

"I have setbacks almost daily. That's how fast (the disease) is going through my body. I don't even have time to be depressed.

"Live each day (that's what I say). Every day's a new day. I wake up and say, thank you, Lord, for giving me this day. I'm going to make the best of it."

Knowing your diagnosis is both good and bad, Cliff says, but knowing when you're going to die is "a privilege." In part, this means he has time to make amends, forgive what needs forgiven, and fix what needs fixed to end his life with no regrets.

"My life has been serving others. Sometimes, it's difficult to watch people serve me - I don't feel like I deserve it. (But) I know they love me. They're getting a blessing serving us. The Bible says it's better to give than receive - you really do get blessed when you give yourself away."

Indeed, members of his congregation and the Nampa Fire Department, where he is a chaplain, have helped the Williamses move into a new, accessible home, with a garden in the back, complete with a winding path wide enough for a wheelchair.

That he isn't going to be able to enjoy it very long - that hurts, he says. But he does not venture far into "why me?"

"I would rather have this than somebody else. É Rain falls on the just and unjust alike, the Bible says. As Job (in the Bible) says, can I accept the good without the bad? É There are people going through a whole lot worse than me in the world."

Cliff and his wife, Wendy, and four children (all in their 20s) speak openly about Cliff's disease, their plans as his body hits benchmarks of deterioration, his funeral, their lives after his death. They've had family meetings to talk about the last part of his journey.

His wife, Wendy: "We are doing really well about releasing him. É We want our hearts to be in a place of healing already.

"A lot of people don't have time to prepare themselves. Usually the person is gone and then the healing begins. É Even though it's a painful process, it's a gift to him. He's helping the kids, letting go of a normal part of life - we get to share the process."

Cliff has written letters to each of his children and grandchildren, and made videos of fatherly advice for when he would not be around to give it. He taped his role in his son's wedding in November, and taped a wedding dance with his daughter for her eventual (still hypothetical) wedding. "In a (borrowed) wedding dress and tux. It was sweet," says his daughter Chelsea. "Emotional, but sweet."

"I don't know how long, probably months I have left. I'm definitely ready, even though it's hard to leave my family."

Wendy refers to a conversation between Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings, and makes it the story of herself and her husband:

"I won't be able to carry his burden, but I will try to help carry him. We cry a lot. It helps with the healing."

© 2009 Idaho Statesman

Do you know someone "living from the heart"? Photojournalist Katherine Jones spotlights someone in the Treasure Valley who influences our lives not only by what they do, but how and why they do it. Do you know someone we should know? Call 377-6414 or e-mail kjones@ idahostatesman.com.


Katherine Jones / kjones@idahostatesman.com

"The last part of this journey is really hard," says Cliff Williams, 51, who was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, more than a year ago. "I pray É I really felt the Lord saying for me to die with dignity and grace É" Cliff and his family talk freely about the journey that Cliff is taking - one in which his family and extended family "is walking with him, helping him to his final destination," says his wife, Wendy.

Cliff and Wendy Williams formed a foundation called ALS - A Legacy of Service, which helps people go on short-term mission trips. Cliff went on more than a dozen such trips to Mexico, El Salvador and Congo.

"It impacted me to see how a huge part of the world lives in poverty, just oppressed," Cliff said. "And watching what short-term mission trips did for young people - a catalyst for serving others. To get out of their selfish, self-centered mindset and say, what can I do to make a difference?"

Search on Facebook causes for Cliff Williams ALS - A Legacy of Service - Foundation.

The foundation will sponsor a half-marathon and 5K race in Marsing on Nov. 7.

"The last part of this journey is really hard," says Cliff Williams, 51, who was diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, more than a year ago. "I pray É I really felt the Lord saying for me to die with dignity and grace É"

Wendy: "We are learning how to live in the moment. None of us knows the future. We will all be in this place someday, ready to die."

Cliff: "(We need) to try and have joy in the midst of suffering. To look for the good in people and in life - there's a lot of good. The disease has made me really stop and reflect a whole lot more."

Learn about ALS

http://www.als-mda.org/disease/als.html

MORMON SISTER KNIGHT

Gladys Knight Tells Floridians, "This is the Light"
By Geoffrey Biddulph

Gladys Knight and her 60-person choir of Latter-day Saints gave four
performances for more than 5,000 people in southern Florida last week.

"This is the way, this is the light," she said in teary testimony
regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Gladys Knight is famous worldwide for such songs as "I Heard it Through
the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia." Over the weekend, she,
along with her choir and a three-person band gave four shows to
thousands of members and non-member investigators, who crowded into the
Fort Lauderdale Florida stake center building. They heard Knight's
renditions of "Because I have been Given Much" and "I am a Child of
God," as well as several Gospel songs that are not in the Church hymn book.

Knight sang several solos, but she also directed several choir members
who also took the stage alone. They sang songs such as "Uphold Me with
Thy Sweet Spirit" and "Oh, How I Love Jesus" with a swelling choir
behind them.

The highlight of the evening was certainly when the famed singer and her
husband both gave their testimonies of the restored gospel.

"It is indeed a miracle that I belong to this church," Sister Knight
said. "The image of the Church in the past has not been conducive to my
being here. It shows His hand in motion. An African-American woman: Who
knew I would have a calling such as this?"

Knight has indeed been given a special calling by the Brethren to travel
throughout the world giving her testimony both in speech and through
song. Given her fame and her reputation, she may be a vessel for
bringing thousands of tens of thousands to investigate the Church.

Several years ago, Gladys Knight's son was the first member of her
family to look at the Church. After he got baptized, her daughter came next.

Sister Knight described her search for God's true church, which came
after the baptism of her children:

"I was raised in a Baptist home. We spent all day on Sunday at church. I
was kind of all over the place religiously. I was a Baptist and then a
Catholic and then I went to several other churches. I was seeking. There
was something good in every one of those churches, but I thought there's
got to be more. My daughter Kenya said, 'talk to the missionaries. ' I
fell in love right away. They were respectful, and the first thing they
said was,
'Can we pray?' I believe in the power of prayer. They told me, 'You
check it out.' I got on my knees and asked the Lord, and I got my
answer. I couldn't wait for my next lessons. I said I wanted to get
baptized tomorrow."

Very soon after that, she was baptized.

Her husband, William McDowell, gave an eloquent and humor-laced
testimony about his courtship and marriage to one of the most famous
singers around.

They met because he was the manager of a spa in San Diego. "As Gladys
kept traveling around the world, and I kept on traveling around San
Diego, it was common knowledge Gladys has lost her mind and had joined
those Mormons," Brother McDowell said.

He would go to visit her in Las Vegas and, "There were a lot of young
men on bicycles who kept on visiting — hungry young men on bicycles."

McDowell added, "They kept on saying they belonged to the true church of
Jesus Christ. I was raised very Baptist by god-fearing people, my
grandparents. How could they not be members of the true church?"

But McDowell said he went to seminary and read The Book of Mormon and
then got on his knees and asked, and "I received the answers. My
grandparents had prepared me to recognize the Truth when I saw it."

He acknowledged his brother, who was in the audience, and said, "This is
the first time he has heard my testimony. Hopefully I can bring my
family to a truth. The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored. It was
restored by a young boy, Joseph Smith, who in a field saw God the Father
and Jesus Christ."

McDowell continued, "Take the time to research and find out for
yourself. Take the time to pick up The Book of Mormon. Ask whether it is
true. If you want to see a miracle, just think that Gladys Knight is
running a choir in the Mormon Church."

He then introduced his wife as "Gladys Knight McDowell," and she sang a
song to which Brother McDowell wrote the lyrics — "He Lives." It was a
very moving song about the Savior that Knight sang to a misty-eyed crowd.

"I have to give this testimony of mine," Knight said. "I have no other
choice. Sometimes the truth is right before you and you don't see it."

Knight said that it has sometimes been difficult for her to tell people
she is a Mormon. "But this is the true church. It has the 12 apostles,
just like Jesus' church. Just like the people in Jesus' day, we need to
look farther for the truth. The people in those days got the same
ridicule we get today. I was willing to risk that for the honor of
serving him."

She asked non-members in the audience, "At least see for yourselves. At
least be obedient to that end." She then went into the audience to shake
hands and give hugs to the many people who adore her.

Mission President Noel Reynolds said his missionaries received 425 solid
referrals from the event.

"The missionaries from the Haitian branch brought 17 people, and one
young lady asked to be baptized right away after hearing Gladys Knight's
testimony," President Reynolds said. Another ward mission leader had
been asking his father, a Baptist, to hear the discussions for year. His
father finally agreed with enthusiasm after attending the Gladys Knight
event.

The Lord Knew
Posted: 14 Sep 2009 12:00 AM PDT
"In 1830 when the Lord sent Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson to the Lamanites he added:" '. . . I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them.' (D&C 32:3.)". . . And then he said," '. . . And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. . . .' (Matt. 28:20.) . . ."Again as Mark records the events after the resurrection, he upbraided those who had some doubts about his resurrection; then commanded them:" '. . . Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' (Mark 16:15.)"And this was just before the ascension. Do you think he meant Egypt and Palestine and Greece? Do you think he included the world of 33 A.D. or the world of 1970, 1980, 1990? What was included in his phrase 'all the world' and what did he mean by 'every creature'? . . ."I am constrained to believe that at that time the Lord knew the bounds of the habitations of man and the areas that would be settled and already knew his people who would possess this world."
Spencer W. Kimball, "When the World Will Be Converted", Ensign, Oct. 1974, 4–5

Topics:

random thoughts

thanks to all my family, dear friends, and others who try to help me with this als disease in any way , with pills potions, good wishes, prayers, etc. i really do feel better with all the help. reliv, in fuse, max gxl, kangen water, chromium pricollinate, acidopholus, lithium, quinine, vit. E, B, C, omega3, are helping me last longer in this life. my heart is full as i contemplate dying///// i want to take care of my family before i go please God.

Testimony

Fire in My Bones


Posted: 28 Aug 2009 12:00 AM PDT
"As we share our testimony with others, I hope that we will have the same convincing power and enthusiasm the members had who brought the message to Brigham Young. He said:

" 'The brethren who came to preach the Gospel to me, I could easily out-talk them . . .; but their testimony was like fire in my bones; I understood the spirit of their preaching; I received that spirit; it was light, intelligence, power, and truth, and it bore witness to my spirit, and that was enough for me'

(Remarks by Brigham Young, 28 July 1861; JD 9:141)."


Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Truth Restored," BYU Devotional, August 22, 2006

Topics: Testimony

USA is the BEST

Harold B. Lee's Quote on America

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. This is the favored land in all the world. Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.
I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. (Ye Are the Light of the World, 350-51)

This Church is TRUE !! click to see...

Foundation upon Which Church Is Built

Posted: 17 Aug 2009 12:00 AM PDT

"Joseph Smith was not only a great man, but he was an inspired servant of the Lord, a prophet of God. His greatness consists in one thing—the truthfulness of his declaration that he saw the Father and the Son and that he responded to the reality of that divine revelation. . . ."For the first time in eighteen hundred years, God had revealed himself as a personal being. Furthermore, the Father and the Son demonstrated the undeniable truth that they are separate and distinct personages. Indeed, the relationship of the Father and the Son was reaffirmed by the divine introduction to the boy prophet, 'This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him.' (JS—H 1:17.) Those who were baptized into the Church on the sixth of April, 1830, believed in the existence of a personal God; they believed that his reality and the reality of his Son, Jesus Christ, constitute the eternal foundation upon which this Church is built."Once we accept Christ as divine, it is easy to visualize his Father as being just as personal as he. Christ said, 'He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.' (John 14:9.) Faith in the existence of a divine and real and living personal God was the first element that contributed to the perpetuity of the Church of Jesus Christ in ancient times, and it is the everlasting foundation upon which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is built today."


Howard W. Hunter, "The Sixth Day of April, 1830, Ensign," May 1991, 64

Topics: Joseph Smith

genealogy

Morning of the Resurrection

Posted: 14 Aug 2009 12:00 AM PDT
"I quote a letter dated January the 17th, 1889. . . . It concerns my great-grandfather, who was the first of our line in the Church, and who died a few days later, Jonathan Taylor Packer. This letter was written by a daughter-in-law to the family."After describing the distress and difficulty he had suffered for several weeks, she wrote:" 'But I will do all I can for him for I consider it my duty. I will do for him as I would like someone to do for my dear mother, for I am afraid I shall never see her again in this world.'"And then she wrote this: 'Your father says for you all to be faithful to the principles of the gospel and asks the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob upon you all, and bids you all goodbye until he meets you in the morning of the resurrection." 'Well, Martha, I can't hardly see the lines for tears, so I will stop writing. From your loving sister, Mary Ann Packer.'"I know that I shall see this great-grandfather beyond the veil, and my grandfather, and my father. And I know that I shall there also meet those of my ancestors who lived when the fulness of the gospel was not upon the earth; those who lived and died without ever hearing His name, nor having the invitation to be baptized."

Boyd K. Packer, "The Redemption of the Dead," Ensign, Nov. 1975, 99

Provide Ordinances for Ancestors

Posted: 12 Aug 2009 12:00 AM PDT

"In [an] epistle, written one hundred and fifty years ago, Joseph Smith stated: 'The Saints have the privilege of being baptized for . . . their relatives who are dead . . . who have received the gospel in the spirit . . . through . . . those who have been commissioned to preach to them. . . . Those saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation.' (History of the Church, 4:231; italics added.)

"The prophet Elijah committed the keys for vicarious work to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple (see D&C 110:13–16) to fulfill the Lord's promise that 'he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers' (D&C 2:2)."Through further revelation to Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets, there has come an understanding of and provision for temple work and the family history effort that supports it. Every prophet since Joseph Smith has emphasized the imperative need to provide all ordinances for ourselves and our deceased ancestors."
Richard G. Scott, "Redemption: The Harvest of Love, Ensign," Nov. 1990, 5

Topics: Family History

Kingdom of God
Posted: 10 Aug 2009 12:00 AM PDT
"Today I speak of keys other than those of metal. The keys I speak of never rust. These are the keys of life and salvation in the kingdom of God. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, 'I will give you a key that will never rust, if you will stay with the majority of the Twelve Apostles, and the records of the Church, you will never be led astray' (quoted in Young Woman's Journal, Dec. 1906, p. 543)."The Prophet also stated: 'The Priesthood is everlasting. The Savior, Moses, and Elias, gave the keys to Peter, James, and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured before him' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1970], p. 158; see also Matt. 17:1–3). Peter, James, and John conferred the keys of the kingdom of God upon the Prophet Joseph and ordained him to be an Apostle and a special witness of the name of the Savior and to bear the keys of his ministry. Keys that pertain to the gathering of Israel, the dispensation of Abraham, and, indispensably, the keys of sealing were conferred upon the Prophet by Moses, Elias, and Elijah in 1836."
James E. Faust, "The Keys That Never Rust," Ensign, Nov. 1994, 72

True true true I was given my High Priest keys by Roger Williams, Lindon, Utah

sunday

i love sundays, i get to stay in my room for hours and peek out at 9//////////// then read the herald till 12 and get ready for church till 4 then go eat and go back to our room till 9

yup

scripture

5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

(New Testament | Colossians 2:5 - 7)

My dear niece Angie told me that this scripture helps her cope with the loss of her dear husband Mike....who we loved and miss !

TRUTH

my thoughts precisely !!!!!!!



--
- And to all who suffer-to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely-I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in. Never surrender. Never allow despair to overcome your spirit. Embrace and
rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all
darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart .

- Pres. Uchtdorf

Temples

i went to the manti temple yesterday with my dear friend lincoln fuqua. it was awesome!! we did endowments for some indians, and then some sealings for my dads tates and lincoln's wife carol's alexanders. the staff helped me dress and get around in a wheelchair...i'm so thankful for them and the great privilege to attend the temple that my ggggreatgrandfather tom woolsey helped build in 1878-1888. the gospel is true dear reader...i know it with all of my heart !

walk

today is the 1st day of the rest of my life !!!!

i went out to get the newspaper on the street....and i felt like i was going to fall..and i wouldn't be able to get up. at 5 a.m. you can't call out and wake folks up. i'm getting weaker every day...i don't want to not walk, and give up my freedom.

GIFT

My gift to humanity is my ability to find and document their ancestors through the wonderful world wide web (internet). Sites like:

www.ancestry.com and www.onegreatfamily.com and www.familysearch.com

make it easy for us and you to get to know our ancestors, so that when we see them, which I believe is SOON.....we will already know them !!!

temple

i'm at the senior center doing temple work for my dad's woolsey's....it's so fun i love it...just find and send to the temple!!

5 hours of tests

long day at the clinic...great people and info !!

today

i go to a long therapy als session at the university of utah als center today...mavis is coming too so we can go through this together! she is my caregiver and my love...

our 15 generation gedcom on ancestry

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/845633/family/pedigree

just copy and paste this link to see our ancestors....

mavis is the best thing that ever happened to me. we met in the bishop pat wyman's office in thr byu 43rd ward in 1978. i liked her right away...she was so cute and shy...when i found out she was from a ranch ne of boise where i grew up...it just worked ! she is so kind, thoughtful, caring, compassionate, and spritual....and she loves genealogy like me! i love her with all my heart.....

I saw my dear friend Shirl Tomlinson today. Him and I were dear friends in Lindon in the 1990's. He is a wonderful man that shares my love of the Lord and I love him. My feelings are tender when I go to Lindon and see the familiar places around town. We had a good life there when the kids grew up.

My Prayer..

Today I will follow whatever path the Lord will direct me to do. I am on His errand. Guide my thoughts Lord, quicken my intellect, use me as an instrament in Thy hands to serve others. Let me

influence others to serve Thee and Thy Son. Please forgive my weaknesses, help me to forgive others also. Thanks for all Thou has given me, especially my family. Keep them safe, guard them with Thy Holy Angels. Let us be together forever dear Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

TMC Family Foundation

I am excited that we now can go online from anywhere and prepare and send to the Temples the names of our ancestors to recieve the saving ordinances of the Gospel.

I go to the Eldred Center and teach others how to do this too by going to www.new.familysearch.org

or by going to www.lds.org

My family means everything to me. I remember growing up in Boise, Idaho where I had lot's of family around to make me feel very much loved. I had extra grandparents since my dad and mom divorced when I was 1 year old. Every holiday I was treated so special by my Robinson family because I was the 1st grandchild. I got to ride the bus down to Madison Ave. and I always came home with lots of presents.

I thank heaven that I grew up in the family that I did. The Robinson's, Yancey's, and Bassett's will forever be happy memories for me.....

Thomas Terry Robinson Bassett

My Testimony

I bear solemn witness that God is our Eternal Father. We were with Him before we came to this earth. We chose to come to earth and learn from our experiences here to progress and return to Him to live with Him and our own families forever. Jesus Christ is His only Begotten Son who lived a perfect life for us to follow. His sacrafice on the cross and His Atonement means we can be forgiven of ALL our sins, if we repent.

They both appeared to Joseph Smith in 1820 in New York and had him restore the true Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to the earth again. An angel gave Joseph Smith an ancient record of the people who lived here in America a thousand years ago. It is the Book of Mormon, and I testify that it is a true record and testament of Jesus Christ's visit to America after He was crucified.

Thomas S. Monson is a true Prophet today. The Priesthood of God is here today, and I am a High Priest after the Holy Order of Jesus Christ. My wife Mavis and I have been sealed as Husband and Wife in a Holy ordinance in the LDS Temple in Manti, Utah. Our children are sealed to us forever by this same ordinance.

This testimony is TRUE, and you can find out for yourself if you will ask God, in the name of Jesus Christ, to tell you by the power of the Holy Ghost. You will know in your heart and your mind, for that is how I found out on April 6th, 1976 in my mothers home after years of searching.

I bear this solemn witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Absolute divine TRUTH !

The Family: A Proclamation to the World, 788943600000

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

© 1995, 2008 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
English approval: 5/08. 35602

We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah

Tommy Bassett says...

Today is the 1st day of the rest of my life..and I will enjoy and get the MOST out of every day!

I love my wife Mavis with all my heart, and I want to be with her forever, along with my kids and grandchildren.

My Family History

My mother Velva Yancey's father was born in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. I just got this 1916 census and it shows that their direct neighbors were my dad, Gary Robinson's moms parents, the Wolsey's and Layne's.

I testify that I was born to this family to provide a welding priesthood link to both families through the ordinances of the LDS temples.

That is exactly why I do this great genealogy work...to seal these dear families together !!

I can't wait to be with them all in heaven....

We LOVE Genealogists !!

I saw behind me those who had gone, and before me those who are to come. I looked back and saw my father and his father and all our fathers, and in front to see my son and his son, and the sons upon sons beyond. And their eyes were my eyes. As I felt so they had felt, and were to feel, as then, so now, as tomorrow and forever. Then I was not afraid, for I was in a long line that had no beginning and no end. And the hand of his father grasped my father's hand and his hand was in mine, and my unborn son took my right hand and all, up and down the line that stretched from Time That Was to Time That Is and Is Not Yet, raised their hands to show the link. And we found that we were one....
From: "How Green Was My Valley", by Richard Llewellyn

We are Genealogists !!

A Prayer for Genealogists Lord, help me dig into the past And sift the sands of time, That I might find the roots that made This family tree of mine. Lord, help me trace the ancient roads On which my fathers trod, And led them through so many lands To find our present sod. Lord, help me find an ancient book Or dusty manuscript That's safely hidden now away In some forgotten crypt; Lord, let it bridge the gap that haunts my soul when I can't find The missing link between some name that ends the same as mine. N. Curtis Woods

Today I'm blogging before I have some honey-nut cheerios, brush my teeth, and go to gold's gym. Then I'll go by Mickey Cochran's office to see if any of the deals I emailed him yesterday from Tyler Ruby look good to his funders....I hope so.

I got my bottle of MAX GXL glutethione accelorators yesterday...they are helping me feel better. Dave Rickets called me from the MDA of Utah...he said they will help me with medical devices to help with ALS. I need to get my living conditions ready for the future. Please Lord, help us!

Our trials....

Prepared to Overcome All Things Posted: 03 Jul 2009 12:00 AM PDT "There is meaning and purpose in our earthly challenges. Consider the Prophet Joseph Smith: throughout his life he faced daunting opposition—illness, accident, poverty, misunderstanding, false accusation, and even persecution. One might be tempted to ask, 'Why didn't the Lord protect His prophet from such obstacles, provide him with unlimited resources, and stop up the mouths of his accusers?' The answer is, Each of us must go through certain experiences to become more like our Savior. In the school of mortality, the tutor is often pain and tribulation, but the lessons are meant to refine and bless us and strengthen us, not to destroy us. Said the Lord to faithful Joseph:" 'My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment' (D&C 121:7). " 'If thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; . . . know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good' (D&C 122:7). "In our day, the steadying arm of the Lord reaches us through the ordinances of His holy temples. Said the Prophet Joseph to the early Saints in Nauvoo, 'You need an endowment, brethren, in order that you may be prepared and able to overcome all things' (History of the Church, 2:309). How right he was! Being blessed with the temple covenants and endowed with power made it possible for the Latter-day Saints to endure tribulation with faith." Robert D. Hales, "Faith through Tribulation Brings Peace and Joy, Ensign," May 2003, 17 Topics: Opposition

ALS progress...

I just got back from Salt Lake City. The ALS clinic at the University of Utah Hospital is a wonderful place .... people from 7 states come to to get treatments for Lou Gehrig's disease.

I saw Dr. Bromberg, the best in the west...and he confirmed my Dr. Butrum's diagnosis for us. Then an angel called Bernadette (who runs the clinic) gave us a rundown of what to expect with this fatal disease.

I appreciate how proffesional these great folks are, and I'm thankful they are there for us ALS victims. It is good to know what to expect, even though the future looks bleak. 2-4 year life span on average.

The fact that the MDA will help us is very comforting to both Mavis and I. Thanks!!

Joseph Smith said in the King Folette "The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead. The apostle says, “They without us cannot be made perfect”; for it is necessary that the sealing power should be in our hands to seal our children and our dead for the fulness of the dispensation of times—a dispensation to meet the promises made by Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world for the salvation of man.
Now, I will speak of them. I will meet Paul half way. I say to you, Paul, you cannot be perfect without us. It is necessary that those who are going before and those who come after us should have salvation in common with us; and thus hath God made it obligatory upon man. Hence, God said, “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

I know this is TRUE !! Tom Bassett

I am impressed today to remember our founding fathers, the signers of the US constitution...they set the course for us to be a free people....free to choose religions, work, wife, home, etc. Thank you for our freedoms, and thanks to those who defend it.

I love General George C. Patten.....

This week is wonderful in Provo Utah..the Freedom Festival is awesome! We celebrate our rights as free citizens of this great country America all week. I dearly love this country !

I'm excited today to go to church today and worship our Lord Jesus Christ....many thanks to Him for His sacrafice on the cross for all of us so we can live again after we die. I have NO fear for my future for because he rose from the grave so will I, and so will all of us !

I went to Gold's gym this morning .....like I have every day for 33 years...and I feel so much better when I swim and sweat out my troubles in the sauna and steam room. I do isometrics in the sauna after I get up a sweat.

I went to see my great friend Lincoln Fuqua. I got 5 gallons of 9.0 Kangen water from him, and we had a great visit. We both love genealogy, so we have lots to talk about. I took a gallon to my friend George Curtis too. I'm so thankful for good friends. We're going to the Freedom Festival Patriotic service tomorrow night at BYU. It will be special....

American Prophet

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LDS Church Examiner

In memoriam: the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith

June 26, 4:04 PM

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The Prophet Joseph Smith

When Jesus walked the earth with his disciples, he told them:

These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

It was to be so with the living apostles and prophets throughout their ministries, both anciently and in modern times.

From the time Joseph Smith told a Methodist minister, a family friend, about his vision of God, he became the target of ridicule, derision, and persecution organized by the Christian clergymen of his day.

Beginning at the age of fourteen years, Joseph was continually harassed, physically assaulted, tarred and feathered, had a vial of poison poured into his throat, subjected to frivolous lawsuits for charges like "ecclesiastical perjury" (in civil court in the United States?), and falsely imprisoned for months at a time. He was to be executed military firing squad but a kind general named Doniphan refused to carry out the order.

I once had an Evangelical declare to me that any group of "meek, God-filled Christians" had "more power than any of [our] supposed apostles." On June 27,1844 a band of these "meek, God-filled Christians" exercised their "power." The following comes from the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Section 135.

To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about five o’clock p.m., by an armed mob—painted black—of from 150 to 200 persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man! Joseph leaped from the window, and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming: dO Lord my God! They were both shot after they were dead, in a brutal manner, and both received four balls.

John Taylor and Willard Richards, two of the Twelve, were the only persons in the room at the time; the former was wounded in a savage manner with four balls, but has since recovered; the latter, through the providence of God, escaped, without even a hole in his robe.

Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord’s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!

When Joseph went to Carthage to deliver himself up to the pretended requirements of the law, two or three days previous to his assassination, he said: “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I SHALL DIE INNOCENT, AND IT SHALL YET BE SAID OF ME—HE WAS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD.”—The same morning, after Hyrum had made ready to go—shall it be said to the slaughter? yes, for so it was—he read the following paragraph, near the close of the twelfth chapter of Ether, in the Book of Mormon, and turned down the leaf upon it:

And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father. And now I . . . bid farewell unto the Gentiles; yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood. The testators are now dead, and their testament is in force.

Hyrum Smith was forty-four years old in February, 1844, and Joseph Smith was thirty-eight in December, 1843; and henceforward their names will be classed among the martyrs of religion; and the reader in every nation will be reminded that the Book of Mormon, and this book of Doctrine and Covenants of the church, cost the best blood of the nineteenth century to bring them forth for the salvation of a ruined world; and that if the fire can scathe a green tree for the glory of God, how easy it will burn up the dry trees to purify the vineyard of corruption. They lived for glory; they died for glory; and glory is their eternal reward. From age to age shall their names go down to posterity as gems for the sanctified.

They were innocent of any crime, as they had often been proved before, and were only confined in jail by the conspiracy of traitors and wicked men; and their innocent blood on the floor of Carthage jail is a broad seal affixed to “Mormonism” that cannot be rejected by any court on earth, and their innocent blood on the escutcheon of the State of Illinois, with the broken faith of the State as pledged by the governor, is a witness to the truth of the everlasting gospel that all the world cannot impeach; and their innocent blood on the banner of liberty, and on the magna charta of the United States, is an ambassador for the religion of Jesus Christ, that will touch the hearts of honest men among all nations; and their innocent blood, with the innocent blood of all the martyrs under the altar that John saw, will cry unto the Lord of Hosts till he avenges that blood on the earth. Amen.

The 165th anniversary of the martyrdom of the first prophet of God in modern times is Saturday, June 27th. As the world mourns the passing of celebrities such as Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. perhaps Americans might find a moment to consider and remember the murder of the American Prophet, Joseph Smith. Mormons all over the world will sing this Sunday:

Long shall his blood which was shed by assassins plead unto heaven while the earth lauds his fame. Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven. Traitors and tyrants, now fight him in vain. Mingling with gods he can plan for his brethren. Death cannot conquer the hero again. (Praise to the Man, Hymn 27)

Author: Greg West

I am deeply thankful for my father, Gary Earl Robinson, and the wonderful family that I get to research and find pictures, journals, and all sorts of items that allow me to get to know them. Mavis and I have studied them for the last 27 years. We feel like we are their friends. I cannot hardly wait to meet them...which, with my recent diagnoses, will be in the next few years.

I love them (my family) with all my heart, both the living and the dead. I know that the dead are still alive as we have done sacred ordinances for them in the LDS Temples for them, and we have both felt their spirits when we do this for them.

May God bless all of us to find the peace that comes when we know Him and his beloved Son Jesus Christ. We will succeed !!

TRUTH

Answering All Objections Ever made......
Posted: 26 Jun 2009 12:00 AM

"We are to use the Book of Mormon in handling objections to the Church। God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ revealed themselves to Joseph Smith in a marvelous vision। After that glorious event, Joseph Smith told a minister about it। Joseph was surprised to hear the minister say that there were no such things as visions or revelations in these days, that all such things had ceased. (See JS—H 1:21.)"This remark symbolizes practically all of the objections that have ever been made against the Church by nonmembers and dissident members alike. Namely, they do not believe that God reveals his will today to the Church through prophets of God. All objections, whether they be on abortion, plural marriage, seventh-day worship, etc., basically hinge on whether Joseph Smith and his successors were and are prophets of God receiving divine revelation. . . ."Therefore, the only problem the objector has to resolve for himself is whether the Book of Mormon is true. For if the Book of Mormon is true, then Jesus is the Christ, Joseph Smith was His prophet, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and it is being led today by a prophet receiving revelation." Ezra Taft Benson, The Book of Mormon Is the Word of God, Ensign, Jan. 1988, 4 Topics: Book of Mormon

Our Purpose !

I, Thomas Terry Robinson Bassett, testify that our dear ancestors want us to get to know them. My wife Mavis has the "spirit of Elijah" as do I. We started our family history journey in 1984 when the LDS church asked members to fill out our 4 generation charts and send them in to be recorded.

We have spent countless hours researching our families and doing the temple ordinances for them. Nothing gives us more joy then being in the temple sealing our families together for all eternity.

The gospel is TRUE, Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of God. Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer....the author of our salvation .

It is my fervent desire that my dear family carry on this great work of family history. We set up a private family foundation to do just that.... www.tmcfamilyfoundation.org

I testify that genealogy is the best way to spend time on this Earth,,,and pray I'll be here long enough to finish what the Lord has asked me to do.

In the sacred name of Jesus Christ.....Amen.

ALS thoughts

My speech is slowing some now....I feel good with the maxgxl glutethione capsules I take 3 times a day. It slows the progress of this horrible disease . My thoughts turn to God more than ever as I realize I'm in His hands from now on.

I go to the U of Utah ALS clinic a week from Monday for more tests and stuff. I hope they don't hurt.

My prayer every day is to know what Heavenly Father would have me do today. I want to know what I promised Him I would do when I came to earth. Then, when He tells me by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, if I keep the commandments, I will know what to do!

Of course the most important things to do concern my kids and grandkids. They mean everything to me, and my love grows daily for them...my Bambi and Brooke !