ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

   In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, temples have special significance, members who make themselves eligible, participate in sacred eternal ordinances for the living and the dead, the latter by proxy by those who attend. The focus is on our Savior Jesus Christ and His teachings, the inscription on the entrance reads, "Holiness to the Lord". There are 144 operating temples throughout the world, chapels are for Sunday worship and other activities to which all are invited and anyone may become eligible to attend the temple. (www. lds.org/church/temples)                                                                                                                                                            
 We were called as temple workers to the Chicago Temple in 2008, it includes a large area, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan. Driving took about three to four hours each way depending on traffic and construction, and that seemed to be going on for the two years we served. The temple is north in Glenview, and to save time we got an I-Pass for the toll roads. Peak hour has heavy traffic so we tried to avoid those times and as our shift was 1pm, we left about 9 am. We would wait to leave about 7pm to avoid peak hour traffic and most times got home about 10.30-11 pm. So it was a long day for us, even though we only did one day every week.

We also would try and go at least once a month besides, we had worked in the Mesa Temple, which being 10 minutes away was not so stressful.  The Houston Temple was about three hours each way but we only worked there a few months until we got a new calling.  Each Temple is autonomous and has a different way of doing some things while following the official guidelines and procedures, but it was a fairly easy adjustment.



One time coming home from a session in Chicago about seven in the evening, I was driving and thankfully peak hour had subsided. Construction was going on and we were squeezed to the far right narrow lane by the wall. Two other lanes were to the left of us, the car behind us was about two cars length, the car besides us about one cars length. The only pull over areas were about every mile or two, so any car problems that happened resulted in an accident unless you were by one. We were doing about 50-55mph, the others 65-70 in a 45 mph area because of construction. The cars would blatantly break the speed limit as the police would have to be where they could pull you over and in the two years we drove back and forth we hardly saw any police cars.

In the distance I could see something grey ahead, I knew we were going too fast to stop, the car behind would have barreled into us as there was no pull over in sight, it was early evening and hard to see anyway. So praying, I just drove over this gray thing, I thought a blanket of some kind. Wood, wire and kapok flew everywhere! It must have been a mattress, possibly a box springs. Our little Honda kept on going, it didn't seem as though we had flat, something was flapping up front, we weren't sure about what happened to the cars behind us!   I pulled over the next chance we had and squeezed out of the driver's side, it was taking was like taking your life in your hands at that, as the cars were so close, whizzing by. All we could see was kapok underneath and a rubber grommet flapping on the right front, no flat tire.  We called the Highway number and reported it, so on we went home no further problems, and thanked the Lord for the protection, I had that feeling that we had had help. The next day we took the car down to have it aligned, not only did it not need it but they just put the grommet back in place, pulled out more kapok stuck to the underneath, and sent us on our way! What a miracle!

FREEDOM IN GOVERNMENT

This is from my former blog written 1 Mar 2009, I thought I would share it.

 FREEDOM IN GOVERNMENT: These are notes I took from a fireside we attended with Elder Ezra Taft Benson, who was an Apostle at the time, at the Salt River Stake, 2 September 1980. He quoted from Doctrine & Covenants 101:76-80, he talked about how Wilfred Woodruff was visited by the signers of the Constitution in the St George Temple and was asked why their ordinance work was not done.

Elder Benson said, " I was assigned to go to the St George Temple... I went into the vault to check on records that they thought might be brought back to Salt Lake City... There I saw with my own eyes the records... the Founding Fathers laid the foundation for this country..."

Elder Benson stated, "We have a serious problem facing this nation, I saw the Iron Curtain drop...I went to Czechoslovakia in 1946 to re-establish the Mission there... I took Welfare supplies... I saw people in the last stages of starvation...economic failure and the start of communism." Then he said this with much emotion and emphasis concerning our country, "IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO LOVE A THING, YOU MUST PROTECT THE THING YOU LOVE", D & C 101:76-80. He continued, "We have a rich heritage and a rich birthright, we are traveling down the soul destroying road of socialism... we must become involved in the political process... this is the Lord's base of operation in theses days, He established it and expects us to safeguard it..." He then talked about his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture with President Eisenhower, (who was President of the United States from 1953-1961) and asked him at the time, 'is not now the time to instigate the Monroe Doctrine?" (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine).

 He further said, " I entertained Khrushchev (who was Secretary of the Communist Party 1953-1964) for half a day, and I was not proud of it, everything I showed him he said we have something better in Russia, he lied to us all morning... Detente is an absolute fraud, (meaning an easing of tension between the U.S. and Russia). "When I was in Russia the Agricultural Minister invited us to see everything in Russia. He said we could visit a Christian church.. he kept putting us off... finally on the road to the airport he located a Baptist Church. I insisted they turn off and stop, they didn't want to go but I insisted. They told us the churches had been converted to museums, the people weren't interested in religion. This church was full to overflowing, the Minister invited us up on the platform and invited me to speak. We used our own translators in order to be safe.

I bore my witness that God hears and answers our prayers and that freedom is God Given and to read the Bible. My heart was touched, the Spirit was there, the entire congregation arose and sang, ' God Be With You Until We Meet Again'. They took off their little head piece and waved good bye with tears. At the airport each press member but one said, 'that was the greatest experience of my life.' Elder Benson then said, "There is no Latter Day Saint living who is living the Gospel fully when he refuses to do his duty to his country... The whole communistic system is economically, socially, and spiritually unsound."
As we face the time that President Benson talked about, five years before he became the President and the Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, it is wise to follow his counsel. We now have government that is definitely leading us deeper in to bondage, and this was 35 years ago. As all the Prophets have counseled to keep the commandments and, "stand in holy places and be not moved" (D&C 87:8), and, "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear", (D&C 38:30) this will sustain us through the trials ahead. A book, Prophecy Key to the Future by Crowther, (it can be ordered from Bookcraft Publishing),  contains prophecies concerning our country's and the world's future.

                                                                                                                                                                                The Twelfth Article of Faith states: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates and in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law". Our best protection is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and knowledge, that is the power to overcome fear.

HE LIVES - AND SO WILL WE!

On this Easter Sunday, how grateful I am for the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. I do not fully understand how He took upon Himself the sins of all people who have lived and died in this world.

 He did this mainly in Gethsemane as Luke tells us that He "sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground". Many have been crucified but only the Savior submitted to this willingly, He prayed, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine be done." (Luke 22: 42-44). The Father sent an angel to minister to Him, no human being could have endured all the sins and pain of all who have lived and died on this earth, only as He was the Son of God conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of Mary.

As this world is turning from the core values of Christianity and Christians are being persecuted because they are Christian, as has been prophesied, the parable of the wheat and tares is coming to pass. I pray more  people will  have  earnest prayer, and turn from the world where necessary, to Jesus Christ. "If in this life only we have hope in Christ,we are of all men most miserable"."For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive". (1Cor 15:19, 22)

We as members are so blessed to have the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, through His prophet Joseph Smith. Because of the truths from the Book of Mormon, we can know of the blessings of those who live a higher law as did all His prophets  Holding to the iron rod, (the word of God) of Lehi's dream will keep us safe!

 Through the Savior's grace and through our repentance, our sins can be forgiven and we can feel the, peace that He offers.   I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that Christ does live and we can have hope in His glorious resurrection, and that He will come again in power and great glory!

Harvest The Fruit And Nuts Of Your Family Tree

After Alex Haley's book "Roots" was published, there was an increase interest in genealogy and researching family trees, it has become the world's most favorite pastime, outdoing stamps, coin collecting or gardening. Even before this it has been one of my favorite things to do, solving a mystery! If you think "Roots"or other biographical histories are fascinating, start digging into your own family history and you will find you have a great story! As it can be confusing as to, "how do I  start this task?" There are some easy steps to follow:

VISIT AN OLDER RELATIVE AND GATHER FAMILY TRADITIONS:
Sometimes the family traditions were found to be as they were told, others seemed to be embellished or found to be untrue.
  Great Aunt Rose was murdered in her bed; Great Grandpa Edwards was probably not a ships captain as his death certificate said he could not read or write; Great Grandpa Johnson did turn out to be convicted for stealing and transported for 7 years; The Golding sisters, Belle and  Annie (2nd & 3rd front) and Kate, (end front row)  were noted for their work as  members of the Womanhood Suffrage League of New South Wales from about 1893, they lobbied for women's equality and formed the Women's Progressive Association in 1904, an internet search of the Golding sisters will bring up their biographies; Did Great Grandpa Murphy who was a ship's carpenter, help build a ship that sailed from New Brunswick, Canada to Australia? It supposedly wrecked in the islands, but was it the ship that was the only ship found in that time frame? George and Alice White with nine of their twelve children, immigrated to Australia, Alice did die on the voyage; Joseph Golding immigrated to Australia to be the secretary to Sir George Gray, the governor of New South Wales, who at the time of Joseph's arrival to New South Wales in Oct 1850, was the  governor of New Zealand and prior had been the governor of South Australia. Possibly Joseph intended to travel to New Zealand, we'll never know, he was a clerk, but got derailed when he met Ann Fraser on the same ship and married her in Sydney, and then went on to the gold mines of Hill End. Some stories may never be verified only inasmuch as there is a record to prove such.

GATHER FAMILY INFORMATION AND RECORD WHAT YOU FIND:
 Start with yourself and look for certificates, family bibles, trees or journals, military, government, pension, christening or any record that would contain information. Collect into one place so you can sort through as you make your own personal record. Then you can either, record on to a pedigree or family group chart or enter into a genealogical program such as Ancestral Quest, Roots Magic etc. or a subscription program such as ancestry.com This will take some time! Commit some time each week, and hour or two is all is needed.
 Once you don't know much about the next generation always go from the known to the unknown, make up a summary of an ancestor you intend to research. Divide a sheet of paper  in two, one side is KNOWN the other side is UNKNOWN, then go back chronologically from the person's death to their birth and list what you know, from that you will end up with what you don't know and a possible search to find more. Keep it simple! One family at a time!

DO A SURVEY OF GENEALOGICAL SITES:

  Familysearch.org is free and was the first internet sharing file, the Salt Lake City Family History Library is the largest repository of genealogical material in the world and well worth a visit at least one time. All of their original media is stored in an environmentally safe granite mountain site, which I had the privilege of touring before it was closed to the public. They also have satellite Family History Centers throughout the world, their localities are found in familysearch.org, they do not proselyte and for a small fee rental microfilm is available.

Make sure you also correspond or visit the Historical Society and Public Library of your locality, they oftentimes have local records unavailable elsewhere. County records have information you may not find elsewhere, sometimes they will give information over the telephone. Cemeteries and obituaries are a wonderful way to connect families. The  internet is another prime source as many now put their trees online, churches may do so as well, Shrule Parish in Mayo County, Ireland, entered all their records online.  Ireland has  Heritage Centers and for a fee they will check a family name which would be much cheaper than visiting, unless you want the flavour of your ancestors. There are many other sites and historical places of interest to you and you alone.
                           
MY FAMILY TREE IS ALREADY DONE! NO IT ISN'T!
 Some have trees put together by others, just make sure you spot check the sources so you're not on the wrong line! Ancestry trees usually do not have sources, so it is wise to check and make sure. The you may want to go to an end of line family and start coming forward with spouses and children. If your tree goes to the 1500s and beyond this may not be possible, just go to a family where you can get sources, possibly a 2nd or 3rd great grandparents. Everyone is different, so be sure to keep a research log and do what the professionals do, make a report and summary of your research, from that you will know where to search next.

 VISIT THE LOCALITY OF YOUR ANCESTOR:
  If possible do this! It will really root you to your roots!
 My whirlwind visit to Tisbury and Semley in Wiltshire, England was fun and informative! After a two hour train ride from London, ( I nearly missed Tisbury, the train was longer than the ramp!) I found a  very old fashioned village, after a query for a taxi at the local Newsagent store, an old fashioned black car pulled up, driven by an elderly lady, my taxi! I was driven very slowly to the birthplace of the Whites and Burdens. After a perusal of the cemeteries in the drizzling rain ( yes I did have my raincoat and hat and no I did not think to bring chalk or paper to stencil, I just wrote it all down), the taxi driver made sure I got to train in time, I got out of the cab and the train pulled in! Whew!
Another time I was home visiting my family of origin and my brother decided we would take an overnight trip to Hill End,

where the Ackermanns and Krohmanns lived for a number of years in the cottage above, mining the gold fields. The original cottage is still standing and later, one family restored it to its original condition and live there in the summer, charging a small fee to look, to recompense some of  their expense. A wonderful piece of history, as a number of my family lived there, including the Goldings who lived at Tambaroora, a neighbouring town which no longer exits.Sadly the cemetery was just a mess of weeds and any headstones were long gone. Even so what a wonderful unforgettable experience!

COMMIT SOME TIME - LET GO OF FEARS!
Let go of any stumbling blocks such as: "I afraid it will take up too much time", only if you let it, possibly some time could be found from the thick of thin things. "I don't know how" is another

common fear, now is the best time to learn! Why not spend some of it hunting ancestors?  For those who have relatives in the thick of family history, there are other ways to be involved, collaborate with them to find out how you can help. Family Search has an indexing project to digitize all of their microfilm online for free, anyone is welcome to volunteer, how to start is found at familysearch.org, the missionaries are also learning and the sisters have spent some time learning.

Keeping a journal is a great way to pass your history to your posterity. Many local Historical Societies have projects and need volunteers to help, such as extracting names from a local cemetery. They always need help at their site and it is a good idea to become a  member, most will publish a newsletter or booklet each month. An entertaining radio show, "Extreme Genes" hosted by Scott Fisher, is found on mormonchannel.org, it has many ideas and links and gives the latest genealogical news, his introduction is, "Shake your family tree and  watch all the nuts fall out!"

You will find many rewards pursuing this fascinating hobby! A well known saying is," When a person dies, a library burns", makes sure you find those libraries!