Red Hearts - Random Thoughts

Each year at our Reunion at Bear Lake, either Kathie or I make a presentation about one or more of our ancestors. It was Kathie's turn this year. She chose to present her G G Grandparents, Jeremiah Robey Jr. and his wife Ruth Tucker...plus her very colorful G Grandfather Nathan Chatmond Springer. In support of Kathie's preparation I made a large Pedigree Chart of Kathie's ancestors. She has a most interesting ancestry, which deserves recognition since Pionner Day is coming up this month:

All 8 of Kathie's G Grandparents crossed the Great Plains to Utah. One was even born on the trek in Iowa. Two were not LDS when they made the trek across the USA. One was a teamster (wagon driver) in a wagon train passing through Utah. He dropped off in Utah, married a Mormon girl and became a Mormon.  One was in the US Cavalry and came to Utah with Johnson's Army on a mission to destroy the Mormons. He deserted, married a Mormon girl, became a Mormon and was never found by the US Government. Note that Mormon girls are the common denominator here.

Working with New Family Search I identified which of Kathie's ancestors were the first to join the LDS Church in each family line. Some were of the 4th generation and some the 5th. We identified each of these with a RED HEART to honor their faith, courage and lifetime of commitment.

Since June was the 50th anniversiary of the baptism of my late mother Sylvia and myself into the LDS Church in Australia, this was an opportunity to express appreciation for that life-changing event. I bore my testimony of the Father and the Son, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and the truthfullness of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I told my children and grandchildren that I had learned a lot in my 70 years, but I also told them I had not learned anything with more certainty...than...this Church is TRUE.

President Gordon B Hinckley once presented a wonderful line, which I like to borrow. "Every good thing which has come into my life, including my marriage to my sweetheart, I owe to my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". To that I can only say AMEN!"

So I was pondering all the wonderful people who have influenced me for good along the way...and I was listing in my mind all of the positions which I have had over the past 50 years. Then I had a couple of those sometimes useful Random Thoughts.

1. I thought of "Fidler on the Roof". Tevia asks his wife "Do you love me?" To which she replies with a litany of services which she has provided throughout their married life...and suggests "if this is not love then I don't know what is. But Tevia persists..."But...Do you love me?" She finally relents with... "I guess I love you". That made me think that 50 years of Service to the Lord may be impressive...but the Savior might reasonably say..."That's nice Tony...but do you love me?"   Just as Tevia simply needed to hear the words, so we might conclude that it is important to let our Father and His Son know that we love them...verbally.

2. I also thought of Jeffer's comments as a six year old, which I blogged about earlier. We had a disagreement at the dinner table...he worked himself up into an emotional state, threw up and ran to his room. After a cooling-off period I went to Jeff's room and had a chat. He said some remarkable things for a six year old..."How come you are so mean to me?...How come you won't let me be mine own self?" Then he told me that he did not feel loved...which was amazing...since he was the youngest of seven, and adored by his siblings. So we talked about that for a while. I assured Jeff that he was loved very much. During the conversation I suggested that it was certainly important for him to feel loved, but I also asked if he ever thought that his parents might need to feel loved also. His response was a remarkably honest ..."Well I do love you...but it wears off."

Of course that wisdom from a six year old underscores that we are all human...and suggests that we need to contemplate our love for our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ...And we need to express it often...because...unless we are careful...it can wear off.