An Easter message

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Our Savior: A Family Man

Somehow it is very important that we have chosen Easter weekend as the time for our family reunion this year—appropriate because Easter celebrates the most glorious event that has ever happened in the history of the earth, appropriate because families are the most important thing on the earth. The mission of the Savior and the glorious eternal destiny of the family are so much a part of each other that prophets can tell us to "seek first the kingdom of God," but at the same time tell us that "the greatest work we will ever do for the Church will be within the walls of our own homes" and also that "no success can compensate for failure in the home."

Every couple in our family group has now been sealed for time and all eternity; every child has been sealed to his parents or born in the covenant. What a glorious opportunity can be ours to live together eternally if we prove worthy of such a great blessing. But have you stopped to consider the role of the Savior has played in making all this possible? He is the one who in the councils before this life advanced the plan; He is the author of our salvation. He is the one who created this earth for us to come to live on. He is the one who gives us the commandments we need to know and obey to be able to return to our Father's presence. He is the one who is the source of the priesthood, the power and the authority to bind us on earth and in heaven, to seal us together as families. He is the one who suffered for our sins, gave His life that we might live, and was resurrected that death might have no ultimate victory over us. He is the very God who gives us our life, our breath, our very being. All that we are, and ever hope to be, we owe to Jesus Christ, our Savior and God and King.

Now Jesus Christ is a family man. His sole work is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of his Father's children. When we enter the celestial world, we will be perfectly organized into families. God the Father will be there. And if worthy of our exaltation, we will be there as joint-heirs of Jesus Christ, gods in our own right, able to people worlds of our own without end, becoming Heavenly Fathers and Mothers to our own spirit children. Such is the eternal destiny that awaits us—all because of our beloved Redeemer.

I am grateful that the Savior we worship is a living God. Not all people do worship Him that way. When I was in Brazil on my mission, for example, I noticed that there the big holiday is not Easter Sunday but Good Friday. And it is not celebrated as a happy day. They remember the crucified Christ, not the resurrected Christ. I'm sure Kay noticed the same thing on his mission in Peru, and Dale is probably seeing it now in Bolivia. The difference was graphically shown at the New York World's Fair, which I visited in 1964. The Catholic pavilion showed the dead Christ, the famous Pieta. The Mormon pavilion showed a representation of the living Christ, the Christus which now stands with out-stretched arms in the Salt Lake Visitors' Center.

The beautiful hymn sums up what I'm trying to say:

I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead.
He lives, my ever-living head.
He lives to bless me with his love.
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives, all glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same;
O sweet the joy this sentence gives:
"I know that my Redeemer lives!"

Yes, I know that my Redeemer lives. And I'm grateful to share that witness with all of you, my beloved family members. May we share that knowledge and faith with all we know—our families, our neighbors, with all the world. And may our lives reflect the joy and happiness that comes from living the gospel of our Savior—a family name.

A solemn assembly

This is an excerpt from a talk given in the sacrament meeting of the BYU Eleventh Branch on Sunday evening, April 7, 1974

This has been a historic conference. It was the 144t annual conference of the Church, which means there have been 144 April conferences. But there have also been an equal number of semi-annual conferences in October—so 288 general conferences [more or less] since the beginning of the Church. And a formal solemn assembly has been held in only ten of those many conferences, so this has been historic.

The last time a solemn assembly was held—when President Lee was first sustained as prophet in 1972—I had a ticket to attend in the Tabernacle. It was a solemn, moving experience to see the quorums of the priesthood stand each in their turn to witness to the Lord and all the world that they sustained, upheld, and supported him whom the Lord had called and chosen. And then in the majesty of his prophetic calling, a very humble Harold B. Lee stood and bared his soul to the Church. Little did we then suspect that so soon a new prophet would preside in Israel.

Again I had the special blessing of attending this solemn assembly in the Tabernacle. As President Kimball stood to open the session, the Spirit came over me and powerfully and peacefully bore witness to my soul that Spencer W. Kimball was a prophet of God, the Lord’s appointed mouthpiece, a prophet, a seer, a revelator.

During the voting I had the privilege of standing eight times—four with the quorum of elders and four with the general membership of the Church—and of raising my hand to the square fourteen times to witness to the Lord that I would follow those whom He had called to lead the Church.

The experience reminded me of what Joshua said to Israel anciently: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). And Saturday night, as Claudia and I retired for the evening, we knelt in family prayer and covenanted with the Lord that, as a family, we would honor and sustain and obey President Kimball.

Portuguese interpreter

Our branch president is working on a special project for the Presiding Bishopric concerning the financial operations of the Church worldwide. During conference weekend he met with three stake presidents from Brazil to explain an experimental program to them. I served as translator. That was a great experience in itself, but also because of the meetings we held I was introduced to Bishops Peterson and Featherstone (of the Presiding Bishopric) and to Elder L. Tom Perry, the new apostle. Our branch president had served in the presidency of the Boston Stake when Brother Perry was president of that stake.

What's in a name?

In ancient times names were chosen because of their meaning—especially in the Hebrew culture, which has had a great influence on English names. Here are the origins and meanings, as far as could be found, of names used in our family:

Name [Origin]: Meaning

Adam [Hebrew]: first man
Andrea [Greek]: woman
Angela [Greek]: angel

Barbara [Greek]: a foreeigner or stranger

Chad [Celtic]: the martial
Cheryl [German]: strong and womanly
Claudia [Latin]: the lame one
Curtis [Old French]: courteous or of the court

Dale [Anglo-Saxon]: from the valley
David [Hebrew]: beloved
Dean [Latin]: a chief or ecclesiastical head
Debra [Hebrew]: the bee or inudstrious (deseret)
Dorothy [Greek]: God's gift
Douglas [Celtic]: thoughtful

Gail [Anglo-Saxon]: to sing
Gena [Hebrew]: God is gracious
Gene [Greek]: of noble race

Harry [Danish]: one in command of an army
Hazel [Anglo-Saxon]: the hazel (tree)

Ivard [origin unknown]: meaning unknown

Jackie [Hebrew]: the supplanter
Jeff [Teutonic]: God's peace
Jerry [Hebrew]: exalted of the Lord

Kay [Latin]: the rejoiced in
Kelley [Celtic]: a warrior
Kimberley [origin unknown]: meaning unknown
Kristine [Greek]: a Christian
Kyle [Irish]: a chapel

LaWanda [Teutonic]: the wanderer
Lyle [French and Latin]: of the isle
Lynda [Spanish]: pretty or beautiful

Marc [Latin]: a warrior or defender
Michael [Hebrew]: one who is like God

Randy [Teutonic]: house wolf
Ray [Latin]: the radiant
Rhett [origin unknown]: meaning unknown
Richard [Teutonic]: the rich and hard

Scott [Scotch]: the wanderer
Shauna [origin unknown]: meaning unknown
Sheryl [German]: strong and womanly
Stanley [Old English]: from the stony lea

Tami [Hebrew]: a palm tree
Terry [Latin]: the smooth, tender

William [Teutonic]: resolute protector

Financial statement

The figures below show how the newsletter has been prospering up to (but not including) this special family reunion issue:

5 Sept 73 Vol 1 no 1 Printing costs 0.87
7 Sept 73 Vol 1 no 1 Postage 0.64
5 Nov 73 Envelopes 0.39
28 Nov 73 Vol 1 no 2 Printing costs 2.14
29 Nov 73 Vol 1 no 2 Postage 0.80
13 Feb 74 Vol 1 no 3 Printing costs 0.62
14 Feb 74 Vol 1 no 3 Postage 0.48
27 Feb 74 Vol 1 no 4 Printing costs 2.58
28 Feb 74 Vol 1 no 4 Postage 1.32
9.84

16 Feb 74 Donation from Ray & Sheryl 10.00

1 Apr 74 Balance 0.16

For your information, an average of eleven copies has been mailed out each issue. I have decided to send complimentary copies to Ken and Berniece, Ruth and Ray, and Bill and Jean—so they can keep up on what's happening to all of us. The spring issue (March 1st) was mailed to fifteen families.

Excerpts from Dale's letters

Tuesday, February 26
Two weeks ago I had my first Bolivian baptism and great was my joy. "Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel" (Alma 26:16). He is a 19-year-old guy who attends one of the universitites here in La Paz. He has a strong testimony (testimonio) of the gospel.

I'm reading the Book of Mormon for my third time. Nevery before have I felt the Spirit of the Lord so strong as this time. Right now I'm about to finish Alma. He was a great prophet! I feel I really know him. The gospel is so true!

One thing that bothers me is missionaries who come out on missions and don't act like missionaries. You wouldn't believe the ones that swear and break the mission rules. I don't see how they can even do the Lord's work.

Thursday, March 7
Since leaving for my mission I've done a lot of meditating and prayer. One of the things I prayed for most was that Mom and Dad would be blessed—physically and spiritually. In the letters I receive from Mom, they are growing spiritually and are being blessed of the Lord, thus my prayer being answered! Mom and Dad are the greatest, and I've been blessed with wonderful brothers and a sister who really care and have love one for another.

The work is moving right along here. We have 14 baptisms planned for March 16. Really stud people. I hope they all make it.

Wednesday, March 13
Remember Gonzalo Bazualdo (the kid I baptized)? Well . . . he wants to go to BYU now real bad, and while in the U.S. after a year wants to go through the temple.

Here's a thought: "In measuring love, the statistics to keep are: eternity long and infinity deep."

Stake mission

In the spring issue of the newsletter it was reported that Kay had been set apart by Hartmon Rector Jr. as a president of the 190th Quorum of Seventy. Since then he has been called to serve in the presidency of the stake mission.

What I've been up to

[A copy of an article from the Daily Universe, Thursday, April 4, 1974, about the TICCIT project on which I had been working]

The article on the previous page partly explains the project I've been working on for the past two years. But now I'm off to better things. On April 22 I begin a new job as an assistant trainer in the Clerk Training Department of the Presiding Bishopric's Office (PBO). Essentially I will be a writer, working on instructional materials for clerks, and materials for both Welfare Services and the Aaronic Priesthood MIA.

My office will be on the eighteenth floor of the new General Church Office Building. We will remain in Provo, at least for now, and I will commute to Salt Lake each day. We are so excited about this new opportunity, which comes after months and months of waiting and hoping and praying.

About two weeks ago, in the process of getting this new job, I had an interview with Bishop H. Burke Peterson, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. That was a special occasion.

A moving experience

Jerry and Gary have moved (on March 5) to a new two-bedroom apartment at 3824 Nez Perce in Boise. The new Zip code is 83705. Jerry is scheduled for a spinal operation the day after school is out at Boise State University. The doctors say it will be risky, and at best he will be layed up for six months. Please remember him in your prayers.

A moving experience

Ray and Sheryl are moving this week to Orem, Utah, just north of Provo, here in the peaceful Utah Valley. It will be nice to have them close to us. Sheryl's parents, the Crandalls, live in Provo. They are trying to sell their home in Heyburn. Ray is considering buying into a business here and is thinking of attending Utah Technical School at Provo. Their phone is (801) 224-2651. Their address is 186 E 1200 N, Orem, Utah 84057.