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Oh the Greatness of God

Well, we are about at the ending of another week.  Nevertheless, I am still feeling the influence of the last weekend.  How wonderful it is to have prophets upon the earth.  What a wonderous day we live in.  We are blessed so exceedingly!  We have prophets, apostles, and the priesthood.  I guess it is more the other way around, we have the priesthood, which gives us prophets, apostles, and all the church.  Everything is governed under the authority and power of the Father and Son.  What a wonderful and magnificent thing it is to behold.
This weekend I had the privilege of standing in on a blessing.  It was great, what an honour.  Even better, we have the capacity and capability of doing these things.  I stood in on a baby blessing a few weeks ago.  How wonderful.  I sat in General Conference in the presence of the Lord’s called Apostles and Prophets.  Again, I saw our dearly beloved prophet stand up, waddle to the stand, and speak.  My heart swells with joy and gratitude.  We can hear the Lord’s direction for us, for me, for you, for us individually.  How unique and personal that makes the Atonement, the Church, and God.
In reading the scriptures, I find myself ever shaking my head.  Can we be wiser?  Can we learn from the teachings and mistakes?  We are finishing 2 Samuel tomorrow night.  We have read of Saul, and David, and Absalom, and even Samuel.  Each were amazing men, but made some horrible mistakes.  Even Samuel’s own children would not follow the Lord.  We finished Mosiah last night in the Book of Mormon.  There are some individuals who turned to the Lord, the sons of Alma and Mosiah.  Mosiah instructed the people about proper government and how to do things.  I find it amazing that people say what is the proper way of government, even in the church, yet they obviously know not the scriptures.  I hold the Book of Mormon of being of great worth in bringing much light and truth to our generation.  It is the applicator of the Bible.  I would declare that without reading and being familiar with the Old and New Testament, you will not understand the full import and value of the Book of Mormon.  Without the Bible and Book of Mormon, one will not understand the Doctrine and Covenants.  So many tell me that the law of consecration is vague and not clear.  I say to those people read Deuteronomy and the Doctrine and Covenants again.  If they can say that then, they have not understood what they read.  It is so stark and clear!  Without prophets and apostles, we would not have the Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants.  Even then, I fear most of the Christian world do not know their own Bible.  If they do, they do not believe it or live its teachings.
Prayer is such an amazing thing.  My experiences are so valued to me.  I would not trade them for anything.  But for people who tell me I do not know these things are true, I say they have not experienced prayer.  They know not heaven or how to communicate with it (or don’t wish to).  Our blessings are amazing.  The counsel comes to us as the dews from heaven.  They descend, and some allow them to run on by, others lap them up and hold tightly to what falls upon our heads.  We don’t have the option, they are coming.  What will we do with them?
Well, I close for now.  I love you, I know the church is true!
by

Mother’s Finger

Well, in my attempt to record some family history stories, I find it is easier to type up.  Since this is a form of extra to the journal that I print off to supplement, it will find its way in from here.  This is a letter from my mother in relation to how she lost her finger.   Ironically, I am recording this on her 52 birthday, which is today.
This starts about half way through the letter….
The first of this story takes place the summer of 1957, a little over 48 years ago, but I remember like it happened yesterday.  I had turned 3 yrs old in March of that year.  It was a beautiful summer day and I was out back of our house playing in the sandpile in the shade of the tree next to it.  My dad was mowing the lawn and mom was out back also.  My dad pulled the lawn mower by the back door to the garage and went over to pick up a rock that was on the lawn.  I had watched my dad clean the lawn stuck on the bottom of the mower before and watched him sharpen the blade.  Us kids had been told several times to stay away from the lawn mower.  I watched my dad put the lawn mower by the back door and walk away.  I jumped up and ran over to the mower.  I wanted to see the blade go around.  I figured I could run over and look while my dad walked away and then hurry and run back to the sandpile.  I stuck my hands under the mower to lift it up to look under but something happened and it scared the hell out of me.  I do not know if I let out a squeal or not but I jumped up and ran around the side of the house and to the back door.  I could just barely open the back if I stood up on my tippy toes and really stretched.  After the 3rd try or so I finally got the door open.  The door handle kept sliding out of my hand cause it was slick from red stuff and it was running down the white wooden screen door and then puddling at the bottom.  Once I got in I ran through the house to the bathroom.  I figured if I washed the red stuff away no one would know.  I had done something I was not supposed to do and if I could make it go away I would not get a beaten.  I was not big enough to reach the sink unless I stood on the toilet.  I was trying to wash the red stuff but I had to pee and was dancing on the toilet.  I dribbled in my pants.  I thought I better go pee cause I would get in trouble if I peed in my pants.  So I went and peed and got back on the toilet and finished washing away the red and cleaned up the bathroom.  I could not leave the bathroom a mess or I would get chewed out for that too.  Once everything was OK and in place and cleaned up I opened the bathroom door and went out.  My mom was in the kitchen sitting on the stool.  She wanted me to come to her and I did not want to.  I was afraid I was going to get a beaten.  Mom said “come here and let me see.”  I told her no that everything was ok.  Once again she said “come here and let me see.”  I had my left hand cupped over my right hand.  I went over to her and when I took my left hand away everything was still ok.  She asked me to open my right hand and when I did the tip of my ring finger fell over to the side.  It was just hanging by a piece of skin.  I was then taken over to Dr. Noble’s office.  I do not remember what he did.  I went back to him sometime later and he took the bandage off and the tip that had been sewn on was hard and dark.  I went to the Logan hospital and they fixed it up.  I do not remember what went on there, I just remember going there.  My mistake was washing it.  I washed the weep away.  There was a part of the root of the nail left about the diameter of my pencil led.  It was like a claw to me.  Everything snagged on it.  To this day I caint stand snaggy material.
The summer of 1962 between 1st and 2nd grades I was going to have the claw taken out and have the fatty tissue taken off.  Mom took me over to Dr. Gibbons office in Lewiston.  He did right there in in his office.  He put an elastic around my finger just above my middle knuckle so it would not bleed while he operated on it.  I watched him cut 2 bowed lines around the claw and cut the claw out.  Then he got all the fatty tissue scraped out and sewed my finger up.  He put a gauze pad on the top of my finger and cut the elastic that was around my finger.  From where I was at my hand was eye level and I could see that some of the elastic was still on my finger.  I told the doc and mom that the elastic was still there.  I did not want it in my bandage.  The doc and mom both told me no the elastic fell out cause there was pieces on the examining table.  But who listens to an eight yr old.
Days after the operation I was in the garage and I bumped the rake and when I went to catch it it hit my finger.  It hurt so bad I wanted to cry.  But I never cried.  I tried never to cry or let anyone see me anyway.  I learned at an early age not to cry.  I went in the house and told mom what had happened and she just figured it was supposed to be that way and she would not check it for me.  We had gone up High Creek on the weekend fishing.  I got my bandage wet and dirty and mom decided she better change it.  I was going to the docs next week.  When she took the bandage off my finger was black.  I got taken over to Dr. Gibbons office and he pulled pieces of the elastic out of my finger and it started oozing real thick black-red blood.  The dock did what he had to do and bandaged it back up.  When it healed they would go in and amputate the dead stuff.
Me being a hellion of course I terrorized the neighborhood kids.  I would take the bandage off and chase the kids around while they squealed and hollered.  It never bothered me cause it was my finger.  No one else had a finger cut off.  I was different.  It was fixed up as it is now more or less.  I have not had that 1/2 finger almost all my life.
This story reminds me of a dog we had.  He was a Brittany Spaniel named Freckles.  Dad wanted to dock his tail.  The vet Dr. Erekson put a fat green rubber band.  I knew what was going to happen being had experiences this myself.  The vet just said it would off.  But it did not.  It got all infected with green infection.  We took Freckles to the vet.  Freckles kept trying to bite the vet.  I knew how bad it hurt.  Dad held Freckles while the vet grabbed the tail and snapped in into.  Freckles peed all over dad and the vet.  I felt so bad for Freckles cause I knew what he was going through.  That is one of the most cruel and painful things you could ever do to any animal and I can verify it.
So Paul, there is the story of how I lost my finger.  It is too bad you do not know all the tears shed in writing it.  But you see there is something else in the story too.  No one has ever believed me so you see after 1/2 century I do not care any more right now what anyone believes.  I am not in too good a mood now after writing it.  My eyes are still leaking.
As a mother, I tried to raise your kids the best I could by myself.  You try to teach them everything you think they are going to need to be able to get by in life.  You also know that they are going to have to learn by experience.  You hope everything goes ok and is not too rough for them.  You love them with all your heart and hope they love you in return.  That does not always happen though.  Barriers are thrown up and it is your choice on what you do with those barriers.  You can let them stop you or you can figure out how to get by them.
All my life I have tried to please people so they would leave me alone.  People always want to change you and after time you do slowly change.  But you usually change for defense purposes to survive.  You get to the point where every day is survival.  You do what you have to do but only what is necessary.  The human species is a pathetic breed of animal.  You may not understand now or tomorrow but some day I hope you do.  Your head is not on straight right now.  All I can do is keep my fingers crossed.
You know where your mother is at and if you want her back then help her.  There is so much you do not know.  But remember one thing she loves you with all her heart or what she has left of her heart.  Stop tearing her guts out.  Stop the sarcasm, caller her a liar, cutting her down.  She caint take much more.  For once show her some decency and love.
….There is another paragraph, but it is not as revealing or telling as are the above.  I am glad she took the time to write of these things.  I wanted the story of her losing her finger.  It is fascinating how trauma brands memories into our minds.  There are a few details that do not add up with the story itself, but I am glad she took the time.
by

LSAT PREP!

I thought that since I am so consumed with LSAT Prep that I would let you have one of the questions that I have to face on an every day sort of basis.

A music store carries exactly ten types of CD’s–both new and used of each of jazz, opera, pop, rap, and soul.  The store is having a sale on some of these types of CD’s.  The following conditions must apply.

Used pop is on sale; new opera is not.
If both types of pop are on sale, then all soul is.
If both types of jazz are on sale, then no rap is.
If neither type of jazz is on sale, then new pop is.
If either type of rap is on sale, then no soul is.

Which one of the following could be a complete and accurate list of the types of CD’s that are on sale?
A  new jazz, used jazz, used opera, used pop, new rap
B  new jazz, used pop, used rap, new soul
C  used opera, used pop. new rap, used rap
D  used opera, new pop, used pop. new soul
E  used jazz, used pop, new soul, used soul

If new soul is not on sale, then which one of the following must be true?
A  New rap is not on sale.
B  New rap is on sale.
C  Used opera is not on sale.
D  At least one type of jazz is not on sale.
E  At least one type of pop is not on sale.

If both types of jazz are on sale, then which one of the following is the minimum number of types of new CD’s that could be included in the sale?
A  one
B  two
C  three
D  four
E  five

Which one of the following CANNOT be true?
A Neither type of opera and neither type of rap is on sale.
B  Neither type of jazz and neither type of opera is on sale.
C  Neither type of opera and neither type of soul is on sale.
D  Neither type of jazz and neither type of soul is on sale.
E  Neither type of jazz and neither type rap is on sale.

If neither type of jazz is on sale, then each of the following must be true EXCEPT:
A  Used opera is on sale.
B  New rap is not on sale.
C  Used rap is not on sale.
D  New soul is on sale.
E  Used soul is on sale.

If new soul is the only type of new CD on sale, then which of the following CANNOT be true?
A  Used jazz is not on sale.
B  Used opera is not on sale.
C  Used rap is not on sale.
D  Used soul is on sale.
E  Used soul is not on sale.

If exactly four of the five types of used CD’s are the only CD’s on sale, then which one of the following could be true?
A  Used jazz is not on sale.
B  Used opera is not on sale.
C  Used rap is not on sale.
D  Neither type of jazz is on sale.
E  Neither type of rap and neither type of soul is on sale.

There you go, there is one of the whoppers.
by

February’s ending

Life continues to go on.  Things are going very well here in Provo, Utah.  Amanda and I are enjoying life and keeping busy.  I am working full time at Meier and Frank and enjoying my time there.  I look forward to each day and every day is different.  Amanda has just switched from DownEast Outfitters to Dillards.  I agree with many things at Dillards but admit we are much more human at Meier and Frank.  Macy’s Regional Representatives visited the store yesterday and they were very kind, willing to listen, and easy to get along with.  It was an enjoyable experience.  Things are laid back and good at M&F.  Dillards has this rule that if you are tardy 8 times in 6 months, you are fired.  Ouch!  Aren’t we humans? not machines?  Amanda keeps busy with school.  She had a chemistry test today that she was not very excited about.  On the way home, she doesn’t feel she did very well.  I am continuing with my LSAT Course.  I am feeling more confident in the possibilities with the test, but still am not showing the improvements I would like to see.  Soon enough, I hope.  We finished Numbers just a day or two ago.  We are now reading on in Deuteronomy, which is one of my favorite books of the entire Bible.  I love how personable Moses is and feel like I am sitting in a General Conference talk with it.  We are ahead of the reading for Sunday School, but will lose ground as the year goes on.  We will finish in November, but at some points will even be behind where the Gospel Doctrine class is.  Oh well.  Tonight we finish 2 Nephi.  We will finish the Book of Mormon in September.  It will be good to finish that early.  We will have an opportunity to read some other books that we agree on.  I would like to read the history of Joseph Smith by his mother together.  We will see what books Amanda has in mind.  Jesus the Christ sounds good, or Articles of Faith, or perhaps some of the manuals for Priesthood/Relief Society.
Anyhow, I am rambling on about what is happening in life.  Thought you would all like to know a few things and what is going on in my head and with Amanda.
One question that I am researching lately is this.  In a conversation with a friend, we had talked about capital punishment and the comment was brought up, “That is part of the Mosaic Law” and no longer applies.  Ringing in my mind was the line about the savior fulfilling, not destroying or removing.  The whole law was to point us to Christ, so is it all bad.  Is the entire Spirit of the Law void?  I do not believe so.  It seems to me that if the Mosaic Law were all void and null, then the 10 commandments would not have been repeated over and over in every other book of scripture.  Other than their performances and ordinances, it seems that it all still applies.  I keep reading and wondering.  That is one thing I am pondering about.  We shall see.  If it is still applicable, then that changes my view of government in a couple of ways.  The setup and functioning of government is changed in some ways.  It does not change or alter anything in the church, in fact, to me it seems to fortify it a great number of times.  I believe the Book of Mormon is vital to the church, but I believe the same of the Bible.  One is a restoration scripture, and vital to our times, but the other is vital to providing background and foundation on which the Book of Mormon builds.  Knowing and reading the Old Testament fortifies the teachings and application of the Book of Mormon.  Anyhow, this is one current subject of learning.
Lately I have also been wondering about family history.  There are many aspects of it that seem to strike me a little more forcefully.  Especially as I stumbled upon several albums which belonged to my Great Grandmother and Great Great Grandmother.  It has been very revealing.  It is amazing the power of a picture.  I have gone around and visited a load of family members, especially older members, to find out who some of the photos are.  There are probably two dozen photos which nobody is old enough to recognize.  Which I find is really sad.  These are interesting photos.  I have gone through and scanned all of them and have been e-mailing them out to family members.  I hope they are valuing what I am sending.  I may at some later point when I am done with them, post them all here on the blog.  We will see.  There are quite a few and it may take too much time.  We will see.
Well, I have to be going.  Life is great.  We are very abundantly blessed.  We are very fortunate.  I hope it continues.  Oh, Amanda has been accepted to University of Maryland-Baltimore.  We await word from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Also, Amanda and I have accepted a calling to team teach in primary.  The 5-6 years old if I remember right.
by

Settling In

Some more time has passed, and I am fully engaged in a full schedule.  An LSAT Couse that I should dedicate more time to.  Full time work as a dock boy at Meier and Frank, now Macy’s.  It is funny how much more time I had for personal things when I was single.  Now, much of my free time is taken up with Amanda.  I am not complaining at all, but there are some things that just need getting done.  I try and dedicate a little time to family history a week, but I have received several letters, and some photos which have required more time.  I work a full 8 hours a day, Monday – Friday, which I very much enjoy.  However, the hours are from 6-3.  I am getting used to it, but Amanda likes to stay up late, so I usually get to bed later than I like.  That is slowly changing.  The nice thing is when I get off, I have plenty of time to get things done.
We are settled in and happy in Provo.  I am not sure we care to totally much of the ward.  Some pretty blatant false doctrines are taught in Sunday School and Elder’s Quorum.  The one two weeks ago was a classic…Did you know that God always gives conflicting commandments?  It was a new lesson to me.  He cited the appearing conflicting commandments of the Garden of Eden.  The teacher basically lectures and does not encourage class participation.  What gets me is that people just nod their heads and agree.  Being a new position I am in an awkward position of whether I should say anything.  The last time I did, the class basically attacked me.  It was completely ad hominem, rather than using scripture to back up the doctrine being taught, it was personal attacks on me.  But since I was new, they didn’t really have anything on me, so it was pretty sad.  However, the main point against me was that the devil is one who destroys and tears down, that the devil brings contention.  I was not contentious though, I promise.  I only commented that I understood differently, that the doctrine appeared incorrect, and that I would like references from the scriptures and priesthood leaders.  I also commented that professors from BYU, or other published authors do not speak for the church and were in my mind inappropriate for Sunday School.  Anyhow, some other of the doctrines which have been classics taught in Sunday School and Elder’s Quorum: If you do not use the Priesthood, you lose it!; those who are members of the church are better than those who are outside, we are more special, and should rest easy knowing we are chosen of God (sounds awfully Rameumptum to me!); and individuals being chosen by God has nothing to do with their actions (previous to this life, or current).
Well, since I have referenced them, I better tell the doctrine as I see it.
We are commanded to go forth and multiply and we are commanded that only within marriage are sexual relations to exist.  Darn it, another one of those conflicting commandments, better choose the better one and hope God will provide a Saviour for you as well.  This is so blatantly myopic that it shocks me that people just shake their heads and agree.  It is all a manner of timing.  It is the same thing with Adam and Eve, they were to multiply and replentish the earth, but without the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they could not.  It was all a matter of time, just like we are to wait before we have children.  Remember, Satan was only doing that which was done in other worlds, giving the fruit of the tree to Adam and Eve.  He wanted to be God, the Saviour (Moses 1:19) and would obviously do what he could to take control of the plan and screw it up.  Well, he gave the fruit early.  The temple makes it so painfully obvious.
As for the Priesthood, if I fell off a cruise ship and was stranded on a deserted island, I would lose the priesthood I hold according to this doctrine, unless I was to give the turtles and trees blessings daily.  I don’t have a scripture, but I know that the only time you can lose the priesthood is if a judge in Israel removes it.  The amount you use it does not matter, but it is set forward by worthiness, not activity.
God is no respecter of persons.  This is a fundamental restored doctrine and one that is clear in the Bible as well.  Anyone, anywhere, anyhow, if worthy can return to the presence of God.  We do not believe in the jaunty iconoclasm of God playing favorites or choosing one person over another.  Then for those who are members of the church, they cannot rest easy, for with the greater light comes great responsibility (or condemnation) and it requires more work, effort, diligence, and faithfulness.  Being a member of church should make us work even harder than relaxing and resting on our laurels.
Lastly, that God calls up and makes people chosen.  The Saviour himself sets this one straight.  3 Nephi 19:20-22 makes it clear.  Those who are chosen are so because they believe.  How does God know they believe?  He knows because the pray, more than that, they commune with him through the Holy Ghost which the Saviour is teaching us about in those very verses.  What is even more, he exemplifies it in prayer himself.  (Then he identifies when we pray to Christ instead of the father, that is only when he is in person with us like in D&C 109 when Joseph switches)  So, Joseph Smith was chosen because he was a prayerful individual.  It was because of that faith (Helaman 5:41) that he was then called to be a prophet.  Anyone can be chosen, but not everyone can be called to be a prophet over the whole church.  So more appropriately, we say President Hinckley was called to be an Apostle and President of the Church, not chosen; for that has a different meaning we will not go into here.
Anyhow, I suppose if I keep going against the grain, then nobody will like me and I won’t get a calling with much reach or depth (which is both good and bad…natural or spiritual man).  I just have to prepare a bit more for Sunday School so as to have scriptures and back up for the false doctrines, because as Elder’s Quorum showed, I have no authority of myself (I did and do not claim any in setting straight false doctrines).
Meier and Frank here is turning out to be very good for me.  Not much for using my new degree, but it is work.  This job doesn’t help me get into Law School either.  But I think oh well, we shall see.  Hopefully University of Virginia is not that shallow to put that much weight onto the jobs one has before entering Law School like some universities do.  Things are good, and I enjoy the work.  Plus I just don’t sit in an office all day which nearly drives me crazy.  On the 1st, we became Macy’s.  The name change will be enacted on the 9th of September, but I won’t be around for that, so we will continue to call it Frier and Mank.  I am really enjoying some of the guys I work with as well.  All three of the main guys are salt of the earth.  Joe is an Hawaiian, Kyle is 21 and hasn’t been on a mission and can barely read and write, and Steven (the boss) works harder than the other three of us combined.  This week has been crazy in preparing for the new corporate leaders to come through (the “big wigs”).
The LSAT Course is going well enough.  I am learning all sorts of cool things, but my scores seem to keep going down.  My highest score so far is a 153, and I have descended with todays test to a 141.  Somehow I expected to head the other direction.  I will have to work harder and see what I can work.  Today’s test I had no clue on the games section.  I felt as dumb as they come.  Apparently I was not the only one, which made me feel better, but I have plenty of area to improve.  Especially if I have to get over 165 to hope of getting into Virginia.  A 170 would secure me a place pretty easy.  Yikes, this is going to be hard work.
Well, I sign off.  Things are well in Provo, Utah.  We march forward.
by

Married Life

Well, now is the time for the update.  I know some have been wondering, so here you go.  I love it.  I am enjoying every aspect of it.  The ups, the downs, but the steady course is upward for both.  Here are some of the lessons and highlights that I feel I can share and want to here.
Rule number one, never expect.  Even if bordering on stating the obvious, speak your mind.  Assumptions end up with frustrations and heartache, and at other times disappointment and anger.  Speak it, make sure the other understands, and then move from there.  Some instances have been at the moment, others have built up over time.  The pot finally needs stirred and it is much easier if you stir it together.  I suppose later in life as we learn more carefully what the other’s temperament, attitudes, and actions are it may be easier, but for the moment, I err on having everything in the open.  Things are much more calm, lucid, and in fact we have a whole lot of laughs at some of the obvious things we say, of twists of them.
I am learning to choose my words and fights carefully.  I am not saying that in relation to Amanda, but in general.  I have learned that my observations, that comments, and criticisms, if not properly directed and thought out beforehand are taken personally by the other person.  A slight observation towards Utahns in the car driving down the road can strike a dagger at a heart that neither meant to take offense nor receive it.  Before making statements, build the foundation for them and make sure the premises for the statement are agreed upon before the declarations start to roll.  If it is understood where I am coming from, then what comes out is more discussed rather than an emotional jarring.
From the mission, it is probably a carry over, but do everything together.  Sometimes we both don’t do this, but nothing is the sole responsibility of the other.  This is a marriage, we are sealed together, and in fact, if faithful in this life, we will be entirely one in the next life.  If we prove ourselves faithful in this life, then even a worship I suppose of the spouse would  be permissible.  If there is anything that comes closer to worship than marriage, I know not.  We have both decided that the Lord must come first, because we have learned that if the other comes first, then God, things get all confused and nothing goes quite right.  However, in putting God first, and doing it together everything works much more smoothly.  I know I have loved before, and have learned what to love is.  In marriage though, it is a constant day by day motion that ticks forwards and is constantly bonding.  I know I am rambling in some sense, but I just don’t know how to say it.  It is like a combination of the things I have already said.
About a week after we had been married, I remember us commenting to each other, nothing is really different.  It was engagement with a few more benefits.  Well, now speaking a month into it, we notice the difference.  I suppose we expected this flash of light and crash of drums to initiate us into married life.  Such was not the case.  But I will tell you this, a sealing, under the hand of God, I recognize that we are coming to be more one every day.  I sense our feelings becoming more wrapped up in each other.  I can sense our destinies becoming merged with every day.  There is a singularity of thought, mind, and body (soul) that is continuing.  I don’t know how that would work outside marriage sealing, but inside it is something beautiful.  It is like a warm current in the sea of life.  It buoys you up and give you strength.  It is beautiful and lifts the soul.  Earlier if we did things separately, or without the other’s recognition and understanding, it did not matter, but somehow we sense a separation if complete communication and understanding is not present.  It is something so wonderful awe inspiring and beautiful that continues to build.  How shall I contain it in five years time?
I dearly love my wife and it grows daily.  Some days I feel closed and like I am selfish, but by the continual agreement we have of putting the Lord first, always later I feel my heart open wider than it has before.  It encompasses a little more and I am humbled that much more.  Something so wonderfully beautiful.  I think we have worked out the main difficulties we had to begin with, or come to an understanding of them and can work with and around them.  We cannot change the other, but together we are growing together and those weaknesses, scars, or pride are melting away.
The old stanza of If You Could Hie to Kolob comes to mind
There is no end to glory
There is no end to love
There is no end to being
There is no death above
There is no end to glory
There is no end to love
There is no end to being
There is no death above
Brother Phelps was inspired to repeat those sacred lines.
by

Ask and ye shall receive…

Ask and ye shall receive, perhaps not at that moment, perhaps later, but you will always receive the intentions of your hearts.

Well, here is a story of such.  To cut the extra details, one day the interns had Soda with the Senator.  We all were able to ask one question, and then we were to have like a general overall question.  Nobody came up with the biggie, so I proposed one we had all talked about.  Let’s ask the Senator if he will arrange for us to go up inside the dome of the United States Capitol.  Well, we went into the meeting, and I got in a bit of trouble, but I asked it.  I was in trouble because we found out the Member of Congress has to do it themselves.  This would be a scheduling nightmare for the Senator.  Well, we all understood and went our ways.

Well, the time for our internship was winding down.  On the Thursday before I was to come home, the Senator asked me to escort him to the floor.  We walked along, he gave me a Christmas present, and gave me some advice.  The advice came from his personal experience as a husband, and also from his experience as a Bishop.  He then with excitement announced that he had arranged that he could take us into the dome of the Capitol.  It would be the next day at three PM.  Well, obviously I was excited, but it just so happened, that I was leaving the next day.  I informed him of this and he said he was most sorry.  He had made this happen mostly for me and that he was sorry he waited too long.

Well, let me tell you, the office was excited.  The lowly intern, asked an unaskable question, and they were now benefiting.  They promised to think of me, they promised to take pictures of the expedition.  You will notice that there are some new photos in the ‘Leaving DC’ gallery.  That is what those photos are containing.  The staff’s pictures of the Senator’s personal tour of the Capitol Dome!  Enjoy them.  There is a classic of looking down into the Capitol Rotunda.  There are pictures that include the Senator.  Enjoy.

There is a little more to the story.  The next day, I am filling out a marriage application in the Salt Lake City Clerk’s office.  My phone rings.  On the other end, I hear Gavin Bruce announce he was speaking to me from the top of the United States Capitol Dome overlooking the city.  In the background Senator Smith bellows, ‘Wish you were here Paul’.  I was so completely jealous.  Greg, Gavin, Steve, and others all sent emails afterward thanking me.  Apparently the Senator at every high point in the tour commented something like, ‘I think Paul would have enjoyed this’.  Oh well.  As they were telling it to me in the Clerk’s office, Amanda caught my attention and pointed out a sign that said thank you for not using cell phones.  The folks to our side looked like they would appreciate my obedience.  I finished our conversation, and again felt left out of the chance of a lifetime!

I want to say here, that I hope someday, somehow, I will again have the chance to ascend to the top of one of our country’s most prized possessions.  A place that only 535 people have permission to go, a few caretakers, a few construction workers and cleaners, and those who are personally escorted by one of those people.  Someday……..

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Wedding Day Photos

With the constant barrage of e-mails of people wanting pictures, I have finally some for the offering.  Many of these albums which have been loaded (five of them) came from Bryan’s camera (Amanda’s father).  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  I have tried to remove too many of the same thing, but some of them were just different enough to make things interesting.  They were in order of time, but after naming them they have taken on alphabetical order and I have not the energy to go back and fix it.  So you will have to make due with the order.  Besides the difference and variety might keep you more interested through all 117 pictures.  As soon as I have other pictures, or some of the professional ones available, I will post them as well.  I hope you enjoy them.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our honeymoon to California.  We have had a wonderfully beautiful condo for our stay.  I very much appreciate James and Catherine Cazier for all their Sunday meals, but now for this condo as well.  They were so gracious to offer it.
We have enjoyed movies, time to relax, Christmas, and little excursions all over.  Yesterday we went to Calico, the old Ghost town north of Barstow.  It was definitely a tourist trap, but I very much enjoyed the visit.  Amanda and I even took one of those old west photos which I will have to be sure to get up on the site as well.  We have grown closer and closer.  Something I would not have thought possible.  We commented often after the marriage that nothing had really changed.  However, with the benefits of marriage, we have found our love and relationship at a newer, deeper level.  Something we could not have imagined only a week ago.  Only heaven knows where it could be in another month, year, or lifetime.  Hopefully it only progresses.  Like the old hymn, there is no end…
We have both admitted our appreciation for all the love, gifts, e-mails, letters, cards, and more in our behalf.  We intend to do our best to reply to each and send out thank you notes for every gift offered.  I am sure now because we are imperfect, we will miss somebody.  Nevertheless, we are very grateful and appreciative.  Thank you.
Well, I will close.  It is getting late.  Enjoy the pictures.  Feel free to e-mail me and let me know what you think.