11.

OUR MIND COMPUTER

 Written in 2000 with some updates in 2013

Just imagine with me a time in the distant past, when under the direction of our Heavenly Father, the creation of our Universe was begun.  The Son was the overseer, the Lord of the Universe, the Creator Son of our Universe.  Eventually our world was created and our first parents began to reproduce on this earth.  Parents had children and children grew to adulthood and became parents to their children.  Billions, if not trillions of human beings have now lived and died on this earth.  Now it is our time- 1932 to 2013. 

Each of us have received a body and our Father has sent HIS Spirit to be with us during our earth experience. As babies we are born with a small brain with neurotransmitters run by chemicals and body electricity.  The chemistry is derived from the food that we eat each day.  If we eat a balance of proteins, fats, cholesterol, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and drink enough water each day, our brain function will work at its optimum capacity.  If we do not have a balanced diet our bodies and brain will malfunction. Gradually the brain grows until sometime in the teen years when it is complete in size. In addition to our brain, God has given us a mind. Our brain is like the housing of our computer, the plastic holder. Our mind is the delicate 'Mother board' with the memory chips.  How interesting that they call it a 'mother board', when we are taught that our mind is a gift of the Holy Ghost who functions as a creative loving Spirit to us.  We receive that mind according to the brain capacity we have received from our genes.  Perhaps it is like being able to buy a computer with various amounts of (MHz) Megahertz, more ram, higher memory capacity.

As we grow, we gradually begin to be self conscious and to learn the language of our parents.  Our brain develops, our personality develops and we realize we are a unique individual and that we have freewill to think and learn to make decisions and choices:  We can listen and obey our parents and find joy in life, or we can be disobedient and suffer the consequences of our wrong choices. In other words we have the freedom to choose Eternal Life or the freedom to eventually cease existence. 

Each morning we awaken to a new day in this adventure of life.  When we wake up it is like turning on our mind computer.  Our Power PC. (Power Personal Computer)  We could call it our "Power Perfection Center".  We choose the programs to run in our Personal Computer each day because we have been give the amazing gift of FREEWILL - FREEAGENCY to choose.  On my Macintosh I have a launcher where I can open various programs to work on.  Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop, ClarisWorks, Epson Digital Photolab,  Microsoft Office 98 (which is what I am using to write this paper) My Quicken financial record,  Painter 5.0, QuarkXPress, Ready Set Go 4.5, Script Editor, Simple Text, Spirit Endowments, and The Print Shop Deluxe. By count I have 12 programs of software which I have access to each day.  Some I use every day, some just occasionally, and some I have never used, but they were put on my launcher by those who helped me connect my computer in the first place.  

One of those programs, Spirit Endowments, I installed myself of my own agency. It is a program which reminds me that I have the marvelous opportunity each day to open three programs, from our Heavenly Father, his son Jesus Christ and from the Holy Ghost, into my Power Personal Computer each morning.  I do that by choosing to have my personal prayers.  The spiritual programs are opened in my mind when I sincerely tell Heavenly Father that I want to do what HE wants me to do that day.  His Father's Will program is opened, and in mind I often see there are other things I can do that day which I did not think about just using my self will program.  

During my prayers I express gratitude to Jesus for coming to our earth and for his life and teachings and for a wonderful Church organization and for revelation which shines a light on and gives a glimpse into Eternity.  I ask Jesus to fill me with his Spirit of Christ program.  There are many scriptures which tell us that we all have the spirit of Christ within us, but we need to OPEN that program daily.   When I open the door of my mind and heart and ask Jesus to be with me that day, HIS program is open in my personal computer.  The beautiful Sacrament prayer is made real in my mind for that day, that I will always remember him and have his Spirit to be with me.  He assures us that if we ASK we will RECEIVE. 

In my prayer time I express gratitude to our beloved Holy Ghost and request that the Holy Ghost will fill me with the Holy Ghost Program.  I am fulfilling the promises I made after my baptism when my Father laid his hands on my head and having been given the power of the Melchizedek priesthood - the power to act in God's name on this earth - he said to me, "Receive the Holy Ghost."  It was given to me that day when I was eight years of age, but I gradually began to realize that we need to RECEIVE the Holy Ghost daily in our personal mind computers.  Our awareness and mental request in our prayer time is what opens the programs into our minds that day.  

These are Spiritual Software that has been given to us, has been installed in our personal mind computers, but they can just lay there dormant on the screen of our mind, or we can activate them to open and utilize the amazing features of their eternal gifts. Some of those gifts are very much like word processing facilities on our computers:

You are able to express your gratitude to Father, Son and Spirit. In your prayer time, much like having a file titled: gratitude journal on a PC where you record the things you are grateful for.

In prayer time you are able to ask for the things you are in need of, as you would do on a word processing program where you record your desires.

During your prayer time you may receive insight into scriptures you are reading and have questions about as it is possible to go on the internet and find the scriptures available for research and study.

But there is one important step that is missing at this point and it is the vital 'listening' time.  Let's think of it this way, when you want to upgrade your Server for example, like Netscape or Safari, you can go to the Netscape site and ask to have the new faster version downloaded into your machine.  You have to wait while it happens.  That is the important step after we have opened our spiritual software - our prayer time.  We can do all those things, thank, ask for help, remember scriptures and close your prayer, but then we need to do as the book of Psalms advises us - to "BE STILL AND KNOW GOD".   It is like being patient waiting for a download to be accomplished!  Wait and the Lord will answer.

These programs hold an eternal guarantee.  By using these programs we are facilitated to eventual worthiness to receive the great gift or endowment of ETERNAL LIFE.  The programs offer us an EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURE OF PROGRESSIVE PERFECTION AND SERVICE!  We have the promise of endless possibilities that as human beings we cannot even dream of or imagine.

Do you see why our prayer time is such a precious time and we should valiantly strive to make it a habit in our life?  When we awaken in the morning we should have our prayer time and express our gratitude to our Heavenly Parents for this time to live on this earth and ask to have their spiritual programs opened in your personal mind computer that day.  

Remember in all of this that balance of our whole self is very important.  The physical, intellectual and spiritual parts of us need to grow together.  To say it in a mathematical way, the growth of the parts does not equal the true maturity of the whole.  When one part of you grows faster then the other parts our Spirit is not able to reach us in communication.  I read that, "It is to the mind of perfect poise, housed in a body of clean habits, stabilized neural energies, and balanced chemical function- when the physical, mental and spiritual powers are in triune harmony of development - that a maximum of light and truth can be imparted."  "How unkind to defile or otherwise deliberately pollute the physical body, which must serve as the earthly tabernacle of this marvelous gift from God- our Spirits.  All physical poisons greatly retard the efforts of the Spirit to exalt the material mind, while the mental poisons of fear, anger, envy, jealousy, suspicion, and intolerance likewise tremendously interfere with the spiritual progress of the evolving soul."

It is my prayer that all of my children and their companions and all of my grandchildren will see the importance of daily prayer and receptivity in your lives.  May you not think of prayer as a routine monologue which you do out of habit.  Yet, may you get in the good habit of praying.  May you realize that prayer is a dynamic reality of actually communicating with the Father of all, and his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost.  As you practice the art of praying you will gain a firm testimony and know that you are being heard. As you utilize your Power PC -Power Perfection Center - Your marvelous mind computer - you will stand all amazed at the possibilities of your life on this earth and the life to come in the Heavens beyond.  Remember that God has given EACH of us a task for us to do, a special mission for our lifetime.  It is up to us to find out what it is and then let it develop and evolve in our life.  Earth life is actually a thrilling adventure.

May you open your GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT program each morning and then be quietly receptive while the Spirit downloads your days plan.

10.

OUR FATHER’S PLAN

THE PATH OF PERFECTION

 THE HEAVENLY WAY OF HAPPINESS

Our Heavenly Father is the First Source and Center.  He has all power and all knowledge but he is more...he is a loving Father whose son has created the Universe filled it with millions of planets where mortals can receive life and experience an opportunity to choose the Heavenly way.  

Our Heavenly Father has sent his spirit to indwell each normal mortal mind. 

His Son has sent a duplicate of his Spirit of Truth to be with each mortal to help them remember his teaching during his bestowal mission on our earth as Jesus the Christ.  

The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost- has given each mortal a mind and the spirit enfolds each as the guardian seraphim guard and guide us.  We are not alone in our earth experience, we have many unseen helpers.

Free agency is paramount in the universes.  Each mortal can choose or refuse the Universal Father’s gift of Eternal life.  As a human being, the experiences and choices we make provide us with an educational experience.  It is an opportunity to live an abundant earth life but also to prepare for the life we may have after this earth life.  

We learn from Revelation that all our schooling is under the direction of what is called the Melchizedek priesthood, or power of God, so after this life I visualize we will be attending Melchizedek University.  Even the Church that bears His name (which is a religious school on this earth) was organized by that authority and all worthy men are given the power of the Melchizedek priesthood, and the worthy women share in that power.  

Our mortal experience may vary according to our circumstances and the brain we inherited, so our earth experience may be a preschool experience, intermediate, or high school experience for us.  

It doesn’t matter, as our Father has a plan for each and every one of us.

  

If we wish to take the honors program which will prepare us for Melchizedek University after our mortal life is over, revelation has given us guide lines as to what we need to experience.  

In our Universities on earth we are required to take a certain number of classes in several different schools in order to receive our diploma to graduate.  

Likewise, Revelation suggests there are classes we should take in 12 different schools to prepare us for Melchizedek University that we will attend after our earthly life.  

1st  THE SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL BODIES

From birth to death, experiencing a physical body and how to care for it.  Learning to discipline our mind and achieve mental harmony.  Willing for the Spirit to adjust then change and finally control our mind that we may live a righteous and noble life.  “Self mastery is the measure of man’s moral nature and indicator of his spiritual development.”(1609)

2nd THE SCHOOL OF MARRIAGE COMPANIONSHIP

Marriage, with children and consequent family life, is stimulative of the highest potentials in human nature”…(941)   Learning to work together, doing the problem solving in a family experience, learning to celebrate differences, learning to laugh at our mistakes and to forgive and never giving up on each other are all important for us to truly experience joy in marriage.  It is also essential for us to bond and benefit from the disciplines derived from physical intimacy. (516)  “Marriage is honorable and is to be desired by all men.” (1839)

3rd THE SCHOOL OF PARENTING

Childbirth, nurturing, training, disciplining, problem solving, anchoring with love, launching with courage and giving children the tools to rise above all the difficulties and challenges of life.  Time equals Love.  Rearing children is an essential experience required of all men and women on earth. “No mortal can progress without having passed through that sublime experience of achieving parental relationship to an evolving child.”  “It is fundamental for all ascenders.” (516)   “It is the divine will that men and women should find their highest service and consequent joy in the establishment of homes for the reception and training of children, in the creation of whom these parents become copartners with the Makers of heaven and earth.” 1839)

4th THE SCHOOL OF RELATIONSHIPS

The more we know and understand others the more we will love them.  (1118)   Learning to work together in harmony and overcoming prejudice and jealousy and being judgmental is of prime importance in our earth experience.  Learning to forgive others as we would desire to be forgiven for our errors, evils and sins.  It comes down to understanding and learning to love everyone as our brothers and sisters.

5th  THE SCHOOL OF LEARNING

Learning language, history, science, astronomy, mathematics, engineering, philosophy, religion, the arts and so forth, as “the purpose of education should be the acquirement of skill, pursuit of wisdom, realization of selfhood and attainment of spiritual values.” (806)   

Realizing that intellectual growth should be in balance with spiritual growth.  We should eventually develop a love of study and learning.

6th THE SCHOOL OF RECREATION

Learning to have a balanced life - the importance of rest and recreation, play, humor, and diversion.  “Worship—contemplation of the spiritual—must alternate with service… Work should alternate with play; religion should be balanced by humor.  Profound philosophy should be relieved by rhythmic poetry. The strain of living—the time tension of personality—should be relaxed by the restfulness of worship. The feelings of insecurity … should be antidoted by the faith contemplation of the Father …. “    (1616) 

7th THE SCHOOL OF ENRICHMENT AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Experiences in art, music, drama, dance and sports are some of the ways that we can develop the many talents that we have been given.  

Writing and sharing enriches many generations. The computer has changed our lives and given us opportunities to share on the world wide web in emails, blogs, and websites. We are able to share the written word, video, photos, art, music and ebooks that will enrich thousands and eventually millions of lives.

8th THE SCHOOL OF CHURCH ACTIVITY/RELIGION/THE ART OF LIVING

Learning the good news that Jesus taught and then teaching and fellowshipping others will bring great joy.  

Feasting upon the scriptures/revelations, learning and growing to love the things God loves, will bring us to ultimately choose to do our Father’s will and to make our life a work of art. 

9th  THE SCHOOL OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITY, LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION

Every day we are given the opportunity to be our best, to be leaders at home and in the work place, to be responsible and to give an honest days work.   Whether through earning a living, taking care of the children, or in volunteer services, as we function in groups it will help us to have a growing sense of responsibility that we may learn to be leaders.  We also need to learn to have respect for righteous authority on this earth, as preparation for respect and love of the Universe administration and our Heavenly Father.

10th THE SCHOOL OF SERVICE, FRIENDSHIP AND BROTHERHOOD

Learning to be kind and tolerant of others, regardless of race, religion, differences of opinion, or personality--- combined with service ---will bring about the “Brotherhood of Man.  Unselfish service develops altruism and the more we understand others the more we will love them and be able to develop enriching friendships.  (1118)

11th THE SCHOOL OF PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with GOD - THE FATHER, SON & SPIRIT

With free will, as we choose to live righteously with no desire for error, evil, sin or iniquity, we will come to know our Heavenly Father in a very personal journey.  

First we must make time for him in our thoughts, in our prayers, in our day, then we must learn to be still and to receive his promptings and learn to listen.  The more we love God the more we will know Him. (1118 ) 

We will desire to choose the ‘Paradise Path of Perfection’.  

12th THE SCHOOL OF ADVERSITY, AFFLICTIONS, TRIALS, TRIBULATIONS, FAILURE, DISAPPOINTMENT, SUFFERING, PAIN, DEATH OF OTHERS AND FINALLY OUR  OWN DEATH

Adversity is never easy. Jesus gave a talk on “the mission of adversity and the spiritual value of disappointment,” 1688)   but, it was not recorded,---because we can each receive the understanding of that ‘mission’, in an individualized gift.  

Our Father wants us to eventually learn to” feast upon uncertainty, to fatten upon disappointment, to enthuse over apparent defeat, to invigorate in the presence of difficulties, to exhibit indomitable courage in the face of immensity, and to exercise unconquerable faith when confronted with the challenge of the inexplicable. "  291

Gaining wisdom from failures, receiving spiritual lessons from adversities, learning from disappointment,  all of these develop patience/love, courage, hope, faith, trust, and a love of truth and of our Heavenly parents. Those are the gifts we receive if we turn to God for strength and choose the Heavenly Way, His Paradise Path of Perfection

9.

WRITING LETTERS AND EMAILS 

TO HEAVENLY FATHER AND JESUS

We read in the scriptures that we should pray always, that we should have unbroken communion with our Heavenly Father. How can we do this?  We pray in our meetings for the SPIRIT to be with us.  Shouldn't we pray that we will be with Spirit during each day and night?  How can we teach our children to pray?  Yes we can teach them to kneel by their beds before bedtime and say their prayers and do the same when they wake up, but it is so easy to get routine and just words.  In addition to their prayers, I propose that giving them a special journal book in which they can hand write or write emails on the computer and past them in the book, is an excellent way to help them have 'conversations' with Father in Heaven. 

Eventually they can learn that they can be in conversation during much of the day (If we have learned it and teach them the beauty of that divine companionship.) 

It is said that Abraham was a friend of God, and we too can be a friend of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven IF we communicate frequently as a friend would do.  We all have good friends that we text or email often, why not write to our Heavenly Father and to Jesus?

It will help them to talk over their life with Father or Jesus and then when we have our prayer time it won't be so formal, but can be loving and sincere and informal.  Then our children should learn that it is so important to just say quiet for a few minutes after we have had our conversation with Father so that he can download his suggestions into our mind, and we can retreive them as we ask for help in our daily life.  We should often take our children to beautiful places in nature where they can experience the peace and beauty of nature and can have a short time to be alone and pray even as young Joseph Smith did.  Our prayers need not always be in our room by our beds.

My last three daughters have all written letters to Heavenly Father and Jesus and I have felt joy in reading some of them.  I treasure prayers that my husband recorded also.  

I have been writing letters to Heavenly Father and Jesus for years.  It just seems so natural to write to loved ones, why not expand our circle of loved ones and write to Father or Jesus?  Here is a letter I wrote in 1999 to Jesus about a Remembrance Supper I was preparing.

December 12, 1999

Dear Jesus:

This Sabbath day I plan to invite my family to come to a dinner to remember you.  I have asked them to each bring a letter which they can read to us for our edification.  For four hours this morning I was preparing the living room for the dinner.  It is very lovely.  I put various copies of art work, which artists have done of you.

1. The original painting I painted of that moment when you asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?”  and Peter gave his testimony, “Thou art the son of the living God.”  
2. I put up the photo of the painting I did for the Stake President of Honolulu West Stake and which hangs in the Stake Center.  It was a copy Harry Anderson’s painting of you in Gethsemane.
3. Then I have a photo of the Christus that Thorvaldsen of Denmark sculpted.  It is so magnificent.  (later I bought a copy of the Christus which in now in our living room in a special place) 
4. I put up a copy of the painting Harry Anderson did of you ordaining the apostles.  I never liked the background of a curtain in the background, so I painted over it and painted the Sea of Gallilee in the background since I was sure you were all up on a hill by the Gallilee when you had the ordination ceremony.
5. On top of our two living room small tables I put the two closet doors which serve as our larger table.  I covered those with two white tablecloths.
6. I set out the six gold chargers that I had.  I wish I could buy six more.
7. I set the table with the dishes J sent me which I call the royal dishes because they are gold and maroon.  
8. I used the topaz and green goblets and put one crystal goblets at each plate.
9. Oh, I forgot to say that under each plate is the angel placemates turned upside down to reveal a star studded ‘universe’!  It looks so nice.  
10. Also I set up the nativity scene so the little grandchildren can have a ‘hands on experience with all the figures and in that way get to know who you are:  Joseph and Mary and you when a baby, the wise men and the shepherds and the angel and the animals.

I don’t really have the words to express my gratitude to you for all you have given us!  I am just so grateful for my life and these experiences of joy and adversity that I have had.  What a Wonderful Life!  I’ve been here for almost 68 years come January, that is about twice what you were here on earth.  When I realize that in about three years of your ministry you did so much good that it has influenced the earth and the Universe ever since, then I feel I have not done as well as I wish I had.  Of course, I realize that seven children and 15 grandchildren and their companions have yet to bear all the fruit of my beginning efforts on this earth.  I pray that they will always be faithful and live worthy to inherit Eternal Life.

In closing I want to tell you how wonderful it is to have your Spirit with me daily- to have you walking where I walk and driving where I drive, being where ever I go, helping me go through my days and nights of family responsibilities.  You enhance my life with insightful glimpses into eternity and creative ideas which fill me with joy. Even this lovely tradition of having Remembrance Suppers, came from you.  It is so wonderful to give my family a chance to concentrate on you and remember your life on this earth and what you have done for us, and who you are in this Universe.  Christmas has your ‘name’, but it is so filled with the festivities of gift giving and Santa that there is usually only a minimum of time given to thinking of you.  I wanted to give you a special day, so that is what we are doing this day.

Be with us as we have this time to Remember you.  You told us that when two or more have gathered in your name that you would be there, and, of course, I know you are with each of us individually also, but how nice to know you can be with US.  

Thank you for everything you have done for me and for my family.

Love always and forever,  Truele'

  

8.

FATHER'S AND PARENTING

In my study of our Heavenly Father's plan of Happiness and Perfection for each of us, I have concluded that we as "ascending" mortals must have experience in rearing children, and if we did not have that experience in our mortal life we will be given opportunities to raise the children of those who have died as babies or children or youth or in other ways have compensatory experience. 

     

I read this quote and have treasured it. "Fathers must pass through this essential experience (of parenting) just as certainly as mothers. It is an unfortunate and mistaken notion of modern peoples on Earth that child culture is largely the task of mothers. Children need fathers as well as mothers, and fathers need this parental experience as much as do mothers."  

I read an article about John Medina, the Christian biologist. It went on to say, "After years of biological research and several books on parenting conclusions, what is his answer to the question, “What’s the most important thing I can do as a father”?

“Go home and love your wife.”

Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, the authors of Babywise, say it this way: “A healthy marriage creates an infused stability within the family and a haven of security for a child in their development process.” They go on to sum up their years of research by saying, “In the end, great marriages produce great parents.”

The point is that marriage has a higher goal than to make two people happy or even whole. Yes, the investment we make into our marriage pays dividends for us. But, concluded by Medina and his colleagues, the same investment also has significant implications for our family, our community and eventually our culture.

So men, women, the next time you find yourself dreaming about living significantly or succeeding in your career or being a better parent than yours were to you, do the world a favor: Go home and love your wife. Go home and and love your husband."

During my study of World Religions I discovered this wonderful quote:

"As long as we teach the child to pray, “Our Father who is in heaven,” a tremendous responsibility rests upon all earthly fathers so to live and order their homes that the word father becomes worthily enshrined in the minds and hearts of all growing children."

I found this loving letter that I wrote my Father, who we called Papa when we were very young.  He did not want us to call him DAD, as he felt it was disrespectful.  As we got older we called him FATHER.  He was a true pioneer, a hardworking man who homesteaded the acreage and helped dig the canals for irrigation.


June 18, 2000

A Heavenly Fax to:
George D.

Dear Father:
It is Father's Day in the year 2000!
I am 68 years of age.  I have a photo of you when you were that same age and now I have arrived at that age also!
Well, how is it in 'Heaven'….in the Mansion world experience?  It must be wonderful to have so many of your earthly loved ones there with you.  I was thinking that your Grandparents, Uncles and Aunties, cousins, Parents, Brothers and Sisters, your two wives, L and C and even your son, G, and Daughter A, as well as grandchildren, I's baby, S, and M so you certainly are surrounded with loved ones and I'm sure, many friends.
E has just now organized a GEORGE D site on our earthly internet communication system.  I know you have something better where you are, but for us it is amazing, marvelous, and incredible!  Most of your descendants have what is called a computer which has a keyboard like a typewriter.  It has a screen and as I write this letter, for example, I can see the letter in front of me.  It is so amazing because I can spell check, erase or change or delete or re arrange parts of the letter.  Then we have a world wide communication 'web' as we call it, and we can connect to it - I have no idea how this works - but you remember how the early TV was and how amazing it was - well it is something incredible like that!  Anyway everyone from their homes where ever they live in the world can connect to the GEORGE D family site and we can write to each other and share and communicate!  You probably have seen what our technology has developed and understand it better than I am explaining, but I just wanted to tell you about it.  So, now many of your descendants can be in communication with each other and hopefully a bond of love will develop that will be stronger than before.
I need to find out how many descendants you have, maybe E has figured it out.
I have seven children and 16 grandchildren!
3 sons, four daughters, 12 grandsons and 4 granddaughters.

I want to tell you that I appreciate you being my earthly Father.  I remember the good times we had.  I remember taking a little picnic lunch to you one day when you were working in the field.  We went up near the irrigation ditch behind the granary to eat the lunch Mother had prepared for us.  I remember you sitting in the mohair chair in the living room reading us the Christmas story every year.  I remember you milking the cows and working hard irrigating, or caring for the many animals.  I am amazed now when I even think of all the work you had to do to keep things going and all of us fed and clothed.  I remember you driving us to Church along the canal bank.  It was scary to me, but we always made it.  I remember going up in the Albion mountains someplace for a fourth of July picnic.  I don't remember where it was, but I remember it was wonderful to be in the mountains and hearing the water in the stream.  I remember we broke an egg into the half of an orange that had been taken out, and we put it on the embers of the campfire to cook and I remember it being so good.  I remember you were very dedicated to doing your best and living a good life. I am grateful you grew up in a good Latter day Saint home.  It is so impressive to me that you took care of your family and did the farm work while your Father served a mission for the church.  And then when you were called to serve a mission you went to New York City!  Imagine a young farm boy from Idaho going on a mission to New York City!  I'm also proud of the fact that you sang in the Tabernacle Choir for awhile.  And I think your father did also, is that right?  I am grateful for your dedication and determination to live a righteous life. Some people judged you as being too zealous and patriarchal, but I can see you were just very conscientious, so maybe sometimes you were more serious than joyful.   Perhaps the challenges you faced with rebellious children were a stress on you, as it has been on me. I hope you have forgiven me for the 'disobedience' of my teen years.  Those were rough years.  I sure wouldn't want to go through those years again, even in memory I have blocked out much of it and don't really want to dwell on those times.  It is truly a miracle that I made it through and I am sure the fact I did was because you and mother were praying so hard for me.  I am so grateful that our loving Heavenly Father has forgiven me for the many things I did that were just plain wrong.  I remember once you told me that you had a dream that there was a council in heaven and I was supposed to be apart of the council and it looked like I was failing and not going to make it and how they said that they would do all they could to see that I made it.  Something like that.  I remember that it stuck in my mind that you thought I was special and that God loved me and wanted me to succeed and it really helped me to make it through those terrible trying times of my teens and young adult hood.  I know you had six other children that went through those trying challenges besides me, but with knowing what I do about them, I think A and I had the worse time making it through.  Thanks for yours and mother's prayers in my behalf and thanks to the guardian angels who helped to get me back on course and for all the miracles that finally brought me to the birth of the spirit when I was 32 years of age.
I can say that the past years have been growing years, years of trials and adversity, yes, but years of great joy also.  I'm sure you know how that is, for truly we can have lots of problems in our life but when we look at the over all picture of our life we are so thankful we had the opportunity to live as a mortal.

Every day I thank our Heavenly Father for my life and for my birth into a good family with parents 'kind and dear'.  Give my love to mother.  Share this letter with her if you would like to.  I have written her several times, so I just thought it was about time I wrote to you, my Papa.
I will be seeing you, most likely, sometime in the next twenty years or so.  That should give you time to plan a big welcome party for me!  I will look 
forward to my return to personality awakening.  I am certain it was a big wonderful unforgettable event for you and it should be the same for me also.
Love always from your daughter, Truele

7.

SIGNIFICANT STORIES

Significant = full of meaning - important -

of consequence - momentous

A book can change ones life.   "Nothing can bring two people together more than to have read and loved the same book".  Books have had a profound affect on my life. “When I only begin to read, I forget I am in this world. It lifts me on wings with high thoughts. (Anza Yezierska)  They have inspired me and provided me with role models.

My daughter in law had a tradition with her sisters where they read good church novels and then passed them around so they could all read them.  She included me in the book sharing.  I patterned this idea of Significant stories to a character in three of Donald Smurthwaite’s books:  Fine Old High Priests, A Wise, Blue Autumn, and Surprising Marcus: 

"Marcus Hathaway, the main character in Fine Old High Priests and A Wise, Blue Autumn, is turning seventy-five. Reaching that milestone causes him to reflect, not only on the events of his life but also on what lies ahead, when his time on earth will finally run out. In the tender and insightful way his readers have come to expect, author Donald Smurthwaite recounts both the humorous and somber events in Marcus's life, finding in his marriage, love for his family, church service, friendships, and occupation-ample evidence of a rich life, well-lived. Marcus may whimsically wonder if there are such things as golf and fly-fishing to be enjoyed in heaven, but his real concerns are universal: do our earthly relationships continue, and how does one best prepare to pass from here to there?"

Marcus was a good noble man who was active in the church and loved his wife and family. He saw meaning and value in life experiences.  In the story Marcus knew he would soon die and he talked to each of his two daughters separately and asked them what significant experiences would they tell their children about his life.  They each told him some experiences they would treasure and share.  It made me think about  the significant stories in my life. 

I organized my book, SIGNIFICANT STORIES, for my posterity:

I gathered together stories of testimonies that had a significant affect on my life;

Old and New Testament
Joseph Smith’s story
My Constitutive experience
How my mother’s family discovered truth
How my father’s - mother's family discovered truth
My Father and Mother’s Testimony
My testimony
The Mormon Experience - how important it is in our family.

I wrote about five men that have influenced by life.

I wrote women's stories:

     I had recorded each of our seven children's birth stories and I shared them. 

     I recorded some of the memorable memories I have of each of my children.

I recorded how I was named, and then three stories told about me when I was young.

I recorded about Jesus, our beloved Savior;

Drawn to His Spirit
Discovering Scripture, 

The Birth of Jesus-in story form
The Resurrection-
The Spirit of Truth- The Gift

Stories of my the fourfold mission of my life:

     Family, Religion, Genealogy, History, and Art.

I included two stories a son and daughter wrote about me and words of a song a daughter composed.

I tell the story of my sweetheart's death and my last loving moments with him.

The story of our daughters illness, and how adversity is entwined with gifts.

I conclude with a faith promoting story of meeting the Master as I walked along the way.

These "Significant Stories"  have had a profound affect on my life, and therefore I record them for my posterity.       
SIGNIFICANT STORIES ARE WORTH RECORDING.

6.

THE SPIRITUAL VALUES OF NURSING OUR BABIES

LA LECHE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE 

Talk given in 1982 at a La Leche League conference

When Carmen asked me to share the circumstances surrounding my involvement in organizing the La Leche League in Hawaii, I told her that I wasn't sure I could tell my story, because it was so personal and part of a religious experience in my life. I shared some of my experience with Carmen and here I am to share with all of you.
I am Truele', the daughter of George and Callie. I was born in Declo, Idaho, a small farming community in Southern Idaho. I grew up in a loving family; a devoted Christian family active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a farm girl I pulled weeds in the garden, milked cows, rode horses, picked potatoes during the harvest, and had many other farming experiences. We moved to Logan, Utah when I was twelve and I finished my schooling there. I learned a lot about families, religion, history and art as I was growing up. After High School graduation I worked and only completed three semesters of College.
I got married when I was 23. I had fallen in love with a handsome young man from Hawaii. He was of Chinese-Hawaiian descent. We lived in Los Angeles, California after our marriage and soon had a son and a daughter. Three months after our daughter was born my husband was in an industrial accident and wasn't expected to live. His arm was blown off in an explosion and he had severe internal injuries. My cousin who had the Melchizedek Priesthood happened to be in Los Angeles on a sabbatical.  He went immediately to the Hospital and gave My husband a blessing and we prayed fervently asking God to spare his life. Our prayers were answered and his life was miraculously spared. Eventually his health was restored and we returned to Utah State University where my husband received his degree. We even had two more sons.

In 1962 we moved with our four children to Hawaii which was his home. I was doing artwork to supplement our meager income as he struggled to find employment as a car or insurance salesman or as a teacher. In 1964 our daughter, J, was born. She was our fifth child. There were complications and the doctor said she had virus Pneumonia! It was so serious that the doctors did not expect her to live; she was being fed glucose interveniously, and was put in an incubator with humidity and oxygen. She developed yellow jaundice and then soon after, they detected a heart murmur. Finally her little heart stopped one day, and the quick work of a nurse, giving her an adrenaline shot, kept her alive.

The hospital staff wanted to give me shots and pills to 'dry up the milk'. I said I didn't want them to do it, as I had nursed my first four babies and hoped to nurse this baby.  I asked if I could use a breast pump until we knew for sure, but I soon realized they had little hope for her survival. I accepted the shots and pills.

The days and nights were filled with heartbreak and despair as various messages of bad news about our baby were brought to me. At home I felt empty and at the bottom! One day I went in our bedroom and fell across the bed in tears and I started talking out loud to God- our Heavenly Father. I felt so inadequate as a wife and mother. I was realizing my weaknesses and failings. I poured out my heart to God and said, "Please be my teacher". Saying those words reminded me that a few weeks before I had heard a wonderful Hawaiian woman tell me her experience of childbirth. She told of the birth of her first child. Her husband was out in the field and she was alone in the home. Suddenly she knew the baby was about to be born and she had no one to help her. She got a clean sheet and sat on the floor of the bedroom leaning against the wall, and she prayed fervently to God. She said, "Dear God, Please be my teacher." When she was telling me, she paused and looked at me and I said, "What did you do then?" She answered, "I listened!" Now as I lay on my bed I realized I didn't even know how to listen. I added in my prayer, "Please teach me to listen." Since that time I have heard a beautiful song, titled, I AM A CHILD OF GOD, that has the words, "Teach me, lead me, walk beside me, help me find the way"...and that was the essence of my pleading prayer that day.

Within a half-hour after those simple words the phone rang and the doctor told me our baby J had kicked her legs and had made some effort toward surviving! In about six weeks we were able to bring our baby home and I was grateful to be giving her formula.

Three weeks later an acquaintance came to see me and brought Karen Pryor's book, Nursing your baby, for me to read! She checked it out of the library for me, and it was the first and only time she came to visit me. At first it bothered me that she had brought me a book on nursing a baby when she knew I couldn't, but I opened it to see what it was all about. I opened the book to page 252 and read of the Grandmother, whose own youngest child was eight years old, and who adopted her two month old grandchild when her daughter was suddenly killed in an auto accident. She put the baby to her breast and eventually got the milk to come back in and nursed the baby for two years! It was such an impressive account that I immediately put my baby to my empty breast just to let her be close to me! I would let her nurse and then give her the formula. I over did it in the beginning and had the sorest, cracked bleeding nipples you can imagine! I called Karen Pryor to thank her for writing her book and asked her to recommend an understanding supportive doctor. The one she recommended was willing to help me on the phone and suggested I use Masse' cream which worked wonders in healing. He encouraged me to keep up the process, but said to shorten the time I put baby to the breast. 

Karen Pryor had me call J D who had also called to thank her for writing her book! I called J and we both had babies the same age! She was wonderfully supportive of me in my attempt to be able to breastfeed my baby. She was as excited as I about my first ounce of hand expressed milk! She was supportive when I got a breast infection, and encouraged me to see it through. It wasn't easy, it did take determination and persistence, day and night, but it was worth every effort. Between two and six weeks our baby was taking less and less formula and eventually was nursed fully. 

It was an experience that has unfolded like a precious beautiful rose opening into blossom. One night while doing the dishes, the thought came to me; "Breast feeding is the key to what it all means to be a woman!"

It was during this time that I realized how important the La Leche League could be in the lives of women. We women need education to know how to nurse our babies, and we need a support system to help us through the rough spots, even as J D had helped me. I wanted to help women know they could be successful in nursing their babies and grow in their abilities to be good mothers.
J D and I decided to write to Chicago for information on how to start the La Leche League in Hawaii, and soon we had others who were as enthused as we were about starting the League here. S W had also called Karen Pryor and was referred to J D and so J invited S and I to her home and we decided to work with her to start the La Leche League in Hawaii. It was sometime about March 1965 when I wrote to P H and told her about myself and started the process of leadership preparation.

There was lots of reading to do, lots of things to learn, and eventually we were having weekly meetings and doing our best to share what we had learned; that there were significant benefits for mother and baby by breastfeeding. We taught them the basics of breastfeeding and then helped them overcome difficulties and did all we could to help them be successful in nursing their babies.

During this time of organizing and conducting meetings in Hawaii, I was going through my own learning time with my baby, J. As I closely observed the nursing process I was learning so much about LOVE. I could see how, when the baby needed nourishment that I should fill that need, and in a like way God fills us with his energy and love when we desire it! I soon wanted to carry over with my other four children the things I was learning. I wanted to more fully fill their needs also. I learned about improving our family nutrition. A recipe book put out by mothers in the La Leche league began to be well worn. I learned how to discipline with love and reasoning. I learned the importance of prayer and meditative listening. 

After three years of weekly meetings and activities in the League I asked to be released to concentrate on my growing family. The following year we had our sixth baby, a daughter M.  I was able to have a Lamaze birth experience and it was such a 'high'. I remember telling the doctor that it was so wonderful that I hoped I would have 12 more children! He said, 'Now Mrs. T, it can't be that great!"....but it was! 

When M was three I decided I wanted to return to the University and get a degree in Religion! I took M with me to classes. I took just one or two classes each semester and in 1975 paused to have another sweet baby daughter, C. I had to have an emergency Caesarian but she rated 10 on their Apgar test scale. I of course, nursed her and when she was six months old I put her in the 'Happy Baby Carrier' and continued my classes at Honolulu Community College and the University of Hawaii. She slept and nursed inconspicuously! I continued to pursue my desired education and still loved and cared for my baby. I have wonderful memories of those years.

The La Leche League was really a part of a religious experience in my life. I learned and taught and shared, and I am convinced that nursing our babies is a valuable experience. The La Leche League is a wonderful organization to help us be successful in mothering.

I am convinced that God- our Father in Heaven- wants us to learn to be good wives and mothers and to learn to teach with love. The most important thing we will ever do is to be a good teacher to our children. A leader in my church said, "No success can compensate for failure in the home" (David O. McKay) The League can help us be successful; our Churches can help us be successful. The scriptures can help us be successful.  I learned that most importantly, God can help us be successful if we but ask. Remember Jesus said that he stands at the door and knocks and he will come in to help you if you will but open the door for him.

Carmen said to me as we talked, "Oh I learned that too!" "And did you learn this after that?" and I would say, "Yes". Finally she said, "We really shouldn't be surprised, we had the same teacher!".

I'm sure many of you are having the same teacher too- some realizing it more fully than others. I hope as you go forward in this wonderful service as leaders in the La Leche League that you will more fully see that you are in HIS service as you help others learn the basic physical skill of breast feeding. It can be the beginning of a multitude of marvelous learning experiences in a woman's life.

We women are a living visual aid of CREATIVITY AND GIVING to our world.  We have a great responsibility to do our job well so our husbands and children will understand well those areas of God's nature.  Our husbands should so live that the word 'Father" will be worthily enshrined in our children's mind as someone loving and protective, one having gentle authority and loving power.  I wish you the best in your adventure of learning and growing.

Our baby J in the incubator         The beautiful young woman she became 

5.

MY EARTHLY MOTHER

MY MOST INFLUENTIAL TEACHER

There have been many teachers in my life who have influenced my life for good: my first art teacher, my science teacher in seventh grade, my world history teacher in High School, an English and Book of Mormon teacher at BYU, and my teachers in World Religion at UH. 

Of all my teachers in my life the most influential teacher is my Mother, Callie.  I was her first born when she was 40 years of age and two years later she had my sister E.  She was thrilled to have two healthy babies, in addition to the five children in my Father's first family.  L, my Father's first wife, died suddenly in the flu epidemic in the mid-twenties.  He was so broken hearted that he could no longer stay in the community where they were living, so he moved his five young children to Twin Falls, Idaho and went into an upholstery business with his brother.

Callie was a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ when she was 16 years of age.  Her Father, a Justice of the Peace in Reed Hill, Tennessee, paid the bail for 'two nice missionaries' and invited them to share their message with his family.  Her Father was a farmer and her Grandfather was a Baptist minister.  Callie taught school in a one- room schoolhouse before the family moved to Twin falls, Idaho.  Callie worked in a sewing machine store and a music store prior to serving on a church mission in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

When Callie returned from her mission, she was active in the youth auxiliary in the Church, which was called the Mutual Improvement Association.  George was active in this program also and was called to be president of the young men's association and Callie was  president of the young women's association.  George eventually got his courage up and asked Callie if she would marry him and become the second Mother for his family.  She accepted and they moved to a small farm George had homesteaded in Declo, Idaho. 

When I was born in 1932 Callie was determined to be the best Mother possible.  She taught me that she and my Father loved me.  She gave me a wonderful gift of her time.  She told me that when I was a baby she would lay me on a pillow next to her as she taught classes in Church.  She made me feel of worth and loved.

Being a teacher at heart she wanted to teach me everything she could.  When I was three and four years of age Mother taught me the alphabet and numbers, patently telling me how to spell various words that I would write down on a slate. I was soon writing words on paper and in homemade books. She made sure we had a room in our home which was filled with books and which we would call a 'library'.  I saw that she loved to read good books and that she loved to read the scriptures.

Before I could read very many words I remember Mother gave me a tract of the Joseph Smith prayer and vision.  I would go through it and underline the words I knew, such as ‘the’, ‘and’, and a few other simple ones : )  

Mother bought me several small New Testament books- perhaps 3 inches by 4 1/2 inches.  The Book of John, Luke, Matthew, and Mark.  I would put them in the pocket of my overalls, that I wore sometimes.  It was long pants with a bib that I wore over a blouse.  If I had to wait for some reason I could take out my little scriptures and read.  I remember reading the little book of Luke when I was riding the horse to take the cows out to pasture at about 10 years of age.

Mother would make small hand sewn books out of brown paper and then I would write my 'life story' inside.  In this way I was learning how to write histories, as well as learning about my family and myself.  Mother also taught me to write by filling out family genealogical sheets and pedigree sheets.  Later, I wrote and rewrote my life story on family history sheets.  She taught me how to organize my Book of Remembrance filled with records and histories.

Another interesting thing Mother did was how she taught us about free agency and consequence.  She would draw a path and then have it divide into two paths and would make signs along each path.  When I could draw things she often had me draw the charts of choices and consequences.  One path to the right would be the path Heavenly Father wanted us to take to find happiness and joy in our life on earth, the path to the left was the path that would lead to unhappiness.

Mother taught me to sew, embroider, to knit, and crochet, even as her Mother had taught her.  I did not become as proficient as she was in sewing, but I did learn some of the basics.

Mother taught me about healthy and unhealthy foods by having me cut out pictures from magazines and make scrap books about what was good for our bodies and what was harmful.  Those pictures were worth a 'thousand words'.

She taught me to pull weeds in the garden and to gather vegetables and fruit and clean them and prepare them for eating. I did small jobs to help when she bottled fruit for the winter time.

Mother taught me to cook as I helped her prepare vegetables and sometimes meat or poultry for supper, as we called it.  Breakfast was usually whole grain cereal and fruit and whole wheat bread.  Lunch was salads and several cooked vegetables.  I always remember the delicious corn bread she would bake.  She taught me to bake corn bread and I have taught my daughters.  Mother would bake whole wheat bread in round juice cans and put about eight in the oven at one baking.  Even though I don't bake bread in the round cans like my Mother, I still enjoy baking bread because of her example.

She taught me to do housework; to clean the house and keep things in order.  We always cleaned the house on Saturday to get everything clean for the Sabbath day.  I remember how good I felt when we finished and everything was clean.  Mother taught me the value of hard work.

Mother bought art supplies for me and encouraged me to draw and paint.  She took me to art shows and I remember standing before the paintings in an art gallery in Rupert, Idaho and being in awe.  From that moment I wanted to be an artist!  Mother bought me my first sable watercolor brush and my first 'real' watercolors in tubes.  She ordered pictures of artists and their paintings and musicians from the Perry Picture Company, so that I could become familiar with the best art and music.

She encouraged me to love good music.  I remember listening to Operas on Saturdays and reading in a small booklet about the plots and the singers.  I remember listening to Hawaii Calls with Dudley Edwards, coming to us from the shores of Waikiki, and loving the Hawaiian music.  She played many recordings, which she had purchased when she worked at Claude Brown's music store.  Mother played the organ and the piano and we would sing and enjoy being together as a family.  When I was six I began taking piano lessons and at twelve years of age I began playing the violin she had purchased before her marriage. Mother also taught my sister and I how to conduct the music and had us make little books showing the pattern for 3/4 and 4/4 time, etc. When we had our family home evenings we would take turns being the conductor for the music. 

Mother taught me to love the Bible stories.  She used to make scrap books with pictures she cut off of calendars from mortuaries.  She was certainly an early ‘scrapbook’ enthusiast. We would listen to Bible stories that were broadcast on the radio.  She would read to me and tell me the stories from the scriptures as she showed me the pictures she had saved.

Mother taught me that I am a spiritual daughter of a loving Father in Heaven.  She taught me to love Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost.  My Mother was a loving Mother, so it was easy for me to believe in a loving Father and Mother in Heaven.

Mother taught me to pray by having me pray from the time I could talk.  When I would loose something, even a pencil, I would go in my room and pray and ask God to help me find it.  When I found the item my faith in prayer began to grow very naturally.  We always turned our chairs around and knelt around the table for family prayer morning and evening.  In addition we would thank our Father in Heaven for our food and ask him to bless the food we were about to partake of.

All these things she taught me before I was twelve years of age.  She taught me many more things in the next eight years before I left my parent's home, but I often think that those first twelve years were the sure foundation for my life.

I'll be eternally grateful for my Mother, Callie, for she was my most influential teacher.