Dearest Family,
We hope that everyone is doing well. We've received many nice letters over the last couple of weeks, and we want to thank everyone for them. We are both doing pretty well, except for Carolyn who is continually sick with one thing or another.
Our school is going really well. Carolyn is just about done with the frame of her chair in her upholstry class. She says that she is really enjoying the class. I am doing well in my classes, too. I have one class in which we are doing exercises in small group behavior. We do all kinds of things to get the groups to communicate and solve problems through things like team efforts and group games. it is one of the most interesting classes I have had.
Little Jonathan is doing well. He now goes from room to room and closes the doors. His first tooth is pushing through right now and another one is about ready to. He crawls fast, and he loves to explore the house, and get into the garbage and play with the newspapers and magazines. He also has to eat with us and wants to try whatever we are eating. He is a good little guy most of the time.
Carolyn is keeping busy with babysitting for a friend, and school and church work. She has lots of little projects going and also likes to relax a bit. She is still the pianist in the Relief Society.
I'm keeping busy doing everything under the sun. I go to school full time, and I work full time, still. I kind of enjoy being a supervisor, but its hard getting used to some people with their little handups. Our head of maintenance is always complaining that he has too much to do, but when I tried to take a little of his "dominion" away I almost caused a good problem. But, luckily I had the support of the general manager and things worked out in my favor anyway. I'm also keeping busy with my church jobs.
We want to thank everyone for their letters and for the love which they show us. Its great having such a wonderful family to back us up.
Love,
Kerry and Carolyn
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Letter from September 6, 1979
Dear Loved Ones:
Kerry and I had a fun time in Helena. Thank you for your hospitality. Jonathan was treated like a king by Albert, who waited on him hand and foot. Albert fed, changed and played with him. Arlen got into the act, too. Albert and Jonathan slept in the same bedroom and when Jonathan was up at the early hours of the morning Albert was right there to change his diaper and give him a bath.
We went to the lake on Monday and had a barbeque. I got to see a professional waterski act by none other than Albert. We really enjoyed our new car. It was a lot easier to travel in than the FIAT. Jonathan looked cute in his life jacket, which was 15 sizes too big.
On our way back we missed seeing an airplane crash into a grain elevator in Dillon Montana. If we had been there two hours earlier we would have been in the middle of it. We took a 20 minute detour around the town and must of seen 15 fire trucks. Some were all the way from Butte, which is 100 miles away. Other than a pizza at Pizza Hut in Idaho Falls the rest of our trip was uneventful.
Jonathan hasn't had very much sleep in this busy week. I left him with a babysitter on Tuesday so I could go to class and he stayed up until 11 o'clock at night. That's quite a bit for the little guy. I walked in the door and he cried until I picked him up. I guess he knows who his Mom and Dad are now. Today we took him up on campus to get books and he would watch all the people go by and laugh and laugh. It was so funny to see. We saw Maurine there too. She looks skinnier every time I see her.
Yesterday, I child-proofed my house. Jonathan can climb up on and stand on any piece of furniture in the house. I made a special shelf just to have his toys on. He always heads for that shelf because it makes lots of noise. Jonathan can walk around on the furniture now and next week he will be 6 months old.
Kerry was made a supervisor at work. He seems to be moving up fast in the company. I can't believe that in a year he has made so much progress. Tomorrow the company is having a party at the Alpine Slide and everyone has to go. It should be fun.
We have our first ripe tomato from the garden today. I have three huge zucchini squash sitting on the kitchen counter, too. I made a Zucchini-Tomato Casserole tonight and Kerry liked it so well he ate two helpings of vegetables. I couldn't believe it.
Love,
Carolyn
Zucchini Tomato Casserole
Heat oven to 375.
2 lbs zucchini squash
3 T chopped onions
3 T fat
2 cups tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 t. thyme (optional)
Wash squash and cut into 1/4 inch pieces. In fry pan, cook onion in fat until limp. Add squash and simmer for 5 min. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Pour into greased baking dish or pan. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake 365 for about 20 minutes.
You can also add sausage, hamburger or leftober meat with the cheese or in place of it a variety of seasonings can be added: chili powder, or chili pepper. It can also be made with corn bread batter. Drop tsp. into the hot casserole misture. Bake 20 minutes until corn bread is cooked.
Kerry and I had a fun time in Helena. Thank you for your hospitality. Jonathan was treated like a king by Albert, who waited on him hand and foot. Albert fed, changed and played with him. Arlen got into the act, too. Albert and Jonathan slept in the same bedroom and when Jonathan was up at the early hours of the morning Albert was right there to change his diaper and give him a bath.
We went to the lake on Monday and had a barbeque. I got to see a professional waterski act by none other than Albert. We really enjoyed our new car. It was a lot easier to travel in than the FIAT. Jonathan looked cute in his life jacket, which was 15 sizes too big.
On our way back we missed seeing an airplane crash into a grain elevator in Dillon Montana. If we had been there two hours earlier we would have been in the middle of it. We took a 20 minute detour around the town and must of seen 15 fire trucks. Some were all the way from Butte, which is 100 miles away. Other than a pizza at Pizza Hut in Idaho Falls the rest of our trip was uneventful.
Jonathan hasn't had very much sleep in this busy week. I left him with a babysitter on Tuesday so I could go to class and he stayed up until 11 o'clock at night. That's quite a bit for the little guy. I walked in the door and he cried until I picked him up. I guess he knows who his Mom and Dad are now. Today we took him up on campus to get books and he would watch all the people go by and laugh and laugh. It was so funny to see. We saw Maurine there too. She looks skinnier every time I see her.
Yesterday, I child-proofed my house. Jonathan can climb up on and stand on any piece of furniture in the house. I made a special shelf just to have his toys on. He always heads for that shelf because it makes lots of noise. Jonathan can walk around on the furniture now and next week he will be 6 months old.
Kerry was made a supervisor at work. He seems to be moving up fast in the company. I can't believe that in a year he has made so much progress. Tomorrow the company is having a party at the Alpine Slide and everyone has to go. It should be fun.
We have our first ripe tomato from the garden today. I have three huge zucchini squash sitting on the kitchen counter, too. I made a Zucchini-Tomato Casserole tonight and Kerry liked it so well he ate two helpings of vegetables. I couldn't believe it.
Love,
Carolyn
Zucchini Tomato Casserole
Heat oven to 375.
2 lbs zucchini squash
3 T chopped onions
3 T fat
2 cups tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 t. thyme (optional)
Wash squash and cut into 1/4 inch pieces. In fry pan, cook onion in fat until limp. Add squash and simmer for 5 min. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Pour into greased baking dish or pan. Sprinkle cheese over top and bake 365 for about 20 minutes.
You can also add sausage, hamburger or leftober meat with the cheese or in place of it a variety of seasonings can be added: chili powder, or chili pepper. It can also be made with corn bread batter. Drop tsp. into the hot casserole misture. Bake 20 minutes until corn bread is cooked.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Letter from November 1, 1979
Dear Mom and Dad,
Hello!!! It was good to hear from you this past week. We are really happy with how the pictures turned out of everyone. It was good seing pictures of you, and we can't wait to see you at Christmas time. We will probably leave here on the 19th or 20th and head back on the 26th. I am sure you appreciate the fact that I only have one week off, as I hae heard you mention the same Mom, and how it seems like hardly anything.
Carolyn is doing pretty well these last two days. Since the start she has been taking things a lot easier this time, and it seems to really make a difference. She gets a shot every week, and she also takes Bendectin religiously. She does just about everything right, and she still has some bad days, but it is starting to seem that she is having lots of good days. She is doing well in her upholstry class and is starting to recover the chair.
I am doing fairly well. Today I will get reviewed at work again, and I'm hoping (again) that I will get a good raise. I am already the highest paid worker in production, with only three of the supervisors making more than me. Everyone else that started the same time as I did, are making less than $4.00 per hour. I wouldn't be in this position if we hadn't changed general managers, as the old one, really didn't do his job, and seemed to feel threatened by anyone who did. Skip, the new general manager really seems to respect me, and leaves a lot of the decisions concerning any aspect of capsulating up to me.
I just took a midterm in Small-group Decision Making yesterday and did quite well. I'm sure I got an A. The class is graded on just two midterms. I'm doing well in most of my other classes but the rest are some of the boringest classes I've ever had at BYU. The main reason is the teachers, and most people that I talk to seem to feel the same about these men.
Mom-I threw away the other letter I had written to you about me and my education, as it was written in king of a negative tone. You are right, it would have been easier if I had finished college before getting married, but who says that life has to be easy. I'm happier today than I've ever been, and I really am starting to feel good about myself. I am 1. doing the very thing that the Lord would want me to in having a family, 2. working hard to support my little family, 3. going to college on a regular basis with the intent of finishing my education. On point number three--I realise that it is very possible to graduate from an institution such as BYU in four years. To do this would require that from the very start that I take exactly and no less than 16 hours of classes every semester, and that would also mean an average of 32 hours of homework every semester, which would leave absolutely no time or at least not enough time to be both a good husband and father, and also support a family. Now as I was telling Dad on the phone, I checked with BYU and the average student takes 10.5 semesters to graduate with a Bachelors degree. I am currently in my 7th semester and I am keeping up with the average. I'm sorry that things aren't the same as they were when you went to school. We live in times of very high costs, and rapid inflation, two things that I know you are very much aware of. We and expecially I have appreciated the money that you have loaned us and the car which you are so generously selling to us in the past. sincer we are making this decision to finish college even if it is going to take longer than the time that you think it should, we have not in the past, nor will we in the future ask you for any help in achieving this goal. I really do understand how you feel as I know what it takes to earn that amount of money. When you have offered to help us we have accepted it but we haven't come and outright asked you for anything, as we are responsible for this decision. I really am grateful for all of the help you have given me in achieving this goal, and I will try to do some type of restitution if I get the chance in the future. You are the best parents a person could ask for, and I am glad to know that you do really love me, and worry about me. I don't mind being mothered even at my ollld age.
This week we are the proud new owners of a stereo cabinet. Tim gave it to me for helping out at his store. It is about 4 1/2 feet tall and it is walnut with a smoked glass door. It is really beautiful, and it sells for about $140. It is just what we needed to protect it from little Jonathan.
Jonathan doesn't stop. We put him to bed at about 7 in the evening and he wakes up at around 7 in the morning. He gets up and instead of crying he turns on his light and starts playing in his crib. We can hear him in there talking to his toy bunnies, and when he has had enough, usually an hour or so, he will take a rattle and start to bang on the wall until someone else wakes up. He can stand on his own now, but it frightens him, so he usually just crawls like a little rocket and is constantly busy, playing investigating and eating.
We pray that all is well with you, and we miss you.
Love,
Kerry and Carolyn
Hello!!! It was good to hear from you this past week. We are really happy with how the pictures turned out of everyone. It was good seing pictures of you, and we can't wait to see you at Christmas time. We will probably leave here on the 19th or 20th and head back on the 26th. I am sure you appreciate the fact that I only have one week off, as I hae heard you mention the same Mom, and how it seems like hardly anything.
Carolyn is doing pretty well these last two days. Since the start she has been taking things a lot easier this time, and it seems to really make a difference. She gets a shot every week, and she also takes Bendectin religiously. She does just about everything right, and she still has some bad days, but it is starting to seem that she is having lots of good days. She is doing well in her upholstry class and is starting to recover the chair.
I am doing fairly well. Today I will get reviewed at work again, and I'm hoping (again) that I will get a good raise. I am already the highest paid worker in production, with only three of the supervisors making more than me. Everyone else that started the same time as I did, are making less than $4.00 per hour. I wouldn't be in this position if we hadn't changed general managers, as the old one, really didn't do his job, and seemed to feel threatened by anyone who did. Skip, the new general manager really seems to respect me, and leaves a lot of the decisions concerning any aspect of capsulating up to me.
I just took a midterm in Small-group Decision Making yesterday and did quite well. I'm sure I got an A. The class is graded on just two midterms. I'm doing well in most of my other classes but the rest are some of the boringest classes I've ever had at BYU. The main reason is the teachers, and most people that I talk to seem to feel the same about these men.
Mom-I threw away the other letter I had written to you about me and my education, as it was written in king of a negative tone. You are right, it would have been easier if I had finished college before getting married, but who says that life has to be easy. I'm happier today than I've ever been, and I really am starting to feel good about myself. I am 1. doing the very thing that the Lord would want me to in having a family, 2. working hard to support my little family, 3. going to college on a regular basis with the intent of finishing my education. On point number three--I realise that it is very possible to graduate from an institution such as BYU in four years. To do this would require that from the very start that I take exactly and no less than 16 hours of classes every semester, and that would also mean an average of 32 hours of homework every semester, which would leave absolutely no time or at least not enough time to be both a good husband and father, and also support a family. Now as I was telling Dad on the phone, I checked with BYU and the average student takes 10.5 semesters to graduate with a Bachelors degree. I am currently in my 7th semester and I am keeping up with the average. I'm sorry that things aren't the same as they were when you went to school. We live in times of very high costs, and rapid inflation, two things that I know you are very much aware of. We and expecially I have appreciated the money that you have loaned us and the car which you are so generously selling to us in the past. sincer we are making this decision to finish college even if it is going to take longer than the time that you think it should, we have not in the past, nor will we in the future ask you for any help in achieving this goal. I really do understand how you feel as I know what it takes to earn that amount of money. When you have offered to help us we have accepted it but we haven't come and outright asked you for anything, as we are responsible for this decision. I really am grateful for all of the help you have given me in achieving this goal, and I will try to do some type of restitution if I get the chance in the future. You are the best parents a person could ask for, and I am glad to know that you do really love me, and worry about me. I don't mind being mothered even at my ollld age.
This week we are the proud new owners of a stereo cabinet. Tim gave it to me for helping out at his store. It is about 4 1/2 feet tall and it is walnut with a smoked glass door. It is really beautiful, and it sells for about $140. It is just what we needed to protect it from little Jonathan.
Jonathan doesn't stop. We put him to bed at about 7 in the evening and he wakes up at around 7 in the morning. He gets up and instead of crying he turns on his light and starts playing in his crib. We can hear him in there talking to his toy bunnies, and when he has had enough, usually an hour or so, he will take a rattle and start to bang on the wall until someone else wakes up. He can stand on his own now, but it frightens him, so he usually just crawls like a little rocket and is constantly busy, playing investigating and eating.
We pray that all is well with you, and we miss you.
Love,
Kerry and Carolyn
Letter from March 23, 1980
Dear Family,
We haven't written a family letter in ages, and we dieceded it was time to get down and get it done. We had Stake Conference this morning, and we were done by 9:30. We do enjoy this new meeting schedule, as it sometimes gets very difficult with a baby to stay patient for five hours. Jonathan was a perfect little angel today.
We are all doing pretty well. Carolyn tires very quickly, but all in all she feels better this time, than she did in the last pregnancy. She has had a lot of projects going lately. She finished a brand-new quilt for the new baby this week, which has taken her nearly two months of steady work. She has also been making lots of sugar Easter eggs, and teaching friends how to do it. The only class that she is taking up at school right now is a class in cake decorating. Carolyn has a full-time job just trying to keep up with little Jonathan.
Jonathan is growing up quickly. He doesn't walk anywhere anymore. He runs, and falls, and picks himself up and runs a little more, falls, etc. He is the best little boy. He likes to sit on the cupboard while Carolyn is mixing a cake and add his own ingredients. His ingredients usually consist of things like, the empty cake box, his hand, a spoon, and anything else in reach. I love listening to Carolyn as she says, "No, Jonathan, we don't put the egg shells in with the cake." She says it so patiently and he just smiles. We took him to get his birthday pictures yesterday, but he was frightened, and we will have to return on another day. He told me to thank all of you for the cards and presents that he received on his birthday.
I am leading a very busy life right now. Things seem to change quickly for me at work. I am now managing the production and packaging line at night at HPI. We are being swamped with orders and growing very quickly. I had a visit with our personnel director on Friday, and he asked me to submit an updated resume as he wanted to consider me for an office position that was to be opening up soon. I have been managing to get my school in at the same time, so my days tend to be very long. I don't run any machinery at work, so I'm not getting as worn out physically, just more mentally.
We are really grateful for all of the letters we receive from each of you, and we apologize for the time that elapses before we reply. We love you all, and pray for your success, especially in your families.
We love you,
Kerry, Carolyn, and Jonathan
We haven't written a family letter in ages, and we dieceded it was time to get down and get it done. We had Stake Conference this morning, and we were done by 9:30. We do enjoy this new meeting schedule, as it sometimes gets very difficult with a baby to stay patient for five hours. Jonathan was a perfect little angel today.
We are all doing pretty well. Carolyn tires very quickly, but all in all she feels better this time, than she did in the last pregnancy. She has had a lot of projects going lately. She finished a brand-new quilt for the new baby this week, which has taken her nearly two months of steady work. She has also been making lots of sugar Easter eggs, and teaching friends how to do it. The only class that she is taking up at school right now is a class in cake decorating. Carolyn has a full-time job just trying to keep up with little Jonathan.
Jonathan is growing up quickly. He doesn't walk anywhere anymore. He runs, and falls, and picks himself up and runs a little more, falls, etc. He is the best little boy. He likes to sit on the cupboard while Carolyn is mixing a cake and add his own ingredients. His ingredients usually consist of things like, the empty cake box, his hand, a spoon, and anything else in reach. I love listening to Carolyn as she says, "No, Jonathan, we don't put the egg shells in with the cake." She says it so patiently and he just smiles. We took him to get his birthday pictures yesterday, but he was frightened, and we will have to return on another day. He told me to thank all of you for the cards and presents that he received on his birthday.
I am leading a very busy life right now. Things seem to change quickly for me at work. I am now managing the production and packaging line at night at HPI. We are being swamped with orders and growing very quickly. I had a visit with our personnel director on Friday, and he asked me to submit an updated resume as he wanted to consider me for an office position that was to be opening up soon. I have been managing to get my school in at the same time, so my days tend to be very long. I don't run any machinery at work, so I'm not getting as worn out physically, just more mentally.
We are really grateful for all of the letters we receive from each of you, and we apologize for the time that elapses before we reply. We love you all, and pray for your success, especially in your families.
We love you,
Kerry, Carolyn, and Jonathan
Letter from April 20, 1981
Dear Dad and Mom,
Hello! How are you? We sure do love you. All things are going well for us.
Carolyn is doing well. She got a new dress for Easter, and also sewed one for herself. She was called to be the Relief Society pianist last week. I think that the call really excites her.
Jonathan is doing well. He is talking and expressing himself now. He plays very well with Cherie. We sure have been blessed with good children.
Cherie is a very busy little girl. She has a smile that will melt your heart. We sure do love her.
I was called as 1st counselor to Bishop Harrison last Sunday. He is the Dean of Physics at BYU. It should be a very good experience for me. I did well in my classes last semester. I'm still not sure about Spring Semester.
Dad, thanks so much for the car and hleping us out in getting it. I got it registered and inspected on Friday and Saturday. We sure do appreciate your help.
Well, I better go. I sure do love you, and hope you are well.
Love,
Kerry
Hello! How are you? We sure do love you. All things are going well for us.
Carolyn is doing well. She got a new dress for Easter, and also sewed one for herself. She was called to be the Relief Society pianist last week. I think that the call really excites her.
Jonathan is doing well. He is talking and expressing himself now. He plays very well with Cherie. We sure have been blessed with good children.
Cherie is a very busy little girl. She has a smile that will melt your heart. We sure do love her.
I was called as 1st counselor to Bishop Harrison last Sunday. He is the Dean of Physics at BYU. It should be a very good experience for me. I did well in my classes last semester. I'm still not sure about Spring Semester.
Dad, thanks so much for the car and hleping us out in getting it. I got it registered and inspected on Friday and Saturday. We sure do appreciate your help.
Well, I better go. I sure do love you, and hope you are well.
Love,
Kerry
Letter from June 20, 1980
Dear John, Theone, and Maurine,
Enclosed is a check for the car. Kerry likes to write a letter with it, but has been so busy this past week he hasn't had a chance to sit down.
He stayed up with Cherie last night trying to get her to sleep. We wento out to Rick and Janeil's and Jonathan fell in their trampoline hole which was full of water and mud. The poor little guy hung on for dear life on the corner of the trampoline until Kerry came to the rescue. Kerry immediately stuck him in the bathtub. I'm surprised he didn't drown.
Beth's baby goes to the doctor every 3 weeks now to get her throat stretched. Cherie is just as big as she is with a little more fat on her. Rebecca is very thin.
They are having a hard time finding someone to live with Grandma Miles. Jean says, on a good day she can walk across the room with her walker and on a bad day take at the most 3 to 4 steps. Kerry and I want to go see her one of these weekends and take her some cookes and nuts.
Cherie slept through the night for the 2nd time last night. She went 8 hours without food.
Love,
Carolyn
Enclosed is a check for the car. Kerry likes to write a letter with it, but has been so busy this past week he hasn't had a chance to sit down.
He stayed up with Cherie last night trying to get her to sleep. We wento out to Rick and Janeil's and Jonathan fell in their trampoline hole which was full of water and mud. The poor little guy hung on for dear life on the corner of the trampoline until Kerry came to the rescue. Kerry immediately stuck him in the bathtub. I'm surprised he didn't drown.
Beth's baby goes to the doctor every 3 weeks now to get her throat stretched. Cherie is just as big as she is with a little more fat on her. Rebecca is very thin.
They are having a hard time finding someone to live with Grandma Miles. Jean says, on a good day she can walk across the room with her walker and on a bad day take at the most 3 to 4 steps. Kerry and I want to go see her one of these weekends and take her some cookes and nuts.
Cherie slept through the night for the 2nd time last night. She went 8 hours without food.
Love,
Carolyn
Monday, October 4, 2010
This Week In the News
Last night I was thinking about what I would write in my blog this week. I was thinking a lot of things but most of all I felt that I would share my feelings about General Conference. Hearing a prophet speak in my home was a real treat for me. I enjoyed listening to the apostles and other general authorities also. The two talks about prophets quoted the same talk by President Benson. Two weeks ago I used the same quotes in my lesson. I would like to just review some of the fundamentals of a prophet:
1.The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2.The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3.The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4.The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5.The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or diplomas to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6.The prophet does not have to say “Thus saith the Lord” to give us scripture.
7.The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8.The Prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9.The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual.
10.The prophet may well advise on civic matters.
11.The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12.The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13.The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—The highest quorum in the Church.
14.The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer. [June 1981 Liahona]
There were other quotes that I used about why we need a living prophet today in my lesson.
President John Taylor said, “We require a living tree—a living fountain—living intelligence, proceeding from the living priesthood in heaven, through the living priesthood on earth. … And from the time that Adam first received a communication from God, to the time that John, on the Isle of Patmos, received his communication, or Joseph Smith had the heavens opened to him, it always required new revelations, adapted to the peculiar circumstances in which the churches or individuals were placed. Adam’s revelation did not instruct Noah to build his ark; nor did Noah’s revelation tell Lot to forsake Sodom; nor did either of these speak of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt. These all had revelations for themselves, and so had Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jesus, Peter, Paul, John, and Joseph. And so must we, or we shall make a shipwreck.” (The Gospel Kingdom, [Deseret Book Co., 1944], p. 34.)
Orson Pratt has said, “The very moment that we set aside the living oracles we set aside the revelations of God. Why? Because the revelations of God command us plainly that we shall harken to the living oracles. Hence, if we undertake to follow the written word, and at the same time do not give heed to the living oracles of God, the written word will condemn us. …” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 373.)
I love conference and have set some goals for myself from the talks that were given. I remember that Spencer W. Kimball kept a notebook that he wrote in during conference to set goals of things he needed to work on. I love his response and so am following his example.
1.The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2.The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3.The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4.The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5.The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or diplomas to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6.The prophet does not have to say “Thus saith the Lord” to give us scripture.
7.The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8.The Prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9.The prophet can receive revelation on any matter—temporal or spiritual.
10.The prophet may well advise on civic matters.
11.The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12.The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13.The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—The highest quorum in the Church.
14.The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer. [June 1981 Liahona]
There were other quotes that I used about why we need a living prophet today in my lesson.
President John Taylor said, “We require a living tree—a living fountain—living intelligence, proceeding from the living priesthood in heaven, through the living priesthood on earth. … And from the time that Adam first received a communication from God, to the time that John, on the Isle of Patmos, received his communication, or Joseph Smith had the heavens opened to him, it always required new revelations, adapted to the peculiar circumstances in which the churches or individuals were placed. Adam’s revelation did not instruct Noah to build his ark; nor did Noah’s revelation tell Lot to forsake Sodom; nor did either of these speak of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt. These all had revelations for themselves, and so had Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jesus, Peter, Paul, John, and Joseph. And so must we, or we shall make a shipwreck.” (The Gospel Kingdom, [Deseret Book Co., 1944], p. 34.)
Orson Pratt has said, “The very moment that we set aside the living oracles we set aside the revelations of God. Why? Because the revelations of God command us plainly that we shall harken to the living oracles. Hence, if we undertake to follow the written word, and at the same time do not give heed to the living oracles of God, the written word will condemn us. …” (Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 373.)
I love conference and have set some goals for myself from the talks that were given. I remember that Spencer W. Kimball kept a notebook that he wrote in during conference to set goals of things he needed to work on. I love his response and so am following his example.
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