Christmas in Preston, England 1837

Heber C. Kimball related a special Christmas experience as related in The Life of Heber C, Kimball by Orson F. Whitney (pages 173-174):

       On Christmas a special conference was held in Preston by the Apostles. About three hundred of          the Saints assembled, delegates being present from the various branches in and around Preston,          extending some thirty miles. ...

     "The Spirit of the Lord was with us; and truly the hearts of the Elders were rejoiced beyond                 measure when we contemplated the glorious work which had been done, and we had to exclaim,         'Blessed be the name of the Lord, who has crowned our labors with such success!' During the             conference we confirmed fourteen members and blesssed about one hundred children."

       ... A beautiful and fitting celebration of that blessed day of days, when 'unto us a Child was born'        to take away the sins of the world; when God descended from His throne and took upon Him              flesh, exchanging crown for cross, and sceptred rule for martyrdom, in the cause of man's                    redemption. Shine out, ye blazing stars, and sun and moon give forth your warmth and lustre! Ye        cannot dim the glory, nor vie the matchless love, of Him who set you there to light and cheer, on,        onward to celestial heights the world He died to save!

I hope all of my friends and loved ones are filled with the same kind of joy described so beautifully by Orson F. Whitney in capturing the special experiences of the early missionaries in England.

Following in the steps of Heber C. Kimball

One of the joys we looked forward to in coming to Preston, England for our LDS Church service mission was the chance to be in the area where Lynn's great-great-great grandfather, Heber C. Kimball, opened up the first overseas mission for the Mormon Church in 1837.

Today, we took our first trip to places associated with his mission: Downham and Chatburn. My colleague in the Chorley, England area legal counsel office, Jay Peck, and his wife Joan were kind enough to offer to take us to one of their favorite places. The morning was a crisp, clear day so it was a perfect Saturday for this short day trip.

We had remembered reading about these towns as places where Heber C. Kimball had amazing experiences in his first months in England in the wonderful book on the Life of Heber C. Kimball, written by his grandson, Orson F. Whitney, who was also descended from Heber's first wife, Vilate Murray Kimball, like Lynn is. I will weave in some of his own words in describing our experiences there today.

The weather has been wet, breezy and cold the last few days, but the skies cleared overnight leaving the first touches of snow on the hillsides we could see out to the West and the North as we drove first to Preston and then up the Ribble River valley to these two small towns.

First, Jay took us to see the location in Chatburn where Heber's early baptisms took place in these two towns. It was a beautiful, quiet stream with a wider spot. Above it was a foot path leading to an old wagon road that climbs the hill toward Downham, one mile away. North of Downham is Pendle Hill which had a light dusting of snow this morning and an increased amount from the rain/hail that came through while we had a delightful English pub lunch at the Assheton Arms, in the middle of Downham. The whole town is much like it would have been in 1837 with old stone houses, stone walls along the narrow ways and footpaths heading into the hills. We chuckled to note that many of the guests in the restaurant had dogs with them as they had obviously been out on short hikes. Across the street was the town cathedral, St. Leonard's, which dates back to the early 1200's and was rebuilt in 1801 and renovated again in 1910. We heard that the Queen Mother once said in leaving the entrance to the small church that the view was one of the finest in England as it looked out across the church cemetery lot, across the small town below and up to the Pendle Hill outside the town.

Heber's experiences here were extraordinary. He mentions on page 169 of the book on his life:
"Having metioned my intention of going to Downham and Chatburn, to several of the brethren, they endeavored to dissuade me from going, informing me there could be no prospect of success whatever, as several ministers of different denominations had endeavored in vain to raise churches in these places, and had frequently preached to them, but to no effect, as they had resisted all the efforts and withstood the attempts of all sects and parties for the last thirty years, who, seeing all their attempts fail, had given them up to hardness of heart. ... However, this did not discourage me, believing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ could reach the heart, when the gospels of men proved abortive; I consequently told those brethren that there were the places I wanted to go to, for that it was my business not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. ...
 "In Chatburn I was cordially received by the inhabitants, who turned out in great numbers to hear me preach. They produced a large tithing barn, placing a barrel in the center, upon which I stood. I preached to them the first principles of the Gospel, spoke in simplicity upon the principles revealed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the conditions of pardon for a fallen world and the blessings and privileges of those who embraced the truth; I likewise said a little on the subject of the resurrection. My testimony was accompanied by the Spirit of the Lord, and was received with joy, and these people who had been represented as being hard and obdurate, were melted into tenderness and love. ... When I concluded I felt someone pulling at my coat, exclaiming, 'Maister, Maister.' I turned round and asked what was wanted. Mrs. Elizabeth Partington said, 'Please sir, will you baptize me?' 'And me?' 'And me?' exclaimed more than a dozen voices. Accordingly I went down into the water and baptized twenty-five. I was engaged in this duty, and confirming them and conversing with the people until after midniht.
"The next morning I returned to Downham, and baptized between twenty-five and thirty in the course of the day....These villages seemed to be affected from one end to the other; parents called their children together, spoke to them on the subjects which I had preached about, and warned them against swearing and all other evil practices, and instructed them in their duty.
"We were absent from Preston five days, during which time Brother Fielding and I baptized and confirmed about 110 persons; organized branches in Downham, Chatburn, Waddington and Clithero; ...This was the first time the people in those villages ever heard our voices, or saw an American."
(To be continued.)

Gethsamane: An Angel Comforting Christ

In my personal scripture reading yesterday, I came to one of my favorite accounts of Christ in Gethsemane in Luke 22:43: “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” This is the only account in the four gospels mentioning the comforting angel. 

Here are two of my favorite artistic portrayals of that scripture. I saw the one from the BYU Studies cover during some of the darkest days when I was alone and in my own despair. This BYU Studies cover from 2000 (Volume 39, Issue 3) is James C. Christensen’s “Gethsemane.” I cannot adequately retell what feelings of comfort and joy I felt in the many times I have viewed that picture over the years.

https://byustudies.byu.edu/images/thumbnailBig/39.3cover.jpg

Angel Comforting Christ Statue

Inspired by the famous painting of Carl Heinrich Bloch this 7 inches tall and 6.25 inches wide statue is a moving depiction of the scene in garden of Gethsemane.

http://www.inhisname.com/product.php?product=46009#.VBxmDol0yM8

Joseph Pollard's life story in poetry (My great-grandfather)

Life story in poetry of Joseph Pollard (author unknown)

Contributed By YatesDavidLoran1 · 2013-04-15 17:43:14 GMT+0000 (UTC) · 1 Comments

JOSEPH POLLARD An honest man is God’s noblest work These words we often hear Experience proves beyond a doubt This adage true and dear. We sometimes say that so and so Is good and genuine To know them proves the opposite Eight cases out of nine. We never miss the water Until the well is dry Oft’ when the loved one leaves us In silence then we sigh And wish we could recall them To speak one word or two To tell them how we loved them Because they were so true. In a little town of Corfe Castle Old England, Dorsetshire Lived James and Elizabeth Pollard For many and many a year Six noble sons were born to them Three daughters too were given To decorate their little cot And make their home a Heaven Their family large it took some means To keep the children fed For this the parents planned at night While they were asleep in bed Among the family of boys Was born plain “Joseph Pollard” In the year eighteen-nineteen On November twenty-third. Of him our hearts doth fondly turn The one we loved so dear From early life to ripe old age He’s still to us so near. To sketch a line of that long life Given pleasure over-flowing Because of the reverence for his name That in our hearts still growing. The first few years of childhood’s hours Were spent with home and mother Around her heart his love entwined She all his sobs would smother Because of circumstances poor His schooling was but little A busy life to battle with In unseen toils to struggle. Oft’ times his father took the lad To see the British Channel Twas only just a little way From their little home so humble His young heart leaped to see the waves With full rigged ships upon How eagerly he watched them pass And for a ride did long. Then when at night in soft repose Asleep upon his pillow In fancied dreams he’d sail along Upon the foaming billow. A constant wish was in his heart A sailor brave to be The tempest high to ride upon From home and land to flee. He begged his father to let him go And lead a sailor’s life “Courageous son” the father said You know not of the strife. That seamen have to undergo Far from their kin and home In heavy rains and gushing winds That make the waters foam. The thought to have you on the sea Would almost break my heart To leave your peaceful happy home With all your dear ones part Think of the ships tossed to and fro On water mountains high And you in one terrific storm With all the crew would die. The loving parents reasoned thus That strong desire to break But still for sailing vessels And foaming seas he’d ache. They failed to quench that longing To suit him, well they tried To make a noble man of him They no good thing denied. Tis now the year of thirty-four And Joseph past fourteen The lad was from the country He looked a trifle green To leave the home and dear ones And paddle his own canoe Get strange board and lodgings And look for work to do. So in the short month of that year James Pollard took his son To visit some fine ship yards And hunt for work for him Successful was his visit Apprentice boys were wanted To serve a term of seven years This was just what he wanted. Returning home with happy heart What pleasant news for mother Telling of what he soon would be A sailing vessel builder. Fortune surely smiled on him In that his wish was granted Allowing such a precious chance To get just what he wanted. One serious thing slipped from his mind T’was to leave his mother Just in the period of one month This fact he did discover. The time went on, the bargain made The lad shall be a builder Serving his master seven years A true efficient worker. The foreman said he’d take the lad One month or so on trial To ascertain if he was made Of genuine good metal. He worked just long enough to prove Himself an honest laborer Before the papers all were signed To make the boy a builder. The first few weeks passed slowly by He missed his mother’s meeting And as the sun sank in the West He longed for father’s greeting But something new to learn each day Kept mind and body busy Time rolled along with rapid pace The work seemed to get easy. The foreman liked the boy so much That while he learned the trade He let the lad live with his folks So there his home he made Three years or more passed quickly by Till June of Thirty seven When sorrow came to their old home The family was heart broken. Their father ailed for many weeks Then slowly sank in death And all was gloom for many years Around the family hearth. A day or two before he died He sent for Joe to come A word with him before he went Unto his Heavenly home. Said he “Dear boy I had a dream While on my bed with fever; I saw you in a lovely place Close by a crystal river. The valley was so beautiful T’was such a Heavenly sight You looked just like an Angel Dressed in pure linen white.” He faithfully served the seven years Of his apprenticeship Then as a first class carpenter He sailed the mighty deep. Some visits to the West Indies And North America Then to the shore of Kent; and worked For Queen Victoria. Ship building at the Government docks In the year of Forty four He lived in that locality For ten long years or more. September twenty second, forty five He married Mary Ann Bailey True to each other they have lived For half a century nearly. In the year of Forty eight He heard the Mormons preach And from that very moment For truth did always search. On April tenth of forty nine He first obeyed the Gospel John Griffiths then baptized him His joy no tongue could tell. He soon received the Priesthood Became a faithful Deacon And to positions he was called Proved true to every one. He next became an Elder On Sunday missions was sent Scattered tracts of Gospel truth To Bedford branch he went. In the year of 1852 Over Bedford Branch presided Was faithful to that calling While he there resided In the year of 1854 With wife and three small children He left the country of his birth To go and dwell in Zion. They sailed across the Atlantic On the ship called “Clara Wheeler” The date I think it was The 27th of November Their voyage was a sad one For many a good soul died With sickness, sorrow and distress That company was tried. In January of Fifty Five They arrived at big St. Louis Remaining there a couple of years And then their journey finished Securing there a steady job Some needed money made Working on the steamboats And vessels at his trade. Continuing as a faithful saint While there far in the East He met Apostle Erastus Snow Who ordained him a High Priest Progressing ever onward To duties always faithful There he was set apart to act As one of the High Council. His home was always welcome To the weary Elder’s feet A good soft bed to rest upon And something nice to eat. Among the many Elders Who at his table ate Was Parley Pratt, the martyr Just before he met his fate. In June of 1857 They journeyed toward Zion At Florence joined a company With them they traveled on Across the dreary barren plains With Jacob Hoffin’s party Enduring many hardships Before they reached the Valley. One circumstance we’ll here relate It happened on the journey A narrow escape it surely was To some of that brave company. Their cattle took a wild stampede Through creeks, o’er hills and hollow That awful plight made many think A horrid sight would follow. Men and women and children too Were thrown from out the wagons Picked up unconscious by their friends Some perhaps were dying. At that sad moment came the Lord Their faith in Him ne’er failing His blessing showered on every soul That through the fall was ailing. With courage fresh they traveled on With tired limbs and bleeding Encouraged in the happy thought That soon they would be meeting The relatives and friends of youre To join dear father, mother Unite again around the hearth With sister and with brother. On September twenty-second, fifty seven They entered Salt Lake Valley We find him faithful to the cause A laborer in the Ministry. Securing work from Brigham Young Employment as a carpenter Stayed with the job for twelve long years An earnest steady joiner. He settled in the Fifteenth Ward There built himself a home Continued safe in Zions walls Nor from that spot to roam. Was called to act as Teacher And visit among the Saints To settle all the trouble When there were complaints. This task performed with diligence Till Eighteen Sixty one When chosen to act as Counsellor To Bishop Cunningham. Six years went by, and then there came A change in Ward affairs Bishop Cunningham resigned Which left a vacant chair. Robert T. Burton was chosen next As Bishop of the ward Joseph Pollard as his First Counsellor Progressing ever forward. Many trials happened then Which caused our Bishop trouble In consequence of this fact The counsellor’s work was double. The ward extending larger Its members still increasing Gave work for those presiding Their labors never ceasing In 1868 the railway went to Ogden Joseph Pollard received the job Of bridge and station building. Worked on through rain and snowstorms In mud and stormy weather Until the train reached Salt Lake In the middle of the winter. For 18 years he labored at The Utah Central Railway As a conscientious carpenter He toiled from day to day. Rheumatism gave him trouble Through all his later years At times his suffering was intense It shortened his career. June 27, 1877 They reorganized the Ward Brother Burton had some other calls So they ordained Joseph Pollard. As Bishop of the 15th Ward In that position faithful Throughout the balance of his life Devoted, honest, truthful. William L. Binder and N. V. Jones Served as his counsellors Both faithful in that calling For a term of 13 years. Many incidents we could relate That happened in this granary Of happy times and happy hearts Still stationed in our memory. In time the building got too small To accommodate the people Then build a larger meeting house Our Bishop thought us able. The rock was hauled, the trenches dug Men worked with strength and might Unceasingly our Bishop toiled From morn until late at night The work progressed quite rapidly Stone upon stone was builded Until entirely finished Then it was dedicated. Just $17,000 is what the building cost T’was built by free donation The donors, what a host. Around the blocks our Bishop went To gather money hard And pay for raw materials To build this House of God. A monument it stands today Of him now past and gone For no one worked so hard as he To have the job well done. It was his theme through all the day Wherever he was stationed. A smile would come upon his face When’ere of it you mentioned. When all was paid and settled for Our Bishop’s joy ran over Words could not picture how he felt Toward every liberal giver It was the climax of his life For many heard him say That after its construction He’d be content to die. From ‘77 to year of ‘90 In ward affairs kept busy So many things to bother him He could not take it easy Attending to all meetings That he was summoned to In rain or hail, with ache or pain To all he’d surely go. When filled with rheumatism And ought to rest in bed Instead he’d trudge to see the poor And seek to have them fed. His mind continually on the flock He watched the lambs so weak Denied himself the pleasures That they alone might take. Although at times the spirit strong The flesh proved to be weak In dragging round his aching limbs No pleasure he could take. His heart was beating in the cause Of truth and its progression For this he’d make a sacrifice Of all of his possessions. Somewhat peculiar in his way Was blunt a little bit When preaching to the wicked ones Generally the nail he’d hit. And sometimes drive it out of sight In less than half a minute Then tender as a little child Would say “Forgive me for it.” The spirit of discernment Was a gift which he possessed When called to judge a matter When someone had transgressed This gift would then be manifest He’d eye the evil doer Pointing out the wicked deed, Or unrighteous maneuver. Hard work was in his very soul He taught this to his children Up early every morning To weed and clean the garden Hard workers, honest day by day His seven girls proved to be Prosperous as their parents were With each a family. Of labors that he well performed They sure would make a book full From early morn till late at night Endeavoring to be useful We cannot fully estimate His good true sterling worth But records are kept in Heaven Of what is done on Earth. The work for his dear kindred dead Was done in Logan Temple He did for them all that he could As far as he was able. He did not fear to meet his kin In brighter realms up yonder For them performed his duty well To them could be no kinder. He lived past three score years and ten Industrious, truthful, sober The world was bettered by his life No one had motives nobler. Death came to him as sweet repose So sweet it had no terrors An honest, true devoted life He made very few errors. In life he sailed upon the ship Embarked for peaceful Zion Now safe into that glorious port He has reached that blessed Heaven The dream his father had of him Has truly came to pass In blooming flowers and meadows green His soul has reached at last.

• What a beautiful poem! This is such a special way to capture the essence of Joseph's life. I wish I knew who the author was. Thank you to whoever found and posted this!
  JAYNEANNOSBORNE
  2014-07-24

Joseph Pollard: His Conversion and Journey West (grandfather of my father, LeGrand Pollard Backman)

Joseph Pollard: His Conversion and Journey West

"Joseph Pollard son of James Pollard and Elizabeth Threshire, born at Corfe Castle, Isle of Purbeck Dorsetshire, Old England. November 23 - 1819.

From the Latter-Day Saints Biographical Encyclopaedia, we learn that after his apprenticeship, he "went to sea as a ship carpenter and made several voyages to America and the West Indies. [ I wish we knew more about these!!]

 In 1844, he entered the Queen's government service and worked at shipbuilding at the government docks at Deptford, Country of Kent." He married Mary Ann Bailey from Lifton, Devon in 1845.

Posted by  Sheri Rhodes, April 20, 2014, Rhodes History, blogspot.com:

    

Joseph Pollard: His Conversion and Journey West

"Joseph Pollard son of James Pollard and Elizabeth Threshire,

born at Corfe Castle, Isle of Purbeck Dorsetshire, Old England. November 23 - 1819.

The Village of Corfe Castle with the ancient Saxon castle behind the village on the hill, about 7 miles from Poole.

We have the history of Joseph Pollard from the account Joseph wrote about his own life history in a book that is now held by Lisa Paul, a great great granddaughter to Joseph. (I shared Joseph’s historical account before and my son, Joe Backman has posted that history on Family Search/Family Tree.

Here's part two of a biographical sketch of Joseph Pollard's life.

 Lisa Paul found this account of his conversion and emigration to the United States in another history written by one of his daughters. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 "In the year of 1848 he (Joseph) heard the Mormon Elders preach.   He was inspired by their sermons and recognized the truth.   April 10, 1849 he first obeyed the gospel.   He was baptized by John Griffith and felt unspeakable joy at this experience.   He was very enthusiastic about his church work, and was soon promoted (they used to say that in the 'olden days') from a deacon to elder.   He went out tracting through the Bedford branch, and later was made President of this branch."

 “November 17, 1854: Joseph Pollard of the town of Deptford, London River in the County of Kent, Old England on the 17th day of November 1854 left his employment as ship wright in the employment of Mr. Thompson ship and boat builder, London River, with the intention of emigrating with his wife and three children to the land of America.

    “Names as follows: Mary Ann, his wife, Mary Ann his eldest daughter, Louisa and Lydia.   Saturday 18th conveyed his luggage to the Usdin Railway station.   Sunday morning left the town of Deptford and spent remainder of Sabbath with his wife’s sister at White Chappel, London.

His account:

    “Monday left London for Liverpool; arrived at 3 o’clock p.m.   Met at station by Mr. John Follett and conveyed to his home where we spent the next day.

  

  “Wednesday morning, went on board the Clara ---- 100 ton burden lying in the Wellington dock with his wife and children to join four hundred souls of all countries, most of whom belong to the Church of Latter Day Saints.   Elder Henry E, Phelps being appointed president with John Parsons and James Crosby as councelors [sic].   Company organized Thursday, dividing into four wards, with a president and two councelors [sic] for each ward, then each ward divided into two with a president over each.

    “Saturday, left the dock and anchored in the River; Sunday was spent in preaching and prayer, taking of the Lords supper; Monday the 27th in the afternoon was towed by a tug boat “Constitution” out of the river, made sail that night blowing right fresh ahead.   Tuesday breeze continues to fresh in ship under double reef.   Topsails toward evening, blowing a heavy gale and still increasing during the night.   The ship laboring much and much sickness among the passengers.   At daylight the ship driving on the shore it was thought best by the captain and pilot to base up and run the ship back to Liverpool.

    “We arrived safely at Liverpool and cast anchor about 2 o’clock.   Gale still continued day by day with two anchors to hold the ship.   Passengers fast recovering.   Saturday December 2nd visited by President Franklin D. Richards. 

Monday and Tuesday gale continues.   The President and council met and appointed that the following day be set apart for fasting and prayer that the wind may be more favorable, that we may again commence our voyage.

    “Wednesday the 6th prayers continued on all parts of the ship with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.   Thursday more moderate.   The ship was again towed out of the river by the tug “P----“.   Wind was blowing fresh and right ahead and a nasty sea.   Passengers again became sick no stopping among them my wife and children.   Wind continued Friday and Saturday.   One birth Saturday.  

    “Rounded Holy head about 3 p.m.   Pilot left about noon Monday.

    “Wednesday about 3 p.m. we were much alarmed by being almost run into by a large ship.   We all felt thankful for our narrow escape.  

    “Sickness continued and several deaths among the children from measles and inflammation.

    “Christmas day was most beautiful, passengers came on deck except those sick.   Our youngest child Lydia had measles.   My wife and Brothers Parsons and Crosby had the worst cases of sea sickness.  

    “The captain seems a very nice man and deserves praise for his kindness to the passengers and the cleanliness of the ship in general.

    “December 30th sited land.   Flying fish appeared.   Several small islands in sight and now and then a coasting schooner.

  “January 9th reached entrance of the Great Mississippi and shortly were taken in tow by steam tug “Ocean” crossing the bar up to New Orleans where we arrived Thursday 11th at 12 noon.

    “Were met by Brother Meyaw our agent who advised us proceed to St. Louis.  

    “At Orleans my wife was so sick we were obliged to carry her from the ship to the boat.

    “Up the Mississippi calling at many towns on the banks, going on shore for firewood.   Weather warm as our summers in England until up the river we came into frost and snow.   Landed at St. Louis January 22nd met by Brother William Moorison and taken to his home, remained with him about 12 days after which Brother John Follett rented apartment together in Broadway.

St. Louis, Missouri (1854)

  “Weather very cold.   River remained frozen over for two months.   Most of the passengers were taken to the meeting house where many died, others were scattered.   Many went to the coal fields.  

    “I and Brother Follett remained together that winter.

    “I will say we both with our families were treated well by many not in the church, particularly by one John Mageo, an Irish Catholic who kept a store.

    “In the spring we got work on the steamboat at our business as ship carpenters in the employ of Captain James Eadis and Nelson, known as The Submarine Diving Company.   There were four of our ship writes emmigrated [sic] together and all apprentices together in the same port and all now were employed by the same company.  

 

    “Brother Follett was taken sick in the fall and died the next spring.   I was also taken sick in the summer but God spared my life.

    “We were member of the St. Louis stake of Zion.   I made the acquaintance of President Erastus Snow, Mily Andrus, James Hart, Eldredge, George A. Smith, Parley P. Pratt and hundreds of other good saints.   Samuel Gray and William Algood left for Florence.  

    “On October 7th 1856 I was ordained a High Priest under the hands of George A. Smith and Erastus Snow and made a member of the High Council.

________________________________________________________________

 More of the story is available on the FamilySearch website in an extract from the Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia:

His house was always open to the missionaries, and among the many “Valley” Elders who shared in his hospitality was Apostle Parley P. Pratt, who stayed at his home about a month immediately before going to Arkansas, where he was murdered.

In June, 1857, Elder Pollard continued his journey Zion-ward, joined the emigration at Florence, Nebraska, and crossed the plains in Capt. Jacob Hoffines' company. Several stampedes occurred on the plains; in one of these 46 head of cattle were lost. On one occasion the cattle stampeded when hitched to the wagons. During the affair Elder Pollard and wife, together with a number of others, were severely hurt, being run over by several wagons. Through administrations and prayer Elder Pollard was healed in a most miraculous manner, and the following day was able to get around again. The company arrived in the Valley Sept. 22, 1857, having camped several times in close proximity to the baggage trains belonging to Johnston's army.

Elder Pollard located in the fifteenth Ward, Salt Lake City, where he resided till the time of his death. He found employment as a carpenter for Pres. Brigham Young, continuing in his employ until 1869, when he commenced work for the Utah Central railway company. Shortly after his arrival in the Valley, he was chosen as a Ward teacher, and in 1861 was appointed to act as second counselor to Bishop Andrew Cunningham. He subsequently served as a second counselor to Bishop Robert T. Burton, whom he finally succeeded as Bishop of the Ward June 27, 1877. In 1862 he yielded obedience to the principle of plural marriage by marrying Ruth Allen, who died about twenty years afterwards. Bishop Pollard died in Salt Lake City, Feb. 21, 1890. He was the father of seven children, and was universally known as a humble, upright man and a faithful Latter-day Saint.

Balance in our lives and an emphasis on enjoying our children

As many of you know, I have been compiling reunion yearbooks for our BYU Law School graduates. Last year, I completed 600 profiles from the 35th, 30th, 25th and 20th classes (1978, 1983, 1988 and 1993). This year, I have done the same for the same four class reunions (1979, 1984, 1989 and 1994). I am often very impressed with their careers, family and service noted in their profiles. I also make a list of their notable achievements in the community and in the LDS Church. Their personal statements are often inspiring like this one I am including in today's blog post. Here is a wonderful personal statement that I hope each of us is aspiring to accomplish in our lives. It is from an attorney in Florida from the BYU Law School class of 1989:

"With great relief after completing what I believed to be the most stressful years of my life in my efforts trying to juggle my law school studies with my responsibilities to my wife and two young daughters, I learned that I must have balance in all things. During the past 25 years as an attorney I have applied what I learned and made sure that I put family first. As a husband and father I have never missed any of my children's school activities, family outings, dinners with family, helping with household chores, assisting with children’s homework, dating my wife every Friday night, spending Saturdays with my wife and children, and serving in the Church. I have spent most of my days during the past 25 years creating memories with my family. My career has been only the means to this end. I have interviewed many young job applicants where I have asked them the hypothetical whether they would remain late at work to finish a project rather than attend their child’s school activity. Of those I hired I always told them that they would never be fired if they attended their child’s school activities, but they would be fired if they didn’t. To me, nothing has been more important than family. As a grandfather what I have learned most is that in the past I spent too much time trying to raise perfect children. I should have spent much more time just enjoying them. This is what I now do with my grandchildren – just enjoy them."

My Retirement Begins; Start of Daily Sharing from Dad/Opa

Lynn and I are enjoying a beautiful, Labor Day weekend at Zermatt, the first stay we have had here since June. Before that, we had our wonderful month with family in July and our retirement cruise on the Baltic and our visit with Jonny, Natalie, Deanne, Michael and Isaac discovering their beautiful new Moscow home and school during August. 

Take a look at a couple of fun pictures I posted on Facebook today from the Cummings parkway (a rough, dirt road reached by driving all the way up Snake Creek Canyon alongside the Mountain course of the Wasatch Mountain State Park) and following it all the way over the top and coming out on the Deer Creek reservoir side by Cascade Springs. I highly recommend the drive.

As you know, I write in my journal almost every day. At the end of each entry, I include a scripture that I have marked that has been meaningful to me. I want to share them with you. I understand that some will speak to you too; some will not.

2 Nephi 31:

9 And again, it showeth unto the children of men the straitness of the path, and the narrowness of the gate, by which they should enter, he having set the example before them.

 10 And he said unto the children of men: Follow thou me. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, can we follow Jesus save we shall be willing to keep the commandments of the Father?

Two new family traditions this summer

Now that we know that the Backman scramble will be moved from Saturday, July 5th, I have two ideas I want to propose for everyone who is available and willing to participate. They fit well into my retirement weekend and the lunch for all of you and your teen-age youth on Monday, July 7th at 2:00 at Provo's Brick Oven restaurant. First, on that Saturday, July 5th: You know that I have many family names I have found on Family Search. Deanne, Natalia and Spencer have helped me do many baptisms and my siblings and many of you have helped in doing other temple ordinances. I have many names for sealings and new names for baptisms. Here is the plan: We want to have a temple morning at Opa's and Grammy's Draper temple. At 9:30 a.m., we will gather any of the adults interested in doing sealings. At the same time, the teenagers will take over in watching the children at our home or at the nearby Draper park playground. The sealing session starts at 10:00 and I have reserved a room for us. Then at 11:30, the older children who can help (Natalia, Spencer, Deanne, Michael, Savannah, Emily, Tyson, Dallin and William) will show up at the temple for baptisms for the dead. In the meantime, the mothers will take over taking care of the younger children; hopefully a few of the fathers will help me with the baptisms. So don't forget to bring temple recommends with you if you are travelling to Utah; and be sure the youth have valid limited use recommends. Second, on Sunday, July 6th: Joe and Heather have invited us to their home and yard for our first-ever Family History Gathering event. We will start about 2:30, but you can come when you are available. We will focus this first time on Grandma and Grandpa LeGrand and Edith Backman or on Grandma and Grandpa Gwendolyn and Valden Kimball (Lynn's Mom and Dad). In preparation, please go through your own photo books and find pictures with you together with Grandma and Grandpa Backman (or Grandma and Grandpa Kimball) or photos and stories you have to tell their stories. Our goal is to pick out a range of photos and stories we can upload onto the new Memories section of Family Search/Family Tree attached to their individual profiles. In the future, we can focus on other ancestors, one couple at a time. We can then ask our youth and others who know how to do it to scan the chosen pictures and stories to share and preserve them forever. While we are working on these Memories, the children can be playing in the yard. Then, we will have dinner together sometime after 5:00. In connection with these two new summer traditions to add to the Backman Scramble and to the family triathlon (FAST), I liked these thoughts from the Church General Primary president. She is the wife of my favorite missionary companion, Jack Wixom. Jack and I served together living in the mission home in Munich with President John Fetzer and his family: "We are daughters [and sons] of our Heavenly Father. We are covenant-making women [and men] of all ages walking the path of mortality back to His presence. Keeping covenants protects us, prepares us, and empowers us."

"Temple ordinances lead to the greatest blessings available through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They are those ordinances necessary for our exaltation in the celestial kingdom. As we strive to keep our covenants, our feelings of inadequacy and imperfection begin to fade, while the ordinances and the covenants of the temple come alive. Everyone is welcome to walk that path to eternal life." —Rosemary M. Wixom, "Keeping Covenants Protects Us, Prepares Us, and Empowers Us" Hopefully, our two new traditions will be meaningful this summer. They fit well with my new blog, Remembering the Covenants of our Mothers and Fathers. Thanks for considering your part on these two days if you are able to join with us.

Mother's Day Points to Ponder

I love these Mother's Day messages (one is a birthday greeting) aimed at the Mothers in our lives. The first one is from Davey Jones to his Mom and his sisters Heather and Brinly. The second one is from Sammy to his Mom for her birthday:

Happy Mothers Day to some of the most amazing mothers I know. I am eternally grateful that I get to be a part of your life. You are kind, brave, inspiring, nurturing, beautiful, patient, loving and many other things. Words cannot really do justice concerning the magnificence that Heavenly Father put into creating you. I hope and pray that you always know who you are and stand in that power of knowing with pride and acceptance and love for your good days and your bad days, for your light side and your dark side. They make up who you are, who you have become and who you will be in the future. You are a daughter of your heavenly mother and are divinely created to inherit her motherly qualities. Never live in regret, for those events are the fabric of who you are and without those experiences your lives would be infinitely different in every way. There is a lesson in all of life's experiences that we can see and learn from and those life lessons are a gift. I stand in awe of you and I have such gratitude and love for you. You play so many important roles in your family's life as well as mine, but the most important is Mom. Whenever you feel like you have made a mistake or like you are failing as a mother, remember that those experiences are just as much for your children to learn from as they are for you and they are perfect experiences to be had for our learning and growth here on earth. Have a wonderful, amazing, grateful and Happy Mothers Day. You deserve every second of it because it should and you should be celebrated every single day of your life. I love you all.

 “Dear mommy, I love you so much. Thank you for being my mom. Thank you for loving me and making me happy. Thank you for being the best mom EVER! Thank you for doing everything that you do for me. Love Sammy.” 

Also check out the job interview for the World's Toughest Job  posted on YouTube for a position entailing: Unlimited hours. 

No breaks. The most important job is also the world's toughest job.: http://www.ask.com/youtube?q=tough+job+interviews+for+Mom&v=HB3xM93rXbY&qsrc=472

An Inspiring story from Jonny's mission involving President Monson

Natalie wrote: I had told my friend Annika this story about a lady in Jonny's mission a few years ago and she wrote wanting to know all the details so I typed the letter for her.  I thought I would pass it on to all of you just in case you are interested

Elder Robert L. Backman

Dear Bob:

I met a nephew of yours while I was in Leipzig last week.  We shared a rather faith-promoting experience, the details of which are outlined in the letter he sent me, a copy of which is attached.

With best regards.

Sincerely your brother,

Thomas S. Monson

.... and here is the letter from Jonny to president Monson........

Leiber President Monson,

I just wanted to write you a short note of gratitude.  Thank you so much for visiting us here in Dreamland.  It was a pleasure being able to hear the love that you have for these wonderful saints.  It was also a great experience for us as missionaries to be able to have our own meeting with you.  I personally wanted to thank you for taking the time to say hi to me from my Uncle Bob, formerly called Robert L. Backman.  It was neat to feel the love you have for him, and the support you have for me as a missionary.

The real reason why I am taking the time to write this is to tell you about a miracle that happened last evening, which testifies that the Lord knows and loves each of us personally.  A newly baptized Sister in Nordhausen, Ophilia Mancheva, has a very strong testimony of a loving father in himmel, but has had some bad experiences with other people in authority, so it is hard for her to trust a person.  Last night at the conference, she had the desire to find out if you truly are an Apostle of the Lord.  As she was on her way to Leipzig, she felt impressed that if you really were an Apostle then she would be able to meet you personally.  Well to hinder that she hid herself downstairs in the baptism room and listened to the conference there.  As it ended she made her way out of the chapel well, lo and behold you cam walking down the hall on your way to chat with the missionaries.  You took the time to shake her hand and to get to know her.  She is that great sister who is originally from Bulgaria.  As this wonderful sister told me this story, she said, wow, my heart is beating fast as I tell you this and that right after you met her, she cried like a baby.  Isn't that a great story?  Like I said at the beginning, it testifies of the love that God has for each one of us personally and like this wonderful sister, it strengthened my testimony that we are led by inspired leaders.

I just wanted to let you know of this small but meaningful miracle.  If you see my Uncle soon, give him a great hug from his favorite little puddy cat here in Germany.  I am truly loving my mission.  Thank you so much for sending President Johnson to this mission, we love him.  And finally, let the prophet know of our love.

Once again, Thank you!

Elder Jonny Backman

BYU Law School Alumni Yearbooks

I was very pleased to discover the following news post on our law school website today: http://www.law2.byu.edu/news2/alumni-yearbooks#sthash.5WyS7ILP.dpuf

Alumni Yearbooks

BYU Law School professor James Backman has worked on a project to serve the alumni community as well as current and future students. He is in the process of compiling a series of yearbooks for each graduating class.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a long time because this is the untold story of the Law School,” Professor Backman said. “It’s a means of proudly displaying the story of BYU Law graduates.”

One of the famous quotes from the foundation era of BYU Law is that the purpose of the Law School will unfold in time. Professor Backman noted this vision was fulfilled to an extent by the original faculty, but that the yearbooks give a glimpse into the impact of BYU Law School beyond its walls. “This gets down to the basic class members,” Professor Backman said. “And—Wow. I just have to say, Wow! It’s full of achievement and life contributors in so many ways.”

The yearbooks help to fulfill the vision of the Law School by highlighting a graduating class with individual pictures, profiles, and infographics displaying trends particular to that class.

“It’s fun to see the graduates' movement geographically, but also the kind of offices they worked in,” he said. “Some graduates started with small firms and went to a big ones. Some started big and established smaller firms, their own firms. Some went from government agencies to private practice. You can’t measure that in trends because there are so many individual stories.

“The yearbooks give a picture of the class that you can’t tell any other way,” Professor Backman stated. “The only way to get a feel for it is to sit down and read.”

Only few physical copies of the yearbooks have been printed and bound. For most, the information is available on the BYU Law alumni website, where access requires a password. The yearbooks will also be posted as PDFs, so information can be added or edited as viewers of the content see fit.

Professor Backman expressed gratitude to Chris Hardy, a current BYU Law student for his help creating the infographics as well as David White for his contributions to the creation of the yearbooks.

Though Professor Backman will leave BYU Law School after summer 2014 to serve a mission in England, he anticipates continuing this work upon his return. “I fully intend to keep it as a hobby, if nothing else,” he said. “I’ve loved it. For me, it’s been just a thrill.”


Posted:  May 1, 2014 - See more at: http://www.law2.byu.edu/news2/alumni-yearbooks#sthash.KVQkwlkw.dpuf

Extended line on our Price family tree

I discovered new information that is exciting news in our William Price family tree. This is my grandfather's line. A lawyer friend I met through the law school is Joe Bentley from Newport Beach. My grandfather's sister married Richard Bentley in the Nauvoo days. Joe is a descendant of that Bentley, so we have a common ancestor in  the father of William Price. William's grandfather was named John Price. Our records continued on in the John Price line but we had never been able to trace his wife's family. We had heard that her name Fanny Constance was an assumed name. It turns out that she was also a Price (Fanny Constance Price) and that her line has been tied to a Price family in a nearby village. One email message I saw indicated that a professional genealogy company had been employed for a high fee and they were able to make the connections. So, each of my children and my siblings should go onto Family Search/Family Tree to see the new names that extend several generations beyond Fanny Constance Price (my grandfather's maternal grandmother). There are three more generations in the family line for her father to the 1670s and two more generations for her mother to the 1680s and 1690s.  There are also new names in my grandfather's paternal Price line going back to a couple of families named Yearsley and to a Daniel Price in the 1650s. You will notice that there are all kinds of Price names in each of these lines which made finding the correct ancestral lines more difficult. You can tell that many of these names are newly identified because their temple ordinance work has been performed in the last couple of years and some of the names have been reserved for temple ordinances but have not yet been completed.

All of this illustrates the value of the new Church family history programs and how helpful the Family Tree software is to each of us when someone tied into these same family lines has pursued professional help and shares the information with the rest of us. We all benefit from the easy way of keeping up with information others have posted. You will also notice that something is wrong in the William Buddings Price line because the Buddings line loops back to a Thomas Buddings born in 1812. This is called a looping problem and needs to be fixed some day.

The Good Heart of Heber C. Kimball

Lynn and I are reading a chapter on Mormon missionary work written by Elder Dallin Oaks and Elder Lance Wickman on missionaries and proselytizing in various religions. In telling the history of missionary work in our Church, they share a revealing story about Heber C. Kimball, Lynn's great-great-great grandfather proceeding his epic mission journey to Preston, England. Because we hope to be in Preston for our Church legal service mission and temple service before the end of the year, I want to share the experience. I am struck by the fact that the Prophet Joseph Smith was impressed to seek out and extend the mission call to young Heber when he could have chosen from a large number of faithful leaders around him. I believe it shows that the Lord and the prophet recognized a special spirit and a good heart in this humble and obedient servant.

"The calling of missionaries to England is representative of the boldness with which this missionary work was undertaken and the spirit of sacrifice with which it was carried out. This first overseas initiative came in June 1837, at a time when the still newly organized church consisted of only about fourteen thousand members struggling for economic survival on the frontiers of western America, in Ohio and Missouri. During a Sunday meeting, the Prophet Joseph Smith whispered to Heber C. Kimball, one of the twelve apostles, that the Spirit of the Lord had spoken that Heber should 'go to England and proclaim my Gospel, and open the door of salvation to that nation.' Heber recorded his reaction:

       O, Lord, I am a man of stammering tongue, and altogether unfit for such a work; how can I      
       go to preach in that land, which is so famed throughout Christendom for learning, knowledge and
       piety; the nursery of religion; and to a people whose intelligence is proverbial!

"The idea of such a mission was almost more than Heber could bear, but his faith and obedience prevailed:

        However, all these considerations did not deter me from the path of duty; the moment I
        understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing
        that He would support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I
        needed; and although my family was dear to me, and I should have to leave them almost
        destitute, I felt that the cause of truth, the Gospel of Christ, outweighed every other
        consideration.

"In less than two months Kimball and several associates were preaching to congregations in England. Eight months later hundreds of converts had joined the church and many branches had been organized."
                       From Chapter 12, The Missionary Work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
                       Saints, in John Witte, Jr. and Richard C. Martin, eds., Sharing the Book: Religious
                       Perspectives on the Rights and Wrongs of Mission (Maryknoll, NY: OIrbis Books,
                       1999).

Inspiring Movies

If you have not seen them, I highly recommend two movies that have brought me to genuine tears because they touched my heartstrings.

The first is The Saratov Approach about Mormon missionaries kidnapped 15 years ago in a true story which took place in 1998 in Saratov, Russia. The writer/producer is Garrett Batty from Draper. We met him at a Christmas open house at our missionary friend's home, Mike Ramsdell. He is author of Train to Potevka, a true bestseller through Costco. We found out that he has agreed to be screenwriter and producer of a movie based on that book. It should be very good and we look forward to seeing it when it is produced.

Today, we saw another movie portraying a true story of a four-year-old boy whose father is a Nebraska pastor. It portrays the family's very real reactions as they deal with the experiences of their son. It was very thought provoking as the believable story of the boy and what he observed are disclosed over time. It is wonderful to see the themes of belief, love, doubt and acceptance developed with real compassion and feeling.

Perpetual Education Fund

I am watching President Uchtdorf at today's BYU graduation. Last year, I was there for Joe's graduation with a PhD in Education. The two of us sat on the first row in front of the Speaker's podium across the aisle from each other. This is the first year of my last 25 years at BYU that I no longer have one of my own children studying here, And this is my last graduation time before my retirement.

My thoughts are led to Education, especially experiential education as I have come to embrace it over the past 22 years since starting our law school's large externship program. We all learn life's most important lessons through experiences. I have been proud to promote service/learning, internships and other one-on-one mentoring opportunities over these years. We can all learn from books, lectures, classes and study; but nothing matches learning experientially.

We heard our neighbors give a presentation last evening on their mission in South Africa working with the Perpetual Education Fund. We learned that there have been 53,000 students in 53 countries who have had the blessing of this program established by a prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley in 2001. I remember sitting next to my dear son, Steve, and sharing tears with each other as this remarkable blessing for young people in developing countries was announced at a General Conference priesthood session. We had both been close to fledgling, experimental programs beginning through BYU's Kennedy Center in Mexico and Brazil through student interns working closely with Institute students in giving them computer skills and English-as-a-Second Language training. We had glimpsed the possibilities of spreading educational opportunities to faithful young adults, many of whom had served as missionaries. President Hinckley caught a much larger vision that was capable of being spread to many more people by providing funds through loans to be paid back from the increased earnings the education would make possible for them. Rather than taking educational programs to these young people like the BYU internships we were experimenting with, the loan-supported young people would seek out vocational and educational training in their own communities. Think of the rippling effect of these 53,000 individuals who lift their lives through educational opportunities. Families, communities and Church congregations all benefit from their education which freed them from subsistence living to work made possible by training and education.

Earlier, 160 years ago, many of our ancestors took advantage of the Perpetual Emigration Fund set up by another prophet, Brigham Young. It was designed to help converts fulfill their overwhelming desire to gather to Zion. I have no idea how many of our ancestors were direct recipients of this original fund. I do know that there were many probably including the Backmans, Prices, Pollards and Gardners in my own family line. Can we even come close to appreciating what that special fund and their use of it has meant to our families over the generations? Ponder what blessings flow to faithful young people willing to reach out and take advantage of opportunities placed before them including loans made available in generations past and the newest form of a similar blessing through Perpetual Education Fund loans.

Ben Franklin's Thirteen Values

Ben Franklin’s Thirteen Values

Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

Industry. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Historical Role Models

Historical Role Models

I have been reading about two historical figures who have influenced my life. First, Madame Marie Curie from France is partly famous because she is one of the first women to achieve the nobel prize in science. In fact she won two prizes herself, and her daughter following in her footsteps in science also received one. I am impressed because the radiation discoveries she made has set France as one of the leading nations in radiation procedures in medicine. The brachytherapy I completed on April 3rd after 6 treatments on three separate days was learned by my doctor's group from a year the originating doctor spent in France. I was surprised until I made the connection to Madame Curie.

The other person I want to mention is Benjamin Franklin. When I was a young man, I was impressed with the self improvement regimen he set up for himself as a young man. He identified 13 character traits he wanted to develop. He worked each week on that particular virtue and repeated the cycle of thirteen things like patience, integrity, humility, etc. He also became known for his frugality. He became a well known printer through his hard work and careful attention to money matters. His early writing gathered in Poor Richard's Almanac collected many of his thoughts and advice concerning money. His advice remains timely for each of us.

Easter Videos

Easter Videos

Take a look at the beautiful message, Because of Him on easter.Mormon.org. I toured the special movie sets for these Bible videos near my Mother's hometown of Goshen, Utah with my siblings a year ago. This has been part of an amazing set of Bible stories placed on the web for anyone to enjoy.

I was pleased to note in looking at our own ancestors on Family Search/Family Tree website that many of the pictures and stories submitted there came from Joseph Samuel Backman. Who is this guy?  By the way, there are some interesting stories collected under the Family Tree profile for Samuel Lane Howard. Joe is proud to discover that the earliest LDS converts in the Howard family was named Samuel just as the earliest Backman was also a Samuel, Samuel Christian Backman.

A Good Friend in Afghanistan

A Good Friend in Afghanistan

I am touched by the description in a longer email sent from a friend serving 474 days in Afghanistan. We worked closely together when I was director of the Jacobsen Center for Service and Learning. He was my counterpart at BYU-Idaho working closely with then President Bednar in setting up the various internship and education gateway programs BYU-Idaho sponsors all over the US and in some foreign countries like Ghana. He is an exceptional person named Guy Hollingsworth. He serves as commander of a special intelligence unit in Afghanistan. He gives me much to consider in Remembering the Covenants of our Mothers and Fathers. His image of the Lamanite Warriors under Helaman in the Book of Mormon is especially on point:

" The specialized Reservists hold down jobs back home that are as follows: a fireman, a policeman, an airline pilot, a Wall Street broker, a CPA, a mechanic, several DEA agents, a Harvard graduate, an Oxford graduate, a Rhodes Scholar, and the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, (my one chance to tell a Notre Dame fan what to do without any repercussions--and still have the assurance that I have tickets to any football game there I wish in the future. He knows I do his final evaluation!). Truly, it is a bit of a “baker, butcher, and candlestick maker” conglomerate--just one that has people with very specific skills.

I have been serving as the Bagram Branch President and have been blessed to find the time to do what is necessary in that position. I have good counselors who willingly give of their time when possible, as we are responsible for about 1/3 or the members of the Church in country. There are about 400-ish members in Afghanistan right now (shrinking as I write), almost all servicemen and women, diplomats, government personnel, and contractors. There is one native Afghan who is a member in the country.

I am always touched by the good members here who do whatever it takes to get to the Sacrament on Sundays. Many have just come off 12-16 hour shifts— dirty, stinky, tired, wearing body armor and a wide array of weapons of war strapped to their weary souls—struggling to stay awake but glad for the opportunity to take the Sacrament, to fellowship with members, and feel the spirit from our little congregation. And then despite their exhausted bodies, wanting to linger just a few extra minutes afterwards--just to bask in the spirit a bit longer, all after what has undoubtedly been a difficult day and week to put it mildly. It is an emotional sight for me each week and one like no other imaginable. I try to envision the worship services the Lamanite Warriors in the Book of Mormon held when they could, and compare this Bagram group of warriors to being a modern day version of the same. All here are valiant volunteers for their country and for the Lord. I’m teaching one good brother the gospel as he prepares for baptism and working on helping three others get the priesthood either restored or preparing to advance. We have one session in the morning and another one in the evening in an effort to accommodate those here at Bagram—which is the largest FOB in country. It is all a humbling experience for me.

The nastiness of the work here continues to keep me on my toes, and I continue to appreciate the opportunity to serve, and am hopeful that my efforts make a small difference in the big picture here. I have seen mankind at their worst and best in the last year—in a setting that simply cannot be like any other. The lessons learned for me have been immense, and although most of the work is classified in nature, my journal fills up every day. I’m running the Boston Marathon-Afghanistan this week inside the wire of the Bagram Air Base (sponsored by the folks in Boston and run three days before that marathon). Although most likely the slow, old guy in the back of the pack, it has given me something to look forward to for the last couple months. Simply put, it has been a bucket list item for a number of years—and may be the only time I do such a thing."

Discover Family Tree improvements on the Family Search website

Discover Family Tree improvements on the Family Search website

Today I want to draw your attention to the amazing improvements in the new Family Search/Family Tree program. I am in a family history class in our Ward with Lynn. They have a terrific new fan method of showing our family tree and an amazing portrait method of creating our family tree. I look forward to showing each of you how they work if you have not opened up the program on your own computers. I am really surprised how nice it is to see items posted by other people including portraits of ancestors, stories about them and documents connected to them. I am very pleased to note that Joseph Samuel Backman is listed as the contributor for most of the pictures and some of the stories posted in our Family Tree pages called Memories. Take advantage if you already have a Family Search/Family Tree account. If you do not, ask someone you know how to open your account. I believe you need information from your ward clerk to open an account for the first time.

I had the feeling yesterday as we looked at some of Lynn's (Kimball) ancestors that I had opened up a treasure chest with new information, pictures and stories we had never discovered before. It was like Alice in Wonderland falling down a surprising hole and opening a whole new dimension to the world around us. They are so easy to access. It is as if they have suddenly appeared on the ancestor’s personal page because they have been posted there by other distant relatives we don't even know.

In our Ward, a couple of the youth have been called as Family History consultants, so they are in our class. It is amazing to watch them help all of us older participants getting past questions we have about using the Family Search/Family Tree program or other computer difficulties that arise. Young people are going to be part of real progress in family history in the future.

All I can say, is “Try it. You'll like it.”