The time is right. For many reasons, I have decided to start a blog so I can send messages to all of you in a way that I can collect and preserve my thoughts over the coming years. You do not need to feel an obligation to regularly follow each post, but I hope some of them will be helpful to you and for me as well. The title I have chosen is Remember the Covenants of our Mothers and Fathers. I think you can understand why I have picked that theme. I celebrated my sister Mary's 90th birthday earlier this month and Bob turned 92 in March. That means that I am looking to another good couple of decades ahead of me. I can't think of anything I want to dedicate myself to more than my family. So watch for the new blog as I get it set up. I don't feel like I am 70 possibly because when my Dad was 70, I was only 20. He did not seem that old to me. My messages will typically come from scripture verses I am recording in my daily journal, from choir music, from stories of ancestors shared or discovered on the amazing new Family Search website, from stories of my former students I am profiling in the reunion books I have compiled as chronicler of our law school graduates, and from stories shared in my students' papers for my History of Mormon Lawyers course.
Lynn and I met today with our Bishop to begin our mission paper process for my upcoming legal service mission and her self-selected service mission that will probably be in the nearby temple. My final semester course of my career ended this past week. My upcoming retirement makes me both nostalgic and excited. Jonny's arrival in South Africa has stirred thoughts of my father's missions there including the time my siblings shared there for almost four years in Capetown.
Let me start with some of my feelings from today's meetings and choir practice. We are rehearsing a beautiful number for Easter next Sunday called He Sent His Son. This is the core message of what I mean when I urge all of us to Remember the Covenants:
"How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness? He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.
How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go? He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.
...What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?
HAVE FAITH, HAVE HOPE, LIVE LIKE HIS SON, HELP OTHERS ON THEIR WAY.
What does he ask? Live like his Son."
I respect each one of you and the love you have for your own families and for each other. I accept you and the choices you make. Don't lose sight of that fact. I recognize your free agency in reacting to the messages I feel inspired to share with you. All of us have our own lives, challenges, hopes, fears and decisions unique to us. The thing we share as a family is the heritage of faith and love and service from a rich tradition of pioneer ancestors including a couple of you who are literally pioneers yourselves as you or your families are the first ones to embrace the message of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in these latter days.
Know how much I love you,
Love, Dad
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