Our Testimonies and Final Thoughts

                                 Dale
    
     Why write our histories? It takes a lot of time and discipline to accomplish the huge task. Who would ever be interested in us and our journey on this planet? It will probably be thrown away, collect dust, or dropped in a box and stored among other family keepsakes. The main reason is because our church leaders have asked us over and over to do it. Histories were written by the obedient that have tried to be obedient to those requests. We haven't been very obedient as we had to rummage through our bits and pieces to accomplish it this far. We know we would not have the scriptures if the ancients had not heeded the commandment to write and keep a record. Our past is mostly gone. Most of our previous family members have gone on. We often long to read and feel their presences as we search the small memories they have left behind and feel the incompleteness of their stories. Often we search for things we need and are disappointed when we find that they have not been recorded. See Mosiah 1:3-5.
     Brother Russell M. Nelson has been an example of turning the hearts of his children to their fathers by sharing with each one of his children a journal entry of his grandfather. Brother Nelson wrote "my desire is the same as grandfather's which was always cling to the Gospel. Be humble, be prayerful, be submissive to the Priesthood, be true, be faithful to covenants you have made with God."
     We also plead with you to strive to never displease God. What a great blessing the Gospel is! Cherish it and those that gave their lives that we might benefit. Each class we attend, each time we serve, each covenant we make with God, each priesthood ordinance we receive, everything we do in the Church leads us to the House of the Lord. Pray and strive to have our loved ones endowed, sealed, and prepared for eternal life in the presence of God. We all choose daily where we want to live eternally by how we think, feel, speak and act. God wants us to return to Him. He will not and does not force us in anyway. The things we do here shows Him just how much we want to return to live with Him. With Him is where real joy, happiness, and peace reigns.
     Our Home Teacher's Dale Peterson and Eugene Nyberg, often reminisce how it once was in the community and surrounding communities when they were children. It is amazing what has transpired over the years, and it seems it has been a fast few years for so many things to progress for the better. Last night, (February 12, 2017) motivated by the snowstorms we have had this winter Elders Nyberg and Peterson mentioned the dirt roads were a trial of the past. Today we need not get stuck unless we leave the roads to explore the mountains or off road seldom traveled areas. They could remember getting stuck going to Vernal or Roosevelt. The school buses often had problems after a storm. The mailman had to use his tractor to deliver the mail. I can remember the two party telephone lines. I would screw the mouth piece off so I could listen undetected to my cousin talk to his girlfriend. Not only has the telephone made great advances we have lived to see changes in science, technology, medicine, culture, and education. Huge differences are in the political world, economic system, freedom of choice and opportunities. Some have been for the best, others not so.
     We know those before us were not perfect nor have we lived a prefect life. We have had human experiences in these mortal tabernacles, but have learned that God patiently works with each of us.
It takes some of us a lot of time, practice, and redoing before we learn what we have been sent to earth to learn. We find it most often too hard to admit that we have weakness and have made errors. It is difficult to watch those following behind us make mistakes and errors that will haunt them. Life is not easy but worth it! We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work out our salvation. We appreciate the timing of our coming. We believe it was the best of all the generations that has gone by and yet to come. 
     We have watched the church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) grow in membership, wards, the building of meeting houses, and temples. We witnessed President Gordon B. Hinckley receive inspiration while addressing the members in General Conference and announce that a temple would be built in Nauvoo, Illinois. A thrill spread throughout the congregation and those listening in their homes. 
     The progress of this history was slowed with a trial of my own. Since Thanksgiving, 1916 I have experienced some illness, which has resulted in many visits to doctors. They finally decided that I have a blockage or infection in my urethra tube. This experience has reinforced our testimonies that Heavenly Father knows us, loves each of us and is in the details of our lives, especially when things are not going right. He can provide unspeakable peace that comes from His Spirit through the power of His Son Jesus Christ. We will travel to Price, Utah on the 21st of March, 2017 for a special procedure to correct the damage that has been causing me so much discomfort. Shirleen and I have been blessed with pretty good health with very few down times, so this has been a new experience for us. 
     The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. If we obey the commandments we will find that we will be at our happiest time in our lives. The commandments were given to us for that purpose. Joseph Smith saw and talked to the Father and the Son. This I know!
     We need to keep our trust in the Lord.
     Satan can only bring misery and captivity while keeping the Lord's commandments brings freedom. The following are also true!
1. Pray for strength that I may suffer any afflictions with patience.
2. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of joy.
3. We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can choose how we react to them!


                                        Shirleen

     Much has changed during our lifetime. We have experienced the information age. Television, telephone, and air travel have made great advancements. Advancement in vehicles and sea travel cannot be overlooked either. Television has gone from black and white to color and being able to record programs and view them later. The advancement of the telephone from a local phone booth, to a home telephone with a party line, to a private line, to a personal pocket size that can also entertains its owner all day long. Air travel across the world and space travel would have been just an imagery tale when we were born, but today people can travel to far distances in just hours. Computers seem to rule and organize the whole world and would cause a great paralysis if they should happen to fail.
     Worldly values have changed. Our prophets have told us these days were ahead and would surely come. We are sure that more wickedness is to come. The sanctity of marriage and the importance of families are decaying rapidly. Many children are living in single parent homes and suffer while living in insecure situations. The influence and evidence of great wickedness is widespread across the world. The adversary's success in eroding and destroying the foundation of society is at the very door of many Latter-day Saint homes and the sacred covenants the people have made in L.D.S temples are in great jeopardy. Parents, leaders (in government, schools, and communities) need to return to prayer, the scriptures, family time, old fashion values, avail themselves in church worship regularly, gain and bare testimonies of the true and living God. The onslaught of wickedness is much more subtle and brazen than ever before.
     Those that have stayed close to the teachings of the prophets and have searched for the truths that will take us back to live in our heavenly home have gained testimonies of Jesus Christ and the fruits of His Atonement. They are real! We hold them dear! We have learned they do not come cheap or as a hand out without work.
     The Savior wants His children to find the way back to live again in His presence. But mortals that live in darkness on this earth and are blind to the spiritual has a difficult time putting those things taught by steady faithful parents, grandparents, church attendance, scripture study, leaders, and friends that are placed in their path to lead them to that what is really important is greatly neglected. We have to experience much affliction and trials to come to understand what is most important.
      I was blessed greatly by the experiences I had early in my journey in search of a temple marriage, but I had not fully gained what I needed to learn.  I had much more to learn and experience. Raising a family is a great teacher. Not having the opportunity to marry and raise a family is a huge challenge for His children and will have afflictions crafted for them. The journey through life is not the same for every person but can be much easier even joyful if we come to learn the love of our Savior.
     I had the opportunity, along with my family, to draw nearer to these truths. It started May 9, 1981. My brother Raymond had come home (to LaPoint) to satisfy some old lingering, nagging thoughts, and some new promptings. He had made an appointment with a lawyer to discuss Mother and Dad's estate. We had gathered in the lawyer's office to discuss and set forth legal papers. In hindsight, we wondered if Raymond realized the Lord preparing him and acknowledged that it was the still small voice that stirred within him? He had also been busy getting his and Beverly's affairs in order. He encouraged the rest of us to do the same. He also requested the family to gather at the cemetery to dedicate the burial spot of our baby brother, Glen LaVell, that Dad had sent him to bury years before. We had a special spiritual discussion at the cemetery before we returned back to Mother and Dad's home. We felt the spirit touch our souls causing most of us to wipe tears from our eyes and the others silently drank in the spirit. We did not realize that day would be the last time we would see Raymond alive. We drove back to Mother and Dad's home. Raymond lingered even though he said he needed to get back home. Finally, we all departed to our separate homes and families. As I walked across the lawn, a thought came into my mind to return and give Raymond a hug and tell him good-bye. I crowded out the thought saying to myself, "Why? I've never hugged Raymond before." I walked on as Raymond walked down the sidewalk to his vehicle. I was not obedient to that prompting. I would learn later that Lanette had experienced a similar prompting as she walked toward her car. Before the month of May would come to a complete close, he would be seriously hurt in a home accident while putting in their home sprinkling system and would be in a coma for ten days keeping us on our knees pleading for his recovery. He passed away on the 29th of May. We watched his mortal remains lowered into the earth where we had stood just a few weeks earlier. Much was learned by this experience as to what is most important.
     Awaiting the day of his services, I reflected on one experience some of us had the day of his passing. As Mother, Dad, Beverly's mother, and myself sat in the intensive care waiting room, the nurse came to the door to announce what we had prayed for, "Raymond was breathing on his own and they had moved the machine away." Our joy and hope soared. God had heard our prayers! Even though he had not opened his eyes, it was the most hopeful report we had had for several days. Surely full consciousness was to come shortly. Mother and Dad left the room to go visit him. I went to the large window and looked out over the rain drenched world below with tears raining down my face. It had rained off and on for days. Everything looked so clean and alive! Suddenly I knew this good news would not last. I could hear Gayle Dittmer (Beverly's mother) start writing. She had said she had written a poem for each member of her family for the prior Christmas. She hadn't given Ray his because she had not been able to find within her the ending verses. She suddenly received the end of the poem and was busily writing what the spirit put into her mind. As I listened to her writing and writing, I came to realize the tears that dripped off my chin was coming from a broken heart and a contrite spirit. I felt as if my soul was being washed clean, as I watched the rain clean every car in the parking lot until they glowed. The trees and brush seemed so refreshed and alive with nature's awakening from the cleansing rain. The sun came out suddenly and the sky was so blue and the clouds were pure white, as this thought came to me, "You have ached and cried for ten days and can hardly do so anymore, but the angels have allowed nature to cry for you this day." 
     Gayle Dittmer's poem revealed to us the Lord's intent. The nurse's good news let us know that there is nothing too hard for the Lord. He could have healed him but this was not the plan for us. We needed to grow from this experience. Often in the previous days we had wanted to cry, "Heavenly Father are you there?!?" He seemed to answer back to us through the many spiritual messages we received during the weeks and months that followed; "You can't see me, but I sure can see you and I know your pain." John 14:16
      
                    Ray

It wasn't many years ago,
That you were given birth,
The angels shouted in heaven above,
As you came down to earth.

You had your choice to stay with him,
Satan, who is darkness and sin,
But you took the hand of a wonderful man,
A man of love and devotion.
Your mission here, with each new year,
Is rewarded with a promotion.

The goals you've set, you'll never regret,
For he is by your side,
This man, of the highest esteem.
Will hold your hand with pride.

He'll council you, when your feeling blue,
Put strength in your every stride.
Give you courage to face your problems,
If in Him you'll abide.

There are men who feed on evil and greed,
Your fate is not of this lot.
You'll flourish and feed from a better seed,
That will never wither and rot.

     That was what Gayle Dittmer was able to write before the prior Christmas. Beverly and Raymond were taking a temple class preparing to be sealed, and have their two children sealed to them. Also they had set an appointment to have their patriarchal blessing on this day. Beverly had gone to meet this appointment and was in hopes of receiving an answer in her blessing as to whether Ray would live or die. Of course, Raymond did not live to get his blessing.
      Mrs. Dittmer finished her poem for Raymond as we waited our turn to go into intensive care...

You've taken a mate, who will open the gate,
To blessings promised with love,
From this very same man, who held your hand,
As you descended from heaven above.

Praise be to the man, who held your hand,
When you were given birth.
For he is the great creator,
Who gave you time on earth.

Time on earth is a fraction,
Of the things he has planned for you.
When your life on earth is over,
Once again, he will welcome you.

Your mission will go on in heaven,
To accomplish the things left undone.
And the Angels will again shout their praises,
As they work with this special one.

Those who are left here in sorrow,
Will rejoice when they realize.
Your spirit will always be with them,
Till they meet on the other side.

                             Gayle Dittmer 

     We were greatly blessed with many spiritual revelations that were sent to comfort us, John 14:16. My testimony grew! This painful experience was a huge boost to our families' testimonies as we shared our personal revelations with one another. We did not doubt that Raymond had been taken back home for a special purpose. 
     Each of us felt the influence of the Spirit differently and varied intensity according to our circumstances, ages, knowledge, and faith. The children doubted not.
     The next eight years healed much of the pain and longing.
     Our testimonies did not yet glow within as the Lord intended. His children gain testimonies line upon line and a little at a time and He knows that we were no exception to that. It was time for us to have a little more spiritual stretching. 
     Dale had gone to Layton to bring his mother home from the hospital where she had been for kidney surgery. Dale had told me he would try his best to get home to go with me to my Union High School class reunion. I hopefully prepared myself with the intent that if he did not get home I would not attend the reunion by myself. As I was getting ready, the still small voice spoke to my mind, "It is time to finish what you started years ago." What did I start years ago? Then quickly brushed it a side. 
     Dale arrived home just in time. As we entered the reception hall, we were greeted by my high school boyfriend, Homer, and he proceeded to introduce his wife. Homer then turned to Dale and said, "I liked your wife in high school a lot." This verbal exchanged compelled me to question why Homer and I didn't end up being together. The spirit compelled me to recognize I had not completed the spiritual journey I had started years ago. In the following days, weeks, and months that followed I tried to calm and find answers to the profound thoughts that stirred within my soul. I began praying with real intent, ponder, meditate, search the scriptures, search the words of the prophets, and resources the gospel provides. In the midst of my awakening, our son Trent begin to have problems in his marriage, and my sister Lanette was going through a divorce. All and all again trials, adversity, and afflictions refines. With my overwhelming need to strengthen my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ, I finally asked the Lord to teach me personal revelation.
     I came to understand one powerful lesson the Lord wanted me to learn. Many other lessons and knowledge was given to me during the years, but this I treasure greatly because it helped my understanding and opened my eyes, ears, heart and soul more fully. I found it through the words of Patricia Holland (wife of Jeffrey R. Holland). I have returned to her words many times over the years. She teaches it as an analogy. "Prayer is the first key. We plead for help and quite miraculously the first lock is open. Excited about a new dimension of our divinity leads us on. Prayer doesn't seem sufficient. We turn to the scriptures to learn about our soul. The second key now yields its own mysteries and rewards to the probing key of revelation.
     With success of emancipating the soul. Lucifer becomes anxious, especially as we approach number three. He tries to block our efforts to love, to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves. Charity moves our soul into another beautiful realm. Real growth and insight are coming now, but it seems nearly impossible to penetrate the next realm for we are climbing to greater heights. The faint-hearted and fearful often turn back. It's difficult as the lock seems too secure. It is time for self-evaluation which can be painful, but true humility is a godly virtue. We pay less attention to praise, and care very little when the public disapproves.
     Faith carries us into an even brighter sphere. It bursts open like a flower blooms. The fifth and final one is now open. It can best be portrayed symbolically, and perhaps the temple is the best symbol of all.  We have our chance to meet God face-to-face. If we have the courage, like the brother of Jared we can break through the veil into that sacred center of existence. Here we will find peace and serenity and stillness that will anchor our soul forever, for we will find God."
     It is my greatest desire that my dear ones that follow Dale and I will come to seek, learn, and want righteousness more than all things upon this materialistic, prideful, and sin-infected earth.
     I was blinded to the fact that God spoke to the living prophet and that it was by a still small voice that was allowed to prompt or warn us occasionally. True but untrue! I learned much led by the spirit that I will not rehash but just enough to hopefully interest my dear ones to seek for themselves.
     The Holy Ghost manifests himself in many ways. If attentive we will recognize the promptings. He is daily trying to communicate with us but we often do not recognize Him. See 3 Nephi 9:20.
     Some of the ways he communicates with us are;
HE SPEAKS PEACE TO THE MIND
     Ponder Mosiah 4:3, 3 Nephi 22:10; 4 Nephi 1:4; D&C 6:23.
HE CAUSES THE BOSOM TO BURN
     The burning can vary in intensity. Not all will experience the burning. The Lord deals with each person differently. We need to be open to conviction. Pray that He will assist you in learning how to communicate.
SPEAKS TO THE MIND AND HEART
     He told Oliver Cowdery, "I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation."
HE WITNESSES TRUTH THROUGH OUR SENSES
     We can feel joy, gratitude, love, clarity of mind, understanding, swelling motions in the bosom, and desire to learn. I was taught by watching the rain from the hospital window.
REMEMBRANCE
     He will help us remember or bring things back to our remembrance. John 14:26. He inspires. D&C 1:36-38; 46:9-29. He reminded me at my class reunion that I had received inspiration years ahead and had not continued to seek, especially after I had received what I desired. Also I was missing a lot of daily inspiration by not understanding the many ways He tries to communicate with his children. Even when compelled to do so.
DREAMS AND VISIONS
     Search the scriptures to see who and how often dreams and visions were used by the Lord. Do we experience dreams and visions today? Of course!
     There are many more ways. Consider and ponder; as a voice in the mind, it occupies the mind and presses upon our feelings, it constrains, imparts knowledge, through written words (such as the words of Patrica Holland), church magazines, and the words of leaders, prophets, parents, teachers, good literature, hymns, lyrics, etc.

Never Doubt There Are Angels

Never doubt there are angels
   Among us all the time,
Always near to encourage us
   When there is a steep hill to climb.
They are they who sit beside us
   When its our turn to mourn.
They are near to share our joy
   When we welcome a newborn.
Warns us from evil's path
   When its presence is unknown.
With our hand in theirs we'll go before
   God, who cares and loves us.
As we strive to reach our heavenly home
   And with Him we'll forever be blessed.
Never doubt angels are sent by His command,
   As they are part of God's perfect plan.
Be still and listen, you can hear,
   His peaceful voice witness an angel,
Sent to calm your troubled heart.
          - Unknown

     Live as if you're being watched, because you are. We are never alone.
These truths I know! I bear my testimony they are true. I know there is a loving Father in Heaven that wants us to return to Him one day, and that Joseph Smith is a true Prophet that was called to bring about the Book of Mormon by translating ancient script, and the book is true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day is true, I'm grateful to be a member of it. Please, my dear ones, seek your own testimony of these truths.