After Ninety Four Years , a letter to my descendants

 May 7, 2021

My Dearest Posterity, consisting of Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren:

I’m beginning this essay a few days before my 94th birthday and I hope I will be able to conclude it by my birthday (May 7, 1927).

I don’t want to bore you with events that have recently taken place, but I do want to express some of my feelings that I'm having right now.

I don’t know how much longer the Lord will permit me to live, but I do know that I don’t have control over when that event, called death, will take place.  However, I am comfortable with that knowledge.   I don’t look forward to that event, not that I am frightened by it.   I love the world that God created for us to live in and help in building the kingdom. I love the family He has given me to help me in these remaining years or days of my life.  The fact exists that as I get older, I become more dependent upon the family around me. When you were young, mother’s and father’s were required to help you become independent.  Now, the roles have reversed.  This situation of role reversal has become difficult to adjust to, but not unpleasant.  Be that as it is.  

I want to express some deep heartfelt feelings that are far more meaningful than those above.

Many of you are members of the Lord’s kingdom on the earth through your baptism by me or your father.  That baptism for the remission of sins has become more important to me now than any other time in my life.  I am grateful for the extra time that I have been given to repent of my sins and try to come unto Jesus Christ that I may, at some time, merit forgiveness.  Many leave this world before having a chance of receiving such merit.  Their lives are cut short for one reason or another.  In the past few years I have had the honor and privilege of giving to some of my cousins, who are in the spirit world, the ordinance of baptism for the remission of their sins.  My testimony of that sacred ordinance is so wonderful to me.  Through faith I know that the Lord means exactly what he says.  I don’t know how repentance works in the spirit world but I know that it is much easier here while we live.

I know the process that we go through to receive a remission of our sins is long because we can't live in this world without sinning, even though we find instances in scripture where the Lord grants forgiveness  immediately.  We repent and overcome one sin after another, but low and behold another sin needs to be repented of.  I have a testimony that this problem is fixed by partaking of the Sacrament each week.  The Lord says “ok, now, that you have promised to keep my commandments, sin no more”  And so we go forward each week with a determination to do just that.  But, in spite of that determination we fail.  My testimony is that the Lord continues to stretch forth his arm to forgive us as long as we continue to try.  The importance of that promise each week cannot be overlooked.

I pray that each of you may learn to receive the Holy Ghost and follow its promptings and be led to Eternal Life.  Of these things I testify and know that they are true in His Holy Name, even Jesus Christ.

 Gifts for remembering Christ at Christmas

I have learned today that monetary gifts at Christmas are not a gift at all. Monetary gifts leave no remembrance of the occasion because they float away and leave no reoccurring memory of the gift or the sacrifice of the one that was made when the gift was given.   I believe a monetary gift breeds selfishness and materialism, the opposite to what is intended at Christmas.  Why did I give such for Christmas?  Because of Love and generosity, I suppose.

I wonder what a true gift would be that would enhance ones memory of the occasion for which the gift was given?  It seems as though it would require a great deal of thought, not only about the occasion, but about the gift itself.  I have begin to believe that we should think very deeply about the occasions where gifts are given and make them more meaningful.  An example of this thought was rendered by my son and his wife when I was given a gift due to COVid.  It was a sacrament tray for two people, for bread and water,  and was made by hand from exotic wood and engraved with the name of a favorite hymn with an embroidered clothe for a covering.  All of which was given on my birthday.  

The occasions where gifts are given are for the most part, birthdays, Easter, and Christmas.  Anyway, this was my thought and I'll try to repent in the future.  I want to be generous and kind to those in need, but, a monetary gift for Christmas is not always a good gift.  

RHB

Directed
A number of years ago, after Anita, my wife, passed, and after I bought my place in Bountiful, I began to wonder about my future and its relationship to the economy.  I decided that I needed a rainy day fund that would be independent of banks, government regulations, etc, so began over a period of several weeks to put cash away for such a rainy day.

 Prior to this time,  Randy, my son, gave me a combination safe that was part of a demolition where he worked.  His employer gave it to him but it needed a new combination which he obtained from a dealer in combination safes.  It was extremely heavy, but with the help of Kevin we got it to Overton where my winter home is located. It was in this safe that I put away the cash that I collected over the year.  I apparently forgot that I had put it away as I never opened the safe to view the contents.  

I started this bog entry a number years ago and I have almost forgotten the punch line.  But the essence of this entry was that I needed several thousand dollars while in Overton and one day when my Shauna was over we decided to clean out the safe because I was going sell out and move.  I had totally forgotten the saving I had and when discovered the cash it was like money from heaven.  

 Godliness unto Perfection

    The gospel contains such a nested set of principles that one cannot isolate one from another as we try to speak about a particular principle.  The gospel is obviously a way of life and one cannot pick upon a particular principle and work upon it without bringing all principles into play. All the Gospel principles must be brought into play if we are to bring repentance into our lives so we can live with our Father-in-heaven and His son.

 "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot." Moroni 10:32-33

 

Those words of Moroni are a distillation of a gospel principle to bring about our salvation and eternal life.

To become perfected in Christ is to deny all ungodliness.  To deny ourselves of all ungodliness takes super-human effort.  It means to control our physical bodies, our passions, our desires for materials, etc.  It means to be not of the world.

 For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticing's of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. Mosiah 3:19

To be an enemy of God is to yield to ungodliness and the natural man and he will  be an enemy to god forever unless he becomes a saint.  A saint is a person who yields to the enticing's of the holy spirit.  Can anyone be a saint?  Yes, but only through the atonement of Christ whereby the Holy Spirit is offered as a constant companion through repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

In other words, to be perfected in Christ requires us to yield to the enticing's of the holy Ghost which will help us to deny ourselves of all ungodliness.  When we are perfected in Christ and deny not the power of God, then we become sanctified by the grace of god through the shedding of the blood of his son.

We cannot in an of ourselves be perfect and obtain a seat in His kingdom.  It will only come through the grace of god which is in the covenant of the father unto the remission of our sins.

Oh, how he wants us to become perfected in Christ that we may return to His presence.

This super-human effort mentioned earlier can be achieved through the receipt of the Holy Ghost and by making a conscious effort to make decisions to overcome faults and correct weakness, to deny ourselves all ungodliness.

Someone said:  "Bad will be the day for every man when he becomes content with life that he is living, with the thoughts he is thinking, and the deeds he is doing; when there is not forever beating at his door of his soul some great desire to do something better"  "We cannot be big people and think little thoughts".

 It takes super-human effort to change, but what is the power of the holy Ghost?  Is it not super-human?

Duty is that area of performance where we do not only what we ought to do, but do it when we should whether we like it or not.  Bad habits are an enemy to our progress in denying ourselves of ungodliness.  The nature of man is always the same.  It is our bad habits that require great effort to change.

As noted earlier we must develop the capacity to endure to the end.  Enduring What?  Enduring is in perfecting ourselves in Christ.  President Kimball said:   "Let us hold fast to the iron rod. The Savior urged us to put our hand to the plow without looking back. In that spirit we are being asked to have humility and a deep and abiding faith in the Lord and to move forward-trusting in him, refusing to be diverted from our course, either by the ways of the world or the praise of the world."

 

We cannot wonder aimlessly, continually deciding whether to go east or west and find the desired journey's end.   Prayer and study of scripture is that rod by which we can know absolutely that we are on the correct path.  If we fail to hold onto this rod, we will become lost not knowing how to become perfected in Christ and being unable to deny ourselves ungodliness.

Let us go forward holding onto the rod of prayer and scripture study having a faith in Christ and a love of God so that His grace will be sufficient for us; is my prayer for myself and all who read this blog.

8/11/1988

 A Sabbath Day Thought:

Yesterday, Sept 26, 2020, Kevin came from Las Vegas to help me assemble a 3-D printer that I previously purchased a few weeks ago.  The directions are on the internet for Assembly but since he had previously assembled his printer,same as mine, then I appreciated his help with mine.   We down -loaded a file to make a piggy bank and after some adjustments on the printer we started it to print.  Six hours later, I had a small piggy bank about as perfect as if it  was made  from a mold.  What a miracle!

 As I awoke for the Sabbath, the following thought came into my mind;  If man as imperfect as he is, can print a lifeless pig, what about God and his ability to make one that has life and purpose. Because of Him I came into this world when my spirit was combined with the DNA of my father's sperm with the DNA of my mother so that I have a DNA of my own, the only one of its kind in the world.  I grew to be born into a world of humans to learn to how choose right from wrong according to the teachings of my mother and to be taught the gospel of our Lord and Savior.  Now that is a miracle!

Through choices and experience, I have learned a little about life and salvation and to have loyalty to my redeemer after living nearly a century.  I will soon deposit my DNA in the ground and join the other departed spirits to await a resurrection and receive my reward according my faithfulness.  That resurrection will combine my DNA from the grave with my spirit to form an eternal me, to have life everlasting.    Now that is another miracle!

It is my eternal hope that all my children will make choices that will bring to them  life and salvation and eternal life.  

Hate

HATE

In response to the blog by Blake Brooks, I make the following comments:
A self analysis of hate is a good thing and if the result is love for fellow men or our neighbor then so much  the better for it.  From a religious point of view, that is also known as repentance.   Repentance from hate cannot alleviate the pain and suffering caused by hating.  What can be alleviated is the the damage done to our own soles.
One of the things committed by me as I was raising a family, was the I did not not teach enough about the Savior of mankind and His perfect example  to follow Him.  As he made His sacrifice for our sins and hung upon the cross in agony, "father , forgive them for they not what they do".  Of course we cannot be perfect but we can change our lives for the better.  Hate of people or persons is a sin and one should strive to love neighbor as self. At times, we yield to it, as it cannot be avoided, but then we must repent and follow the great exemplar., Jesus.  The only hate that is justifiable is hate of sin.
We can all do better and keep covenants we have made with Him.

A Family Episode

This photo taken from the collection of Francis Harvard Brooks about 1905

The following message was received from Chris Hebdon  on my Iphone on February 10, 2020.

Hi there sir, I found this message which I believe is from you on an Ancestry forum  ”I just discovered a photo taken at the business entry of the J.B. La Fourcade farm with a model T Ford sedan apparently with family members inside the vehicle.  My grandfather took the photo about 1905. I would be pleased to share it with you.” ( The forum is no longer available, but I probably sent it to Ancestry many years ago.)

“J.B. Lafourcade is my great grandfather on my dad’s side.  I would just love to see the photograph.”

 I responded by  saying I was pleased to hear from him and I requested his email:  chris.hebdon@yale.edu.

I told him in a message on the Iphone about my grandfather traveling in the area of southern California with his covered wagon that was equipped with a camera of his making and facilities in the wagon to develop photos and then selling them prospective buyers.

 His response was:

 “ That is so fascinating.  So you and I don’t have any relation then, just that you have one of your grandpa’s photos and it’s identified as LaFourcade or such? It will be interesting to see who is in the picture.

In trying to find the original photo, I had to resort to taking a picture of the image from a history document I had some time age that contained the photo.  So I sent him an email:

I haven't found the original yet so this is a copy of one that I had made for my grandpa's history. No we're not related but it has been interesting how we have been connected. I am 93 years old and emeritus faculty at Oregon state university.

Shortly after,  I found a digital copy and attached to the above email.  His response was:  

 What a joy to see this photo, thank you so much, Royal!

In case it is of interest, I attach a few photos of J.B. LaFourcade: a portrait from when he was middle aged, an two family photos from his 80th birthday.

The LaFourcades had winery operations in Cucamonga since around the 1900s. They struggled through Prohibition and eventually, after deaths, the ranch and all got sold out. That's why photos like your grandpa's are so valuable --- it's of a part of our family history that is gone. This same part of Cucamonga is now a pancake restaurant and yoga shop and chinese food center (looking not very different from any other part of L.A.). Interestingly, this exact spot that your grandfather photographed in the 80s was considered for historical status. But it at the time was a whorehouse and topless bar, and so the city didn't approve it. Instead they made some memorial plaques and a "Winer's Walk" with some info about the history of Cucamonga wine making.

Thanks again for your taking your personal time to look up a family photo so important to us.

A portrait of J.B. LaFourcade and his family at his *80th Birthday Party.

A THOUGH ON A VERY SIGNIFICANT DAY OF MY LIFE

It was seventy years ago that two very innocent people headed for the Salt Lake Temple to be married for time and all eternity.  We had no money or resources so we traveled with the mother of the bride in her car to our destination. I don’t remember anything about the endowment ceremony, but I do remember the sealing ordinance and kissing my bride across the alter.  That has been a lifetime ago. Now here I am in a strange city, alone now for six years after the passing of my sweet bride in 2013. I’m 92 years old now working toward 93. How much longer the Lord will permit me to live on this earth is according to his plan.  Since the passing of my sweet wife, the Lord has watched over me and helped me to repent of my sins and to experience what it is like to live alone. He has answered my prayers and directed my life in every way. I was guilty many times of causing my wife to live alone during our marriage due to my selfishness with time and work.  Now I know the meaning, “it is not good for man to live alone”.

These are some thoughts that came across my mind as I head to work in my shop and attend the temple.

Another chapter in my life

There are lots of chapters in a every person’s life, some of which have been written and some ignored.  I have written a few, but many I have neglectfully procrastinated writing.

The one I am referring to in this blog is a change from my life since Anita passed on to another location.  Since she passed away in 2013, I have chosen to in close proximity to my brother and his wife. We have been snowbirds moving from homes in Bountiful, Utah to Overton, Nevada every six months.  Spring and summer in Bountiful, Utah and fall and winter in Overton, Nevada.

I  awoke one morning last week with the question planted in my mind, I believe by the Holy Ghost, why am I still living in Overton? I Have been struggling from almost the time that I arrived in October 2018 with balance, weakness, and other old age problems some of which have been periods of depression due to loneliness.  Yet I live very close to my brother and we see each other every day. In any event, the question persisted and I began to be convinced that I no longer wanted to have two homes and I did not want to change residence every six months.  A six hour trip to a second home may not seem to much, but it has taken its toll on me. My children have been very good to me in that they try to be with me as often as time will permit. David and Shauna in St. George and Kevin in Las Vegas,and Kathleen from Oregon, but it takes time and effort to visit a father one and a half hours away by road or air and I know that they have no objection to these visitations.  They love to come and spend time with me. I know that with every ounce of my being. But, I getting old and it is time to be more reasonable in life.

And so, I started to to share these thoughts with My brother and with David and Shauna.  All were enthusiastic about my decision. I believe it was inspired.

The house in Bountiful goes on the market tomorrow.  My place on Overton is now for sale and if all goes according to plan I shall move to St George by June of 2019.  My children, David, Shauna and Kathleen have been great to pick up the load and make this happen.

RHB

It was Monday  evening that I got a text from my brother-in-law, Cal Loe, indicating that he received word from Michael Gardner that his mother, Mirial Gardner, had passed away.  Upon further inquiry I learned that a memorial service would be held on Friday, February 22, 2019 from 4 - 8 pm at the Bunker Mortuary in Las Vegas.  I in turn contacted Shauna and Kevin to see if they wanted to attend as I thought I should attend.  Shauna said she wanted to attend and she would be glad to take us in her car.  Kevin indicated that he might be able to come over after work.
Shauna picked me up at 2:45 on Friday afternoon and it took us a little more than an hour to reach the mortuary.  We were among the first to be there to meet the family.
All of my children always referred to Mirial as Aunt Mirial even though they were second cousins to her.  And, I was always referred to as Uncle Roy by her children.  Mirial was a favorite cousin for Anita.  We always tried to stay in contact with the Gardners.  Mirial married Harold Garner at a young age and Harold was well established with his father in business and he was doing quite well financially. Their marriage started out with a new home and they seemed not to struggle financially as did the other cousins , as Anita I I did , as did Wanda and Evelyn with their families.  After Anita and I and our family moved to Oregon, we enjoyed frequent visits to see Mirial and Harold.  They had a very spacious home and it was always fun to be there for a family gathering.

Upper  Photo:  Mirial and her son Michael and his wife. Seated by Mirial is Gary Lee.

Lower photo: Mirial at our 60th wedding anniversary

A Reflection
Today is the sabbath.  I've been feeling a little down in my spirit,complaining: wow is me! why don't I feel more joy in life, etc.  etc. I accomplished quite a little bit in my shop yesterday.  I came in early to watch the news, but drifted  off to sleep as there is not much for Saturday evening anyway.  I got started a little early on family history work, thinking that would buoy up my spirits.  I soon got a call from my son Dave so very excited about selling his truck and buying a new one.  How excited he was and I was so happy for him.  His excitement was a little contagious as I was uplifted by it.  Anyway, I got back to family history with some of that excitement.  I in the process of attaching historical records to cousins, some of whom were not very close cousins but had lived during the 19th century, I discovered that I was finding many who had become lost in the record keeping, especially, spouses.  I soon found that I had added more than 10 persons to my temple file that needed ordinance work in a matter of only several hours.  Further more, I had added an equal number the previous week.  By the time I went to bed I was so elated with what I was able to accomplish in a short period of time.  I went to bed feeling great joy and thanksgiving.
I began reflecting upon what I was doing in family history work and why was I so blessed to have the patience and interest to set at my computer  for hours at a time scanning through records of persons that lived over a hundred years ago trying to find if any were missing.  Everyone I know at that hour of the night while I was at my computer was watching a movie or some sporting event.  Why is it that I am spending this time of my life engaged in , what others may call "boring work"?  What drives me to spend countless hours reviewing the lives of dead ancestors?    I am not sacrificing anything!  I'm not making a conscientious effort to do this work.  It just interests me to the exclusion of other things to occupy my mind.  I love making things of wood and I do spend time so engaged.  I know I'm a boring person, not well read, can't converse, can't speak very well.  But, I do find joy in helping those who have gone before me receive ordinances that pertain to their salvation.
I'll relate an experience I had last night in the records I was finding.
My 3rd great grandmother was Polly Russell and she was married to Lovel Gibbs.  I descend through them through the Gibson line.  My mother was Hazel Vanessa Gibson.  Polly Russell had a distant nephew, how distant I don't know, by the name of Charles Russell.  It was Charles Russell that I will relate to you of what I learned about him.  His record showed that he had no wife or children.  I soon learned that he lived during the 1900 and 1910 census with a different wife listed for each census.  One was Alice and the other was Ruth.  The 1900 census showed that he had recently married Alice and she had not given birth to any children, but there were three sons in the family.  The 1910 census showed that there were some of the same sons and two additional children and they had been married only 7 years and his wife's name was Ruth.  To make a long story short,  Charles had three marriages, the first was in 1881, Ida Warner, and they had tree sons, Ida died in 1899, Charles remarried in 1900 to Alice Green and then she died in 1901 without children, then he remarried for the third time in 1902 to Ruth Strickland and they had two children.  All five children were missing from the family record as well as their spouses.  So it was a great treasure trove of a family that needed to be included in the Russell family.
RHB

A New Year  2019
A few months ago (during 2018), I told some of my children that I wanted to have a family gathering during 2019.  I said I can't do it , but if you will take charge , I'll pay for it.  Well, it has moved forward with a date set for March 30 -April 1 , 2019.  The venue has been set for Overton, Nevada.  I will be able to stay in my own home during the event and be with my guests during the three days of planned activity.  It most likely will be the last time that I will be together with all of my descendants and so I'm hopeful that everyone will come.  Transportation for some will be a big expense, for others ,not so much.    Once they get here I will pick up the expense for meals and some lodging.  Kathleen is doing most of the planning and all seems to be on schedule.  I will have about 70 guests including spouses and friends, grand children and great grandchildren.
I'm in the process of making for each couple of my grandchildren (15), as they are all married or have a friend, a remembrance gift and for each great grandchild (25), a remembrance gift .  I have a couple of months to finish this project.  The great grandchildren range in age from 1 year to 18 years.  So, my gifts will be varied. 
I continue to be blessed with the health to work in my shop and follow plans in constructing items that are a little bit artistic and which will remind my descendants of their only living patriarch.  I have not been good at letting them know of my testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I wish that to be the gift that they would remember me by.  That I was a devoted follower of Jesus, my God, that I served Him by assisting with His church and Kingdom on the earth.  That, I was a Savior on Mount Zion, having arranged for 100's of cousins from my wife's side of the family as well as from the Brooks side to receive covenants pertaining to their salvation since they could not receive them while on earth or did not take advantage of the opportunity when salvation was available.    I have left a family tree that shows each one how they are related to those who have gone before them, i.e. familysearch. org. UN rhbrooks,   I have received miracles and the answer to all my prayers and I know that my redeemer will redeem me.  I have been sinful, but I have tried to follow my redeemer.   Because of His righteousness, I will be forgiven through my hope and faith upon Him..
So much for the beginning of a new year.
RHB                                                                                   

Reflections of a 92 year old.

I will soon complete my 92nd year on the great planet Earth.   I have seen many unbelievable changes over my life time. I've been sitting watching football and while watching my computer screen saver is randomly putting photos from my files on my monitor.  I become distracted from the game and watch that which is on the monitor.  The above is one such photo.  Some of the photos were taken many years ago when grandchildren and great grandchildren were very young.    I wonder if these descendants of mine want to see and spent time with a grandfather.  As I look at these photos, I feel a longing to see them and hear about their lives.  I have placed my self near my brother in Nevada and for many it is difficult to be together.  I guess that is the reason I'm sponsoring a family get-together in March 2019.  I hope to see each grand child and great grandchild and have a conversation with them.  Maybe such will promote a remembrance.. I wish that I had such an experience when I was growing up.
As Christmas comes to us in a few days, I think of the one that has blessed me with an extended life, i.e. Jesus Christ.  He has answered my prayers and I have found joy in life even though my companion for life and eternity has left me to be alone.  It is difficult to be alone, but my brother and some of my children have taken away the sting of loneliness. The Lord has blessed me with facilities to occupy my time constructively.  I have a wonderful wood working shop in Nevada and a similar one in Utah.  I'm finding a lot of joy and happiness in making gifts for those coming to our family get-together.
I want my descendants to know how much my Savior and Redeemer means to me and how much I rely upon his goodness.  Upon reflection, I have concluded that I was a parent that did not express to my children that need for a close relationship with my Savior.  It was not expressed to my children as they were growing up.  I wanted them to know that the Church was true, I wanted them to go to church and be church oriented, church, church, leaving the Savior and redeemer out of my example in life.  It was a tragic error in my life and very few of my children have survived it.
I have learned so much in the last five years about faith, hope and charity.   The Temple has been a great teacher, my separation from my wonderful wife has been a great teacher.  I have learned that we must follow the Savior in all that we do from our baptism to the Temple.  He wants to save us from our sinful mortal state, but without baptism for the remission of our sins and a desire to repent and try to be more like him in every way until we leave this earth, it will not come about.  Oh how I need Him.
Well so much for a thoughtful evening.  I am so grateful for all my children and their descendants.
RHB 12/22/2018

My Life and Times in Overton, Nevada

Part II

In the previous Blog I described how and why I came to spend the winter months in Overton, Nevada.  In this Blog I will to describe my life in Overton in general terms and describe some specific occurrences as I remember them.  

The single wide manufactured home in which I live is a very comfortable abode with two bedrooms, one bathroom with only a shower.  It  came with  completely furnished bedrooms, washer and clothes dryer, and a completely furnished kitchen,i.e., dishwasher, electric range, refrigerator, water filtration system, air conditioning and heating system and a water softener, as well as, a couch for the living room.  In other words , it was ready to be lived in.  Since I moved into this house, I have replaced the living room furniture with furniture from Oregon as well as providing a garage sale desk-console. In recent months, my son, David, replaced the small bedroom furniture with a Murphy bed.

Road to Carp

The Road to Carp
It was on Saturday, a beautiful cool morning, that we left the Fun N Sun RV park in Overton, Nevada with my brother and his wife, Juliana, headed for a rondevue with Juliana’s, newphew and his wife, Mike Miller and Judy.  Our plan was to join them and ride with them in their two ATV’s to visit an old farm stead which rested in the Meadow Valley Wash. To get into the wash from Moapa, we turned north on road 168 and traveled 3 miles until we reached the Union Pacific Railroad underpass where we turned onto the Meadow Valley Road to the right.  At this point we met our host’s the Millers and traveled with them in our pickup until we reached a commercial building where we parked the pickup and joined them in their ATV’s.  My brother and I rode with Mike in his four seater while Juliana rode with Judy in her two seater. At eleven miles we came to an end where the UPRR does not allow trespassing.  At this point, one can go under the Railroad to the left and proceed on the road t o Carp and Elgin.  The road to the right passes over the stream of the Meadow Valley Wash and leads to an old farm stead known as the Huntsman Kane Springs Ranch where the old ranch home still stands.  A month earlier we had visited this location and thought it to be an old Pony Express way station.  Recent research has proved this old  home as being the home of David and Emeline Huntsman who built this home in 1891 having moved from St. Thomas.  The Kane Springs Ranch was located along the Upper Muddy River in the Moapa Valley of Clark County, Nevada. In 1891, David and Emmeline Huntsman moved onto the property to homestead. The Kane Springs Ranch, as it came to be called, was known for its large orchard and mining operations. The ranch became well known after 1905 when the railroad to Caliente, Nevada was completed. The tracks crossed over the Huntsman property and trains often made unofficial stops to taste Emmeline's cooking and receive medical treatment. David Huntsman died in 1907, leaving Emmeline to look after the property until her death in 1920. Emmeline Huntsman was especially well-loved by the people around her, most notably after she rode into the Muddy Valley Wash to rescue those injured in a disastrous flood in 1910. G.W. Birnie purchased a portion of the property in 1929 and the entire property was purchased by Bradley Stuart in 1947. He passed  the Stuart Ranch on to his son Robert and his daughter-in-law Joan. Joan Stuart was the last private owner of the property before she sold it to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Today, the property is still owned by the BLM and is a tourist destination because of its historic buildings and Native American petroglyphs. That trip is the subject of another story that was guided by Judy Miller.
The Meadow Valley Wash empties into Lake Mead via Glendale and the Muddy River which passes through Overton, Nevada,

where we live. Flash floods in the wash are not uncommon.  Rain occurring in the mountains around Caliente, Nevada, provide the perennial source of water for the Meadow Valley Wash that runs through Elgin and Carp. Although we did not plan to go as far as Carp it is interesting to know that this Meadow Valley Wash road where we started passes through Carp and Elgin and ends in Caliente as shown on map above.

 The travel by ATV was mostly uneventful accept for UPRR trains passing by.After an hour riding in the ATV, Mike pulled off the road for a stretch and rest. I stayed near the vehicle while Mike and Loren scanned the area near the railroad track. When we got ready to go, Mike said lets take a short cut.  Since the tracks were very close to where we were parked, he drove the ATV over the tracks ans we crossed a bridge parallel to the bridge for the train tracks.  It was a little scary but we made it across and were now east of the railroad which was where our destination was located. A view of the bridge and tracks are shown here from Google Earth.

 


About 12 or 13 miles south of Carp, we arrived at our destination.  The site was an old farm stead with corals, water supply tank that had toppled over, a  house that was partially constructed of old ammunition boxes and a well that brought water into the home and coral.

As I strolled around the coral area, I spotted an egret in the field.  No doubt she was nesting close by.

Our return to Overton was uneventful, but the excursion was most interesting and enjoyable

RHB

My Life and Times in Overton, Nevada

Part  I

Over the years when my brother, Loren, and his wife , Julianna, began to spend their winters in Overton, my brother would invite my wife , Anita, and I down to Overton to go fishing.  We would periodically come down and spend several days or a week with them fishing and having a good time.  Their was several times when we would invite Anita's cousin, Wanda, and her husband, Pat,  to join us.  At one time, the visitors were expanded to include several of Wanda and Pat's friends from California.  That was a time when we put too much pressure upon my brother to be the host and take everyone fishing for three or four days in a row.  He still suffers from that experience to this day.  Nevertheless it was always fun to be a guest of my brother as he has a terrific memory of the past and always has many stories to relate regarding fishing and his experiences from the FBI.  He is a excellent fisherman and writes in a column for the weekly newspaper, the "Progress", called "Fishing the Overton Arm", meaning the Overton Arm of Lake Mead.  The articles are always fun to read and find out whose is catching the most and largest fish from Lake Mead.  He has is own network of fisherman that relate how fishing is in Lake Mead or in the Overton Arm.
A number of years ago, 2013, my wife, Anita suddenly passed away and left me a widower.  Of course I struggled with the loss but my daughter, Kathleen, suggested that I go to Overton and spend some time with my brother and his wife for a month or so.   My daughter said she would drive me down to Overton from Wilsonville where I had my home of almost 20 years.  I agreed that it would be a good change of scenery and I knew that I would enjoy being around my brother. Kathleen and I traveled to Nevada from Oregon and I spent about a month living with my brother and his wife.  I returned to Oregon to have Christmas with some of my Children.
My children were all busy with their lives and I found myself with little to do and somewhat lost.  It was then that my brother suggested that I come back to Overton.   My brother had a fifth-wheel   in Storage at the Fun and Sun RV park.  He said he would put the unit in an RV space that I could rent that would be close to he and his wife. I could join  with him and his wife in the activities of the park and I could become his fishing companion which would relieve loneliness and comfort me in the loss of my wife. I decided to take him up on the offer and returned to Overton and began to live in his fifth wheel in a rented space of the RV park.  The arrangement seemed to be working quite well as I was enjoying my association with my brother and his wife.  However,I did not like the very close living space of the fifth wheel trailer.
It was not long thereafter that a single wide manufactured home in the park went up for sale.  The seller wanted $30,000 for it and it had been re carpeted and thoroughly cleaned.  We made a deal and when My brother and his wife left for Bountiful to the summer and fall home, I left also with a newly purchased home and returned back to Wilsonville, Oregon.  I decided at that point that Oregon was too far distant to commute as a snow bird and I made the decision to sell my home in Wilsonville and buy a condo near my brother in Bountiful, Utah.
I think all my children thought is was an OK move, but I'm not sure of their true feeling about moving away from those that lived nearby in Oregon.  In any case, the move was a big chapter in our lives.  The condo I bought in Utah was quite small and I could not take all of our possessions, so I began to divide and give to my children many of the things Anita and I had collected over the years, such as crystal and glassware of all kinds and some furnishings.  Most of Anita's clothing was donated. 
The movers finally arrived and delivered all my household effects to Bountiful on September 4, 2014.  Kathleen drove me to Utah and stayed and decorated my condo after delivery.  She did a beautiful job and I began my life in Bountiful, but only for about one month as October was the time that Loren returned to Overton and I planned to leave about the same time after the LDS conference in Salt Lake.
Of course, I had to decide which of my possessions should go to Overton.  I must add that part of the move from Oregon was to decide what household effects were to go to Overton.  Shauna and her husband, Skip, provided the transport of all of those effects before the Bountiful household effects were moved.  This would provide sufficient furnishings for  the Overton home when I would arrive in October, 2014.
So, my arrival in Overton began the snowbird life of living in Bountiful and in Overton, May to October in Bountiful and October to May in Overton .  I will not give a chronology of life but rather a routine of life here and to give a glimpse of my comings and going.

Reflections at the beginning of 2018

I have a journal that at times I write in it about my life's happenings.  Since my wife's passing, 4-1/2 years ago I haven't felt much like expressing my feelings in this type of publication where family can get some insights into what is going on in my head.  I guess my children feel like I'm doing Ok.  A few stay in close contact for which I am very grateful.  My life goes along pretty well during the day time in as much as I keep busy with all kinds of projects.  I usually work at such until it is time for news on the TV.  Then I try and figure what am I going to have for dinner, the hard part, then it becomes time for late news and weather at 9:00 pm.   The hardest part of my life is the loneliness of the evening.  I could go over to Loren's place and watch a movie with them, but it always seem like a waste of time, so I turn to my computer and fill the rest of the evening with reading the scriptures and doing family history work.  I attend a family home evening group once a week and meet friends and acquaintances that live close by.  I have resolved this year to be more out going and thoughtful of others.  I use my bread making skills to help with that by baking bread once or twice a week to give to a friend or neighbor. As with all the things I have become engaged in, I love the creativity of making flour and water so delicious to eat.

Today is Jan 21, 2018 and I just returned from church.  We had a wonderful sacrament meeting where the speakers spoke upon the Love that God has for them.  One was a young man that had just returned from a mission in Tennessee.  I came away feeling such gratitude for my membership in the Lords church.  To know the path you are in is the way to eternal happiness.  The gate through which I passed to get on the path was baptism and the gift of the Holt Ghost so that I may receive a remission of my sins.  To go each Sunday to the Sacrament table and covenant to always remember him and keep his commandants and take upon ourselves his holy name, is a renewing experience that brings joy and happiness to my soul. By so doing my soul is refined as I go about life's activities keeping in mind the covenant I make each week. My faith and hope is the remission of  my sins will become a reality according to His sacred word.  Perhaps the Lord has grated me a little extra time to repent so that I might receive this blessing.
Loren and Juliana invited me over for dinner tonight.  Very good and I thanked them,

Today is Feb 4, 2018 and I just returned from church.The question that I came home with and I'm pondering is one that we collective spoke about in our High Priest quorum.  "How can I come closer to God and receive more guidance from the spirit in my life."  I confess that I'm a very introverted man. I'm not very good at seeking out people and sharing my life's experiences.  I am very content in working on a project alone, trying to become schooled in what I'm doing .  I spend hours each week in family history work.  I'm content to work in my shop for hours at a time.  I have concluded that to become more like my Savior I need to keep the commandants so that the spirit can  be with me.   Then I need to act upon His promptings by being more outgoing and share my life with neighbors and friends.  I have learned a great deal about the spirit and to recognize a prompt when it comes. 
I have a pain in my hip area that at times becomes very difficult to move about.  This pain helps me to remember my Savior and seek his healing influence.  Which helps me to try and remember Him each and every day.

The Gifts of Christ

         During the month of December, the Christian world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and according to their beliefs and teaching, they honor him in various ways.  I have noticed in the past two years that the true and living church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the theme has been “He is the Gift” and this year it is: “Light the World”, meaning that we can light the world by adopting 25 suggestions each day from December 1 until Christmas day which will help us “light the world”.  For example, on the 10^th day, which was last Sunday, “Search the Scriptures”, (John 5:39.) was the suggestion.  Today on the 17^th day, the suggestion is to “Meet together Of”.

You can go to lds.org  and help light the world by those  daily suggested actions.  The Christmas message given by the first Presidency was of the same message.

I would like to focus our attention upon last year’s message: “The Gifts of Christ”.

It is a great honor to write about the living Christ, the creator of this world upon which we live.  I pray that these thoughts, even though you are well acquainted with them, will remind you of that which He has given us.  

I believe that at Christmas time we need to honor His coming to earth,  born of a virgin, called Mary, His Father being Elohim, the Father of us all; raised as a boy, He being about His Father’s business of coming to earth and subjecting himself  to wicked men, having a love for all of the descendants of Adam so much so that He was willing to make a sacrifice and atone for the sins of those who follow Him.

We call Him our Savior.  To remind us of what the term Savior means, we need to remember that Satan , he who was cast out because of rebellion, beguiled Eve into partaking the forbidden fruit by saying “thou shalt not surely die , but shall become like the gods knowing good and evil and you’ll have knowledge.  Adam knowing the other commandment, to multiply and replenish the earth and be with his wife, Eve, also partook of the forbidden fruit so that men might be.   We know this occurrence as the fall of Adam where death of the body and the spirit would occur for all men.

Read:  2 Nephi 9:6-12     

Read:  2 Nephi 9: 18-19 

This is the greatest gift of a redeemer given to us as Saints of the living God and this why we call Him our Savior.   It is true that the Christian world’s definition of “Savior “ means the gift of the resurrection which is for all mankind, whether wicked or righteou. But, as true followers of Christ we know that His invitation involves more than a resurrection and a simple belief in Him. “ come, .. every one that thristeth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price.”  

This invitation from His only true and living Gospel (Church) is an invitation to all the descendants of Adam on the face of the earth, “ come unto me, all ye that are heavy laden ..”  “Come follow me”.  Each of us is given the opportunity to make that invitation. Those who believe in the scriptures contained in the Holy Bible will be led by the Holy Ghost to believe in the words of these who teach the plan of salvation. 

By entering the waters of baptism for the remission of our sins we embark upon the road of repentance so that a remission of sins becomes a reality.

When we repent of our sins, He takes from us the suffering we must otherwise endure because of our wickness. “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all,that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I” (D&C 19:16–17).

Obeying the sacred covenants and all the commandments qualifies us to receive the remission of our sins, allowing us to live clean and pure lives in the presence of God as resurrected and exalted beings.

Jacob truly gave us a better understanding of the true gift from Christ.  It is the greatest of all gifts and we appreciate that gift as we celebrate his arrival on earth so that we may recieve the true meaning of salvation.

Yet, Why does life seem so difficult? Why does there seem to be so much sadness, hate, and unhappiness in the world? Why are there so many unhappy people? Many are unhappy because they do not know the plan of salvation; others do not believe the plan of salvation; and others, although they believe, are not willing to pay the price for happiness now and for all eternity.

As we quoted earlier from Jacob: “Behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever” (2 Ne. 9:18).

Our Heavenly Father wants each one of us to receive a fullness of His blessings. Will we become discouraged because of the adversities of the world? No! Let us be optimistic. Let us be grateful for the gift of redemption and have faith in the future, knowing that the plan of salvation is true. Let us trust the Father and endure to the end. Let us never forget that we are children of Heavenly Father and t hat each one of us has the potential to become like Him. Let us have faith in Jesus Christ; let us have faith in ourselves. Then we will have joy in the gift that our Savior has given us and we will have joy and happiness in life and throughout eternity.

 There are many gifts that we all receive because of our savior, but the second most important gift is the gift of becoming,  Saviors on Mt Zion.

From Alma we read:

“Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection— … the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body … are taken home to that God who gave them life. …

“… The spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise. …

Now the spirits of those who are not righteous, the spirits of the wicked, are cast into spirit prison until the resurrection where there is no chance to receive this redemption of which we have just discussed.  Amulek taught:

 “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.”

The night of darkness is a time when repentance is not possible, unless the Saints of God looks with upon their kindred dead and save them through vicarious baptism for the dead so that they may receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and repent and become worthy of a remission of their sins through the Holy One of Israel.

To bring our ancestors the saving ordinances of the Gospel is truly a great gift and in a sense we become saviors ourselves.  Because, we can only do the work for our own families it causes us to turn our hearts to our fathers.  

Oh, the merciful plan of happiness and the plan of our God from the beginning.  How grateful we should be for his coming to this earth and teaching us the way to eternal life with our Father who dwells in the heavens above and become the son and daughters of Christ the father of this world.

   

Lastly the gift of the Priesthood of God.  This gift is a gift whereby all the sacred holy ordinances are given to us to help us to return to our heavenly parents.  The Aaronic and Melkezidick Priesthoods, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, Endowment, Gifts given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob., patriarchal blessings, power to anoint  and heal the sick, His gifts are endless!   

This is my testimony.