From Dad December 7, 2015

December 7, 2015

Re: Letter 52 of 3

Dear Riley:

This past week we’ve had a lot of illness. It’s some sort of flu and Aleah and I are the only ones who haven’t caught it yet. Nearly everyone stayed home from Church yesterday. With a little luck and my trusty Ascorbitol, I’ll escape this one. No time for sickness… We just wrapped up our Ward Christmas party on Saturday evening. We were a little sparse on attendance by about 100 bodies. There seemed to be a lot of external conflicts, but perhaps the most significant reason for the lower turnout may be the fact it was potluck. Your mother warned me that this would be the case. Provide a quality meal that requires nothing but to show up and feed your family, and you’ll fill the cultural hall. If people feel they need to bring something, even if it’s not required, many would just as well stay home and feed their families. Admittedly I was overly cautious regarding our budget since we were cut over $1,000 this year and I can only see three months in advance. We’ll figure out a way to do more next year and see if this doesn’t bring out more people. All and all it was a nice event with good food and a brief but meaningful program.

When we went to the W’s last Sunday for Christmas advent, somehow the conversation turned to Parker and the ACT test he had taken recently. E offered to help him bring up his score and apparently has a respectable track record of people who have gone from lack luster to scholarship within a short time. So…Parker has been going to ACT boot camp under the W’s watchful eye. His weakest area is math and with just a couple days of work his score came up 10 points. This ought to build his confidence and increase his chances of getting a score that catches the attention of BYU. We’ll see what happens.

Cambry and C are progressing happily and I think nothing short of a catastrophe will derail the relationship. It’s feasible we could be looking at a May wedding. I know you sort of anticipated something like this, but I know it’s also bitter sweet and I’m sorry for that. (I’m all over this life scale blow up of our missionary, though your mother and I may disagree on which photo to use.)

We were given a tender insight into Cambry and C’s relationship just last night as events of her illness played out. A few days ago Cambry went to get a Strep culture which came back negative. Yet the creamy puss on her tonsils merited Amoxicillin and she appeared to improve shortly thereafter. Yesterday, Cambry broke out in a rash on the upper part of her body, had tingling in her face, and started having difficulty breathing. C had been particularly attentive and gentle with Cambry through the course of her illness and the evening, but left when Leadelle started getting more alarmed over Cambry’s condition. However, he was quick to come back and assist in giving Cambry a priesthood blessing. It was a sweet experience, and the Spirit was quite strong. He’s a good worthy vessel and this was manifest again last night. Following the blessing I took her to the ER. C accompanied us and sat by her side as the doctor got her stabilized and helped to open her airway. She’s now on prednisone, off the antibiotic, and doing much better. I couldn’t help but feel that she’ll be in good hands with C by her side.

It’s somewhat warmer now, but the weather took a rapid turn a week ago to temperatures more reminiscent of mid January. As the bitter wind roared out of the canyon and the temperature plunged into the teens, I worried about my bees. Was there enough mass by way of honey and bee bodies to survive the onslaught of the winter months? Should I be putting up a wind break, should I supplement their food supply, was it wise or necessary to sheath the hive in black tar paper?? I considered how they rely on the responsibilities of many different bees to build comb, raise brood, care for the queen, gather pollen and nectar, patch cracks through which heat could be lost, and mass together maintaining an optimal temperature especially around the queen to ensure the survival and propagation of the colony. It occurred to me that from this perspective, a hive is not much different than the organization of the Church. We gather to draw strength from one another. We rely on the gifts and contributions of individuals that the entire whole might be uplifted and edified. Together we are stronger than the sum total of each individual. (Not a single bee would survive the harsh challenges of winter on its own.) Those who are not brought into the community and safety of a hive invariably succumb to cold and hunger.

I considered the hapless drones. I may have mentioned them in the past, but these are the male bees that do almost nothing. Only a handful will ever fulfill the measure of their creation (which also kills them). They don’t build comb, they don’t take care of the queen, they don’t raise brood, they don’t make honey, they don’t forage for food, they don’t fan to regulate temperature, and they have no stinger so they can’t even lay down their lives in defense of the hive. All they do is lounge around, consume resources, and might be required to fertilize a new queen then subsequently die. When the weather turns cold in the fall, the drones are thrown out of the hive where they quickly succumb to the elements or starvation. In like manner, those who leave the safety of the Church are rapidly overcome by worldly elements which have the capacity to destroy spiritually and physically. We can learn a lot from bees, though in principle I disagree with the concept of casting any from our midst, unless they present a dire threat to the safety and spiritual wellbeing of the members. Contrastingly, when individuals leave the safety of the Church and the protection of its teachings, we should do everything within our power to seek them out, help them change their hearts, and return. This doesn’t mean, however that we adapt our doctrine to make it more appealing and inviting to the world.

The gospel is true. The honest in heart recognize the fruits and find them delicious. You’ve seen the change in people’s lives for the better. You’ve witnessed the light that comes into their eyes and radiates from their countenances. This light is discernible and stands in sharp contrast to the darkness of the world which neither sees nor comprehends the things of God. I came across an article the other day while looking for something else and found a quote by Joseph Fielding Smith which I initially thought had been written more recently. It certainly seems to describe our day.

“Baptism and confirmation into the Church do not necessarily insure our exaltation in the kingdom of God. They do, provided we are true and faithful to every covenant and obligation required of us in the commandments of our Eternal Father. It is he who endures to the end who will be saved.

However, it is my judgment that there are many members of this Church who have been baptized for the remission of their sins, and who have had hands laid upon their heads for the gift of the Holy Ghost, but who have never received that gift—that is, the manifestations of it. Why? Because they have never put themselves in order to receive these manifestations. They have never humbled themselves. They have never taken the steps that would prepare them for the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, they go through life without that knowledge; they are lacking in understanding. When those who are cunning and crafty in their deceit come to them criticizing the authorities of the Church and the doctrines of the Church, these weak members do not have understanding enough, information enough, and enough of the guidance of the Spirit of the Lord to resist false doctrines and teachings. They listen and think that perhaps they have made a mistake, and the first thing you know they find their way out of the Church, because they do not have understanding.

The gospel is simple. There is nothing difficult about it. There are mysteries, no doubt. We do not need to bother about the mysteries, but we should concern ourselves with the simple things pertaining to our salvation and exaltation.” Seek Ye Earnestly the Best Gifts – Joseph Fielding Smith 1972

Well, time to sign off. We love you and think of you even more this holiday season. Hopefully the Christmas package will arrive safely and timely enough to make your distant Christmas seem a little more like home. You’re on the downhill stretch! Sprint to the finish.

Love,
Dad