What it means to be kind to all of God's children

It's late, and with all my responsibilities with our upcoming Youth Conference, and because I don't have the time to expound much, I'm going to share a story with you that I read many years ago, and then give you some parting thoughts.

The story illustrates the importance of paying attention to all of God's children on this earth. You never know when something you say, or a smile, or an act of kindness, will change someone's life.

The story:

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, “Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, “Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes.

We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him. Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, “Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, “Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. “Thanks," he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends… I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story." I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.

He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. “Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.." I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life. For better or for worse. As members of the Church, and especially as members of our special family, we are God's messengers, endowed with special powers. He expects more from us because of that.

 If you get a chance, next time you see Becca and Jared, ask them about a neighbor of theirs that is taking the missionary discussions because of the example set by them.

Each of us, with our simple acts of kindness, can touch an individual, which in turn can touch a nation. 

"You can count the seeds in an apple...but can you count the apples from one seed?"

Love, Dad

Pondering the Temple

Yesterday I took half a day off of work and attended the temple. It is always refreshing to my spirit to attend, feel and ponder while in the temple. The name I went through for was Matthew Martin Voltese, from North Carolina. He was born in 1815. 

As I sat pondering about him and looking at where and when he was born, the thought came to me that he was born around the same time as my great, great grandfather, Calvin Gordon Stone, who was also born in North Carolina. The spirit whispered to me that they knew each other, and that Calvin Gordon Stone had a part of Matthew receiving the gospel and accepting it.

Needles to say, I was moved by the feelings I felt.

I took the following quote from the book "A Formula for Temple Worship," by S. Michael Wilcox. It gives some good insight into how to ponder while in the temple.

Pondering while in the temple can bring great insight into our lives, help us receive answers to questions, be close to those we are doing the work for and learn the things of eternity.

Pondering spiritual things is always an invitation to receive revelation. The scriptures give numerous examples of prophets who have reflected, pondered, meditated, or studied and received glorious spiritual experiences as the result. (See 1 Nephi 11, D&C 76, or D&C 138 as examples.) Pondering requires a deep concentration of thought and focus.

To effectively ponder the temple ordinances, we must be familiar with them. If we want to ponder the scriptures, we can read and reread them, focusing on each word or phrase and how it relates to other truths found elsewhere in the text. We can do this with the temple ordinances only if they are written in our minds and in our hearts, for we cannot study them on a printed page. This occurs the more frequently we participate in them. It is next to impossible to ponder something we are not familiar with.

At times, while listening to the endowment, we may want to pause and reflect about some insight we are discovering. We wish we could stop the session from continuing so we could reflect a little deeper. Sometimes we wish we could write ourselves a note about an insight we are receiving so we could reflect on it more when the ceremony is over. We are afraid we will forget our insight by the time the session is completed. Of course, we can neither write ourselves notes nor stop the session. We must learn to hold the thoughts in our minds and then, in quiet moments in and out of the temple, ponder them and let the Spirit teach us. The more we attend the temple, the more permanently the phrases and words of the endowment rest securely in our minds, where they are available for future pondering.

As always, I love you!

Love, Dad

Conspiring Men in the Last Days

Given all that has gone on in the world, all that is currently going on, and those things that will yet go on, I find myself, from time to time, doing a reality check, realizing that I am living in the days that all the holy prophets saw and prophesied about.

These are the Last Days, the days just prior to the end of the world and the coming of Christ. We are privileged to have been selected to come and live on the earth at this time, and be part of God's righteous army to prepare for the Lord's return and rein upon this earth.

There are many issues that we need to be aware of and overcome during these final days. One is that of "conspiring men in the last days."

In D&C 89:4, the Lord said, "Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you."

What did he mean when he referred to "conspiring men in the last days?"

Since this scripture is in the 89th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, it refers mostly to the Word of Wisdom, and indicates how Satan is influencing conspiring men to use mind and body controlling substances to murder, break up families and destroy homes. Thus Satan is keeping more of God's children away from the promised blessings of eternal life through these devices.

From his book "Behold I Come Quickly," Holt Brewster writes, "And what about the advertising for alcoholic beverages? A wide variety of alcoholic products is portrayed as fun and popular, the way to success, the "in" thing to do. Yet the promises are shallow and short-lived. The reality of alcohol's destructive power was described in a speech given by Neal A. Maxwell when he was vice president of the University of Utah. To a group of college students, he spoke of the "awful arithmetic" of alcohol: "If as many of your generation maintain, the ultimate obscenity is violence and needless death, then alcohol is obscene in terms of the people it kills and maims on our highways and the numerous child beatings it causes in homes and all the other tragedies that grow out of the misuse of alcohol." ("This Matter of Relevancy," 16 May 1969, pp. 2-3.)

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gives some indication of how different society might be if the resources now used in rectifying abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs were free to be used in other areas: "Imagine the results we would see if the total populace were to live this law of health and never abuse their bodies with alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and other harmful substances. What magnitude of decline would we see in automobile accidents, illness and premature death, fetal defects, crime, squandered dollars, broken homes, and wasted lives resulting from alcohol and other addictive drugs? How much would lung cancer, heart disease, and other ailments caused by cigarette smoking decrease?" (Ensign, November 1991, p. 16.) The cost to society in suffering, loss of lives, loss of income, destruction of families, and disruption of employment from the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs is almost incalculable, the terrible cost rising each year. However, some idea of the annual cost is gleaned from the following figures of the late 1980s:

• 10.6 million adults are alcoholics
• Alcohol is a factor in one-half of traffic deaths.
• More Americans have now been killed in alcohol-related auto accidents than in all the wars ever fought by Americans.
• 320,000 annual deaths can be attributed to tobacco.
• 125,000 annual deaths can be attributed to alcohol.
• An estimated one-half of Americans have tried drugs.
• An estimated one-half of crimes are drug related.

President Ezra Taft Benson said: "The Lord foresaw the situation of today when motives for money would cause men to conspire to entice others to take noxious substances into their bodies. [SeeD&C 89:4.] Advertisements which promote beer, wine, liquors, coffee, tobacco, and other harmful substances are examples of what the Lord foresaw. But the most pernicious example of an evil conspiracy in our time is those who induce young people into the use of drugs. My young brothers and sisters, in all love, we give you warning that Satan and his emissaries will strive to entice you to use harmful substances, because they well know if you partake, your spiritual powers will be inhibited and you will be in their evil power. Stay away from those places or people which would influence you to break the commandments of God. Keep the commandments of God and you will have the wisdom to know and discern that which is evil." (Ensign, May 1983, pp. 54-55.)

Satan uses the weakness of the flesh, the desire for unnatural stimulants and experiences, and the curiosity to taste forbidden fruits to enslave men, women, youth, and even children in his ongoing, relentless battle to destroy agency. The success of the adversary in this respect was noted by Elder Russell M. Nelson: "Through chemical means, one can literally become disconnected from his or her own will!" (Ensign, November 1988, p. 7.)

Another area of concern that we need to pay attention to are "secret combinations." We have also been warned of "secret combinations" in the last days, groups that are organized to gain power and control over others. 

In the Book of Mormon: "And whatsoever nation shall uphold such secret combinations, to get power and gain, until they shall spread over the nation, behold, they shall be destroyed. . . .

Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get power and gain. . . .

Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies." (Ether 8:22-25.)

President Ezra Taft Benson added his own insights regarding the secret combinations of the last days: "I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. (See D&C 1:14-16; 84:49-53.) It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world."

The secret combinations of the last days are not confined to one group nor to worldwide organizations, but include any combination of people whose purpose is to get unrighteous gain and power over others. The far-reaching tentacles of secret combinations were described by President Benson in a talk given in 1978: "Yes, there is a conspiracy of evil. The source of it all is Satan and his hosts. He has a great power over men to 'lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken' to the voice of the Lord. (Moses 4:4.) His evil influence may be manifest through governments; through false educational, political, economic, religious, and social philosophies; through secret societies and organizations; and through myriads of other forms. His power and influence are so great that, if possible, he would deceive the very elect. As the second coming of the Lord approaches, Satan's work will intensify through numerous insidious deceptions." (Ensign,May 1978, p. 33.)

Bottom line - pay attention to these things. Realize that we are privileged, called and fore-ordained to be here on the earth. Satan has pulled out all the stops, and is waging one final battle to win over souls. Things will not get better, but worst. 

Don't allow yourself to get gently lulled into complacency, of being more accepting of things that, a few decades ago, were considered shocking. Realize that you are also part of this waging battle, but you are on the good-guys side, and that you have many billions more that have joined you from the other side to win this battle in the end. You have help, good influences, still small voices, to guide and protect you.

Listen, follow and pray - And you'll be happy.

As always, Love, Dad.

Grandma Stone - 90 Years of a Great Heritage

The following is from a spotlight in Grandma Stone's Ward newsletter:

Ranae Davis was born in Latuda, Carbon County, Utah, the third of five girls, born to Levi and Alice Thorpe Davis. In 1929 the family moved to Springville.

Clyde and Ranae met while attending Springville, High School. Clyde was a football and track star  (Dad told me he ran the 100 yard dash in 9.8 seconds, that's pretty good!) and took the lead in several of the high school operas. (He had a beautiful voice) Ranae was a dancer and baton twirler with the band. They graduated from Springville High in 1941. That fall Clyde enrolled at BYU.

They were married on the 18th of June, 1942 in the Salt Lake Temple. A few month later Clyde was drafted into the Army and Ranae went to work for the Selective Service3 in Provo. After three months, Clyde was sent to England. He went into France on the 2nd day at Omaha Beach. He was with the Army Engineers and saw duty in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He was also in the Battle of the Bulge. He returned home in November, 1945 and in February, 1946, they moved to Long Beach, CA where he worked for General Motors and later built and operated the Stone's Motel on Pacific Coast Hwy.

Ranae and Clyde have both worked in numerous church positions on the ward and stake level.

When they left Long Beach, and moved to Bellflower, the Long Beach Ward wrote a poem about them:

The Rolling Stones

Long Beach was made richer some years ago
By a couple who came from the ice and the snow.
Seeking their fortunes, in this strange new land
Of palm trees and oil wells, of beach and sand.
Clyde had but recently been home from the wars
Where he fought for the flag, with its clear strips and bright stars.
Now they were eager to settle and to forget those past years
Of parting and worry, of heartaches and tears.
So they headed for Long Beach, this happy young pair,
Little knowing the happiness that awaited them there.

They set right to work and soon were a part
Of the old Parkview Ward and everyones's heart.
Friendships flourished and continued to thrive
While they awaited their first little babe to arrive.
Who can forget that glad day in December?
Clyde and Ranae will always remember.
That was the day of the coming of Susan,
An especially bright spirit whom God must have chosen.
The light that she brought, this baby divine,
Has down through the years continued to shine.
And no little child could ever have had
A more devoted Mother and Dad.

Time flew on, filled with service and work.
They were never known duty to shirk.
They church was made brighter by Clyde's lovely voice.
While good-natured Ranae was everyone's choice.
And now their hearts, again, were made gay by one baby more.
Instead of three Stones--now we have four.
And who could believe that little Sallie the clown
Would grow up to be the "most" gal in town.
But if we wait just a bit--there'll be one more to report.
He's the pride and joy of a happy Dad.
Who could it be but our mischievous Brad.

Things then went on serene, light, and airy.
When who should show up but a pixie named Barry.
This spry little guy left heaven a wreck,
And all the angels agreed, he was a pain in the neck.
But still they were mighty sad that day,
Just knowing he'd gone down to Earth for his stay.
But they rested assured, 'cause it was well known
He was going to live with this family named Stone.
They welcomed and loved him, for now their joy was complete.
Two boys and two girls make a family quite neat.

Ranae was needed in Primary and she answered the call
In the sight of the Lord, this woman stands tall.
With Clyde and her family, who support her with love,
She's been able to work for her Father above.
But should she turn up mission--you won't need guesses three
To know that her trailer's parked under a tree,
Where she's soaking up sunshine, with some of the gals.

Well, this is the story of the Rolling Stones,
And that we're going to miss them,
We're making no bones.
It will be many a month before the emptiness mends.
But we wish God's choicest blessings
On the Stones, our old friends.

(End of Poem)

My Mom was dearly loved by all. She still keeps in contact with her friends from Long Beach, as well as her old high school friends that are still alive.

Today we celebrated her 90th birthday. She has lived a long full life, and has been an influence to all who have touched her life. Noticeably she is slowing down. Her mind is not as keen as it has been in the recent past. I don't know how much longer we will have her on this earth, but this I know, she loves (Immensely loves!) visits from her grandkids and great grandkids. So as you can take the time to go down, she would love a visit.

She may even treat you to the Sizzler...yummy.

Love, Dad

What a Family!

Thought it would be fun to just post some fond memories:

You kids are great! I'm so proud to be the patriarch of such an awesome family.

Love you, Dad