THE WIT AND WISDOM OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN (RON L. ANDERSEN): Lincoln was highly principles. One time he was a clerk in a store and a woman paid 4 cents too much so he walked four miles to give her the money. She spread the word about how honest he was. He was also respected for his intelligence. He loved law as a boy. One time he walked 15 miles just to observe a court case. As a surveyor he learned very quickly. He never smoked, chewed, gambled, profaned, or drank. In Springfield, Illinois, right about the 1840's temperance societies were starting. Rum became almost like currency. Slave holders would buy slaves with rum instead of money. Rum was consumed by just about everybody and it was a very social thing to do. When the temperance society came up they wanted him to speak. He did speak but never joined. He didn't join the Masons. He really just kept himself unfettered. There was a weed that the cows liked to eat but it was poisonous to humans. Some people would get sick to the point of dying. They called it milk sick. When Lincoln was 9, some relatives moved near him but they got the milk sick and it killed them. As they were digging the grave, Lincoln's mother gets sick and dies. Abe had to bury his mother as well. It bothered him that there was no minister to offer a prayer over the grave. Word came out 3 months later that there was a preacher nearby and he walked miles to go get him to pray over her grave. A year later his father left his children with a nephew and he went to Kentucky where he knocks on the door of a widow that she hadn't seen in years. He tells her "I ain't got no wife and you ain't got no husband. I knowed you from a gal. Haven't got much time. So let's do this." This was his marriage proposal. They had a little wedding and she comes back with him. She tried to fill the roll of his mother. They never passed cross words. He didn't dodge work. She was a remarkable woman and Lincoln truly loved her. He did not want to be a farmer but back there there was almost no other opportunity unless you had money and could go to school. He did not have those prospects. But he took a book with him and took every opportunity to read. His father and a farmer he worked for were concerned about all his read. He said his pa taught him how to work but never told him how to like it. His father was a great story teller and would tell yarns. He taught himself law. One day after court Lincoln went up to the judge and challenged him to a horse trade. The judge came in with a lame, swaybacked horse. Everybody laughed. Then Lincoln comes carrying a carpenter's sawhorse on his shoulder. He sets his sawhorse down and says, "I'll have to say that's the first time I've been beaten in a horse trade. One time he was musing in the mirror and said he thought he was the ugliest man alive and if he ever saw anybody uglier I'd have to shoot him. Then one day he saw a man and said he'd have to shoot him because he was uglier than he was. The man said, "Abe, if I'm uglier than you then please fire away." Lincoln didn't take offence. One day Steven Douglas accused him of being two faced. Lincoln replied, "Do you think if I had two faces, I'd be wearing this one?" He used humor to defuse situations. He wasn't going to get even with Douglas, he just let him know they needed to focus on the issues. When people commented on his height, he looked down at his long legs and said, "I always thought legs should be long enough to reach the ground. That's all mine are doing." One time his wife got mad at a merchant for selling her bad produce. Later the merchant complained to Lincoln about how rough his wife had been to him. He said, "You'll be all right. You just endured for 15 minutes what I've been enduring for 15 years." Stephen A. Douglas and Lincoln were rivals but became true friends. He believed that his career was a flat failure. He was "just a lawyer." He runs against Douglas but loses. Lincoln hoped the slavery would just go away, but it didn't. In the 1850's when a territory wanted to become a state, the big issue was whether it would be a slave state or not. Two sides fought. Congress decided that any state that wanted slavery could vote for it and it would be okay. Lincoln viewed that it was destructive to determine right and wrong by the ballot. Lincoln, 6 years before he became president, launched a personal campaign against what congress had decided. Six years later he was president, and then slavery was overthrown. Stephen Douglas traveled around trying to placate people. Lincoln suggested they debate it. Douglas said it had already been debated. Lincoln followed Douglas around and after Douglas spoke Lincoln would stand up and say he would be speaking on the same subject the next day. The next day there would be a big crowd and Lincoln would talk about how evil slavery was. Newspapers were picking up on this. This went on for 6 years. Lincoln dogged Douglas relentlessly. Douglas won a senatorial race in 1858. Everybody read about it and Lincoln's name became known. Lincoln would talk about what was right and what was wrong. When Lincoln took office, it was in the middle of a crisis. He accused Buchanan and his cabinet of treason. South Carolina announced that they were no longer part of the union and 7 states joined them, and Buchanan allowed it to happen. 17,113 in the US Army, 2/3's in the West. Lincoln believed that he intentionally got the army out of there so there would be no army to fight this. The treasury was almost empty. US Navy reduced and scattered. Buchanan did nothing to step the secession, take over the US forts, arsenals and mints. Gen. Scott & Seward said to surrender the fort. Lincoln would not give it up and sent food to the fort. Three times he quietly resisted and submitted his own plan. For one month the nation heard nothing from their backwoods President. His first overt act was the letter to Governor Pickens of South Carolina. Lincoln was fearless. Edwin Stanton called Lincoln a long armed gorilla. But Lincoln asked him to become the secretary of war. He was a remarkably astute politician. Lincoln's last day alive, April 14, good Friday. He had breakfast with his son, Robert. He was buoyant and cheerful. The war was close to being over. He was happy his son had come back from the war. He has a nice talk with Robert. He attends his last Cabinet meeting and they all noticed Lincoln was very positive and cheerful. In the afternoon he went for a carriage ride with his wife. They had a wonderful time together. They talked. He told her he wanted to go to the Holy Land and walk where Jesus walked. He has dinner at the White House. As he leaves for the Ford's Theater his body guard followed him but he tells him not to bother and to go home. He tells the body guard goodbye and it sounds like a final goodbye. It's shortly after that he is shot. He was so prayerful and felt he had many instances of guidance in his life. He believed that God had ruled in favor of the slave. He would have dreams and things would turn out the way they did in his dreams. God gave us this wonderful free land and we nearly lost it in the 1860's. If it had not been for Lincoln we may have lost our constitution. He was raised up by God to do what he did.
WHY GIVING WORKS, THE BLESSING OF RECEIVING: UPDATES ON RECENT CHURCH HUMANITARIAN, PERPETUAL EDUCATION AND RELATED EFFORTS (GLEN T. EVANS): We have a stewardship to love. There are blessings and doctrines associated with giving. There is an interdependence between the giver and the receiver. The church has efforts to bless four kinds of needy. This work is about human progress The giver and receiver are connected. Unless we have charity we cannot inherit the mansions of the Father. The process of giving exalts the poor and humbles the rich and in the process both are sanctified. The poor are released from the bondage and limitations of poverty and are enabled as free men to rise to their full potential, both temporally and spiritually. Pride and humility are opposites. Our mission is to take someone who lacks and take them as high or higher as we are. We covenant to bear one another's burdens. Why do we do this work? Every church member makes a covenant that we will serve the poor and we are working to keep that covenant. Humanitarian Services typically bless those not of our faith who are hungry or destitute. It's the right thing to do. Statistics for 2012: Clean water: 890,000 in 36 countries. Food initiative: Helped 51,000 people in 16 countries. Wheelchairs: 70,000 people in 61 countries. Vision care: 75,000 people in 24 countries. Neonatal resuscitation: 28,000 medical personal, 40 countries. Immunizations: 8 million children in 13 countries. 30 million have been assisted over the past 25 years. Often missionaries will find the projects to work on. We partner a lot with Catholics. It's an awesome relationship. Disasters in past 5 years: 2012: 104 disasters in 52 countries; 2011: 111 disasters in 50 countries; 2010: 119 disasters in 58 countries; 2009: 110 disasters in 49 countries; 2008: 124 disasters in 48 countries. Once help comes to people they are able to progress. Missionary Fund. It blesses those not of our faith who are searching for the truth. There are 85,000 missionaries expect by the fall of 2013. That's an increase of 38%. Sisters from foreign lands make up 64% of missionaries on temple square. 50% of them receive some General Mission Fund support. Temple Patron Fund. This is for members of the church who live far from the nearest temple and need financial help to go. There are 2,839 miles from Ethiopia to Ghana (nearest temple). 1,619 miles from Kenya to South Africa (nearest temple). There are bishops and their families who have never been to the temple. This fund is for a one time visit only for members who could not otherwise attend. It is not open to members in the U.S. or Canada. Perpetual Education Fund blesses the needy who are of our faith who thirst for education/employment. 60,000 loans were made the first 10 years. Loans often allowed members to double or triple their income. 90% of those benefiting paid it back. 1.5 million church members outside the U.S. and Canada lack access to education. At BYU Hawaii, 50% of students are international. Many come from Asia, Southeast Asia, wanting a U.S. degree. Returning to homeland is a key focus of BYUH. School loan is forgivable when the student returns to their homeland. BYU Idaho is taking church education worldwide. Online learning via BYU Idaho Pathways program. At institutes and stake centers around the world. The mission of BYU Provo is to change the world. BYU TV. #5 in graduates who go on to pursue PhD degrees elsewhere. President Monson has accelerated everything we've talked about here. When asked what he wanted for his birthday, he suggested that the member do an act of service to someone else in his honor. Multitudes did this and wrote to tell him about it. We could not have a prophet better prepared or better skilled for this time to help with the humanitarian need. The Lord will hasten His work. President Monson has taught us to concentrate on the one.
SAVVY SOCIAL SECURITY PLANNING: WHAT BABY BOOMERS NEED TO KNOW TO MAXIMIZE RETIREMENT INCOME (SCOTT M. PETERSON): Thousands of dollars of Social Security benefits are lost every year because people don't know how Social Security works. If you're over age 70 and have been collecting social security for a few years, please leave now because all this class will do is make you feel bad about what you should have done differently. We're going t live a long time. Life expectancy to age 70: single male 93.3%, single female 95.8%, at least one member of a couple 99.7%. Will Social Security be there for me? You've been told Social Security is going broke. How much can I expect to receive? When should I apply for Social Security? How can I maximize my benefits? There is nothing wrong with using the rules of Social Security to our advantage. Use the rules that are available to maximize benefits. Will Social Security be enough to live on? Most people minimize the value of Social Security. If your monthly benefit is $2,000 today and you live for 10 years you receive $304,256. 20 years you'll receive $673,622. 30 or more years $1,160,479. Social Security is an income you cannot outlive. This is including cost of living increases. They are adjusted for inflation. That is a wonderful thing. If you die your spouse and dependent children receive benefits based on your work record. Your spouse can switch to the higher rate. Will Social Security be there for me? The alarms have gotten louder and crazier. People claim Social Security is going broke. This is not true. The OASDI Trust Fund is still growing. There was a net increase in assets of $54 billion last year. The trust fund balance is $2.7 trillion. With baby boomers retiring the cost will exceed the income but with minor adjustment, the Social Security system can remain solid. We could increase maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax. Currently it is $113,700 We can also raise the normal retirement age. It us currently 66 for individual born between 1943 and 1954. Lower benefit for future retirees. We can also reduce cost of living adjustments. This is not a difficult thing to fix. The bottom line for baby boomers is that your benefits are not likely to be affected by Social Security reform. It will be there. People apply for benefits at age 62 because they're afraid social security won't be around when they're older. Your benefit depends on how much you've eared over your working career and the age at which you apply for benefits. Full retirement age is 66. If you apply for benefits early, your benefits will be reduced. If you apply at 62, you get only 75% of your full retirement amount. If you apply later than 66, your benefits will increase until age 70. There is no advantage to waiting until after age 70 to apply. You can go online to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator/ to estimate your retirement benefits. Spousal benefits. John's PIA is $2,000. Jane's PIA is $800. If Jane applies at FRA her benefit will be $1,000 (50% of John's PIA). Spousal benefit = 1/2 the primary worker's PIA if started at full retirement age (35 % if started at 62). Primary worker must have filed for benefits (but can suspend to build delayed credits if over FRA). Spouse must be at least 62 for reduced benefit or 66 for full benefit. No delayed credits on spousal benefits after 66. Divorced spouse benefits are the same as spousal benefits if the marriage lasted 10 years or more and the person receiving the divorced spouse benefit is currently unmarried. Survivor benefits depend on the age at which the deceased spouse originally claimed his benefit and the age in which the widow applied. The couple must have been married at least 9 months at age of death. Survivor must be at least 60 for reduced benefit for FRA full benefit. Survivor benefit not availabe if widow(er) remarried before age 60. Divorced spouse survivor benefit if married at least 10 years. If one spouse dies, the survivor will receive the higher of the benefit amounts. Maximizing survivor benefits. Recognize that a survivor benefit exists. To get the best benefits could be to delay your own Social Security filing. When should you apply for benefit? Health status, life expectancy, need for income, whether or not you plan to work, survivor needs. Consider all these factors. If benefits are claimed at 62 he might get $1,850 where at age 70 he'd get $4,060. If you have a normal life expectancy, you should delay your benefits. It means more income in the long run. If you apply early your benefits start as some fracture of your PIA and remain that percentage for the est of your life. Cost of Living Adjustments magnify your decision. It also impacts survivor benefits. How can I maximize benefits? Look at your Social Security statement and make sure it is accurate. Can you improve it by working longer? Consider your income needs, both now and in the future. Your life expectancy, your spouse's life expectancy. If you apply for Social Security before full retirement age and continue working, $1 in benefits will be withheld for every $2 you earn over $15,120. Don't apply for social security until you're done working. Coordinate spousal benefits. Married couples need to come up with the right solution for them. File and suspend at FRA, higher earning spouse applies for his benefit and asks that it be suspended. Lower earning spouse files for spousal benefit. Higher earning spouse claims benefit at 70. Bob and Barbara are 66. Bob's PIA if $2,000. Barbara's PIA if $800. Bob wants to delay his benefit to age 70. Barbara wants to file for her spousal benefit now. Bob files and suspends at 66. This entitles Barbara to her spousal benefit while Bob's benefit continues to earn delayed credits. This needs to be done after age 66. Claim now, claim more later. At FRA, higher earning spouse restricts his application to his spousal benefit (lower earning spouse must have filed for benefits on her record). At age 70, higher earning spouse switches at his own maximum benefit. Mike and Mary are 66. Mike's PIA is $2,000, Mary's PIA is $800. Mary files for her benefit at 66. Mike files for his spousal benefit at the same time and begins collecting $400 (half of Mary's). When Mike turns 70, he switches to his maximum benefit of $2,640. Mary adds on her $200 spousal benefit (Total $1,000). You both need to be full retirement age. Minimize taxation of benefits. 85% of your social security benefit an be taxed. If it's your only source of income, it will not be taxable. It depends on your other sources of income. Money moved to annuities is not subject to taxes. Convert traditional IRA to Roth. Delay social security. Coordinate Social Security benefits with your overall retirement plan--pensions, IRA's, investment portfolio, work. Make sure your income doesn't run out. Will Social Security be enough to live on? Probably not.
WHEN HE HATH TRIED ME, I SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD. HOW OUR TRIALS CAN REFINE US AND HELP US GROW (CARRIE M. WRIGLEY): There is a difference between enduing well and enduring with a spirit of bitterness. It's a step by step process. Enduring well isn't something any of s are good at when we start. It's something we learn over time. She found William Clayton's journal. He was the author of "Come, Come Ye Saints." When he was a brand new Latter-day Saint he traveled from England to the United States. People were whining and throwing up and getting drunk. Ten years later he went on a mission to England and returned with another group of Latter-day Saints. By that time the Word of Wisdom had been revealed and the saints had learned much about how to endure. They were kind to each other and did not complain. With this process of learning to make it through adversity in a way that's graceful, were not going to be so graceful the firs time. When we started out as babies, we were completely dependent. Gradually over the process of time we learned, and we learned, and we learned. Think when a child first learns to walk. First they learn to hold their head up. Then they learn to focus their eyes. Then they get more upper body strength. Then they get strong enough you can hold them up by their arms and they're building strength a little bit at a time. They learn to roll over, crawl, climb up on furniture. This is over the process of months. Finally they become brave enough to make it from one piece of furniture to another. Eventually they can walk on their own. That is a journey every one of us have been through and we've all succeeded. The exact same process applies to learning to walk as children of God. We grow up in the Savior. We grow in our capacity to endure it well, to sustain faith. This is a test, but not a one try test. We can keep working at it until we master it. All of the major testing experiences of our life are open book tests (scriptures). Heavenly Father created this earth for the purpose of testing us, even if it's hard. Carol Lynn Pearson was devastated when her husband announced to her that he was attracted to men and he was leaving her. Years later she took care of him while he died of AIDS. Tests are designed to get harder as our capacity increases. No matter how many successes we have had, we'll continue to get test after test and we're never safe until we're dead. Our trials can refine us over the process of time. They help us develop patience, compassion, and faith. Imagine a caterpillar crawling around in the dirt. He's been told that he can become a butterfly but he could not imagine it. Then he's trapped in cocoon and feels even more hopeless, like he'll never emerge. But he finally does turn into a butterfly crafted by God through the dark times. We are like that. We're told we are a child of God, but we can't see it while crawling along. But God is shaping us even in the dark times. We learn to walk by watching the example of our Savior. When we fall, He lifts us up again. Ether 6 tells the story of the Jaredites crossing the ocean to the promised land. They prepared and brought provisions, and then commended themselves unto God. They pushed off into the ocean, trusting God would lead them somewhere. Can you imagine the likelihood of 8 separate vessels, tossed by the wind and waves, ending up in the same location? Many times they were buried in the depths of the sea. Imagine waves as tall as a mountain. Have you ever felt like that? Dark, dark conditions, except for the little lighted stone. When they were buried deep, there was no water that could hurt them. The winds never ceased to blow. Trials and tribulations will never stop. They are the engine that pushes us to where we need to go. They were driven forth and no monster of the sea could break them. They had light continually whether above the water or under the water. We can have light whether in calm conditions or dark adversity. They were in the water nearly a year. They landed on the promised land, humbled themselves before the Lord and shed tears of joy. No chastening for the present seems joyous, but it is grievous. Nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Joseph Smith was told that he would have much adversity but he needed to endure them well. Enduring well means coming out of a trial better than we came into it. We have the capacity to do that. We learn over true. Spencer W. Kimball went through many trials, including throat cancer that took his voice. But those experiences for him functioned as refiner's fire. Some of our adversities are brought on by our own mistakes and weaknesses. We can learn to endure well and overcome. The second type of adversities are those that happen to the just and unjust as part of living in a fallen world. Sometimes we happen to be in a location where something bad happens. Those also we can learn to endure well. The third type are customized personal tests for our sanctification. This is like what Abraham passed through when asked to sacrifice his only son. No matter what type of trial we have, over the process of time, we can learn to endure them well. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and had an easy life. When they wanted food, they'd pluck it from a tree. But then after the fall life became more difficult. They had weeds to deal with. They learned what it meant to hurt. Once delicate hands became rough from the demands of working hard soil. They experienced sadness when one of their sons killed the other. Their bodies became aged. In yet these difficult experiences taught them much. Life lessons come hard sometimes. Our own mistakes, the mistakes of other people and the harsh realities of life can sometimes stretch us to our limits. In yet the Savior can bind up our broken hearts and cause us to rejoice, notwithstanding our adversities. The story of Adam and Eve is the story of all of us. Even in our best efforts, we blow it miserably and we bring pain on ourselves and others. But God knows us. He has prepared the means, before we were even born, of our rescue. When we experience adversity of all those different kinds, God can see us through. He will see us through. He can teach us in the midst of those very adversities how to move from caterpillar to butterfly.
MINISTERING ANGELS--ATTENDING TO SPIRITUAL AND TEMPORAL NEEDS (DONALD W. PARRY): One of the things that will become more important to us as we grow older is angels. There are four classes of angels: spirits who have never had bodies, spirits who have lived on earth and died, translated beings who minister to many planets, and resurrected beings. Angels who minister to this earth belong to this earth or will belong to it. However, there are angels from this earth who may minister to other earths. When Peter, James and John came back to Joseph Smith they all had bodies. Peter and James were resurrected but John was translated. Those who were resurrected were more powerful. The three Nephites are ministering angels. If you've heard three Nephite stories, some of them are probably false. Some of them are probably true. The Three Nephites are amazing. They can minister without showing themselves. Melvin J. Ballard who later became an apostle was serving as a young bishop in 1884. His daughter came into the house with a newspaper to give to him. She'd been told by two men to give it to him. When he opened the newspaper he recognized the newspaper was from Berkshire, England. The newspaper was four days old and he was in Utah. Back then a ship and pony express could not go that fast. It contained 60 names of family members of Elder Ballard so he could do temple work for them. He felt the Lord was mindful of them to bless them with this newspaper. The Three Nephites had the ability to travel faster than would have been possible back then. Ministering servants are spirits of just men who have died. They are full of glory and light. They are not far from us. They can know and understand our thoughts, feelings and emotions, and are often pained therewith. Angels may assist in healing the sick. If we were in the mountains with no medical help available, angels might come to minister to us. Harold B. Lee told of an experience of an angel giving him a blessing while he was on an airline flight, allowing him to arrive home where he could get medical attention. Do you think the angels had to have a boarding pass and had to pass security? Do you think he got on the plane when Elder Lee did and then hid in the bathroom until he gave the blessing? No! He was able to board while the plane was in flight and then leave before it landed. Angels can coach you with harmful addictions. His wife's grandmother had three addictions--smoking, drinking, and gambling. She was a member of another faith. They loved her so much and hated to see her with her addictions. Angels can help. This grandmother ended up getting cancer. Late in life she started saving her gambling money because she couldn't get out. After she died, her husband was getting rid of some of her books and found a $20 bill. He went through all her books and found $4,000 and used that to pay for her funeral. They've done the temple work for both of them now. Boyd K. Packer said that if you are bound by a habit or an addiction that is unworthy, angels will coach you and priesthood leaders will guide you through those difficult times. Ask for angels to help you. Brigham Young saw a dream in which an angel was standing by a cone shaped peak and pointing to the valley. When Brigham Young came to the Salt Lake Valley he recognized Ensign Peak. Angels attend the rank and file of the church. Edward J. Wood, president of the Cardston Alberta Temple. He was sealing some children to their parents and asked the mother if the list contained the names of all her children. She said yes. But he kept stopping and asking her again if she'd forgotten one of her children. Finally she admitted that she had and they had that missing child sealed to them also. He later told them that every time he tried to perform the sealing he heard a voice saying, "Mother don't forget me." An angel provided food and water to Elijah. An angel provided money for Brigham Yound and Heber C. Kimball when they were missionary companions. They started out with $13.50 and then purchased various things. Then they figured out their expenses and realized they'd spent $80. An angel had provided according to their needs. Brigham Young told Wilford Woodruff that for 8 days in a row an angel of God put a $5 gold piece in his pocket. When handcart pioneers were struggling across the plains, at times they felt the cart begin pushing them and knew that angels of God were there helping them. Spirits of loved ones can visit with blessings. Our loved ones who have passed away from this earth hay have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing messages of love, warning, or reproof and instruction. Most of the angels who visit you may be relatives or friends. Angels have never been bound by whatever inventions are on the earth. The ministering of angels can also be unseen. Angelic messages can be delivered by a voice or merely by thoughts or feelings communicated to the mind. Nephi described three manifestations of the ministering of angels when he reminded his rebellious brothers that they had seen an angel, they had heard his voice from time to time, and also that an angel had spoken unto them in a still small voice though they were past feeling and could not feel his words. Most angelic communications are felt or heard rather than seen. An angel prompted Parley P. Pratt. He was plowing 6 acres of soil, preparing the ground for wheat. But then he had a dream and a man approached him and told him, "Parley, Parley, cease splitting rails, for the Lord has prepared you for a greater work." He became one of the great figures of this dispensation. Ministering do hundreds of things. Wilford Woodruuf was in St. George and the spirits of the dead gathered around him wanting to know why he didn't redeem them. They laid the foundation of the government and never apostatized from it, but they were faithful to God. These were the signers of the Declaration of Independence. They waited on Wilford Woodruff for two days and two nights and then he went to the baptismal font and was baptized for them. He was also baptized for John Wesley, Columbus and others. Our prophets of God have spoken correctly. There are ministering angels. They don't just minister to church members. They minister to Nephi's rebellious brothers and to Saul. Benjamin Franklin appeared to Wilford Woodruff and talked to him.
SEEKING A DEEPER JOY THROUGH SERVICE (MARVIN A. GOLDSTEIN AND JANICE KAPP PERRY): Janice Kapp Perry started out the class. In your morning prayers each day ask the Lord to help you find someone to serve. If you do, you'll discover opportunities to serve you never knew possible. She wrote a song about small and simple means, small and simple acts of helping each other. When you start to notice that many people in the obituaries are younger than you are, you start being aware of your own mortality. You start to wonder if your life has been what it should be. Their bishop asked the ward members to find somebody in need and find a way to sacrifice for them. Responding to this simple challenge changed her life. Being in the music industry, she had to be aware of the bottom line. She tried to divorce herself from the commercial part of her music, but also kept in mind that adulation is poison to the soul. Honors of the world may flatter then fly away. They may fill our souls with pride. But quiet acts of love, known only to the Lord, make us whole. The greatest rewards come through quiet acts of service. She thought of ten things she'd done in her life that brought her the most joy. They had nothing to do with money, recognition, or awards. Her parents played in school bands and church bands. Her father passed away young and her mother asked her to perform with her. That was as much fun as she'd ever had. Then she asked her to go with her to rest homes. As the old folks gathered in wheelchairs with their heads down, they seemed uninterested. But as her mother started singing, you should have seen the difference. They started clapping their hands and tried to dance, pushing each other around in their wheelchairs. When she served a mission to Chili with her husband where they served for three years, she wondered who would play the piano when they left. She decided to teach some primary children every week. She taught them and at the end of the first year four primary children played for the whole primary program. They were like her grandchildren. She loved them. When the bishop challenged her to sacrifice for someone, she decided to visit a lady in her 90's who was blind. She attended all her meetings faithfully until she was too ill to come. She came and read to her. She chose a scholarly book to have read to her. She would share uplifting family stories. She was a musician and great singer in her day. She continued to visit her until she passed away. She made her homemade soup and ate lunch with her. She grew weaker. On what would be her final visit she sat in her wheelchair with her head down. She offered to wash her feet and give her a foot massage. She looked up at her beautiful friend and thought she must be feeling something akin to what Jesus felt when he washed the feet of his beloved disciples. She wept as she left her home that day, so grateful for her. She passed away a few days later. While she was giving service to this lady at first she didn't anticipate any benefit to herself. But as the years have passed she sees that these experiences were a critical factor in her own growth. To love another person is to see the face of God. Prayerfully think of someone in your realm that you can make a sacrifice for. No one can go back and start a new beginning to their life, but everyone can start from today and make a new ending. Then Marvin Goldstein talked. He said Janice is so old that when she was born the Dead Sea wasn't even sick yet. He's been playing at a retirement home near his home for the past 30 years. He had a 95 year old lady ask him if he would play at her funeral. He said, "When is it?" His grandfather lived to be 96. His father only lived to be 58. His 3 year old son one day said they needed to visit grandpa. He didn't know if he meant his grandfather or his father. They were both living at that time. He thought he meant his grandfather so went to visit him. He'd broken a hip, had bad eyesight, and had not talked to anyone for three years. It was not good to see him like that. He arranged to play the piano for all the people in the nursing home that could make it into the room. He took his hand and said, "Grandpa,, this is your grandson. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand." And he did. He died shortly thereafter. He'd been a Russian immigrant. He lived "Fiddler on the Roof." What happened in that movie was real. Sometimes he does talent shows in different areas of the country. Youth are asked to participate. Whoever comes gets to be in the show. 23 people wanted to be in it and it lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes. Family members came to see it. A 9 year old brought his alto sax. He didn't bring any music and said his mother made him come, but he really didn't want to participate. He got him to play a B Flat scale while he accompanied him on the piano. Because of that experience, this kid came out of his shell. There are many amazing opportunities we can take to experience music with people. You feel things from music. You learn things from just listening. Some people are converted through music or a song. He was going to Europe to perform for the church and asked a Catholic lady to sing with him. She was an accomplished opera singer. The Spirit explained the gospel to her while she was singing in our church. She knows she felt something. They never even had a conversation about the church, the Spirit spoke to her through music. He has a testimony of what music can do. Janice Capp Perry than introduced three new verses she wrote to "As Sisters in Zion" and had us all sing them. They were beautiful, had to do with the sisters joining in the missionary force in growing numbers.
No comments:
Post a Comment