Osmond Family Organization
By Alan on May 19 in Daily Inspiration tagged ancestors, Family, genealogy, history, Osmond, relatives | No Comments
How are we related?
www.osmondfamily.org
[[: History re- | peats itself :]]
By Alan on Feb 20 in Blog tagged choices, evil, good, history, records, repeats, right, wrong | 1 Comment
[[: History re- | peats itself :]]
Have you ever done something that seems familiar as if though you have done it before?
With the history of this world, there is such a pattern that keeps reoccurring where certain conditions keep repeating. So it is with the laws and battle of good versus evil in the gospel or church of life. Ever since the creation of this world, the laws of ‘opposites in all things’, has offered us choices in this world.
From ancient records we read it having occurred over and over again and it is now happening with us again in these last days!
“For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying, thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of wickedness;”
And the converse:
” And now, because of the steadiness of the church they began to be exceedingly rich, having abundance of all things whatsoever they stood in need—an abundance of flocks and herds, and fatlings of every kind, and also abundance of grain, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious things, and abundance of silk and fine-twined linen, and all manner of good homely cloth.
And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.
And thus they did prosper and become far more wealthy than those who did not belong to their church.”
We each have ‘the power to choose’. For this purpose, have we come to this world to be proven in all things and to make known unto ourselves and our God the way of life we desire to live. Of course, those who choose wickedness will seem this to be absurd where as the righteous will acknowledge its validity.
The important fact is that we are living in the last dispensation of the fullness of times when the forces of righteousness and wickedness are both raging in their fulness upon the earth. As recorded in the history books of God’s children on earth, there has been recorded over time the dealings with these choices. There is also being recorded at this time the final choices we each are making in the battle over good and evil. We each will be on record with those choices we make.
Because Jesus Christ paid the price for our mistakes, if we choose to come unto Him and seek repentance, we can be forgiven of our past and be found standing in good stead again.
At the conclusion of this war, Jesus Christ will once again return to the earth to rule and reign in righteousness for a thousand years.
Ask yourself, “With which of the two forces do you stand and choose to live?”
When we return to our God above, how will ‘your song’ be sung?
We know how this story of life ends! Choose well!
Alan Osmond
For The Family
Winning The War Against Evil
By Alan on Feb 17 in Blog tagged angels, armour of God, Christ, darkness, devil, dragon, evil, evil day, faith, flesh and blood, fought, God's kingdom, gospel preparation, high places, history, John the Revelator, last days, of God, peace, powers, Premortal life, principalities, righteousness, rulers, salvation, serpent, spirit, stand, the war, the whole, the whole armour, war, warriors, wickedness, Winning, world | Comments Off
You were entrusted to come to the earth in these last days to do again what you did before—to once again choose good over evil.
The flood of pornographic filth, the inordinate emphasis on sex and violence are not peculiar to North America. The situation is as bad in Europe and in many other areas. The whole dismal picture indicates a weakening rot seeping into the very fiber of society.
Legal restraints against deviant moral behavior are eroding under legislative enactments and court opinions. This is done in the name of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of choice in so-called personal matters. But the bitter fruit of these so-called freedoms has been enslavement to debauching habits and behavior that leads only to destruction. A prophet, speaking long ago, aptly described the process when he said, “And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Ne. 28:21).
Good Versus Evil
You and I have come into the world at a most significant time. We are entering the final stages of a great war. This war commenced before the foundations of the world and has been pursued with awful consequence throughout the world’s history. I speak of the war between the followers of Christ and all those who deny Him as their God. 1
John the Revelator wrote concerning this war:
“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
“And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” 2
It was Satan who instigated this premortal war. He did so by rebelling against our Father’s plan of salvation for His children and rejecting the Christ, who was designated to effectuate the plan. Tragically, a third of our Father’s children followed Satan. 3 Yet two-thirds did not. You were among these, and with them have come to earth to pursue the Father’s plan of happiness.
Unfortunately, Satan’s war did not end with his expulsion from heaven. As John observed, Satan and his followers were “cast out into the earth” 4 and have come here with “great wrath.” 5 The evidence of their wrath can be seen in the blood and horror that has afflicted man from the beginning of time.
So profound and extensive have been the wounds suffered among men that God Himself wept as He surveyed man’s condition. 6
We now find ourselves in the last days of this earth’s temporal history. In a coming day, our Father’s Son will return to the earth from which He was rejected and reclaim it as His own. 7 In that day, He will subdue Satan and his legions and usher in a thousand years of peace and righteousness. 8 In anticipation of that day, God has restored His kingdom to the earth one last time.
While God’s kingdom has been established on the earth in times past, the people to whom the kingdom was previously committed were unable to keep it. This time, however, is different. The prophetic promise is that this time God’s kingdom will not be lost but will overcome the world. 10
To ensure its ultimate success, the final restoration of God’s kingdom has been commenced with unprecedented spiritual power 11 and is being sustained by that same spiritual power and something more. Reserved to come forth in these last days and labor for our Father and His Son are some of the most valiant and noble of our Father’s sons and daughters. Their valiance and nobility were demonstrated in the pre-earth struggle with Satan. There, “being left to choose good or evil,” they “[chose] good” and exhibited “exceedingly great faith” and “good works.” 12 Such are the traits that are now needed to sustain the work of God in the earth and to save the souls of men from the intensifying wrath of the adversary.
You are the strength of the Lord’s house, His warriors!
You are those who chose good over evil and who exhibited “exceedingly great faith” and “good works.” And because of your personal history, you were entrusted to come to the earth in these last days to do again what you did before—to once again choose good over evil, exercise exceedingly great faith, and perform good works—and to do so in behalf of the kingdom of God on the earth and your fellowman!
Satan knows that “he hath but a short time.” 14 Therefore, Satan is marshalling every resource at his disposal to entice you into transgression. He knows that if he can draw you into transgression, he may prevent you from marrying and securing your future children in the faith. He knows that nothing can overthrow God’s kingdom “save it [be] the transgression of [his] people.”15 Make no mistake about it—the focus of his war is now on you—you who seek to “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” 16
The days that lie ahead are “perilous.” 17 In this regard, President Boyd K. Packer has observed:
“I know of nothing in the history of the world to compare with our present circumstances. Nothing happened in Sodom and Gomorrah which exceeds in wickedness and depravity that which surrounds us now.” 18
In referring to the perils of our day, I do not intend to inspire fear, but soberness. Being sober means being earnest and serious in assessing your circumstances and careful and circumspect in weighing the consequences of your actions. Soberness therefore yields good judgment, as well as measured conduct.
So, as we enter the final climactic stages of the war against Satan, be sober. Understand that you cannot partake of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. You cannot participate in pornography or other immoral activity. You cannot lie, cheat, or steal. You cannot use false, demeaning, or dirty language. You cannot deface your body with tattoos and other piercings. You cannot do these things and be victorious in the battle for your own soul, let alone be a valiant warrior in the great struggle for the souls of all the rest of our Father’s children. 23
Understand that there is only one way to win the war against Satan, and that is to win it in the same way it was won in the beginning.
When victory was finally achieved in the War in Heaven, a loud voice was heard to declare:
“Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. …
“For they [referring to Michael and his angels] have overcome him [referring to the devil] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death.” 24
Do not miss the significance of this declaration. Satan was overcome in the beginning by (1) faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice, (2) testimony of Him that was steadfastly kept to the very end, and (3) consecration of oneself to the Lord and His work. If this was the means for defeating him in the beginning, you can be sure that this is the one sure way to defeat him now. 25
These are your days! Do not squander them! Be sober! Take “the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall … quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” 31 Then “fight the good fight of faith.” 32 And when you have done all, “stand” 33 still and “see the salvation of the Lord.” 34 I assure you that His salvation will come, delivering you and yours from every evil.
- Breastplate of Righteousness
- Shield of Faith
- Sword of the Spirit
- Shoes of Peace and Gospel Preparation
- Helmet of Salvation
JAMES J. HAMULA
For The Family
Go To: http://pinterest.com/alandsuz/
One Click – Related To The Osmonds?
By Alan on Jan 07 in Blog tagged Alan Osmond, Family, history, Osmond, Pinegar | 1 Comment
One Click - Related To The Osmonds?
Click on the letter that is the first letter of your last name!
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Let Alan Osmond know so we can verify HERE!
Note: These are only the names we have verified so far!
We are trying to find more cousins!
Visit our Osmond Family History Site!
Thanks Cousin!
Alan Osmond
ARE WE RELATED?
By Alan on Jan 04 in Blog tagged Alan Osmond, ancestors, Family History, genealogy, history, Osmoknd, Pinegar, related, relatives, Suzanne Osmond | 3 Comments
ARE WE RELATED?
The Osmond Family Genealogist and Researcher, Clayton Brough and his wife Ethel, just sent us a copy of our Genealogy Records on a fan shaped layout that my Mother,
Olive Osmond, created years ago. This chart form is now being used world wide and is being produced by TreeSeek.com.
If you see familiar names think you might be connected, that we might be related, you can go to our website at www.osmond.org and click on Surnames. If your name starts with the letter T, click on “T”, and all names that we have found beginning with ‘T’ that we have found so far, will show on the screen. Do the same for other names.
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We are MOST interested in finding all of our relatives. So if it is not there but you have records of others, including yourself, that might be related, please send it to me at alan@thefamily.com.
Family History or Genealogy is one of the biggest and fastest growing hobbies in the world!
(Zoom in. If you can’t see the names, go here.)
PDF file.
Here is my wife Suzanne Pinegar Osmond’s family, The Pinegars.
“And this is the genealogy of the sons of Adam, who was
the son of God, with whom God, himself, conversed.
Moses 6:22
For The Family
Is America Worth Saving?
By Alan on Aug 07 in Blog tagged America, become, Bible, candidates, cannot give up, Christian, civilizations, constitution, entertainment industry, God, gospel, government, hatemongers, history, Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, marriage, mock, monkeys, moral, moral standards, new nation, outnumbered, religious, saving, self-destruction, sex, Supreme Court, ten commandments, worth it | 1 Comment
Is America Worth Saving?
Is America worth trying to save? Save from what you might ask. Is America worth saving from self-destruction? Maybe that’s a better question to ask.
Civilizations have risen and fallen through the ages. Countries have been birthed and countries have died. I believe the United States of America was birthed by the God of the Bible primarily for the purpose of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ both here and around the world unlike any other country in history.
Even before we won our independence from England, the Christian faith had begun to spread like wildfire across the land. My dad, a Methodist minister, used to tell me stories about the legendary circuit riders who later traveled on horseback to evangelize the new nation. These men would brave whatever was in front of them to carry the message of Jesus Christ throughout the New World. Other denominations trail blazed the gospel as well and soon our country became recognized both here and abroad as a distinctively Christian nation. 
The evidence was so overwhelming that in 1892 the Supreme Court wrote in the case Church of the Holy Trinity v The United States: “These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation.”
Our country has known freedom for the individual unlike any other country in history. Quite frankly, the idea was novel that people could govern themselves. In order for freedom to be sustained the masses had to be willing to act morally and lawfully by their own volition or else society would crumble from within. Thus wrote our second president John Adams: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount were how we judged good and evil, right and wrong. Some of that still remains, but respect for those teachings and reverence for the God who spoke them is deteriorating at a very rapid rate.
In modern day America, there is very little shame anymore. Most Americans have lost their fear of God. We are on the road to self-destruction.
Secularists mock the idea of God. Judges forbid even the acknowledgement of God in many public places. We teach our children they come from monkeys. Those who hold to the biblical definition of marriage are called hatemongers. 
The entertainment industry promotes sex without moral standards day after day, movie after movie, song after song – influencing our youth beyond measure. Try to raise any objection to this tide of immorality and you are quickly shouted down, ridiculed, called a prude, a hater, a religious nut, a censor or a fundamentalist.
What we are experiencing today in America is unbridled selfishness and licentiousness and the results are manifesting themselves in many terrible ways that will only get worse if things don’t change.
For the Christian in America today there is only so much we can do. Only 43% of our fellow countrymen even go to church today. We are now outnumbered. But that which we can do, with God’s help, we must do. We can pray to God that He send revival to America. We can continue to build strong Christian families. We can put our denominational barriers aside when there are shared values we can defend concerning issues that affect the moral health of our nation. We can share our faith. We can continue to hold high the standard of righteousness and we can vote for candidates who best reflect our values. There are no perfect candidates, but we are a nation of laws so we must elect the best available lawmakers to govern us and hold them accountable.
So to answer my own question, yes, America is worth trying to save. For our children, grandchildren and generations to come. We cannot give up. There is nowhere else to start over. There is nowhere else to where we can sail!
Sincerely,
Tim Wildmon, President
American Family Association
For The Family
Today In Ohio Was Absolutely Awesome! You Should See What We Saw!
By Alan on Jun 04 in Blog tagged Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Alan and Suzanne osmond, America's Heartland, ancient earthworks, Coshocton, Evidences, flint, Flint Bridge, Garden of Eden, Great Circle, Great Octagon, history, Hohnson-Humrickhous Museum, Holy Stones, Hopewell mound, Jewish, Keystone, museum, native Americans, New Jerusalem, North American connection, Ohio, old world, passover, restoration, Rod Meldrum, sacred, significant events, The Book of Mormon, the gospel, tools | 9 Comments
You Should Have Been With Us Today!
Looking at Evidences of The Book of Mormon.
After breakfast this morning Suzanne and I joined Rod Meldrum and our tour group and got on board our motor coach and wound our way south first stopping at Flint Bridge where saw where the Native Americans got their flint to make their arrow heads, and other sharp edged tools.
We then went to the the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Coshocton, Ohio. This museum houses the famous “Holy Stones”, found in a Hopewell mound near Newark, Ohio. These stones, inscribed with ancient Hebrew writings, demonstrate a North American connection to the Old World. READ MORE!
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This carved stone was found ing the stone box (behind left and right) and has Ancient Hebrew writings on it. It says Moses, and has the Ten Commandments inscribed! Remember, it was found in the Ohio.
This is an important ‘keystone’ that was also found.
As we continued back on the bus towards Newark, we discovered that this area was filled with the most extensive and monumental earthworks in the world, including the Great Circle and Great Octagon, built by the Hopewell Civilization.
Suzanne drove me on a golf cart as this area is several football fields in area!
They date it between 150 AD and 250 AD, during the peaceful time following Jesus Christ’s visit to America after His crucifixion. Scientists have recently discovered embedded astronomical alignments proving this was a highly advanced civilization. I watched Suzanne and others ascend the 30 foot embankments and walk the ‘place of entrance’ of the Great Circle as I rode my motor cart following right behind, due to my having M.S.. But, I stayed up with them. I learned a lot about our early history of this country as we discussed the ancient Hopewell Mound Builder civilization that inhabited this area during Book of Mormon times.
This is a survey back in 1860 of the Newark Earthworks.
We took pictures, had great conversations with Rod Meldrum about these ancient earthworks, and went to dinner only to keep talking about what we had seen with our own eyes.
There is a golf course adjacent to these earthworks and I asked a young man if I could hire him to drive me over to some of the mounds that surrounded the area. I asked him what he thought about these earthworks and he said, ” I don’t know much about it. I just know that in the spring, the Native Americans come here and do something. We just let them do it.” I told him that they celebrate the day of passover that the Jewish people recognize but in remembrance of the day when Creator appeared to them. I then asked him a question which I ask all of you who are reading this:
Did the Book of Mormon take place in America’s “Heartland?” From the Garden of Eden to Adam-ondi-Ahman; from the restoration of the gospel to the building of the New Jerusalem – the Heartland of North America has been the setting for sacred and significant events throughout human history.
New research involving Book of Mormon prophecies, Joseph Smith’s historical writings, DNA, archaeology, anthropology, metallurgy, horticulture, climate indicators, voyage routes, geography, astronomy, and symbology point to the very real possibility that the people and places of the Book of Mormon occurred in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
Secular evidence continues to mount that the Book of Mormon may have occurred in the Heartland of North America. This new research Is offering unprecedented answers to critics of the Book of Mormon and its coming forth from non-LDS sources. Learn more about why this research is so compelling.
Below are links to recent news and articles exploring what is now being called “The Heartland Model Geography” for the Book of Mormon. You can also access their latest newsletters by visiting the ARCHIVE.
“And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record.” Mormon 9:33
NOTE: Tomorrow, we visit HOPEWELL MUSEUM – MOUND CITY – SEIP MOUND – FORT HILL – SERPENT MOUND!
Education
By Alan on May 15 in Blog tagged education, evil, good, history, knowledge, learn, learning, mind, reading, thoughts, words | Comments Off
We should always work to educate our minds and our hands so we can succeed in our chosen fields. Our education should be an influence for good and our use of it should distinguish us as people of integrity. A good education will prepare us for opportunities as they come and will help us be an asset to our families, the Church, and our communities.
The Lord has commanded, “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith”. He has counseled us to learn the gospel and to gain an understanding “of things both in heaven and in the earth, . . . that [we] may be prepared in all things”.
In addition to furthering our education through formal schooling, we can continue learning by reading, attending wholesome cultural events, visiting museums and historic sites, and observing the world around us.
I wish to share some thoughts having to do with education—specifically the education of our minds and hearts, for those are the instruments by which we obtain knowledge. Said the Lord, “Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart.”
I am awed by the great forces of knowledge represented in our time. Never before have so many been educated in the learning of the world. What a powerful thing it is—the intensive schooling of a large percentage of the youth of the world, who meet daily at the feet of instructors to garner knowledge from all the ages of man.
The extent of that knowledge is staggering. It encompasses the stars of the universe, the geology of the earth, the history of nations, the culture and language of peoples, the operation of governments, the laws of commerce, the behavior of the atom, the functions of the body, and the wonders of the mind.
With so much knowledge available, one would think that the world might well be near a state of perfection. Yet we are constantly made aware of the other side of the coin—of the sickness of society, of the contentions and troubles that bring misery into the lives of millions.
Each day we are made increasingly aware of the fact that life is more than science and mathematics, more than history and literature. There is need for another education, without which the substance of secular learning may lead only to destruction. I refer to the education of the heart, of the conscience, of the character, of the spirit—these indefinable aspects of our personalities which determine so certainly what we are and what we do in our relationships one with another.
The words of Solomon say: “With all thy getting get understanding.”
Understanding of what? Understanding of ourselves, of the purposes of life, of our relationship to God who is our Father, of the great divinely given principles that for centuries have provided the sinew of man’s real progress!
I desire to suggest that three principles be added to our vast store of secular knowledge to become cornerstones on which all of us may establish lives that will be fruitful, productive, and happy.
The first principle is gratitude, the second is virtue, the third is faith. I believe these are fundamental to the full development of every child of God.
Yes, that’s who we are!
A Prophet Of Yesterday Speaks Truthful Words Of Today!
By Alan on May 15 in Blog tagged constitution, destruction, Freedom, God, history, laws, liberty, morality, prepared, rights, social, Today, truth, world | Comments Off
A Prophet of yesterday speaks truthful words for Today! – Ezra Taft Benson
Download with Vixy | Convert YouTube to MP3
Our past Prophets knew our day, TODAY!
We must be involved in Civic Affairs! … AND VOTE!
For The Family
We Called Them Pioneers. They Prepared The Way For Us To Follow.
By Alan on Apr 17 in Blog tagged ancestors, angels of God, Brigham Young, constitution, crickets, George Osmond Jr, God, hard work, history, Indians, Joseph Smith, labor, legacy, mobings, mountains, persecutions, pioneer, promised land, star valle, The Church of Jesus Christ, traditions, virtues, war, Wyoming, Zion | 2 Comments
Remembering our Pioneer Grandfather, George Osmond Jr.
Called to serve as first LDS Stake President in Star Valley. Wyoming by: Brigham Young
…………(1836 – 1913)
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Our Priceless Pioneer Legacy
By Ezra Taft Benson
The historian Lord Macauly said, “The people who do not revere the deeds of their ancestors will never do anything to be remembered by their descendants.”
We hope the present generation will continue to be reminded by sermon, song, eulogy, and family traditions of the noble virtues of their pioneer ancestors and to recognize that it was by and through the hand of God that they were delivered from their oppressors and that the settlement in Ephraim’s mountains took place.
Though others have said more eloquently what my tongue or pen could express, I deeply desire to pay reverent tribute to these heroes of the past, to their faithful deeds, their noble lives, and their lasting lessons of courage, faith, self-reliance, stamina, industry, and integrity. All generations have need of these virtues.
We stand today as beneficiaries of their priceless legacy to us, a legacy based on the solid truth that character is the one thing we develop in this world that we take with us into the next.
And what is that legacy?
The pioneers came to the Salt Lake Valley with credentials that spanned the centuries, a bloodline coursing through their veins from illustrious parentage: Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebekah; Jacob and Rachel. Theirs was a bloodline preserved through four centuries of Egyptian captivity; an exile and exodus from the land of their captivity that lasted forty years—a time necessary for a new, less-enslaved generation to develop; and then a settlement in a promised land, which lasted over seven centuries of migrations that brought their sifted lineage into northern Europe and Great Britain.
When the tyranny of European governments disallowed freedom of religious worship, God prepared a new land of promise—the United States of America—where such freedom was eventually guaranteed by an inspired Constitution. Some of the progenitors of the pioneers came before the gospel’s restoration, such as the ancestors of Joseph Smith, but most came following the restoration. They came with a self-identity that led President Brigham Young to exclaim on one occasion, “You understand who we are; we are of the House of Israel, of the royal seed, of the royal blood.” (Journal of Discourses 2:269.)
They came with the faith that God had “set his hand a second time” to restore the house of Israel; that to accomplish His purposes and design, the Church of Jesus Christ had been restored again on the earth through the instrumentality of a latter-day prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr.; and that following the martyrdom, the keys of the priesthood had been continued through Joseph’s ordained successor, Brigham Young. They believed themselves to be God-directed and prophetled. That was the conviction which inspired their sacrifices.
They came with indomitable courage, following incredible suffering and adversity. Who can forget those almost insufferable conditions during their exodus? While they were encamped at Sugar Creek, Iowa, in February 1846, a raging blizzard left twelve inches of snow on the ground. Following that storm, the temperatures fell to twelve degrees below zero. On one of those cold nights nine babies were born. Eliza R. Snow provides this vivid account:
Mothers gave birth to offspring under almost every variety of circumstances imaginable, except those to which they had been accustomed; some in tents, others in wagons—in rainstorms and snowstorms. I heard of one birth which occurred under the rude shelter of a hut, the sides of which were formed of blankets fastened to poles stuck in the ground, with a bark roof through which the rain was dripping. Kind sisters stood holding dishes to catch the water as it fell, thus protecting the newcomer and its mother from a showerbath as the little innocent first entered on the stage of human life; and through faith in the great ruler of events, no harm resulted to either.
Let it be remembered that the mothers of these wilderness-born babies were not savages, accustomed to roam the forest and brave the storm and tempest—those who had never known the comforts and delicacies of civilization and refinement. They were not those who, in the wilds of nature, nursed their offspring amid reeds and rushes, or in the recesses of rocky caverns; most of them were born and educated in the Eastern States—and there embraced the Gospel as taught by Jesus and his Apostles; and, for the sake of their religion, had gathered with the Saints, and under trying circumstances had assisted, by their faith, patience and energies, in making Nauvoo what its name indicates “the beautiful.” There they had lovely homes, decorated with flowers and enriched with choice fruit trees, just beginning to yield plentifully. (Edward W. Tullidge, The Women of Mormondom, pp. 307-9.)
In March of that same year, four hundred wagons set out toward the Rocky Mountains, but now a spring thaw had turned the ruts into a quagmire of mud.
Under these testing conditions Orson Spencer’s wife, a young woman of thirty-five, succumbed to this inclement life, leaving six children under fifteen years of age. Shortly before her passing, she opened her eyes and, seeing her children huddling by her bed, burst into tears, sobbing: “Oh, you dear little children! How I hope you will fall into kind hands when I am gone.”
Not a murmur escaped her lips. . . . The storm was severe, and the wagon covers leaked. Friends held milk pans over her bed to keep her dry. Her daughter states that shortly before her mother departed this life, that she rallied and whispered to her husband: “A heavenly messenger appeared to me tonight and told me that I had done and suffered enough, and that he had now come to convey me to a mansion of gold.”
After kissing each child in turn, she whispered to her husband: “I love you more than ever!—But you must let me go!” It was enough. Orson Spencer sorrowfully dedicated her to her Father in heaven, and a moment later she was gone to her crown of glory. (Carter Grant, The Kingdom of God Restored, Deseret Book Co., 1955, pp. 344-45.)
But all was not sorrow. “We outlived the trying scenes,” wrote John Taylor. “We felt contented and happy—the songs of Zion resounded from wagon to wagon—from tent to tent.” (Millennial Star 8:7.) It was under these conditions that William Clayton penned the verses to “All Is Well,” a poem that became an anthem of faith for the Latter-day Saints.
We’ll find the place which God for us prepared,Far away in the West,Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid;There the Saints will be blessed.We’ll make the air with music ring,Shout praises to our God and King;Above the rest these words we’ll tell—All is well! all is well!—Hymns, no. 13
Little did Brother Clayton realize that his hymn would be sung by the 400-voice Tabernacle Choir before the president of the United States and other dignitaries at the commemoration of our nation’s two hundredth birthday.
The pioneers came west with a devotion, patriotism, and loyalty to the nation that had silently sanctioned their expulsion from their homes and the loss of their possessions. History records no modern parallel to their epic exodus from Nauvoo, so it is little wonder that the situation of these modern Israelites was likened to their ancient ancestors exiled from Egypt. In fact, President Joseph F. Smith said that the pioneer feat of modern Israel exceeded that of their progenitors:
“A wonderful event has occurred in these last days among this people, an event many times more wonderful than the marching of the children of Israel from Egypt to the holy land. It is only a short distance from the River Jordan to the land of Egypt—only a few hundred miles—and yet they wandered about for forty years seeking the goodly land. . . . What has happened in this dispensation? This people have crossed deserts that are beyond comparison with those traversed by the children of Israel. They were not fed by manna it is true, although they were fed with quails in great abundance on at least one occasion, and they performed a journey nearly four times as great as that performed by the children of Israel—which occupied them forty years—in the course of a few months. . . .
“We were led out of bondage by the power of God. The angels of God and the power and presence of the Almighty accompanied us, so much so that notwithstanding the country was covered with sagebrush and crickets, presenting the most forbidding appearance, President Young was enabled to point out where the Temple and city would be built. He said, ‘You may go north and south, east and west, and explore the country all over, but when you have done it, you will come back and say that this is the spot where we are to settle.’” (Journal of Discourses 24:155-56.)
It is ironic that in the course of their exodus, this same government that stood by while they were forcibly expelled from Illinois should now come to them with a request for five hundred able-bodied men to fight in the war with Mexico. So disproportionate, inequitable, and unjust in terms of their numbers and their situation was the request for manpower that President Brigham Young commented later:
“Look . . . at the proportion of the number required of us, compared with that of any other portion of the Republic. A requisition of only thirty thousand from a population of more than twenty millions was all that was wanted, amounting to only one person and a half to a thousand inhabitants. If all other circumstances had been equal, . . . our quota of an equitable requisition would not have exceeded four persons. Instead of this, five hundred must go, thirteen thousand percent above an equal ration.” (Journal of Discourses 2:174.)
But they did comply with the request—an extraordinary example of loyalty to their nation.
And what prompted such loyalty and patriotism? Not fear of reprisal, not servile obedience to their overlords, but a recognition that compliance with this request was the “interposition of that all-wise Being” who was bringing about their deliverance. “Thus,” said Brigham Young, “were we saved from our enemies by complying with their . . . unjust and unparalleled exactions; again proving our loyalty to the Government.” (Ibid.)
During the times of mobbings and persecutions, the revelations of God had prescribed the course of action they should take: importune for redress—at the feet of judges, at the feet of the governor, and at the feet of even the president of the United States. These steps were followed without relief, reparation, or redress. Under these conditions I’m sure they questioned as did Joseph in Liberty Jail: “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed? . . . O Lord, how long shall [thy people] suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions?” (D&C 121:1–3.)
They, who had suffered so much from oppressors, were to see that God takes His own retribution in His own time and in His own way; for as Lincoln said, “Nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishment and . . . may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins. . . .” (A Proclamation by the President of the United States, March 30, 1863.)
While the Saints dwelt securely outside the boundaries of the United States, the nation was engaged in its most costly war in terms of lives lost, a civil war. No doubt these words of the Lord were recalled: “If the President heed [thee] not, then will the Lord arise and come forth out of his hiding place, and in his fury vex the nation.” (D&C 101:89.)
It is a matter of history how truly those words were fulfilled.
Their loyalty to the nation extended not only from patriotism. It came also from a conviction that God had reserved this land for His purpose. It was a choice land above all others. The Constitution of this country had been established “by the hands of wise men whom [God] raised up unto this very purpose,” and they were under divine commandment to maintain that inspired document “for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles.” (D&C 101:80, 77.) And so, when they settled in this western haven, they fashioned a civil government in accord with the Constitution, which, in the hands of good and honorable men, would afford them and others their rights and liberty.
They came, with faith and industry, and carved an Eden out of a desert. Their promised land has become a prosperous valley. Commodious brick homes and apartment dwellings have replaced the log cabins. Luxuriant greenery, gardens, trees, and flowers flourish where once sagebrush and parched soil thrived. A tabernacle and magnificent temple have replaced the Bowery and Endowment House. Elaborate meetinghouses of worship fill the valley. Schools, seminaries, institutes, colleges, trade schools, and a university provide for secular and spiritual education. Stores, banks, factories abound. Truly, we live in the lap of luxury amid an unbounded prosperity, and all this because of the philosophy of self-reliance, initiative, personal industry, and faith in God.
Our forefathers gloried in hard work, but at the same time they drew liberally upon their prodigious spiritual reserves. They did not place their trust “in the arm of flesh.” They were strong and courageous in the Lord, knowing that He was their defense, their refuge, their salvation. Strengthened by this faith, they relied on their cherished independence, their frugality, and honest toil. And history records that even the climate was tempered for their sakes, and their humble untiring efforts made “the desert to blossom as the rose.”
Their faith was renewed by two of Isaiah’s remarkable prophecies concerning the last days—the days in which they knew they were living. In the first of these Isaiah announces: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.” (Isaiah 35:1.) And again: “For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” (Isaiah 51:3.)
And while their natural eyes saw only their log cabins and immediate surroundings, they envisioned the day when the words of Micah would be fulfilled: “But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:1–2.)
We have witnessed the fulfillment of these remarkable prophecies. But today, a contrary philosophy has come into the land. It is one that espouses that government benefits should replace the fruits of individual initiative and labor.
Such a philosophy can result only in the shackling of man’s liberties—in the eventual destruction of our freedom. Had the early settlers throughout the land lived by such a philosophy, this glorious nation of ours would be a vast untamed wilderness known only to the Indians who had lived here for centuries before. I earnestly pray that this important lesson of history shall not go unheeded.
Yes, they came to the valleys of the mountains—first a trickle, the advance party on July 21 and 22, and then, on the 24th, the main caravan of 143 men, three women, and two children. The trickle of immigrants was followed by the hundreds, then the thousands, so that by 1869 more than 68,000 Mormon pioneers had crossed the plains. They came with their faith, loyalty, courage, industry, and integrity. Their legacy to us may be summarized in these fitting words by the late President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.:
“God has never worked out his purposes through the pampered victims of ease and luxury and riotous living. Always he has used to meet the great crises in his work, those in whom hardship, privation, and persecution had built characters and wills of iron. God shapes his servants in the forge of adversity; he does not fashion them in the hothouse of ease and luxury.” (Address delivered at dedication of “This Is the Place” monument, July 24, 1947; in Improvement Era 50:573.)
However outmoded some of these standards may be considered today, they are nonetheless enduring truths without which no character worthy of the name can be built. We have respectfully called them pioneers, because they prepared the way for us to follow. May we possess courage to direct our lives in accordance with the enduring values so represented by their lives.
(Source: Ezra Taft Benson, This Nation Shall Endure, published 1977)
Thanks to Brian Mecham
http://latterdayconservative.com
For The Family
