Monday, December 26, 2016

🎄Christmas🎄

Hi boys!

Talking to our missionaries was the highlight of our Christmas so THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It was so good to see you both! And it couldn't be been planned any better having you guys able to see each other. Your letters were awesome! The kids still had their holiday slumber party downstairs and woke up at 6:00. Sariah asked Santa in the note for him to put all the gifts in the Santa bag so that's where they all were! It was a little rushed because we had to get ready for church but it all worked out great. I hope you both had a great Christmas Day.

Love you both!!
Mom

Letter 12 26 16

Caleb and Jacob:

It was great to see both of you yesterday.  I'm so proud of you and the efforts you are making toward having a successful mission.  

Stay positive and hopeful. Nothing is so uplifting to others as being around someone who is positive and upbeat about life.  While I'm not there with you, I'm hopeful that you are both endowed with enthusiasm and that those around you feel more hopeful once they spend time with you.

Have a great day today and a great week.  I love you both.

Dad

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Video from Yesterday

6 more days!

My dear missionaries,

How was you week in the field? Any new prospects? What an eventful day we've had! We went to a 2 hour block this morning at 9:30 then it was announced in the afternoon which new Ward we would be in. They cut up BOTH North Logan stakes and renamed the wards with names instead of numbers. We are in a ward called the Greenville Ward. Our subdivision is put with three other blocks west of the school. Sydney started crying as soon as she understood that there are no other young women from our current Ward within the future boundaries of the new Ward. It's going to be very hard at first and a true test of faith for many people affected by these changes (which is pretty much everyone ;). We'll begin going there in January. We'll also go to the church down past the library. We're trying not to allow this new announcement to put a damper on Christmas.

Things are great at home though! Adam went snowboarding at Beaver with a friend on Saturday. Dad took Samantha and Sariah later that day and met up with him. Both Adam and Sydney went to see the new Star Wars movie "Rogue 1" yesterday and both were blown away. The kids all have four more days of school before they're out for the holidays. It's a short vacation though.

We sure can't wait to see and talk to you! Please let us know your schedule do that we can make you guys the center of Christmas Day (other that the Savior, of course!). I love you both sooo much!

Mom

Letter 12 18 16

And here we are... on the verge of a new year.  Unbelievable.

Last week I was all five days in SLC and so the weekend is a time I use to rest.  All I can say is that I'm glad for Sundays.

This past week one of my fellow workmates, Adam Huggins, had some cash go missing.  He purchases the $100 books from the bank of new bills that come directly from the US Treasury and each bill is serially numbered in sequential order greater than the one before it.  I guess the week before $12 went missing and then Monday morning another $15 went missing.

Lunch time on Monday came around and a group of employees got together and pooled their cash for lunch.  On one of the packets of $1 bills there was a note written by a secretary to purchase a hamburger with her money.  One of the other employees who was aware of what was going on, noticed that the bills were sequential and called Adam.  Adam confirmed that the bills were his property and then got the idea that to confirm that it was her, he'd look at security video.  Sure enough, the video showed her going into his office while he was in his regularly scheduled meeting on Monday morning.  She was there for about thirty seconds and she was the only person who went into his office that morning.

When confronted. she denied any involvement and to my knowledge has never confessed to stealing.

Here's the deal.  I think there is a natural order repentance and forgiveness.  Repentance and contrition always come before forgiveness is granted.  Finally, when trust is violated, one has to accept the consequences.  The facts in this case are that she refused to repent come clean and accordingly never asked for forgiveness.  Who knows what the conversation would have been had she done so...  We couldn't even get to that step and had to let her go.

Anyway, there's a real-life situation when old-fashioned primary repentance would've saved the day.

I hope you are having a good experience with your missions.  Be positive and upbeat.  You're both incredible young men and I'm sure your mission presidents are thankful for you.

The University of Texas recently hired the University of Houston head coach Tom Herman as its football coach.  Here is an article about Herman from an article I was reading on ESPN.  I send it to you because I think it has great leadership implications for you and your mission:

AUSTIN, Texas -- Rip your heart out. Give it to your coaches.

Former Houston players remember that one fondly. It's a favorite saying of Tom Herman's -- one he passionately demanded while breaking down the Cougars and building them back up in his first year as head coach.

If you do that, take hard coaching and give everything you've got, you're going to love this guy. But with Herman, this is absolutely a non-negotiable agreement.

The way former Houston captain and offensive tackle Alex Cooper describes it, you're either all-in or you should get out. His warning for the Texas players who are about to find out what Herman is all about: Get ready to get humbled.

"He definitely came in and dominated the room and dominated the entire team at UH from day one," Cooper said.

This is the head-on collision Longhorns players are about to face in their first winter under Herman. They'll have to fully embrace their new head coach's blueprint and his proven methods for winning if they want to survive this offseason. His methods are unique, but he proved in his 22-4 run at Houston that they pay off.

"This program is going to be really hard," Herman said. "Winning is hard."

The veteran leaders of Herman's 2015 Houston team absolutely love the man. They did not love what he and his staff put them through in their first offseason together, but they probably wouldn't have gone 13-1 with a conference title and Peach Bowl victory in that first season without it.

The Herman era at Houston truly began with 4:30 a.m. winter workouts. Herman locked the locker room until his players earned it. He banned them from wearing UH apparel until they earned it. The workouts felt like pure grunt work, designed to weed out which players weren't mentally tough enough to play for the new coaching staff. You did up-downs until you did them perfectly, and then until you did 30 perfectly.

Players were constantly reminded that their program is based on meritocracy. Everything is earned. In Herman's world, you're either a champion or a loser. Champions get cool stuff. Losers get nothing. You better learn to hate losing.

"I'll be honest with you, it totally brainwashed me," former Houston fullback Luke Stice said. "Winning is contagious. It makes you sick to your stomach to see things being done the wrong way."

The champions in a morning of offseason drills got chicken and waffles and an omelet bar for breakfast. Safety Trevon Stewart said his group ended up with the losers' breakfast one day: intentionally burnt biscuits and watered-down eggs.

"He made you feel real uncomfortable," Stewart said. "You had to step outside your comfort zone."

The identification of champions and losers didn't stop there. Herman sorted his team into distinct groups. Gold players were trusted leaders who handled their business like grown men. You didn't have to worry about them. Red players were still figuring it all out but on the right track. And blue players? You did not want to be a blue player.

This wasn't just immature, young players -- some seniors were blue guys in Herman's first year. Blue players got daily 6 a.m. wake-up calls from their coaches. They got rigorous study hall schedules. Some were made to live on campus with a curfew. They had to be checked on at all times.

"It was nothing crazy. It was nothing we thought was ridiculous," said former Houston captain Kenneth Farrow, now a running back for the San Diego Chargers. "Everything had a purpose, so it was no surprise we had the success we had."

But there are good reasons for Herman's tactics. To stay hydrated, players must carry a gallon of water around at all times. Get busted without your bottle, and you're doing up-downs. But that's why they never get soft-tissue injuries. Herman is so devoted to detail, that he once paused practice and gathered his team to angrily rip a receiver ("he was a blue guy," Cooper said) who was wearing the wrong cleats. It wasn't just a pair of shoes. It was insubordinate behavior.

"I would describe Coach Herman as a highly functioning addict. He's addicted to winning," Cooper said. "He knows nothing besides winning. Anything short of it is not acceptable."

His abrasive approach was a shock to the system for many Houston players. There were times they got fed up early on in that first offseason. But then they figured out the true purpose of it all.

"He played these mind games with us," Cooper said. "When he came in, he broke us down. He made us hate him. He took everything away from us. We joined together and we hated him. Nobody was happy. But from the hatred, we learned to bond.

"And you could almost see the light go on in our heads: 'Aw man, he's doing this on purpose.' So that we can become closer. So that, when it's fourth-and-1, I look at the guy next to me and say, '[Darn], he put in that work with me all summer, so I know he's got me.' That hate, for whatever reason, it begins to turn into love."

So much of Herman's head-coaching philosophy comes from working for Urban Meyer at Ohio State, but Rice coach David Bailiff saw these traits in him early on. During their four years working together at Texas State and Rice, Herman always knew how to strike the balance between playing good cop and bad cop.

"He's one of those guys that really knows how to be demanding on people, but they still enjoy being around him," Bailiff said.

How quickly he succeeds at Texas will depend on how quickly the Longhorns learn to love those demands. Three straight losing seasons is sufficient proof that the way they've been operating does not work. As at Houston, Herman takes over a group of experienced players eager to finally get big results. They have no choice but to trust their new coach's plan.

As Farrow pointed out about Houston's 2015 team: "The players who were out on the field the year before didn't change. It was the same guys out there. The culture and standards he forced everybody to go by put us over the top."

One concern that Herman's former players bring up: Their 2015 team was built on a strong senior class that embraced his methods and effected change. Texas might not have many senior starters next year. The program's best senior leader by far would have been All-American running back D'Onta Foreman, who entered the NFL draft. Texas needs new gold guys to step up.

Herman's system and style are not for everybody, and that's exactly the way he likes it. The veteran players who helped lead Herman's first Houston team did offer this advice for the Longhorns: Buy in.

"They can't be entitled," Stewart said. "If you want to be successful and really turn your team, your program, your university and your city around, just buy in and listen to him."

Be a Gold player for yourself first, and all those around you will benefit from your perspective.  Thanks for being so wonderful.  I love you and am proud of you,

Dad

Monday, December 12, 2016

Letter 12 12 16

My sons:

I hope everything went well yesterday getting people to church.

Here's a Christmas question... What resolutions are you making as to how you will live the rest of your life?

In all of your comings and goings, it might be easy to miss a tremendous opportunity that is before you on a daily basis.  It is that of determining how you will interact with the church for the rest of your lives.

Will you come home and stay focused on living your life in an upright manner all the while staying true to the covenants that you have made?  It's certainly easy to slip into complacency without any effort.  I hope that you will use your time on your mission to look inward and make some personal resolutions that are meaningful to you and that you are willing to sacrifice to make happen.

As you read the scriptures, you will become aware that all of us risk losing our testimonies if we fail to do the basics.  That's why prayer, scripture study, and taking the sacrament every week are so important.  It's the little things that "keep [us] in the right way, to keep [us] continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of [our] faith."

My trainer on my mission was Jed Packer.  He was amazing - maybe the best mission companion I had while I served, although I had some good companions.  As you know, a few years ago, he lost his daughter Clarissa to cancer.  For a period of time he had a lot of questions that led to bitterness and frustration.  I get it.  If I lost one of my kids, I would feel the same way.  One day shortly after her death, he was reading the scriptures and as he read, he received personal revelation that gave him the strength to carry on.  This allowed him to re-focus and get his thoughts back on track.

We all have times when we need to hit the reset the button.  I know I have those times in my life.  But, the measure of the greatness of our character is our ability to recognize the need to change and then our ability to make those corrections.

Give it some thought as you go through your daily walk as missionaries.  Be willing to check your pride and make course corrections.  Isn't that what repentance really is?

Just so you know, I have no doubt as to your ability or desire to live the gospel the rest of your lives.  I just have been thinking about this because I see certain situations that people get themselves into and it makes me look at myself and ask how committed I am.

I love you,

Dad

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Christmas is coming...

Hello boys,

Winter is here! I don't want to make you homesick for the snow but that's all it's done this week...it comes one day, then it's gone the next day because the rain melts it. Baxter seems to like it though!

December is flying by but we're just about ready for Christmas here. Today I went with the 4 kids to the Pioneer Lodge where the older folks live. They participated in a mini primary program there. They sang with a few more kids from our primary. Then they had the few youth that were there along with Sydney & Adam to come in on the 2nd & 3rd verses of "Bring The World His Truth." I love that song and always get chills when the older kids come in. It was awesome! Sariah gave a great FHE lesson this afternoon. She taught us all about baptism! She did a great job too! Right now we're having a comprehension review to see what we remember. It's so funny!

I'm sorry this is so short. We're just pluggin' away every day and enjoying the Christmas season. I hope you guys can too where you are. Good luck this week! I can't wait to read your letters tomorrow!

Love you!!

Mom

Sunday Talk

You can discard this.  I have to give a talk about the ministry of Christ today...

Christ ministry Summarized...

 13 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the great city of Jerusalem, and also other cities. And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white.

 14 And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what beholdest thou?

 15 And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

 16 And he said unto me: Knowest thou the condescension of God?

 17 And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

 18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.

 19 And it came to pass that I beheld that she was carried away in the Spirit; and after she had been carried away in the Spirit for the space of a time the angel spake unto me, saying: Look!

 20 And I looked and beheld the virgin again, bearing a child in her arms.

 21 And the angel said unto me: Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?

 22 And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.

 23 And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.

 24 And after he had said these words, he said unto me: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Son of God going forth among the children of men; and I saw many fall down at his feet and worship him.

 25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

 26 And the angel said unto me again: Look and behold the condescension of God!

 27 And I looked and beheld the Redeemer of the world, of whom my father had spoken; and I also beheld the prophet who should prepare the way before him. And the Lamb of God went forth and was baptized of him; and after he was baptized, I beheld the heavens open, and the Holy Ghost come down out of heaven and abide upon him in the form of a dove.

 28 And I beheld that he went forth ministering unto the people, in power and great glory; and the multitudes were gathered together to hear him; and I beheld that they cast him out from among them.

 29 And I also beheld twelve others following him. And it came to pass that they were carried away in the Spirit from before my face, and I saw them not.

 30 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the heavens open again, and I saw angels descending upon the children of men; and they did minister unto them.

 31 And he spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked, and I beheld the Lamb of God going forth among the children of men. And I beheld multitudes of people who were sick, and who were afflicted with all manner of diseases, and with devils and unclean spirits; and the angel spake and showed all these things unto me. And they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God; and the devils and the unclean spirits were cast out.

 32 And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me again, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the everlasting God was judged of the world; and I saw and bear record.

 33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.

 34 And after he was slain I saw the multitudes of the earth, that they were gathered together to fight against the apostles of the Lamb; for thus were the twelve called by the angel of the Lord.

 35 And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

From John 8:

 1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

 9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

From 2 Nephi:

13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

 14 But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

 15 And I heard a voice from the Father, saying: Yea, the words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

 16 And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved.

 17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

 18 And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

 21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

From Moroni 6:

4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.

 5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

 6 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus.

 7 And they were strict to observe that there should be no iniquity among them; and whoso was found to commit iniquity, and three witnesses of the church did condemn them before the elders, and if they repented not, and confessed not, their names were blotted out, and they were not numbered among the people of Christ.

 8 But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven.

 9 And their meetings were conducted by the church after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost; for as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.

Sunday, December 4, 2016

A Missionary Christmas Poem

In ways that God knows and are part of the plan,
You're less of a boy now and more of a man,
That cute little man-child with eyes oh so bright,
Is now contacting and teaching people night after night.

As a student of life and of the gospel you excel,
You're thinking, and studying, and learning so well.
Through thick and through thin, and all manner of din,
The lessons you're gaining will help you to win,

At what matters most, and what's yet to come,
It's the decisions you'll make when your mission is done.
So, learn well my son, and give it your best,
Look forward to the time when from this labor you'll rest,

And set your course well, be ready to act,
Make each moment count, because it's a fact,
That Father Time honors no one but he favors the ready,
And for those who've learned well, their course is more steady.

So be thankful this wonderful Christmas season,
It goes without saying that He is the reason,
For all the talents and gifts that you have been given,
And it's up to you now to determine how driven,

You are to develop yourself, your talents and abilities,
For your mother and me, we will watch with humility,
And be very thankful for each passing challenge,
That you grow and develop and you learn how to manage.

Greatness is your destiny so your purpose is clear,
Live each day to the fullest and have no fear,
The world is your oyster, and as best as you can,
Take advantage of this time to become a great man.

I love you,

Dad