Letter 8 27 17

Caleb and Jacob:

I hope this was a great week for you.

This week was back to school for the family.  School is nice but I love having the family home during the summer without the deadlines and schedules being set for us by the school system.  It's nice to be able to live life according to our own dictates instead of being subject to another.  I think Jacob said it best when he said in a letter home... "I plan on being an agent and not an object".

At the point you surrender yourself to someone else, you become subject to their whims and desires.  In other words, you become an object upon which another acts.  Look at yourself now, as a missionary you surrender your will to that of our Heavenly Father and become an object in his hands.  By fully surrendering and being obedient to Him, He is able to more fully bless you.

Then there are laws of the land that are arbitrary and follow society norms.  Like it or not, we believe in... obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.  I guess we take the good laws along with the bad, and heaven knows, that there are some very problematic laws that are being put on the books.  To that end, we should work to be educated and articulate in our views and opposition to laws that are contrary to and will ultimately prevent the freedom that we now enjoy.  I have actually decided that complex is too big for me and that I'm better off not being actively involved in government.  Rather, I voice my opinions with my vote and hope that others do the same.

Then there is college, work, etc.  All of these different areas of your life require that you yield some portion of your sovereignty to another.

So, the places that you can exercise complete sovereignty are rare and become extremely sacred and important.  This is why the founders of our country were inspired to grant religious freedom as something that was left to the individual.  That is also why your family is the most important unit of your life.

So, learn how to govern yourself such that you reserve the best efforts for those areas of life where you are able to exercise complete control.  Your ability as a husband, father, son and brother, is something that will need refinement and development; at least that's how it's been in my life.  Set your course such that you are great in the areas that you can control and where you are sovereign.  Then control those areas to the best of your ability.  You have both been raised with that in mind and I'm sure you will do it well.

I love you and hope all is well with you,

Dad