The Family

The family is all in Utah, except for Michael and me. I've been working while Michael has been working it. He just got back from High Adventure.



Had to cope with ruffing it in the wilds of Wisconsin.

Suffered through torturous vistas and strenuous activities.

Was forced to chop the wood.

Sat around a lot.

Practically starved!

Had to be outside in the dark.

I hope he recovers from the event. I don't know if he will.

Re: Jamboree

Daily Herald is following Kyle's council (National Parks Council) in the newspaper.  There is also someone there who has started tweeting along the way.  Here is the link.

http://heraldextra.com/lifestyles/scouting/.  Kyle is troop 939.

This is the real link.  The other one doesn't work.

http://picasaweb.google.com/118288055480199128720/

Here is something new.  This is the Picasa link to Kyle's troops pictures.

Orange is their color.

WWW.Picasa.Google.com/118288055480199128720

There is also someone there who has started tweeting along the way.  Here is the link.

http://heraldextra.com/lifestyles/scouting/.  Kyle is troop 939.

Dane Jamboree Photos--Looks Like Fun!

Do We Really Know What We Have?

Thank you, Gordon.

 Sorry about the slow response, but I have today off.

How right she is about the knowledge that comes through the gospel, including in a few simple versus in the Doctrine and Covenants.

 You know, I studied philosophy for my undergraduate at BYU, and also for a PhD at the UofU (which I did not complete). In studying the history of philosophy it was interesting to see how much time and thought had been devoted to the question of how the spirit (or mind) could relate to the body. The underlying assumption, going back to Aristotle, is that God is immaterial. If he were to have a body, he could not be omnipotent or all-powerful, because bodies can be moved and acted upon, and to be all powerful, he must not be able to be either moved or acted upon. He also couldn’t have feelings, because that would represent a way in which something external could also act upon him. This very idea influenced the thinking of many of those who met at Nicaea, under Constantine’s direction to settle the disputes about the nature of God. Now, if that argument about the unmoved mover is accepted, and the subsequent conclusion that all spiritual things are then immaterial, the problem becomes how to explain how something immaterial can interact with the material (and hence non-spiritual) aspect of our existence. How can our own spirit interact with our body, and how can God act upon material things. The very distinction that was to make God all powerful seemed to strip him of power, unless some vehicle for that power could be explained. The very existence of a mind or spirit seemed to be in question, unless the way those two relate could similarly be explained. Various philosophers over the centuries grappled with this problem, and proposed solutions, but there always was something that the critics would find wrong with the proposed method of interaction or mirroring , for whatever method was proposed. For once you define the two as distinct, and that the material cannot influence the spiritual, how do you break down that distinction? The other possibility was to deny that either one or the other did not exist. What a problem. Indeed, the definition of God that came out of the Council at Nicaea was one that President Hinckley said he could not understand. And that was only one attempt to deal with the subject. This wasn’t just a small area of philosophy, but was (I believe) the largest tree in the forest—but it was diseased from the moment it was planted. Despite the disease though, many over the years have tried to nourish it and eat of its fruit.

Revelations that the Heavenly Father and the Savior gave to Joseph Smith dealt swift and felling blows to the huge trunk of this diseased tree. The first swing of the ax was the visit of God the Father and Jesus to Joseph Smith, in which he saw them as distinct beings, not as something without the form of body, parts, or passions. They appeared as one might expect a Father and Son to appear. Also, the Father spoke of His Son as being beloved, expressing a feeling. Add to this the visit of the resurrected Savior to the Nephites, and again to Joseph and Sidney, and the visits of other resurrected beings, and you quickly figure out that the resurrection is the joining again of spirit to body, for clearly at one time the body had been dead. Of course the early Apostles knew this, the new testament speaks of the Savior as eating fish, being seen and teaching the Apostles for 40 days. But all of this became lost to explaining how the all powerful could not have a physical body that would enable him to be acted upon. Still, there is no question that Jesus, John the Baptist, and Peter had been killed, their deaths were all well documented, and they would have begun their 18^thcentury of life were they not dead, yet both visited the prophet. Hands were laid on his head by John the Baptist, then by Peter, James and John. These weren’t apparitions or dreams (indeed Joseph, Oliver, and Sidney were awake for these experiences). Joseph and Oliver felt them, they were not beings composed of non-material substance, unless there was some complex interaction taking place. The Book of Mormon though had been very precise about what the resurrection was, the joining again of the body and spirit. Although the question of the resurrection seemed to be answered, this still did not fully explain what the spirit was or how the spirit (or mind) and body interact. So then comes the final felling blow, which removes all question, recorded in one single verse in Doctrine and Covenants, apparently all that the Savior felt needed to be said about the subject. Doctrine and Covenants 131 records the Savior as saying: “There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but is more fine or pure, and can be discerned only by purer eyes.” The Savior dealt with it in one verse, and here I ramble on. But not even the fabled Paul Bunyan ever struck such a mighty blow. There is no longer a need for explanation. The whole problem had been one of definition or semantics and had no root in reality. The diseased but mighty cedar had been felled, and the tree is presently decayed. If there is any green on the tree it is from growing mosses,  and if there is any fruit it is just mushrooms. The tree provides no sustenance to creatures except to the diets of scavenging insects and their larva, who continue to wander through the shriveled leaves and rotting wood seemingly unaware. The mighty tree that took up all of the spring water, and blocked the light of the sun, and provided bitter fruit has perished. Even if the world did not hear it fall, still the bright sun once again shines on the forest floor, as the tree that represents the condescension of God has taken root, and grows in wonderful and miraculous splendor, taking in the cool water of the gospel that runs freely past, and producing the magnificent fruit of the atonement that is delicious beyond all compare. Indeed, two songs of the restoration state the morning breaks, the shadows flee and that the visions and blessings of old are returning, and angels are coming to visit the earth. There we have the true gospel of Christ. The glorious truths regarding the nature of God, and the more vital truths of the atonement, resurrection and judgment that were restored with the gospel are indeed splendorous.

Thanks for sharing the Story,

-Shawn

This is powerful!  It's so worth taking the time to read and maybe, just maybe, we can appreciate what we have a little better.  ENJOY! Love, Gordon

Do We Really Know What We Have?

(As written by LDS Missionary Scott Anderson in his journal.)

 We had an unexpected moment in the mission field. We knocked on a door and a lady said something to us we had never heard, "Come in." Now remember, I was a German missionary. This never happened to us; no one ever invited us in. My companion said, "Do you know who we are?" "You want to talk about religion, don't you?" she said. "Yes, we do" explained my companion. "Oh, come in. I've been watching you walk around the neighborhood. I'm so excited to have you here. Please come into my study." We went in and seated ourselves and she sat down behind the desk. She looked at us with a smile, and then pointed to three PhD's hanging over her head. One in Theology, the study of religion, one in Philosophy, the study of ideas, and one in European History specializing in Christianity. She then kind of rubbed her hands together and said, "Do you see this row of books here?" We looked at a well arranged row of books. She then said, "I wrote them all. I'm the Theology professor at the University of Munich. I've been doing this for 41 years. I love to talk about religion. What would you like to discuss?"

My inspired companion said we'd like to talk about the Book of Mormon.

She said, "I don't know anything about the Book of Mormon."

He said, "I know."

Twenty minutes later we walked out of the room. We had handed her a Book of Mormon and this trade off that we had been on was over. I didn't see this lady again for another eight and a half weeks. It was in a small room filled with people (when I saw her again), as she was standing in the front dressed in white.

This Theology professor at the University of Munich was well known throughout Southern Germany. She stood up in front of this small congregation of people and said, "Before I'm baptized I'd like to tell you my feelings. In Amos chapter 8:11 it says there will be a famine of the work of God. I've been in that famine for 76 years. Why do you think I have three PhD's? I've been hungering for truth and have been unable to find it. Then eight and one-half weeks ago, two boys walked into my home. I want you to know these boys are very nice and wonderful young men, but they didn't convert me. They couldn't; they don't know enough." And then she smiled and said, "But since the day they walked in my door I have read the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, all of Talmage's great writings, Evidence and Reconciliations by John A. Widtsoe and 22 other volumes of church doctrine." 

She then said something which I think is a challenge for every one of us here. She said, "I don't think you members know what you have."  Then in her quiet, powerful way, she said, "After those years of studying philosophy, I picked up the D&C and read a few little verses that answered some of the greatest questions of Aristotle and Socrates! When I read those verses, I wept for four hours." Then she said again, "I don't think you members know what you have. Don't you understand the world is in a famine? Don't you know we are starving for what you have? I am like a starving person being led to a feast. And over these eight and one-half weeks I have been able to feast in a way I have never known possible."

Her powerful message and her challenging question were then ended with her favorite scripture, "For you don't see the truth can make you free." She said, "These missionaries don't just carry membership in the church in their hands, they carry within their hand the power to make the atonement of Jesus Christ full force in my life. Today I'm going into the water and I'm going to make a covenant with Christ for the first time with proper authority. I've wanted to do this all my life."

None of us will forget the day that she was baptized. When she got finished being baptized, she got back out and before she received the Holy Ghost, she stood and said, "Now I would like to talk about the Holy Ghost for awhile." She then gave us a wonderful talk about the gift of the Holy Ghost.

(Later in Elder Anderson’s journal) Two young missionaries, both relatively new, (one had been out about five months, the other three weeks) accidentally knocked on the door of the seminary in Reagansburg. 125 wonderful men were studying to become priests inside. They didn't realize this was the door they had knocked on because it looked like any other door. They were invited in. In somewhat of a panic, the man said, "I am sorry we just don't have time right now." The two missionaries were relieved, but then he said, "Would you come back next Tuesday and spend two hours addressing all 125 of us and answer questions about your church?"

They agreed that they would, and ran down the road screaming.
  
They made a phone call to the mission president and cried for help. The mission president called us and said, "Do you think that dear lady that you have just brought into the church would like to come help these two missionaries with this assignment?" 

I called her to explain what was to happen, and she said, "more than I would like to eat, more than I would like to sleep, more than..." 

I said, "Fine, you don't have to explain."  

We drove her to the seminary and as we went in, she grabbed the two missionaries that had originally been invited, put her arms around them and said, "You are wonderful, young men. Would each of you spend about two minutes bearing your testimony and then sit down and be quiet please?" 

They were grateful for their assignment. They bore their testimony and then seated themselves. Then she got up and said, "For the next 30 minutes I would like to talk to you about historical apostasy." She knew every date and fact. She had a PhD in this. She talked about everything that had been taken away from the great teachings the Savior had given, mostly organizational, in the first part of her talk. Then the next 45 minutes was doctrinal. She gave every point of doctrinal changes, when it happened and what had changed. By the time she was done, she looked at them and said, "In 1820 a boy walked into a grove of trees. He had been in a famine just like I have been. He knelt to pray, because he was hungry just like I have been. He saw God the Father and His Son. I know that is hard for you to believe that they could be two separate beings, but I know they are." 

She shared scriptures that showed that they were and then said, "I would like to talk about historical restoration of truth." She then, point by point, date by date, from the Doctrine and Covenants put back the organizational structure of Christ's church. The last 20 minutes of her talk were absolutely brilliant. She doctrinally put the truth back in place, point by point, principle by principle. When she finished this profound talk, she said, "I have been in a famine as talked about in Amos. You know that because last year I was here teaching you." For the first time, we realized that she was their Theology professor. She continued by saying, "Last year when I was teaching you, I told you that I was still in a famine. I have been led to a feast. I invite you to come." She finished with her testimony and sat down.
What happened next was hard for me to understand. These 125 sincere, wonderful men stood and for the next 7 minutes, gave a standing ovation. By the time four minutes had gone by I was crying. I remember standing and looking into their eyes and seeing the tears in their eyes too. I wondered why they were applauding after the message she had given. I asked many of them later.

They said, "To hear someone so unashamed of the truth, to hear someone teaching with such power, to hear someone who finally has conviction." 

The truth is what can set us free... Do we really know what we have?

1960 Carbon High Reunion in the Sun Advocate

A reunion 50 years in the making...

Graduates of Carbon High School's class of 1960 spend time with each other reminiscing about old memories and fun times. Over 100 people attended the Friday event at the Greenwell Inn.

By KEVIN SCANNELL
Sun Advocate reporter

50 years ago many of them were students together in high school studying, playing sports and just having fun.

Now 50 years later, over 100 former graduates came together again to celebrate the anniversary of the first graduating class of Carbon High School. Another event was held in East Carbon celebrating their 50 year reunion.

This time, there were no tests, quizzes, presentations or long lectures to sit though.

Instead much of the time was spent seeing old friends and sharing an endless amount of hugs, smiles and old memories together.

"We can all feel enriched by being here, sharing stories and memories with each other," said Jim Piacitelli, a Carbon High graduate.

The weekend long event included a meet and greet on Friday at the Greenwell Inn conference room, a tour of Carbon High School, the reunion and dinner buffet all on Saturday and a brunch to finish the weekend at Ty's Restaurant on Sunday.

Piacitelli said there is a reunion done every five years and each one has been well attended with local and distant graduates coming back for the event from states including Florida, Arizona, California, Maryland, Wyoming, Kansas and more.

Doug Powell is a Carbon High graduate of the class of 1960. Born and raised in Price, he now lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., but he still looks back fondly on the many fun times he and his friends had during high school.

"It was a great time for me and I could tell you many stories of how we got into trouble and had a lot of fun together," Powell laughed.

Sitting at a table together with some old friends, Powell talked about stories ranging from his time on the basketball team and finishing third in state and getting stuck in the snow on the road going to Beaver. With many of his friends scattered about in Utah and out, Powell said he and his friends try to get together for a weekend once a year.

Price City Councilman Richard Tatton was also a part of the class of 1960. As students in high school they may not have shared as much in common with each other as many do right now, 50 years later.

"I think now we have a lot more in common with each other because many of us have kids and grandchildren," Tatton said.

Barbara Maughan, of Sandy, said if name tags were not available, then it would have been hard to recognize some people.

"It's great seeing people you haven't seen in years and years," Maughan said. "But sometimes I have to look at their name tags to remember who they were back from high school."

Before going on their separate ways, many of those attended exchanged e-mail and phone numbers to keep in contact with each other.

While not all of those who graduated were able to attend the weekend events, Piacitelli said those who show up make all of the time and effort put into planning the weekend well worth it.

"Everybody who comes here has a story to tell and everybody means something here," he said. "Over the weekend we can show them the changes at the high school and Price and help bring back some old memories." 

There goes another great man, this one from Edna's family.

HOLGER LEVON GRUNDVIG

Holger Levon (Von) Grundvig 9/10/1926 ~ 7/11/2010 " .if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." (D&C 38:30) PRICE - Our beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grand-father, uncle and friend passed away peacefully at home on July 11, 2010 surrounded by loving family members after a brief battle with mesothelioma. He was born on September 10, 1926 in Wattis, Utah to Daniel Richard and Nina Beryl Oviatt Grundvig. He was orphaned by the age of 13 months, and was raised by his maternal grandparents, Beaman and Sylvia Oviatt. He married Mona Lee Jewkes on June 24, 1948 in the Manti Temple. He served in the Navy during World War II. He was a master electrician and was an electrical and heating and air conditioning contractor. He deeply loved his family, and has set a powerful example for his family to follow. His testimony of the gospel was evident in the way that he lived his life. He faithfully served in many callings including scouting, bishop, high councilor, and most recently as stake patriarch. He received the Silver Beaver award. With his wife, he served in the Papua New Guinea Mission, a temple mission to the Manti Temple and the Price Family History Center. He lived a quiet life of obedience and faithful service. His family will be eternally grateful for the legacy he has given them. He is survived by his wife, Mona Lee, Price, and his children, Gail (Loretta) Grundvig, West Jordan; Gardell (Carole) Grundvig, North Salt Lake; Loraina (Sidney) Nelson, Price; 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by his brother, Daniel Carlos Grundvig; sister, Sylvia Grundvig Leach; and grandson, Brad Schmidt. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the Price 6th Ward located at 303 West 5th South - Price. A viewing will be held Wednesday, July 14, 2010 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Fausett Mortuary, 680 East 100 South - Price and July 15, 2010 from 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. at the church. Interment will be in the Orangeville City Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. Services are in the care of Fausett Mortuary. Friends and family may sign the guest book and share memories of Levon at www.fausettmortuary.com 

Published in Deseret News on July 13, 2010

Howards update from the Facebook challenged crew

I set a PR at the Freedom Run 10K yesterday!  (But let's be honest it was 58 minutes and even if I had run it in 2 hours it would have been a PR because I have never done a 10K.)  I was 20th in my age category.  (But there were only 43 women in my age category).  It was so much fun actually running with other people.  (Now if you read just the sentences you would think I had a superb race, if you read the parentheticals you would see that I had a good run.)

 

Kyle is done with early morning band!  Yippee.  I guess the band is in this clip as the first band http://heraldextra.com/.  Now he is studying for the Accuplacer test for his college enrolled math.  He is also packing and planning for Jamboree.  He is trying to figure out an Eagle project--any advice would be great.  Plus get his AP US History summer homework done.  We signed him up for voice lessons with Alyssa's teacher in hopes that his voice would be improved by Fall, it still shifts and squeaks when he doesn't want it to.  But he is working on it since he is in the acapella choir.  He is going to move into the girls' old room once it is painted blue.

 

Alyssa is enjoying summer and moving to her new purple room in the basement.  We got the toilet and sinks today, so as soon as the inspector comes tomorrow, she will be officially in her own room.  She had fun being a YCL at girl's camp.  She had fun at our family camp and enjoyed being one of Stephanie's favorite people.  She is also working on her AP classes' homework.

 

Megan is done with summer violin and is busy moving into her new pink room with Rachel.  It has a walk-in closet that she is excited about.  Girl's camp was fun for her because we have a lot of Beehives in our ward that are friends.  She is excited to play with Erin when she sleeps over next weekend before going back to Texas.

 

Matthew is getting ready for State baseball playoffs.  He is on a really good team with a great coach.  He has improved and wants to do it again  thanks to Grandpa, Julie, and Brandon helping practice with him.  He and Rachel really enjoyed their first day of summer science camp today (put on by Provo and Alpine school districts).  It goes for two weeks.  Swimming lessons are next.

 

Rachel is enjoying seeing most of her girl cousins.  She tells us we need to go to Ohio soon to see her other girl cousins because it just is time to go there.  She tries to butter us up by telling us that Todd will make us pancakes.  She is hoping to see her Waite cousins in August when she is almost five. She also wants us to see the Jonas Brothers and fly in an airplane for her birthday (since she did that last summer).  She also wants to go to Jump On It for her party, have all the girls she knows come, and have Dora and princess decorations.  Big plans for a little girl.

 

Brandon is still busy, too.  He took the scouts to Yellowstone and is hoping to go with Shawn and Dane up Nebo in August.  He is nervous about his "tickets" from Woodbadge, but once the basement is done, maybe he can get them done quickly to meet the deadline.  The Visa purchase is slated for July/August.

 

We love you and miss you.

AnnMarie

Dear Else & Erling & Family

Leonard wrote:

Dear Else & Erling & Family:

I am just sitting here thinking and wondering if you are still being affected by the volcanic ash cloud. I remember when Mount St. Helene, erupted, in the state of Washington. The one side of it was blown out and sent a dust cloud into the sky. We knew it down here. If you left your car outside, it would be covered with dust. What I have been reading is that those who have been covered with the cloud are getting the same thing we had. I do not remember how many people died. There was a campground close by and some of the people were never found. It looked like an atomic blast had occurred.

In the months of April, May and June, we have had more rain and snow than in the previous three months. Our temperatures have been way below normal.The fact is that as I am I sitting here writing this letter, it is cool in the house. I am a cheapskate, I am not going to heat the furnace. I have had a chance to mow my lawns twice. The peas in the garden are growing well, however, the tomatoes are not doing well because it has just been too cold. I did put in one row of katofler.

Did you notice in the church news they are going to build a temple in Payson, Utah. That just 30 miles from here. Our stakes will be assigned to that district.

Myrna and I have mixed emotions about leaving  the Manti Temple. That is where our great grandparents, grandparents, parents, Myrna’s, as late as three years ago, were sealed.We were sealed there along with five of our children. We have been serving in the temple for ten years and four months. It is liked home for us. Payson will have the film. As you well know, ours is what is called a live endowment. It will only take us about twenty minutes to get to Payson and it is 45 minutes to Manti.

Our oldest grandson ileft for his mission on May 26. He will be in the missionary training center for three weeks and then flew out to South America. He is from the east coast. He is our oldest daughter’s son. He just finished his first year at BYU. 

We flew to Chicago, Illinois for our oldest son’s daughter’s high school graduation. That was Sunday, May 23. After the the school graduation they had her seminary graduation. We flew home on Monday, we flew out on Saturday.

So much for what is happening in our lives. How are you all doing? How are the kids and grand kids doing? Do you have much planned for the summer? How is your genealogy going? I have been going to ask you how is the temple attendance going? Our new temple president, President Pinegar (past Seventy) has been bringing bring about many changes that have increased our temple attendance. 

I have run out of questions and news so I will stop for now. We love you all and hope you all will have a great summer.

Especially Yours

L.H. and Myrna Trauntvein

We received your email about Rita. It is sad news. I think back on my association with her and it has always been positive. I think of the many times that I was in your home, while I was on my mission. She was always nice to me, as all of you always were. I know at one time your mom was having trouble with her and sent her over south of Odense, where I had been transferred. She gave me the name of the place, so i told my companion  we were going to go down there. It seemed like a long bike ride. When we got there, they would not let us see or talk to her.  I was very disappointed.When we came over to the Temple Dedication and visited with your mom, she was very cordial to us.

Even though she did not join the church, as I think about her, and, in my way of thinking, one of her greatest missions was to bring Heinrick into the family. He had a grandmother who loved him and an aunt and uncle and their family who love him. I can not say that she did not believe in some of the doctrine of the church. Like many other people I know, their habits get in the way of their being active in the church. I home teach two such brethren.

Heinrick has been a great service to the church and to us. When you came up to us, in between the talks and the program, you asked me if I would like to be in the temple for the the dedication. My remark was “yes” but in my wildest dream I did not think that it could happen.  You then stated, “That is not what I asked you.” I said, “Yes”. When you handed me the two tickets, I could have kissed you, then I thought that might not be appropriate. Then the morning of the dedication we were able to go in early an get a great seat. 

All the work Heinrick did for the open house, the program, and the dedication were admirable. Taking Elder Nielsen and his wife up to Veg and some of the same places you took us was also a great thing.

We want to express our sympathy to all of you and to Heinrick. Would you let him know about our feelings toward him and his mom?

We want you and your family to know how much we love all of you. My family knows the history of our relationship with you and your family. With out you we would never been in the Danish Temple for the dedication. And then to have the opportunity to do work in the temple, with you and Jana has been one of the greatest highlights in our lives. My children have heard all the stories several times and they have the same feelings we do. I believe if we were not the first to do initiatory there, there were not many before us. What a blessing. Also to have a picture of you and me on the front steps of the church and then the front steps of the temple is such a treasure. It does not get much better than that. Your’s and Erling’s hospitality was most gracious and we appreciated it. Thank you!

You will have to read this epistle in two or three settings.

We love you all:

Myrna and Leonard 

P.S. You might notice that it took a few weeks to write this. Sorry about that.