Hole-in-the-Rock

                A couple of months ago my husband and I left Alaska on an extended business/family trip. Our journey took us down the Alaska Highway to the Ontario, Oregon/Fruitland, Idaho, area where we stored our 34-foot fifth wheel trailer. There we spent nearly a week packing our stuff and cleaning our trailer. Then we took it to a consignment lot and headed south to a rendezvous with our oldest son and his family in Salt Lake City.

                We continued south to Lake Powell, which is located in a vast wilderness of rock canyons near the southern border of Utah. There we loaded all the camping gear, food, clothing, etc. needed for four adults and eight children (four belong to a daughter who asked me to babysit them while she took a trip with her husband) into our son’s boat and proceeded to cross Lake Powell to our camping spot.

                Lake Powell is a reservoir located on the Colorado River along the Utah/Arizona border with most of the lake being in Utah. The Glen Canyon Dam was finished on September 13, 1963, and the Colorado River backed up to fill the Glen Canyon and numerous smaller canyons to create a reservoir. The Escalante River and the San Juan River also flow into the lake with the combined output called the Colorado River.

                The lake is 186 miles long, 25 miles wide, and covers 161,390 acres. Its average depth is 132 feet with a maximum depth of 583 feet. The water level of the lake was down a lot, but the lake holds 24, 322,000 acre feet of water when full. Two million people visit Lake Powell each year, including several trips by my son and his family.

                The lake is surrounded by high walls –at least 100 feet high and probably much higher - made of Navaho sandstone. On our 40 mile trip across the lake, our son asked us to watch for a break in the wall. I knew a little about the Hole-in-the-Rock Expedition in 1879 and quickly guessed that my son was taking us there.

                We were soon at the spot where we anchored the boat and proceeded to climb up to the hole. The climb was a difficult one for me even though the grandchildren seemed to scamper up the mountain and over boulders without much trouble. There were spots where I needed help in both ascending and descending the route, which took maybe two hours both ways.

                The hole was much different than I imagined it to be. In my mind, there was a hole in the canyon wall with a steep drop-off straight down to the Colorado River. I was wrong. The Hole-in-the-Rock is a small canyon with a narrow opening on the rim and a steep but slanting descent. The area close to the lake has a lot of sand and rocks of every size. As the terrain tapers to a very narrow and steep canyon, the sand disappears and the rocks increase in both size and number until the area is covered with mostly solid rock. There is a historical sign about half-way up.

                I understand that the pioneers blasted rock off the side of the canyon to make it wide enough for a team of horses with a wagon to fit through it. After making the canyon wide enough, the pioneers dug holes in the side of the canyon to hold poles made from trees. Then they placed smaller branches and brush on the poles to make a hanging “road” from the top of the canyon as fall down as needed. The holes are still visible, but the poles and brush disappeared long ago. I must say that I would not like to be in a wagon going down that road!

                The whole project seems impossible to me, particularly since the bottom of the canyon was 130 feet below where we anchored the boat. I understand this part of the project took weeks and even months. Once the road was complete or maybe while still working on it, the pioneers emptied their wagons by making numerous trips down the canyon with a load of goods and then back up the canyon for another load. Once the wagons and horses were all on the canyon floor, the pioneers still had to cross the river and travel through many miles of the same type of terrain.

                After seeing what the Hole-in-the-Rock really looks like, I had a desire to learn more about it. I knew that Gerald N. Lund wrote a historical novel about the expedition titled The Undaunted – The Miracle of the Hole-in-the-Rock Pioneers. I looked for a copy of the book in my son’s library, but he did not have one. I eventually ordered the book, which came today.

                I read the Preface to the book and found some interesting quotes. The first one is by the late David Miller, then a professor of history at the University of Utah: “In all the annals of the West, replete with examples of courage, tenacity and ingenuity, there is no better example of the indomitable pioneer spirit than that of the Hole-in-the-Rock expedition of the San Juan Mission. No pioneer company ever built a wagon road through wilder, rougher, more inhospitable country, still one of the least-known regions in America. None ever demonstrated more courage, faith, and devotion to a cause than this group … who cut a wagon passage through two hundred miles of this country…. Today their feat seems well-nigh impossible. Yet they proved that virtually nothing was impossible for a zealous band of pioneers. (Miller, Hole, ix)” (p. vi).

                Another quote is by President Gordon B. Hinckley: “It is good to look to the past to gain appreciation for the present and perspective for the future. It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all. (Hinckley, “Faith of the Pioneers,” 3)” (ix).

                Even though my ancestors were not part of the Hole-in-the-Rock experience, I am interested in learning more about it. Maybe someday I will do more exploring in the area. If you want to learn more, I encourage you to go to this website. This site provides historical information, maps of the trail, photographs, videos, GPS coordinates, and much more. This is another site that shows good pictures of the trail.

Mary and Joseph

                Mary and Joseph are VIPs in the Christian world and are considered Saints by some Christians. We know that Mary is the mortal mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Joseph is his step-father, but what do we really know about them?

                We know that both Mary and Joseph were outstanding youth. Heavenly Father would have chosen the best possible woman to be the mortal mother of His Son and an equally good step-father. Mary and Joseph were first cousins, and both came through the royal lineage of King David. Elder James E. Talmage wrote: “Had Judah been a free and independent nation, ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (Jesus the Christ, 3^rd ed. [1916], 82).

                Luke tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to “a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary” (1:26-27). An espousal was an agreement entered into by a written and legal document. An espousal was more binding than an engagement in our day, but it was not as binding as a marriage.

                Since Jewish tradition at the time was for young women to become espoused (engaged) between the ages of 12-14 years, Mary could have been very young when she was chosen to be the mother of the Son of God. She also could have been as old as 15-17 because espoused couples married months and sometimes years after becoming engaged. Joseph was probably one to three years older than Mary, but he was most likely not an old man.

                Six hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, a young man living in ancient America saw Mary in a vision. Nephi writes, “And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceedingly fair and white…. A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.” Nephi was told that “virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God” (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, First Nephi 11:13-18).    From this scripture we learn that Mary was beautiful, fair, and white.

                In Luke’s nativity story, he tells us that Mary was “highly favored” and “blessed” among women (Luke 1:28). Mary immediately accepted the “calling” to be the mother of the Son of God. After receiving answers to a couple of questions, Mary said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” This response tells us that Mary was spiritually mature and willing to obey God.

                What do we know about Joseph? He was obviously a young man in his late teens or early twenties. He had to be young enough to endure the 100 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem and then to continue into Egypt.

                Matthew tells us that Joseph was a “just man” (1:19). Imagine the shock that Joseph must have felt to learn that his beloved Mary was with child by another man. It must have been a terrible shock, and yet Joseph was “not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily” (1:19).

                Remember, adulterers at the time were stoned. Joseph, being the first witness, would probably be required to throw the first stone. The fact that he was willing to end the engagement privately showed that he loved Mary very much. He cared about her more than himself.

                As Joseph pondered the situation, an angel appeared to him in a dream. Was it Gabriel? Probably it was, but the scripture does not say. The angel explained the situation to Joseph and told him “fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost” (1:20).

                Joseph must have been very relieved to receive this information. He married Mary as soon as possible and “knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son” (1:24-25). He accepted the position of step-father to the Son of God. He willingly cared for Mary and her Child. He even took them to Egypt to protect them from King Herod and later took them back to Nazareth.

                Mary and Joseph deserve our love and respect. We honor them as the mother and step-father of the Son of God, but we do not worship them as we do Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Term Limits

                Average American citizens have been calling for several years for term limits for Senators and Representatives. I am one of them. I believe the time has come to investigate the pros and cons of limiting the time people spend in the U.S. Congress.

                When the Constitution was written and ratified, there were no professional politicians. Men would go to Washington, D.C. to serve their country for a few years, and then they went home to their families and their professions. I feel certain that none of them thought anyone would want to be a politician for life!

                President George Washington declined to serve a third term, stating that any two terms of four years should be enough for any president. This became the unwritten rule for presidents until 1940 when Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to a third term and then a fourth term in 1944. FDR died before completing his fourth term. He was the first and only president to serve more than two terms.

                In 1947 Congress passed a new Amendment to the Constitution to limit presidential terms. The Twenty-Second Amendment was passed by Congress on March 21, 1947, and ratified by the states on February 27, 1951. It states: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.”

                Fast forward more than 60 years and we have professional Senators and Representatives who serve in Congress for thirty or forty or even more years. They say and do the things that they need to say and do in order to get re-elected. They are no longer serving the people; they serve to gain more power. Somehow, those we elect to Congress become millionaires. It seems that the longer they serve, the more power they have and the more corruption sets in.

                We the people of the United States spoke loudly and clearly in the 2016 election when we elected Donald Trump, an outsider, to be our next President. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) believes that we said that the federal government needs to be fixed. He voiced his support for 12-year term limits for both Senators and Representatives because he does not like the way politicians dilute the right to vote because of the power they gain with experience. He believes that we need a constitutional amendment to limit congressional term limits to twelve years – two terms for Senators and three terms for Representatives.

                Senator Lee stated, “Congress is the people’s branch” and needs to be “responsible and accountable.” He said “The American people are frustrated with a government that knows no boundaries. The American people … know that in many respects they are no longer in charge of their own government. That the government that was created to serve them has tried to untether itself from them, moving away from them and becoming a task-master rather than a servant…. This is a problem because it results in all kinds of lawmaking made by all kinds of government officials who are never subject to elections and therefore have no reason to fear when the people get concerned about new laws."

                I hate the thought of losing strong conservatives like Senator Lee from Congress, but I believe an amendment to the Constitution to limit the terms of service in Congress is the only way we can “drain the swamp” in Washington, D.C. Men and women like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Orin Hatch, Mitch McConnell apparently do not know when to call it quits. They just keep running for office and getting elected because of the power they have.

                Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla) announced that they will introduce a constitutional amendment next month to limit Senators to two terms in office and Representatives to three terms. Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that an amendment limiting office terms would not be on the Senate agenda. He obviously likes the power of his office and does not want to be forced out of the Senate.

                I believe that members of Congress, such as McConnell, will have to act on an amendment, or they will be forced to do so by a Constitutional Convention. American citizens are tired of the way elected leaders have gone to Washington, D.C., and failed to make life better for ordinary citizens. I believe that sooner or later we will see an amendment to the Constitution to limit the terms of office for both Senators and Representatives. 

Reason for Christmas

                Jesus Christ is the reason we celebrate Christmas, and there would be no Christmas without Him. As we celebrate the birth of Christ at this time, let us remember that we celebrate His birth only because He is the Son of God who atoned for our sins, redeemed our souls, and caused that all of us could be resurrected and exalted just as He is. With all our celebrating of this season, let us remember that He is the reason for our celebrations.

                Love is the first gift of Christmas as John the Beloved explains: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Heavenly Father loves each of His children so much that He allowed His Beloved Son to come to earth to live as a mortal and then to give His life that all of us might live with Him again after death. The birth, life, and death of the Savior made it possible for us to have peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come.

                We read in the Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 1 Nephi 11:22: “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.” We should seek to love ourselves and others that we may be instruments in the hands of God of spreading His love to all the world. We should seek the love of God in our lives and then to share it with others.

                President Gordon B. Hinckley says, “Christmas is more than trees and twinkling lights, more than toys and gifts and baubles of a hundred varieties. It is love. It is the love of the Son of God for all mankind. It reaches out beyond our power to comprehend. It is magnificent and beautiful” (Stand A Little Taller, [2001], 371).

                President Thomas S. Monson explains, “With the pure love of Christ, let us walk in His footsteps as we approach the season celebrating His birth. As we do so, let us remember that He still lives and continues to be the `light of the world,’ who promised, `He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’ (John 8:12). With the spirit of Christ in our lives, we will have good will and love toward all mankind, not only during this season, but throughout the year as well” (A Future As Bright As Your Faith, [2015], 385).

                My prayer at this time is that we all will remember that Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season, that we will realize the great love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for each of us, and that we will reach out to our fellow human beings with that same love. Let us remember that Heavenly Father loved us so much that He gave us His Beloved Son! 

Solemn Responsibility

                We can strengthen our families, communities, and nations by studying the document titled “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” and by following its precepts. One way to study the proclamation is one paragraph at a time. This is the seventh article in this series.

                The sixth paragraph of the proclamation states, “Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. 

Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.”

                This prophetic teaching clearly states that a husband and a wife have a responsibility to love and care for each other and their children. This responsibility includes physical and spiritual responsibilities as well as other ones. Some specific duties and responsibilities of parents are to teach the gospel to their children, provide physical needs, and to rear children in love. Some specific duties of children are to learn from their parents, be obedient, and to help each other.

                This paragraph in the proclamation on the family says the same thing but uses different words as a revelation received nearly 200 years ago. “And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.”

                As you study the sixth paragraph of the proclamation, you may want to share what you learn in a family home evening. This site has a wonderful family home evening program all outlined with lesson, music, activity, and refreshments. I hope you will use this outline and strengthen your family, community, and nation by understanding the doctrine that life is mortal life is created by God, sacred, and important to God’s plan for our eternal happiness.

Peace through Strength

                The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple principle that America enjoys more peace when we are prepared for war. More than 200 years of history – from George Washington to George W. Bush – shows this to be a true principle.

                In his first message to the nation in 1790, George Washington stated: “To be prepared for war, is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” He believe this principle, and he practiced it.

                Mark Alexander at The Patriot Post discusses how this principle runs in cycles throughout the years between George Washington and Ronald Reagan. His article is extremely interesting and gives numerous quotes from various Presidents. It also names recent Presidents who did not adhere to this principle and how the peace of Americans was affected.

                Alexander quotes President Reagan as saying, “Deterrence means simply this: making sure any adversary who thinks about attacking the United States, or our allies, or our vital interests, concludes that the risks to him outweigh any potential gains. Once he understands that, he won’t attack. We maintain the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression.”

                President Reagan followed the administration of President Jimmy Carter. Carter did not adhere to the “peace through strength” principle, and Iran held 52 Americans as prisoners for  444 days. The prisoners were released at approximately the same time as Ronald Reagan was sworn in as POTUS. Could Iran have been afraid of what President Reagan would do?  

                President George W. Bush was another leader who adhered to the “peace through strength” principle. After terrorists attacked our nation on September 11, 2011, President Bush took immediate action to destroy al-Qaeda in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Recently we learned that his actions prevented the terrorist organization from launching another wave of attacks on America. 

                Barack Obama, like Bill Clinton before him, squandered the gains made by the previous administration. We are now weeks away from the inauguration of another President, even Donald Trump. It seems that he too believes the principle “peace through strength” because he has chosen General James “Mad Dog” Mattis to be his Secretary of Defense.

                Alexander states in his article that “Putting the Pentagon under the charge of a man nicknamed `Mad Dog’ puts the world wide enemies of Liberty on notice…. Our allies respect James Mattis for his fearless courage and character, and our adversaries fear him for the same reason.” Senior officers who have served with General Mattis describe him as “a modern-day George Patton, but without all the warm fuzzies.” He is the “most revered Marine in a generation.”

                Alexander continues, “James Mattis is known as a student of history. In this respect, he’s similar to his World War II Army predecessor, Gen. George `Old Blood and Guts’ Patton, who was also a prolific reader – particularly of his enemy’s writings. Mattis has a personal library that exceeds 7,000 volumes and is known as the `Warrior Monk’ both for his intellect and for being a lifelong bachelor.

                “He has a long history of publishing required reading lists for his Marines, subjecting them to his personal standards of intellectual rigor and aptitude. He believes as he has often preached, `The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.’”

                Alexander includes several interesting stories that illustrate the character and leadership of General Mattis. It sounds to me that President-elect Trump made an excellent choice when he selected his Secretary of Defense. Under the leadership of Mattis – and with the support of President Trump – Americans should start enjoying more peace because of its strength.

Women Warriors

                I am grateful that Congress did not pass a law requiring women to register for the draft. I do not desire to see any of my grandchildren serving in the armed forces of our nation and especially not my granddaughters. I do not understand why any woman would want to serve in the military. All things military seem so anti-woman to me – things such as crawling through mud and dirt to reach a designated zone or shooting at other human beings. I can, however, see why some women want to receive the benefits given for military service, and I feel confident that there are positions in the military where women can serve without going into combat duty.

                There are people – apparently not women in the military – who seek to have women drafted and ordered into combat duties. Barack Obama even signed a bill making combat duty available to women. I believe all these people are wrong because war is a nasty, dirty business that should not involve anyone but especially not women.

                Men and women are created differently. Our bodies not only look different, but our capabilities are dissimilar. Heavenly Father created the bodies of men and women differently because He has diverse roles in mortality for the two sexes to play. Men are given the role to preside (lead), provide, and protect while women are given the role to nurture. Although there can be some overlapping of the two roles, I can see that nurturing would be difficult o achieve for a woman hardened by war and killing.

                Sarah Lee at The Blaze suggests that science supports my view that women are physically not made for war. News reports have covered women trying and failing to pass rigorous combat training courses that many men pass each year. Yet, feminists still argue for women to have the right to try. They may, however, be battling against science itself.

                Lee quotes Travis Scott, a writer for The Federalist. “The differences between the sexes affect all kinds of major and minor components about our bodies. Men have stronger bones than women, as well as stronger tendons and ligaments. Males have more muscle fibers, and because of this have greater muscle mass. Men have about 40 percent more muscle mass than women. Things like calorie intake also affects the sexes differently: men tend to convert extra calories into muscle and energy reserves. Females tend to convert them into fat deposits….

                “Because of their weaker bone structures, women are more prone to injury than men are. Many women in sports and other physical activities experience injury rates at levels that have been described as `epidemic’ by some medical experts. Young women are more vulnerable to these injuries, many of which often lead to osteoporosis, even shortly after properly recovery.”

                This quote supports my belief that Heavenly Father made His daughters different from His sons and that He did so for important purposes. I think it is fine for women to join the military if they desire, but I do not believe all young women should be forced to register for the draft. In addition, I believe it is okay for women in the military to serve in support positions or in other ways where their body sizes and physical differences will put them in more danger simply because they are women.

                I know that women are capable of doing most everything that they decide to do – up to a point. I do not think women should serve in combat operations and certainly not to satisfy anyone’s ego or agenda or to prove a point to themselves.