Oct 26, 1973

We (Norma and I) are now in Provo. We have just been in San Diego attending the Western Orthopaedic Assoc WOA ( Meeting. This is the 9th time this year I have come to Salt Lake or Provo. The Lord has truly been good to us in allowing us to travel as we do. We have been able to see the children frequently – last Spring there were 6 of them in University study – Kirk (Univ of Utah law school), Kathy (graduated Magna cum laude – Univ of Utah), her husband Davis, Jim (graduated cum laude – Univ of Utah), his wife Peggy, and Jane. And now Tom – No. 7 is at BYU.

I feel a sense of urgency to see each of them whenever possible, to let them know of our love for them; to let them know how proud we are of them and their growth; and to develop a feeling of strong family Unity. How I rejoice that Eric and Chris and Eric II are close to us in Seattle and that Leland (my nephew) and his wife Shirli are attending school in Seattle. I know that God has answered our prayers and after much trial and tribulation has molded us and we are now in a period of harvest where we are truly enjoying His Spirit and guidance. I also know that He can and will use us as a family to accomplish the work in these last days.

When I attend a medical meeting I realize that the frontiers of knowledge are advancing rapidly. However, so much of it is irrelevant to the treatment and understanding of human disease and the human condition. Although many facts and trusts are presented, they are of dubious importance. And so – as I am now serving as one of the 2 Board of Directors of the WOA – the position is of little value because as medical men we are so steeped in tradition that we do not readily identify the “weightier truths”. We collect and stockpile data to become “learned” by the definition of the scriptures, but we fail to gain “wisdom” through properly distilling the acquired data. We understand to some degree the physical person as a medical man, but fail to understand the soul. The highlight of the meeting occurred when I met Ron Dykes (Representative for Richards Instrument Co) and learned that his wife had died 2 months ago from a brain stem injury riding a bicycle. She leaves 5 children who are strong in the Gospel. Ron is a non-committed Mormon – I was able to testify to him and offer my help in any way he desired me to help him in this hour of despair, decision, and compassionate understanding. Ron understood that he would have to embrace the Gospel “all the way” to please his children. It is evident to me that no matter what the circumstances may be that one can’t commit himself to the Gospel for someone else – it won’t work. It’s a completely personal thing – the commitment must be between Ron and his Father in Heaven. I had a strong feeling that his wife was taken from earth to do just that – to put Ron in a position where he would now, once and for all, have to make a decision whether he will make such a commitment. If he does than the true “issues of life” begin to reveal themselves, because he can then be sealed to his wife and children. Otherwise they are in limbo as it pertains to their relationship to their “physical” parents here on this earth.

And so, being able to confront one of the weightier issues of life, the meeting took an added enjoyment and value. I was also able to genuinely offer my sympathy to Harry Nash (an old associate in the Seattle Orthopaedic and Fracture Clinic), whose oldest son had just become paralyzed when racing a motorcycle and whose youngest son had recently committed suicide because of an unhappy marriage.