October 17, 1985- transcribed by Mandi Anderson

Talk given in 7^th ward on Oct. 17^th 1985

We should beware of these who minimize paradox, and particularly these who register blindness.  For we need to develop tools to struggle with paradox, and we need knowledgeable and wise friends who care enough about us to be a sounding board as we yearn to unravel the paradox of our own lives.  The reward? – repentance, change, and maturity. & self-revelation.

On the other hand we should pay little attention to those who make mountains out of molehills.  We must recognize that we do not have all the answers and must be ready for change by necessity.

Let me give you a paradox to ponder → “Now empty your cup, that it may be filled” I say it within the context that we must rid ourselves of bias, prejudice, & tradition (D&C 93: 38-39) before we can effect change.

Isn’t it true that LDS women are now no longer suspect as they were a decade ago.  The paradox of economic necessity and personal fulfillment versus the traditional family values are now being juggled as never before.  

We should be equally as comfortable in the university and the temple.  Those who have been baptized put their eternal souls at risk if they pursue secular knowledge only.  Trying to unravel a troublesome paradox with an unbalanced rational or sophist mentality at the expense of the spiritual will turn wisdom into foolishness (2 Ne. 9:28).  Lucifer knows that the best way to turn men away from the plan of salvation is to appeal to their vanity.  Why?  Because they like to be successful and smart.  The Book of Mormon is replete with example of trouble-maker church members who became ambitious, intellectual, liberal, sophists – Sherem, Nehor, & Korihor.

We must look to a source of knowledge greater than ours.  We must be humble.  If not, in the sincerity of thoughts or ideas, one may even leave the Church simply to prove a point.  This is why in D&C 76 the Lord cautions us to serve in truth & righteousness, not sincerity.  Lucifer, by example, is one of the most sincere and dedicated persons we have ever encountered.

Furthermore, we cannot consider a paradox resolved once we think we have solved it.

Solution when we are 25 may not work at 35.  Those that seemed wise at 35 won’t work at 45.  At 55 all things come up for review.  For me, 60, the autumn of my life, was filled with excruciating paradoxes of the soul.

We must listen to God, our Father, and His divine message to us – the blessing of the patriarchal blessings which is a constant, steadfast & invariable, this is indeed an instrument to help resolve paradoxes at all ages during our earth sojourn with an unimpaired view into eternity.

Now, in closing, a most profound paradox that is germane to the spiritually attuned life – by T.S. Eliot

We shall not cease from our exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time

Insert: article titled “Benson to lead Mormon Church” copied on backside of Sacrament Meeting program 

October 8, 1985-transcribed by Mandi Anderson

Letter from Ted, sent from Salt Lake City

Dear Kirk and Norma,

Before another day passes (I was going to say “gets away”), I must get this letter off so I got up this morning an hour early to do so!

Enclosed are two outlines, Kirk, which I think you will find interesting.  The first, entitled The Patriarchal Order of Priesthood is the one I had specifically in mind sending when we talked.  In my judgment, you will find it authoritative in its documentation and most informative.  While some of it will be redundant to you, some of the material will be new.  Frank Gonzalez, who did the work, is an instructor at the Institute of Relegion at the University of Utah, a Sealer at the Temple, and a group of us who meet once a month, have had the privilege of sitting under his instruction for the past five or six years.  I have found him to be a real student on all aspects of the Church’s doctrine as well as its history.  If my memory is correct, Frank will retire at the end of the current school year.  Anyway, I hope you will enjoy reading it.  Very likely Norma will find it informative also.

The second outline, is one on The Gifts of the Spirit.  Sending it is something of an afterthought.  In my Blessing, Brother Edgley identifies a specific Gift for me and I have tried to do the same in the Blessings I give. This outline offers some enlightenment on several of these special Gifts you may find informative as did I.

In any event, I am pleased to share this information with you and my hope is that you will enjoy having them.

Having dinner with both of you was very enjoyable! And Audrey joins me in expressing our sincere appreciation for a most memorable time.  As we drove towards Boise the next day, Audrey’s comment about both of you certainly reflects my own feelings also.  She said both of you were most gracious.  I feel this word particularly expresses your comment, Kirk, at the temple.  I wanted to respond but I was conscious of the fact that time is always pressing and I did not feel proper in using more of it.  But both of us did appreciate your kind expressions.  Indeed they were “gracious”.  This is a quality worthy of emulation.

After leaving the Temple, we returned to the Motel to pick up our things after changing clothes.  Both Audrey and I remarked that having this facility so convenient had helped us and the fact that you rearranged your plans for dinner so that our Motel could be close by was just another expression of your thoughtfulness.  I say “convenient” and indeed it was until we tried to get across the interchange at 148^th and I 90!  That proved to be a frustration.  We had decided to go to Denny’s for breakfast and we could see it just across the way.  But getting there was another matter!  I ended up on the highway going towards Renton.  As you possibly know, that usually takes an extra ten miles by the time a place to turn around is reached and you retrace that distance.  Anyway, we finally reached Denny’s, picked up a few items at Albertson’s, and started for Boise,  It was then about 11 A.M. your time.  The drive over Snoqualmie(?) was very enjoyable.  The scenery was beautiful although there was a lot of construction going on and three or four military convoys added to slowing our progress.  Other than a stop to pick up a case of apples over close to Yakima, and to change drivers we did not stop.  We arrived in Boise about 8:30 P.M. so you see we traveled well.  We did not have to stop for fuel and had about a quarter of a tank of Diesel left when we reached Boise.  The following morning, we left Boise after visiting my sister, Afton, who is in St. Luke’s recovering from a hip replacement.  I do not remember who her surgeon is but she is doing nicely and feels a future without pain is something she is really anticipating.  Indeed, it is remarkable what you fellows can do today.  Just another evidence of the enlightenment the Lord had poured out on His children today.   

Well, it is good to be home.  But we shall always have special memories of our trip and our visit with you.  Your future now with retirement a prospect, and your anticipation of a mission offers some changes to contemplate.  Surely, we will be interested to learn what develops.  We do want you to remember that we want to host dinner on an evening when you can arrange to do so while you are in Salt Lake.  So please keep that in mind.  While our conversation covered a lot of things, one subject we did not talk about was you, Norma.  Very likely, you would just as soon pass, but Audrey and I both expressed our interest in pursuing that subject.

Lest I wary you, I’ll close for this time.  At your convenience we would be pleased to hear from you.

With Kindest regards,

Ted [signed]

Insert: THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT  F.S. Gonzalez, Ph. D.

Insert: THE PATRIARCHAL ORDER OF PRIESTHOOD F.S. Gonzalez, Ph.D. (R 302, R 326, R 327)

Insert: picture of Kirk J. Anderson and Scott Biddle / caption: This is a favorite picture to me.  This was the first time my grandson, Scott Biddle, had done any fishing.  I was able to help him.  The excitement on his face was priceless.

Insert: picture of clouds and mountain (no caption)

Insert: picture of water tower labeled “Nauvoo” / caption: This is a reminder of my fourth trip to Nauvoo.  This time my son, Rick, was with me.  We made this stop a major one on the way to Chicago when I gave the American Board exams.  Nauvoo becomes more beautiful each time I see it.

Insert: picture missing / caption: This is a view of the fields of Nauvoo looking toward the Mississippi river from the crest of the hill where the temple was built.  My progenitors saw this sight many times when they lived in Nauvoo, and looked upon it the last time when they were driven from their homes to the Salt Lake Valley. 

Insert: picture / caption: I took this picture looking out the window of the Visitors Center in Nauvoo looking at the magnificent view of the statues of women.

Insert: picture / caption: On the way home – a view I have seen so many times I cannot count.  A cloud deck over Washington is just beginning to break up with the late afternoon sun reflecting upon the Columbia River.

Insert: picture / caption: A filtered photographic view of the Cascade Mountains with a sprinkled, fine, mist and a high, thin overcast.

Insert: commentary article titled, “Some Thoughts on the Nature of Paradox” by Elouise Bell.  BYU Today August 1985

Notes concerning article:

Life is filled with paradox; a record that cannot be written with black and white.

By definition, paradox is a statement that appears to contradict itself, and conflict with expectation.

We first encounter this phenomenon in the Garden of Eden.  Consider that Adam & Eve were commanded to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth.  The conflicting commandment instructed them not to partake of the fruit, which would bring death.  Consider further that Adam was also to cleave unto his wife, Eve, and love her with all of his heart.  What was he to do after Eve had partaken of the fruit.  If he did not partake of the fruit, he would disobey his Father in heaven, he would disobey on 2 counts, and obey on 1 count.

I want you to know that I do understand this full scope of this scenario and its paradox.  I’m intrigued that scripturally it would appear that Adam was forgiven his transgression while he was still in the Garden of Eden (Moses 6:53)