May 9, 1974

Kirk James has completed his studies and now has time to spend before his final exams. Eric and I therefore flew to Salt Lake on Friday evening to bring him to Seattle. It was a joyful and fun time for all of us. We thoroughly enjoyed each other and the weather was great.

            Kirk talked to his mother and me about bringing Holly (his girlfriend) to Seattle for the summer. He felt that it would be good for Holly and himself to spend the summer in the environment of our family life. I am thrilled and grateful that he would contemplate this. I think they are contemplating marriage and Kirk wants Holly to experience and see the type of family life we are now enjoying. How can I ever thank my Father in heaven enough for allowing me to capture the essence of true family life as He has intended it to be for His children here on earth.

            It now appears that Leland and Shirli desire to stay here in Seattle. I know that this will be a disappointment to both of their parents but on the other hand I feel that it will expand the Spirit of family unity to a greater number of people in our family. Oh! – How I long to have us maintain this wonderful blessing and build upon it. I truly believe that if we continue this way we will be capable of living the law of consecration without difficulty. My heart yearns for us to be involved in a family business of some type. I wonder if the Lord is directing me by the Spirit to constantly contemplate such an endeavor. It will come to pass if this is the Lord’s will for us and if we obey his commandments.

[Multiple letters enclosed from Evelyn Schwiermann, Tim Walker, Bob Backstein, and Ted Ferrenburg (sp?). Kirk notes, about these letters that they are “meaningful and pertinent to my life”. ]

Jan 26, 1974

We are returning home today – Norma and I have had a wonderful time – a marvelous rest. Our spirits and souls particularly have been regenerated. When we pray we are able to feel spiritually attune and close to God and we find ourselves lost in the more refined sphere of spiritual gratitude for the marvelous joys in our lives. What a contrast to those times when we are under the “pressure” of our temporal lives. I would pray that everyone – especially the honest in heart – might “pause” frequently in their lives to meditate and reflect prayerfully about the important things in life.

Yesterday, we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center which is owned by the Church to provide a means by which all the Polynesian people might make enough money to go to the Church school and then return home to be an example to their own people. The center point of course is the Hawaiian temple. We went to the information center and heard the presentation about the origin of the Polynesian people and the importance of the Book of Mormon and the Bible in their lives. As the young Polynesian student guided us around and bore his testimony to us I knew we were on hallowed ground and that there was a great – truly – a great out-pouring of the Spirit. It seems hard to believe but there were a number of people who did not even start to grasp the significance of the Gospel message. Surely, only the “honest in heart” can recognize the voice of the Shepherd.

The Polynesian people are beautiful. They have a simplicity and freshness that sets them apart from the reckless “pace of the world”. Apostle Matthew Cowley told the Polynesians “I want to tell you native people that you will never be great trying to be great white people. You will be great only by trying to be great natives. You have a delicacy of soul which the white man does not possess.” Surely our individual greatness lies in being ourselves.

Jan 24, 1974

Tonight Norma and I are in Honolulu. We had planned a snow skiing trip with the family but it did not work out because of the “energy crisis” and the kids could not get out of school. Therefore, spontaneously, we decided to come to Hawaii. The children supported us in this.

Norma has given of herself to the family and particularly so during the holidays and I am pleased that we could be alone together for a little time. We have done nothing but read, study, swim in the surf, walk, and eat – so much so that we cut our stay on Maui short because we were getting “antsy”.

I have re-read and studied most of the D & C and cross-referenced it with the other standard works.

Today we saw the USS Arizona memorial where over 1000 men went down with the battleship when it was bombed by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. I thought how most of the people in the world are pawns or marionettes in the hands of a few powerful wicked men of the world and how we have been influenced by war during most of my life. Truly, a feeling of emptiness and useless wasting of young life was felt as we stood over the sunk battleship which still holds the bodies of the dead. I have decided to call my right fifth finger a “memory finger”. As a tradition I have been and will continue to look for rings to remind me of pleasant travels and memories in my life. I now have rings from Mexico, Egypt, Jerusalem, and Honolulu.

Jan 11, 1974

This preceding note from Shirli and Leland to Norma and me [the note reads as follows: “Dear Uncle Kirk & Aunt Norma and family, I wanted to write you a friendly Happy Holiday note and say a few of the thoughts that are on my mind. How do you thank someone for 50 Sunday dinners, 60 loads of wash, 100 listening ears, a couch, four chairs, a beautiful flannel baby quilt, a baby book and an always open door? And heart? I guess you just write Thank you on blue paper for a start… Thank you! Much love, Leland, Shirli & Leland III] is so meaningful and important because we have been privileged to reach our arms and heart to these wonderful relates and become “family”. When such respect and love exists, nothing seems impossible. It truly is that part of the Spirit of Elijah which turns the harts of the Fathers to the children and creates a celestial-like family life here upon this earth -> truly “a bit of heaven on earth”. Last week when we were walking down the street together, Shirli spontaneously stated “I like you” – what a thrill!! I love my family so much – Truly the Lord has opened the gates of heaven and poured out a blessing on me that I would have never thought possible. I know that other members of our family on the other side of the veil are watching over us and guiding us and I feel confident in times of stress.

I love to write in this journal. I can almost see the people of my family who will walk the earth after me and will read these words and know of me. A bond will be created between me and them and in this family which will help to make us a true Zion people. I want more than anything for us to be a great [underlined four times] family in the eyes of the Lord because we desire to do His will and obey His commandments. As a consequence He may then give us great power through the Priesthood to do His work here upon the earth.

I love the scriptures. I have just completed an hour of study in the Doctrine and Covenants. It is apparent to me now that in order to lose ourselves in the scriptures and understand them, we must ponder each passage and pray over each passage or phrase to understand their meaning.

I spent most of the week in Salmon, Idaho working. This began 2 years ago when Dr. Boyd Simmons (also a Stake President’s counselor) asked me to fly to Salmon and do some total hip replacements. Since then I have continued to fly to Salmon to see patients. I have enjoyed it for several reasons – 1. Because my medical skills have more meaning in the small remote area where such medical care is not readily available – as a sideline it is interesting that my presence in the community is a threat to orthopaedists who work in the cities over 150 miles away. Doctors are some of the most defensive, insecure people who declare an imaginary domain and get “all shook up” if it is invaded. 2. Because the people of Salmon are “different”. They are more hardy and heal themselves faster than the “city folk”. The relationship is a more genteel, appreciative one. 3. Because I have been able to stay with the Simmons and have many precious hours of communication. They are striving for the same things we are. They have experienced much sorrow because their decisions in life have taken them on pathways at times that restrict them in their desires to have complete “freedom” to be profitable servants for the Lord. I respect and love them so very much. And 4, lastly, because I love to fly. Flying is very much like surgery and like the pursuit of living. It can be highly successful and rewarding if the pilot is prepared; has an alternate plan if the primary flight plan fails or is threatened; and if the pilot is knowledgeable enough to make intelligent decisions. I have progressively improved myself to become a commercial and instrument rated pilot and am now working toward an ATR (Airline Transport Rating). Getting an instrument rating allows a pilot to penetrate a world where he cannot see and must depend on his instruments (akin to faith). He must gain a superior knowledge to fly in a world of clouds and weather systems that otherwise would be the means of his destruction. So it is with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we soften our hearts and place ourselves in His hands, but at the same time gain greater knowledge of His world through study and prayer, then we are allowed to see things through our Spirit eyes and we can enter and penetrate a world of new experiences that lift us from just living in a restricted mortal world. Yeserday, when flying home I was able to fly “on top” of clouds which covered most of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and then penetrate a layer of clouds to make an instrument approach to Boeing field which brought me home. Very few people saw the beauty of the setting sun filtering through a spectacular lenticular cloud on top of Mt. Rainier and its brilliance extending through the cloud layers as I descended to earth. How very fortunate I am!!! How grateful I am!!!

I must spend a few hours now paying bills – which I detest, but it is made easier by the rich moments I have spent this morning reading the scriptures and recording my thoughts. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the abundance we have been given and the nature of the stewardship we have been given to manage. We are out of debt so that we can of our own free will contribute to the welfare of others that “we might esteem our brethren as ourselves”. Norma and I have been given a large family to manage and considerable resources. We must organize our time and efforts and activities that we might effectively manage our stewardship effectively. It is in this sense that I don’t mind keeping our affairs in order. However, deep in my heart I long for us to reach a state where we can live the law of consecration – So!!! back to the mundane things of life.

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.