June 1, 1986- transcribed by Mandi Anderson

Insert: “Royalty and Temple Marriage” talk given by Elder Royden G. Derrick, Seattle Temple President, June 1, 1986

ROYALTY AND TEMPLE MARRIAGE

Nearly everyone, if not all, has read the beautiful story of Cinderella.  It has kindled dreams and aspirations in the hearts and minds of little girls that have smoldered through adolescence.  Nearly every young lady has dreamed of marrying a prince, but have placed doing so beyond the realms of reality.

The Apostle Peter, writing to the saints of his day who held the Melchizedek Priesthood, addressed them as “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9).  Why would he make such a salutation?  The most clarifying attribute of royalty is the blood line.  “In general, the Lord sends to earth in the lineage of Jacob those spirits who in pre-existence developed an especial talent for spirituality and for recognizing truth.  Those born in this lineage (have) the blood of Israel in their veins and (find) it easy to accept the gospel…  Since much of Israel has been scattered among the gentile nations, it follows that millions of people have mixed blood, blood that is part Israel and part gentile.  The more of the blood of Israel that an individual has, the easier it is for him to believe the message of salvation as taught by the authorized agents of the Lord.  This principle the Lord had in mind when he said to certain Jews: ‘ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine… But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.’” (John 10:14, 26-27; Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 81)

The royal line of Israel is through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Nevertheless, one can enjoy all the promises and special blessings the Lord has given to the children of Israel through the law of adoption.  Those who received the gospel and obey the principles of the gospel, regardless of their blood line are adopted into the lineage of Abraham (Abr. 2:9-11).  “The effect of the Holy Ghost upon a gentile is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually the seed of Abraham” (Teachings, pp 149-150).  In the oath and covenant of the priesthood we learn that those who magnify their callings in the Melchizedek Priesthood are “sanctified by the spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.  They become the … seed of Abraham” (D&C 84:33-34).  Therefore, all the promises that have been given to Abraham and his posterity are given to them, predicated upon their righteousness, as though they had been of the actual blood lineage of Abraham.

Royalty connotes that there is a king and a kingdom.  In temple marriages Heavenly Father is the king.  The kingdom of heaven.  The groom is the prince and the bride is the princess.  The prince inherits his father’s kingdom.  “Therefore all that (his) Father hath shall be given unto him, “ the Savior promised (D&C 84:38).  The princess shares the kingdom, for “man is not without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord.”

In the sealing room of the temple a beautiful princess kneels on one side of the altar and a handsome prince on the other.  He who is authorized seals the couple in holy matrimony, not until death do they part, but for time and for all eternity, for he holds the authority to bind in heaven that which is bound on earth.  This is the same authority to which the Savior referred when he said to Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” (Matt. 16:19)  these same keys were given by Elijah the prohphet to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836 and the sealing authority has been given to others for this purpose.  Thus haing satisfied civil and eternal law a new family begins in mortality to be extended into the eternities based upon their remaining faithful to the covenants they received in the temple.  The two are welded together in the bond of holy matrimony and share together all the promises and blessings extended through the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood.  It now behooves the young prince to build his wife into a beautiful queen and the princess to build her husband into a great king.  Her childhood fantasy of Prince Charming thus becomes reality – which is only a beginning.

Insert: Poem (author unknown), handwritten caption on side of poem: I have treasured and drawn strength from this Poem so many times.  Hope it does the same for you –

EDUCATION WEEK PROGRAMS

Jaynann M. Payne, Instructor

A Solitary Way

There is a mystery in human hearts.

And though we be encircled by a host

Of those who love us well, and are beloved,

To every one of us, from time to time,

There comes a sense of utter loneliness.

Our dearest friend is “stranger” to out joy

And cannot realize our bitterness:

“There is not one who really understands,

Not one to enter into all I feel”;

Such is the cry of each of us in turn,

We wander in a solitary way.

No matter what or where our lot may be;

Each heart, mysterious even to itself,

Must live its inner life in solitude.

And would you know the reason why this is?

It is because the Lord desires our love.

In every heart He wishes to be first.

He therefore keeps the secret key Himself,

With perfect sympathy and holy peace

Each solitary soul which comes to Him.

So when we feel this loneliness it is

The voice of Jesus saying, “Come to Me.”

It is a call to us to come again.

For Christ alone can satisfy the soul.

And those who walk with Him from day to day

Can never have a solitary way.

And when beneath some heavy cross you faint,

And say, “I cannot bear this load alone,”

You say the truth, Christ made it purposely

So heavy that you must return to Hi.

The bitter grief, which “no one understands,”

Conveys a secret message from the King,

Entreating you to come to Him again.

The Man of Sorrows understands it well

In all pints tempted He can feel with you.

You cannot come too often, or too near,

The Son of God is infinite in grace.

His presence satisfies the longing soul.

And those who walk with Him from day to day 

Can never have a solitary way.

November 28, 1985 transcribed by Mandi Anderson

Nov. 28, 1985

Today is Thanksgiving.  The Lord has spoken to the people of the Northwest and called then to repentance.  This I know because He informs us in the scriptures that He would speak to the people of the World through calamitous events.  Thus, Mexico has suffered its greatest earthquake of all time.  Columbia recently had a volcano blow, just like our Mt. St. Helens did 5 years ago, and 20,000 people died.  Repeated Hurricanes have decimated the Eastern coast and the states of Florida, North Carolina, & Georgia.

Now, for the past 4 days we have experienced the coldest weather for this time of year on record with snowstorms which have paralyzed the city.

Kirk James & his family were to have spent Thanksgiving with us this year, but couldn’t make it at the last minute.

Insert: letter 

27 Nov 1985

Brother Kirk Anderson,

Just a note to thank you – for the lovely blessing you gave me -  The time you spent preparing for it and for the time afterward in writing it up.  The journal was a very special touch.  Just the previous week I had been thinking how I needed a more permanent book to keep my journal in, than the paper notebook I had been using.  Your timing was perfect I know it wasn’t required of you to do so & I so appreciate your efforts.  I have no doubt that you will be blessed for magnifying your calling.  And I feel I have been truly blessed through my association with you.

Richard & I both express our gratitude for your part in our special day 23 Nov 1985.  We are eternally grateful. Thankyou for being there in spite of the weather.

I especially enjoyed your comment about our marriage – just the week before I said to Richard that on Saturday we will be married for real.  Now we are

You are a special person & we appreciate the special part you’ve played in our lives.  We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Love, Sister Yevonne Cole

November 17, 1895 - transcribed by Mandi Anderson

Seattle 10^th ward November 17, 1985 / caption: This day has special importance for me.  Pres. Ezra Taft Benson was my stake Pres. when I was a priest.  He was also a close friend of my father, who treated him as a patient.

Insert: letter “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” letterhead

SEATTLE TEMPLE

2808 148^th Avenue S.E.

Bellevue, Washington 98007 December 3, 1985

Kirk J. Anderson

13513 Northshire Road Northwest

Seattle, Washington 98177

Dear Brother Anderson:

Brother Nelson Snow has apprised us of the supportive attitude you have evidenced during the transition to the temple recording system and the high standard to which you are fulfilling your assignment.  We commend you for your faithfulness, your diligence, and your sincere commitment to this sacred work.

You will undoubtedly agree that the improved eye contact with proxies at the alter made possible with the new TRS system introduce an increased spirituality consistent with what we are all striving to attain in the temple.  We believe that this spirit could be further enhanced if, when the opportunity permits, sealers would serve as witnesses in live sealings being performed by other sealers.  Hopefully, by grasping concepts and ideas from the best of others we can gravitate toward an even higher spiritual realm.

We are grateful for your presence and participation in prayer meetings held at 6:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. when you are able to attend.  That too adds to the celestial spirit which prevails in the temple.

We extend to you our gratitude for your valued service and our best wishes to you and your loved ones for a joyous Christmas season.

Sincerely yours,

SEATTLE TEMPLE PRESIDENCY

Rayden Werrick [signature]

Robert Jones [signature]   

Earl Carlson [signature]

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)

October 6, 1974

Kirk James, Greg (Jane’s friend) and Tom and I went through the Provo Temple today where Tom received his own endowments. It was one of the very special days of my life. To be in the Lord’s sacred house with these choice young men brought me closer to my dear Father in Heaven and His beloved Begotten Son than I have known in some time. This same feeling continued throughout the day and I was able to have deep talks of committed love with Jane, Greg, I also called Chris and Eric by phone and proclaimed to them their great worth in our family and my personal love for them. I love my Father in Heaven because He has led me in the pathways of righteous love and “caring” for my wife, my beloved family, my friends, and all men, having removed the feelings of prejudice that I have known in the past. I will do anything necessary to continue this great blessing in a world where Satan rules as he did in the days of Noah. I serve my dear Father and the Savior because I have drunk at the fountain of their great love.

Nov 25, 1973

What a special day!!! I was able to ordain Eric an Elder. Kirk James, Leland, Bishop Filleny, Bro. Jay Ferell and Don Duff stood in with me. Eric has made such a change in his life in the last 6 months. Leland and Shirli talked in sacrament meeting tonight. Several people told me it was the finest talk they had ever heard. I cannot believe the unbelievably wonderful personalities that surround me in this family. They are dearer to me than life itself. They make life what it is. I pray constantly for the guidance and Spirit of the Lord to guide me in my patriarchal relationship to these magnificent spirits. Here we are living in a world that is “falling apart” with corruption in all walks of life, wars, an energy crisis, etc. and we are basking in a spirit of love and confidence. The Spirit of the Lord is with us and I pray that He will guide us as a family according to His will to do His work. Yesterday 105 brethren from our stake flew down to the Oakland Temple and did 315 Endowments. We had no sleep for 36 hours and fasted before going. I found it very hard to find spirituality under these circumstances. What thrilled me most was that several brethren contributed more fares than one so that other brethren could go with us. It was a good lesson in receiving for some as well as giving for others. I hope that this can be done in our stake 1-2 times a year.

[In between Nov 25 and Nov 30, 1973 Posts – an article taped into the page titled “What it takes to become a great doctor” by Stafford L. Warren, MD. It is and article from November 12, 1973 and was printed in a publication titled “Medical Economics” and begins on p. 251. Kirk’s comments on this article are noted on the page: “this article defines and categorizes Doctors as I have come to recognize them”.]

Nov 22, 1973 - Thanksgiving

What a special day!!! Kirk has come home to be with us because the family “turns him on” – Eric, Chris and little Eric will be here and Leland and Shirli will bring their special spirits to make this a memorable day. Kirk and I arose at 6 am to take John and Rick to the airport. They will fly to Salt Lake to join Nathelle and family – Tom, Kathy, etc. for a few days.

We all feel a great deal of anticipation regarding Chris’ and Shirli’s deliveries. Chris should deliver anytime and any day this week-end. Shirli expects her baby around Dec. 14. We have so much to be Thankful for. The Lord has blessed us so abundantly. We are enjoying a family unity and love such as I have never known. I sincerely hope that whoever might read this will feel the Spirit of transformation that has come over us. Truly we are now experiencing “A Bit of Heaven on Earth” in our home and can see and feel what salvation in the Celestial kingdom; being able to continue this relationship in the presence of God will be like.

I have been asked to give the Christmas message to the University Ward. This is a special privilege to be asked by a very discerning group of young people. I welcome the opportunity because I must ponder and pray and think deeply about the Savior if it is to be meaningful and then prepare myself further by fasting that I might have the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is not just another assignment but rather a quest in understanding that I might carry the audience with me on to a greater understanding of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I miss Jane and Tom tremendously and look forward to Christmas when they will be returning home.

Although there is much to be done along the pathway of personal purification, I feel that the Spirit of the Lord is with me and guiding me. Two things have happened this past week which indicate it to be so.

Briefly, I was asked to see a woman about her back problem (2 previous surgeries) whom I did not know. It happened that she was a member of the Church. As we were talking after her exam it came to me by the Spirit that one of the key problems in her life was preparing to go on a mission. I told her so and she was startled and asked me how I knew about her. I told her I knew nothing about her before I walked into the hospital room. She then told me about her plans to go on a mission and how her son had administered to her and told her that she would be led to a person who would help her with her medical problems.

I have also been concerned about a brother who is a recent convert who became very confused and troubled. I was asked to fellowship him as a home-teaching companion. One night he was so confused and negative that he called the Bishop and asked that no one in the church contact him.

Lately I have had a strong feeling to go against that request and contact him and let him know of my concern for him. Last Sunday night he called me to tell me that he was feeling better and was finding his way back to the church. I just regret that I did not get the call to him first.

101 Priesthood brethren in our Stake will be making a temple excursion tomorrow to Oakland. This will be a special spiritual experience. We have 18 going from our ward. It has been my assignment to put it together for our ward.

May the Spirit of the Lord be with us this day and know the gratitude of our heart for all the blessing that are ours as a family; for the stewardship we have been given to manage; for life here upon this particular world where He worked out His ministry; for experience in adversity, love, and joy; for a deep-seated desire to learn – an insatiable desire to learn about Him; for a testimony and conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.