Feb 20, 1974

This week we had a wonderful, memorable family home evening. The highlight was a discussion regarding “calling and election made sure”. While I was accumulating material, I came upon a most exciting bit of information that indicates that Bishop David Evans, my great-grandfather had his calling and election made sure in the celestial kingdom when he was a member of Zion’s Camp. I am enclosing the information for perusal by those who are interested. This gives me great hope and assurance that I might do the same – also, it is reassuring to know that David Evans is a member of the Church of the Firstborn and is concerned about his family, including us, on this side of the veil, in helping us to work out our salvation and contribute to the geneaology of this family.

[Pg 54 & 55 are enclosed documents with significant dates/events in the life of Bishop David Evans. It appears that Kirk wrote this sketch and attached it in this journal. It is two pages and includes this on the 2nd page, which seemed a particular interest to Kirk: “Note! Apparently David Evans had his calling and election made sure when a member of Zion’s Camp. Some members of the camp were sealed by the Prophet early but later this blessing was given to all members of the camp – “We were called together again and were sealed up unto eternal life the same as in Kirtland”(from journal of Reuben McBride, BYU Library)”]

PG. 56 – [No Date Provided] Last night I attended Br. Jerry Wilson’s class. The subject was in reference to miracles performed by the Savior and he used as his material the Book of Matthew and Mark. Toward the end of the class I suddenly had a “spiritual understanding” regarding a miracle in our family.

            A few months ago Carol was distraught about school and her ability to learn. At her request I gave her a father’s blessing. In the blessing she was promised that if she would search the scriptures her mind would be cleared of confusion and she would be awakened to the joy of learning. This she earnestly tried to do, but almost simultaneously, Leland began working with Ricky (who has astounded many people in our ward by his knowledge of the Doctrine and Covenants) – and Leland and Shirli in our Family Home Evening created an atmosphere for scripture learning and “scripture chasing”. Since then our FHEvenings have been scripture oriented.

            It was made evident to me that this is the way in which the Lord works and in the case of our family it was by this method that my father’s blessing is being fulfilled. As a result, through promise to Carol, the whole family is profiting.

Feb 10, 1974

Eric and Chris have moved into their new home. This has been a rough period for them. Their home is just right and the appraiser underrates that it’s an unusually fine home. I’m glad to have them close. Eric, Chris, Norma, and I are attending various classes at the Institute. We are learning the Gospel together and it is obviously strengthening our family. Sure we are blessed with the Spirit of Elijah in our family at this time in our mortal lives – a time when we need it greatly to withstand the tribulations of a dehumanizing, pressurized world.

            This week Shirli and Leland’s baby became ill with the “croup” and Leland and I administered to him. He recovered promptly. Again, how grateful I am for the Priesthood in our home and family.

            Last night we attended the “Know Your Religion” series lecture and hear Bro. Mettes – he teaches at BYU in the Dramatic Arts Dept. He was outstanding!! His subject was “When You are Converted – Strengthen Your Brethren” for a two hour talk. My eyes were constantly filled with tears. He was a convert to the church from the Catholic faith and was a Bishop twice before he became a convert – 13 years after becoming a member of the church. I thank God for honest men in the church who are willing to reveal themselves unashamedly that the rest of us might be strengthened.

            As I reflect, I know the precise moment I became converted, truly convered to the church. It was when we were vacationing in McCall and I was reading the life of Wilford Woodruff and lying in the bed in our cabin (in 1963 – 3 years after being an Elders Quorum Pres). Since then my negativism continues to disappear. I long to search for and know the truth and as I learn new truths I am anxious to incorporate them in my life. This is the way it was with Geneology. In May, 1973, I became aware of my desperate state regarding my forebearers. I can’t believe the work that has been done and how much I have been able to accomplish in just 9 months. Rather, how much the Lord has helped me in putting together our records and being of some influence in the ward and our family.

            And so, some 12-13 years after becoming active in the church again, I became converted. Why couldn’t that have happened much earlier that I would not have wasted so much time? I will do anything and go to any length to keep this from happening to anyone in my family and I pray constantly for the true conversion for each one of my wonderful family members. I am enclosing herein a precious letter from Evelyn Schwiermann – whom I taught in Seminary, who is now married and living in Honolulu. Norma and I saw them on our recent trip to Hawaii.

            How grateful I am our lives mean something to someone besides ourselves by “caring” and learning to love – truly love others. I understand why the Prophet Joseph Smith said that his “life was worth nothing to himself if it was not worth anything to his friends”.

[Pg. 52 is an enclosed letter from Evelyn Schwiermann wherein she expresses gratitude for Kirk and Norma’s visit and for taking she and her husband out to dinner. They express that they were “really lifted mentally and spiritually” and expressed gratitude for their conversation as they were able to “talk about personal feelings” with Kirk and Norma and that they didn’t have close friends in HI that they felt they could share those conversations with.]

Feb 2, 1974

This has been a difficult week. The transition of going back to work after spending a wonderful week of reading, meditation, and closeness with Norma is difficult. Not to be melodramatic, but dealing with the every day problems of work and trying to be “in the world yet not of it” can be traumatic. In our present day world this is particularly so because we know there are so many evil scheming men in high places and many of our problems stem from viscous, greedy, corrupt, evil men. We are told we are in the depths of an energy and fuel crisis. Available data about stored fuel does not bear this out and yet the large oil interests made an enormous profit last year. President Nixon presents such an unbelievable “credibility gap” that we cannot believe what he says.

We read in the paper yesterday that the previous Stake President of the Seattle East Stake is involved in what appears to be outright fraud in his business. I am sure that these things do not occur as a result of these men deliberately planning fraudulent, corrupt acts but rather that the subtle influence of evil gradually shapes us if we are not constantly vigilant. One of the most precious things we can possess is the surety that we are undeviatingly honest and trustworthy.

This week I administered a chymopapain injection into a protruded disc for a woman who reacted violently with an anaphylacted reaction. She almost died!!! It if had not been for well-trained personnel in the recovery room she surely would have died. There is nothing that we do in medicine but what we expose the patient to adverse reaction. Fortunately, this does not happen but rarely. When such a reaction occurs or complications arise, it is such a shock!! If a doctor lived with this type of thing too much or too often, it would be almost impossible to keep up with the emotional assault of caring for sick people. As it is, maybe this is the reason that the average life expectancy of a physician is 51 (I am now 53) and the suicide rate for a doctor is 4 times as great as it is for others.

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.