May 17, 1974

On the opposite page is a letter we have just received from Jane. She is currently on a survival course as a part of her BYU Sociology Course. What she wrote attests that when we withdraw from “worldly ways” and the carnal appetite way of life that our communion with God is much more likely. Jane is such a choice spirit, a tremendous strength to our family. When she returns home from this trip she will then go to N.Y. to participate in the “Hill Cumorah Pageant”. I’m so grateful that she is able to partake of so many wonderful blessings at this time in her life. [Letter enclosed from Jane talking about her experience. She reports that she hikes about 15-20 miles a day, but that they don’t hike every day. She talks about being very cold at night and that they eat and drink very little when they are out for two days at a time. She talks about a “jackrabbit stew” that they made one night.]

[No date provided] between May 9 and May 17, 1974

Using the Book of Mormon as a model I am recording thoughts, events, letters and incidents of spiritual significance to me and that I believe will strengthen the spiritual posture of my family.

            I wish to record an incident of great importance to me and the man whose picture appears on the proceeding page – Dr. Helaman Pratt Ferguson. He opened my understanding to new dimensions pertaining to administering to the sick through the power of the Priesthood.

            Br. & Sister Ferguson asked Norma and I to come to their home one Sunday evening after church. After a pleasant visit they informed us that their son was to have another surgery performed on his eyes. The youngster had had a prior operation and there was little medical hope because the boy was not able to “fuse” his visual objects in the brain. I was then asked to administer to young Helaman the next evening. I was grateful to be asked but fearful because of the responsibility and concern.

            After fasting and prayer the next evening I appeared at the Ferguson home to find 2 other close friends there. Again, we visited for some time, perhaps two hours. I must admit that I was becoming restless and irritated because I had arose at 5 AM to teach seminary the next morning and the time was now 10 PM. Br. Ferguson then asked us all to kneel in a prayer circle and each of us prayed individually, fervently, calling upon the Lord in “mighty prayer” to guide us in this administration, that His will be done.

            Br. Ferguson then brought his son from the bedroom to be administered to. He was asleep. In an administration that drained my physical strength a promise was pronounced upon this boy that he would be made “whole” again. A miracle was wrought and the boy was able to see normally. I will never forget in church one morning subsequently that young Helaman Ferguson looked at me and I knew that we knew one another by the Spirit in spite of our age difference.

            I learned that if it is possible that we should estrange ourselves from the world and enter into the Lord’s atmosphere of peace and with a broken and contrite heart and gentleness of soul when we understand to do great things in the Lord’s kingdom then we are ready to really know the Lord’s will. Also, the combined faith of faithful and virtuous saints creates a power of unbelievable dimensions.

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”. ]

April 27, 1974 Letter from Kirk James to Carol

On the opposite page is a letter of great importance to our family in which Kirk James writes to Carol on her 17th birthday and gives her counsel about what is most important in life. I am proud of Kirk because he has come through a very difficult year in law school being taught Priestcraft – or the precepts of men – and he remains strong in his testimony – what he has to say to all of us will have a great impact on all members of our family.

[Enclosed is a letter from Kirk James to Carol. The following is highlighted within the letter: “The most important thing you can do right now is to learn as much as you can about the Church and the scriptures and what they really mean. There really is a purpose to this life which very few people understand. Once you understand that purpose then you can feel secure. As I look around at all the so-called “great men” in the law school I realize how insecure they are. They have concentrated so much of their efforts in the direction of the law that they don’t know how to cope with life and people and their families. So as I look at you, Jane, Tom, John and Rick I see so much wisdom that those men will never have. Sure they know a lot because they’ve studied a lot, but they aren’t wise. So really, in a sense you’re a lot more grown up and mature than they are and ever will be. So don’t worry so much about what you’ll do in terms of a profession. Try and learn who you are and prepare yourself for a family, etc. If you do that the Lord just won’t let you down and you’ll be happy.” Additional highlights include Kirk James noting that the price of stamps had gone from 8 cents to 10 cents and stating that he had “tried to cut my letter writing down to a minimum.”]

April 12, 1974

This past week we were able to attend conference in SLC – Norma, John, Rick and I were able to fly to SLC together. We were able to get the family together on Sunday – 17 of us – the Dones, grandma Pixton and Kirk, Jane, Tom and us were together. On the way back to SEA we stopped in Boise and found that Norma’s mother was doing well. We also had a visit with my father and Florence. So I feel good at present that we have a good understanding of our families and a good feeling exists between us.

            As always, the conference was excellent. The prophets talked by the Spirit and related forcibly to the issues of today. It’s interesting this week that there has been extremely bad weather in the east and western section of the USA. There have been cyclones back east that have caused a loss of 300 lives and several billion dollars in damage. Again, this is fulfillment of prophecy in that we have been warned that there would be thunderings, earthquakes, etc which will serve as a warning to the people to repent. Literally, it is the voice of the Lord calling the people to repentance.

            Yesterday, I flew to Portland to visit with Grant Fagg and Glen Haws. Both of these men are unique Saints and choice priesthood holders. Br. Fagg was our previous Stak Pres. He is a choice person who is trying to truly put aside the things of this world. Consequently, this is why I went to visit with him. We spent 3.5 hours in intimate spiritual conversation and he has helped me to better crystallize my own thoughts, goals, and will help the future direction of my life. He was in a position to become one of the top 3 people in a highly successful pharmaceutical company but withdrew because he desired to be closer to his family. Now he has made another step by accepting a full-time assignment in the LDS Institute system. He is primarily motivated by his desire to become a true Son of God. This I desire with all my heart also. Br. Haws who also gave up a teaching position in the secular world as a Professor, now teaches in the Institute and is a true healer of the souls of men. He is also a Bishop and a father of 8 children. He told me of a man he knows in Provo who started with a small store, He then built it into a chain of stores and he became a millionaire – but!! – he has lost all of his seven children from the church. This is such an often repeated story its unbelievable that we can’t learn from the experience of others.

            Today, a beautiful Saturday morning, as I baby-sit my grandson Eric my heart soars with gratitude for the unbelievable blessings that have been showered upon this family. I cannot of myself generate the love and genuine charity I feel, I pray that I might live as a true patriarch to my family, that through me and the Priesthood I hold might flow the revelations that will guide us to exaltation. I envision that I might one day stand with Norma in the presence of God and rejoice with Him that we have successfully brought our choice family back into His presence with His guidance.

            I love the Savior and my Father in Heaven more each day. I desire to know them – truly know and understand the Atonement. As I envision the Savior on the cross my body is racked with emotion because He cared so much about me and my brethren & sisters upon this earth that He died for us under such degraded circumstances. And so, as I sat in the presence of Pres. Fagg, we intimately exchanged spiritual thoughts and felt an atmosphere charged with spiritual emotion because our “bond” is common and centers in the personal relationship we have with the Savior. Our brotherhood has been bought by experience, decisions, trials and the knowledge of both joy and despair. I am so grateful that there are men that have so lived and love so freely that they can give of themselves so fully. And so I approach this Easter with a prayer that my understanding of the Atonement may be deepened.