July 29, 2015

There have been times in my life when experiences have filled me with joy to the point of it filling my whole being.  Yesterday was one of those days.  Our sweet, beautiful granddaughter Emily Bott returned home from serving an eighteen month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Lima, Peru. It is no small thing for a nineteen year old to leave her family and travel such a far distance to teach our brothers and sisters of the world that God loves them and there is an Eternal plan for them.

Emily is on the right

She has lived worthy of blessings from the Lord.  She has chosen to be righteous in a world of unrighteousness.  She has chosen to be morally clean in an immoral world; she has chosen God's laws to govern her life.  The word JOY can hardly even describe the feelings in my heart because of her choice to serve.

Emily in the Peruvian Mountains

I wanted to be at the airport to greet her coming home yesterday, but Roger and I are serving our own mission here in Vermont.  It is amazing to feel the power that comes from making the choice to serve. 

The family at the airport, mom, dad, brother, sisters,

aunts, uncles and cousins

I look forward to our homecoming next spring.  There will be JOY in my heart then. I will hug these dear ones and give thanks to the Lord for how they each bless my life.

Welcome home Emily!!!!!!!

This is Roger: "When I talked to Emily yesterday I told her: thanks for coming home in glory!"  She cried, "Thanks Grandpa.

Forest

July 9, 2015

We drove through the forest today on our way to Woodstock. The forests are very alluring to me.  I am in awe that so many trees can grow and thrive in this country. It is called the Green Mountain State for a reason. 

I have always been interested in how parents would keep their children safe in woods like these.  This area was settled so very early in the Nation's history.

My mother and grandmother used to sing a song to me as a child, called "Poor Babes in the Woods."  I always thought it was such a sad song and my own children would never let me sing it to them. If I started they would stop me and not let me finish. It was sung for many generations linking it to me. I think it was a way of teaching children not to go into the woods alone, just like the songs I sing like "Let the Ball Roll," reminding my kids not to chase after a ball when it goes into the street, or "Don't Go Down  to the Railroad Tracks" it is never safe to play by the railroad tracks.

I have a greater understanding of the childhood song that goes like this:

Poor Babes in the Woods

Oh don't you remember a long time ago,

two little babes, their names I don't know.

They strayed far away one bright summers day,

and were lost in the woods, so I've heard people say.

And when it was night, so sad was their plight,

The moon didn't shine and the stars gave no light.

And all the night long they sobbed and they sighed,

Poor babes in the woods, they laid down and died.

And when they were dead the robin so red,

Brought strawberry leaves and over them spread.

And all the night long they sang this sweet song,

"Poor babes in the woods, poor babes in the woods."

I do believe that mothers who wished to protect their children and maybe even scare them into not going into the woods sang these songs. BUT the woods are beautiful and mesmerizing.

July 6, 2015

On July 4, 2015 we, as missionaries, participated in the Randolph, Vermont, parade.  There was preparation early in the morning, mostly blowing up 250 balloons with mormon.org written on them. We would be handing them out to the children along the route. The float was built a couple of years ago by Elder and Sister Mooney and Elder and Sister Harmon.  They are home now, but the float still is the best one in all the parades.

Elder Wilson and Elder Ence unloading the monument

This monument comes apart for easy transport, although it is heavy it does not weight tons. 

Elder Broberg and Elder Ence 

securing the shaft

Then came the hundreds of balloons. They were tied to the "gator" so we would have easy access to cut the strings to hand to the children along the route.

Diana said to Roger

"Don't get carried away dad"

Now the float is ready for the 2 mile long parade where 5,000 people would see our sign, carry our balloons, receive pass-along cards and eat some good candy.

Roger drove the gator

I walked and handed out balloons

It was fun to experience a parade as an old person.  And I was able to get my walk in for the morning.

It was our time at the visitor center after the parade.  We knew it would be a long day, but had no idea it would be sweet.

There were a lot of people come to the center on the 4th.  We had about a hundred and fifty visitors and 25 of them were non-members. I love teaching the reason for this site. This is truly a place where people can come and feel, some place away from the confusion of the world.

I taught a family visiting here from the Philippines. They told me that their families in the Philippines were excited that they could come here.  The sweet little mother wept the minute she entered the visitor center and the tears flowed for the whole tour. The children, of course, loved the golf cart tour. She said as they left "Thank you sister, this is the best 4th of July I have ever had." It was a great 4th of the July for me too.

Doctrine and Covenants 98:4-5

"And now, verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land; it is my will that my people should observe to do all things whatsoever I command them.

And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me."

I love my Father in Heaven.  I love that He has made us free.  I love the freedoms of this land as laid out by the "Founding Fathers."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.  I know it.

A place of peace, joy, and remembrance

of the Birth of God's Prophet

Joseph Smith

July 2, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY!
Born July 2, 1973

Roger had just returned from a year in Viet Nam, the summer of 1972, and we were making a move to Pima, Arizona, for him to become a first time Seminary Teacher for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I was excited to have him home and safe and we knew after such a long time we needed to add a child to our family.

In my fourth month of this pregnancy I threatened to miscarry: Roger was out of town for overnight, so my friend Sharleen Smith took me to the hospital in Safford.  They kept me overnight, and I was to meet with the doctor the next day.  He assured me the baby was dead and we should allow them to do an abortion.  Roger had made it home in time for this meeting, and he said "absolutely not!" If we loose the baby it will be on it's own.  I have been forever grateful for his forcefulness. For the next months the doctor would not listen for a heart beat, saying each time, "I am sure the baby is gone!" If that was the case, why did I feel movement and I really started to grow.  

Luckily for all of us we made a move back to Utah in the spring, allowing Old Doctor Johnson (the doctor I loved) to deliver a healthy, beautiful, dark eyed, dark fuzz baby girl, with all her fingers and toes.

Mary's first Birthday!

Mary had a little friend named Alana Lamoreaux.  They loved playing house and getting dressed up, and they would carry their purses to each other's homes.  One day they decided to help me with the canning. Little did I know that they had put the canning rings from my bottles down the toilet.  We only had one toilet in the house, so it caused some problems.  Roger had to take the toilet off and outside to pry the rings out.  The neighbors got a laugh out of that.

Mary loved playing in the dirt.

Mary was always very frugal.  She kept her Halloween candy for months, but Max or Anne would find it and eat it.  She was never happy about that.

Mary was the youngest of the kids to start working in the raspberry patch.  She was always diligent in taking out the dead canes, and she became the best picker of all the kids. She managed the patch from the time she was thirteen and made sure the flats looked perfect to sell.  She is doing raspberries today: she says, "They are on!"

Mary excelled in school, and graduated with high honors. She was in the National Honor Society and on the Seminary Council, and the ZCMI Teen Board. 

Mary and Alan

Mary met Alan Bott at Weber State University, and they were married in the Ogden LDS Temple on 12 June 1993. Alan has been a blessing to our family.  Because of them we have Emily, Ruth, Sarah, Anna Joy, and Jake.

Mary was given the assignment by her dad to get all her siblings to the Temple.  She has succeeded. 

Mary received her Bachelor of Science degree from Weber State University, which is good, but that is not all, she can fix anything. She came here to Vermont and found that our bathroom door knob was a mess; her dad had tried to fix it. She got the tools and within a very few minutes had all the door knobs in the apartment fixed. Mary can do anything she sets her mind to.  She is compassionate and loving.  She spent many hours sitting with her Grandma Petersen reading to her and talking with her when Grandma couldn't utter a word because of a stroke. I love her for that.

Jake, Alan, Anna Joy, Ruth, Mary

at the Joseph Smith Memorial

Mary and Alan came to visit us here in Vermont.  We loved the time we spent with them.  

Joseph Smith Monument

Dad and I hope you have a wonderful Birthday and that your goodness will continue to bless all those around you. You and your family are precious to us.  

DAD AND I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

June 2, 2015

Last Saturday I went to the first ever "New England Inter-Faith Women's Conference" sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  There was an impressive three thousand women in attendance.  I was impressed as the introduction of the day was made and we were asked to use reverence during the day allowing the spirit to touch our hearts.  We were asked NOT to applaud after musical numbers and speakers, maintaining that reverence. This is New England. They must not have heard, no applause. They applauded before and after every person that had a part on the program. It really did take away from the spirit.

However, there were amazing speakers.  Stephanie Nielsen spoke, and there wasn't a dry eye in the audience.  I can't remember the name of the woman, who was a great humanitarian; her love of the people of the world and the work she does to help them was incredible. Then a surprise speaker came; Elder Jeffery R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, was in the area and stopped by just to leave a blessing on us all. His testimony was full of joy. These wonderful speakers were applauded before and after they spoke.  I was in awe that so few in the audience could follow directions. 

I had signed up for a class called "The Face of Jesus Christ in Paintings and Sculpture."  I was excited about this class because I love great art. But I was disappointed.  The woman who presented the class had brought pictures of terrible, disgusting, pictures of our Lord.  None of them carried any spirit.  I thought that some one, who was a curator of a museum of fine art and a Christian, would want us to feel the beauty that so many artists have created with Jesus Christ as the subject. I was so disappointed I wanted to cry. 

I was the one driving. I had Sister Cowdin and Sister Mead with me, and we had decided we would not attend the last session because we needed to be on the road so we could get home before dark. Elder Cowdin and Roger were taking care of the Visitor Center. So we had one chance more to lift my heart.  We all decided to stay together for this workshop. We needed a feeling of the spirit to take home with us.  We were blessed.  It started with Dallyn Bayles singing "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables. It was incredible. I didn't know until then that he plays the part of Hyrum Smith in the Restoration Movie, which I show all the time. His voice and the song brought tears to my eyes. Then the LDS Institute Director for the Massachusetts area spoke. Her name is Barbara Morgan.  She told us a story that was familiar to all of us. President Spencer Kimball was in the airport at Chicago and he saw a young, very pregnant mother traveling alone with her young daughter, and she needed help.  She had been forced into a layover because of weather, and she was struggling. President Kimball asked her if he could help her by holding her little daughter, to give the mother a rest.  I have always loved that story. Well it turns out that the woman was Barbara Morgan's mother, and the little girl her older sister.  She said she asked her mother why she never told that story to anyone and she said, "it is President Kimball's story." It was definitely a tender workshop.  I was fed.

I loved being able to travel the two hours (each way) to this conference with wonderful sisters who serve with me at the Visitor Center. There are parts that I will never forget. Some good, some bad. But I will always remember the loving testimony of Elder Holland, the sister with the incredible humanitarian experiences, Stephanie Nielsen, and the example of her love of God and perseverance, Dallyn Bayles (Hyrum), singing one of my favorite songs, and the wonderful stories and testimony of Barbara Morgan.  
I am glad I went.

May 26, 2015

The Green Mountain Boys:

Yesterday was Memorial Day.  We were busy the whole day.  We filled helium balloons with the captions mormon.org on them; we got candy and Joseph Smith Birthplace Pass Along Cards ready for the Tunbridge, VT, parade.  We also went into South Royalton for Roger to march in their parade from the High School to the Green, where he was to give the keynote address.  There is a lot of patriotism here, but I notice that no one but me (in the crowd) sang the National Anthem.  SAD.  I don't think they had ever known the words.

Last Wednesday we went to Fort Ticonderoga just over the New York border (still in our mission).  Roger wanted to prepare himself for the speech he would give on Memorial Day.  It was very interesting.

I am adding some pictures from our visit so you all can get an idea of what we experienced.

War in those days took on a very different look from today's wars.

I am also adding a copy of Roger's speech; it is worth reading.

A New Birth of Freedom

On this Memorial Day I would like to salute the men and women of Vermont. As I look at the stones you have erected on this square to honor your dead, I am reminded of the stones Joshua had his troops carry up from the bottom of the Jordan River to remind the Israelites who they were.  Joshua wanted a memorial that his people could always come to so they would always remember their forefathers and the warriors who had perished in the wilderness.

There are so many beautiful cemeteries throughout Vermont.  And it is good to be here to day to honor our dead, and especially our dead warriors.  The seed bed of our national heritage has long had strong roots right here in Vermont.  The Green Mountains were the first lands brought into the Union after the original Thirteen Colonies.  But behind the battlements of Bunker Hill, on the boats crossing the Delaware, and in the crude green-wood cabins of Valley Forge were Green Mountain Boys. These first patriots sacrificed comfort and convenience before spilling their precious blood.  They counted it a service to their posterity to stay and suffer.  No one liked it; no one wanted to do it! But they, nevertheless, stayed and gave their all.

The Green Mountain Boys were first organized about 1770.  The English rulers, mostly housed in New York, came up to Vermont and began confiscating the farm lands of the native Vermonters. Ethan Allen was still relatively a young man.  But he hated being abused by government authorities. At first he merely organized the local farmers and sent the New York King's Men running.

However, after the war with England started, the Green Mountain Boys became an invaluable tool in the belt of General Washington.  General Benedict Arnold was sent by Washington to capture Fort Ticonderoga.  Arnold requested a meeting with Ethan Alan.

He explained the effort Washington wanted.  Ethan Allen quickly agreed to bring his Boys into the fight. Arnold only had a small group of soldiers, so it was up to the Green Mountain Boys to do the heavy lifting.  They arrived at Fort Ticonderoga on 10 May 1775.  In front of the Fort, Ethan Allen

stepped out boldly and announced to the British soldiers that the Americans were going to take the Fort that day.

He then attacked and his Boys were right behind him.  The British soon surrendered. This battle was key to the final winning of the Revolutionary War.  Many speculate that if Ethan Allen's Boys had not taken this Fort we might not have won the war. The Green Mountain Boys went on to assist in many other battles, such as the Battle of Bennington.

In all, the Vermont men achieved a valuable reputation.  It was almost like Sam Houston's cry "Remember the Alamo." When anyone wanted a flourish of fighting men the cry went forth: "Where are the Green Mountain Boys?"

My own people came after Ethan Allen by about thirty years. They were being chased by mobs in the pre-battles before the Civil War.  It was a case where hellish fiends were robbing my people of their property and killing them.  My forefathers called on the Spirit of the Green Mountain Boys to come to their defense.

To this Spirit my great general said, "Let every man's brow be as the face of a lion; let his breast be as unshaken as the mighty oak, and his knee confirmed as the sapling of the forest; and by the voice of the thunderings of heaven upon Mount Sinai....let (the Green Mountain Boys) plead the justice of our cause." I think it was only this spirit that saved my forbears. So I thank Vermont.

Today we desperately need the Spirit of our Ethan Allen Boys. There are legions in our world which would enslave us.  They would like nothing better than to see our youth serve their wicked goals.

Among these legions are small tyrants who sneak into small corners with bombs and brittle glass. They hide behind the skirts of women and the innocence of children. They will not fight in the open, but hide behind the cover of crowds and darkness.

There are also great, secretive tyrants. Some of these have sneaked into legislative and judicial bodies. They purchase votes by promises of state money.  But their only real intent is to rob the people, replacing their freedoms with chains. 

These tyrants, great and small, need to be defeated, stopped, thrust from among us.

The patriots we honor here to day gave their lives that such tyrants should not reign. They left a legacy of freedom for us to follow and pass on.

They gave their lives that we could live free.

I remember when I was ordered to Vietnam. I thought that war was a mess. I even thought I was a conscientious objector. But I remember a night in a bunker. I was waiting for the enemy to come. The question was "Would I shoot?" Literally my life in Vietnam passed before my eyes. I remember the youngsters gathering before our garbage dump.  Every time we'd push our cans off the trucks little black suited boys would climb over our fence and gather up every bit of steak bones; every scrap of potato went into their little cans to take home.

In their eyes I saw a longing for freedom from fear.  They wanted to be able to feed their families, to be able to read a book in the afternoon sun with out having some Viet Cong sympathizer rip it out of their hand because it had a new idea in it. We had a Vietnamese orderly named Sherry and another named Charlie Brown. I found a microscope for Sherry and we allowed Charlie Brown to actually treat patients. Sherry became so good that she could diagnose pathogens.

When we left Vietnam these skills evaporated because the Viet Cong sent them both to retraining camps or death, I never knew which.

But here I was, wondering if it was worth shooting to defend these people. I looked around, and beside me were 1,000 American boys who didn't want to be there, but they were willing to defend Sherry and Charlie Brown. To defend their rights to live free.

These were the Green Mountain Boys all over again. I remember saying to myself: "Do I love these Vietnamese people enough to shoot?" The answer was YES! I wanted the feeling of being an instrument for good in that world. I wanted other to be free.

So today I salute the spirit of the Green Mountain Boys. I salute you for being the granite that this spirit rests upon. May God ever allow us to live free.

May 11, 2015

It rained yesterday into the night.  There was thunder and lightning and beautiful rain.  The tulips lifted their heads, happy for the drink.  In Utah a rain is a blessing we wait for sometimes for a long time.  When it comes it renews the earth.  Rain comes more often here, hence the green everywhere.  There comes also heavy humidity, and we don't have a fan.  We got very warm.

On our way to the visitor center this morning I noticed how beautiful the trees on the lane were. The leaves came out so fast almost like overnight.

We have enjoyed the last week.  There have been many visitors come.  some on business trips and traveling without their families and some seeing the sign on the freeway and stopping to see the monument and some who have made plans to come specifically to see and feel this site.  Yesterday I spoke to a man traveling from Tucson, Arizona; he was so thrilled to be able to take pictures and send home to his family.

Another couple just wanted to walk around.  They weren't interested in any teaching of Joseph Smith; another couple were from north of here, in a town called Barre, where the granite came from for the building of the Monument.  They have lived here all their lives and had never been to this site. They said that some neighbors told them how beautiful it is, and they decided to come. 

They didn't want to know about Joseph Smith.  Many are afraid that we might try to baptize them, but I asked them if they would like me to tell them the story of how the Monument got here; they were more than happy to hear that.  They were impressed.

Roger has been taking each of the tours (if there is time) to see the ruins of the Solomon Mack homes and the Daniel Mack home just down over the hill from the Monument.  He takes them in a golf cart, and it turns this whole experience into a fun place to have visited.  The foundations of these two homes are nestled in the forest and have a peace and serenity about them.  You can walk to the foundations too, and that is fun.

The spring has brought beautiful flowers that were planted in the fall.  There are wild flowers in the forest blooming every year for many years.  This is truly a beautiful earth.

Mother's Day was yesterday.  It was a day with many visitors here. They brought their mothers to feel the goodness on this site.  We had a nice dinner with the Senior Missionaries; we all contributed. It is nice to have good friends that make holidays feel not so lonely.

Most of the kids called or sent a text to me.  I loved hearing from them.  Max sent a beautiful flower arrangement.  Mary's family and Denis's family got to talk to Emily and Branden from their respective missions.  It was good for them too.  Mary sent us a video of Emily (on Skype) talking to us specifically.  It was a sweet blessing.  Also, as of yesterday, we have been here six months.  It is hard to believe.  We miss home, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.