Special Christmas Edition

SKETCH 12: Special Christmas Edition By David Pratt (Richard’s youngest brother)

In many ways Grandma Anna Nell Daykins Shirk Peterson was the glue that held our early family together. She was the first of my maternal line to accept the full gospel of Jesus Christ and be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I do not remember her as I was only 3 when she died, but to me she will always be a Saint of the latter days. I share with you the words of my brother Richard and the impact she had on his conversion.

“It was wonderful to hear Grandma sing. She especially did so while preparing breakfast, which she started about 5 a.m. The men were already gone doing chores and would be in about seven hungry as a pack of wolves. Not only was breakfast a full fledged meal but Grandma would also bake four or five pies for the dinner and supper meals….One morning in my attic bed, I was awakened by Grandma’s beautiful singing. I shivered out of bed into my overalls and down the stairs. Seated on the bottom step, I would finish dressing. The sun shone warm and cheerfully through the window on to the step. Just to the side of the window the teakettle was humming on the kitchen stove from which came the delicious odors of breakfast. Every physical sense was being courted and caressed .At the table Grandma was working with flour, at this point there would always be a dab on the side of her nose and flour up to her elbows. She didn’t seem to be aware of me. I just sat there and reveled in the complete security of sound, smell, taste, hearing, and feeling. Grandma was singing, “I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen.” I would often cry at its sadness but loved the song. Suddenly she stopped right in the middle of the song, cast her eyes ceiling ward and hands still in the dough exclaimed in a hushed and reverent voice, “Oh, how I love my Lord Jesus!” Her face seemed to shine with a radiance of pure joy. In awe I pondered her words, and thought, “If my Grandma loves someone called, ‘my Lord Jesus,’ then I love him too. Yes, I do love him and what an anchor to my soul that sermon has been now for nearly three quarters of a century. Thank you, Grandma.”

May it still be an anchor to all who belong to the Peterson, Pratt and Shirk Family. I wish you a very old fashioned Christmas as the surviving patriarch of the Pratt/Shirk side of the family. May God bless you always. I bless you to be true to your glorious heritage in the name of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.

Memo #15 (Written August 1, 2001)

Memo #15 August 1, 2001 (blogged December1, 2013)

To: All Pratt Adults and Selected Others

From: Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard Marden Pratt

Re: The Roles of Jesus Christ in our Salvation

Yes, I know that in memo 14 I promised that memo 15 would be the beginning of a dissertation on the second Coming of Jesus Christ. But much meditation has convinced me that to better understand the Second Coming we need to understand the major roles of Jesus in our individual Salvation and hopefully Exaltation.

Those roles are four in number...1.) AS our Creator, 2) Our Savior, 3) Our Redeemer, and 4) Our Judge. These titles, without elaboration, suggest that we wouldn’t even BE without HIM. In short, everything about us even our very flesh and the breath we breathe several times a minute is all due to HIM. Or as the prophet Mosiah said,

“...If you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice....   

I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.....Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.” Mosiah 2:20-24

In my 14^th year I had an experience that all ought to have for it taught me to appreciate a Savior. In a swimming accident I was sucked out into the mighty Columbia River into an eddy or whirlpool, one so powerful that no person, even the strongest swimmer, couldn’t survive. Without hesitation two men dove into the water and swam to my rescue, my Dad and my Uncle Lawrence Folsom. Neither were strong swimmers and both said afterwards that they knew they could not rescue me but they would not let me die alone. Through a series of mighty miracles we all survived.

My Aunt Daisy begged four or five strong men on shore to do something. They very curtly told her we were goners and they didn’t intend to lose their lives hopelessly. Then she spied a large drift wood tree intact with branches, partly imbedded in the sand. She pleaded with them to help her launch it. They told her how silly she was for we were now a hundred feet or more off shore and being swept rapidly down stream.

Miracle #1; Unaided by human hands that small woman pulled that several ton tree free from the sand and pushed it into the river.

Miracle #2; As tho propelled by a motor and guided by a helmsman, that tree shot right out to and alongside the three of us. By this time I was unconscious and the two men, taking turns holding me up, were exhausted. They managed to push my body upon the tree trunk between some limbs but, too weak to climb up, they just hung on. But now we were accelerating down the river at a rapid rate, to the falls which would surely finish us off, tree or no tree.

Miracle #3; Aunt Daisy spied a small row boat, which had not been there before. She again appealed to the me for one or two of them to get in the boat and save us from the falls. Again a flat “NO” for the falls would claim them all.

Miracle #4; Two boys in their early teens came along, heard her pleadings, saw us disappearing down stream, leaped into the boat, (neither had ever rowed a boat before) and sped to our rescue. Dad and my uncle transferred my body from the tree into the boat and then hanging onto the boat themselves, the two boys were able to reach shore just short of the fatal rapids.

The feelings I have for those four ( I knew the boys), but especially for my Dad and Uncle, is impossible to describe for the English language is not sufficient to do so. And over the years this feeling continues to increase. I LOVED them true. But the feelings cannot be described by such a weak word. A better description is “Awesome Wonder” that they offered their lives that I might have a few more years of mortality. And if they could come to me now and request me to do something, I would do it. Because these past 70 years that they have given me is worth anything they might ask me to do.

Now Jesus is offering us Everlasting Life just as our Creator. For as the scriptures say He has created all things, both the Heavens and the Earth and everything that in them is. In other words, under the direction of God our Father, Jesus is the Superintendent of Construction. He, Jesus the Creator, is saving us from the “rapids” which is Death. ~ He is offering to redeem us from our mistakes (called sins). A redeemer is someone who pays the debts for someone who can’t pay them. The Father says that every sin has a price, and His Law of Justice decrees that the price must be paid by all, equally and alike. There will be no favorites.

But Jesus, by prearrangement with the Father, can exercise the Law of Mercy...which is where someone else can pay for the sins of each of us providing we meet certain conditions. Jesus is the only person who has the power to pay the price. He received that power by completely complying with all that His Father asked Him to do. He literally paid for our sins with His blood and His sufferings in the Garden of Gethsemane and on that awful cross. Yes, I stand in “Awesome wonder” that He did this for me and in turn I joyfully will do all things that He asks me to do. What a tiny price to pay for eternal life, eternal family, eternal love and happiness.

And finally, He will be our judge. In order for His Mercy to pay the claim of God’s Justice, each one of us must stand at the judgement bar of God and give an accounting of our mortal lives and each one of us will be judged equally and alike. If we meet the conditions of mercy, which is OBEDIENCE to God’s laws, Jesus will pay for our sins. If not, then we must pay for them personally which is to suffer as He suffered, which suffering is so terrible that Jesus says only those who experience it can know how terrible it is. No right thinking person would ever want to experience it.

Ignorance will not be an acceptable excuse. For the Gospel is sounding in every ear both on earth and in the world of spirits. The books will be opened; our Book of Life will be opened and we will find that we had every opportunity to hear, to read, to think and to accept! And if our judgement is to be suffering we will weep and our Savior will weep for us and with us.

Yes, I stand in Awesome wonder that three men offered their lives for mine. the first two for just a few short years of mortality, but the last one, even Jesus Christ, has offered me all that the Father has to give. How can I turn such an offer down, I can not and I will not! And I invite you, my loved ones, to follow me as I follow Our Savior, My Savior Jesus Christ into the fullness of Everlasting Life and JOY!

I love you,

Dad, grandpa, etc. Richard Marden Pratt

PS.  Thursday Feb. 25^th journal entry:

Following are some thoughts I have had on Faith lately.

1. Faith must be based on truth or it has no power.

2. Faith is the assurance of existing truth not perceivable by the five mortal senses.

3. Without knowledge of the true and living God there could be no faith, therefore an individual’s faith is in direct ratio to his knowledge of the true and living God.

4. Without faith in the true and living God it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

5. Faith is acquired by accepting unseen truth, nothing doubting, and then acting as though it was already a reality at the same time continuing to acquire more knowledge and petitioning the source of all truth in prayer.

6. Finally, Faith is dreams of proven but unseen realities, and we so live as to make our dreams come true because they are supported by proven substance not visible or delectable to the mortal powers.

Quotable Family Quotes

I Can’t a poor pale puny imp too lazy to work and from all duties does shirk!

I Can a giant, unbending he stands. And he can conquer who thinks he can, in spite of the throngs that doubt him!    Often quoted by Richard’s Grandpa Peterson

Memo #14 (Written July 1, 2001)

To: All Pratt Adults and selected others

From: Richard Marden Pratt

Re: The Purpose of the Church

God has said: “This is my work and my glory ~ to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Moses 1:39. He has further stated that not even one hair of our head will be lost. In order to accomplish this colossal work, in the beginning, in the days of Adam, thru prophets (Adam being the first), God established the Church of Jesus Christ upon the earth...to teach His great laws and to make covenants with all believers that by obedience they may return to live in His presence and to live like Him and to be like Him. This great gift is called exaltation. Those who make and keep all the covenants will become gods in their own right and in their own place.

To gain membership in the Kingdom of God requires:

1. Faith in Jesus as our Savior, Creator, Redeemer and Judge.

2. Repentance of our wrong doings and

3. To seal this by the covenant of Baptism and Confirmation which covenant must be performed by an authorized servant of God. But this is just the beginning of the covenants one must enter into and keep to receive the Fulness of Joy. Most of the other covenants are made in a special building designated by God as a Temple. The final covenant being the sealing of husbands to wives and children to parents. There can be no eternal family relationships without this sealing covenant by an authorized servant of God.

Because of wickedness there have been times when the Lord’s church was taken from the earth to be restored at a later time. This is the last time, and the purpose of the church in this last time is to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior in power and glory...which event is right at our door. 

The Church has a three fold purpose:

1. To perfect the Saints. When the scriptures speak of Saints, they refer to those who have accepted Christ by being baptized into His church and none else. And many baptized members are not saints because they do not keep their covenants. 

“And He gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ;

Til we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every word of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Ephesians 4:11-14

2. With the perfecting of the Saints comes the responsibility to Proclaim the Gospel.

For the prophet has said; “No unhallowed hand can stop the work from proceeding. The word of the Lord must go forth until it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear. Until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah declares, the work is done.”

        And the purposes of God are that everyone of his children will hear the “Good News” , and using their agency will accept it and enter into the Covenants that will exalt them back into His presence ~ or reject it and be relegated eternally to a lesser blessing, without family, or as the Lord has said, “What doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?...He rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.” D & C 88:33 So we will all receive what we choose to receive. It is all a matter of choice. In order to choose, each and everyone must hear.

Thus the great missionary plan of the Church. Currently nearly 70,000 missionaries are carrying the “good news”(NOTE: WOULDN’T DAD BE EXCITED WITH THE MISSIONARY PROGRAM NOW IN 2013!) To the ends of the earth with fantastic success. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the fastest growing church in the world. Members now number over 11 million. (NOTE: 15 MILLION IN 2013!) 

When I went on my first mission in 1931-32, there were only 1600 missionaries and about ½ million members. We reached our first million in 1944 (as I remember). Now we are adding a million new members in about 3 years and snowballing rapidly.

I have spent 6 years as a missionary; Adaline spent 4 (my cousins, Max and Peggy and spouses Marge and Jim have served more than that) and we would go again if health would permit. Which brings us to the third purpose of the Church and that is to take the gospel to those who have died and never heard of the great plan. Which leads me to believe that Adaline is now engaged in a great mission as she teaches in the world of Spirits...and my daughter Kay and cousin Max also.

3. The third purpose of the Church is to see that all who have died without the “Good News” also called “the great plan of happiness” or the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” have an opportunity to hear the Gospel. In the wold of spirits which is being taught them by faithful Saints who have passed thru the gate or great adventure we call death.

Or as the prophet said: “All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the Celestial Kingdom of God.” D & C 137:7.

Also, “For this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit.” 1 Peter 4:6

But the ordinances of the Gospel cannot be performed in the Spirit world. The dead may accept the gospel but their baptism, eternal marriage, and other covenants must be performed here on earth by “proxy”. “Proxy” means someone doing something for someone else that they can’t do for themselves. Jesus, for example, is proxy for all mankind in overcoming death that all may be resurrected to a perfect body.

God has commanded special buildings to be built called Temples, wherein mortals acting as proxies can redeem the dead. That’s why I am spending four days a week, 4-6 hours a day in the Provo Temple as an officiator with authority from God to perform some of the ordinances of exaltation for the dead using the living as their proxies. Example: last week Susann Rowbury (my grand daughter) acted as proxy for ten deceased females; I baptized Susann for and in behalf of each one. “Jane Doe” of course can accept or reject it. But every soul that has lived or will yet live upon the earth must accept or reject it. But every soul that has ever lived or will yet live upon the earth must be taught and have the opportunity to accept or reject part or all of the perfect plan of a loving Father.

In conclusion, the Three-fold mission purpose of the Church is:

1. To Perfect the living Saints.

2. To Proclaim the Gospel to the living.

3. And to Redeem the dead.

What a perfect plan by a perfect God, our Heavenly Father, who will give to each of His children all that they are willing to receive.

To these truths I add my signature in testimony.

Richard Marden Pratt 

                         (also known as Dad, Grandpa, Great Grandpa, brother, uncle & friend)

Memo #13 (Written June 1, 2001)

Memo #13

Written June 1, 2001 added to the blog October 1, 2013

From: Grandpa Richard M. Pratt

To: All Pratt adults and Selected others

Re: LOVE, The Great Commandment

When Jesus was asked, Which is the greatest commandment? He answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matt. 22: 37-40)

Paul speaking of married love says, “Men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cheriseth it.....let everyone of you....so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5: 28-33)

Therefore the ability to love is based on a mans self-esteem or self-love. During our life on earth we have a strong tendency to seek our own self-interest. We tend to seek worldly goods and the praise of others. There are three great and terrible masters which most men seek after. They are: 1. The love of money. 2. The love of power. 3. And the love of fame. Most men are enslaved by these masters to the point that they literally hate themselves and cannot love either themselves, their neighbor nor God. Because of man giving into these three masters the world currently is on a suicidal sweep to destruction.

Violence, divorce, wars, lawsuits etc. are evidence that men hate themselves and therefore cannot love but instead hate each other. And the savior said upon this commandment, LOVE, hang all the law. In other words if man hates himself by pursuing his own selfish interests he is on the road to self destruction. So, what is the answer? 

First we can only show our love for God by keeping his commandments. All of which are designed to bring us happiness and success. There is no other way.

Secondly we show our love for our neighbor (all are our neighbor, but our spouse is our closest neighbor) by treating them like we want to be treated which means a life of service, service and service to our spouse, our children, our friends and the stranger that we don’t even know.

That’s why we serve two year missions and more at our own expense. (I’ve served 6 years and Grandma 4 years) That’s why in the Church of Jesus Christ we receive calls to serve in various ways from a Bishop and higher to the boys who pass the sacrament, giving of our time and paying any expenses involved therewith. As we serve others we overcome selfishness and become more like our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ. Every active member of the church is constantly given “calls” to serve and as he or she serves their ability to love increases until they will eventually reach the level of charity toward others called, “The pure love of Christ.”

The Savior said: “by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

If all men, then, would keep this commandment (LOVE) all the problems of the world would be solved. There would literally be no broken families, no violence, no law breakers, but peace, harmony and good will. This would envelope the earth in a mantle of love. This will be the condition of the earth during the millennium when Christ rules personally upon the earth and all who cannot evidence the “pure love of Christ” will be removed from the earth and the earth will return to its paradisiacal glory (to be treated starting with memo #15) 

To be of service is to sacrifice of our time, talents and money and to do it willingly. That means that we place the needs of others above our own. Sacrifice can be very hard, but the rewards are great. In fact the Lord has said that the rewards are beyond mans wildest imaginations. Then, to truly love we must believe in God our eternal Father in his Son, Jesus Christ and that they are the rewarders of all who diligently seek them.

To help us overcome selfishness and to help finance our service the Lord has given two other laws: 1. The law of fasting and fast offerings and 2. The law of tithing. 

To fast means to go with out food and drink for a period of time. It teaches us to control our physical bodies and our faith and spirituality grow stronger. When we fast we should also pray sincerely, for guidance and for special blessings for ourselves and others. Fasting  can be a powerful way of gaining a testimony of the reality of the Father and His Son. 

The church sets aside one Sunday each month (usually the first Sunday). During this day Faithful members fast for two meals from all food and drink and gather for a testimony sharing meeting. We give the money we save by fasting to the bishop to care for the needy. In this way we can show our love for the sick, needy, lonely and hungry and those who have other problems. It has been computed that if all people would live this simple law that it would eliminate all poverty and other ills in the whole world, and lower taxes for it would do away with all government welfare schemes, none of which succeed. It would also lower Doctor bills as fasting is very beneficial to the body. And, of course, it wouldn’t cost a penny.

The law of tithing is not new, in fact it is as old as eternity. To understand this law, we should remember that God is the source of everything we have. In the law of tithing, he commands us to return to him one-tenth of our income. The word “tithe” means “tenth”. Of course the money isn’t sent to heaven but stays right here to bless our lives in so many ways.

Tithing is a test of our faith. As we obey this commandment, the Lord promises to bless us both spiritually and temporally.

Suppose I told you that I would give you one hundred dollars if you would give me back ten. Would you do it? Our Heavenly Father has given us all we have. He asks only that we return 10% of it to him. This money is used to build meeting houses, temples and other worthwhile things. 

For example the sealing covenants that make a man and wife an eternal unit with their children and their fathers and mothers united eternally can only be done in a special building called a temple. In no other way can families be united after this life.

May I close with a description of my own experience with these 3 great laws, love (service)

Fasting and offerings, and Tithing.

The more I love by giving service, the more I receive until I literally haven’t room to contain it all. It comes from my family, my friends and the strangers I try to help.

As to Fasting  and offerings I’ve been living this law as long as I can remember and know that it is true. In fact for the past many years I have contributed each month a great deal more than the cost of the two meals. And I personally feel that fasting is a great contributor to my excellent health and activity as I live my 90th year.

I can’t remember when I haven’t paid a full  tithing and my memory goes back more than 80 years. I haven’t kept track of it but I know that it amounts to tens of thousands of dollars. It seems that the more I pay the more I receive as the Lord has promised.

Yes we can do what the Lord commands and it is the only sure way to financial security in this life but more important it opens the windows of heaven and blessings are poured out until there is not room to contain them. To this I testify boldly and firmly in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Your loving Parent, Grandpa, Brother and / or friend forever

Excerpted from our Iowa Mission Journal

Monday February 8, 1982

We have finished our first week in the MTC (Missionary Training Center). During lunch hour we were called to the front desk. There to our surprise was our Hopi Indian friend, sister, and convert, Elizabeth Williams that we had baptized in Holbrook, Arizona in 1971.

Oh that I could paint a picture of her. But words must suffice. About 5 feet tall and close to 60 years of age, face wrinkled like a prune, but few teeth left, quite rotund in body, but very slim almost pipestem legs, ill fitting shoes and clothes, but a twinkling eye and happy smile coupled with a lilting spirit covers all the rest and humbles one to be in her presence with her child like faith in Jesus. 

She had walked many blocks timidly wondering how she would find us in the white mans maze of technical wilderness. But find us she did. The weather was cold and the walks snow covered and slippery. She had endured all this to give us $75. Three twentys, one ten and one five dollar bills. 

She said we had loaned it to her many years ago and she would have paid it sooner but we were always gone. She wanted us to have it before we went to a foreign country again. To her Iowa is foreign. Adaline tried to get her to keep part, at least one $20 bill, but she wouldn’t hear of it. We had a tearful goodbye and she left.

Memo #12 (written May 1, 2001)

Memo #12

May 1, 2001 (blogged September 1, 2013)

To: All Pratt Adults & selected others

Re: “What Comes Next?”

From Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard M. Pratt

In the memory of man, three questions have intrigued them:

1. Did we exist before our birth?

2. Why are we here on earth?

3. Where will we go at death?

All of these have been answered by God through His prophets. Previous memos have answered the first two questions. Briefly reviewing, we did exist before birth as spirit children of our Heavenly Parents, and we are here on earth to get a physical body and to prove ourselves. This physical body, after the changes wrought by death and resurrection, will become immortal and those who obey all of the laws will even be like God and will be the sons and daughters of God. Indeed, they will be Gods. Why shouldn’t children become like their parents?

“Now to the subject, “What happens at death?” Simply, our spirit bodies leave our physical bodies which return to the earth from whence they came while our spirits return to the God who gave them life. Or as the Prophet said:

Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.

Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked, yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful looking for the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.”

Alma 40:11-14

All mankind is free in this life to choose or as the Prophet Nephi says:

“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit.”

2 Nephi 2: 27-28

Many other prophets in all the scriptures have spoken on the subject, but these must suffice for this brief page.

In summary, then: Those who have not chosen the way of life and are not prepared when they die go into a condition called darkness and not knowing what to expect, wait there in an awful fear as well as the righteous in Paradise who, knowing what to expect and prepared, both wait for the resurrection and final judgement. But wait, all is not lost for the disobedient for in their state of misery, they will be visited by those from Paradise and they will teach these who are in the grasp of Satan how to escape. As they refused the teachings of Christ while on earth, now in their miserable condition, they will have another chance to accept Him and receive a glorious resurrection and a judgement that will bring them a certain amount of eternal happiness, but not what they could have had if they had obeyed God while they were in mortal life.

First as to the resurrection; Those in Paradise will be resurrected at the Coming of Jesus Christ which is very soon. And those who accept Jesus in their misery will, soon after, also be resurrected. And during that long wait, they, too, will learn by their own sufferings what Jesus suffered. In other words, having refused His sufferings for their sins, they must pay for their own sins by suffering pain and anguish as He did.

Now to try and clarify—at the Coming of the Savior, there will be three groups of people:

1. Those who accepted Jesus while in the flesh and obeyed His commandments.

2. This group will be the wicked who accepted Jesus in the Spirit World after their death.

3. And these are the wicked who insist on paying for their own sins by their own suffering.

The first group will be resurrected at Christ’s coming; the second group shortly thereafter, while the stubborn last allotment will have to wait 1,000 years until they are cleansed of their sins by their own suffering. Finally, every knee will bend and every head will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is their Savior and there is none other.

Then comes the final judgement. God has prepared at least 3 planets for these 3 groups called, Celestial, Terrestrial and Telestial. To give we mortals some idea of what they are like, the Celestial is likened to the sun, the Terrestrial to the moon and the Telestial to the stars. Any sensible person given a choice of three presents so compared would, of course, choose the Celestial or Sun.

We know that this earth, after it is cleansed and purified by fire, will become the Celestial Kingdom. That is what the Lord meant when He said: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

Those who refused Christ in mortality but accepted Him after death, will be placed in a Terrestrial sphere. While those who resisted to the end and payed for their own sins will be on a Telestial planet, which, even there, will be more glorious than man can imagine.

Those of the higher kingdoms may visit and will govern the lower glories, but the lower can never visit the higher for they, like a fish out of water, would perish. And God has promised that none of us will ever cease to exist.

There will be stubborn ones who will refuse all three glories and will be cast out into outer darkness to dwell with Satan eternally in Hell (outer darkness). But I have no fear that any of us will be that stupid.

But I am concerned that quite a few of our family need to make some changes in their lifestyle or be separated from the family and be eternally denied a family.

After baptism, there are other ordinances and covenants to be made with God in His Holy Temples by men holding authority to do so. This I testify in the Name of Jesus Christ Amen.

My love to each of you,

Dad, Grandpa, brother, uncle, friend etc.

Richard Marden Pratt

ANY OF YOU WHO SAVED YOUR MEMOS MAY WANT TO GO TO THIS ONE AND RE read the part titled “Miracle on Ice” the true incident in the lives of Gibb and Sheryl’s boys, Dustin & Kevin Van Orman as told by Kevin.

God lives his plan is real for each one of us. He put us here to help each other make it safely back to him and we can!