Memo #20 (Written Januray 1, 2002)

You may notice that I did not blog #19, It's a beautiful Christmas message. Go back in your own set of memos it has some choice stories in addition to the memo. Great for your families. Dawn was the typist and interviewed Dad about his Christmas traditions. Oh so humble! I have some of Great Grandpa's sleigh bells to this day and enjoy them at Christmas time too. 

love,

Rose

Memo #20 January 1, 2002 BLOGGED MARCH 2014

To: All Pratt Adults and Selected Others

From: Dad, Grandpa and otherwise

Re: The Kingdom of God

 The great prophet Daniel, carried away captive into Babylonia while yet a boy in the year 606 B.C., prophesied in Babylon for over 50 years of the key events in the world to happen from then down to the end of the world. (Parenthetically Lehi and his family left Jerusalem six years later in 600 B.C. and were brought to America by the Lord to replace a people who had ripened in iniquity until they destroyed themselves as recorded in the Book of Mormon. Daniel would have been about 6 years older than the also Great Prophet Nephi who was the son of Lehi. They likely knew each other.) 

Daniel, speaking of our day prophesied that the King of Heaven (God) shall set up a kingdom on earth, which shall never be destroyed...and it shall break in pieces and consume all earthly kingdoms and governments and shall stand forever. It will be as a little stone cut out of the mountain without hands (human hands) that it will roll forth until it breaks down all earthly kingdoms and then the King of Heaven (Jesus) will come and rule the earth forever and personally the first 1000 years which is know as the Millennium. Which chronologically has now started. (Daniel ch. 2) Look for great and dreadful things to happen soon, oh so very soon, in the life times of many of you and be prepared to be a citizen of that Kingdom that will last forever.

There are 5 requisites to an eternal Kingdom.

1. There must be a King all powerful, just, and merciful.

2. He must have laws that are just and equatable

3. There must be authorized officers to administer the laws.

4. There must be subjects (us) or the above 3 are worthless.

5. There must be a country large enough to sustain all the subjects in comfort, might and glory.

“Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Matt. 5:5 (Meek means obedient to the laws of the Kingdom of God. Based on the World’s disobedience, the earth in its renewed and Paradisiacal glory will amply accommodate ALL the meek. Just be concerned that YOU are among them. For only there will one be able, in FAMILY UNITS, to progress forever, have a fullness of joy, and rule and reign, under the Great King, as Kings and Queens, Fathers and Mothers over their own Kingdoms.)

John the Baptist, a cousin of Jesus and 6 months older came out of the wilderness crying to the Jews repent, repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, the King is here, accept him.

Jesus appeared, John baptized him (the first law qualifying for citizenship) and the Father spoke from Heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, in who I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17)

And the Holy Ghost descended upon him and a white dove (bird) descended and landed on the shoulder of Jesus as a sign to John that he had indeed baptized the son of God.

The purpose of the restoration of the Kingdom at that time, for it had been on the earth before and always destroyed by the subjects refusing to be law abiding; the purpose was for the King (Jesus) to receive his body of Flesh, prove his obedience to the Father, be an example to all AND CONQUER DEATH, all of which he did.

But again the Kingdom was destroyed. 1. The King was killed. 2. The laws were broken. 3. The authorized officers were murdered. 4. The subjects reverted to their old false deities and paganism. The world then endured the awfulness of the “Dark Ages”. And they were awful for I have read much about them and of the suffering and misery during nearly 2 millennium. 

But now the time prophesied by Daniel has arrived. The Kingdom has been restored. The 

King has appeared. His laws have and are being preached. Officers, led by a living Prophet, are administering the laws of the Kingdom and subjects are being recruited by obedience to the laws of that Kingdom in preparation to eternally inherit the earth in its resurrected and eternal Glory. And to be governed forever by that great and glorious Son of God, even Jesus, under the Father, and each of us to inherit with Jesus All that the Father has to give. 

“Each succeeding generation, governed by these same principles, will improve till male and female may live and multiply for a hundred years or more upon the earth.” and after the resurrection their union still renew.

“With this view of the subject, what man would be so base, so groveling, so blind to his own interest as TO NEGLECT those duties, self denials, sacrifices that are necessary in order to secure a part in the first resurrection, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in that life which never ends.” P. P. Pratt

In Memo 19 I quoted D&C 46:13-14 which indicates that a person who can’t believe in what I have just written may still receive all the benefits of the Kingdom by following someone who knows, that is to obey the laws as he or she obeys them. 

I have obeyed and am obeying those laws if you need help please believe me and obey them as I do. Here they are.

Like Jesus, I was baptized by an authorized officer of the Kingdom and thereby became a subject, done at an age when I was old enough to understand. (8 ½ years old, born March 14, 1912 baptized Sept. 14, 1920)

This is the first covenant of the Kingdom and assures the individual all rights, privileges, hopes and promises equally shared with all other subjects.

As I matured I entered into the other covenants. I received authority to act in the name of God called Melchizedek Priesthood Sept. 4, 1930 under the hands of William R. Sloan who was ordained by Heber S. Allen, he by Apostle George Teasdale, he by President Brigham Young, who was ordained by the 3 witnesses of the Book of Mormon, they by Joseph Smith who was ordained by the resurrected Peter, James and John, they were ordained by Moses, Elijah and Christ on the Mt. of Transfiguration as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew etc.

I give this lengthy (although short) account of my authority to act in God’s name. No other man can make this claim upon all the face of the earth except those who have gone thru the same process. 

With this authority to represent God I have officiated in many callings as an officer of God. The ones I am most pleased with is filling 4 missions in recruiting further subjects for the Kingdom, three missions with my wonderful wife as companion for a total of about 6 years all financed by our own selves.

With this authority Grandma and I have filled all the other covenants needed to be eternal Sweethearts and part of Gods eternal family. In that we have been sealed to our respective parents to retain our place there in as a son and a daughter. We have also been sealed to each other to be husband and wife and a Father and Mother forever. This glorious event took place in the Cardston Alberta Temple for it can only be done in a Temple of God. It took place July 25, 1934. Our children were born in this covenant and will be eternally our son and daughters.

These laws and covenants with the 10 commandments are the basic laws of the Kingdom of God. They are not many and are easy and light to bare or as the Savior said: “Take up your cross, and follow me.” (Simply stated “obedience to the laws of the Kingdom” which he, Christ, also obeys as does the Father.) There is no other way that will bring a fullness of Joy. Please don’t miss the boat. Take up your cross and follow me. And together we shall have eternal life. “This is Eternal lives to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent, I am he. Receive ye, therefore, my law.” D&C 132: 24

                                I love you,

                                Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard Marden Pratt

Then Dad added his story of How to tame a grizzly so here goes. He could tell a fun story too.

How to tame a grizzly 

by Richard Pratt 

Grandpa had a black eye a few weeks ago, boy was it black, not only the eye but the right temple clear up to the hair line. The next day he had a Temple assignment to fill so he whitened it with talcum power and hoped no one would notice but to no avail. Fellow workers gathered around and wanted to know how he got such a shiner. 

Said Grandpa, “You wouldn't believe me if I told you.”

Their pleadings and assurances that they would believe increased until he gave in and the following is his account of how it happened.

Yesterday I climbed “Y “ mountain past the “ Y “ and clear up over the top to a beautiful mountain meadow lush with grass and flowers with heavy timbered slopes. This was named Bear flats by the pioneers.

The trail is little used and over grown with grass and brush. Visibility is not far beyond one’s nose. I turned a corner and came face to face with a bear, a huge grizzly. He must have stood 10 feet tall as he towered on his hind legs.

I was so close I could have touched him and he me. I immediately froze as I pondered my alternatives the main one being his dinner. I knew that trying to out run him was impossible for they can outrun a horse. Then I remembered the old pioneer advice. “Out stare them.” so with my little green eyes boring into his big brown eyes I held my ground and not blinking I stared him down.

He dropped to all fours and started to walk away. I immediately thought, “all my life I've wanted a bear skin rug and I’ll never have a better chance than this.” with that I jumped on his back and grabbed a handful of fur with my right hand.

The bear went bezerk as he tried to unseat me. I looked like a rodeo cowboy coming out to the chute on a Brahma bull. In seconds he’s going down the trail at full bucking speed.

I had to work fast. Getting my pocket knife out of my tight jeans pocket was a trial and opening it with my teeth most difficult. But I did and made the first incision right behind his ears. The blood spurted and I gloated. Given another 20 seconds and that old bear would have been running down that trail stark naked. But that sniveling creature didn't play fair. At that moment he ran under a low lying tree limb which whacked me on my right temple so hard that it not only knocked me off the bear but turned me a complete somersault in the air and I landed on my back only half conscious. That’s how I got this black eye. But wait, the story has more.

In my half dazed condition, I realized the bear had stopped, a little trickle of blood dripping from ht end of his nose from my incision.

Slowly he turned and came back. I tried to get up but couldn't. So I just relaxed and resigned myself to being his dinner.

He didn't stop until each of his front feet was planted right beside each of my ears and I was looking right down his throat. Clear to the back side of his belly button. And his tonsils. I didn’t know a bear had tonsils.  Did you?

They were large as tomatoes and just as red. I thought this poor bear has a terribly soar throat. No wonder he didn't eat me. But he’s going to now.

He lowered his head ‘till our noses almost touched and his bloody nose dripped on mine. I couldn't bear to look longer, so I closed my eyes. Then I felt his warm, moist tongue land gently on my aching eye and like she would lick her cub she gently massaged my eye and aching head. In moments the pain stopped and I drifted off to sleep.

It must have been an hour or two before I wakened. And when I did there was no sign of that bear.

I thought, “What a dream!” I didn’t know ‘till I got home to a mirror that I had a black eye to prove my story. But even more, there laid my bloody knife with a tuft of bear hair stuck to it. I examined my own body for cuts to see if it was my blood, and definitely I didn’t have any bear hair growing on me. 

Well there it is. I knew you wouldn’t believe me but I can’t tell the real story and even if I did you wouldn’t believe it either. But if I get at least 2 written request I will tell it. So it’s up to you! NO REQUESTS - NO TRUE STORY!

Grandpa

To go along with Grandpa’s story go to Grandma’s book Kaleidoscope page 43 for “Huckleberrying in Bear Country” and page 24 for “Trapping” the skunk poem only grandma’s stories are true!

Grandma used to make wonderful yummy steamed puddings. We would eat these in the winter on special occasions like new years or at a family gathering. She would serve this in beautiful cut glass dishes topped with a tangy lemon sauce. 

Steamed pudding

1 cup carrots grated

1 cup potatoes grated

1 cup sugar

1 cup raisins

2/3 cup shortening

2 eggs

½ cup flour

½ tsp soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp each cinnamon & nutmeg 

½ tsp cloves

3/4 cup walnuts

mix all together and place in well greased pan or pyrex bowl and steam for 1 hour. She used a large double boiler on her stove. The smaller pan with the pudding in it was not covered but placed in the larger pan on a rack, with water underneath. This had a tight lid. The steam could really surround the pudding. Wow is it ever good. I think I will make some today and share it with my family!  This is actually 1/3 the size of her original recipe.

For the sauce you can squeeze 2 lemons  and grate their rind, 1 cup water,  sweeten with sugar and thicken with cornstarch to the taste and thickness you like. Some people like a caramel sauce on the pudding but Grandma liked the lemon sauce best!

Don’t forget to have a doughnut fry this winter that was traditional too. 

What a heritage we have in the great testimonies of family relationships and the lives lived full of goodness and faithfulness. We have the examples to follow and we can be a forever family if we just apply the principles they have taught us. Grandpa is still vibrant and strong and his example is to all of us. We can look to him and encourage each other to be Christ centered. 

Memo #18 (Written November 1, 2001)

Memo 18 WRITTEN  November 1, 2001                                     

To: All Pratt adults and selected others

From: Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard Pratt

Re: World conditions at the Second Coming of our Lord.

The Lord God never does anything to and for his children here on earth without first telling them about it and what the results will be to them if they accept or reject that which he tells them. He communicates this knowledge thru holy men called Prophets. To them he reveals the past, the present, and the future as needed for the guidance of the conduct of all who will listen to them.

“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7

Apostles and prophets are the foundation upon which the organization of the true church rests. (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 2:20) Where there are no apostles and prophets there is no divine church. The inspired promise is that these officers will remain in the church “Till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God....”

The church of “Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: is the ONLY church on the face of the earth currently claiming to have apostles and prophets. This always being the mark of the true church of God, automatically rules out all other religious bodies, both Christian and non-Christian as having any claim to being God’s church. It also rules out the “Latter-Day Saints” as being the true church UNLESS their works testify to the divinity of that church by their prophets harmonizing with all the prophecies of past prophets as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.

The first man, Adam, was also the first prophet for he walked and talked with God and three years before his death in a great conference of his believing descendants Adam stood up in the midst of them; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation. (D&C 107:56)

Our first reaction is, “this would be impossible for it would take days to outline the future history of the world.” Not so: Example: In about 6 pages in the Old Testament, the great prophet Moses outlined in detail what would happen to Israel and especially the Jews down to the present moment in time. (About 3500 years) Deut. 28-31. He also tells them of their past even before the earth was formed. Deut. 32:6-8 (You can read it all in about 10 minutes.) 

God knows all things and always reveals the future via prophets to his believing children. Prophecy, defined then, is simply history foretold before it happens and is much more accurate than history. For history is told by mortal and biased men after it has happened and is often if not usually so distorted that it bares little resemblance to what really happened. So if you want to know what is going to happen on the earth and to it’s inhabitants in this generation search the scriptures, study the prophets then listen to and read the current news and watch events unfold along the prophetic forecasts.

God created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. Including us. So everything belongs to him including us. He is the only source of all light and all life. And the whole purpose of the creation is to give to his children happiness. He calls it “A fulness of Joy.” We are literally the children of Heavenly parents. He designated his first born son in the Spirit world to be the author or superintendent or the Savior of us all. 

Unfortunately most of the world has rejected him and having cut themselves off from the presence of God, the source of all life, they must perish. And be swept into the Spirit World into some kind 2

of confinement where a loving Father will continue to teach them until they accept some part or portion of the great “plan of Happiness” also called the Gospel. This is the fate of those who were drowned in what is called “Noah’s flood.” 

The history of the world is divided into 7 equal periods of 1000 years each. A 1000 years is called a millennium (Greek for 1000). We are just entering the 7th millennium. All who have rejected him will be swept off the earth by war and the natural causes of disease and violent disruptions of nature and the earth will be cleansed by fire.

The picture is not a pretty one so I will make it brief. All tho many 1000s of the disobedient will be swept off the earth by acts of nature such as earthquakes, violent storms and other phenomena that are increasing and will continue to increase in their frequency and violence by far the greatest part will die by their own hands in a war and other acts of violence that will destroy more souls than all wars of the past. John prophesied that 1/3 of mankind will perish in this third world war. Rev. 9:18-20 and the survivors will still not repent.

In final desperation, the nations will unite (one world government) and blame the Jews for all their problems. They will send a great army to Palestine to destroy every Jew of every age and sex. The prophets call this “the Battle of Armageddon”. Two mighty prophets will call down the powers of heaven and forestall this destruction for 3 ½ years. The Lord will then permit their death. They will lie unburied in the main intersection of Jerusalem for 3 ½ days while the wicked army destroy and loot the city. ( Rev. 9)

Then the Savior appears with a shout and the trumpets blowing with a great host of heavenly beings. The resurrection of the just takes place, they and the living saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The wicked will be destroyed by the command of the Lord and the millennium of peace will be ushered in. The Lord and those with him will descend upon the cleansed earth and rebuild a glorious and peaceful civilization.

The Prophet, Joseph Smith, sums up all the prophecies on world conditions today in the following: 

“The world presents one great theater of misery, woe, and distress of nations with perplexity...that man is not able to govern himself to legislate for himself, to protect himself, to promote his own good, nor the good of the world.”

The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes.

“I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of Man (Jesus) has said that the mother shall be against the daughter and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors... Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall I cry peace? NO; I will lift up my voice and testify of them. How long will you have good crops, and the famine be kept off, I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand.” Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pages 160-161---Simply a summation of Old and New Testament Prophets. Matthew 24:11-14 gives us the final clue as to the end:

11.“and many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

14. AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM SHALL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD FOR A WITNESS UNTO ALL NATIONS; AND THEN SHALL THE END COME.” or the destruction of the wicked which is the end of the world.” 

I know what I have written is true and I so testify in the Name of Jesus Christ Amen.

How can we prepare? Those who are prepared need not fear! Read all about it in December’s memo #19

I love you~

Dad, Grandpa etc. Richard Marden Pratt

excerpt from Grandma Adaline and Grandpa Richard’s Iowa mission journal:

March 19, 1984 ...as the elders travel on bicycles during the summer they received some rather humorous and otherwise safety instructions. Part of it was a movie put out by National Bicycle Safety Council and narrated by Bill Cosby. Among other things he said. “Knowing the rules is not enough, we must obey them every time we ride a bike.” I thought, “how true that is of everything governed or controlled by law! And then I thought, “all things are governed and controlled by law therefore we need to know the law and obey it to have the enjoyment of safely riding a bicycle or any other facet of life. 

I believe when an individual can learn this one lesson and that means do it, then that person is on the way to peace and happiness in this life and no worries about eternal life. Or as the Prophets have said: “Learn the truth and the truth shall make you free.” or “He that is prepared shall not fear.” 

And the next thought is, “No one can learn for someone else.” This is one area that cannot be accomplished by proxy, not even by God in behalf of us, It is a do it yourself project or never enjoy the “bike ride.”

There are many ways we can help someone to learn to ride a bicycle. We can orally instruct them. We can give them written instructions; we can prepare their bike with training wheels; we can even run alongside and support them, but in the end after all we or God can do they must launch off by themselves and following their instructions learn to do by doing....God’s way is “you do” Satan’s way is “I do”

The following was written by Roger Rowbury: As we approach the Thanksgiving season my thoughts are turned to the many things for which to be thankful. We need to be throughly grateful to those pilgrims who risked life and limb (many lost both) to journey from the old country to America to escape religious persecution. Months of cold, seasickness, disease, enduring extremely cramped quarters and a vast array of other discomforts had to be  endured in order to make the journey.

When they arrived in the “promised land,” their trials were not over or for that matter even diminished. The weather was cold and miserable. There was little food for them to eat. The seeds which had been brought had to be saved to plant crops in the spring. Had it not been for friendly Indians, most if not all of them would have died of starvation. Even so many did perish that first winter. 

Enough did survive, however, to colonize and be the nucleus of starting this great nation and other nations. The next fall they had the first Thanksgiving feast and invited the friendly Indians to join them. 

Out of this meager beginning was born a mighty nation which allowed religious freedom and eventually the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through a modern day Prophet, even Joseph Smith.

The early Saints suffered much persecution and hardships as they were pushed from one place to another in order to find Zion or their place of refuge. Like the pilgrims from the Old Country, many died of diseases, malnutrition, cold even massacre and murder to give us the heritage we now enjoy.

I am so thankful for those who sacrificed all they did that we can have what we now have. I fear however, that we have become complacent. In the last days with its calamities and problems prophesied in the scriptures, we too will be required to face many hardships. We need to be ready and willing to face them with the courage exhibited by our forefathers.

We have been admonished to have food, clothing, and where possible money to see us through tough times. If we will do this, we can avoid many of the calamities which would otherwise not be survivable. 

During this season, let us be thankful for those who have provided the examples of courage and bravery to survive unsurmountable times. Let us learn from their example and mistakes to be prepared. If we are prepared we need not fear.

In Loving memory of Bobby Mock 

Bob married Carolyn Joyce Pratt Law February 20, 1988 in the Jordan River temple and came into our family in such an awesome way. He was and is a gentle, generous, kind man. All of us enjoyed his cute sense of humor. Even when he was in pain and nearing the end of his life he responded with humor. Roger was visiting Bob and said, “Bob, I came to play a game with you, what game would you like to play?” (Hint neither of them really like to play games very much!)

Bob appeared to be asleep a minute passed and then one faint word passed his lips, “football” and a brief glimmer of a smile. This good natured man kept the faith to the very end. We thought it most appropriate to include his testimony here. “Bob’s testimony that he wrote to one of our guides when we were in Miami, Florida.” “Dear David, here is the Book of Mormon we said we would send you. I would like you to know that this book is true. Read it with an open mind and pray about what you read. Ask the Lord if it is true. I know it is true. I know that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, that he suffered and died on the cross for our sins. I know he is the Son of God, and the only way that we can get back into the presence of God is through Him. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Later day Saints is the only true church, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that we have a prophet at the head of the church now. Ever since I was a little boy, I knew that there was a God, but I did not know how important it was, until I became active in the LDS Church. When you really need help in your life, there is only one person that can help, and that is the Lord, Jesus Christ. So when you read this book, ask God, in the name of Jesus Christ, if it is true and He will manifest it to you....I love my family very much and I am thankful for each one of them. They are all good people, and I am very proud of everyone of them. I pray that my descendants will read the Book of Mormon, so that they can each gain their own testimony, that the Savior    lives and that the Gospel is true. 

With love from Bobby, (son-in-law, Dad, Grandpa, and great grandpa, uncle, brother) Mock 

Bobby was the builder of wonderful wooden trains, spinning wheels etc. and now will build beautifully in paradise. 

Memo #16 (Written September 1, 2001)

Memo 16, September 1, 2001         

To: All Pratt adults and selected others

From: Grandpa, etc. Richard Marden Pratt

Re: The Second Coming Preceded by Apostasy

  Apostasy is a “turning away from” as a traitor turns away from his country and sells out to the enemy so an apostate sells out to Satan. And as the penalty for a traitor in times of war, is death so also the penalty for apostasy is death, Spiritual death, for they separate themselves from God.

The history of this world from Adam to the present has been one continuous turning away from God and embracing all that Satan stands for with the resultant misery, poverty, hate, violence and suffering attendant there to. Scattered thru the world during its history the Lord has tried to maintain little islands of righteousness but at times even these islands have been swept away by the floods of iniquity. The worst period of total apostasy when few or no islands were left was during that period of time called by the world, itself, “the dark ages” roughly 325 AD to 1300 AD or about 1000 years. But even from 1300 to 1820 AD the few islands that were established were done so by good men but men who had no authority to act in God’s name. 

So it was that on an early spring day in 1820, a 14 year old boy, Joseph Smith,  asked God which church was right, which church was his church, which church should he join?

Where upon the Lord, Jesus Christ, in person answered, “join none of them, for they were all wrong.....all their creeds were an abomination in his sight;.....they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”

Many good and sincere men among these “self-styled” preachers of God did do much good. The Bible in part was preserved in lonely monasteries, and until modern times was the only source, vague as it was, of the moral principles that has made our modern civilization possible. Without those principles of decency taught by the Bible the world would soon destroy itself. And that is the fate now pending unless we can swing the pendulum back to “love thine enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you etc.”

“God never rules tyrannically except when men so corrupt themselves that they are unfit to live. Then under such conditions, it is the story of all his dealings with mankind that he sends judgement upon them and wipes them out and destroys them.” (Source unknown)

And so it is today, with millions murdered before they are even born, with the filthiness of homosexuality, and the destruction of the family, with violence of man toward man and nation against nation, there is only one hope, and that cry is going out: God is speaking through his Prophets and announcing that there are now on the earth men authorized of God to teach righteousness and perform the saving ordinances by which a person publicly declares his allegiance to God.

They are saying to men and women of all faiths, “bring the truth that you already have and we will add to it until you have the fulness of truth and the power to save yourself from a dying world, an apostate world that has cast God out and have sold their allegiance to Satan.

There are two great divisions in so called modern Christianity: Catholic versus Protestantism of which there are hundreds if not thousands of different sects all claiming to be God’s true church. 

The highest ranking official in the Catholic Church put it this way to President David O. McKay on a visit in President McKay’s Salt Lake Office. Said he, “President McKay, you don’t know the strength of your position, for only one of two churches could be God’s true church, either the Catholic church is right by direct line of authority from Peter as we claim or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church by direct revelation from God as you claim. None of the Protestant churches can even make a claim to being the true church of Christ. For as the word “Protestant” means they simply protested against some of the practices of the Catholic church.”

President McKay smiled and answered, “Yes we know the strength of our position and we are right and are the true representatives of God and we invite Catholics and Protestants alike to bring their goodness with them and let us add to it that all might enjoy salvation from a dying world and exaltation in the presence of God forevermore.”

From the earliest times the Saints have hoped that they were living in the day of the second coming of the Lord. Enoch, 4th great grandson of Adam and, Adam was still alive, had a face to face confrontation with the Lord and learned some astonishing things. “He saw angels descending out of heaven crying: Wo, Wo be unto the inhabitants of the earth. And he saw Satan; and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced.....and the God of heaven looked upon the residue of the people, and he wept.”

Enoch was startled by the Lord’s weeping and asked why he would weep over one little world when his creations were so vast that man could not count them all. The Lord answered, among all the innumerable (to man) worlds I have created, none have been so wicked as this one. Wouldn’t you weep if you were their Father. All I have asked them to do is to love one another and choose me as their Father. But instead they hate each other and have chosen Satan as their Father, and misery shall be their doom, and the whole heavens shall weep over them. Wherefore should not we weep seeing these shall suffer. 

These will perish in the flood; I will shut them up; a prison have I prepared for them.

And Enoch called unto the Lord saying: Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, (now) in the days of wickedness and vengeance,  to fulfill the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah (all of us).

And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake and also the earth; and great tribulation shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve.

But before that day Enoch saw great tribulations among the wicked;....and mens hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgements of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked. 

And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world; and he saw the day of the righteous the hour of their redemption, and received a fullness of joy.

(Source: Moses chapter 7)

To be continued in Memo 17   I actually posted the second half on the blog in August 2013! I love rereading Dad's memos. Hope you do too.

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