Memo #1

July 24, 2000

Memo #1

From: The Pen of Grandpa Pratt

To: All Pratt family adults

Re: Eternal Families and the Passing of Grandma

Note: Memos require No Answer, altho answers will be appreciated.

I have witnessed death many times, but with Grandma’s passing it was impressed upon me as never before that it is so totally final. Never again in this life will the survivors have any contact with the deceased, except in very rare cases when they are allowed to return to certain loved ones with a message. This has happened in our own family but is not the purpose of this memo. Perhaps at a future date, if requested and appropriate, I could recount the few times (very few) that it has happened in our immediate family.

What is the purpose of death? Simply to free us from a mortal body that is not built to last forever. It is a great blessing and the next step in our eternal progression. For we have the assurance that Jesus, the Son of God, has provided a resurrection for ALL, in which at the appointed times, the body (mortal) will come forth from the grave to be enlivened once more by the Spirit to live eternally.

It is part of the great “Plan of Happiness” for the Whole Human Family. The FAMILY is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of his children.

Authority has been conferred upon man once again, whereby in Sacred Temples a man can be eternally sealed to his wife, a woman to her husband; parents to their children and the extended family eternally linked together forever.

The earth and all life upon it are of divine origin. The creation did not happen by chance. It did not come out of nothing. No building has ever built itself. How absurd. Where there is a building or creation of any kind there is always a builder, a creator. It is God who made us. We are his children. The Creation itself testifies of a Creator.

Simply summarized, the earth was created so that families might BE. Scripture explains that a husband and wife “shall be on flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.”

The Creation, great as it is, is not an end in itself but a means to an end. We come to earth for a brief period of time, endure our tests and trails, and prepare to move onward, through death, and up ward to a glorious home coming. And we are to love and care for one another.

129 of us had dinner together and socialized after the funeral out of a possible 160 (112 blood descendants and 38 spouses). What a comfort it was to have you all there. Thank you so much for leaving your cares, jobs and responsibilities to be present. I love you all and look forward to not only earthly reunions, but an eternal reunion.

Love,

Dad

P.S. In a future memo I would like to write to the subject of so-called “Natural Law” or Nature’s Laws which are God’s laws and show how freedom to be an eternal family is based on “knowing the law” and obeying the same to gain total freedom eternally.

Enclosed is a copy of Roger’s masterful talk where, in only seven minutes time, he explained the five steps to Eternal Togetherness.

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“Nothing matters if there is not a resurrection; everything would end in the darkness of death...the reality of a resurrection gives hope; it is uplifting, a joy to the righteous.”

By President Howard W. Hunter

P.P.S. I would like toe expand this to a monthly family news letter. In order to do so, each family would have to send in family news items. (These you could submit by postal service or by e-mail via one of my daughters.) What do you think?

The great plan of happiness - Eternal Families -- Roger Rowbury

Adaline Pratt, our wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend lives.  She is now free of all pain.  She can see, even without her glasses.  She doesn’t have to drag an oxygen cord every place she goes.  Oh what a joyous occasion.  But why do we here in this room shed tears?  It is because we want to be with her - or more exactly because we want her to be with us.

At 2:34 am on July 13, 2000 this wonderful lady slipped through the vail into the arms of her mother and father, her daughter Kay, son in-law Vern, and sisters and brothers and others who preceded her.  Oh what a joyous occasion for them, for they are family, loving and caring just as we in this gathering are a loving and caring family.  I’m sure that she wants all of us to be with her when that time comes.

As this is the largest gathering of her family to this point, let me take this opportunity to remind each one here what has to be done to fulfill the laws which will allow that to happen.

1.  We have to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the Redeemer of all mankind. Mosiah 3:17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

D&C 132:21-24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory.  For strait is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it, because ye receive me not in the world neither do ye know me.  But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also.  This is eternal lives to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent.  I am he.  Receive ye, therefore, my law.

2.  We must show the world that acceptance through baptism by emersion as did Jesus Christ, by someone who has the proper authority.  Then we must renew these covenants on a weekly basis by attending church and partaking of the sacrament.

Matthew 3:13-15 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.  Then he suffered him.

3.  All adult males must receive the authority from God or the priesthood.  This allows them to bless their families and others with ordinances they need.  It also allows them to receive their endowment

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from God in his holy temple and do work for those who have passed on without doing this work for themselves.

4.  Every adult must choose a companion and enter into a contract or covenant with our Heavenly Father.  This can take place only in a Temple of God again requiring the proper authority.

D&C 132:15,19 Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.  And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them- ye shall come forth in the first resurrection, and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths.

5.  We then need to keep the Commandments and endure to the end serving faithfully.

John 6:60,66-69 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  Then said Jesus unto the twelve, will ye also go away?  Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?  Thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

These five steps allow us to fulfill the law of happiness.  There is no other way.

We must accept Christ, be baptized through his authority, receive the priesthood if we are man and honor that authority, be married in the Temple and sealed for time and eternity, and keep the commandments to the end.  There is no other way.

Now if any here have not started this process or have strayed from the path, or are making and living other laws than these, we whole heartedly invite you to follow the outlined steps.  We want all of this family to be together in the Celestial Kingdom.

That we will do so is my humble prayer In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.