Memo #24
May 1, 2002
From: Richard M. Pratt (Dad, Grandfather, friend etc.)
Re: “The Other Side of Heaven”
If you haven’t seen the movie, “The Other Side of Heaven”, put it on your must list of things to do. It is adapted from the 1993 book, “In the Eye of the Storm.” also read the book, you can’t lay it down as it relates the experiences of John H. Groberg while serving a mission in Tonga for the LDS church in the 1950's. Elder Groberg is now a general authority.
The movie touches on his harrowing adventures just getting to his field of labor. It took three months of sea travel marked by delayed passages and missed connections. His mission president utterly lost track of him. When the small ship he was traveling on reached its destination the dock authorities wouldn’t let him come ashore and the ships captain wouldn’t let him remain on the ship. I won’t tell you what happened but it’s exciting! And so are the rest of his adventures of hurricanes, starvation, privation, seduction and life on tiny dots of islands with a people who didn’t speak English.
The movie was released in December 2001 on a regional basis to theaters in Utah, Idaho and Arizona and has gained a spot in the top 10 regional movies released in 2001. It is now going to be released nationally with, NOTE THIS, the blessings of Hollywood.
Word from Utah has spread out across the country. People, not just Mormons, are clamoring for it.
Elder Groberg and his wife were very uncomfortable with the idea of having their lives on the “screen.” he said, “It may be some people’s dream but it defiantly was not ours.” they are now convinced such wide spread exposure is desirable.
He says, “I think its mission has not yet been realized. The scriptures say the Lord speaks to each generation according to its own language and ability and so forth. And for good or for evil, the language of a lot of the youth today and a lot of the world is movies.” He continues. “We must find ways to touch the light of Christ in all mankind.”
It seems viewers who are not members of the church are the ones to have been most profoundly affected by it.
A 10 year old girl from Israel who saw the movie in Tempe, Arizona with her parents reported that the movie taught her you don’t have to have a lot of worldly possessions to be happy and that there is a power that will help you get through things if you are helping others.
The film maker, Mitch Davis said: “That one young man who saw the picture at a preview screening found me afterwards and grabbed me by the hand and tearfully said, ‘I want you to know that seeing this movie made me want to join your church just so I could go on one of your missions.’
The movie has gained a number of fans in high places, including the chairman of one of the major studios in Hollywood who said, after screening “The Other Side of Heaven,” “We want to do everything we can to help your movie succeed so that we can make more like it.”
Jack Valenti, the high profile chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, has engaged the motion picture for showcasing to members of Congress at the MPAA’s theater in Washington, D.C. April 17, 2002.
There has been a tremendous amount of discussion in Washington and in Hollywood post
September 11th about what Holly wood can do to inspire and serve America better on the heels of that violent, horrific terrorist attack on America. Jack Valenti has seized on this particular film
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as an example of the kind of thing we may want to have more of in the future.
Good people ought to support good entertainment that uplifts and conveys good principles while avoiding entertainment that does not.
The studios are paying attention; they’re listening. They’re watching carefully.
It was so typical of our mission to the Kiribati Islands, which are closest to Tonga being
about 1800 miles North of Tonga. That I cried like a baby and I don’t cry easily, especially the farewell scene when the Islanders didn’t want him to leave. We experienced much of what he did and it’s heart wrenching.
(NOTE: the forgoing has been extracted from an article in April 6, 2002 Church News page 6 entitled, “The Other Side of Heaven” to be Released Nationally)
Why did I copy much of this article? Because it suggests one of the ways that the prophecy made by the Prophet Joseph Smith will be carried out. Said he,
“NO unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing, persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent ‘til it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, ‘til the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the great Jehovah shall say ‘THE WORK IS DONE’.”
As the great General Conference held this month revealed, the work of bringing souls unto Christ is literally reaching to the ends of the earth. The conference was translated into more than 160 languages that nearly all the people of the world can understand and was broadcast to the ends of the earth. And the “HONEST IN HEART” are responding.
I remember the great celebration in 1944 when we reached a million living members. That first million started with a 14 year old boy, just one soul, 124 years earlier. By next conference we should number 12 million in only 58 years. A non LDS agency has computed that at our present rate of growth the church will have 200 million members by the year 2080. However, I think they are way low.
Why this urgency to reach every soul? Because God has a plan for this earth and for all his children past, present and yet to come.
The plan for the earth is to glorify it for the eternal home of those who accept Jesus as their Savior. The act of glorifying the earth will include a cleansing by fire. The loving Father, of course, doesn’t want any to perish in this cleansing. And just as he tried to save all from the cleansing by water in Noah’s time. So now his great work is to save all from the soon-to-be burning.
Elder John M. Madsen of the seventy said in his conference talk: “Tragically, millions in the world today still prize and choose the riches of the earth’ over the riches of eternity, not knowing or fully understanding that he that hath eternal life is rich. Simply stated, eternal life is to live forever as families in the presence of God.” and that, upon this earth. Without Christ in our lives the future is indeed bleak and without hope for HE is the source of ALL LIFE.
.....”The death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.
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And then cometh the judgement of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.” Mormon 9:13-14
So it is that each one of us is in charge of his or her future and will have restored to them at the judgement that which they chose here in mortal life. Good for good, evil for evil, happiness for happiness etc.
In the Old Testament book of Numbers Ch. 21 it is recorded that Israel, led by Moses in the desert, came to a place teeming with poisonous snakes. Many people were bitten and died.
The Lord instructed Moses to make a brass snake, raise it on a pole in the center of the camp and tell the people that when bitten if they would look at the brass snake they would not die but would be healed. Astonishingly, many would not look and perished.
The prophet Alma, commenting on this said: “Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them. Then he continues as tho speaking to us.
“Oh my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly,...Then cast about your eyes and believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last judgement day, according to their works.” Alma 33:20-22 Prophecy made about 74 B.C.
The resurrected, Savior taught: “NO unclean thing (meaning no disobedient person) can enter into the Kingdom of God; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, AND THE REPENTANCE OF ALL THEIR SINS, and their faithfulness unto the end.
Now this is the commandment: Repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day....this is my gospel...the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do.” 3 Nephi 27:19-21
In closing may I state that what I have written is true and like the Brass snake of Moses can bring us salvation from the ills of this life and the fear of the next.
My 91st year promises to be my best ever. I rejoice in the knowledge and testimony I have of the love of God for me and all his children. Whether this is the year I depart this life or some other does not matter. I would like to shout so loudly that all the world could hear, “Accept Jesus as your personal Savior.” For this and this only can free one from the terrors and problems of a wicked world.
I love you!
Grandpa Pratt
A favorite poem from Grandma Adaline Pratt’s book page 101:
More things are wrought through prayer than this world dreams of.
Therefore, let your voice rise like a fountain night and day.
For what is man better than sheep or goats that nourish a blind faith,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands above to pray.
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Get yourself fit and ready for June’s memo. Grandpa is going to start a three part serial titled, “How the West was Fun.” Remember Grandpa was a grown man before the last of the pioneers died in fact his Dad’s uncle the last son of Parley P. Pratt died when Grandpa was 26 years old. His name was Teancum Pratt.
The theme of this “real story” is how Grandpa rescued and saved the recipe for Pioneer - Campfire bread and he’ll even include the recipe. It’s yummy.
The story will include Geronimo’s “last stand” and how Grandpa escaped being scalped by diving down a badger hole only to land in a stygian dark den of rattle snakes.
And how he found the last surviving Pioneer lady who gasped out the bread recipe with her last breath. How Grandpa lacking a shovel buried her in the badger hole! There will also be cowboys, dogs, a baby badger, horses and “old Blue.” You’ll love Old Blue. So get yourself ready only the fit will survive.
LOOK in Grandma Pratt’s book pages 84-87 It is entitled Gilbert Islands. It is an awesome chapter. Just one thought from her words. “I found my talents, though humble, were all useful and were magnified as I went forth in the work of the Lord. Though living conditions were sometimes almost intolerable, there was a joy and a satisfaction that made the sacrifice an opportunity. When I occasionally longed for my home and comforts, I remembered how much our Savior had given for us, and I felt a little ashamed for even having thought it a burden. I remembered the scripture Luke 9:58 which says: “the birds have nests, the foxes have dens, but the Son of God hath not a place to lay his head.” I am sure that many times our Savior longed to be settled in a home but gave that up for a greater love for us. I am humbled and pray that I might prove worthy of so great a sacrifice.” ......read it..... (She did live worthy and is preparing a place for her family.)
May 19, 1934 Richard and Adaline were married. This month marks the 68th year! Read the chapter “Whisper of Romance” page 45 in Grandma’s book. Richard paid his sister Anne a dime to keep her mouth shut when she caught them kissing! Adaline says: “I felt that this man (Richard) was the one promised me in my patriarchal blessing.”....I knew that this man would be a worthy husband and a great man. Time has proven this to be true.”....... “The most important dreams of my life were unfolding with my marriage and continued to grow when I learned that I was to have a baby. My joy was great, but it was dampened a little when I became ill with morning sickness and lost weight until I weighed only 98 pounds. Still my hopes were high. After a few months, I felt encouraged even more by the life that stirred within. ........Life holds many beautiful and sublime experiences. These vary in degree, according to our preparedness to receive them. As a daughter, life can be beautiful and thrilling. Then as a mother it can be beautiful, thrilling and rewarding.”( Read the tale of their courtship pages 74-78 in Grandpa’s book!)...... “Grandma (Peterson), Mother (Lilly) and Adaline were now busy planning the wedding. I don’t know why May 19th was picked, unless it was because it was Saturday and by the other men doubling up, (on chores)I could have two days off. Whatever, the day arrived. Mother had made a cake and Adaline had sewn her own beautiful white wedding dress. I stacked hay until noon, ate dinner, took a bath, I really did, dressed in my brand new J. C. Penny $19.98 suit and was ready. We were married about 3 PM in my parents parlor in the Lower ranch house. ....James Anthon Ferrell performed the ceremony....(Bob and Melba gave the happy couple the keys to their house in Peshastin after the ceremony so that is where they honeymooned. Dad adds that on their way back to the ranch they spent their last 35 cents for a bag of oranges! It was a big splurge.)Two months later with Bob and Melba, that is they rode with us in Dad’s 1939 Plymouth we drove to Cardston and were sealed in the Temple July 25, 1934.
Let’s all learn from their example of love and righteousness.
