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Summer is definitely here; she had no hesitancy whatsoever in emerging on the heels of a spring which spent barely a week or two in our neck of the woods due to the slothfulness of winter’s exit. It leads one to scratch their heads in wonder at what the seasons are about. Are they confused? Having a natural schedule they should know when to arrive and when to exit but as the years have passed it seems as if the weather patterns are off and the climate is in unrest.

As I was musing over the weather it brought to mind how the changing seasonal patterns parallel the change in our social and spiritual climate. We live in a noisy world today, filled with much division and contention. Such reflections moved me to remember a passage of Joseph’s life when he had to deal with division in his own family.

Division is the adversary’s greatest weapon. He has used it throughout history in an effort to thwart Heavenly Father’s plan, and the children of God have received the heaviness of its effect. Many minds can be so consumed with the weight of it that they forget to whom they should look to in order to find balance in the face of affliction and chaos. When division came into Joseph’s own family, he handled it with great humility and reason. I have always looked to that example when I am ever faced with contention and division.

In 1836, William Smith had organized a school of debate. Joseph knew nothing of this; in fact, he only found out when he walked in during one of the sessions. His interest was piqued as he sat and listened. He thought it a good thing to have healthy conversations between those who disagreed upon certain topics. He felt that if the debates were in the spirit of goodness that it was a means of gaining knowledge. Joseph decided to attend the next gathering.

It was on a Wednesday, December 18th, and Joseph had joined in to listen to a debate that had continued from the Saturday previous. The meeting had moments of heated discussion, which led Joseph to feel that continuing the school of debate might not be good for it would stir tempers to a point that would lead to contention and division. To this William became enraged and would not be calmed, physically attacking Joseph and causing further injury to his side which had been damaged in a previous attack by the mob. Joseph wrote in his journal that he could barely sit or stand without assistance. He also wrote;

“…my heart is pained within me because of the difficulties that exist in my father’s family.” (1)

Consumed with sorrow over how he had acted against his brother, William wrote to Joseph asking for forgiveness. His words are very telling in how the adversary moves upon us in a manner that is so deceptive that we do not realize that it is an evil spirit which causes us to be contentious.

William calls to attention in his letter, that he is known for his rise to passion but he acknowledges that he was not himself when it happened.

“When I reflect upon the injury I have done to you I must confess I do not know what I have been about..” (2) In this statement, it is clear that something came over him. Then William writes that he is unworthy to be called a brother, “…after coming to myself and considering upon what I have done.” (3)  In both of these lines, William is describing what happens when one is taken over by darkness. Saying that he did not know what he was about and that he came back to himself is indicative of a power taking someone over. In a tender response, Joseph willingly forgives William, but there are also words of caution in the letter concerning William’s behavior.

“…however hasty or harsh I may have spoken at any time to you, it has been done for the express purpose to warn, exhort, admonish, and rescue you from falling into difficulties and sorrows which I foresaw you plunging into by giving way to that wicked spirit, which you call your passions, which you should curb and break down and put under your feet, which if you do not you never can be saved, in my view, in the Kingdom of God.” (4)

Joseph has plainly said in his letter to William that his tendency to rise to a passion is indeed a wicked spirit but even more important is his admonition to conquer those passions, for not doing so could prevent his entering the Kingdom of God. This powerful statement has the support of the 2nd greatest commandment which is found in Matthew 22:39-40

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (5)

All the law and the prophets hang upon these two commandments, meaning that if we fail to abide by those two commandments all else is lost, and we have no hope of entering the Kingdom of God. It matters not how many other marvelous works we do or that we love and help many people, if we are hating even one and not striving to overcome our “passions” against that person then we are not doing all we can to employ the 2nd greatest commandment.  1st John 4:20, 21 breaks it down even further;

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (6)

On January 1, 1836, Joseph wrote, “…My heart is filled with gratitude to God, that He has preserved my life and the lives of my family while another year has rolled away. We have been sustained and upheld in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation and exposed to all afflictions, temptations, and misery that are incident to human life…” (7)

Joseph speaks of the wickedness of his generation, oh how that wickedness has spread and evolved into a greater darkness in our generation! Division and contention have become rife among the Saints in these times. One but has to read through all of the scriptures to see a pattern of division and contention,  making these two ploys the adversary’s choicest weapons. It falls to us to rise up to the challenge of recognizing when our passions are being aroused to anger and calling upon the Lord to help us calm them and replace chaos with peace, contention with good will, and division with unity.

Indeed, the weather does have a pattern. The seasons will come and go that is a surety, they have no choice for they are designed to perform such a task. As such, storms will build up and express themselves upon people who scurry to find shelter. But we have a choice whether or not to let storms build within ourselves. We have but to reach for the Savior’s hand to get help in tempering those storms, creating a peace within ourselves so that we may love one another.

1. Jesse, Dean, ed.  Personal Writings of Joseph Smith:
        Deseret Book, 2002.  (2nd ed. pp 138-143)
2. IBID
3. IBID
4. IBID 
5. King James Bible. Intellectual Reserve Inc., 2018.  www.lds.org,
   https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/22?lang=eng
6. King James Bible. Intellectual Reserve Inc., 2018.  www.lds.org,      https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-jn?lang=eng
7. Jesse, Dean, ed.  Personal Writings of Joseph Smith:
          Deseret Book, 2002.  (2nd ed. pp 138-143)

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Two weeks ago we had a surprise snow, the heaviest of the winter. We thought spring had come because we had experienced some days of nice, sunny weather and temperatures ranging in the upper 60’s, then suddenly, on a Sunday morning, it started; a snowstorm hit and did not stop until we had a good six inches of snow. I was not upset about it, I love snow; however, I was quite ready for spring.

Toward the afternoon I went to the kitchen sink and looked out at all of the little birds looking for food. I noticed that their feeder was empty, so I rushed to the utility room and got some seed to put in the feeder. After about fifteen minutes it was surrounded by a deluge of birds of many different colors; even a woodpecker swooped down, chasing the rest of them away so that he could have full range over the feast. I grabbed my camera and took some shots because they were all so pretty with the contrasting color of the snow.

As I snapped frame after frame, I began to notice something. These birds were not just foraging for food, they were also looking for raw materials to build their nests even though the temperature was freezing and the snow was falling heavily. I watched them in amazement, captivated by their activity. I watched one get some food then fly into the bushes, emerging with strands of building material to take to its destination above the lantern shaped light attached to our house.

Nature is an amazing teacher, these birds know what time of year it is and what needs to be done and they do it, no matter what obstacles are cast down upon their path. We are so unlike nature, so easily moved from our paths and destinations by unexpected storms. Today’s world pulls us in so many directions that we seem to give up far too soon when we actually have it within us to keep going; we just need to round up our shoulders and move forward. I learned a lot in those few moments; each bird taught me something about preparedness, survival, and the need to keep moving forward—always. Just keep moving no matter how many storms come because at length the Lord will give you the sun and all will be well, but if you do not move the storm will consume you.

We live in a very busy, noisy, dark world today, and it is a hard generation for the youth to grow up in. They are surrounded by many voices which proclaim the laws of God to be outdated, wrong, or even prejudice. But there are many pockets of light if one knows where to look, and that is where it becomes necessary for us to spend adequate time in research, studying scriptures, and prayer. In doing so we gain the knowledge we need to be in tune with the Holy Ghost so that we might be guided properly through all things.

Our own flesh was given a spirit for the purpose of coming to this earth, gaining wisdom, proclaiming the Gospel, redeeming the dead, and perfecting ourselves so that we might dwell with our Father in heaven. In that process, we are charged with keeping the delicate balance of living in this world without becoming of this world. Our spirits were pure and clean when we received them and as babes we carried them as such until the world began its efforts to fashion them to its own desires. It is during this phase in our lives that we must maintain and build the spirit we have been given in righteousness, resisting the pull of the world that would cause us to vary from the good path.

Since the flesh is subject to the spirit, whatever condition we expose our spirits to, be it of darkness or light, will determine what course our spirits take. By extension our flesh will conform to the change we have put upon our spirits. This will occur in forms of temptation, thought process, righteous or unrighteous choices, etc. One example is listening to dark music. The listener begins to change in their disposition, their countenance grows more grim, they dress darkly, they do not smile as often as they used to, and are even drawn to dark behaviors. Their outlook also becomes negative and rebellious. In light of such spiritual challenges, what then are we doing to shape our spiritual selves and condition them in the ways of our Lord so that we might be able to counter darkness accordingly?

Throughout the scriptures are laid the blueprints of how we must proceed in moving forward in the light of Christ. In that endeavor, we become worthy to dwell with our Father in heaven. Through scripture study and prayer we see what a responsibility is placed upon us, not just toward ourselves but as parents, in making sure that our children have the spiritual and temporal intelligence to choose the right path in any situation as they walk through this worldly path. Those same scriptures and prayers also hold us up in the face of trial and adversity. We have witnessed the value of scripture study and prayer throughout the history of the world, especially in the Restored Gospel. Those strengths are there for us today and should become a part of our daily lives.

I have found every day to be an easier and more balanced process when incorporating scripture study and prayer in my life, and I am grateful for the Gospel which provides so many avenues to problem-solving, strength and endurance in an everchanging world.

We did a whirlwind tour this week! Within four days we were in Westchester and Nauvoo, Illinois, doing firesides and giving a personal tour of Nauvoo to some friends. Then we booked it home to Chillicothe to perform with the Livingston County Jamboree Band for the county fair, then on Wednesday, I sang the National Anthem with some friends of mine before a ball game! We were blessed to meet many lovely people who have great testimonies! We also met some who have struggles, yet were strengthened after hearing what we had to say. That is why we do this, to strengthen and uplift others, although I am quick to say the credit for that goes to the Lord 🙂 It is the Spirit that lifts them, we just show up to speak and share music! Love this work! We are grateful to all of our patrons, we could not do this without the help of others. As patronage grows we will be extending our dates and travels! For information about becoming a patron for as little as $1 a month, go to the Patreon link on this page!

June 8-13th, 2017, found us blazing the mountains and hollers of the Smoky Mountains, more precisely Tennessee. We did two firesides, one in Knoxville, and the other in Sevierville, close to where I was born in 1962. Oh my! Love getting in the midst of those accents again! It didn’t take long for me to swing back into that mode either 🙂

I was humbled by the genuine hearts and new friendships which were formed. Since coming home I have had a lot of feedback from those who have experienced suffering in their family, and they said to me that they have a renewed hope in mending fences and pulling their families together. Responses such as these strengthens me to keep doing this work for if we can reach even one heart and motivate it then we have achieved our purpose! In saying that, I must convey that it is the Spirit that moves such wondrous emotions and all credit goes to the Lord, not us. We are looking forward to July in Nauvoo, and August back to Tennessee!

Note: The funding process we had for paying our travel expenses for the past sixteen years is no longer available to us due to new guidelines. We have an addition to our page called Patreon, for those who want to sponsor us and keep this work going for as little as $3 a month! We have seen many lives changed as we have been doing this work, even our own. We appreciate any help. Become a patron and take part in this journey we are on!

This past Sunday we did a fireside for the missionaries at Adam-Ondi-Ahman, and it was such a choice experience. There were many genuine people there who have both feet on the ground in the gospel. That’s a hard thing to do in the times we live in. There are so many things that we have to weigh carefully so as not to offend, it seems as if we are always walking upon fragile glass. But there is no glass when you drive through the gates at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. There is a shift and everything is calm and peaceful. When you walk the trails at the different sites you have moments that your mind can claim as its own, to drift and ponder where it will, and have a private conversation with the Lord. This is where, no matter what you are going through, you can breathe in the air, feel the Spirit, and find some healing. Does it solve all of your problems? Of course not, but you leave knowing that even though you’re going back to a world of trials, the Lord is with you always, and He will help you through it. It has been such a blessing in many ways to do our firesides for the past sixteen years and we look forward to doing them for many years to come, but it is nights like this one that give us more strength to push forward. If you have never been to Adam-Ondi-Ahman, the time is now! Go and have a wonderful experience in a peaceful valley.

We are in the midst of our spring tour and would like to thank the wonderful folks in Santee, Hemet, Morro Bay and Irvine California! What a week! Six firesides in seven days! We loved every minute and are grateful to those who took us to see the wonderful sites in these areas such as the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and the wonderful seals just up from Morro Bay and much more. We have made new friends and are grateful for the feedback from those who have a renewed interest in healing their families and finding wholeness and healing through the Atonement! After a rest in St. George with our special cousins Gracia and Ivor Jones we will be heading to Utah for some events there. Although most of the firesides in Utah are private FHE in individual homes for multiple families we do have one that is open to the public as a stake fireside:

April 26
250 W 600 S Lindon UT 7 PM

Thank you so much! We will keep you updated as we go and please remember we do have a donation link in the upper right portion of the page. We are still raising funds for our summer tour which covers several New England states and Canada!

We recently interviewed for both LDS.net and The Mormon Channel. While at The Mormon Channel, we had the opportunity to tour the church’s very own internet radio station. It’s fascinating to see what the Lord has provided His church with to spread the gospel to all the world! Here are the links to these two interviews.

LDS.net Article

Mormon Channel Interview

Fifteen years after I was prompted to write my family’s story I now have it in hand, published and available for all to read. The end result was much different than I had anticipated. I thought it was to be a source of healing for me and my family, but it became a volume of life’s lessons that can help anyone heal from all traumas in their lives through the Atonement. This book has been written in all corners of the United States and in-between as we traveled over the course of twelve years doing firesides and concerts. I met many people who influenced me, by their own struggles, to emphasize the importance of knowing the Savior and understanding the Atonement. There were those who still carried negative feelings toward Emma, but left our firesides healed, carrying a better understanding of Joseph’s widow, and why she stayed in Nauvoo. I knew I would have to include Emma’s story in my book to help people understand the importance of holding a state of love in any situation, not judging those whose situation you have know way of knowing, and letting go of negative feelings concerning events you do not understand. The road to forgiveness, coping, unity, conversion, compassion, letting go, moving forward, the Atonement and opening your heart to the pure love of Christ can all be found in my new book, Rising Hills and Sinking Valleys. The reader will also come to know the Smith family in a manner that has never been opened before. This work of love has been accomplished through many miracles and many trials. I have opened up my own soul and the lives of my predecessors in hopes that all families can heal and unite.

You can order Rising Hills and Sinking Valleys from our online store.

Something that we’ve been wanting to do for a while now is to make a video for the song Serenity Blue.  A few weeks ago, that goal was realized.  We received permission to use video from the movie Emma Smith, My Story in the video.  This video is a powerful representation about the love Joseph had for those that he left behind when he was called from this earth.  We hope you enjoy it and pass it along to your friends.