Happy New Year Family

I guess it is time for Dad to get back into this blog stuff.  I appreciate the Facebook posts and phone calls but particularly like the blogs as it is more fully creating a family history for us.  Following the theme of the Christmas Gift Mom and I shared from Uncle Larry's efforts, we would like to continue the process of sharing our personal history in pictures and stories as well as increase understanding of ancestors, close and distant.  I appreciate your patience in accepting this.  Well, I guess you can just skip the blogs!  :)

I have been doing more reading in "From Obscurity to Prominence"  and came across an entry that really struck me because it speaks so deeply to our heritage of doctrinal knowledge and understanding.  This is found in the second file, I believe on or close to page #310 (page 72 of that file) .  Additionally I have included some pictures of my brothers and me.

I believe this was around the time I came home after birth.

From the History:

...mention is made of Sunday evening study at the kitchen table. This became a powerful experience in the family. The D&C was a favorite course of study. A couple of sections each time were studied in detail and discussed. ...Theron guided discussions from his studying. (Theron – personal diary; Author – personal memory).

Larry and Deon mixing concrete for structures in ditches to control the water.  The tractor was the International Farmall H.  I never drove this tractor as it was traded in before I learned to drive.  I do remember the day Roger drove it to Swain Motor to turn in on our first John Deere, a 3010. 

Author’s Note: This studying of the Gospel and Scriptures set a standard in the home. Theron and Vida gave sons a strong foundation of Gospel principles and doctrine that carried with them throughout their lives. They were good Gospel scholars and could answer questions anyone could raise by chapter and verse, or by book title and page. Elmer Palmer was an additional mentor in this process.

My edited remarks:  I believe it was by virtue of this studying that all of the sons were qualified to accept teaching and leadership calling in our later teenage and early adult years.  Larry taught Sunday School, course 16 at age 16 and called as Priest Quorum adviser at age 17.  Deon was called as the Teacher Quorum adviser at at age 16. Calvin was called as the Seminary President.  Roger could teach anyone at any time and was the top scriptorian in his mission.  I was Seminary President in the 9th grade and have held many teaching assignments over the years.  All of us have taught with doctrinal knowledge and power. However, sadly these Sunday night discussions migrated to just discussions and not scriptural reviews.  While helpful they were not as strong as in the early years of the family and even more sad, I did not continue them into our family. 

This should be the summer of 1957, I was roughly 18 months of age.  I am in my mother's arms.  Deon we believe is the other one on the log.  While the older brothers were growing up the family did a great deal of camping.  Given age of mom and dad, this greatly diminished for me.  I remember some family camping when I was very young.