Dad's papers

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!   Growing up as a boy our family moved quite often. Raising ten children made it difficult for my parents to buy a home. By the time I was 14 we had lived in 8 different houses, all within the small town of Middleton, just a short distance from here.  As I look back on those years, it’s like a journal I never kept. I can tie most memories of my childhood to a particular house, and therefore a particular time. This is true of my childhood Christmas memories. The Christmas etched most in my mind is when I was 11 years old. I think it’s because I began to understand and appreciate to a greater degree the love and kindness behind the gifts I received.  I don’t know how, but this particular Christmas, I had persuaded my mother to let me be her little Christmas wrapping helper. This entailed staying up late in the night wrapping the family presents after everyone else was sound asleep, and before Santa came later in the night.  It was that year that ...

 46 (12-18-23) Adoring the Savior Come, Let us Adore Him  While we were watching the recent First Presidency Christmas Devotional the prophet closed with this familiar Christmas lyric. “Come, Let us adore Him”Mama made the comment at the time that she liked that thought, to adore Jesus Christ. I’ve given it some more thought since then.  I liked this explanation when differentiating between loving someone vs adoring someone. “While both words mean "to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully,"  adore  implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment.” While we love the Savior and recognize His Atoning Sacrifice, we must take that love a step further and adore Him. We do this by repenting, by creating that “personal attachment” and essential and individual attachment to Him. Following the prophet’s counsel to repent daily is showing the Savior that we indeed adore Him. So my invitation to all of us is to draw a little closer to Hi...

  Good Morning Cakes, I woke up this morning thinking about something you said last night that I really admire about you. And that is when you were feeling “complacent” you made the decision to do something about it. I know that I’ve shared this story many times over the years, but it has had a meaningful impact on me. Probably the greatest lesson I learned from my mom. Remembering seeing her in that old wooden rocking chair rocking back and forth, deep in thought, with tears running down her cheeks and the Book of Mormon open, resting in her lap. Her response to my worry that something was wrong has been an inspiration to me throughout my life. She read to me the scripture found in 2Nephi 28:24  … wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! She was feeling what you were feeling, and we all feel at times, “complacency”, or at ease in Zion , just going through the motions. But more importantly you were both feeling that you should act. It was immobilizing, but a prompting to g...

 45 (12-4-2023) I Need Thee Every Hour Dear Family, This scripture has stayed with me over the past couple of weeks, and has helped me several times. The message has gained greater meaning for me as I try to apply it. I thought this week I would share a few examples of its application in my own life,    and invite you to consider ways to apply it in yours. 2 Nephi 9:39    Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal. President Nelson defined thinking Celestial as being spiritually minded. The prophet Jacob defined here the same way, as “life eternal”. This is our greatest hope and desire, to return to our love in Heavenly parents, and to be together as family forever. So here are just a couple of ways striving to be spiritually minded have helped me this past week: As you all know to well, because you know me better then anyone, patience manages to stay one or two steps ahead of me most times. And when I am inpatient, I ...

 44 (11/27/23)  KINGDOMS OF GLORY This week I have been studying President Oaks talk, ‘Kingdoms of Glory”. This talk is jam packed with doctrine. We don’t hear this kind of talk very often from the pulpit. Often times the talks teach of a particular principle or Christlike attribute.  Here President Oaks lays out so much of the Plan of Salvation, differentiating our beliefs from the world. I would encourage each of you to read it. If you are wanting some really good study material, break this talk down and dive deeper. It is powerful! I love how it goes hand in hand with the prophet’s talk the very next day on “thinking Celestial”. The parts that stood out to me the most that I wanted to share here is how it highlights our agency in the Plan. Our desires, our choices determine what we will ultimately be comfortable with in eternity. I also love the thought of progressing to become something, not just walking a path outlined by rules and steps to get us to the end of the r...

 43 (11/20/23) President Ballard Like probably all of you, I have reflected on the passing of President Ballard this past week. What was your first thought or impression? If I were to guess, it was the same as mine. It was that you felt a sense of loss, but more so a sense of happiness that he is back in the loving embrace of his wife.  President Ballard has been a General Authority for almost 50 years and for my entire life. When I think of an apostle, he is one that I sang about as a primary boy. I am grateful for his devoted service to his Heavenly Father, and for his special witness to all the world of Jesus Christ.  I like to go back and listen closely after the passing of a prophet, to hear their last thoughts, words, and feelings in mortality. They bring so much peace and strength in their conviction and endurance to the end in witnessing of our Savior Jesus Christ. What words of wisdom or advice, or what matters most to them seems to come through as if they k...

 42-(11/13/23) Hello Family, This week Aunt Marianne sent out an invitation from Brogen’s mission to all the families of their Colorado missionaries, inviting them to share their testimony of the Book of Mormon. These would then be collected and sent to the missionaries in preparation for this new years study of the Book of Mormon as a church and for them as a mission. So this week Mama gave me the idea that I should share my testimony not only with Brogen, but with all of you. My invitation would be for you to write your testimony of the Book of Mormon down and to share it with someone. If you are not sure with whom to share it, may I suggest you share it with your siblings. I promise that your testimony will be a strength to each others. I love you so so much, Dad Elder Blackewell,  I am grateful for this opportunity to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon with you. It means so much to me, and to my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It brings so much jo...