Share The Light

I have a few thoughts on it. Let me take you back a bit. Jim and I were arrested and charged with polygamy last year. It caused a huge amount of stress to our families, our community and ourselves. I was represented by Mr. Joe Arvay. We brought an action against the Government and proved in court that they broke the law. The process cost hundreds of thousands of dollars which we do not have and which they refuse to pay.  I think that this Government is afraid of Mr. Arvay.  Maybe he should have made a contribution to the Liberal campaign just before the last election. I am sure that the Government has paid Mr. Robertsons billings, and if they wanted to show that they are something more than an organization bent on discriminating, financially injuring and religiously cleansing our community, they would at least re-imburse the financial damage they have caused us. Our families will live with the emotional damage for the rest of their lives.

I have a better question. Why would anyone trust this government? It seems like to me that the first thing that needs to happen is to see whether the appointed amicus has contributed cash to the Liberal election campaign. The second thing the Government should do is make it a fair case and hire Mr. Arvay to represent us.  Other than that my family will not participate.

Mother has moved into her new home.  It is beautiful!  Thank you to all those who have helped in every way.  She was so excited that finally the rest of her children would come and see her that she did not even sleep the first night. By the next day she was still expecting them. Finally she has decided that they aren’t coming.

Mother is a little old lady that had a stroke a few years ago.  She requires constant care and is not able to move around. She is also deaf. She can talk just fine but cannot hear. When you talk with her you have to write down what you say so that she can read it. That’s what I do.  She has spent the better part of her life being a Saint and so naturally her good life threatens others.  When dad was cut off the church she wouldn’t leave him. Finally she got cut off again but that didn’t matter to her. She has stayed true to the faith that our parents have cherished, true to the truth for which martyrs have perished, true to Gods command, and faithful and true she will ever stand!

Mother loves everybody! She just can’t understand how a silly timid priesthood of some new church would be so afraid of the simple faith of one old woman.  Truly God said that two would put tens of thousands to flight. Here is one lady that has thousands afraid of the strength of her testimony! God bless you mother, and God bless all those who are her good friends.

Wow! I would naturally be a little defensive. I would ask my judges just what it is that they have done for anyone? When I look at what I am doing it is hardly enough for all those that need help. That need my help. I think I will certainly try and do more. Thanks for the wake up call.

What a question Jack! If I just knew how myself then it would be wonderful. As I read in the Book of Mormon about the struggle that King Mosiah and Alma the High Priest had with their children being among those that were unbelievers, and knowing that without the intervention of an angel that could shake the earth with his voice, thus convincing these boys that they were on the wrong path, the outcome in their life would have been vastly different. It almost makes me wish that I could borrow that angel myself. I often ask myself what worked for me? Why did I want to follow my religion? Why did I believe when others did not? Now with children I realize that to a great degree I am just raising myself over and over again. I could mandate no television, but know how I have would have reacted when I was young. I could deny the dance, the social, the swim, the hockey as many have done, and I know what the reaction would have been. I could have family home evening every night, read from the Bible until I was the only one enjoying it, shut off all music other than hymns, and require my children to listen to long monotone sermons night and day. When I was growing up that would have been punishment to me. So, what can I do that will help my children get a foundation in my faith? Or value religion at all?

Some of the most confused people that I have ever met were religious people. They have read everthing that anyone has ever said about anything until they don’t know whether they are coming or going. They don’t know their religious colors or the abc’s because they have a masters degree in confusion. All they seem to know is to follow the leaders. If the leaders say that the unwilling children must go, then out they go. They just give them the boot! We just have to do something different than that. But what? How?

I have a boy that can hardly wait until he is eighteen so that he can try puffing the weed. I have tried to get him to have some other holy aspirations because I have definitely met those who thought that weed was a sacred thing. I have others who only think of making money. Millions of dollars! It doesn’t matter how many times I quote the Savior, “no man can serve God and mammon”, they just know that they want millions of dollars. They want to give it a try. I also know families that to look at them you would gasp in amazement at the visible success that they are having with their family. They are wonderfully dressed, well mannered, and publicly perfect. They haven’t been trained to be that way, they have been broke that way and some of them can hardly wait till their dad dies so that they can have a life. Others just carry on the tradition cause it is not about religion, it is about a tradition that is altogether something other than Christian.

Years ago when I was a young man trying to make any sense at all about our way of life, we had a conference. Our then President Johnson, Uncle Roy as we called him, was speaking in conference talking about the responsibility that parents had to teach their children. An old lady in the assembly raised her hand and stood up. She asked; “Uncle Roy, when does a parent cease being responsible for the actions of their children”? Uncle Roy told her and all of us that a parent ceases being responsible for the actions of their children when they have taught them what God expects of them sufficiently that they know what is right and what is wrong, thus transferring the responsibility to make good choices and decisions to their children. That was the jist of it anyway. I have often reflected on it and reminded myself that I need to contnue teaching my children about the simple decent teachings of Christ. I want them to make good life choices and have them not be able to say, “my father never taught me about that”.

So, here is a bit of advice from a busy dad. Remember that you are trying to raise yourself, your dad, grandfather and great grandfather all in one. You are struggling with your grandmother and great grandmother, your mother in law and maternal grandparents. Not only do your children resemble the photos that you have of them, they have a genetic resemblance in human traits. Yikes, you may think, my grandfather was a pirate! No, you are not trying to raise pirates, just people. Your family is a labor of love, your labor of love, and unique because of the diversity that you have. I have not seen that anyone has done any better with their family than anyone else, but that should be no comfort. Lets teach our kids to keep the commandments of God, how to make good choices when they are old enough, and then honor their choices the best way we can. That doesn’t mean that you can’t kindly nudge them to do better if they have made mistakes, it only means that as their dad, you should.

No, not sixteen, but I have plenty of things to do on the to do list. In a family like mine there are a few folks that are good at doing many of the things on others to do lists. I have one lady that seems to enjoy seeing to it that the garbage gets hauled away. Another one is my in house carpenter. She sheetrocks, paints, makes shelves, does repairs on anything that needs fixed. (well just about) She still has lots of things she likes to nag me about but I don’t entirely not enjoy it. I don’t mow the grass or do the leaves but I do keep the mowers in good repair and keep them fuelled.

Sometimes like everyone else that I know, I feel picked on! That’s what partners are supposed to do isn’t it? At least that is what my family seems to think!

Back in history the church was having quite a time dealing with the fact that they were not only polygamous but that they were supposed to be living the United Order. Both principles were considered by the faithful as fundamental to our church and salvation.  The mandate of our faith base since 1886 was that some brethren were commissioned to keep alive those sacred fundamental principles. Historians have written volumes about it. By 1890 the manifesto was adopted and the fundamental principles went into hiding.  Throughout our history many missionaries went far away to preach the gospel and while doing so realized that something had greatly changed in the church and particularly among the fundamental teachings. My father was one of those. He began preaching what the Prophet Joseph taught and soon discovered that the present leaders of the church and most of his siblings were much more wise and inspired in their minds than the Prophet Joseph was. But hard work, faith, prayer, study, and inspiration led him to find the brethren commissioned to keep our fundamentals alive and active. He lived out the remainder of his life as a missionary, teaching and preaching the same things taught by Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor and others.

Father joined the fundamentalist brethren. He had no aspirations, no coveteousness. He wasn’t interested in someone else’s wife nor their daughters. He tried to do what he was directed to do as faithfully as he thought possible. He helped others join. So have I and so do I.

It may be a surprise to discover that there are actually many families and people that are diligently trying to find the way that the Prophet Joseph taught as being the way to the Kingdom of God. I could name many that are just as my father was. They have studied, searched, prayed and prayed some more, all the while knowing that what they were doing was not popular with their friends, relatives and families. They are the best missionaries the church has ever known, and maybe has never known. They inspire everyone. They are not in the category of those who are just looking for wives because they aren’t. They are looking for a faith that rings true with a church that rings true with a message that rings true and a life that will take them back to where the heros of our yesteryear peacefully dwell in quiet friendship with their families, their brethren, their forefathers, their God.  They don’t really need to join because they have already joined in the lifelong personal struggle that living this way becomes as we carefully hold onto that “rod of iron” or the unpopular word of God in our way back to Him.

It was one year ago today that I got arrested! It had snowed a couple of feet of heavy wet snow in the night and our village was just groaning under the weight of it all. I got my children up and then called my brother to get him to come help me with some snow. He plowed the school yard and sidewalks and I was worried about the pending avalanche of snow soon to be coming off my houses and directly into the corridor where my children walk. Tons of snow would be rumbling off and I worried as we worked quickly to direct it out of any harm to my family. The school bus was late and it was no surprise because no one could even move in that snow mush.  I jumped on my snowmobile to take some kids across the way when up the road comes two fourwheel drives, one a pick up and the other an SUV. Out jumps four plain clothes officers and promptly arrested me. Soon I had a swarm of children around and they weren’t happy. The officers were kind though and two went to explain to Leah that I was being arrested. It kicked her into early labour and added to the complications of the day. I also got to change my boots and coat and I appreciate that boys! Shelley, the only woman on the team was very tender as she tried to explain to Leah the greater good that this would be to our family. Canada should be proud of her. What a way to end a two and a half year multi million dollar investigation Wally!

Well, I am short, fat and wide and a pair of handcuffs behind my back were really miserable. I hope Wally gets the chance to see how those feel and since he blatantly broke the law I hope it will be soon. The guy trucking me let me have two pairs and that was much better. The reporter that was supposed to be at my driveway and get it all documented for Wally was waiting patiently on the summit for the road to re-open. Thank God for our good old summit! Anyway, I got a good ride to Cranbrook, probably the safest ride I have ever had. We chatted and soon were there. We beat the media again and I got to go downstairs and get finger printed, photographed and inventoried. I had so much junk in my pockets! Wire nuts, screws, fittings, couple pex rings and just miscellaneous junk. They gave it all back too.

Well, I spent the day in cell #7. Cozy and quiet but a little grungy. I think I should take some of my big girls and go do an anniversary cleaning of that place for free. I like to make things better than I found them and I really would do it if I got to. A couple months later I had a school class that wanted to go for a tour but the place was occupied.

Finally, I got my first interview. The officer told me that he had been investigating me for over two years and that was our first conversation. We talked of a lot of things. I saw myself on Larry King and heard some stuff that I have never heard before. When I left I left the same way that I came. Out the back way. The media had made it to town and were waiting out front. They had a picture on the news of someone other than me leaving but to them it was me. No surprise there either!

It was a long day–a long week, a long month, a long year. What a year! To top it all off, the government thinks that I should pay for it all while Wally gets a pension!

Ouch! I am not Dr. Laura nor any of the other females that give advice. I only know how to answer what I think that I know.  Because I am male, I may never be able to convince anyone that I am anything but a chauvinist but I don’t think that I am and I realize that I may never convince you. The most wonderful people that have ever been in my life have been and are female.  One of my old Uncle’s used to often say, “he who is convinced against his will is of the same opinion still”.  I think you are wrong!

I walked into a shop in Cranbrook one day in time to overhear a giant of a man railing about the Catholics. He made a remark that all Catholic Priests were pedophiles and I voiced a disagreement. The giant turned on me and was not one bit happy at being called down on his theory. It is not possible nor reasonable to be so sure that that could be the case.  Lawyers have a reputation for being slimy, dishonest, mudsucking ambulance chasers. Totally not true. Politicians enjoy the infamy of being not only polygamist by their lazy nature, but dishonest, money grabbing, bribe taking folk who only think of themselves. Not true either. The media have a reputation that they must enjoy, dishonest, sensational, intrusive, and you name it! That isn’t always true either.

But polygamy is just wrong sings the “your cheating heart choir.” Thats not true either. I really don’t know how to change the public view that all the groups of polygamists are not connected to me, or our group. I don’t even know most of those groups but maybe I should go meet some of them. Just the other day I had a LDS missionary call looking for some advice. Most of the non Mormon population in Canada thinks generally that I lead the Mormon population in our country.  Not true Canada, but as one man that I corrected said, “those other guys aren’t Mormons. Mormons believe in polygamy! That is what my grandmother told me and that is what I have told my children.” How do you ever correct or argue with that?

I actually have come across people who wanted to convert to our faith just so that they could have more wives. There have not been many of them though and they soon get tired of hanging around and leave. I don’t know many old men in our faith, but the ones that I do know are not looking for any young wives. I know of some young women that want to marry some of the older men in the community. Any that have talked with me get the direction to go finish your school, help your parents, get older than eighteen and if you still feel the same way by then, come back for a talk. It just makes good sense.  I also like the fact that Canada has raised the age of sexual consent to 16. It is wonderful knowing that no where in our country are children under the age of 16 engaging in sexual activity. I wish that Canada would raise the age of sexual consent to 18 and maybe add that you can’t have sex until you graduate from grade 12. Just think of the millions that could be saved on dealing with underage pregnancies, abortions, and health care issues.

Public perception will never change until the public makes a perception change. No, all Catholic Priests are not pedophiles, all cops are not crooked, all lawyers are not bloodsuckers, all polygamists are not abusers, all politicians are not unfaithful, all monogamists don’t cheat on their spouses and all ministers are not money grabbers. Oh yea, all Canadians don’t play hockey! ” Eh O, Canada Go! ” Go for gold you suckers and don’t you dare lose to the US team. My US hockey moms would have supreme bragging rights for the next four years! It would be a Canadian polygamists worst nightmare.

May I take this opportunity on behalf of myself and family to wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year! The beginning of a new decade! We made it through the last one, finally! It seems almost that a curse is lifted from somewhere. God only knows, but we all hope so. Tomorrow is a whole new day!

In case you may be interested here are some of my targets for the new year. 1. I want to go to England and see where my grandfather was born and where he came from. I want to write a story about his life for my children. 2. I want to write a story about “Shorty” our famous shetland pony that passed away a couple weeks ago. He has been in our family for a long time. 3. I have 96 days to finish my mothers house and get her moved in by her birthday April 6. Lots to do there still. 4. I want to build a chicken coop and start raising our own eggs again. 5. I want to help build an activity center so that we have a place to watch plays, dance, have concerts and maybe the odd conference or two. 6. I want to go to at least three conferences this year. I think we should have one in Missouri with our friends over there. 7. I want to introduce two languages besides English into our school system. From the beginning to the end of our school program I would like to see us graduate tri-lingual students. That would be something very exciting and very useful and worthwhile. If our students were fluent in French and Spanish besides English, that would be so nice. My children could help me learn French and Spanish. Hurray! 8. I want to send three more children to college. One already speaks French so she needs to hurry and get her teacher certification. 9. I want to help build 2-3 more houses. (I really don’t do much but I like to think I do.) Sam and Mary have the roof on their new house and I am going to help them with it. 10. I hope to see some more of my family get married off. They are getting quite old these days.

Thats just ten things. I know there are more but I will happily target those ten things and see how it all goes. So once again. Happy New Year to All!