Mullenite

I've been the family genealogist since I was twelve and have since written 2 books for family. What has been your brick wall to hit and can't get through? I have found out that I have a half uncle and half aunt from Grandfather's first marriage, but they would be almost 88 years old now and don't even know if they are still alive. Don't have a clue where to look for them, as they are no where to be found after 1930 census. Can't look up 1940 census for a few more years! Brick wall!!!

Here's mine courtesy of my son's Australian father-in-law: 2 Mormons Two LDS missionaries were visiting homebound patients when they ran out of gas. As luck would have it, a gas station was just a block away. The two walked to the station to borrow a gas can and buy some gas. The attendant said that the only gas can he owned had been lent out, but they could wait until it was returned. Since the young men were on the way to see a patient, they decided not to wait and walked back to the car. They looked for something in the car that could be filled with gas and spotted the bedpan they were taking to the patient. Always resourceful, they carried the bedpan to the station, they filled it with gas, and carried the full bedpan back to the car. While the missionaries were pouring the gas into the tank, two men watched from across the street. One of the them turned to the other and said, "If it starts, I'm turning Mormon." What's your favorite

- Having to go to the post office to drop off outgoing mail. Now I pay all, except 1 bill, online. - Having to go to the library to get information about something. Now it's as close as a search engine on your Internet connection. - Dial-up connections to the Internet. - Dropping off your 35mm film after you get back from vacation and having to wait for the pictures. I remember before the 1-hour development came about in the late 1970's, my father had to wait a few days to pick up the pictures. With digital cameras, you can see the pictures on your computer right after you take them. - Watching a movie on video - Now with DVD, HD-TV and 5.1 Surround-Sound, it's better than being in a movie theater. The one thing I do miss about the past is the $1.30 a gallon gas

Revisionist history is a wonderful thing, you can twist it to make any point you want, but real history is in statistics, like crime rate, graduation rate, murder and suicide rate, all have gone up since the 50's and 60's. The children are defiantly not better off than they were then. By the way, most children today are not out playing in the neighborhood because crime is to the point where they have to be watched constantly. Given the choice I am sure most working mothers would love to quit their jobs and spend more time with their children, but are not in a financial position to do so. Instead they work full time, then come home and clean their houses, do laundry, pay bills, prepare meals, help with homework, and do the other hundred things that need to be done on a daily basis. Anyone who thinks work is liberating must do a very different kind of work than I do, because mine is just the opposite. The government on the other hand is now raking in nearly twice the income taxes that they were when the family relied on one paycheck. The bottom line is that children get their since of self worth from their parents. When they are delegated to something less important than a job or a lifestyle they know it and it negatively affects them.

Self explanatory title.... Discuss...

Inside the LDS Twin Falls Temple

The Disease of John Taylors Vision.... Smallpox is a serious, contagious, and sometimes fatal infectious disease. There is no specific treatment for smallpox disease, and the only prevention is vaccination. The pox part of smallpox is derived from the Latin word for “spotted” and refers to the raised bumps that appear on the face and body of an infected person. There are two clinical forms of smallpox. Variola major is the severe and most common form of smallpox, with a more extensive rash and higher fever. There are four types of variola major smallpox: ordinary (the most frequent type, accounting for 90% or more of cases); modified (mild and occurring in previously vaccinated persons); flat; and hemorrhagic (both rare and very severe). Historically, variola major has an overall fatality rate of about 30%; however, flat and hemorrhagic smallpox usually are fatal. Variola minor is a less common presentation of smallpox, and a much less severe disease, with death rates historically of 1% or less. Smallpox outbreaks have occurred from time to time for thousands of years, but the disease is now eradicated after a successful worldwide vaccination program. The last case of smallpox in the United States was in 1949. The last naturally occurring case in the world was in Somalia in 1977. After the disease was eliminated from the world, routine vaccination against smallpox among the general public was stopped because it was no longer necessary for prevention. Where Smallpox Comes From Smallpox is caused by the variola virus that emerged in human populations thousands of years ago. Except for laboratory stockpiles, the variola virus has been eliminated. However, in the aftermath of the events of September and October, 2001, there is heightened concern that the variola virus might be used as an agent of bioterrorism. For this reason, the U.S. government is taking precautions for dealing with a smallpox outbreak. Transmission Generally, direct and fairly prolonged face-to-face contact is required to spread smallpox from one person to another. Smallpox also can be spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated objects such as bedding or clothing. Rarely, smallpox has been spread by virus carried in the air in enclosed settings such as buildings, buses, and trains. Humans are the only natural hosts of variola. Smallpox is not known to be transmitted by insects or animals. A person with smallpox is sometimes contagious with onset of fever (prodrome phase), but the person becomes most contagious with the onset of rash. At this stage the infected person is usually very sick and not able to move around in the community. The infected person is contagious until the last smallpox scab falls off

Wilford Woodruff wrote down in his journal a dream that John Taylor dictated to him, of some detail of the terrible, destruction, disease, and famine of this great war, specifically in the US which was one of the countries most affected by this war. Note that President Taylor sees much death and disease in the Rocky Mountains, which he says the Saints have under control by Faith and Prayer, but does not mention seeing much destruction or devastation. However in the rest of the country the destruction, death, disease, and starvation are almost complete, and are complete in some areas. After he witnesses the death and destruction in America, he then sees in vision the building of the city of Zion. JOURNAL OF WILFORD WOODRUFF, DEC. 16 1877, pp. 179-183, (pioneer Press) This is a vision John Taylor saw of events that are still to come. From the journal of Wilford Woodruff (Dec 16, 1877). This is a vision John Taylor saw of events that are still to come. From the journal of Wilford Woodruff (Dec 16, 1877). I went to bed as usual at about 7:30PM. I had been read*ing a revela*tion in the French lan*guage. My mind was calm, more so than usual if possible, so I composed myself for sleep, but could not. I felt a strange feeling come over me and apparently be*came partially uncon*scious. Still I was not asleep, nor ex*actly awake, with dreary feeling. The first thing that I recognized was that I was in the tabernacle of Ogden, Utah. I was sit*ting in the back part of the build*ing for fear they would call on me to preach, which however they did, for after sing*ing the second time they called me to the stand. I arose to speak and said that I did*n't know that I had anything es*pecially to say, ex*cept to bear my tes*timony of the Latter-day work, when all at once it seemed as if I was lifted out of myself and I said, "Yes, I have something to say and that is this: Some of my brethren have been ask*ing, "What is be*coming of us? What is the wind blowing?" I will answer you right here what is coming very shortly." I was then in a dream, im*mediately in the city of Salt Lake, and wandering around in the streets and in all parts of the city, and on the doors of the houses I found badges of mourn*ing and I could not find a house but was in mourning. I passed my own house and found the same sign there, and I asked the ques*tion, "Is that me that is dead?" Someone gave me the an*swer, "No, you will get through it all." It seemed strange to me that I saw no person in the streets in all my wan*dering around the coun*try. I seemed to be in their houses with the sick, but saw no funeral proces*sion, nor anything of the kind, but the city looking still and as though the people were praying. And it seemed that they had controlled the dis*ease, but what the dis*ease was I did not learn; it was not made known to me. I then looked over the country, north, east, south, and west, and the same mourning was in every land and in every place. The next thing I knew I was just this side of Omaha. It seemed though I was above the earth, and look*ing down upon it. As I passed along upon my way east I saw the road full of people, mostly women, with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs, trav*eling to the moun*tains on foot. I won*dered how they would get through with such a small pack on their backs. It was re*markable to us[?] that there were so few men among them. It didn't seem to me as though the cars were run*ning, the rails looked rusty and the roads aban*doned; and I have no con*ception of how I traveled as I looked down upon the peo*ple. I continued east by the way of Omaha and Council Bluffs, which were full of disease. There were women every*where. The state of Illinois and Mis*souri were in a tumult, men killing one an*other, women joining the fight*ing, fam*ily against family in the most horrid manner. I imagined next that I was in Wash*ington and I found desola*tion there. The White House was empty and the Halls of Congress the same, and everything in ru*ins. The people seemed to have left the city and left it to take care of itself. I was in Baltimore. In the square where the Monument of 1812 stands in front of the Char*les Hotel. I saw dead piled up so as to fill the street square. I saw mothers cutting the throats of their own children for their blood. I saw them suck it from their throats to quench their own thirst and then lie down and die. The water of Che*sapeake Bay was stagnant, and the stench arising from it on ac*count of their throw*ing their bod*ies into it so terrible, that the very smell carried death with it. I saw no man ex*cept they were dead or dying in the streets and very few women. Those I saw were crazy and in an ugly condi*tion. Everywhere I went I beheld the same sights all over the city; it was terrible be*yond description to look upon. I thought this must be the end; but no, I was seemingly in an instant in the city of Philadel*phia. There eve*rything was still. No living soul was there to greet me. It seemed the whole city was with*out any inhabi*tants. In the south of Chestnut Street and in fact everywhere I went, the putrefaction of the dead caused such a stench that it was impos*sible for any living thing to breathe, nor did I see any living thing in the city. Next I found myself in Broadway, in the city of New York, and there it seemed the people had done the best they could to overcome the disease, but in wandering down Broad*way I saw the bodies of beautiful women lying, some dead and oth*ers in a dy*ing condition, on the sidewalks. I saw men come out of cellars and ravish the per*sons of some that were yet alive and then kill them and rob their bodies of all the valu*ables they had upon them. Then before they could get back to the cellar they would roll over a time or two and die in ag*ony. In some of the back streets I saw them kill some of their own offspring and eat their raw flesh, and in a few minutes die them*selves. Every*where I went I saw the same scene of horror and de*struction and death and rap*ine. No car*riages, buggies, or cars were running; but death and de*struc*tion were every*where. Then I saw fire start and just at that moment a mighty East wind sprang up and car*ried the flames over the city and it burned until there was not a sin*gle building left standing there, even down to the waters edge. Wharves and shipping all seemed to burn and follow in common destruction where the "great city" was a short time ago. The stench from the bodies that were burn*ing was so great that it was carried a long dis*tance cross the Hudson Bay and carried death and destruction wherever it pene*trated. I cannot paint in words the horror that seemed to compass me about; it was beyond description of man. I sup*posed this was the end; but it was not. I was given to understand the same horror was being en*acted all over the coun*try, east, west, north, and south. Few were left alive, still there were some. Immediately after I seemed to be standing on the left bank of the Mis*souri River, opposite e the City of In*de*pendence, but there was no city. I saw the whole state of Missouri and Illi*nois and all of Iowa, a complete desert with no living being there. A short dis*tance from the river how*ever, I saw twelve men dressed in temple robes, stand*ing in a square or nearly so (and I under*stood it repre*sented the Twelve Gates of the New Jerusa*lem.) Their hands were uplifted in consecration of the ground and lay*ing the corner stone of the tem*ple. I saw myraids of an*gels hovering over them, and saw also an immense pil*lar of clouds over them and heard the angels singing the most heav*enly music. The words were "Now is estab*lished the King*dom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down." I saw people com*ing from the river and from the desert places a long way off to help build the temple and it seemed that hosts of an*gels all helped to get material to build with and I saw some of them who wore temple clothes come and build the tem*ple and the city, and all the time I saw the great pillar of clouds hovering over the place. Instantly, however, I found my*self again in the taber*nacle at Ogden. And yet, I could still see the building go on and I got quite animated in call*ing on the people in the tabernacle to listen to the beautiful music, for the an*gels were singing the same music I had heard be*fore. "Now is estab*lished the King*dom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down." At this I seemed to stagger back from the pulpit and Brother Francis D. Richards and some others caught my arm and prevented me from falling. Then I fin*ished so abruptly. Still even then I had not fainted, but was simply ex*hausted. They I rolled over in bed and awoke just as the city clock was strik*ing twelve

What do people think of John Taylors Vision of the last days recoerded in the Journal of Pres Woodfruff?? (The vision of a plague and destruction!) Just want people to come togther with ideas and comments on what they think? Also info from other Church leaders on this? Check out these Vids before commenting. YouTube - new world order secret combinatiions john taylors vision. (Leave a comment on Youtube) YouTube - Cleon Skousen talks of John Taylors vision part 2 (leave comment on youtube) YouTube - A prophecy and vision (leave comment on youtube)

No we have 35' 5th wheel to load, use your HANDCART

Undoubtedly, we should all try to live our lives so that we are worthy to receive that direction, personally, and to hear and obey it. BUT how many people really do? I think I try real hard, but I don't always know. I have had experiences before where I thought the thoughts and impressions I was getting were coming from the Lord, but wasn't absolutely sure whether they were personal revelation, or just what a good friend of mine calls "clever thoughts." For that reason, among others, I have to think with something this big, it will come through the Prophet. Between what the Prophet says, and the voice of the spirit to us personally, we will know what to do. As President Eyring says, the Prophet Joseph specifically warned Bro. Haun at Haun's Mill. Even the direction for Lehi and his family, as well as Ishmael and his family, to leave Jerusalem came through a/the prophet. The prophet was Lehi, but he was a prophet. In that case, both Lehi and Nephi were prophets. But what about a guy like Sam, or some of the others who were not rebellious like Laman & Lemuel? Sam was a good guy, but he wasn't a prophet. I think in a way he represents a lot of us in situations like that/this. No everyone has every gift of the spirit, or even enough gifts of the spirit to be able to clearly sort all that out at a personal level and act upon it. Consequently, I just have to believe that things like this will be established through the voice of more than one witness -- at least the witness of the prophet and apostles, and our own personal witness. No doubt, the Lord and and does help direct our personal lives, if we let him, but when it comes to directing the work of the Church and the Kingdom, as a whole, which it looks to me like this will be, I have to believe that the Lord will work through his chosen mouth piece(s). That is one of the ways that we will know for sure.

Here's the audio of that article. http://broadcast.lds.org/Handheld/Magaz ... ng_002.mp3 Kind of puts another angle on, expecially with who reads it.

Yes I could be call a dude-----but here is the highlights from Eyring's talk........ Quote: The Savior has always been the protector of those who would accept His protection. “How oft would I have gathered you many ways in which He calls us to safety no end to the Savior’s desire to lead us to safety Those authorized servants are always charged with warning the people, telling them the way to safety. the Prophet Joseph Smith called for all the Latter-day Saints to gather to Far West for protection Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice Standing on Safe Ground or to stay where we are. But the choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. That ground becomes more dangerous. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late. when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm’s way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety. Lehi’s experience is a type of what happens as God gives counsel through His servants. Of Lehi’s family, only those who had faith and who themselves received confirming revelation saw both the danger and the way to safety. For those without faith, the move into the wilderness seemed not only foolish but dangerous. so that those with ears to hear and faith to obey could go to places of safety. in leading someone else to safety. Soon after they made camp, Reddick Allred and his men came to deliver essential assistance and supplies. Every time I have done that with counsel from a prophet, after a time the gold flakes have begun to appear, and I have been grateful. where to look and how to listen for the voice that will fulfill the promise of the Lord that He will gather us to safety wait for the deliverance of the Lord that is sure to come as we are faithful.

Wonderful "First-Presidency Article" in the June 2008 Ensign and Liahona, by President Eyring. Tell me if you think he is presaging a "call-out", that is, calling out the saints to places of safety and refuge, as Lehi's family was "called out." Or is he just saying, listen to the Prophets? I will highlight a few things. Quote: The Savior has always been the protector of those who would accept His protection. He has said more than once, “How oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not” (3 Nephi 10:5; see also, for example, Matthew 23:37; D&C 29:2). The Lord expressed the same lament in our own dispensation after describing the many ways in which He calls us to safety: “How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!” (D&C 43:25). There seems to be no end to the Savior’s desire to lead us to safety, and there is constancy in the way He shows us the path. He calls by more than one means so that it will reach those willing to accept it. Those means always include sending the message by the mouths of His prophets whenever people have qualified to have the prophets of God among them. Those authorized servants are always charged with warning the people, telling them the way to safety. A Prophet’s Warning When tensions ran high in northern Missouri in the fall of 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith called for all the Latter-day Saints to gather to Far West for protection. Many were on isolated farms or in scattered settlements. He specifically counseled Jacob Haun, founder of a small settlement called Haun’s Mill. A record of that time includes this: “Brother Joseph had sent word by Haun, who owned the mill, to inform the brethren who were living there to leave and come to Far West, but Mr. Haun did not deliver the message.”1 Later, the Prophet Joseph recorded in his history: “Up to this day God had given me wisdom to save the people who took counsel. None had ever been killed who abode by my counsel.”2 Then the Prophet recorded the sad truth that innocent lives could have been saved at Haun’s Mill had his counsel been received and followed. In our own time we have been warned with counsel on where to find safety from sin and from sorrow. One of the keys to recognizing those warnings is that they are repeated. For instance, more than once in general conferences, you have heard our prophet say that he would quote a preceding prophet and would therefore be a second witness and sometimes even a third. Each of us old enough to listen heard President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) give counsel on the importance of a mother in the home and then heard President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) quote him, and we have heard President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) quote them both.3 The Apostle Paul wrote, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). One of the ways we may know that the warning is from the Lord is that the law of witnesses, authorized witnesses, has been invoked. When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time. Looking for the path to safety in the counsel of prophets makes sense to those with strong faith. When a prophet speaks, those with little faith may think that they hear only a wise man giving good advice. Then if his counsel seems comfortable and reasonable, squaring with what they want to do, they take it. If it does not, they either consider it faulty advice or they see their circumstances as justifying their being an exception to the counsel. Those without faith may think that they hear only men seeking to exert influence for some selfish motive. They may mock and deride, as did a man named Korihor, with these words recorded in the Book of Mormon: “And thus ye lead away this people after the foolish traditions of your fathers, and according to your own desires; and ye keep them down, even as it were in bondage, that ye may glut yourselves with the labors of their hands, that they durst not look up with boldness, and that they durst not enjoy their rights and privileges” (Alma 30:27). Korihor was arguing, as men and women have falsely argued from the beginning of time, that to take counsel from the servants of God is to surrender God-given rights of independence. But the argument is false because it misrepresents reality. When we reject the counsel that comes from God, we do not choose to be independent of outside influence. We choose another influence. We reject the protection of a perfectly loving, all-powerful, all-knowing Father in Heaven, whose whole purpose, as that of His Beloved Son, is to give us eternal life, to give us all that He has, and to bring us home again in families to the arms of His love. In rejecting His counsel, we choose the influence of another power, whose purpose is to make us miserable and whose motive is hatred. We have moral agency as a gift of God. Rather than the right to choose to be free of influence, it is the inalienable right to submit ourselves to whichever of those powers we choose. Standing on Safe Ground Another fallacy is to believe that the choice to accept or not accept the counsel of prophets is no more than deciding whether to accept good advice and gain its benefits or to stay where we are. But the choice not to take prophetic counsel changes the very ground upon which we stand. That ground becomes more dangerous. The failure to take prophetic counsel lessens our power to take inspired counsel in the future. The best time to have decided to help Noah build the ark was the first time he asked. Each time he asked after that, each failure to respond would have lessened sensitivity to the Spirit. And so each time his request would have seemed more foolish, until the rain came. And then it was too late. Every time in my life when I have chosen to delay following inspired counsel or decided that I was an exception, I came to know that I had put myself in harm’s way. Every time that I have listened to the counsel of prophets, felt it confirmed in prayer, and then followed it, I have found that I moved toward safety. Along the path, I have found that the way had been prepared for me and the rough places made smooth. God led me to safety along a path that was prepared with loving care, sometimes prepared long before. The account at the beginning of the Book of Mormon is of a prophet of God, Lehi. He was also the leader of a family. He was warned by God to take those he loved to safety. Lehi’s experience is a type of what happens as God gives counsel through His servants. Of Lehi’s family, only those who had faith and who themselves received confirming revelation saw both the danger and the way to safety. For those without faith, the move into the wilderness seemed not only foolish but dangerous. Like all prophets, Lehi, to his dying day, tried to show his family where safety would lie for them. He knew that the Savior holds responsible those to whom He delegates priesthood keys. With those keys comes the power to give counsel that will show us the way to safety. Those with keys are responsible to warn even when their counsel might not be followed. Keys are delegated down a line that passes from the prophet through those responsible for ever-smaller groups of members, closer and closer to families and to individuals. That is one of the ways by which the Lord makes a stake a place of safety. For instance, I have sat with my wife in a meeting of parents called by our bishop so that he could warn us of spiritual dangers faced by our children. I heard more than the voice of my wise friend. I heard a servant of Jesus Christ, with keys, meeting his responsibility to warn and passing to us, the parents, the responsibility to act. When we honor the keys of that priesthood channel by listening and giving heed, we tie ourselves to a lifeline that will not fail us in any storm. Our Heavenly Father loves us. He sent His Only Begotten Son to be our Savior. He knew that in mortality we would be in grave danger, the worst of it from the temptations of a terrible adversary. That is one of the reasons the Savior has provided priesthood keys, so that those with ears to hear and faith to obey could go to places of safety. Having Listening Ears Having listening ears requires humility. You remember the Lord’s warning to Thomas B. Marsh. He was then the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The Lord knew that President Marsh and his Brethren of the Twelve would be tested. He gave counsel about taking counsel. The Lord said, “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers” (D&C 112:10). The Lord added a warning that is applicable to any who follow a living prophet: “Exalt not yourselves; rebel not against my servant Joseph; for verily I say unto you, I am with him, and my hand shall be over him; and the keys which I have given unto him, and also to youward, shall not be taken from him till I come” (D&C 112:15). God offers us counsel not just for our own safety but for the safety of His other children, whom we should love. There are few comforts so sweet as to know that we have been an instrument in the hands of God in leading someone else to safety. That blessing generally requires the faith to follow counsel when it is hard to do. An example from Church history is that of Reddick Newton Allred. He was one of the rescue party sent out by President Brigham Young (1801–77) to bring in the Willie and Martin handcart companies. At the Sweetwater River near South Pass, Captain George Grant asked Reddick Allred to remain there with a few men and wagons and be ready to help when the rescuers returned with the handcart pioneers. The rescuers found the Willie company mired in the snow, freezing, starving, and dying. Some of the rescuers continued to search for the Martin company, while the others helped the Willie company make that heartrending pull up and over Rocky Ridge. Soon after they made camp, Reddick Allred and his men came to deliver essential assistance and supplies. Allred then waited for Captain Grant to return with the Martin company. Week after week passed with no sign of them. As blizzards howled and the weather became life threatening, two of the men decided it was foolish to stay. They thought the Martin company had either wintered over somewhere or perished. They decided to return to the Salt Lake Valley and tried to persuade everyone else to do the same. Allred refused to budge. President Young had sent them out, and Captain Grant, Reddick Allred’s priesthood leader, had told him to wait there. Those who returned took several wagons, filled with needed supplies, and started back to the Salt Lake Valley. Even more tragic, they turned back 77 wagons that were coming from the valley to help. Some of these wagons returned all the way to Big Mountain before messengers sent by President Young met them and turned them back around. Finally, more than three weeks after Reddick Allred had assisted the Willie company, Captain Grant arrived with the Martin company. These pioneers were even more destitute and had suffered dozens of deaths. Captain Grant’s rescue team was small and low on provisions—and still more than 200 miles (320 km) from the Salt Lake Valley. Once again, because Reddick Allred had stayed true to his assignment, even in the most trying circumstances, he was able to provide life-sustaining assistance and supplies.4 Reaching Out to Others You will hear and read inspired counsel from prophets of God to reach out to new members of the Church. Those with the faith of Reddick Newton Allred will keep offering friendship even when it seems not to be needed or to have no effect. They will persist. When some new member reaches the point of spiritual exhaustion, members of faith will be there offering kind words and fellowship. They will then feel the same divine approval Brother Allred felt when he saw those handcart pioneers struggling toward him, knowing he could offer them safety because he had followed counsel when it was hard to do. While the record does not prove it, I am confident that Brother Allred prayed while he waited. I am confident that his prayers were answered. He then knew that the counsel to stand fast was from God. We must pray to know that. I promise you such prayers of faith will be answered. Sometimes we will receive counsel that we cannot understand or that seems not to apply to us, even after careful prayer and thought. Don’t discard the counsel, but hold it close. If someone you trusted handed you what appeared to be nothing more than sand with the promise that it contained gold, you might wisely hold it in your hand awhile, shaking it gently. Every time I have done that with counsel from a prophet, after a time the gold flakes have begun to appear, and I have been grateful. We are blessed to live in a time when the priesthood keys are on the earth. We are blessed to know where to look and how to listen for the voice that will fulfill the promise of the Lord that He will gather us to safety. I pray that we will have humble hearts, that we will listen, that we will pray, and that we will wait for the deliverance of the Lord that is sure to come as we are faithful.

Seven years later, almost to the day, in another General Priesthood session (Oct 2005), in a talk entitled, If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear, President Hinckley again mentioned Pharaoh's dream of the seven good years followed by the seven lean years, twice......and emphasized again food storage, getting out of Debt, and spiritual preparation. He also read from Matthew 24 as well as other scriptures about terrible calamities and destructions. He concluded by saying, "Let us never lose sight of the dream of Pharaoh concerning the fat cattle and the lean, the full ears of corn, and the blasted ears; the meaning of which was interpreted by Joseph to indicate years of plenty and years of scarcity