A country divided July 11, 2016

We just spent 23 months in the great state of Georgia serving a mission for our church.  When we arrived, I admit to being confused as to why the Civil War is still so much a part of the culture.  For a while we lived close to the Stone

Mountain Monument.  It is a HUGE chunk of stone in which there are partially completed carvings of President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and General Stonewall Jackson.  They were three of the leaders of the Confederacy.  The accomplishment of those carvings is astounding.  They have a single replica of a buckle from one horse's bridal that is about 5 feet in height.

We also saw the Cyclorama.  It is purportedly the largest painting in the world.  It was recently moved to the Atlanta History Center.  It is a painting in the round.  It depicts many of the leaders and battles in the Civil War.

I learned a lot while living in Georgia.  I learned where the kind of commitment to that monument and painting could come from.  It comes from pain.


The Civil War was a terrible time for our nation.  It was a time when families were torn apart.  It was a time of destruction of lives.  It was a time of great loss.  We went to the Atlanta History Center where they have people who portray the stories of those who were in the war.  The difficult decisions regarding alliances, bravery, and loss were very moving.  Families could tell of family members whose lives were lost in the conflict.

I have been especially heart-broken about the senselessness of it all.  Slavery is an evil practice and should never have been condoned.  Unfortunately, it was not those who began the practice who paid the cost.  It was many people of all colors who paid.  All men and women are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights.  It is strange, though, that even when those words were written, the people did not have a commitment to them.

When we arrived in Atlanta, Jim asked a lady about where we might go to see some of the old buildings.  She said that there weren't any because "the Yankees burned them all".  It is true.  Atlanta was burned.  Some sections were leveled as the Confederate troops were leaving the area, and the rest was destroyed by the Northern troops.

So now, I see our country being torn apart again.  People should not be judged or defined by the color of their skin.  ALL LIVES MATTER.  We should treat all people with respect and love.  When any person is wrongfully treated, profiled or worse still, murdered, because of their race or religion, we should all join hands.  We should fight injustice.

But to kill innocent police officers who were trying to protect those people who were asserting their free speech, is beyond evil.  They were profiled for the color of their skin.  They were killed for no sane reason.

I would ask that those who are seeking justice and fairness remember them.  We must fight evil of all kinds together.  We cannot let our country be torn apart.  We cannot let differences destroy our unity.

The interesting thing to me about the Civil War?  Other countries were able to eliminate slavery in their lands without civil war.

We need to listen to the words of Martin Luther King Jr.  and share a dream.

Memories of Wilson

My parents and older siblings moved to Utah from Iowa before I was born.  We did not belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I felt well accepted.  I wasn't raised in any church, but my parents taught me to have a strong moral compass.  It is unusual, I know, that the 4th of July celebrations would make me think of that.

Actually, I posted a video on facebook of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  The version that they sing is my favorite.  I was blessed in my years growing up to have a neighbor named Ray Myers.  Ray was an amazing talent.  He was called to put together a youth choir to travel to different wards and sing patriotic music.  He wrote a stirring program and introduced this version of the Battle Hymn to me.

Ray will always be special in my life.  He always got more out of me than I realized I had in me.  He told me I was needed.  He encouraged me to stretch.  He challenged my fears and encouraged my interests.  Even though I was not a member of the LDS Church, he had me narrate the sacrament meeting program.  He had me perform as one of the main characters in our roadshow.  He encouraged me to become active in student government at Weber State.  He was there as an advisor and with his vision, we did some wonderful things.  Those things undoubtedly helped me be able to go to law school, work for over 30 years for the State as an attorney and ultimately retire and serve a mission.

So, today, in addition to being thankful for my family, my faith and my freedoms in this land, I am thankful for Ray.