23 Sep 2023, Saturday

 23 Sep 2023, Saturday

Prioritized Daily Task

Debbie and Karlene to St. George and Page, Lees Ferry Crossing on CO until Sunday, Sep 24th

3:00 PM - ANM reunion at Lon and Pat Neild's home (I saw Dusan and his sister, Lydia, they are children of District President Viscisa from Belgrade. I also saw Kaleb Jones, the grandson of Miso Ostarcevic, the basketball player from Croatia, who is a friend of Mirko's.  They both came to the United States during the war in the 1990s.)

Note:  If it were possible to trace our ancestors back for the previous 12 generations (about 400 years) you would have a total of 4,094 ancestors.  Some may be the same.  Somewhere our pedigree starts to collapse.   For me, my lineage starts to intersect at 6 generations, William Blake, born 1778, and Mary Rogers born 1767.  Every person alive today shares a common ancestor who lived a mere 3000 years ago. Because humans are so new as a species, our global family is especially tight-knit.  Using the math for a new generation being born every 33 1/3 years, and your ancestors doubling, in 25 generations, approximately 833 years you would have 134, 217,728 ancestors.  This cannot be correct because your pedigree starts to collapse and in 3,000 years, 90 generations, everyone on the planet is related to everyone else.                                                                              

As I study the scriptures, I try and liken them to myself.   Galatians 6:3  For if a man (James Leonard McAlpin) think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.  WHEN PEOPLE SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT YOU, DON'T INHALE!

When I think about this earth, the heavens, and all the creations of God, I am humbled to know that God is mindful of me and my family.  All the people who live, have lived, or will live on this earth are my brothers and sisters.  When I take a family name to the temple, I am doing the work for a close relative.  If I do a temple file name, I am still doing work for a relative.                      

I am not sure what life is like in the spirit world, but I do know the first principles of the gospel are still in force.  Faith being the first, will still be necessary.  I also know the Church as we know it, has as its main purpose, to bring us to God.  Whether the Church exists in the spirit world, or at that time we will know, we are one eternal family, and there is no need for the church, I do not know.  But this I am sure of He is turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

I slept in until about 7:30 a.m., had a good night's sleep, had my personal prayer, and called Debbie.  She and Karlene were in a slot canyon in a National or State Park. We had prayer together and afterward, I had breakfast and studied the words of the Lord.   The toner went out on the Cannon MF4700 printer.  The cartridge I had would not work.  I called Cartridge World in Midvale.  They had two of the 128s.  I told the girl to hold them and I drove up and picked them up.  She gave me credit on the one, a 126, that did not fit.  I had one that she told me was full.  I brought it back home; it would not fit.  I put one of the 128s I bought today and it fit and worked well.  I attended the Adriatic North Mission Reunion at Lon and Pat Nields in Alpine.  I saw two or three couples not including the Niels and President David and Rebecca Melonakos.   I saw some young people I knew, Kaleb Jones (801-695-7927) the grandson of Miso Ostercevic who played basketball, and a friend of Mirko Jelicic both from Croatia, who lives in Logan.  He came to the U.S.A. about the same time as Mirko and his family because of the war in Serbia. Nedjeljko Miso Ostarcevic and his wife Ankica Ostarcevic were the first couple that joined the church in the former Yugoslavia.  Miso and Kresimir Cosic, both from Croatia were close friends.  I also saw the Belgrade District President Viscisa's son Dusan and daughter Lydia we knew while we were there from 2015 to 2017.  I took the homemade salsa and a corn dip from Costo and chips.  On the way home I stopped at Costco and filled the Land Rove with gas.  Beth called and asked if I would watch Tucker, Maggie, and Andrew if she went back to Rome Georga for a Darlington class reunion.  A friend of hers came out and visited her.  They both got divorced about the same time and she has 3 children about the same ages as Tucker, Magie, and Andrew.  She is a family attorney in Atlanta.  I think she took over her dad's law practice.    Debbie called and we had prayer before going to bed.  I had Beth to call Matthew and talk to him because I have a ticket to fly back with him the same week Beth wants to go to her class reunion.  She talked to Matthew and called me back.  He is OK with me watching the children for her.  I wanted to talk to Matthew before I tried to change my flight but could not get him.  He was at the movies with Melodie.  I got to bed about 11:30 p.m..

Debbie and Karlene met Anita, Mary Kay Galde sister, and Danny Galde, at Lee's Ferry with about 20 other family members on the Colorado River below Glenn Canyon Dam that her dad, Noble Lendblade, worked on.  Danny, a son, and grandson wadded out in the river and threw Mary Kay's ashes on the river.