All About Family

       I love the ideas about family in a small set of verses in the Book of Isaiah:
      “And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
      “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." (Isaiah 58:11-12)
      In our Lewis family, we often recite what we call our Lewis Family Creed: “We seek successive generations of grandparents, parents and children who are grounded in the Gospel of Christ and sealed in his holy temple.”  Here is the original Lewis Family Creed in its full form: “Raise up the foundation of many generations.  We seek successive generations of grandparents, parents, and children who are grounded, rooted, settled, and established (Ephesians 3:16-19) in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and sealed in His Holy Temple.”
      To “raise up the foundations of many generations”, have the faith and courage to marry and build a family.  Find your Rebecca or your Isaac (Julie Beck CES talk, Aug. 4, 2009), who is your eternal marriage and family partner.  Try your best to establish and possess a family culture which emphasizes Godly qualities such as compassion, appreciation, and forgiveness (Elder Bragg 2017 Conference talk) and in which people thrive and are motivated to be their best.
      Sometimes people wander away from the way of God.  If needed in your generation, be an Abraham or Sarah and seek again, for your own family, “the blessings of the fathers” and your “appointment unto the priesthood.” (Abraham 1:2,4)   
      Sometimes families fracture or sever relationships.  Be a “repairer of the breach” in your family and establish and maintain caring, supportive relationships with all.  
      In some families, bad choices are learned and repeated in successive generations.  Be a “restorer of paths to dwell in” by erasing toxic practices or attitudes in your family line in your generation.

On Our Progress Toward Eternity, the Gardening Metaphor

    I have come to believe that there are two components or levels that exist in the relationship we have as individuals with our Heavenly Father and our standing with Him.  I see this as analogous to growing a garden.  
    First, in a garden one must prepare the soil including pulling or removing weeds that may encroach upon the garden space.  In a characterlogical sense, pulling weeds might be called repentance.  The initial process for our coming to God is to arrive at a belief in him and his commandments, recognize those areas in which we fall short, make needed changes (repentance), and be baptized.  This step entitles us to membership in His Church, to the forgiveness for the sins we have committed, and to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Ghost will then confirm the remission of our sins and bless us in a great many other ways, including support for all the steps in our progress toward God.
    We will never outgrow the need to continue to pull weeds (repent) as we make mistakes or as we deepen our understanding of Heavenly Father’s commandments.  And as we do this, the companionship of the Holy Ghost will continue with us and testify of our continuing standing with God as being in a state of grace or forgiveness.
    This initial step on the strait and narrow path is foundational for all other kinds of spiritual growth.  It is described by the prophet Alma in the Book of Mormon as planting the seed of faith (Alma 32:28) and confirming that this was a “good seed” (Alma 32:30-32).  But that is just a successful beginning.  According to Alma, there is a second process that the gardener must undertake to reap the fruit of this initial planting.  Otherwise, “if you neglect the tree and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root, and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it... it withers away and ye pluck it up and cast it out.” (Alma 32:38)
    So, there exists a second process that is required so as create “a tree springing up unto everlasting life,” in order for us to reap and feast upon the fruit of our spiritual gardening.
     “But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
     “And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.” (Alma 32:41-42)
    This is the process of full salvation (or better stated, exaltation), the progressive development available to each of us to become “a just and holy being,” as Joseph Smith taught in the Lectures on Faith.  It is learning how to become “partakers in the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), and to acquire the very characteristics of Christ, “but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3, also see Moroni 7:48)
    There is often a difference in the way that these two processes are expressed.  The first might be thought of as represented by the Ten Commandments, the majority of which are presented as “Thou Shalt Nots,” while the second is generally stated more positively as “Thou Shalts”, succinctly defined by Christ as the Great Commandment, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart...[and] thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt 22:37-39).  This difference is suggestive of the Mosaic law as opposed to the higher law of Christ and also of the distinction between the Aaronic priesthood or preparatory gospel and that which is administered by the Melchizedek priesthood:
     “And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.
     “Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.
     “And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh;
     “For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live.”  (D&C 84:19-22)
    Regarding the second process, there are specific laws and principles which allow us to master and incorporate into our very being the essential characteristics that encompass the two broad Thou Shalts of the Great Commandment.  These detailed instructions are found in the principles or laws, ordinances and covenants of our temple endowment.  President Ezra Taft Benson has taught, “The celestial kingdom, residence of God, our Eternal Father, is comprised of men and women who have complied with divine law...  They are just men [and women] made perfect through the mediation and atonement of Jesus Christ... They are obedient to celestial law...  Celestial laws, embodied in certain ordinances belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, are complied with by voluntary covenants.  The laws are spiritual.  Thus, our Father in Heaven has ordained certain holy sanctuaries, called temples, in which these laws may be fully explained, the laws include the law of obedience and sacrifice, the law of the gospel, the law of chastity, and the law of consecration.” (Ezra Taft Benson, A Vision and Hope for the Youth of Zion, April 12, 1977 BYU address)
    So, the progressive mastery of these highest celestial laws, aided by the Spirit and supported by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, constitute the second component of our progress toward a divine destiny.  In our quest for spiritual development and progress, we must both pull the weeds that sprout and grow in our personal garden and we must also plant and nourish our tree of eternal life.

Some Speculations about Our Temple Endowment

     I have concluded that our temple endowment is very important and is designed by our leaders under inspiration to provide the necessary and sufficient tools, understanding, and most importantly, the spiritual growth required to become Christ-like and live ultimately in celestial glory.  Along with temple sealings, these Melchizedek Priesthood ordinances manifest and are enabling to us to access the power of godliness (D & C 84:19-21).  The high celestial laws associated with covenants of the endowment ceremony are the very attributes of Christ that will allow us to live eternally with him.
     These temple ordinances have been a regular part of the spiritual offering of the restored Church since its early history and been administered to thousand, perhaps millions, of living persons and also for many more individuals who have died.  There is a  question one might ask about prophets ancient and more modern as to how they themselves participated in and perhaps acquired the understanding to administer these ordinances which we understand to be essential.  This especially might be asked in regard to prophets who were heads or instigators of new dispensations or who lived as many of the Old Testament prophets did in a time when the Aaronic Priesthood administered the Church, making the Melchizedek Priesthood ordinances and instruction to not be routinely available though the currently existing Church structure.  Most of the ideas that follow come from a presentation by Stephen Smoot in a 2021 Interpreter Foundation conference on the Book of Moses.
     1. The Divine Council, Heavenly Ascension, and other prophetic Revelatory Experiences
     Ancient Israelites believed that God resided in heaven, surrounded by his heavenly council, a variety of heavenly beings, sons of god (Psalms 89:7, Job 38:7), gods (Psalms 58:1, 82:1, 97:7, 138:1), the stars (38:7), members of the council of God (Job 15:8), members of the assembly of holy ones (Psalms 89:5-6, Job 5:1), and angels.
     The divine council in ancient Israel could admit mortal prophets with whom were shared heavenly secrets (Amos 3:7) and with whom God consulted regarding earthly affairs or commissions to carry out the will of the council (Gen. 1:26, I Kings 22:19-23, Job 1-2, 15:8, Psalms 82, Isaiah 6:1-8).  In becoming members of God’s council, Old Testament prophets become in effect angels (messengers).  Several prophets experienced divine theophanies or “heavenly ascension” experiences that introduced them into the divine council: Micaiah (1 Kings 22), Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Zechariah (Zechariah 1,3), Daniel (Daniel 7-8), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:16-22).  
     Some of the “heavenly ascensions” of these prophets occurred on or from “exceedingly high mountains” (for example, see Moses 1:1, 1 Nephi 11).  Also see the Mount of Transfiguration experience of the former-day First Presidency Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17).  The scriptures identify other intense but parallel experiences of ancient prophets , Abraham (several occasions Abraham 1, 3, 4), Jacob (being shown the heavenly ladder/staircase/covenant path, Genesis 28), Lehi (1 Nephi 1), Nephi (1 Nephi 11-14).  Recognize that it was not unusual for prophets to not provide all the details of their  revelatory experiences (see for example 1 Nephi 14:25-30), so many details and specifics of the experiences may have been withheld.
     The prophet Joseph Smith referenced such a divine council in his King Follett discourse, “The head God brought forth the Gods in grand council... The grand counsellors sat in yonder heavens, and contemplated the creation of worlds that were created at that time.”  There are references to such a council in each of our standard works, although we might believe that the purposes and membership of the council might differ from the ancient Israelite view, in that at the large pre-mortal council just prior to the start of our earth we all participated and sustained the Father’s plan for mortal life.
      2. The Divine Council and Heavenly Ascensions in relation to the temple
      The Divine Council and prophetic Heavenly Ascension experiences were both symbolically linked to the temple in ancient temple rituals.  These tended to portray a figurative journey into the presence of God.  Elder Bruce R. Mcconkie’s Temple doctrine of “Three Pillars of Eternity”:
1) Understanding the Creation of this world
2) Understanding the Fall, and the challenges, purposes, and blessings of mortal life.
3) Accessing the Atonement of Christ, including instruction and covenants to lead us in the process of mastering the specific celestial laws or principles that will enable us to grow to be like Christ and achieve exaltation and eternal life.
     John Welsh and other scholars have suggested that there are also scriptural passages that specifically cover these three Pillars of Eternity.  They have called the passages “Temple Texts”.
Specific examples are 1) the Book of Moses in the Pearl of  Great Price, 2) Christ’s sermon at the Temple in 3 Nephi 12-14, and 3) King Benjamin’s sermon at the temple recorded in Mosiah 2-5.
     Brother Smoot suggests that these prophetic Divine Council or Heavenly Ascension experiences might include or serve as an ancient counterpart to the our current temple endowment and described them using the term “proto-endowment”, “Proto”, meaning original, earliest or foremost model.
     3. Was the First Vision a proto-endowment for Joseph Smith in some sense?
     Note that in the 1835 account of Joseph’s First Vision, when he received his prophetic call, he described seeing many angels in addition to the Father and the Son.  
     It seems reasonable that Joseph would have received the Three Pillars instruction and preparation.

Broken Fragments of Mormonism Joseph Smith Quote

 If we turn our attention to the present religious world, what do we see? men holding communion with God, and receiving revelations from God, verily nay! the heavens to them have become brass, and God's mouth is closed; nay worse; the idea of revelation is scouted by them, and those who would believe in it are branded as impostors; and they virtually cut themselves off from all communication with, or from, God, and can know nothing of or about God, "but what they know naturally, as brute beasts," as saith the apostle. What sort of a spectacle does the Christian church present at the present? Torn, and split up, divided, and disjointed by the fiery zeal of religious bigots, and hypocritical partizans [partisans], it presents a picture of ruin and desolation; like a forest torn by a mighty tempest, or uprooted by a furious whirlwind, that once stood in grandeur and majesty, and its beautiful foliage was admired by every observer; but now its withered leaves, its broken boughs, and shattered limbs, are the sad memorials of its overthrow and destruction. Or like some ancient palace that stood proudly aloof from other inferior buildings, magnificently adorned with all the beauty of ancient architecture; its towers, and columns, and statuary, and beauty, was the pride of princes, and its strength and fortresses bid defiance to the hand of the desolator; but the revolution of ages have despoiled the noble edifice; the corroding hand of time has destroyed its beauty, and all that is left of its former magnificence is here and there a few broken fragments, that very imperfectly shew [show] to the enquiring [inquiring] traveler the ruins of its former splendour [splendor], and ancient glory. So stood the church, once indeed beautiful, pure and intelligent;-clothed with the power and spirit of God; endowed with the gift of the Holy Ghost; possessed of prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, helps, governments, tongues, interpretations, gifts, visions, and the ministering of angels; having the heavens opened, the purposes of God unfolded, the future destiny of man made known, and "life and immortality brought to light." Basking in the beams of eternal truth, and holding communications with God and angels, it stood proudly erect, in the strength of Israel's God; it was sustained by the mighty hand of Jehovah, and was indeed "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners;" but ah! alas! a change has come over the dream; the flower has been nipt [nipped] in the bud; its glory has departed; the deadly influence of heresy has penetrated to its very vitals. The withering power of priestcraft has disrobed it of its beauty; and disjointed by sectarian strife, and schismatic influence, it lays in broken fragments scattered, rent, and disjointed; with nothing to point out its original, but the shattered remnants of its ancient glory, on which are scarcely traceable any of the marks of its former magnificence, or original grandeur. And how can it be otherwise? when men are destitute of revelations from God, and absolutely deny the principle.

Times and Seasons MARCH 15, 1842   p.136
http://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v4n09.htm

Church Growth and Progress

       I find statistics about the growth of the Church interesting, especially comparisons between the time I was baptized and came to Utah for college with the present.  There is amazing progress.  Using statistics published 14 May 2022 in the Church News, in 1954-55 Church membership was well under 2 million, compared to the 2021 figure of 16.8 million.  We have moved from 9 to 170 dedicated temples.  In 1954 there were approximate 3,000 wards and branches, which has increased now to over 31,000 and the number of stakes has increased from just over 180 to about 3,500.
        While we probably never will have in this dispensation the majority of people as members, except perhaps in Utah, Tonga, and Samoa, there has been huge progress in achieving Nephi’s Book of Mormon prediction: “And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth...” (1 Nephi 14:12).

The Reverse Ministering Program

      We have discovered a possible new feature of the ministering program of the Church.  We call it Reverse Ministering.  It might be called into play in a situation in which persons who are assigned to minister to us by the Relief society or Elders Quorum have not contacted us for a long time.
      It works like this:
1. Learn who has the ministering assignment for ones self or family.
2. Reach out to them in person, by phone, or text, etc., with kindness and interest.
3. Given them birthday wishes, wish them well, congratulate them on some accomplishment, or whatever else positive that seems natural at this time.
4. Continue to make these kinds of contacts.
5. If they ask, give them updates about your family or personal happenings.
6. Don’t let on that you know of their ministering assignment to yourself or family.
      Wendy has been doing this with a sister for some time that LDS Tools App on Wendy’s  phone says is Wendy’s ministering sister.  The sister recently asked Wendy, “Are you my ministering sister?” 
      Wendy responded in the negative and said that she was just calling her as a friend, but in her mind she thought that if this sister is ever asked to account for her assignment to work with Wendy, she will now have some things to report.

Thou Shalt Not Kill

     I want to describe some value instruction I received from my mother.  Its something I would like to communicate to family members.  It is something with which I struggled a bit regarding its application, but also have a profound appreciation for this standard and strategy for living.
    This is it.  As a boy my mother taught me that I should never, never, never point a gun at another human being.  Not in my thoughts, not in my words, not even in pretense or simulation in my actions.  Little boy games of cops-and-robbers, war, or cowboys-and-Indians were totally unacceptable, as were any kind of games that simulated killing or hurting human beings.
    This seemed to be an application of the commandment that one should not kill or the higher law prohibiting anything like it.  The underlying principle seemed to be to have a profound respect for life and to avoid anything that even suggested causing hurt.
    I pondered other applications of this principle.  
    What about going to war?  I was close to being drafted into the military when I was college age.  I wondered if I could kill if I were in the service.  Our scriptures seem to say that a people would be justified in fighting if they are attacked but should never be the instigators, so I suppose I would do what was necessary for our country in the latter case, but with reluctance.
    What about arming myself with a gun to protect myself and our family?  I have never felt comfortable with the use of guns, so I guess we will just take our chances.
    What about killing animals?  My family owned a .22 caliber rifle a part of my growing up time.  We lived on a farm.  My father used the gun only when we had a farm animal ready to be butchered for food for our family, and seemed a little uncomfortable with its use.  I think he loved his animals and it hurt to lose one, even though our family had limited resources and he was responsible to provide for our necessities.
    What about eating meat?  The scriptures justify eating a limited amount of meat and in my judgement animal protein is a part of a healthy diet.  However, animals should be treated humanely, and suffering avoided or minimized in the process.  Their flesh should not be wasted.
    What about hunting?  That has had no interest to me, but I suppose that in earlier years I would have done it reluctantly to provide for my family.  I would not hunt for sporting purposes.
    What about fishing?  Earlier in my life I wondered if I should avoid fishing, but took up the practice as I became involved in scouting.  It seemed to be helpful for relationship-building with the boys.  My rule was: “If you catch ‘em, you eat ‘em.”  Do not waste food.  Try to minimize suffering by the fish.
    What about killing noxious animal life?  Joseph Smith instructed the men of Zion’s Camp to not kill rattlesnakes, but move them our of the way.  Ordinarily I would take a “live and let live” approach to any animals, insects, etc. that come my way.  Avoid dangerous critters, of course.  But probably those that come into our living spaces, i.e., flies, mosquitos, spiders, for example, and pose some problems with cleanliness and or biting, must be dealt with.

A Temple for Jerusalem

     As quoted by Givens, devout Jews of today express this yearning for the temple three times a day with this prayer: “Find favor, O Lord our God, in our people Israel and in their prayer, and restore the Temple service to the innermost chamber of our House.  May you accept Israel’s burnt offerings and prayer with love and grace, and may the service of your people Israel be ever pleasing to you.  May our eyes see your return to Zion in mercy.  Blessed are you, O Lord, who restores your presence to Zion.” (Jon Levenson, Sinai and Zion: an Entry into the Jewish Bible, San Francisco, Harpers, 1985, 181.  Cited by Terryl Givens, 2nd Nephi, a Brief Theological Introduction, Provo, Maxwell Institute, 2020, 33)\
    After nearly two millennia of absence and wandering and persecution, the Jews were restored in 1948 to at least a portion of the land of their father Abraham’s inheritance, including the capital city of their ancient homeland. Now, some 74 years later, their prayers still petition God for the second critical feature of their promised land of Zion– the temple.  We would say to them, “Listen to the next conferences of the Church of Jesus Christ, and pay particular attention to the announcements by the Prophet Russell M. Nelson.  Your day may soon come.”  May I add, "along with Elko, Nevada, Casper, Wyoming, and Bentonville, Arkansas."

The Ned Utley Rule

     Ned Utley was a neighbor, a wise old Scoutmaster, and my First Counselor when I was Bishop, 1998-2003.  He reported that during his young adult years, he and his wife had had a period in which they were not active in the Church.  This led to his discovery of a rule, that he strongly recommended that others not follow.  He said they missed going to church one week.  The next week they had some reason for not attending again.  The following week, he said, they didn’t even think about going.
    Ned’s rule and warning was: “It only takes two weeks to become inactive in the Church.”

Come Follow Me studies this year--the Old Testament and the Temple

     I still can picture the striking image of my mission president, Paul C. Child, standing at the pulpit at a missionary conference, speaking of temple doctrines, and patting his Bible like it was an old beloved friend, saying, “Elders, the other churches don’t know it, but its all here.”  That is, that the Old Testament is just full of information and instruction about temple work that can be applied to our understanding today.  
    In my personal history, I wrote about some of the ways I was influenced by President Child.  President Child was a model of in-depth scripture study, filling his standard works with cross-references and notes.  He had served in a bishopric and a stake presidency with Harold B. Lee in the 1920s.  As missionaries we heard that as these men served together, they “lived in an era when persons could take their scriptures with them to the [Salt Lake] temple.  They viewed the endowment as a fifth standard work and studied it in connection with their scripture study.  They left their scriptures in their lockers while going through a session and then were able to arrange for a place to study together [in the temple].  Part of their study, according to...our missionary lore, was to cross reference the temple endowment wording with the other standard works.” (pp. 132-133)
    President Child’s claim seemed creditable to me.  I wonder what we will find in our Come Follow Me studies of the Old Testament scripture this coming year.

The Wonderful Doctrine of Pre-Mortal Existence

     Although I was not privileged to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ until I was a late teenager, I grasped and believed the concept that we all lived as pre-existing spirits before our earthly births.  It has long been my conviction that our doctrine of pre-mortal existence is an essential answer to questions that people have about God’s justice in the differences in the circumstances and conditions under which people are born into this world.  I also recall having experiences which seemed to confirm some kinds of “deja-vu” memories of a prior existence. 

     Although all orthodox Christian churches have denied the doctrine of pre-mortal existence since the time of Augustine in the fourth century AD, there is evidence of such a belief among ancient Hebrews, early Christian fathers, a handful of dissident religionists, and Romantic era poets, including Blake, Shelley, Byron, Coleridge, and Wordsworth.  As a young man, I memorized these powerful lines from Wordsworth:

         Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting

         The soul that rises with us, our life’s star,

         Hath somewhere else its setting, and cometh from afar, 

         Not in entire forgetfulness, and not in utter nakedness,

         But trailing clouds of glory do we come 

         From God who is our home. (William Wordsworth, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from  Recollections of Early Childhood”, from Poetical Works, 460-462)

      In fact, there is enough content about pre-existent life from all these and other sources for Latter-day Saint scholar Terryl Givens, to write a 388–page book on this very subject. (Terryl L. Givens, When Souls Had Wings: Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought, Oxford University Press, 2010.)

      Here are some thoughts about premortal existence, both from the standpoint of our personal intuitive experiences that support the doctrine itself and how such memories confirm our understandings of gospel principles:

      “How can I know my real self?  Your maximum unfolding depends partly on not yet knowing your infinite past; but also it depends on knowing what is deepest within you, while in mortality.  Such a learning process recollects more than it researches.  It is less discovery than recovery...

      “One begins mortality with the veil drawn, but slowly he is moved to penetrate the veil within himself...As one moves through life, half-defined recollections and faint but sometimes vivid outlines combine to bring a familiar ring to our experience...One has sacred moments in relation to persons, places, and situations which bear the subtle stamp of prior awareness, however elusive...One hears truths expressed, “hidden from before the foundation of the world,” and is pulled to them with overwhelming gratitude.  Jesus Christ, who promised He would bring all things to our remembrance, defined this and more when He said, “My sheep know my voice.””  (Truman G. Madsen, Eternal Man, Deseret Book, 1966, 6-7, 56-59)

      “All those salient truths which come home to us so forcibly to the head and to the heart seem but the awakening of the memories of the spirit.”  (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 1916 (1969 edition), 13)

      “It was in our first estate that we were first taught the saving principles of the gospel.  Gospel principles no more originate in this life than we do.  We first learned them in Heaven.  They are godly principles, and they are thus the principles by which our Eternal Father sought to raise his children.  This is why they have such a strong ring of familiarity when taught to us in this life.  We know and recognize the truths of salvation as we do an old friend.  Missionary work is not a matter of conversion– meaning that those being taught must always reverse their course or exchange old views for new ones– but instead a matter of remembering or awakening to truths once known and lived.  Embracing the gospel is part of the process of returning home.  There is a nostalgic spirit about it.  It centers in family and friends.  It centers on a mutually shared responsibility.  The gospel covenant rings true to our soul’s memory because we know of it already... (Robert L. Millett and Joseph Fielding McConkie , Our Destiny: The Call and Election of the House of Israel, Leatherwood Press LLC, Sandy, UT, 2006, 43/First published by Bookcraft, Salt Lake, UT, 1993)