2025 Journal

 17 Aug 2025, Sunday Priorit ized Daily Task 9:00 - Meet with a member of the Lehi Utah Gateway Stake Presidency ( Stake  President Benjamin Packard,  President Trey Orsak, counselor, and President Brandon Hobb, counselor) 10:30 - Lehi 7th Ward Sacrament meeting I got up a little before 7 am, had prayer, showered, and shaved.  When Debbie got up, we had prayer together, and she got ready for church.  I went to the Lehi Utah Gateway Stake Center building at 8:15 am and met with President Hobbs, a counselor in the stake presidency.  We had a good visit. He wanted to know if I would be willing to speak at stake conference?  There is no guarantee I will be asked to speak or if there will be time.   He just wanted to know if I would be willing.  When I got home, Debbie and I  ate a light breakfast before going to church at 10:30 am.  We attended Sacrament and Sunday School.  Debbie is bruised and sore from helping Jody in ...

 16 Aug 2025, Saturday Priorit ized Daily Task I woke at about 6:30 am, had prayer, and called Debbie.  We had prayer together.  I wrapped Sister Tylee Hobbs' 7 pairs of socks that her mother and father are sending her.  I did my exercises for about 30 minutes this morning and worked on getting information on companies to transcribe my handwritten journals into data Word format.  I ate one meal today, studied scriptures, and waited until Debbie got home about 11 pm before having prayer and going to bed.

 15 Aug 2025, Friday Priorit ized Daily Task Betty Gray Reynolds' 6th Birthday 8:30 am - Ethan and Brett, his dad, went driving, and then drove home to Covis, CA 1 pm - lunch at Cafe on Main,  2701 S Main St, South Salt Lake, UT 84115.  (801) 487-9434 or  the Surbian Deli Restaurant at 2854 S West Temple, Salt Lake City, UT  385-228-4280 2 pm - Maid service cleaning house For Garlie Rickard - Call Incline software (Ancestral Quest) at 801-280-4434 about AI to convert handwriting to text and condense the books into a single book. I am looking for a company with AI, Artificial Intelligence (OCR, Optical Character Recognition) to convert handwriting to text and condense books into a single book. LegacyScribes.org Another source to inquire is located on the second floor of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utahhttps://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/digitize-media-memory-preservation Transcription Services US: While primarily focused on transla...

 14 Aug 2025, Thursday Priorit ized Daily Task 5:10 AM - Saratoga Springs Temple. (software for volunteering) Brett is spending the night; he is arriving late I got up at 3:30 am, had prayer, showered, shaved, and drove to the temple at 5 am.  I attended a planning meeting at 5:30 am.  I got some training today as I worked in the new name booths, the laundry, baptisms and confirmations.  I served a patron in the initiatory.  After my shift ended at 10 am, I went on an endowment session.  At 12 noon, I went to the break room and ate some fruit I brought from home.  Alex and Carter texted me while I was in the temple.  They were not able to make it to the temple this morning.  I got a call and phone message from Garlie Rickard from Nashville.  When I got to my car, I called him back on my way home from the temple.  I told him I would check on companies that convert handwriting to text and condense many books into a single book....

 13 Aug 2025, Wednesday Priorit ized Daily Task I got up at 7 am, had prayer, and called Debbie at 8 am, who was up helping Jody by getting things ready for Shelby's wedding.  Debbie had gone for a walk earlier, and Jody was still jogging.  Debbie will start today, scrapping and painting the barn.  I had prayer with Debbie over the phone, and later, I tried to call Earlton Youngblood, an old friend.  He is hard of hearing and did not answer his phone, so I left him a text message.  I studied scriptures, worked on getting Zoom to work so Debbie and I can talk to the Jelicics in Serbia.  I sent a friend of mine in Novi Sad, Davor Radic, an email at  davor.radic@me.com, asking him to help the Jelicics get their computer set up so Debbie and I can have visual and audio communications with them.    August 28th is Ljubica's birthday. I exercised for about 30 minutes and listened to John Adams' autobiography on audiobook on my iPhone....

 12 Aug 2025, Tuesday Priorit ized Daily Task Jami Hobbs's 43rd Birthday 5:30 pm - Dinner with Michael, Alex, and Carter Michael - help set Zoom on computers so Debbie and I can visit with Mirko, Ljubica, and Bojana in Serbia on Ljubica's 74th birthday, 28 Aug *Note: For finding the best time and prices to fly for airline tickets,    https://www.google.com/travel/flights?gl=US&hl=en-US Note: " Walk facing the sun and the shadows fall behind you" is a metaphor for maintaining a straight course in life, keeping our eyes on the sun (Son of God), shadows (problems) will not go away but will fall behind you. I was up at 7 am,  had my personal prayer, and texted Debbie.  I studied scriptures, exercised, showered, and shaved.  I texted Jami a happy birthday greeting from Debbie and me.  I got an email from Melodie.  She gave me the web address to find the best time and prices to fly from SLC to Miami (MIA).  *Note: I read D&C 90 this mo...

 11 Aug 2025, Monday Priorit ized Daily Task Debbie travels to Twin Falls to help Jody with Shelby and Bradley's wedding Get an emission test done on Outback and register it with the DMV Elder Baylen Johnson - Argentina Tucuman Mission, Mate de Luna 2741, Tucuman, Argentina  (email:  2246910@churchofjesuschrist.org) Drop off Lehi election ballots at a drop box at 128 N. 100 E. in Lehi Note:  Two books written by C.S. “Jack” Lewis.  He died 7 days short of his 65th birthday from prostate cancer on the same day as President John F. Kennedy and Aldous Huxley. " The Problem of Pain", written in 1940 by C. S. Lewis, argues that human pain is not sufficient reason to reject belief in a good and powerful God.  "A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis is a deeply personal and profoundly moving memoir about loss, faith, and the grieving process. Written in the aftermath of his wife Joy Davidman's death from cancer in 1960, this brief but powerful book offers an un...

 10 Aug 2025, Sunday Priorit ized Daily Task Debbie and I had prayer, showered, shaved, and Debbie wrapped Christmas presents to mail to Sister Tylee Hobbs.  We attended Sacrament Meeting at 10:30 am, and afterwards, Debbie went to her Relief Society Meeting, and I attended the Elders Quorum Priesthood Meeting.  My lesson in Priesthood Class was " Receive His Gift ", b y Elder Patrick Kearon, o f the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2025 General Conference. Note: The thought came to me that if you wanted to hurt or offend someone who had gone to much thought and effort to give you what they considered a very priceless gift, you could refuse the gift, or if you did take the gift, not recognize or acknowledge the giver.  Christ said in Doctrine  and Covenants Section 59 Verse  21, "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obe...

 9 Aug 2025, Saturday Priorit ized Daily Task Arrange to send Elder Baylen Johnson's Christmas present to him in the  Argentina Tucuman Mission I was up early, when Debbie woke, we had prayer together, and picked Laura up to go watch Allison Gourley in the Alpine Festival parade.  Afterwards, we brought home Laura, Allison, and her neighbor friend, who also marched in the parade.  Debbie and I went grocery shopping at Costco for groceries for tomorrow.  Matthew called and told the website that he and Melodie go to search for flights is Google Flights.  I had checked and found Skyscanner, Google Flights, and Hopper, all are popular choices.  Debbie made soup and sandwiches for dinner.  We watched some TV and had prayer before going to bed.

 8 Aug 2025, Friday Priorit ized Daily Task  Clean back patio and fill  butane gas tanks Note: Woody Guthrie (Jul. 14,  1912 - Oct. 3, 1967), a folk singer, sang a song about Old Man Trump, Fred Trump, President Donald Trump's father. Fred was a difficult landlord who tried to maximize profits.  It is said that Fred Trump was the Henry Ford of post-war affordable housing in New York City.  Woody Guthrie was a major influence on a later folk singer, Bob Dylan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jANuVKeYezs&list=RDjANuVKeYezs&start_radio=1 Note: Jack Johnson (b. Mar 31, 1878, d. Jun 10, 1946),  The Galveston Giant, John Arthur Johnson, nicknamed the "Galveston Giant", was an American boxer who, at the height of the Jim Crow era, became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion. His 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries was dubbed the "fight of the century". I was up at 6 am, had prayer, studied scriptures, and exercised.  ...

 7 Aug 2025, Thursday Prioritized Daily Task 5:10 am - Go to work at the Saratoga Springs Temple 10:45 am - Miracle Ear appointment in Lehi  I was up early and had prayer.  I let Debbie sleep while I showered, shaved, and got ready to drive to the Saratoga Springs Temple.  I arrived a few minutes before the temple opened to the ordinance workers at 5:10am.  I changed out of my Sunday suit and into my white temple clothes.  My first and last assignment today was in the initiatory.  The rest of the time, I worked the veil when the endowment sessions ended. When I finished, I changed back into my Sunday clothes and drove to Miracle Ear in Lehi.  Paul Thurston cleaned and adjusted my hearing aids.  Afterwards, I drove over to the Megaplex Theater and met Debbie, Max, and Jack.  We saw "Sketch," an Angel Production movie.  I drove the Tesla home, and Debbie took Max and Jack home in the Subaru Outback.  She switched vehicles with Po...

 3 Aug 2025, Sunday Priorit ized Daily Task 10:30 am - Church services 5 PM - Dinner, Jody, Shelby, Bradley, Libby, Kylie, Ethan, John Taft Benson, Betty Martin from Texas, and Crew Allen from Temecula, CA.  His dad and Brett Hobbs, Ethan's dad were best friends growing up. Debbie and I had prayer, showered,  and got ready for church.  I studied scriptures, and we listened to the Tabernacle Choir and Spoken Word before driving to church.  Ethan Hobbs and John Taft Benson met us.  Today is Fast Sunday and Testimony Meeting.  Debbie and I shared our testimonies, and John B., Ethan's friend, and Ethan shared their testimonies.  I learned that John is a great-grandson of President Ezra Taft Benson.  Mykalyn, "Mikie" Mendenhall Hill's husband, blessed their new baby before the sacrament.  Debbie taught Mikie and two of her brothers, Linden and Noah, in kindergarten at American Heritage School.  Mikie invited us to meet the Mendenhal...

 6 Aug 2025, Wednesday Priorit ized Daily Task Note:  Elder Neal A. Maxwell told the story of when he was a young man.  He did not like the way the bishop was doing things in the ward.  He did not think his bishop was moving fast enough on callings to members of the ward.  The bishop had the stewardship of the ward and not he.  It was not his place to be in charge of callings.  Later he remembered to story of Uzzah (2 Samuel 6: 6-9), thinking he could help by steadying the Ark of God when the oxen stumbled.  When Uzzah did so, he was struck dead.  When we think we can help the Lord by correcting our bishops or apostles, or prophets, we may not be struck dead physically, but just as surely, we can be struck dead spiritually.  Later, when Neal Maxwell talked to his bishop, he told Neal I knew you had just got home from the war, and I wanted you to spend as much time as possible with your wife and family.  The bishop knew his fami...

 5 Aug 2025, Tuesday Priorit ized Daily Task 10:30 am - Surgery on nose,  Dr. Jake Fagan, Dermatologist, mobile phone 801-874-1662 and nurse, Will, 801-374-8999 ext. 1 in Provo  If no information has arrived, call or text Jake Lee, itentary Andy's funeral If no information has arrived, call or text Matt regarding the trip to Georgia Check with Melodie about the best flights from SLC to Miami in May 2026 Note: In Sacrifice and Consecration 101 class, we learn that which we are not willing to consecrate will eventually own us.   "No religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation."  Lectures on Faith by Joseph Smith I had prayer, and when Debbie woke, we had prayer together. I showered, shaved, studied scriptures, read the news, and drove to my appointment to see Dr. Jake Fagan in Provo at 10:30 am.  Will was the nurse who took my vital signs and got th...

 4 Aug 2025, Monday Priorit ized Daily Task 8:00 am - Take Ryan, Stephanie, and the boys to the Provo Airport. Matthew is going to Northern CA for business meetings Order almonds from Amazon Prime Note:  Spencer W. Kimball, “If we insist on spending all our time and resources building up a worldly kingdom, that is exactly what we will inherit.”     .......We no longer have the luxury of spending our energy on anything that does not lead us and our families to Christ. That is the litmus test for Relief Society, as well as for our lives. In the days ahead, a casual commitment to Christ will not carry us through.......We sometimes rationalize our preoccupation with this world and our casual attempts to grow spiritually by trying to console each other with the notion that living the gospel really shouldn’t require all that much of us. The Lord’s standard of behavior will always be more demanding than the world’s, but then the Lord’s rewards are infinitely more ...

 2 Aug 2025, Saturday Priorit ized Daily Task 11 am - Debbie's Neil appointment with Aub Note: The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus that the saints, members of Christ's Church, should put on  the whole armour of God, ......  having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; .... taking the shield of faith, ......  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.....  Why was there and why is there no armor for the back?  It is not needed because we don't turn our backs to the war.  We continue to press forward with our eyes fixed on the Savior, following Him. Debbie was up early, cooking and getting ready for Jack Hobb's baptism this morning.  We had prayer together and loaded the car with food, and took it with us to their stake center a few blocks from their home.  The service w...

1 Aug 2025, Friday Priorit ized Daily Task 12:00 Noon - Appointment to be set apart at Saratoga Springs Temple as a worker NOTE:  57 ........remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written  D&C 84:57 (The Lord is telling us to live what we preach) Debbie and I got up at 8 am, made the bed, had prayer, studied scriptures, and exercised before showering and getting ready to go to the temple in Saratoga Springs.  I called Smart Pest Control, 385--335-2266, and spoke to Gooch.  Jared came by and brought a pair of Jack's, his son's, pants for Debbie to sew.  I watched a documentary on the Du Pont family, and sent Matthew the link.  He knew and was friends with some of the young Du Ponts at Rollins College in Orlando.  *I completed the  leaders and teachers of children training online at churchofjesuschrist.org after loggin...