Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men
who signed the Declaration of Independence? Their story. . .
 
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
and tortured before they died.
 

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

 

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
another had two sons captured.
 
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
hardships of the Revolutionary War.
 
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.
 
What kind of men were they?
 
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists

 

Eleven were merchants.

 

Nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated.

 

But they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.                

 

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and
trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the
British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
pay his debts, and died in rags.
 
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British
that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,
and poverty was his reward.
 
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton , Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
 
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that
the British General Cornwallis   had taken over the Nelson
home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
and Nelson died bankrupt.
 
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
 
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.  Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

 

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
 
Remember: freedom is never free!
 
I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many
people as you can, please. It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July means more than beer, picnics, and baseball games. True "reflection" is a part of this country's greatness.   

The Shoebox

THE SHOEBOX

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover.

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totalling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents.
'When we were to be married,' she said, ' my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll.'

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two Precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two Times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with Happiness.

'Honey,' he said, 'that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?'

'Oh,' she said, 'that's the money I made from selling the dolls.'

A Prayer
Dear Lord,
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man;
Love to forgive him;
And Patience for his moods;
Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,
I'll beat him to death,
Because I don't have the freaking time to crochet.

Getting counsel from the Lord - Marvin J. Ashton, CR. April 1971

Our Heavenly Father is so concerned that we do right that he will bless each of us with a sign, if we will ask his counsel. Do we realize that the Lord has promised us a physical manifestation if we but ask him to direct us in the right? In the ninth section of the Doctrine and Covenants, verse 8, we have this commitment from the Lord:

“But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”
Brothers and sisters, we compromise our blessings, we rationalize ourselves out of the sure and safe way, when we do not ask our God to guide us in the decisions that are part of our daily lives.

Marvin J. Ashton, CR. April 1971

M. Russell Ballard, CR. April 1997 p. 82

Life isn’t always easy. At some point in our journey we may feel much as the pioneers did as they crossed Iowa—up to our knees in mud, forced to bury some of our dreams along the way. We all face rocky ridges, with the wind in our face and winter coming on too soon. Sometimes it seems as though there is no end to the dust that stings our eyes and clouds our vision. Sharp edges of despair and discouragement jut out of the terrain to slow our passage. Always, there is a Devil’s Gate, which will swing wide open to lure us in. Those who are wise and faithful will steer a course as far from such temptation as possible, while others—sometimes those who are nearest and dearest to us—succumb to the attraction of ease, comfort, convenience, and rest. Occasionally we reach the top of one summit in life, as the pioneers did, only to see more mountain peaks ahead, higher and more challenging than the one we have just traversed. Tapping unseen reservoirs of faith and endurance, we, as did our forebears, inch ever forward toward that day when our voices can join with those of all pioneers who have endured in faith, singing: “All is well! All is well!” (Hymns, no. 30).

M. Russell Ballard, CR. April 1997 p. 82

Henry B. Eyring, October 2012 General Relief Society Meeting

With all your differences in personal circumstances and past experiences, I can tell you something of what lies ahead for you. As you keep the faith, you will find yourself invited by the Lord often to serve someone in need when it will not seem convenient. It may appear to be an unpleasant and perhaps even impossible task. When the call comes, it may seem you are not needed or that someone else could easily give the succor.
Remember that when the Lord lets us encounter someone in distress, we honor the good Samaritan for what he did not do as much as for what he did. He did not pass by on the other side even though the beaten traveler on the road was a stranger and perhaps an enemy. He did what he could for the beaten man and then put in place a specific plan for others to do more. He did that because he understood that helping may require more than what one person can do.

Lessons in that story can guide you in whatever your future holds.

Henry B. Eyring, October 2012 General Relief Society Meeting

President Heber J. Grant's Prophecy - Cement in Ancient America

Cement in Ancient America

Excerpts from Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon by Alan C. Miner 

citing from [David A. Palmer, In Search of Cumorah, pp. 121-122]

Helaman 3:7  Expert in the Working of Cement . . . Houses of Cement:

            

According to Helaman 3:7, the people who went into the lands northward became "expert in the working of cement" and built "houses of cement."  According to David Palmer, the use of cement and concrete spread throughout Mesoamerica in a time span from at least as early as 100 B.C. through A.D. 400.  The tourist sees it in great abundance at Teotihuacan (near Mexico City).  At Kaminaljuyu (Guatemala City) the concrete mix was similar.  Tiny pieces of volcanic stone, 0.5 to 2 millimeters in diameter, were mixed with clay and lime.  After drying, a very smooth and durable surface is formed.  An early manifestation of the use of cement is at Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas where it was used to surface the temple known as Mound 1.  This can also be seen at Monte Alban (Oaxaca).

The knowledge of this use of cement in Mesoamerica has not been around for many decades.  In 1929, Heber J. Grant, a former president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, made the following statement in general conference:

 . . . I have often said, and desire to repeat here that when I was a young unmarried man, another young man who had received a doctor's degree ridiculed me for believing in the Book of Mormon.  He said he could point out two lies in that book.  One was that the people had built their homes out of cement and that they were very skillful in the use of cement.  

He said there had never been found and never would be found a house built of cement by the ancient inhabitants of this country, because the people in that early age knew nothing about cement.  He said that should be enough to make one disbelieve the book.  I said: "That does not affect my faith one particle.  I read the Book of Mormon prayerfully and supplicated God for a testimony in my heart and soul of the divinity of it, and I have accepted it and believe it with all my heart."  I also said to him, "If my children do not find cement houses, I expect that my grandchildren will."  He said, "Well, what is the good of talking with a fool like that?" (April 1929 Conference Reports, p. 128ff).

Documentation of the use of cement in Mesoamerica is now so overwhelming and obvious that President Grant's statement stands out as true prophecy now fulfilled.

The peaceable Things of the Kingdom

"Like those who were alive at the time of His mortal ministry, there are some among us who look for physical peace and prosperity as signs of the Savior's wondrous power.  

We sometimes fail to understand that the everlasting peace Jesus promises is an inner peace, born in faith, anchored by testimony, nurtured with love, and expressed through continual obedience and repentance.

It is a peace of spirit that echoes through the heart and
the soul. If one truly knows and experiences this inner peace, there is no fear from worldly disharmony or discord. One knows deep down inside that all is well as far as the things that really matter are concerned."

M. Russell Ballard, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," Ensign, May 2002, 87

Grandmas are Smart

Grandmas are Smart

I was out walking with my grandson. He picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in his mouth.

I took the item away from him and I asked him not to do that.

"Why?" my grandson asked.

"Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's dirty, and probably has germs. Sometimes germs make little boys sick and not feel good" I replied.

At this point, my grandson looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Grandma, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart."

I was thinking quickly and said to him, "All Grandmas know stuff. It's on the Grandma Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Grandma."

We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but he was evidently pondering this new information.

"Oh...I get it! He beamed, so if you don't pass the test you have to be the Grandpa." "Exactly," I replied with a big smile on my face.

Ducks Quack - Eagles Soar

No one can make you serve customers well....that's because great service is a choice.

Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine.

Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver.

While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, Harvey read the card.

It said: Wally's Mission Statement:

To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment . . .

This blew Harvey away.  Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside.  Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee?  I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'

My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'

Wally smiled and said, 'No problem.. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice . . .'

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 

'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.

Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day.

He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

`Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror.  'No, not always . . .  In fact, it's only been in the last two years.  My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do.

Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It.  Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself.

He said, 'Stop complaining!

Differentiate yourself from your competition.  Don't be a duck.

Be an eagle.  Ducks quack and complain.  Eagles soar above the crowd.'

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally.

'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I 

decided to change my attitude and become an eagle.

I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers.  The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy.  So I decided to make some changes.  I put in a few at a time.  When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied.  'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year.  This year I'll probably quadruple it.  

You were lucky to get me today.  I don't sit at cabstands anymore.  My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine.

If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal.  He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.

I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it.

Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call.

The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like an eagle.

How about us?  Smile, and the whole world smiles with you . . .  The ball is in your hands!

A man reaps what he sows.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up . . . let us do good to all people.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar.

Have a nice day, unless you already have other plans.

SORROW looks back, WORRY looks around, and FAITH looks UP.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

Quote by Elder M. Russell Ballard

"Like those who were alive at the time of His mortal ministry, there
are some among us who look for physical peace and prosperity as signs of
the Savior's wondrous power. We sometimes fail to understand that the
everlasting peace Jesus promises is an inner peace, born in faith, anchored
by testimony, nurtured with love, and expressed through continual obedience
and repentance. It is a peace of spirit that echoes through the heart and
the soul. If one truly knows and experiences this inner peace, there is no
fear from worldly disharmony or discord. One knows deep down inside that
all is well as far as the things that really matter are concerned."

M. Russell Ballard, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," Ensign, May 2002, 87