Congratulations Mercedes!

My firstborn niece is getting married today!

So I thought I would take a trip down memory lane and post some pictures of me with Mercedes.

Fun times!

Now, that cute little girl has grown into a beautiful young woman.

Congratulations Mercedes and Jason.

Merry Christmas 2018

The Great Healer

We had a magnificent Christmas program today during Sacrament Meeting.  Beautiful music with violins, flute, organ, and piano.  Even the prelude music was violins and cello.  Absolutely gorgeous.   The ward choir sang like angels. And the narration was excellent.  The Spirit was really strong during the meeting today.  It was lovely!  Such a wonderful way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Anyway I read this quote today and it struck me.  So I thought I would share it with you all.

"The difficulties of their journey caused the children of Israel to complain, murmuring against the prophet and the Lord. As a result, the Lord allowed poisonous serpents to bite them, bringing death to many. Moses prayed to the Lord to take away the serpents; instead, the Lord provided a way for the people to escape death when they had been bitten. The action required for them to be healed was to look upon a brass serpent that was affixed to a pole.

"Jesus Christ was nailed to a pole—the cross—so that we might look to Him in our sufferings and not be overcome by them. Jesus Christ does not always take away our trials, but as our Healer, He can take the poison out of them through the blessings of His Atonement." -- Stephen P. Schank, "I Am That I Am: Symbols of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament", Ensign, December 2018

We're all familiar with the story in the Old Testament about the poisonous serpents killing the Israelites.  And the brass serpent on the pole.  All they had to do was look at the brass serpent on the pole to be healed if they were bitten-- yet so many didn't even bother to look, and as a consequence died.

Even though  Moses' prayer wasn't answered in the way he asked, his prayer was answered.  The Lord did not take away the poisonous serpents but provided a way to be healed if bitten.

I think a lot of times we don't think the Lord hears or answers our prayers, if we don't get the exact answer we want.  This example reminds me that although the Lord will not always take away our trials-- He allows us to be bitten by poisonous serpents -- yet He will provide healing.  Trials, although unpleasant, are necessary for our growth.  And even though we must experience trials and hardships for our own benefit --Our Savior is the great healer.  Through His Atonement  we may all be healed.

If we look towards our Savior, He will heal us.  It is very simple and straightforward yet how many Israelites died because they would not even look?  How many people today die spiritually because they refuse to look towards the Savior?

At this marvelous time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, may we all remember to look to Him.  Look to Him that He may heal us.

That's my two cents.

Family Portrait 1995

Original six 1995

Outward Appearance

The other day someone commented to me about someone who has lost weight and how great they look now-- in their presence.  This is actually very disturbing to me.  I know it is common in our culture to say people look great when they lose weight.  And somehow elevate their status in society because they have a lower BMI.

I have always had a problem with this.  Not that I am opposed to someone working hard to achieve the goal.   But I am disturbed by people thinking they have to look a certain way or have a certain BMI to be valued.

What people look like, what their BMI is, how much fat they carry, or any number of societal standards of beauty is really irrelevant in life.

It brings to mind the following Scripture:

 1 Samuel 16: 7

"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

Our outside appearance means nothing in the grand scheme of things.  Yes, the world will teach that you must look a certain way to be valued in society.  Too many people base their self-esteem on what they look like -- and more importantly what others think of what they look like.

It is extremely sad to me to see children seeking the acceptance and love and praise of a parent by losing weight or trying to make themselves prettier through makeup and clothing.  I've seen this firsthand.  It breaks my heart.  Children should be loved unconditionally by their parents.

Not only do children seek the love and praise and acceptance of a parent.  But they also seek acceptance and praise from society, their friends and peers.  And not only children but also adults seek acceptance and praise of men.

I know of many adults who have dieted and lost weight to be more valued in society or to try to please, be accepted by, praised by, loved by, and valued by someone else.

It is tragic that so many people base their self-esteem and self-worth on their appearance and what others think of them (the praise of men).

I have never experienced low self-esteem or low self-worth.  I have always known that I am of infinite worth regardless of what I look like.  This is coming from someone who has been on both ends of the beauty spectrum. I have just as much self-esteem now as I did in my prime in my 20s -- if not more now.

You may be wondering why or how this could be.  I will tell you why.  It's because I know who I am.  I am  a daughter of God.  I have an eternal perspective.  I know God's plan for me.  Mortality is temporary.  Looks are fleeting.  Even the most beautiful or handsome people age and lose their youthful good looks as defined by society.

How devastating for those who base their value on their looks.

I know many of you will argue that most people lose weight for health reasons.  And that people should do their best to keep their bodies healthy.  Yes, the scriptures teach that we should respect our bodies and keep them healthy.  But I would argue that most people lose weight for vanity's sake not for health.

I would also argue that most people on diets -- those who take in fewer calories than their body needs and/or restrict certain foods-- are less healthy than those who eat a balanced diet and are slightly overweight.

Contrary to popular belief, skinny does not equal healthy.  Often times those who lose weight are very sick.  On the other hand, being overweight does not equate to being unhealthy.  There are many different natural body types. As the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover.

You can't judge a person's health by their looks.  People who live their life to sculpt their body into what they think looks good are just wasting precious time that could be spent doing themselves some good.  Serving God, serving others -- doing those things that will keep them on the path to eternal life.

I guarantee you that on the day of final judgment the Lord will not ask you how much weight you lost in your life or what your BMI was or what your measurements were etc. or anything about your physical characteristics in mortality.  He will, however, ask you what you did to serve Him and serve your fellow beings.

The Lord does not look on the outward appearance, the Lord looks on our hearts.

It is never polite to comment on someone's weight.  Even if you think it is a compliment.

I wish more people understood who they are and why they are here.  If more people understood their divine nature and Heavenly Father's plan of happiness, then more people would not worry about what they look like.  Their self-esteem and self-worth would be based on who they are and how they live their life, not their physical appearance.

That's my two cents.

College Football Picks 2018 Weeks 14 and 15

1. Lisa   -2    TB  52
2. Dad  -3    TB  67
3. Michael -4 TB 50
4. Rex  -4    TB  72
5. Tammy -5  TB  63
6. Mom  -6   TB  57

Actual Tie Breaker: 13

Talk Prepared for Stake Conference

Our Stake Presidency asked every member of the Stake to prepare a 3-5 minute talk on Mosiah 3:19.  We were told that we might get called up to give our talk during Stake Conference, which was today.

So, like a good obedient disciple of Christ, I listened to my leaders and I prepared my talk last week in preparation of Stake Conference today.

Of the thousand or two thousand people that were there, only two youth (teenagers) were called up to speak and only one adult. I knew the odds were extremely low that I would be asked to speak, but I wanted to be prepared nonetheless. Not only because of the slim chance that I might be called upon, but mostly because I wanted to be obedient to my local church leaders and show the Lord that I'm willing to do what He asks.

 Here is the Scripture we were assigned to study and write our talk on:

Mosiah 3:19

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

Here is the talk I prepared:

Tammy’s talk on Mosiah 3:19

For Stake Conference December 2, 2018

We all lived with our Heavenly Father, as spirit children, before we were born here on earth.  Our spirits are made of matter, but much more pure and refined than our physical bodies. While living with our Heavenly Father in our pre-mortal life, we learned much and progressed as far as we could to become like Him.

Our Heavenly Father’s plan includes the opportunity to come to earth to receive a mortal physical body and to be tested.  In doing so, we have the chance to progress further to become more like our Heavenly Father.

When we are born, our spirit joins with our physical body.  A veil is placed over our minds so we won’t remember our pre-mortal existence and provides the opportunity to learn and grow by walking by faith.

Our physical bodies have appetites that we must learn to control.  Our spirit can control the appetites of our physical body.  This requires effort on our part.  The Scripture says “the natural man is an enemy to God… and will be forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and putteth off the natural man.”(Mosiah 3:19)

In order to “put off the natural man” we must “yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit”.  In other words, to control the appetites of our physical bodies we must listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost.  We must be worthy and in tune with the Holy Ghost to receive his promptings.

To be worthy and in tune with the Holy Ghost we must constantly work at  staying on the covenant path by - praying, reading our scriptures, attending church, attending the temple, paying tithing, partaking of the sacrament, receiving a patriarchal blessing, etc.

By doing those things we keep the natural man at bay by becoming saints through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  As we learn to control our physical appetites, desires, and passions we develop qualities that help us progress towards becoming more like our Heavenly Father.  We “becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”  (Mosiah 3:19)

Satan’s objective is to stop our progression.  He wants all of us to be miserable like he is. "And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind..." (2 Nephi 2:18).  Satan’s greatest tool to destroy us and make us miserable like himself is to tempt us to misuse our bodies.

The Scriptures tell us that in the last days even the very elect will be deceived (Matthew 24:24). I have seen this happen to many people including family members.

President Nelson recently told us that "in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."  ¹

I’m grateful for the opportunity a loving Heavenly Father has given me to come to earth and receive a physical body.  I’m grateful for this mortal journey where we can prove ourselves and develop divine qualities.  I’m thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His atonement which makes eternal progression possible.

May we all put off the natural man by keeping ourselves worthy to receive the guiding and comforting constant influence of the Holy Ghost.  May we all stay on the covenant path so we may develop the qualities necessary for eternal progression.

In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

1 - Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives” April 2018 General Conference

Quote of the Day

"If the blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith."

-- President Henry B. Eyring

College Football Picks 2018 Week 13

1. Michael -15 tie breaker 60
2. Lisa -15 tie breaker 59
3. Rex -20 tie breaker 48
4. Tammy -21 tiebreaker 61
5. Dad -25 tiebreaker 62
6. Mom -27 tiebreaker 59

Actual Tiebreaker 62

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  As we gather together with loved ones and enjoy a bounteous meal, may we all remember the reason for this holiday and give thanks for our abundant blessings.

We had some great talks at church on Sunday on the subject of thanksgiving and gratitude.  One of the speakers mentioned some studies done on happiness.  The conclusion of the studies was that the happiest people were those who were the most thankful and had the most gratitude.  Makes perfect sense.  I've heard several talks in general conference about being grateful and expressing thanks.

The youth speaker mentioned that the best way to express our thanks to our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ is to keep Their commandments.

Then there were a couple quotes which I really liked.  So I looked them up when I came home from church.

They are about the painting, "The Prayer at Valley Forge" by Arnold Friberg.  We actually have this painting hanging in our living room.  I have always loved this painting.  It is a depiction of General George Washington kneeling and praying at Valley Forge.

The following quote, recited at church today, was taken from Nathaniel Randolph Snowden’s (1770-1851) “Diary and Remembrances”.

“In that woods, pointing to a close in view, I heard a plaintive sound as of a man at prayer. I tied my horse to a sapling & went quietly into the woods & to my astonishment I saw the great George Washington on his knees alone, with his sword on one side and his cocked hat on the other. He was at Prayer to the God of the Armies, beseeching to interpose with his Divine aid, as it was ye Crisis, & the cause of the country, of humanity & of the world. ‘Such a prayer I never heard from the lips of man. I left him alone praying.” 

I guess that quote was the inspiration for Arnold Friberg's painting.  Another great quote about the painting was by Ronald Reagan.

“One of the most inspiring portrayals of American history is that of George Washington on his knees in the snow at Valley Forge. That moving image personifies and testifies to our Founder’s dependence upon Divine Providence during the darkest hours of our Revolutionary struggle.” -- Ronald Reagan, United States President (1981-1989)

Those two quotes are great reminders of the reliance on God during our great country's birth and infancy.  It's no coincidence that two of our greatest presidents emphasized the role of Deity in guiding the establishment of this great nation.

"A prayerful life is the key to possessing gratitude."  -- President Thomas S. Monson

I think it is human nature to focus on the blessings we don't have, or the blessings we want or need.  Instead of focusing on the multitude of blessings that we do enjoy and have been given by a loving God.

“Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.” Aldous Huxley 

Here's an interesting quote from a turn-of-the-century editor/essayist:

“Ingratitude, the most popular sin of humanity, is forgetfulness of the heart. … The individual who possesses it finds it the shortest cut to all the other vices.” -- William George Jordan

Along the same lines, here is a quote from our last prophet:

"If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."  -- President Thomas S. Monson

And from the Roman orator, Cicero:

“gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” Cicero

Having gratitude and giving thanks is a simple yet extremely important basis for living a Christlike life.

"Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love." -- President Thomas S. Monson

“When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives.” -- President Gordon B. Hinckley

Wise words from our two most recent prophets.

I hope this Thanksgiving we can all focus on the abundance of blessings we have been granted by the Almighty.  I know I am extremely blessed beyond measure.  For that I am extremely grateful.  I hope we can all express our gratitude for all of the many blessings He pours down upon us every day.

That's my two cents.

Words of a Prophet

 “For each of us, there may be a really serious storm sometime in our lives or there may be a tragedy. But with faith in a loving God and trust in His divine plan, the pain of such a tragedy can be endured. And if we truly understand who we are and why we are here, we can face the future with faith in God and His eternal plan of happiness.”

-- President Russell M. Nelson

College Football Picks 2018 Week 12

1. Michael -7 TB 57
2. Tammy    -11  TB  49
3. Rex   -12   TB  77
4. Dad  -12   TB  46
5. Lisa   -14  TB 37
6. Mom  -16   TB  49

Actual TB:  62

Golden Wedge of Ophir

I hear the word, "wedge" a lot.  Practically every night.  When I hear the word "wedge", my brain automatically goes to "the golden wedge of Ophir".  It's a strong association.   Every time I hear, "wedge", I think "the golden wedge of Ophir."

Before you start thinking I've lost my marbles, let me explain.

I listen to the Book of Mormon every morning.  Several hours every morning.  As soon as I wake up, whether it's 2 AM, 5 AM or somewhere in between, I start listening to The Book of Mormon.  And continue listening while I'm getting ready until around 7:30 AM.  So, I listen to it a lot!

The Prophet Nephi thought that the writings of Isaiah were important for us in the last days before the Second Coming of Christ.  So, Nephi quotes much of Isaiah's writings verbatim.  Isaiah talks about the destruction of Babylon -- the world and its wickedness -- before the Second Coming of our Savior.

Here is the quote from Isaiah found in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon, that I've heard many times during my morning scripture study:

Isaiah 13:12 and 2 Nephi 23:12

"I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir."

Now, Isaiah is notorious for being difficult to understand.  So I will explain what this scripture means.

In the last days (now), righteous men and women will be more difficult to find than fine gold.  I looked it up and Ophir was a rich gold producing province of India known for its wealth, as mentioned in the Bible.

Not only will righteous men and women be more difficult to find than fine gold in the last days prior to the Second Coming of Christ, but they will be worth more than the golden wedge of Ophir.  Now, I'm not certain how big or fancy or expensive the golden wedge of Ophir is or was.  But I imagine it was the most precious thing Isaiah could think of to reference in that scripture.

Basically the prophet Isaiah was trying to emphasize the point that, in the last days, righteous people will be extremely rare and hard-to-find and more precious than the finest gold. 

In these last days, wicked people are a dime a dozen.  They are everywhere.  But the truly righteous are few and far between.  And the chasm is getting bigger every day.

To be more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir requires daily effort to stay spiritually strong.  So many people are dropping like flies, due to the efforts of the adversary (Satan).  He and his "angels" are working overtime to drag the righteous into Babylon.  We need to work just as hard to counteract his efforts and remain righteous.

Don't be among the weak multitudes in Babylon who will be destroyed at the last day. Rise above the dross.

I hope that at the last day when our Savior returns that we are all counted among those who remain righteous and are more precious than the golden wedge of Ophir.

That's my two cents.

College Football Picks 2018 Week 11

1. Lisa -12      TB  57
2. Dad -12     TB  58
3. Rex  -13     TB  42
4. Tammy  -17  TB  59
5. Michael -19 TB 57
6. Mom  -28   TB  52

Actual tiebreaker: 57

College Football Picks 2018 Week 10

1. Lisa  -16      TB  62
2. Rex  -16      TB  61
3. Michael -18 TB 72
4. Tammy  -20  TB 73
5. Dad   -22   TB 63
6. Mom  -23  TB 52

Actual Tie Breaker:  73

FHE Lesson -- The Church

Tammy’s Family Home Evening Lesson

November 4, 2018

The Church

Opening song: Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice # 21

Opening prayer: Rex

As I was trying to decide the topic for my lesson this month, I decided that there was no better topic than what the Prophet taught us in the last General Conference.  So that is what I’m basing my lesson off of today.

In his talk to all, in the Sunday Afternoon session of the October 2018 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson, emphasized using the correct name of the Church.

He said: “Today I feel compelled to discuss with you a matter of great importance. Some weeks ago, I released a statement regarding a course correction for the name of the Church.1 I did this because the Lord impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He decreed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

“…Let me explain why we care so deeply about this issue. But first let me state what this effort is not:

“It is not a name change.

“It is not rebranding.

“It is not cosmetic.

“It is not a whim.

“And it is not inconsequential.

“Instead, it is a correction. It is the command of the Lord. Joseph Smith did not name the Church restored through him; neither did Mormon. It was the Savior Himself who said, “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

“Even earlier, in AD 34, our resurrected Lord gave similar instruction to members of His Church when He visited them in the Americas. At that time He said:

“Ye shall call the church in my name. …

“And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church.” (3 Nephi 27:7-8)

Thus, the name of the Church is not negotiable. When the Savior clearly states what the name of His Church should be and even precedes His declaration with, “Thus shall my church be called,” He is serious. And if we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended.

What’s in a name or, in this case, a nickname? When it comes to nicknames of the Church, such as the “LDS Church,” the “Mormon Church,” or the “Church of the Latter-day Saints,” the most important thing in those names is the absence of the Savior’s name. To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement.

Consider this from His perspective: Premortally, He was Jehovah, God of the Old Testament. Under the direction of His Father, He was the Creator of this and other worlds. He chose to submit to the will of His Father and do something for all of God’s children that no one else could do! Condescending to come to earth as the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, He was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore. All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross.

Through these excruciating experiences and His subsequent Resurrection—His infinite Atonement—He granted immortality to all and ransomed each one of us from the effects of sin on condition of our repentance.

Following the Savior’s Resurrection and the death of His Apostles, the world plunged into centuries of darkness. Then in the year 1820, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith to initiate the Restoration of the Lord’s Church.

After all He had endured—and after all He had done for humankind—I realize with profound regret that we have unwittingly acquiesced in the Lord’s restored Church being called by other names, each of which expunges the sacred name of Jesus Christ!

Every Sunday as we worthily partake of the sacrament, we make anew our sacred promise to our Heavenly Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.8 We promise to follow Him, repent, keep His commandments, and always remember Him.

When we omit His name from His Church, we are inadvertently removing Him as the central focus of our lives.

Taking the Savior’s name upon us includes declaring and witnessing to others—through our actions and our words—that Jesus is the Christ…”

If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power. We can begin by calling His Church by the name He decreed.

For much of the world, the Lord’s Church is presently disguised as the “Mormon Church.” But we as members of the Lord’s Church know who stands at its head: Jesus Christ Himself. Unfortunately, many who hear the term Mormon may think that we worship Mormon. Not so! We honor and respect that great ancient American prophet. But we are not Mormon’s disciples. We are the Lord’s disciples.

In the early days of the restored Church, terms such as Mormon Church and Mormons were often used as epithets—as cruel terms, abusive terms—designed to obliterate God’s hand in restoring the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days.

Brothers and sisters, there are many worldly arguments against restoring the correct name of the Church. Because of the digital world in which we live and with search engine optimization that helps all of us find information we need almost instantly—including information about the Lord’s Church—critics say that a correction at this point is unwise. Others feel that because we are known so widely as “Mormons” and as the “Mormon Church,” we should make the best of it.

If this were a discussion about branding a man-made organization, those arguments might prevail. But in this crucial matter, we look to Him whose Church this is and acknowledge that the Lord’s ways are not, and never will be, man’s ways. If we will be patient and if we will do our part well, the Lord will lead us through this important task.

If someone should ask, “Are you a Mormon?” you could reply, “If you are asking if I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yes, I am!”

If someone asks, “Are you a Latter-day Saint?” you might respond, “Yes, I am. I believe in Jesus Christ and am a member of His restored Church.”

My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.

So, what’s in a name? When it comes to the name of the Lord’s Church, the answer is “Everything!” Jesus Christ directed us to call the Church by His name because it is His Church, filled with His power.”  -- President Russell M. Nelson, ”The Correct Name of the Church”, October 2018 General Conference

Now I would like to talk about why we need the Church. Elder D. Todd Christofferson addressed this very topic in his October 2015 General conference address, “Why the Church?”

He said: “Throughout my life, general conferences of the Church have been exhilarating spiritual events, and the Church itself has been a place to come to know the Lord. I realize that there are those who consider themselves religious or spiritual and yet reject participation in a church or even the need for such an institution. Religious practice is for them purely personal. Yet the Church is the creation of Him in whom our spirituality is centered—Jesus Christ. It is worth pausing to consider why He chooses to use a church, His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to carry out His and His Father’s work “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”(Moses 1:39)

Beginning with Adam, the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached, and the essential ordinances of salvation, such as baptism, were administered through a family-based priesthood order. As societies grew more complex than simply extended families, God also called other prophets, messengers, and teachers. In Moses’s time, we read of a more formal structure, including elders, priests, and judges. In Book of Mormon history, Alma established a church with priests and teachers.

Then, in the meridian of time, Jesus organized His work in such a way that the gospel could be established simultaneously in multiple nations and among diverse peoples. That organization, the Church of Jesus Christ, was founded on “apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”(Ephesians 2:20) It included additional officers, such as seventies, elders, bishops, priests, teachers, and deacons. Jesus similarly established the Church in the Western Hemisphere after His Resurrection.

Following the apostasy and disintegration of the Church He had organized while on the earth, the Lord reestablished the Church of Jesus Christ once again through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The ancient purpose remains: that is, to preach the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and administer the ordinances of salvation—in other words, to bring people to Christ. And now, through the instrumentality of this restored Church, the promise of redemption is placed within reach even of the spirits of the dead who in their mortal lifetime knew little or nothing of the Savior’s grace.

How does His Church accomplish the Lord’s purposes? It is important to recognize that God’s ultimate purpose is our progress. His desire is that we continue “from grace to grace, until [we receive] a fulness”(Doctrine and Covenants 93:13) of all He can give. That requires more than simply being nice or feeling spiritual. It requires faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism of water and of the Spirit, and enduring in faith to the end. One cannot fully achieve this in isolation, so a major reason the Lord has a church is to create a community of Saints that will sustain one another in the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.”(2 Nephi 31:18)

“And [Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

“… For the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Jesus Christ is “the author and the finisher of [our] faith.”(Moroni 6:4) Uniting ourselves to the body of Christ—the Church—is an important part of taking His name upon us.(3 Nephi 27:5-7) We are told that the ancient Church “did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls”(Moroni 6:5) “and to hear the word of the Lord.”(4 Nephi 1:12) So it is in the Church today. Joined in faith, we teach and edify one another and strive to approach the full measure of discipleship, “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” We strive to help one another come to “the knowledge of the Son of God,”(Ephesians 4:13)…

In the Church we not only learn divine doctrine; we also experience its application. As the body of Christ, the members of the Church minister to one another in the reality of day-to-day life. All of us are imperfect; we may offend and be offended. We often test one another with our personal idiosyncrasies. In the body of Christ, we have to go beyond concepts and exalted words and have a real “hands-on” experience as we learn to “live together in love.”

This religion is not concerned only with self; rather, we are all called to serve. We are the eyes, hands, head, feet, and other members of the body of Christ, and even “those members … which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.” We need these callings, and we need to serve.

One of the men in my ward grew up not only without parental support but with parental opposition to his activity in the Church. He made this observation in a sacrament meeting: “My father cannot understand why anyone would go to church when they could go skiing, but I really like going to church. In the Church, we are all on the same journey, and I am inspired in that journey by strong youth, pure children, and what I see and learn from other adults. I am strengthened by the association and excited with the joy of living the gospel.”

The wards and branches of the Church offer a weekly gathering of respite and renewal, a time and place to leave the world behind—the Sabbath. It is a day to “delight thyself in the Lord,” to experience the spiritual healing that comes with the sacrament, and to receive the renewed promise of His Spirit to be with us.

…

There is a second major reason the Savior works through a church, His Church, and that is to achieve needful things that cannot be accomplished by individuals or smaller groups. One clear example is dealing with poverty. It is true that as individuals and families we look after the physical needs of others, “imparting to one another both temporally and spiritually according to their needs and their wants.” But together in the Church, the ability to care for the poor and needy is multiplied to meet the broader need, and hoped-for self-reliance is made a reality for very many. Further, the Church, its Relief Societies, and its priesthood quorums have the capacity to provide relief to many people in many places affected by natural disasters, war, and persecution.

Without the capabilities of His Church in place, the Savior’s commission to take the gospel to all the world could not be realized. There would not be the apostolic keys, the structure, the financial means, and the devotion and sacrifice of thousands upon thousands of missionaries needed to carry out the work. Remember, “this Gospel of the Kingdom [must] be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.”(Matthew 28:19-20)

The Church can build and operate temples, houses of the Lord, where vital ordinances and covenants may be administered. Joseph Smith stated that God’s objective in gathering His people in any age is “to build unto the Lord a house whereby He [can] reveal unto His people the ordinances of His house and the glories of His kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation; for there are certain ordinances and principles that, when they are taught and practiced, must be done in a place or house built for that purpose.”

If one believes that all roads lead to heaven or that there are no particular requirements for salvation, he or she will see no need for proclaiming the gospel or for ordinances and covenants in redeeming either the living or the dead. But we speak not just of immortality but also of eternal life, and for that the gospel path and gospel covenants are essential. And the Savior needs a church to make them available to all of God’s children—both the living and the dead.

The final reason I will mention for the Lord to have established His Church is the most unique—the Church is, after all, the kingdom of God on the earth.

As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was being established in the 1830s, the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “Lift up your hearts and rejoice, for unto you the kingdom, or in other words, the keys of the church have been given.”(Doctrine and Covenants 42:69) In the authority of these keys, the Church’s priesthood officers preserve the purity of the Savior’s doctrine and the integrity of His saving ordinances. They help prepare those who wish to receive them, judge the qualification and worthiness of those who apply, and then perform them.

With the keys of the kingdom, the Lord’s servants can identify both truth and falsehood and once again authoritatively state, “Thus saith the Lord.” Regrettably, some resent the Church because they want to define their own truth, but in reality it is a surpassing blessing to receive a “knowledge of things as they [truly] are, and as they were, and as they are to come” (D&C 93:24) insofar as the Lord wills to reveal it. The Church safeguards and publishes God’s revelations—the canon of scripture.

When Daniel interpreted the dream of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, making known to the king “what shall be in the latter days,”(Daniel 2:28) he declared that “the God of heaven [shall] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all [other] kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”(Daniel 2:44) The Church is that prophesied latter-day kingdom, not created by man but set up by the God of heaven and rolling forth as a stone “cut out of the mountain without hands” to fill the earth.(Daniel 2:45)

Its destiny is to establish Zion in preparation for the return and millennial rule of Jesus Christ. Before that day, it will not be a kingdom in any political sense—as the Savior said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”(John 18:36) Rather, it is the repository of His authority in the earth, the administrator of His holy covenants, the custodian of His temples, the protector and proclaimer of His truth, the gathering place for scattered Israel, and “a defense, and … a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.”  -- Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Why the Church?”, October 2015 General Conference

Closing song: How Great Thou Art #86

Closing prayer: Mom

Scripture of the Day

This scripture resonated with me this morning.  So I thought I would post it and share it with all of you.

Alma 5:59-62

59 For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock? And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out? Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.

60 And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.

61 And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.

62 I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life.

Prophetic Quote

“If you think the Church has been fully restored, you're just seeing the beginning. There is much more to come. … Wait till next year. And then the next year. Eat your vitamin pills. Get your rest. It's going to be exciting.”

--  President Russell M. Nelson, Morrmonnewsroom.org, October 30, 2018

What's Your Sign?

I've been thinking about this past General Conference and specifically about what our Prophet asked us to do.  During the General Women's Session, President Nelson invited all of the women of the Church, eight years old and older, to do 4 specific things.

From the words of the Prophet:

"May I offer four invitations:

"First, I invite you to participate in a 10-day fast from social media and from any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind. Pray to know which influences to remove during your fast. The effect of your 10-day fast may surprise you. What do you notice after taking a break from perspectives of the world that have been wounding your spirit? Is there a change in where you now want to spend your time and energy? Have any of your priorities shifted—even just a little? I urge you to record and follow through with each impression.

"Second, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year. As impossible as that may seem with all you are trying to manage in your life, if you will accept this invitation with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it. And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation. 

"As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends. You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen. 

"This morning the announcement was made regarding the new Sunday schedule and home-centered, Church-supported curriculum. You, my dear sisters, are a key to the success of this new, balanced, and coordinated gospel-teaching effort. Please teach those whom you love what you are learning from the scriptures. Teach them how to turn to the Savior for His healing and cleansing power when they sin. And teach them how to draw upon His strengthening power every day of their lives. 

"Third, establish a pattern of regular temple attendance. This may require a little more sacrifice in your life. More regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in His temple. For those of you who don’t live near a temple, I invite you to study prayerfully about temples in the scriptures and in the words of living prophets. Seek to know more, to understand more, to feel more about temples than you ever have before. 

"In our worldwide youth devotional last June, I spoke about a young man whose life changed when his parents exchanged his smartphone for a flip phone. This young man’s mother is a fearless woman of faith. She saw her son drifting toward choices that could prevent him from serving a mission. She took her pleadings to the temple to know how best to help her son. Then she followed through with every impression. 

"She said: “I felt the Spirit guiding me to check my son’s phone at specific times to catch specific things. I don’t know how to navigate these smartphones, but the Spirit guided me through all the social media that I don’t even use! I know the Spirit helps parents who are seeking guidance to protect their children. [At first] my son was furious with me. … But after only three days, he thanked me! He could feel the difference.” 

"Her son’s behavior and attitudes changed dramatically. He became more helpful at home, smiled more, and was more attentive at church. He loved serving for a time in a temple baptistry and preparing for his mission. 

"My fourth invitation, for you who are of age, is to participate fully in Relief Society. I urge you to study the current Relief Society purpose statement. It is inspiring. It may guide you in developing your own purpose statement for your own life. I also entreat you to savor the truths in the Relief Society declaration published almost 20 years ago. A framed copy of this declaration hangs on the wall in the office of the First Presidency. I am thrilled every time I read it. It describes who you are and who the Lord needs you to be at this precise time as you do your part to help gather scattered Israel. 

"My dear sisters, we need you! We “need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices.” We simply cannot gather Israel without you. 

"I love you and thank you and now bless you with the ability to leave the world behind as you assist in this crucial and urgent work. Together we can do all that our Heavenly Father needs us to do to prepare the world for the Second Coming of His Beloved Son." -- President Russell M. Nelson, "Sisters' Participation in the Gathering of Israel", October 2018 General Conference

The last three invitations actually require effort.  But the first, requires no effort.  You just have to not do something.  Sounds pretty easy.  But how many people didn't even do that?  A 10 day social media fast.  Not a big deal.

If you can't even not do something, how much harder is it to actually do something?

I've been thinking about this and it reminded me of a talk given in General Conference a few years ago.  Coincidentally, or perhaps not, given by Elder Russell M. Nelson. It was titled, "The Sabbath Is a Delight" given in April 2015.  In that talk, then Elder Nelson mentioned something that stuck with me.  He said he doesn't need a list of do's and don'ts to know what's appropriate for the Sabbath, he just asks himself, "What sign do I want to give the Lord?".

Here's the direct quote from the talk:

"How do we hallow the Sabbath day? In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, “What sign do I want to give to God?” That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear."

So, when the Prophet invites us to do something, what sign do we want to give God?  Do we follow the Prophet's counsel and do what he asks us to do?  Or not?  What sign are we giving God?  Do we make excuses as to why we can't follow the Prophet?  Or do we put forth the effort to follow the counsel of the living Prophet despite the sacrifices necessary?

A lot of people seem to discount living prophets but revere dead ones.  In actuality, the words of living prophets are more important and relevant to us than are the words of dead prophets.

"Beware of those who would pit the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence."  -- Ezra Taft Benson, BYU Devotional, February 26, 1980

  Granted, we should always follow the counsel of all prophets, whether living or dead.  But the living prophet is the one who is receiving revelation for us today.  What he has to say is what the Lord, Jesus Christ, himself wants us to hear.  If the living prophet counsels us to do something or to not do something, it is the same as the Lord speaking.

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."  -- Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

Sometimes obeying the commandments or following the counsel of living prophets is more about showing your willingness to follow the Lord and His servants than anything.

What sign are you giving to God?

That's my two cents.

Game Over!

If any of you doubted my skills -- perhaps this will convince you.

Alberta and Tara

When I unveiled Alberta as Tara's birth mother, I had no idea what Tara looked like.   And I didn't really remember what Alberta looked like.  My conclusion was based strictly on DNA evidence with some help from a little circumstantial evidence.

When I saw this picture of Tara I thought she looked remarkably like Alberta.  So I captured a screenshot and cropped it.  I also cropped the picture I had of Alberta and put them side by side in Photoshop.  Luckily, the angle of their heads is exactly the same.  So it makes the comparison even easier.  The resemblance is uncanny!

I thought the pictures of Howie and Nicky (Bart) were a dead giveaway.  THIS is a dead giveaway!

Phenotype doesn't always reflect genotype (children don't always look like their parents) but in this case it sure does.

Dead giveaway!

Game over, Alberta!

That's my two cents.

Happy 49th Anniversary!

Today is my parents'  49th wedding anniversary.  That's a great accomplishment by any standard but especially today when so many people choose to abandon their marriages.

49 years of marriage takes work on both sides.  Mom and Dad, thanks for your wonderful examples and service.  But most of all, thank you for your love.

This was the best picture I had that was taken this year:

49 years of wedded bliss :-) and going strong!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

College Footballl Picks 2018 Week Nine

1. Mom   -21    TB  54
2. Rex    -26     TB  53
3. Dad   -26     TB  54
4. Tammy  -26  TB  47
5. Michael -27 TB 35
6. Lisa   -28   TB  51

Actual Tie Breaker:  53

Letter to Alberta

I have decided to post a slightly edited version of my letter to Alberta explaining the evidence that proves she is my mystery second cousin's birth mother. To protect the innocent, I have replaced identifying information with asterisks.  I don't take too kindly to people rudely denying their paternity/maternity to the children they placed for adoption.

Here's my slightly edited letter:

October 23, 2018

Dear Alberta,

You probably don’t know me.  I am your first cousin Mike *****'s daughter Tammy -- your Uncle Newell’s granddaughter. That makes me your first cousin once removed.

I’m not sure you remember this or not but I actually sent you a letter back in February 2015, requesting help with family history information and pictures.

Anyway, the reason I’m writing now is because I discovered your biological daughter, Tara, through DNA.  I understand that you denied being her biological mother when she called you on the telephone.

I know what a shock that must’ve been to you to hear from her after nearly 50 years. I assure you she has nothing but good intentions in wanting to contact you.  She wants to thank you for giving her life and for the sacrifice of giving her up for adoption.  She has had a wonderful life and is very appreciative to you.

I would now like to explain to you how I discovered that Tara is your biological daughter.  I understand the science of DNA.  I have a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.  I also trained in medicine and hold a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree.  Therefore I’m somewhat the DNA expert in the family.

So first I will explain the DNA evidence.  Then I will explain the circumstantial evidence and tie the two together.

I’m going to list our relatives in common that share DNA with Tara and the percentage of DNA each shares with her.  Then I will explain what that means.

Your first cousins (Tara’s first cousins once removed):

Your Uncle Newell’s children:

Mike ***** 3.78%
Ron *****   4.72%
Tim *****   4.53%
Linda *****5.96%

Your Uncle Nelson’s child:

Bart (Nicky) ***** 6.94%

For first cousins once removed you would expect around 6.25% shared DNA. But because of variations in genetic recombination, you would expect a range of 3.3% to 8.51%.  All five of your first cousins listed fall within that range.  This indicates that one of Tara’s biological parents is first cousins with all five people listed.

This also rules out any of your Uncle Newell’s or your Uncle Nelson’s children being Tara’s parent.   It also narrows down the genetic line to one of Tara’s parents being a grandchild of Bert ***** *****and Millie * ***** *****.  That leaves four possibilities since Newell and Nelson were eliminated as possible grandparents.

So we are down to Ted, Elwood, Marjorie, or Varien as possible biological grandparents of Tara.

You have a second cousin, Patricia *****, who shares 0.69% of her DNA with Tara. You would expect 1.5% shared DNA between second cousins once removed (Patricia and Tara) but the range is 0.57% to 2.54%.  So she also falls within the expected range.  The interesting thing about Patricia ***** is she is along the maternal line and therefore her maternal haplogroup is valuable information.  In case you’re not familiar with Patricia *****, she is the daughter of Hazel ***** who is the daughter of Marguerite ***** - your grandmother Millie * ***** sister.  This means that her maternal haplogroup would be the same as yours and your daughters.

Maternal haplogroups are passed down in the mitochondrial DNA from mother to children.  So, all of the children of a specific mother will share the same maternal haplogroup.  So if you follow the maternal line from daughter to mother going back they will all share the same maternal haplogroup.

Patricia *****'s maternal haplogroup is H1.  Since Millie and Marguerite share the same mother, Tryphosa ***** *****, they also share a maternal haplogroup, H1.  Millie would have passed that maternal haplogroup down to all of her children.  But her son’s children would have a different maternal haplogroup because they have a different mother on a different genetic line.  But her daughters would pass that same maternal haplogroup down to their daughters.

Since Tara’s maternal haplogroup is also H1 it is most likely that the genetic line is maternal.

Therefore the most likely candidates for being Tara’s mother are the daughters of your mother, Varien or your aunt Marjorie.

(Since H1 is a common haplogroup among Europeans, we can’t definitively exclude the possibility of a male first cousin being Tara’s father (by impregnating a woman who by happenstance is H1) but it is not likely and circumstantial evidence rules that out.  From the information Tara was given, her biological father is Italian.  None of my dad’s paternal line male first cousins has any significant Italian ancestry composition.)

So we are down to Varien’s or Marjorie’s daughter being Tara’s biological mother.

There are two DNA possibilities, you (Alberta) or Alice ***** *****.  This is where the circumstantial evidence comes in.

Tara was born ***** *, *****.  Or perhaps was adopted on that date, I’m not certain.  But it was around that time.

Tara was adopted in Reno, Nevada.  The information Tara received about her birthmother includes the following:

She is 5’5” tall, around 120 pounds, brown eyes, brown hair.  She is of Northern European ancestry. She already had three children with her husband and separated from her husband.  Subsequently, she became pregnant with Tara.  She and her husband decided they could not financially nor emotionally support another child, therefore Tara was placed for adoption after she was born.

Tara’s biological mother said she was Lutheran and wanted her child raised in a Protestant home.

It was also stated that Tara’s birth mother’s mother was a laundry worker.

I believe it also stated that Tara’s birth mother’s three children were two boys and a girl around the same age as your children would have been at the time.

(I don’t have the letter in front of me so I’m going off memory from what Tara told me.)

So from what I know of your life, Alberta, all of the circumstantial evidence points directly to you being Tara’s biological mother.

You match the physical description. You match the ancestral description.  Your children match the description.  My dad tells me your mother was a laundry worker.  You lived near Reno, Nevada at the time in the Truckee area.  I know your mother, Varien, was raised as a Seventh-day Adventist and I don’t know if you were raised in any religion.  But I know that your husband Alwin ***** ***** was christened (baptized) into the Lutheran Church on * ***** ***** in Selby, South Dakota at St. John Church. Some family members remember you being separated from your husband for a while and disappearing for a time.

Also, of note is the fact that you refused to do a DNA test a few years ago.  Making people wonder what you had to hide.  Now we know.

Interestingly, my dad had a female first cousin - who remained anonymous - on 23 and me who also has the maternal haplogroup, H1.  I always suspected that was you.  That perhaps you did the DNA test anonymously, for whatever reason.  It makes sense now that perhaps you were looking to see if your daughter was on there.  Unfortunately they don’t allow anonymous users anymore on 23 and me so that profile was removed a few months ago from DNA relative finder.  But it was certainly one of my dad’s female first cousins on his father’s side. Nelda is ruled out as being the contributor because her brother, Bart (Nicky), has a different maternal haplogroup which she would share with him since they share the same mother.  So once again, that leaves you or your cousin Alice *****.  You, being aware of, and actually being asked to provide a DNA sample to 23 and me, makes you the most likely contributor.

Alice ***** ***** was born on * ***** *****.  She would’ve been nearly 40 at the time of Tara’s birth.  Which is certainly possible, but I believe the adoption information mentions the birth mother’s age as around 34 years old.  You, Alberta ***** *****, were born * ***** *****.  This would have made you 34 years old when Tara was born.  As far as I know, your cousin Alice, was never separated from her husband.  And she lived in the Sacramento area, not near Reno, Nevada.  Her mother, Marjorie, was not a laundry worker.  And according to my dad, she does not match the physical description of Tara’s birth mother.  Therefore circumstantial evidence can rule her out.  That leaves just you, Alberta, as Tara’s birth mother.

I failed to mention that your second cousin, Patricia *****, who would share the same maternal haplogroup as you, also has a daughter whose DNA is on 23 and me.  Patricia’s daughter, Doreen, is also documented as H1. Thereby further corroborating the H1 maternal haplogroup along your maternal ancestral line.

For completeness sake I would like to include the other DNA relatives in common - even though this information isn’t necessary in determining your maternity to Tara, it does help corroborate the DNA evidence.

Your first cousins once removed (Tara’s second cousins):

Tammy (me)   1.33%
Lisa 2.41%
Juliet 0.59%
Michael 0.26%
Clint 2.50%
Crystal 3.68%
Stephanie 2.40%
Howie (Bart’s son) 1.18%

For second cousins you would expect around 3% shared DNA with a range of around 2 to 5%.  Some of those numbers are low but that’s the luck of the draw with genetic recombination. But all tested second cousins still share some DNA with Tara.

I won’t include them but the children of my siblings also all share DNA with Tara.  In percentages expected for second cousins once removed.

I will include your second cousins (Tara’s second cousins once removed):

Patricia ***** 0.69%
Frank *****    1.55%

You would expect 1.5% shared DNA between second cousins once removed.  With a range of 0.57% to 2.54%.  By the way Frank is your grandfather Bert ***** *****'s brother Charles’ grandson.  Frank’s daughter, Dara, also shares DNA with Tara, 0.34%, consistent with being third cousins (0.3%-2.0%).

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that if they don’t submit their DNA sample, that their DNA secrets are safe.  But that’s not true.  It is easy to determine DNA relationships by analyzing the DNA of relatives in common.

Because of the plethora of DNA information available from multiple DNA relatives, it only took me a matter of minutes to determine who Tara’s biological mother is-- you.  After asking my dad a few questions about the circumstantial evidence, my suspicions were solidified.

Alberta, there is no doubt that you are Tara’s biological mother.  DNA does not lie.  And the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming.  Combining the DNA evidence with the circumstantial evidence proves that you are Tara’s birth mother.

The cat’s out of the bag.  After nearly 5 decades, the skeleton’s out of the closet. There’s no longer a secret to hide.  I imagine that was quite a burden to carry all these years.  It must be freeing to have that lifted off your shoulders.

It would be nice if you would talk to Tara and give her some information about her birth father.  The information she has is that he is Italian and worked as a heavy equipment operator.  Before she told me the information I knew he was part Italian because her DNA ancestry composition shows that she is up to 25% Italian (Italian and Southern European).  We have very little, if any, Southern European in our ancestry.  Therefore that had to come from her birth father.  He was most likely 50% Italian or at least Southern European.  There again the DNA evidence corroborates with the circumstantial evidence.

Tara is now ***** years old and would like to know about her biological parents.  She’s been searching for 30 years.  Any information you could give her would be much appreciated.

Tara is a beautiful, wonderful, caring, kind, loving, sweet lady.  She does not want to disrupt your life.  But she would like to talk to you and perhaps get some more information.  Like I said, she has had a wonderful life and is very grateful to you for giving her life and placing her in a home with loving parents.

I know this is a lot to digest.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. My address is: *****
My telephone number is: ****.  My e-mail address is: ****.

My dad tells me you are a sweet lady also. I, also, am thankful to you for doing the right thing in giving Tara life, and placing her in a loving home.

If you don’t want anything to do with Tara, that’s your prerogative.  But I hope you will at least contact her to give her some information about her birth father.

Lovingly your cousin,

Tammy *****, DPM

Another Skeleton

Well, I did it again.  I discovered another skeleton in the closet.  Once again, I was not looking for skeletons.  I just happened upon it, did a little detective work and there it was.

This skeleton is eerily similar to the last one I found.  Here's the story.

I don't check my 23 and me account very often anymore.  I manage 17 DNA profiles in my account.  So I'm always getting e-mails from 23 and me asking me to do surveys or telling me I have so many new DNA relatives.  They're usually for one of the other profiles in my account.    So I usually ignore them.  But a couple of weeks ago I got an e-mail addressed to me requesting I complete a health survey to help them with their research.  So I decided to do it.

Since I was already logged in, after completing the survey, I decided to check my DNA relatives list to see if I had any new close DNA relatives. As I was scrolling down the list one name caught my eye.  There were several new names on there but I didn't click on any of them.  I kept scrolling down the list through several pages.  For some reason that one name stuck in my mind, so I decided to go back and click on it to see if I could figure out how we were related.

I started reading the information she posted about herself.  She was adopted and was looking for her biological parents and relatives. Then it became more interesting.  I wondered if perhaps I could solve another DNA mystery.

So I scrolled down the page and looked at her ancestry composition.   I noticed a lot of French and German and Italian.  So I immediately knew that one of her birth parents was part Italian because we have very little if any Italian in our ancestry.  The French and German stood out because my paternal grandfather's line is heavy in French and German ancestry.

Next I scrollled down to haplogroups. Since this mystery relative is female with no linked father or brother there was only a maternal haplogroup.  But it was H1.  This jumped out at me because years ago when we first did our DNA my dad had a paternal line female first cousin who remained anonymous.  In trying to discover who she was the only thing I had to go on was percentage of DNA shared and maternal haplogroup.  It was H1.  With a little elbow grease I was able to determine that H1 is the maternal haplogroup along my paternal grandfather's maternal line. So I immediately thought that my unknown adopted relative is probably related to me on my paternal grandfather's maternal line.

So the next step was to look at the DNA relatives in common and see if there is a link to the suspected ancestral line.  Sure enough, the relatives in common I would suspect were all there.  I looked at the percentages of DNA shared between the unknown adopted relative and our relatives in common.  The percentages lined up exactly with one of her parents being my dad's first cousin.

At this point I had a strong suspicion as to the identity of her birth mother.  Armed with the information that the unknown adopted relative posted about her birth mother, I asked my dad a few questions about one of his cousins.  Everything lined up perfectly.  I knew the identity of her birth mother.

So I messaged her on 23 of me and asked her if she knew anything more about her birth mother and told her that I figured out who her birth mother is.  As soon as she got my message she wanted me to call her.  So we talked on the phone and she read the information she had about her birth mother.  Dad confirmed  that all the information about the birth mother was consistent with his first cousin, Alberta.

I wasn't going to release her identity but  just like the last skeleton I dug out of the closet, Alberta denied being her biological mother.  When the adopted relative told her over the telephone that she was the daughter she gave up for adoption, Alberta said "it wasn't me" and hung up the phone.  Thinking she might have just been disconnected, the adopted relative called right back.  It rang and rang with no answer.  It was not inadvertently disconnected, it was intentional.

So that upset me.  This woman has been looking for 30 years for her biological parents.  She at least deserved some courtesy.  Obviously it must've been a huge shock to Alberta.  She thinks that she can still keep the skeleton in the closet like it has been for the past nearly 50 years.  But the skeleton is out in the open for all to see now.  There is no more secret to hide.

It's so eerily similar to the last skeleton I dug out.  When I helped Howie find his birth father, Bart (Nicky).  So just like in that case where Bart (Nicky) completely denied being Howie's birth father, I decided to write a letter explaining the DNA evidence and circumstantial evidence. After I sent that letter to Bart (Nicky) it took several weeks but he eventually came around and did the DNA test which confirmed his paternity.

I sent a detailed letter to Alberta yesterday explaining the DNA and circumstantial evidence.  After the shock wears off and she has time to digest all the information, hopefully she will come around like Bart (Nicky) eventually did.  Once they realize the skeleton's out of the closet, there's no reason to continue denying the truth to protect themselves.

I'm still debating on whether to post the letter to Alberta onto my blog.  But now you know the story of another DNA mystery solved.  Another skeleton dug out of the closet.  And just in time for Halloween!  :-)

So if you share DNA with me and you have skeletons in your closet -- beware -- I'm digging up bones.  :-)

That's my two cents.

College Football Picks 2018 Week Eight

1. Tammy   -8      TB  55
2. Dad      -10      TB  56
3. Rex      -11      TB  74
4. Lisa     -15       TB  74
5. Michael -15    TB 79
6. Mom  -18       TB  46

Actual Tie Breaker 69

College Football Picks 2018 Week Seven

1. Rex   -12      TB 60
2. Lisa  -15       TB 52
3. Tammy  -18   TB  63
4. Michael -18 tiebreaker 55
5. Mom  -21  TB  42
6. Dad  -24   TB 60

Actual Tie Breaker  87

Not Altogether Pleasant and Agreeable

While reading the current Ensign today, a quote from Lorenzo Snow (1814-1901) struck me.  So I went to the source and read it in context. 

Here is an expanded more detailed version of the quote from President Snow that I read in the Ensign today:

"It is impossible for us to work out our salvation and accomplish the purposes of God without trials or without sacrifices.

"Trials and tribulations have been the experience of the Latter-day Saints. God so designed that it should be. I daresay that in the [premortal] spirit world, when it was proposed to us to come into this probation, and pass through the experience that we are now receiving, it was not altogether pleasant and agreeable; the prospects were not so delightful in all respects as might have been desired. Yet there is no doubt that we saw and understood clearly there that, in order to accomplish our exaltation and glory, this was a necessary experience; and however disagreeable it might have appeared to us, we were willing to conform to the will of God, and consequently we are here.

"...He will try us, and continue to try us, in order that He may place us in the highest positions in life and put upon us the most sacred responsibilities.

"If we succeed in passing through the approaching fiery ordeals with our fidelity and integrity unimpeached, we may expect at the close of our trials, a great and mighty outpouring of the Spirit and power of God—a great endowment upon all who shall have remained true to their covenants. …" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow [2012], 110).

I have always known that trials and sacrifices are one of the main reasons we are here to experience mortality.  But what struck me was when President Snow said that the prospect of coming to mortality was not altogether pleasant and agreeable nor as delightful as might have been desired. 

I have often thought that perhaps we didn't know what we were getting into when we signed up to come to earth to experience mortality.  That perhaps we didn't quite understand how difficult it would be.  But, according to President Lorenzo Snow, we knew how hard it would be.  And chose to come anyway.  Because we understood the necessity of experiencing mortality to accomplish our exaltation. We knew that everything we suffered and went through here on earth would be worth it in the end.  The reward of living, in glory, with God for eternity is well worth the small amount of time we spend suffering trials and tribulations in mortality. 

Thanks for the insight President Snow.

That's my two cents.