Jewel and Larry

Jewel and I first met in 1953 when we were both seniors in high school.  We met at the home of my friend, David Kimball. She was visiting with David’s sister Elaine. Jewel looked familiar.  It took me a few minutes to recognize her as one of the cheerleaders for Pleasant Grove when we played a football game with them in the fall. I remember thinking boy that is a cute girl. I would like to get to know her better.  As we came to the door Elaine greeted us.

Elaine:  “Jewel, this is my brother David and his friend Larry Knight. They are seniors at  BY High”.

Jewel: “Hi, I’m glad to meet you.”

David:  “Hi.”

Me: “Hi.”

Elaine: Jewel is my fiancé, Dee’s, little sister. We’ve been hanging out quite a bit while he is doing his basic training. We’ve been doing a little shopping downtown. We stopped off at home to get a bite to eat.

David and I thought that was a good idea. We went into the kitchen and gorged ourselves with hot homemade bread and honey.  Jewel left while we were eating. Soon Elaine came into the kitchen with a grin on her face. She looked at me.

Elaine: “Did you think Jewel is cute?”

Me: “ Yeah.” I  spotted her when we beat PG High in football.  She was the cutest cheerleader.”

Elaine: “Would you like me to line you up with her?”

Me: “You bet.”

That’s the last I heard from Elaine.

Two years later I was serving a mission for the Mormon church in the Northern California mission. I had only been out for three months when I was given a very difficult assignment in Walnut Creek, California. President Gardner, the mission president of the Northern California mission, immediately won me over. I told myself I would do anything for him. 

 Now after three months the president told me he wanted me to be an assistant district leader in the newly formed Walnut Creek District which included Berkeley, Richmond, Martinez, Port Chicago, Concord, and Walnut Creek. The district leader was Elder McCoy who had been serving as the district leader in San Jose. At 28 he was older than most missionaries. In his youth he went through a period of  inactivity and rebellion. He left college and joined the Army where he served for two years as an MP. He joined the reserve when he was discharged. He was called up to the infantry to his chagrin when th Korean War broke out.. After a brief period of training he was in Korea on the front line participating in firefights. He began to rethink his decision about God and the importance of the Church. He promised God that if He preserved his life he would give up smoking and serve a mission. After each firefight was over everyone sat down, relaxed and took out a cigarette. He couldn’t stand it. He said, Lord I’ll quit smoking, but not yet. He was captured and spent 30 months in a Chinese guarded prison camp in North Korea. His left eye was infected and he was treated by having a doctor pop his eyeball out just like a pimple.  He now has a glass eye. 

When he was released he enrolled in Utah state University found a girlfriend, but delayed his education and marriage to fulfill his promise of going on a mission.  As time went on he felt the pressure of needing to get on with his life––get married and finish college. 

Our duties were to train and supervise the other companionships in the cities in the district. We  visited one companionships each day each day to hold study class. We spent one day each week with one of the companionships. The rest of the time we worked in our area which included Walnut Creek, Danville, Lafayette, and Concord.  We dealt with rejection, dogs snapping at us, being treated as a curiosity. In a barbershop one day a man came up to us, looked straight at Elder  McCoy and said, “Are you guys in the boxing game.? You look like you might be the little, tough manager and this big guy is your boxer.”  

One day Elder McCoy said, “I’ve had enough.” He turned on his heels and walked to the car. We drove back to our apartment which was a remodeled garage. We continued to perform our duties with the other missionary companionships but the time set aside for working our area was spent in study and running errands.  Now I was the one who was frustrated. I had feelings of guilt because I wasn’t doing what I thought I was there for.

We got invitations to dinner almost every Sunday. The Weeks family in particular invited us several times a month.  During the Christmas season we were attending a church Christmas social. Suddenly Elder McCoy stood up. 

Elder McCoy:  “I’m going home. You can get somebody to bring to the apartment when the party is over.” 

 I didn’t quite know what he meant by going home. I felt uneasy. 

  Me: “I’ll go home with you.” 

When we to the apartment Elder McCoy started packing.  Then I knew what he meant when he 

said he was going home. I snitched his keys and put them in my pocket.

Me: “Elder, where are you going?” 

Elder McCoy: “I’m going home. I told you.”

Me: “No you’re not, at least not until you talk to President Gardner.” 

NO ANSWER!  Elder McCoy just kept Packing until he was finished. He then took his bags and climbed in to the 1948 Hudson. He threw in his bags and started looking for his keys. He fumbled and a look of frustration came over his face. He came storming back into the apartment.

Elder McCoy:  “Elder, where are the car keys?” 

Me:  “They are in my pocket.” 

Elder McCoy raised his arms and glared at me. Then he dropped his arms in frustration and walked out to the car. He opened the hood. I realized that he was hotwiring the car. When he completed the task he climbed in the car. I climbed in the seat beside him.

Elder McCoy: “Get out, now1” 

Me: “I’m going with you.”

 Elder McCoy looked at me with a look I will never forget. It was a look of hate and despair. He finally drooped with exhaustion and got out of the car. He walked in the apartment and fell on the bed and went fast asleep.  I called president gardener. He said he would be out to see us first thing in the morning.

Sure enough,  President Gardner showed up  at 9 o’clock the next morning. He interviewed Elder McCoy and when they had finished they were smiling. He had arranged to release Elder McCoy from his mission in good standing and told him to return home with the best wishes of the mission and the church. He expressed gratitude for his service.  Elder McCoy went home happy.

I gave him his car keys and waved goodbye as he drove down the driveway.

I was happy to start a regular missionary routine with my new companion. We continued to work with the elders in the district and we had good success in our own area. We continued to have Sunday dinner with the Weeks family periodically. In June Sister Weeks told me that her sister was going spend the summer helping her with the children and working in a local bank.  Her sister was Jewel Olpin, the girl I met at David Kimball’s home three years before. I was pleasantly surprised. My first thought was, it’s too bad I’m on a mission. 

Jewel  and I said hello to each other at church and socialized briefly at more or less weekly Sunday dinners with her sister Catherine and her family. At the end of the summer I received notice that I was being transferred to Fresno California. Jewel was going back home for her senior year of college at BYU. At a conference of the congregations in the Berkeley area which was held the day before we both were leaving Walnut Creek, I talked with Jewel briefly and suggested that she might like to write to me during the rest of my mission. She said yes and that she would write two words for every word that I wrote. I must admit that tweaked my heart a bit.

So for the remainder of my mission we corresponded approximately once every two weeks for the next nine months until the spring of 1957. I was released in June. I drove home directly from Fresno to Provo in my old Dodge mission car. On the long drive home I was excited to see Jewel and finally get that date I was promised years before. As soon as I got home I picked up the phone and called Jewel and made a date for the next day.

I picked her up at her house in Pleasant Grove. We drove around for several hours and talked. We ended up in American Fork Canyon. We pulled in the parking lot at the Timpanogas National Monument. We sat and talked. It was there that I gave Jewel her first kiss. On the way home she said that she wanted me to know that that was the first time she ever kissed a boy on a first date.

After that first date we were together as much as possible. We both had to work but in our free time we were together. I was invited to dinner. Her father and her brothers talked about bodies they had embalmed. Then they asked me to help them move a body. I apparently passed the test.

After a few weeks jewel told me about some of her old boyfriends. She seemed to be a little embarrassed because most of her girlfriends were married. At 22 she was beginning to feel like an old maid. I think in order to defend herself she told me about five boys that had asked her to marry them. When she finished telling me she looked at me with an expectant glance. I took the cue. I pulled out a box that contained a ring from my pocket and said,  “Now you have six proposals.” She accepted and we talked about a marriage date. We decided we should wait until next the next spring since she would have her first year of teaching. She had signed a contract to teach at Westmore elementary school in Orem. I had one more year of undergraduate study. About two days later

Jewel: “We’ve got to change the marriage date.”

me:  “Why?”

Jewel: “I don’t want you around BYU all those beautiful coeds before we are married.”

Me: “Sooner is okay with me. When do want to get married?”

Jewel: “August.”

My mother was a little cool.  She thought we didn’t know each other well enough.

Jewel’s mother warned her with, “That big man will kill you.”

We were married 19 August 1957 the Salt Lake City Temple the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. At our wedding reception Elaine Kimball remembered our first meeting. She said she asked me if I wanted to date jewel and I said, “She’s too short.” Then she asked Jewel if she wanted to date me and Jewel said, “He’s too tall.” She lied. I said no such thing. Jewel can speak for herself.

Jewel  saved my letters in a cardboard box. However they are not available for publication yet. Our oldest daughter Karen did find them and leaked one item.

“I read someplace that you lose one second of your life every time you kiss. I wonder if you’d be willing to help me commit suicide when I get home.”

Cumberland Lodge

Cumberland Lodge Larry Knight

Cumberland Lodge is a 17th-century country house. It is located in Windsor great Park about 3 1/2 miles from the town of Windsor, UK. Windsor is the site of Windsor Castle the principal residence of Queen Elizabeth. It is surrounded by lush gardens and groves of trees. It used to be the home of royalty, but it now is used for conferences and retreats. Located in the same area of the Park are a few residences, the Royal Chapel, and the  Royal Lodge––all. these places are connected by paths that wind through forests and lush meadows. Most of the park is reserved as a royal forest. The Royal family uses it for relaxation and hunting. A series of narrow paved roadways also connect Cumberland Lodge, with the other buildings in the park.

 After World II the Lodge was donated by royalty to provide a retreat for college students to discuss the ethical and moral issues of the day with their teachers and knowledgeable speakers. The donation was motivated by the belief that part of the responsibility for the disaster of World War II was that the German universities failed to give their students a foundation of moral responsibility. My friend, Alan Michette, was in charge of a yearly retreat for science students from King’s College London to participate in one of these retreats. This year they were having a conference on science and religion. Alan asked me to lead a discussion on Mormonism.

On Sunday we had a break that allowed us to attend church at the Royal Chapel where the queen often worshipped.. The Royal Chapel was about a mile and a half walk through the forests and meadows of the Park. We had to submit our passports on Saturday night and we were subject to search. It wasn’t revealed whether the queen would be there, but there was always a chance. I didn’t pass up the opportunity.

The Royal Chapel was a small version of the ornate chapels that are scattered throughout England. It reminded me of the chapel at King’s College Cambridge. It held probably no more than 40 or 50 people. There were two rows of pews and then off to  right of the pulpit was a box that was covered with curtains. This was the Queens box. It was impossible to see whether she was there or not during the service. I sat on the back row near the Isle. My wife always made me sit in the back so I didn’t block somebody’s view. After the service I quickly got up and walked out the door and there was the Queen with Prince Charles standing to greet the people as they came out. I just stood there. I waited till the rest of my group came and were ready to leave. Most people came out and bowed a little bit or curtsied. Finally Prince Charles and the Queen climbed into a black Landrover. The Prince took the wheel and they drove away. 

I thought, “They are much smaller than I had judged by their pictures.”

So I went to London to not to see the Queen but I did.

homework

My grandfather,  Edwin Dee Olpin started a mortuary business in Pleasant Grove, Utah. He was a hard-working farmer who decided Pleasant Grove needed a mortician. He was upset because the Anderson’s in American Fork were taking care of all of the deaths in Pleasant Grove. So he ordered  a case of embalming fluid from a catalog. He read the instructions on the bottle and started embalming the people who died in Pleasant Grove. Thus began the family business. My father grew up helping his father with the farm and with the mortuary.

My grandfather Olpin and both my grandparents on my mother’s side, Joseph Hiram Joseph and Catherine Elizabeth Griffith died before I was born. Grandfather Joseph was killed in a mining accident in Minersville, Utah near Beaver, Utah in 1907. My mother was just eight years old at the time. They lived in Adamsville, a small farming town also near Beaver. He left a widow and seven children ages 14 to 6. 

The only grandparent I knew was grandma Inez--Inez Melissa Robison.

Grandma Inez was a little, busy, quick moving lady. She had endless energy. She ran all day. She had false teeth that were not fitted properly. Those teeth clacking are the first thing that comes to mind  when I think of her. She lived right across the street from us. The street was State Street. It was the main highway between Salt Lake City and California when we lived there. Our home which was a combination mortuary and residents was on the west side of State Street. We lived on a few acres which also served as a small farm. We had cows, chickens and a garden.

I could “drop in” to see grandma any time—day or night—and feel welcome and treasured I visited  often. She came to our house almost every day finding things to do to help out. She 

came to our home after Sunday meeting.  She loved helping out with our family of six

children whenever she could figure out a way to help.  I never saw/heard her cry.

One Summer evening she crossed the highway as usual to spend some time with us and help put us to bed.  After visiting on our front porch she started walking toward her home in her quick little gait.  

There was honking, screeching of brakes and thump  thump.  She was gone instantly.  My parents wouldn’t let us leave our front porch. In fact my mother forced us to remain inside our house.  It was a terrible experience—I relive the sounds of those two terrible thumps.

Grandma wanted us to develop our talents.  She sat beside me on the piano 

bench for as long as I could stand to play.  She was a fabulous cook.  She put 

ingredients together whenever—whatever, and it was delicious.  Everyone loved her.

 She was my size and shape.  It makes me happy to remember that.

I loved her dearly.

As most of you know I am taking a writing class. I am working on a memoir focused on Jewel. I plan to post some of my assignments––scenes that may show up in the memoir. They are for your interest and to provide me with feedback.

I'm trapped in this flat. It’s nice––roomy, high ceilings, and a wonderful view––but I want to go home. My parents must be worried sick. He will not let me go. He us taking a shower. Now is my chance. I am out the door. I'm going down the hall. I’ m at the elevator. I push the down button. Soon the elevator is here. I get in. I push the button that says MAIN FLOOR. I get out on the main floor. I don’t know which way to go. I'll go out the front door. This is a busy street. The sign says University Avenue. I turn right. I  see Mount Timpanogas. My home is at the foot of Timp. My mother calls it the queen of the West. Pleasant Grove the most beautiful town in the world.

I'll just walk down University Avenue toward Timp. I will soon be home.

I've been walking quite a few blocks. It’s cold. It’s getting dark. I wonder how long it will take me to get to Pleasant Grove. I’m scared. I'm getting tired. Maybe I should find somebody to call Larry. He will be worrying about me. I'll go into the 7-Eleven store.

“I need some help. I am going to Pleasant Grove but I got lost. Can you call my husband. His name is Larry.” 

“What is your number?”

“Ah. I don’t know.”

“Do you know where you live?”

“I live in a tall grey building.”

A policeman comes through the door. 

“I am looking for a woman named Jewel Knight”. She has Alzheimer’s Disease and wandered from home. We traced he from a device she wears on her wrist. She should be in this area.” 

 

“I am Jewel Olpin Knight."

"Your husband is worried about you Jewel. We will give you a ride home.”

“Oh, Thank you I’m so sorry to cause you so much trouble.”

It is kind of fun to ride in a police car. The policeman is friendly. We got to the Wells Fargo building. Larry meets us in the parking garage. I am glad to see him. I know he will take care of me. He kisses me and it feels good. He tells me he is sorry that I got lost. He said it was his fault because he didn’t keep track of me. It was not his fault. He is not my boss. I went out because I wanted to go home. I like it here. I love Larry. This is a beautiful place to live. But I miss my parents. I want to go home.

Now I really am imprisoned. He put some buttons on the front door. He pushes some of the buttons when he wants to open it. I watch him carefully, but when I push the buttons I can’t open the door. 

He seems like a nice man. He is my good friend. He gives me chocolate milk and ice cream bars. He sleeps next to me. I hope my mother doesn’t find out, but it seems right. I feel safe and loved when he sleeps with me. But he won't let me go home. He said my parents died. It made me so sad. I hear cars outside my window. There is a lot of traffic. I'm tired. I think I will go to sleep.

Meaning and Book Club

Two things:

This article is very interesting to me. I happened to read it as I was simultaneously sort of reading  this talk from conference . In church we talked about D&C 122 when Christ says that no matter what happens to Joseph, if even the very jaws of hell gape open wide after him, it will be for his good because
8 The ^aSon of Man hath ^bdescended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

I think Mom and Dad have shown us a lot about what it means to find meaning in life. I also think that it must be true that God knows us, and while things might not get fixed, we can be comforted. 

That's the first thing.

The second thing is this:

Dad is taking this class. You'll see a list of books. I thought maybe we could pick a few of them to read this winter for family book club. We don't need to do the Road obviously, but we could pick of Mice and Men, etc. 

Also, Asher just walked in and said, I really love you, Mom and I hope you never die.
I said, thank you, Asher. I love you too.
Then he said, I hope you always stay the same number so you can always do what you want to do and not get Alzheimer's. 

I wish Mom could be doing what she wanted to do. But maybe in a way she is, from an eternal perspective. Or maybe not. This is just what I'm thinking. 

I'm not sure anyone reads this anymore.

Our dad ... as observed by a stranger

Tonight I was with mom and dad as we walked down University Avenue to go see the pictures from our family photo shoot at Justin Hackworth's studio. Wednesdays are my night to eat dinner with them so I told dad we should go to the Black Sheep after we reviewed the photos. Black Sheep is a very delicious, new, fancy restaurant downtown that dad loves.

As we met with Justin, mom started getting a bit agitated and was acting up so I thought we had better go somewhere a little less busy, a little less fancy and that would take less time. I suggested that we go to Gandolfos, the little underground sandwich shop on our block. He agreed. As we walked in it seemed that the man greeted dad by name but I didn't hear clearly, so I wasn't sure. We ordered our food, got our drinks and sat down.

When our sandwiches were ready I jumped up to grab them and the man paused as he handed them to me and asked if those were my parents sitting over there. I said that they were and he said, "I have to tell you this. You parents come in here every week and a couple of weeks ago I cried for about 30 minutes after observing them interact. Your dad was so so kind and so patient with your mom. I've never seen anything like it. I don't even know them but I know he is a really good man. I just thought you should know that." My eyes were watering and I nodded because I do know that but to have a complete stranger recognize that and be so touched really got me.

I didn't mention it to dad and he didn't notice that I had started to get teary. After awhile, as we were eating, dad told me he liked coming in to Gandolfos when that guy was there because he really loaded up his Reuben sandwich.

Four years ago a friend invited me to make a presentation at a retreat on Science and Religion for science students at King's College London. I followed the approach the manual Teach my Gospel. I introduced the subject by saying that Sir Isaac Newton was accused of heresy because he foreshadowed Mormonism. He rejected the Nicene Creed because he believed the Godhead consisted of three separate personages as was taught by Christ. He believed there was an apostasy so he predicted a restoration of the Church as it was during Christ’s ministry.

When the presentation was open to question the first question was,
       
        “How can you believe this stuff?

I answered,
   
        “Joseph Smith left an extensive body of work. I have spent a large         fraction of my adult life studying, applying and validating everything         Joseph Smith taught. The validations were spiritual and intellectual.         Thus the foundation of my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has         strengthened over the years.”

I thought of this experience while going through the arduous task to getting my wife, Jewel, ready for a photo shoot involving our entire family––children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their spouses, about 60 people. I was overwhelmed when I realized the role Jewel had played in all of these lives. She is a perfect example of a person who received “light” from God. “Light” from God is testimony. All truth is “light” from God.

The scriptures explain how to receive and validated truth.

D&C 50:24
   
    24 That which is of God is alight; and he that breceiveth clight, and     dcontinueth in God, receiveth more elight; and that light groweth brighter and     brighter until the perfect day.



D&C 52:12-19

12 And let my servant Lyman Wight beware, for Satan desireth to asift him as chaff.
 13 And behold, he that is afaithful shall be made ruler over many things.
 14 And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth adeceiving the nations—
 15 Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is acontrite, the same is baccepted of me if he obey mine cordinances.
 16 He that aspeaketh, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and bedifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinances.
 17 And again, he that trembleth under my power shall be made astrong, and shall bring forth fruits of praise and bwisdom, according to the revelations and truths which I have given you.
 18 And again, he that is overcome and abringeth not forth fruits, even according to this pattern, is not of me.
 19 Wherefore, by this pattern ye shall aknow the spirits in all cases under the whole heavens.
My interpretation. If you receive truth and follow it you will learn exponentially until you understand everything in the past, in the present and in the future. You will be a seer. You will know truth if you are faithful, contrite, humble, edified and if following this truth is fruitful.

These scriptures define Jewel.

Jewel has Alzheimer's disease. She was diagnosed over six years ago just after we moved into The Provo 4th Ward. She had symptoms at least two years before that.

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia. It is caused by abnormal structures called plaques and tangles that disrupt communication between neurons and eventually destroy them. Alzheimer’s disease is a terminal because brain function is eventually destroyed. Other forms of dementia  are treatable. The conventional wisdom is that dementia is a natural result of aging. This is not true. Alzheimer researchers at Washington University St. Louis found the all cognitive loses are due to a medical condition––stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, heart disease, diabetes, playing football, boxing,et. Some people has undiminished cognitive skills even if they live over 100 years. The chance of having Alzheimer’s Disease increases with age. If you and your spouse live to be 80 the chances are one of you will have Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer's disease is the most insidious form of dementia because it is so common and the chances of curing it are slim and none. I am Jewel’s principal caregiver. My goal is to find ways to help her enjoy the rest of her life. I believe this is the most important job I have ever had. Jewel deserves the best because she has given so much. If anyone is qualified for the Celestial Kingdom she is.

Jewel was born and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah when Pleasant Grove was a small farming town. She went to BYU. We were married just before her first job teaching 4th grade at Westmore Elementary in Orem. I fell in love with Jewel because she was beautiful and fun to be around. I soon learned that the Lord had led me to an eternal partner with a spiritual depth that would enrich my life. She enriched the life of everyone she touched—our children, grandchildren, her students, the church members, the missionaries in the MTC, the temple patrons and workers in the Provo, Mt.Timpanogos, Washington D.C., Via Hermosa, Mexico and the London Temples. She is a human dynamo whose primary function in life is to take care of other people. She followed the commandments and applied every bit of “light” she gained from her home, from her extensive reading, from church, and from formal education. As a result she grew in her understanding and her effectiveness. She is the mother of nine children. She nurtured them and prepared them to follow in her footsteps. Generally they have exceeded our expectations. Since I am an only child I was fertile ground for her magic. She taught me how to be a proper father for a big family. She helped us through difficult times and taught me how to be a leader.

During her first year of teaching she would often be up at night worrying about her students. One such night I asked, “What is wrong?” She said, “Johnny is going to die.” It turned out that Johnny was sick but he didn’t die. She also had a girl in the class with a severe mental handicap. She taught every student in the class to empathize with the little girl and help her with her work and protect from verbal abuse from the other students and even some teachers at recess and during lunch. Jim Baird was also a first year teacher. He had another 4th grade. They collaborated. He ended his career as a professor of education at BYU. His wife told me a few years ago that he said Jewel taught him everything he knows about teaching.

In graduate school we were in a large student ward. She was the chorister for Junior Sunday School. In those days primary was during the week. The Junior Sunday School was huge––50-60 kids. This particular Sunday the Junior Primary leadership was absent. Jewel was all alone. She had to hold the children’s attention for the better part of an hour. She mesmerized the children. They listened to talks, sang, danced and marked around all the time focused on Jewel as if she were the Pied Piper. The Bishopric happened to be there that day. So was I. One of the counselors turned to me and said, “Does she do that to you?” I said, “She sure does.” The next week they released other leaders and called Jewel to be the Junior Sunday School president. It didn’t surprise me that the Bishop was later called to be a General Authority.

Jewel’s gifts were evident. She served in ward and stake leadership roles wherever we lived.

When the family was under stress she helped out. Our second daughter and our oldest son wanted to serve missions at the same time. She went back to school to help out. She enriched many more lives in the school system. She was a master at storytelling and read to the students when she was in the library.

She retired from teaching because she wanted to serve in the Temple. Although I claimed I was to busy she persuaded me to be a veil worker. Soon she was telling me I would look good in a white coat. I became an ordinance worker. She led me into one of the great phases of my life. If you want to receive “light” the Temple is the place to be. The Temple is the conduit of “light” from God.  If you are an ordinance worker the words of the ordinances are burned into your mind. You carry the essence of the Gospel with you always.

One day Jewel answered the phone. It was President Schultz, first counselor in the Washington DC Temple presidency. He asked if we would serve as ordinance workers in the Washington DC Temple.

She said, “Yes, of course.”

He said, “Don’t you think you should check with your husband?”

Her answer, “I’m sure he will agree.”

I arranged a leave of absence from my job and hit the road to Washington DC. It was another opportunity to use the “light “ we had and to grow.

I retired shortly after we returned home

Soon Jewel said to me, |”We need to go on a real mission.”

We put in our papers and soon we were off to Mexico on a Temple Mission. We served for six months in a small temple in the city of Via Hermosa. Then we were transferred to the London Temple. We spent 18 months serving in the London Temple. Then we returned home and Jewel was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

The point of this story is that Jewel used her considerable social, spiritual and intellectual skills to always put herself, her husband, her children and others she taught and led in a position to receive “light” and to follow that “light” and grow exponentially. There are two aspects of exponentially growth––individual growth and the growth of number of people influenced by the individual. What are the fruits of Jewel’s journey? She didn't write essays or give intellectual talks. She just followed the “light” and became a remarkable person filled with love and understanding. In addition she helped others become remarkable too. I wish I could have conveyed this understanding to the King’s College students.

This example is the foundation of my testimony. It fits the pattern for receiving and validating truth. The results are sweet fruit. This is an ever strengthening validation of the Gospel––God lives, His Son Jesus Christ died to atone for our sins. Faith in Christ, Repentance, Baptism and sanctification by the Holy Ghost qualify us for His Kingdom. His true Church has been restored in these last days.

Jewel and I are on another stage of our journey. I can’t tell what she is truly feeling. She says she is happy. She says she loves me. She is still kind and gracious. She often struggles to express herself. She sometimes does outrageous things, but sometimes she is still Jewel. It is another growth experience for me. Jewel wears a mother’s ring on her ring finger. It has ten birth stones—one for each child and one for me. Ask me why she doesn’t wear her engagement ring.

I say these things in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.