Relief Society Lesson

My next Relief Society lesson is a tough one. I always try to "live" my lesson. For example when I taught the one about The Book of Mormon being a keystone of our religion I tried extra hard to be reading the Book of Mormon. Or when I taught the lesson about Prayer and Personal Revelation I took extra care in making my prayers meaningful. I watched for moments of revelation. When I taught the lesson about proclaiming glad tidings to all the world, I tried extra hard to be a member missionary. I am even still working on that one.

However, this month I have a lesson that I absolutely do NOT want to try out. I know it is inevitable, I will have to live with this lesson someday. I just don't want it to be now. I know, I know. Don't counsel the Lord. It is entitled "Word of Hope and Consolation at the Time of Death." I am truly grateful for the teachings of our church about death. There is a hope for a better future. The one thing that Joseph Smith said about the death of a young child verses an older person is that one gets to enjoy being with our Heavenly Father longer.

Family

Grandma & Grandpa Richens

At the Richens' Homestead

I have been thinking a lot about my family the past few days. The older I get the more important family becomes to me. I so enjoy getting on the internet and reading the blogs different family members have written. We may have miles between us but we are close in heart. I thank you for that!

Grandma & Grandpa Cope

I met a lady the other day that is married to my cousin. I have never met this cousin. His father sort of chose to stay away from his family. My cousin has now passed away. His wife and two of her sons came to meet Grandma Richens. I went up to meet them. As we visited we thought of how sad it was that all of these years have gone by and we have not even known each other. My Mom took them to see where Grandma and Grandpa Cope are buried in Roosevelt. Then she took them up Ioka Lane to point out places that they had lived when Grandpa Cope taught school. They also went down into Arcadia to see where the old Cope homestead had once stood. There is nothing left of the old homestead. Grandpa Cope sold it back to the Ute Tribe sometime after he left the Uintah Basin. I went to the old homestead years ago and the only thing left was a row of trees. That is even gone now after a fire along the Lake Fork River burnt everything down.

Grandma Cope on the Cope Homestead

I love to listen to Mom talk about the past. I know when she is gone I will think of a million things I wish I had asked her.

"The Cousins"