It seems to me that not only is change in circumstances a constant in my life and probably in all humanity, it’s a healthy thing. Here are a number of things/opinions that are or have changed for me.

I have competely reversed my opinion of Mitt Romney. I was devastated when he lost the presidential election. I felt it was the last hope for America. I heard this morning that he voted for more witnesses, eager to prolong the witch hunt as long as he can. Apparently, he has no sense of justice. The impeachment articles don’t even cite a crime! The witnesses are all offering their opinion about what was in President Trumps mind.

The huge irony is that the more I hear of what Trump has done concerning international relationships and diplomacy, the more I respect him. I have gone from being a never Trumper to voting for him in the last election to an actual supporter. His speeches generally drive me crazy, but his actions speak louder than his words, and that takes some doing.

I believe that Trump’s background in show business has prepared him for the presidency better than anyone. He manages to stay in the news every single day. Like PT Barnum (??) said, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

The most effective weapon the media could use agaisnt him would be their silence. Mocking, hating, alleging unfounded crimes only allows him to contradict them in front of a gossip loving citizenry.

I’ve watched a fair amount of the trial from both democrats and the Defense, and I fear greatly for this nation that the Democrats got as far as they did. They have no respect for the rule of law or the Constitution. Then Romney votes for more witnesses. That’s prosecutor saying to the jury: If you’re not convinced that this man is guilty, you must go interview, research and talk yourself into agreeing with me. Pelosy even says that it’s impossible for him to be aquitted because the jury didn’t go out and seek evidence.

In truth, Trump can’t be acquitted because he has not been accused of any crime. The democrats have built thier case on a disagreement on the way the President does his job. But even they couldn’t find a single accusation of wrongdoing that they could actually prove.

Obviously, they felt no need to prove anything. If they were confident that they could, they would have allowed the President to defend himself. Trump totally overturned their conspiracy when he released the transcript. Further, the Ukranian President, a former Democratic ally publicly proclaimed that he had NO notion of a quid pro quo.

The Democrats declared on the VERY DAY that Trump won election that they would impeach him. They reached a verdict before he even had a chance to do anything wrong. Pelosi promised that Trump would be so tied up in investigations that he would be unable to govern. That was their plan, that is what they have done. Except that Trump has thumbed his nose at them and gone ahead and done what previous politician presidents didn’t have the courage or the will to do.

Trumps impeachment is an utter disgrace. I would be ASHAMED if it was my party, no matter how much I disliked the President. I’m disgusted with any Americans (in this case Democrats and the media) who enjoy all the blessings of this great nation but have no scruples about trashing our Consitutional form of government.

More to the point, I watch our elected officials and use this as a test of corruption. If they were not corrupt, they would stand up on the side of justice.

Romney, I”m ashamed of you. You turned out to be exactly what your Republican opponents said: a Fair Weather Politician with wavering, weak principles. I deleted the old pictures of you and me together (Romney was campaigning and we happened to be there). I will work to make sure that you never win another Utah election.

GOODNESS, it feels good to write about politics once in a while. I try to keep my column, Americana, completely positive, inspiring and informative. But there are no rules but my own for Chocolate Cream Centers!

On a more personal note: My mother is moving back to Utah after spending three years in my sister Mary’s care in Montana. She will be living in an Assisted Living facility in Lehi. I think it will be a good arrangement for her, and I’m looking forward to spending much more time with her.

We have two new grandbabies on the way so far this year.

Jeff has planned a marathon trip that will start in Switzerland, move to France, with a side trip to Monaco, and possibly Belgium and from there go on a Baltic cruise that visits Norway, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Estonia , Finland and Russia. We’ll be gone more than a month.

On a trip we took in December, I heard the story of how a violinist achieved her extreme skill. I realized that perhaps, with persistent practice, I could become a competent pianist. Since the last week in December, I have practicing the piano every day for about an hour. I got my piano tuned, and am improving steadily. I don’t know what level I can reach, but I am enjoying it every day for the first time in my life.

I’m back to studying Spanish every day, too, using the Duolingo app.

More next week about some of the surprises on our trip to the Holy Land.

There are few of us that enjoy getting phished on any of our devices. But there is sometimes a little fun to be had. My idea is that the more of the phisher’s time I take up, the less time he or she has to victimize others. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

So today I got a facebook message from an old friend with whomI have little contact. It started out with “How are you doing?” I’ll cut and paste the rest of the conversation.

I recognized the typical approach, but since recently I ignored a similar greeting for several weeks, only to find it was really a friend giving me a story idea, I decided to respond. So I answered.

Me: I’m doing well. How are things in your life

phisher:
I’m pretty good and Good to hear from you too, and i’m not sure you heard about the recently good news yet?

Me: Which good news? (By now I knew beyond doubt that it was a scam. . .but I wanted to see what they would try.)

Phisher:
It’s a new specially program for those who need to clear bills buying their own car, buying their own house , retired, widows, single, raising child…Are you aware of this before ?

Me: No, I thought you were talking about the arrests the DHS has been making of internet and social media hackers. It’s so cool how they have been able to find the thieves who are responsible and fry their systems remotely.

Phisher:
This is real and legit okay

Me: Ha ha ha.

Have you heard about Attorney Eric Holder before? He’s the one helping people getting their NUF money, because it was not advertises publiclyHe’s an honest agent and he’s doing it through his private email so that no scammer can discover this okay, This is an big offer for you okayAnd I can share you his private email to apply easily and you will get your money okay, if it’s not real i won’t inform you okayIt’s an honest Agent that want the way forward of this country, you search his name onlineAttorney Eric Holder okay, so as to believe me, Thanks

Then the phisher sent me this picture for proof positive.

Me: You’re hilarious. You should follow American news so you would know what Eric Holder is up to these days. (He’s involved with Obama’s scheme to redistrict red states so that the Dems can gerrymander their way into winning elections.)

PHisher; I do, because he was the one help almost 4 (almost 4? wouldn’t that be 3?) of my friends to get this NUF money and me too, that’s why I’m informing you this is a big offer for you okay,It was not advertise publicly because of scanners so I can send you his private email address to apply as well so that you can believe that I’m telling you the truth give a trial okayAttorne***********@ ******* (I blanked it so no one would get curious and click).comMail him or text him on hangouts If you have it, I believe you gonna get your own money for NUF,

Me: I am not needing more money. Here is the number for someone that will probably be interested in your offer. 801-*** ****. (I gave the number of the local FBI.) Are you in China? I think you’ll have to add the number 1 before you call.

Phisher: There’s no any limit of amount that you can apply for, even more than $50million dollarsDon’t miss this offer. You gonna thank me at last okayOkay just tell him about what I just told you then we gonna contact our self about it okay. Then you gonna understand what I mean by it. thanks

Me: Between my CCA and my SIA and my VRA, I don’t need any money. You better call him (the FBI) . He’s not as rich as I am. He might feel insulted if I call him myself.

Phisher: If you want to help, make sure you do it the end okay,  I wanna do mine for that’s why I told you, but since you are are not interested, don’t bother okay

Me: I knew you were a hacker from your first response okay. (I wanted them to think throwing in the word ‘okay’ was correct America speak, since it’s such an effective red flag.) Where are you really? Are you trying to get money to come to AMerica, or do you just try to steal from AMericans?

PHisher: I need money from American to come, because sufferness is too much There’s no job after you graduated from school

And it’s just a little money I need to come to USANobody wanna helpThat’s why I’m trying to do this to get just $500 and if you can get me this, when I get to USA I will do everything that you want hun

(Hmmmmm. Slavery is illegal, as far as I know.)

(I laid the phone aside for a few minutes while I was doing something else)

Phisher: Why are you not saying anything dear

Me: Where are you?

PHisher: West African If you wanna help me okay, just get me an amazon gift card of just $500 in $100

Me: You’re lucky to have a computer and internet service. There are honest ways to make money using those tools okay If I were to send you Amazon cards, you’d have to give me your personal information.

Phisher: Deal!!!If you will promise me that you won’t betrayed me I will give you and you gonna get me that amazon card with the receipt okayDo you agree with that or you have go and get the amazon gift for me now, let me know

(I notice that he/she wants the receipt. They realize that if they can get access to my accounts, they’ll steal a lot more than $500.)

Me: Why would I promise not to betray you? Of course I would give your information to the authorities. I would far rather give money to someone I know truly needs it. You don’t know enough about Americans to scam us.

Phisher: Smiles (followed by vile expletive.) (He/she does know how to cuss in English)

So, this phisher was working on me for over an hour. If everyone engaged them without responding to any email we could eventually frustrate them so much that they’d give up. It would be a public service.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Jeff and I recently returned from a road trip to the Eastern United States. Most of the places we visited, I had visited several times before. My sister in law, Lynda and her husband Barry travelled with us, so we revisited some places we might not have bothered to see again.

The motivation to take the trip in the first place was to collect a bunch of stories for my newspaper/online column, Americana. It’s about everything good in America, so we went in search of interesting places, history, cultures and traditions. I’m set through the end of the year!

We also visited Church history sites. As many of my readers know, I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in living prophets and that the Churh is restored (and still being restored) to its New Testament beginnings.

The process of restoring the full, simple Gospel of Jesus Christ began when a young boy named Joseph Smith was troubled about what Church he should join. He read that God will answer our prayers and give us wisdom if we sincerely seek him.

So 14-year-old Joseph Smith went into a grove of trees near the cabin where his family lived. He found a private spot and knelt in prayer, asking “Which Church should I join?”

He was instantly attacked by an evil spirit. He felt smothered and overwhelmed. The Adversary was attempting to destroy him. But just as he was about to succumb to dispair, a beam of light appeared over his head. God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ descended in the light and spoke to him, comforting him and instructing him that the complete Church of Jesus Christ was not on the earth and must be restored. He learned that he was to participate in that restoration and that he must prepare himself and keep himself worthy.

As we visited this place in upstate New York, near Palmyra, I contemplated the significance of what had happened there. It’s a rather ordinary grove of trees. The trees are younger than the cabin and The Church of Jesus Christ has groomed the paths and placed benches in quiet nooks.

As we strolled those cool, quiet paths, I thought about the other places on earth where God has visited prophets and faithful servants. An unidentified place on the road to Damascus. . .the entire road to Emmaus, Sinai, But it doesn’t matter the exact location where young Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ.

While it’s true that it’s natural to contemplate the events of the Restoration in that beautiful place, each of us should have a sacred place. It might be a grove of trees or a rock by a stream. It might be a place in your home, a room in a hospital or in a temple.

I am of the opinion that if we seek to have our own sacred place, it is wise to find a place where we can be alone, quiet and unrushed: a place where we can wait on the Lord.

The important truth that struck me as I wandered the grove we call “Sacred” is that wherever we are, God, our loving Heavenly Father, will come to us. We can make any place of contemplation, any place where our heart is open, any place where we feel an outpouring of gratitude a place sacred to us.

Figurtively, God will come to us if we seek Him in the darkness of depression. God can come to us in our despair. God can come to us when we’re afraid, or feeling reverent.

God will come to us to fill us with his powerful, personal, intimate love. God will give us peace and confidence. God will come to us to give us courage and resolve. God will guide us as we humble ourselves and try to follow our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

I know that there are sacred places all over the world. They are places where God revealed his pure love, or even his person to people who seek Him. All over the world, in unknown corners, God has and does and will come to His children to teach us, help us, and to reveal His nature to us.

God will come to us, wherever and however we need to meet Him. More places, more days, more memories will become sacred.

First off, I love the new Come Follow Me Study program in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, I was very touched when a thought that lingered in my mind from Sacrament meeting attached to a question in Sunday School.

At the end of our Sacrament meeting today, the Bishop took the last few minutes to give us one of the non-negotiables for his family that he wants us to incorporate ward-wide. He pleaded with ward families follow his advice. He asked that electronic devices be kept out of our children’s bedrooms. He asserted that very little good comes of kids having devices in private spaces and much harm can come.

I 1000% agree. Keeping electronics and televisions in public places might be the policy that saves our loved ones tremendous heartache and pain. We didn’t have game systems or devices in our home and I think that was one of the best decisions ever. (We do now have a Wii.) But we didn’t pick up on the computer in a public place fast enough and paid the price.

Now, there are a multitude of devices that are easily carried to a private place. It takes far more diligence on the part of interested parents to protect and help their children avoid the heartache, disappointment and failures that can result.

But I glanced around the chapel and realized that many of those listening had not lived long enough to know how vital our Bishop’s council may be. We sometimes hear that messages from Church leaders and think of an excuse or special reason why it doesn’t apply to us or why we can’t make that change. I hope and pray that the beloved members of our ward and all those who read this blog hearken to this good man’s council and make that one simple change. It may save your child!

Then in Sunday School, we were discussing the rich young man who came to ask Jesus “What lack I yet?” Jesus told him to keep all the commandments. The rich young man said, “I already do. Is there anything else?” Jesus told him to go and sell all that he had and give to the poor and come follow him. The young man went away sorrowing.

As is usually the case in our Sunday school class, many of the ward members had great insight into the situation and why it’s in the scriptures in three places. “Was it really the riches that were the problem or merely the reliance on them? Was this advice for the young man specificially because Jesus recognized his one failing?

Heidi Balderee commented that for Abraham, the “Big Ask” was to sacrifice his son. To the rich young man, he was asked to give up his riches. Then Heidi posed the question, ‘What is each of our Big Asks?”

What is my ‘Big Ask?’ What is the hardest thing I could be asked to endure or give up or change for the sake of becoming a true or truer disciple? I think it’s going to be something a little different for each of us. Leisure time? Family ties? Reputation? Popularity? Entertainment? Physical pleasures? Time? Influence? Social status?

So our Bishop asked us to make a change that seems small to me. But are electronics or popularity with our kids the “Big Ask” that cause us to ‘go away sorrowing? We know that apostles and prophets have warned us many times of similar things. It’s not just pornography, but it’s pressure to be popular on social media. It’s time robber games and puzzles. It’s inane or impersonal communications that replace healthy interactions, etc, etc, Most of us recognize the dangers of too much exposure, but we don’t realize that it’s been too much or of a harmful sort until the damage is done and the consequences descend.

“Whether by my own voice or the voice of my servants, it is the same.” D&C 1:38 What does He ask by the voice of his servants that will cause us to “sorrow” instead of rejoice with gratitude?

It has certainly given me a lot to think about this afternoon.

He was Jiggy until he got into high school and felt he needed a more dignified moniker. He became Jiggs: my next older brother, three years older than I.

His given name was Hal. Hal Andrew Mitchell. But it always seemed like an affectation when he introduced himself that way.

Ours was a stressful relationship for much of my life. Mom always said it was because I displaced him as the youngest in the family, but I think it was more than that. My two oldest brothers were always best buddies, stellar atheletes and students. Jiggs was the third son and my father’s namesake. He was a good student, but never in the running for valedictorian. He was good, but not as exceptional as the older two. He didn’t realize that he was exceptionally intelligent until he was an adult. He was also an outstanding athelete, playing defense on the high school football team and even making the JV BYU team. But he shone brightest as a wrestler, even earning a scholarship to BYU. Our family, especially our Mom, had always revered football players and he wasn’t as much in the limelight as the eldest had been.

When I was born, Dad said to Mom, “You finally got your girl.” But what did that imply to the older brothers, especially the darling boy who was no longer the baby? Had Mom been yearning for a girl all along?

I think, as my sister Mary expressed it, Jiggs was looking for respect. As a young child, he didn’t know how to earn it with such stiff competition in my two oldest brothers and so he tried to extract it from the younger, weaker sisters. But giving in to that impulse left him feeling guilty and sometimes depressed.

Jiggy teased and sometimes even tortured me. The darkest time between us was probably when I was 11-13. His name for me was Fat-n-ugly and he applied it liberally. To me, he and his friends were glamorous and mature. I grew so self-conscious that I could hardly function. I remember wishing that giant sacks that would cover every inch of my developing body would come into fashion.

Through our teen years, thing got better between us. At the stake dances, if he saw me not dancing, he’d ask me to dance. I was so pleased to have him ask me! He generally treated me with courtesy. My school friends all thought he was very attractive.

I remember one day when I was a high school sophomore and he was a senior. We had a wrestling pep rally during the last 45 minutes of school that day. Jiggs was the star of the wrestling team and when he walked into the assembly in his wrestling penny, an audible gasp of admiration rose from the female students. One of my friends said “OOH la la! You have to introduce me!” Another girl nearby said, “I think I just became a fan of wrestling.” He looked like Atlas with broad, muscular shoulders and a trim waist. I always thought (and think) all my brothers are handsome.

I told him about it later and he seemed so surprised. I said “Didn’t you hear what they were yelling?”

“I was too nervous to pay any attention to it. Are you SURE they were talking about me?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” I had the strange mix of feeling proud and embarassed at the same time. It was wierd to think of girls looking at him THAT way.

That was a window into his psyche that I had never seen through. He didn’t know how desirable he was. He later told me that he struggled with very low self-esteem and self-doubt throughout high-school.

Most people that knew him well, knew him to be exceedingly frank. One night on the way home from a stake dance, I was sitting in the middle of the front seat with him in the passenger seat and a few older kids in the back. He asked me if I had enjoyed the dance. I said I had. He asked me if I danced with anyone I particularly liked. I answered, “no one in particular.”

“That’s good,” he answered. “Because your breath smells like horse crap.”

Of course my mind raced to remember who I had danced with. But it was not surprising, considering that I always fasted the day of a dance so I wouldn’t look fat. I was 5’6″ and 124 pounds. The “Fat-n-ugly” image hadn’t completely worn off.

At least we didn’t fight anymore. He took to calling me by a gentler nicname. When I was very little, he called me ‘Buffy’, and then “Bethy” and eventually all my older brothers took to calling me ‘Beh’ (Beth was much too much of a mouthful.)

He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. It was a difficult, yet life changing and self-defining experience for him. He learned to love the people he served and he had great success. He also learned what it meant to to love selflessly as he worked and lived with his companions.

He was the king of nicknames. His youngest son, Patrick’s nickname is ‘Lavern” (?????) and his second son Ben’s nickname went from Ben to Bean to Frijole, (Spanish for ‘bean’.)

Jiggs married a smart, saintly woman named Julie. As intense as he has always been, it can’t have been easy for her. But she is steadfast, faithful and loving. I think he has always realized that he had extremely good judgement when he courted and caught her. She is a beloved prize of a woman.

I think they had been married only 5 years when they had four boys, age four and under. After the twins, number 3 and 4, they had a short break while Jiggs finished med school and then they added two more boys and two girls to their family.

Jiggs decided to become a doctor early in his college career. He buckled down as a student and earned his way to success. He was a cautious, thoughtful physicican that always seemed to have his patient’s best interest and well-being at heart. He was interested in getting at the causes of illness, not just symptoms.

Success seemed added to success. As his family grew, his own thirst for understanding grew. He loved to study and learn. He searched the scriptures and a wide range of books for truth and understanding.

He was always intense. But just as he had long ago applied himself to persecuting his sisters, he applied himself to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. In the cases where he knew he had wronged someone or as in my case, where there was still underlying tension, he actively strove to heal those relationships.

He spoke often of what it meant to be a true disciple of Christ. He made changes in his approach. He began calling me regularly, just to chat or to discuss something (like Americian History) of mutual interest. When two of my granddaughters had life-threatening medical problems within 9 months of each other, he called regularly to check on their progress and follow their treatment.

Julie was in Virginia helping with new grandbaby, number 19 for them, and couldn’t get ahold of Jiggs. (She calls him Hal.) Even on Easter, he didn’t answer his phone. She called the neighbors on Monday morning and asked them to go check at their house in Oregon to see if he was all right.

They could see him sitting on the couch and called the Paramedics. Other neighbors had seen him running on Saturday, the day before Easter, in the early afternoon. He had been wearing a weighted vest.
He was still wearing the weighted vest, but his spirit had flown to heaven some time on Saturday afternoon. Other physcians in the family conclude that he overstressed his heart and a blood clot broke free, causing a heart attack.

Several years ago, he headed the hospice program for his county in eastern Utah. As part of that, he visited the dying and their caregivers. He often interviewed the dying to ascertain their expectations and what they thought about as the moment of death grew close. He told me about one woman who was a devout Christian. Her caregiver reported that as death drew near, she began to see angels. She saw family, smiling and welcoming. Then, she said “I see two hands, reaching out to me.” She paused and added. “The hands are pierced.”

The caregiver told her to take the hands and a moment later, she died.

Jiggs would have been surprised, I think, to see those pierced hands. He certainly wasn’t expecting it. He had gone on the Keto diet to help control his type-2 Diabetes and he took medicine for high cholesterol, but he exercised diligently and had lost most of the weight he needed to.

Jiggs was always full of questions. Now he has his answers. His life was in order.

We pray for Julie to have peace. She knows he’s fine. After the funeral, she said, “He’s having a great ol’ reunion on his side of veil, so he shouldn’t mind that we’re having one too.”

Five of his six sons have chosen medical careers. His daughers have grown into educated, righteous women.

Best of all, my brother is experiencing the full force of our Heavenly Father’s love. He finally comprehends the intimacy of the Savior’s atonement and nature of unconditional and complete love our Father in Heaven has for each of us.

He told my older brother Mark recently that when he stood before God that he could honestly say he had done his best. I believe him. Jesus will make up the difference.

His body is buried in the Orem Utah Cemetery. Mt. Timpanogus overlooks the green, quiet place. Pear blossoms drifted down over his flag-draped coffin.

Enjoy the peace, Jiggs. When I see you again, we will both be whole.

Dave Rose, the BYU basketball coach retired today. This is the first year of his 14 years as head coach that he didn’t (quite) win 20 games.

I’m sad. Truthfully, I don’t care much about wins and losses as I do about the human impact that those numbers make. Rose is a classy guy. I have always known I could trust him to represent my beloved BYU with honor and integrity. I knew that when refs made grievious errors in calling a game, he’d stand up for our guys and yet he wouldn’t disgrace himself, the team or BYU by his behavior.

While it’s true that I’ve seen him almost purple with anger when refs seemed to be flagrantly unfair, he generally got a hold of himself and made the best of it.

I prayed for him when he battled pancreatic cancer.

Now he’s on to pursuits nearer and dearer to his heart than basketball. In his press conference he said his new team is his family. I imagine he’s ready to serve them and God in new and exciting ways.

We wish him well. May the pillars of the man, his body, mind and heart sustain him in joy.

I feel so grateful to all those who have honored my granddaughter Kate by giving blood!

I wrote about my little granddaughter’s stroke and subsequent open heart surgery. Kate came the surgery with incredible ease and wonderful results. But the blessings didn’t stop there!

A lady in their Ward, (church congregation) took Lindsay, Kate’s Mom’s idea to give blood to help some others who are in need and organized a blood drive.  Here’s the link the story.

https://www.kalb.com/content/news/Donate-for-Kate-aims-to-help-families-in-need-507574671.html  (watch the news clip)

The reporter left before the blood drive ended! That day, they collected 72 unites of blood and three of plasma. People in other parts of the country have also donated in her honor and the total is currently over 100 unites of donated blood products.

While Kate doesn’t need any more blood, there has been a huge shortage of blood and plasma across the USA lately. It’s such a kind act to give of your time and self to help someone else!

If you have a heart to donate and are healthy, you can find a donation location by going on the Red cross website.

Here’s the Red Cross link for your convenience. https://www.redcross.org/