Sterling & Ellen's "Testimony to Posterity"

As Father and Mother to our children and their spouses, and Grandfather and Grandmother to their children, we therefore are the Patriarch and Matriarch of our family. We have been married nearly 58 years and as of this date, our posterity numbers 35 with expected great grandchildren yet to be born. It has been our pleasure to have been in frequent contact with all of you over the years. We are proud of your accomplishments and the manner in which you have conducted your lives. We are happy that you are not of the world and its vices and problems, but have chosen to live honorably and to set worthwhile goals. Each of you have or eventually will become Patriarchs and Matriarchs of your own descendants. The responsibility is tremendous. We have sincerely tried to be examples for you, and as we approach the years when uncertainly of the length of our earthly existence is evident, we desire to express our thoughts and testimony. Having enjoyed our earthly life here on earth we ponder what scriptures have revealed that awaits us in the future if we abide by the commandments, especially if one of our lives is shortened and we have failed to live a basic commandment that would prevent progress in the hereafter. Salvation is based on merit and obedience to divine law and therefore is only obtained through compliance with divine commandments. These commandments can only be lived here on earth. It is our testimony that we are children of our Father in Heaven and it is our sincere desire that our descendants will be with us where ever we are so that we will always be a family together. Sterling and Ellen Hixson December 1, 1994

The name we take upon ourselves

I don’t remember my Grandpa Hixson. He died a month before I turned 4 years old. After my own father died, I found in his belongings a letter and two penny post cards from my grandpa, written to my Dad and Mom in Grace, Idaho, in December 1942 and January 1943, three months before my Grandpa Hixson died. •Sister Hixson and I went to visit my Dad’s cousin on her 100th birthday, and I asked her if she remembered my grandpa Hixson and she said, “Oh, yes, your grandpa, uncle van, was a handsome, little round man who lived in a bungalow on 11th East.” •I want to share with you some excerpts from the letter, written before the birth of my younger sister, and I quote: •“Dear Folks, Just a line before the stork arrives, as we have been waiting for a long time, but you are not the first ones, or the first Dr. that has made the mistake in the time, but it sure makes one feel anxious and glad when it is all over and the little girl arrives…. we all join in wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, and that your new arrival will be perfect and give you both the joy you are looking forward to. Let us hear from you as soon as it is over.” (And this part I treasure), “We sure wished we could have had Richard with us to take him up town to see the windows. I know just how he would enjoy it…but some other time….” (And from one of the post cards he said), “Thought I would drop you a line to let you know how I am by this time. Am feeling better, although the Dr. says the bed for me at least two weeks, so that is that….we sure were pleased the babe is O.K. That is one time I guessed it right and glad it is a girl….” (And he closes with), “I wish we had Richard with us, he would be no trouble….Love, Dad.” •Although I was told a lot about my grandpa, I never really knew him or loved him until I found that letter and those two post cards. In an instant he became real and very personal…and I carry his name. •In the Book of Mormon there is a beautiful example of what a name can mean to someone. In Helaman 5:6 he was talking to two of his faithful missionary sons. He is telling them how he chose their names. He said, “I have given you the names of our first parents, Lehi and Nephi, who came out of Jerusalem.” He told them when they think of their names to remember these good people, the faith they had, the good they did, and the strong testimonies they had. I remember hearing my own father’s words to me to never do anything to dishonor our family name. That counsel has had influence in my life. I know I am a better person because of it. •Sometimes in our day-to-day life we find ourselves forgetting who we are. Our six-year old grandson, Spencer, one day said, “ it’s weird because when you go to sleep all the memories in your head are gone and when you wake up they don’t all come back.” Alma 37:8 tells how important it is that the things of God are preserved – for they enlarge the memory – and bring to us the knowledge of our God. They bring to our memory of who we really are. •And who are we? We are spirit children of God; we are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We do something good for somebody else who can’t do it for themselves. President Tanner, who married Sister Hixson and me, said in the last talk he prepared before his death – •“I plead with all of us today, in the Saturday evening of time, to make it a priority to remember who we are. Let us give thanks to God for his gift of life and love, for our membership in his Church, for our families, our friends, and our neighbors. Let us be kind and considerate. Let us give of ourselves and show love and compassion. Let us be examples of Christlike living and service. Then all will know by our fruits and by our actions that we are sons and daughters of God and members of his Church.” •Sister Hixson and I have hanging in our home, on the wall by the back door, where our children saw it everyday before leaving the house, our framed family motto. It says, REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE. It is a powerful statement; it can make us a better person. I still say it to the children, and now to the Grandchildren. We have sons that often say to me, “Dad, Remember Who You Are.” When I tell them to remember who they are, sometimes they’ll say, “I know, Dad, I have my driver license with me.” As I become older, I love the exchange of quiet humor with them. •My grandchildren and I love the movie, The Lion King. I am always touched by the words of Mufasa when he tells his son, Simba, "You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than what you have become….Remember who you are!" •I will be ever grateful for the words on the letter and the post cards that I discovered that helped turn my heart to my grandfather and for the work I am assigned to do in the Family History Library that helps me remember who I am. •When we were baptized we did a remarkable thing…we took upon us the name of Jesus Christ…that we would always remember Him and keep His commandments, and thus have His Spirit to be with us. May we always remember who we are and that we have the responsibility to guard our name, as well as His name that we bear, the name we have on the little black badge we each wear; yes, the name we took upon our self – our friend, our brother and our Savior.

Around the World in One Thousand and Eighty Days - FOREWORD

It has often been said that fantasies are figments of our minds; creations of the imagination. They dwell in our thoughts and for some of us who are dreamers they provide great comfort when due to lack of ability or opportunity we search for a substitute for achievement. As a youth, I lived in a world of fantasy. I frequently imagined myself to be a Babe Ruth of baseball fame, a great pianist, such as lgnace Padewski and even another Albert Einstein, the world-renowned physicist. The hope of accomplishing something out of the ordinary some day was ever present. I read many of Richard Halliburton's books that he had written about his travels around the world. He was born in the year 1900. His airplane "The Flying Carpet" carried him more than 50,000 miles around the earth. In that day it was an accomplishment as world travel was not common. Airplanes were of the single engine-type, usually a bi-plane. Halliburton was interested in visiting historic spots and re-enacting historic incidents. In the year 192I he swam the Sea of Galilee. In the years to follow, he swam other great bodies of water. He climbed the pyramids of ancient Egypt and this last great venture was to be his aim in life - He obtained a sail-boat in Japan and began an attempt to cross the Pacific Ocean to the United States. He was never heard from again and nothing was ever found to indicate what had happened. Richard Byrd, born in 1888, became an aviator and an explorer. In 1925, he accompanied a man named MacMillan on an expedition to Greenland. In the following year, he flew over the North Pole with Floyd Bennett. This had never been done by anyone in an airplane. He later made flights over the South Pole and became a hero to me and to those who were of my generation. World War I was in full swing when I was five years of age. Germany had set out to rule Europe and was led by a man who was of the Royal House of Hohenzollern." This family had its beginning back in the 11th Century. William Hohenzollern became the Kaiser (Emperor) of Germany. My older brother Glenn and I became bitter enemies of "Kaiser Bill" and we posted his picture on our bedroom wall to throw darts at him. I had great hopes of meeting him some day to pour forth my vent toward him. As I have mentioned, airplanes were rare in my youth. One, on occasion, would see a small single or a bi-plane wing with a single engine flying around the valley. Passenger service or mail planes had not yet started. It was beyond even a dream that I would ever have the opportunity to fly in one. One day, my sister, Lisle, had sent me to bed late in the afternoon as punishment for something I should not have done. (Lisle had taken the place of my mother who had died. Adding to my discomfort and sorrow, she told me the next day that I had missed seeing a beautiful airplane that had flown over the house with flags and streamers on it. I thought I had missed something that would never take place again. In September, 1933, I left Salt Lake City, Utah to fulfill an assignment as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That, in itself, was a fantasy to be fulfilled as I had left the state of tah only two or three times until then. To cross the United States and the Atlantic Ocean and set foot on European soil made me the envy of all who knew me. At that time no thought entered my mind that it would lead to circling the globe and to experience some of the fantasies of my youth. This, therefore, records my experiences covering a period of a "Thousand and Eighty Days" from the time I left salt Lake City, Utah, in 1933 until arriving home in 1936. The Film 'Around the world in Eighty Days " prompted me to come up with the title. I am indebted to a friend, Betty Garrett, who assisted me in preparing this to be bound. I owe much to my wife, Ellen, for encouragement to assemble the time-worn notes that had lain in my drawer for 50 years waiting for something to be done to preserve the experiences that made many of my fantasies come true. Without Ellen, it would never have come to light and I wonder what would have happened to them. I am grateful to my father and stepmother, Agnes, who raised me and made it possible for me to attain manhood in respectability. I am grateful for my mother who died before I really knew her. I look forward to meeting her some day, with an elder brother Lee, who died before my birth. I am grateful that knew my brothers Van Lafe and Glenn, my sister Lisle, who meant so much to me. My joy comes from my four children: Richard Sterling, Judith Ellen, Robert Lee and Joan; also, the many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who add to my life. Sterling King Hixson January 1989

A Post Card from Hong Kong

On May 8th, we were told we would get to Hong Kong so I wrote letters to the folks and others that needed to be written to... ...Mr. Brunner, Doctor Allen, Mr. Owad, the Egyptian, and myself went in a taxi to the center of the city . We mailed our letters then began a walking tour. We were seeing real China as I thought it would be - all the little alleys and streets where one could get lost. We could see in some of the places where there were opium dens and the people were lounging around smoking the drug. Kids were selling sugar cane so I decided to have some. I purchased a piece and gave him a coin that I was told was worth about 6 cents. The boy left his cane and motioned for me to remain. He ran somewhere and came back to give me my change. He handed me 56 coins. I gave them all to him. We went in some sort of a carnival and sat down. We found out that we were in some sort of a carnival and sat down. We found out that we were in a place where they were acting. Well, it surely was strange. I have never heard such weird and crazy noises they made. They acted strange and played stringed instruments. Girls brought us hot towels that had been steamed so that we could freshen our hands and faces. We were offered tea of which the three of us refused but noticed that all the others could have all they wanted. After a few minutes, we left and went to other parts but they were all the same. As we came out, Brunner saw a little race track with donkeys. He wanted a ride on one so he went and paid for the privilege. I wish it had been light enough to have taken a picture with him on that animal. He looked a sight. We toured what they call China town and saw some more opium dens and many other things and I was sure happy that we were in a group and not alone. We eventually got back to the ship by taking rickshas. Wen we arrived, we paid the "coolies" and then purchased some chop sticks sets in carved cases for gifts. They were of excellent quality. We tried to sleep but had a difficult time as they were loading freight most of the night and making a terrific amount of noise. I lay awake and was so grateful for the opportunity of having seen some of China. It is not a place for me to live with what I saw. It is too crowded and mixed up. Some of it is so unclean that one wonders how they don't all die of something of other.

Keeping Cool in Holdup - Bandit locks up six victims in ice box

Salt Lake's "cool" bandit struck again Saturday, locking five employees and a customer of a chain grocery store into a refrigerator after looting cash registers of several hundreds of dollars. The dapper gunman entered the Piggly Wiggle store at 1234 Eleventh East street at 7:20 a.m., shortly after the establishment had opened for the day, flourished a heavy automatic and lined the five employees up against a wall behind the meat counter with the calm announcement that "this is a stickup." In the store at the time were A. W. Small, manager of the meat department, 9652 South Ninth East street; Philip V. Harry, manager of the grocery department, 1466 Tenth East street, and three clerks, Sterling Hixson, 1390 Eleventh East street; Ralph Gibbs, 652 Second East street, and Odell Anderson, 1118 Sherman avenue. The gunman, after calmly crunching a lighted cigaret beneath his heel, ordered Mr. Small to accompany him to two cash registers in the establishment and to open the money containers...

Richard S Hixson's "Life Sketch at FHL"

I was a healthy baby boy born Tuesday, 16 May 1939, in the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah; the first child of Ellen Ferris Hixson age 25, and Sterling King Hixson age 26. My mom and I stayed in the hospital for 10 days and dad had to rake up $50.00 to get us out. They tell me I was long and all eyes and not too good-looking. My early years, growing up with my three younger siblings, Judith Ellen, Robert Lee, and Joan, was in southeastern Idaho on the Bear River. They were years of no worries, just knowing I was loved. I still remember the emphasis on the strict rules to stay away from the river, but during the summer I loved going down to the riverbed by the school to jump rocks, as well as climbing trees to discover birds’ nests with so many colors and sizes of eggs. In the winter time we would sleigh and toboggan down the hill by our house and afterwards warm up with hot chocolate and a bowl of mom’s home made chili. My first school was a one-room school where each row of seats was a grade – from one to eight. When I was in the fourth grade the school district consolidated and I found myself in a big school with a room for every grade – from one to eight. We would ride the bus to town. It was a small, yellow bus we named the puddle jumper. My mid teen-age years began in Utah, when dad was transferred with his work. Country life gave way to city life. It was a sad experience leaving all I had ever known. As we drove out of town on December 10, 1953, I turned around, knelt on the back seat, looked out the back window and watched Grace, Idaho fade away. I felt like my world had crumbled. We had a beautiful little copper colored cocker spaniel named Penny, and when we moved Penny didn’t move with us. Soon I found my self in the “I can hardly wait until” stage of life. Ages 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 were ones I particularly yearned for. 12 meant I would get the Aaronic Priesthood, become a deacon and pass the sacrament. Age 14 was also BIG because in Idaho you could have a daytime driver license. Becoming a Priest at age 16 meant I could bless the sacrament, and becoming 18 was a door to adulthood. I graduated from Bountiful High in the spring of 1957, in the first graduating class. In my late teens, I faced the choice of being drafted or joining the National Guard. I became a member of the Utah National Guard’s 144th Evacuation Hospital unit. I left for my mission while in that hospital unit, and while gone the unit was activated because of the Berlin Crisis. When I returned I went into the Linguistic Unit at Fort Douglas. Life seemed to move faster now. I received my mission call to leave in June of 1959 to the Netherlands Mission. I secretly hoped I would go to the same mission as my dad, but I hadn’t really planned on it. I’m not sure who was the most excited when I read ‘Netherlands’, Dad or me. When I returned I worked at Saint Mark’s hospital as a surgical orderly. I left Saint Mark’s to be a surgical technician at the LDS Hospital. 34 years later, after early retirement at Utah Power and Light Company, I worked for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missionary Travel and became a Certified Travel Associate, retiring from the work world in 1995. When Luan came to the door my first thoughts were she is pretty and attractive. That blind date resulted in our marriage in the Salt Lake Temple on 16 Aug 1963 by president N. Eldon Tanner. Eight children blessed our lives, with 26 grandchildren to follow. The eight children are 2 girls and 6 boys, all married in the temple and the boys all eagle scouts and returned missionaries. I Attended the Salt Lake Community College in 2000 and earned an Associate of Science degree, with high honors. I knew several days ahead before President Rendell N. Mabey issued the call to serve as bishop. I served as a high councilor and member of the stake presidency afterwards, completing 20 years of wonderful experiences. The later years included Luan and me serving in the Belgium Brussels/ Netherlands Mission, The Hague Netherlands and Bountiful Utah Temples, and now in the Family and Church History Mission. I have a testimony the Church has been restored to the earth in our day, when God and His Son appeared to the boy prophet Joseph Smith. We have living prophets walking the earth again, gathering, teaching, and blessing us. I am grateful for my blessings, especially for the Atonement of the Savior.

Good Morning, Elders and Sisters. I’m Elder Hixson, currently serving as zone leader in International Services. I am the first of 4 children born to Ellen Ferris and Sterling King Hixson. Dad had to rake up $50.00 to get mom and me out of the hospital, after a 10-day stay. They tell me I was long with big eyes and not too good looking. My early years were in southeastern Idaho on the Bear River. Summers were jumping rocks in the riverbed, hiking in the hills, and discovering nature. Wintertime was sleigh and toboggan riding, warming up afterwards with hot chocolate and mom’s homemade chili. My first school was a one-room schoolhouse where each row was a grade – from one to eight. In the fourth grade the school district consolidated and I found myself uptown with a room for every grade – one to eight. Mid teen-age years began in Bountiful, Utah, as country life gave way to city life. I was 14 when we drove out of town, kneeling on the back seat, looking out the back window, watching Grace, Idaho and my day-time driver license both fade away. I found myself in Bountiful High’s first graduating class, a member of the National Guard’s Evacuation Hospital Unit, then a missionary to the Netherlands, returning 2 ½ years later to the National Guard’s Linguistic Unit learning Russian. During college years at the University of Utah, I was a surgical orderly, then a surgical technician. After 34 years at Utah Power and Light, early retirement came, followed by 8 years with the Church in Missionary Travel as visa supervisor and Certified Travel Associate. During that same time I earned an Associate of Science degree, with high honors. When Sister Hixson came to the door, my first thoughts were she is pretty – and thin. That blind date resulted in our marriage in the Salt Lake Temple, by President Tanner. 8 children – 2 girls and 6 boys, with 28 grandchildren – have blessed our life. All married in the temple with the boy’s eagle scouts and returned missionaries. A prompting came before President Mabey knocked at our door and issued the call to serve as bishop, followed with service in the high council and stake presidency, completing 20 years of wonderful experiences and memories. Sister Hixson and I served a proselyting mission in the Netherlands, as ordinance workers in The Hague, Netherlands and Bountiful, Utah Temples, and now here,at the Family History Library. God and His Son appeared to the boy-prophet Joseph Smith, the Church is restored, and living prophets walk the earth again – gathering, teaching, and blessing us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

My Call as Bishop I knew of my call several days before President Rendell N. Mabey issued the call to serve as bishop. I was working out of town all week measuring water on the Bear River. It was Friday and I had finished measuring the Rainbow Canal, which finished up the week’s work, and I was preparing to go to the motel for the night and then head for home the next morning. It was in February and it was cold – Idaho/Bear Lake cold. I usually called Luan each night before turning in but this night I was a little later cleaning up before getting to the motel. I had eaten at the motel and it was late enough I decided I wouldn’t call this night, in as much as I was going home in the morning. I wanted to watch the news before going to bed and was sitting on the end of the bed, facing the TV, when the phone rang. It was Luan. I told her why I hadn’t called and she said that was okay. She said she called because Garth Wilkinson, the Sunday School president had called and wanted me to know that Sunday was going to be ward conference and it was my turn to conduct Sunday School. After we talked for a bit I knelt at the foot of the bed to say my prayers, because that is where I had been sitting all of this time. I climbed into bed and laid awake for a while, because I was stewing over what I had experienced in my prayers. The thought had come to me I was going to be called as the bishop and I was trying to tell Heavenly Father I was sorry for thinking such a thing. I did feel some comfort, however, that I was acceptable before the Lord, as I had confessed my errors and promised to do better. The next morning, being Saturday, I was glad to be going home and looked forward to our evening out with Luan’s brother, Lloyd, and his wife, JoAnn. We were all going to dinner to celebrate his birthday. When I arrived home the house was spick and span, the kids were in bed, and Luan was getting ready to go to dinner. I hurried to get ready and while tying my tie in front of the mirror in the hallway, Luan, who sweeping crumbs from the kitchen floor, told me we had had the most interesting phone call last night (after a knock had come to the door earlier that evening, when Luan was in bed and too afraid to answer the door). Somewhat startled, I asked her what time. When she told me, it was exactly the same time I was saying my prayers in the motel. She said what should we do? I said let’s go out; if it is that important they’ll call back. We did go and soon after arriving home from our dinner, a knock came to the door and there stood President Mabey and his counselor, Duane Welling. Well, the rest is history. They left and I was to be sustained and set apart as the bishop the next day in sacrament meeting. I was to call the president back and give him the names of my counselors and I did so, after a lot of prayer and worrying. They were Clair Smith and Gerry Jordan. And so, I became my Mom and Dad’s bishop and remember how strange it felt to interview them for their temple recommends.

Peter Arthur Ranck Jr.'s Biography

One, Peter Ranck Jr. was born in Earl, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on June 20th, 1815. He grew up and married Ann Lemon on August 18th, 1840. In July 1846, Peter and his wife “Ann, with their children left their home in Pennsylvania and went to Nauvoo Illinois where he took an active part in the last battle which was fought between the mobcrats and the Mormons. He was ordained a Seventy in the Church in 1847 and in the same year he filled a mission in Missouri. While in Nauvoo, two of their children died. Catharine on July 17th and William on the next day in the year of 1846. The times were so hard that it was necessary that Peter make the two little coffins for them. They were buried in Nauvoo in a city lot belonging to Brother Martin Peck. In the autumn of 1846 he and his family were driven from Nauvoo with the rest of the Saints and went to Winter Quarters, now know as Omaha, Nebraska. They lived in a log room that Curtis Bolton had built in the summer of 1843. Later, Peter Ranck and Henry Bailey built a double log house in Winter Quarters and the Ranck family lived in one room and the Bailey family in the other. A short time later, Peter went to Pottawattamie County, Iowa and built another log room and moved his family there. Here he was made presiding bishop over the branch of the Church for the years 1848 and 1849. In the spring of 1852 Peter with his wife and family of five children crossed the plains by ox team in Isaac Stewarts Company, which arrived in Salt Lake City September 20th, 1852. He located in East Mill Creek, now a part of Salt Lake and spent the first winter in a log cabin. Shortly after he built a log room on the same ground, which belonged to John Neff. In the spring of 1855 he moved this room onto forty acres of land that he owned on the bench and in 1861 he built an adobe three-room house onto the log room. By occupation he was a carpenter and a farmer. He owned a shingle mill in Mill Creek Canyon and supplied the neighboring towns with shingles. In the early days when coffins were hard to obtain, he made them for his neighbors and friends. Being a carpenter he built many houses and barns for the early settlers. In 1860 he was called back to Pennsylvania to his mother’s deathbed. After her death, the family property was divided and with his share he purchased dry goods and groceries, which he brought back to Salt Lake in 1861. He brought a company of saints with him. In November of the year 1861 Peter and Ann were sealed in the Old Endowment House. Peter revisited his native state in 1888 to get the family genealogy and in spite of the fact that his people were bitter towards the Church; he secured about five hundred names. After returning from Pennsylvania he was ordained a high priest by Joseph E. Taylor on December 26th, 1891. Peter and Ann had 11 children, seven daughters and four sons. They were sealed to their parents in the Logan Temple in October 1886. Nine children survived Peter at the time of his death on November 18, 1895. Ann lived a grand and useful life. She assisted in the birth of over 500 babies. Ann preceded her husband in death by 11 years. Of their 11 children, the second born to them was my great grandmother, Margaret Elizabeth Ranck, who married James Monroe Hixson.

Memories of Sterling King Hixson

The following was written in May, 2013, by Robert Lee Hixson, son of Sterling King Hixson. …Been thinking about Sterling, and feeling like it’s a good time to list some of the things I remember best about him, so Kyle Sterling Allison would know more about his namesake. Above all he was a soft-spoken, soft-hearted man who devoted much of his spare time to his children, and later to his grandchildren. He never hit any of us. He loved pork & beans for lunch on Saturdays, and home made hamburgers for dinner that night. And he was more adventurous than you would suspect from his mild demeanor, choosing to circle the globe by a series of ships after his mission was completed in Holland. No planned itinerary—just striking out, going from port to port, making plans on the fly. With his final stop being Hawaii, which turned out to be his favorite place on earth. He and Ellen going back there every winter for the last couple of decades on earth, renting a condo for a month each time, sitting on lounge chairs, watching whales spout in the distance. He built a miniature golf course that circled the house, and my friends and I played hundreds of rounds on it. He volunteered to coach my Little League Baseball team. He took me fishing on wild rivers in southern Idaho. He allowed me to buy a Cushman scooter to get back and forth from high school. He taught me by example the inherent value of giving a good day’s work for a day’s pay. He taught me how to respect women, how to treasure a mate, and how to care for his elders. And he loved to listen to the Yankees on his transistor radio in the garage on weekends. He rose from the entry level in the Utah Power & Light Company to the head of his department, in charge of the flow of electricity throughout Utah and the surrounding states. An honest man! Miss him.

'Glad News' - by Claire Hixson Smith

Peter and Ann Ranck joined the Church April 20, 1846, in Lancaster, PA. They had heard Church members speak and knew that baptism was the right thing to do. William I. Appleby baptized them in a river covered with ice, which had to be cut away. Their families were very upset and disowned them for joining the Church. But their desire to live the gospel was so strong that they left their home, friends and families and traveled to Nauvoo to be with the main body of Saints. In the spring of 1852, Peter, Ann and their children--Robert Byers, 11, Margaret Elizabeth, 8, Joseph Gibson, 4, Sarah Jane, 2, and Lydia Ann, 3 months--joined a pioneer company moving west to the territory of Deseret. They had one wagon, one ox and one cow. The older children walked behind the huge wagon, loaded with food and belongings. Sarah Jane was permitted to ride inside. One afternoon as the large wagon was pulled along a rough trail, she fell out of the wagon. Both wheels of the huge wagon rolled over her small legs, just above the knees. This buried her legs deep in the earth, which was reduced to a very fine dust because of the many wheels and hoofs that had passed over the trail before them. Immediately Captain Isaac Steward, leader of the company, called a halt and ordered the camp to form for the rest of the day and night. Sarah's father and other elders administered to her and when the company's physician examined the little girl, he could find nothing wrong with her. After the glad news came to the distraught parents, Sarah Jane was allowed to get up and play with the other children. The Ranck family arrived in the valley Sept. 20, 1852, and settled in East Millrceek, living in a log room. Sarah Jane married Charles Capson in 1885. (Source: History of Sarah Jane Ranck, Daughter of Utah Pioneer Archives, written by Claire Hixson Smith. Also found in histories about Peter and Ann Ranck.) --Dixie Fredrickson, Salt Lake City, Utah

More Reflections...

Letters...

November 2001

Dear Family,

I have probably said this before, so either forgive me or chalk it up to ‘approaching the top of the hill’ time in my life. You are doing so well, trying so hard and succeeding. We love you so much.

The theme in primary this past year has been Follow the Prophet. I’ve watched and listened to mom all year long work to assist the ward primary leaders teach this to the children of the stake. This has been a worldwide effort, not just in our stake.

This is good council for all of us. For example: Do we have our pantries filled with sufficient food and staples? Are we out of debt, or striving to become so? Are our houses in order?

This has been on my mind, and I want to encourage and support you in your strivings. This morning my thinking was stirred again, after attending a meeting where we were told that there would not be the usual merit increase for this year. There will only be a 1% across the board compensation, to cover the increase in our insurance premiums.

It is clear that economy difficulties are a great concern to everyone, businesses and families alike. The Church is also affected because when people are out of work or have had pay cuts, donations from tithing decrease.

I have never known hard times; I mean real hard times. But because I have a testimony of the gospel, sustain the brethren and strive to keep my covenants, I do not fear. However, I don’t want to find myself falling prey to wandering a bit off path by becoming complacent in my staying close to and living the gospel. Do I tolerate or even embrace things I didn’t years ago? My film class has brought this vividly to mind. I remember the 1939 film Gone With the Wind ending with the line that included the word ‘damn’. It was a shock back then; it is nothing now.

I’m reminded of Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man where he says, in epistle 2, part V:

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,

As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

I pray we will continue to polish our testimonies, sustain the brethren and keep our covenants. I also pray our pantries will be full, we can get rid ourselves of debt, where possible, and otherwise have our houses in order.

I want to say, like mom’s dying great-grandfather said to his children, while crossing the plains, “Go on with the saints to the Salt Lake valley, stay close to the Church and Follow the Prophet.

Love from Dad and Grandpa. Page 39

Dad’s Final Interview/Counsel (before marriage)

Story of telling my mom and dad to always knock – try to look ahead

Sacrifice to move forward the 5 races of life:

1. School

2. Home

3. Church

4. Work

5. Social

Set goals – don’t just maintain

Communicate and listen to each other

Learn and fulfill your roles as mom, dad, and spouse – Vaughn in righteousness

Story of blessing the food on our first meal in our first apartment

Say prayers regularly:

1. Personal

2. Together

3. Family

Hold Family Home Evening – you became a family on your wedding day

Read the Scriptures -- alone and together

Read your patriarchal blessings often – make them come true

Go to the Sunday block time – always attend

Accept Church callings and ht/vt – be faithful, you are serving others

Attend the temple – always carry a ‘CTR’ card

Keep Journals:

1. Personal

2. Family

Establish a date night once a week – always do ‘something’ together

Control your spending and buying habits – be patient

Attend wholesome activities, movies, etc. – if not good for kids probably not good for you

Give service – selfishness is only for your own exaltation

Be accepting of each other – some things won’t change much

Story of honeymoon at Christmas time

Be helpful – little things mean a lot and make the difference

Honor and care for parents – especially as they age

Remember brothers and sisters – especially birthdays

Live gospel principles (some will never be a bishop or stake RS president because of their spouse)

Be unified but allow for individuality – remember the story of the 10 cow wife

Remember, obedience is the first law of Heaven – story of Adam’s ‘I know not…’

Story of Ammon and King Lamoni… – be 100%

If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all – Family Slogan

Remember who you are – Family Motto

Talks...

Sacrament Meeting Talk

Bountiful 28^th Ward

Easter – 16 April 2006

Good Morning, Brothers and Sisters. I express gratitude and a happy heart for the music and flowers, and for this Easter Sunday.

I have been asked to speak to a subject that even prophets of God have said is incomprehensible. President John Taylor said, “The suffering of the Son of God was not simply the suffering of personal death; for in assuming the position that He did in making an atonement for the sins of the world He bore the weight, the responsibility, and the burden of the sins of all men, which, to us, is incomprehensible”. And so I ask for your prayers and the help of Heavenly Father.

Two years before I was born, President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., said: “When the Savior came upon the earth He had two great missions; one was to work out the Messiahship, the atonement for the fall, and the fulfillment of the law; the other was the work which He did among his brethren and sisters in the flesh by way of relieving their sufferings. The Savior left as a heritage to us, who should come after Him in his Church, the carrying on of those two great things – work for the relief of the ills and the sufferings of humanity, and the teaching of the spiritual truths, which should bring us back into the presence of our Heavenly Father.”

President Brigham Young taught that this world is only a place of temporary residence. After the spirit leaves the body, which is death, it remains without its body until the time of the resurrection, when, in a twinkling of an eye, our spirits will take possession of our bodies again – no matter what happened to the body or where and how it was laid to rest.

Today is Easter. We are remembering and celebrating His birth and His resurrection, for, as President Hinckley has said, “there would be no Christmas without an Easter”. We are also remembering His suffering, His shedding of innocent blood, and the sacrificing of His body – at the hands of those who did not know what they were doing, for on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”.

President Joseph F. Smith, the sixth president of the Church said, “The atonement of Jesus Christ is the central and most significant act of all human history. It has both an unconditional part and a conditional part”.

What is the Atonement?

· It is to make one again. To me it is the re-uniting or bringing back together the body and the spirit, and the possibility of re-uniting with the Savior, in God’s presence, or shall we say ‘coming back home’ to our Father in Heaven.

What is the purpose of the Atonement?

· It is to correct or overcome the consequences of sin. And sin is the refusal on men’s part to submit to the law of God. When we transgress we lose control of our own will and become a slave of sin, thus incurring the penalty of spiritual death.

What are the unconditional aspects of the Atonement?

· It unconditionally overcomes temporal death and provides all people with the gift of resurrection and immortality. Death comes upon us without the exercise of our agency; therefore, we have no hand in bringing again life to ourselves. Every man that dies shall live again, a gift offered by the life and person of the Savior and provided by the Father.

What are the conditions of the Atonement?

· It overcomes spiritual death, which is the first death, or being banished from the presence of God, by redeeming us from our sins and making possible our exaltation (inheriting the celestial kingdom) – if we exercise faith, repent, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and obey and keep the commandments, sometimes called ‘enduring to the end’.

What is Redeeming our sins?

· The Savior did not just suffer our punishment for us. He became the guilty party – in our place – and experienced our guilt. Our guilt became His guilt and His innocence becomes our innocence. Being tempted to sin is not it self a sin. As long as we resist then we remain innocent, President Boyd K. Packer has reminded us. It is as though we never committed sin!

And God said to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth”; then God said to Adam and Eve: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it…in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”. They had a dilemma – either remain alone in the garden of Eden, or to do as Mother Eve choose, when she explained: “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient”.

We also have a dilemma – being allowed to dwell in God’s presence. In the D&C we are told that the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance, and in Romans it says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God”. As brother Stephen E. Robinson puts it – We have all been sent to our rooms and cannot come out – not unless, that is, the Savior comes to get us.

However low we may fall, the Savior has already been there. He knows what we are feeling. He experienced for us, in the Garden of Gethsemane, our grief, our heartaches and pains, our handicaps, burdens, and depressions. He knows our loneliness when we are not chosen for a part in the play, or a place in the choir, or a spot on the team. He knows the anguish of parents whose children are astray. He knows all of it, for He descended below them all, as the Prophet Joseph said, while in the Liberty Jail.

I have said before, at this pulpit, that I struggle with perfection. I am just now beginning to understand that if I were to achieve perfection in this life, I wouldn’t need the Savior and His atonement. And do I really mean I want do all of this struggling and suffering alone, by myself – without the Savior’s help? I know I believe in Him, but do I believe Him, as brother Robinson said in his book, Believing Christ.

Brother Robinson tells the story of his 7-year-old Sarah who wanted a bike:

“Daddy, can I get a bike? I’m the only kid in the neighborhood who doesn’t have a bike”.

“I tell you what Sarah, you save all your pennies, and pretty soon you’ll have enough for a bike”.

“OK, Daddy” she said.

A few weeks went by as Sarah did chores for her mother and put each coin she earned in a maraschino cherry jar with a slot cut in the lid. She showed her Daddy the jar with a bunch of coins in the bottom and said, “You promised that if I saved all my pennies, pretty soon I’d have enough to get a bike. And Daddy, I’ve saved every single one!”

Her Daddy thought, “Well, she’s my daughter, and I love her. I hadn’t actually lied to her. If she saved all of her pennies, eventually she would have enough for a bike. But by then, she would probably want a car.” In the meantime, sweet little Sarah was doing everything in her power to follow my instructions, but her needs were still not being met.

“OK, Sarah, Let’s go downtown and look at bikes.” We found it: the Perfect Bicycle, she ran and jumped up on the bike and said, “Dad, this is it. This is just the one I want.”

Then she noticed the price tag hanging down between the handlebars, and with a smile, she reached down and turned it over. At first she just stared at it; then the smile disappeared. She started to cry. “Oh Daddy, I’ll never have enough for the bicycle.”

The bike cost over one hundred dollars. It was hopelessly beyond her means. But Sarah is my daughter and I love her, I want her to be happy. So I said, “Sarah, how much money do you have?”

“Sixty-one cents,” she answered.

“Then I’ll tell you what. Lets try a different arrangement. You give me everything you’ve got, the whole sixty-one cents, and a hug and a kiss, and this bike is yours.”

It occurred to me as I drove home slowly, as Sarah rode the bike home on the sidewalk, that this is a parable for the atonement of Christ.

You see, we all want something desperately. We want the kingdom of God. We want to go home to our heavenly parents worthy and clean. But the horrible price – perfect performance – is hopelessly beyond our means. In some point in our spiritual progress, we realize what the full price of admission into that kingdom is, and we also realize that we cannot pay it.

When we finally realize our inability to perfect and save ourselves, only then do we realize that here in mortality we need to be saved by the One who comes to save.

At this point, the Savior steps in and says, “So you’ve done all you can do, but it’s not enough. Well, don’t despair. I’ll tell you what, let’s try a different arrangement. How much do you have? How much can fairly be expected of you? You give me exactly that much (the whole sixty-one cents – and a hug and a kiss) and do all you can do, and I will provide the rest, and the kingdom is yours! You do everything you can do, and I’ll do what you can’t yet do. Between the two of us, we’ll have it all covered. You will be one hundred percent justified.”

Christ is the answer. He is the bridge from here to there. He is the solution to the Great Dilemma. He solved the dilemma of Adam and Eve, and with His help we can solve our dilemma, and not have to ‘stay in our room’.

From Adam to Jesus Christ the law of sacrifice was given – a reminder of the Savior’s act to bring them back from temporal death and spiritual death. Today we are given the sacrament. By partaking of the sacrament, we remember Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The sacrament is the most sacred ordinance outside the temple.

I want to bear my own testimony that I know God lives and that Jesus Christ is his Son, His Only Begotten Son, who lived and died – that each of us will live again, after we die. He opened the door so we could come out of our earthly room, and live with Him again – yes, in the presence of God—the celestial Kingdom. I know He can save me – from my sins, from my struggles, from my imperfections, from my depressions and from myself. I know He has restored His Church in our day.

May we try to better comprehend what the atonement means and what He has done for each of us. I pray we will ‘carry on the work for the relief of the ills and the suffering of humanity, and the teaching of the spiritual truths, which should bring us back in the presence of our Heavenly Father’?

And I am reminded of what Mufasa told his son, Simba, in The Lion King, “You have forgotten me…Remember who you are!” May we remember who we are, and the words of the sacrament prayer: and always remember Him and keep His commandments, that we may have His spirit to be with us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Family Traditions...

FAMILY TRADITIONS

(Remembered and shared by the kids)

• Surprise box (white ZCMI box) on top of closet shelf. After all the Saturday jobs were

finished we could look inside for the surprise. Surprises were: Hamburgers at Pace’s Dairy

Ann and ice cream cones at Baskin and Robins.

• 16 gifts, 1 on each of the 16 days before the 16th birthday, with the 16th being their own set of

keys to the car.

• Bear Lake summer vacations while staying in the UP&L Co. quarters building at the Lifton

pumping plant at the North end of the lake.

• Canning peaches and pickles with mother during October General Conference.

• Father’s blessings before school started each year.

• (Mom having a baby about every other year).

• Getting Spaghettio’s and Vienna sausage, in our Christmas stocking every year, and eating

them for breakfast.

• A box of sugar-coated breakfast cereal on the table Christmas morning.

• Birthday sign on the front room window.

• Thanksgiving, Christmas, summer family parties and outings.

• Exchanging Christmas gifts as cousins.

• Kids’ day on the last day of school. Doing something fun or getting something cool. One

year it was the trampoline.

• A family valentine gift on the front porch from who knows where.

• First potato salad of the year on Easter Sunday and then on other family occasions.

• BYU football games with dad and the boys.

• Sitting at the top of the stairs Christmas morning waiting for mom and dad to be ready,

especially dad, before we could go into the family room.

• Birthday presents always included a bottle of Planter’s peanuts.

• Birthday dinners were whatever you wanted and eaten on a special birthday plate (given us

by Grandma Hixson) and not having to help with the dinner dishes. Sometimes we went out

to dinner. Going with mom to Skipper’s for fish and chips every Tuesday during the

summer.

• Boys couldn’t get their driver licenses until they had earned their Eagle Scout Award. Going

to Robintinos for pizza with dad after every General Priesthood meeting. (Later it became

take out so mom, and spouses, also could enjoy).

• Haircuts with dad the first Saturday of every month at Trujillo’s Hair Salon, with a stop at

Van Komens (the Dutch store) for sandwiches.

• Boys getting their first suit at ZCMI for their twelfth birthday, before passing the sacrament.

• Chilidogs and hard cooked eggs downstairs at ZCMI on Saturdays. Shopping for school

clothes before school every year.

• Having own cardboard box (usually and orange box) for our presents Christmas morning, to

keep organized.

• Devotionals and/or family councils, in the kitchen by the fridge on school mornings, to read

the scriptures, have family prayer and check everyone’s calendar for the day. Family home

evenings (lectures) on Monday night’s, including homemade treats, like home canned

pineapple chunks on toothpicks, and ‘wheels’ of fortune for weekly assignments.

• Family Motto, Remember who you are! Family Slogan, “If you can’t say anything nice,

don’t say anything at all”.

• Sometimes paying for the treats for those in the car behind us at a fast food drive through.

• Baking rolls, bread or something to take to someone else on Sunday.

• Leaving the kitchen light on, for those coming in from dates or whatever, to turn off so mom

and dad knew we were home. It also included coming to their bedroom to say good night.

• Mom and dad always supporting kids’ activities and programs by attending them.

• Boys all have ‘Richard’ as their middle name.

• Getting sen-sen (tiny, licorice squares) at church for being quiet.

• Fourth of July at Grantsville with Orgills that included a parade, picnic and fireworks.

(Sometimes Orgills came to Bountiful for the 24th).

• Hixson, Kuepper and Tibbitts cousins’ party at Christmas, with gift exchange and sometimes

Santa Claus.

• Yearly family vacations somewhere - Disneyland to Yellowstone and points in between.

• Extended family reunions and socials.

• Doing Saturday work to music – John Phillip Sousa and Kenny Rogers, etc.

• Family prayers, taking turns in each other’s rooms, and choosing 1 chocolate from the box.

• Mom always saying, “Oh, my stars”, “And this too shall pass”, “Don’t sacrifice tomorrow for

what you want today”, “Land ‘O Goshen”, “Whoa, Nelly”.

• Dad always saying, “Remember who you are”, “Remember what Thumper’s dad told him –

‘If you can’t say anything nice don’t say nothing at all’ ”, “Say your prayers”, Mow, trim and

edge”,

• The front room was the celestial room of the house and anyone could go in there any time but

had to act differently by being more quiet and respectful - no feet on the furniture kind of

thing, as could be done in the family room.

Knowing “Remember Who

You Are” was our family

motto, we received this

‘count a cross stitch’, made

by Grandma Ellen Hixson.

Bambi was one of my favorite movies and we adopted Thumper’s answer to his mom as a family

slogan.