Comment

Religion Class Notes

The October 1990 issue of the Ensign arrived today. Much to my delight, it contained “Unlocking Old Testament Prophecy” by Victor L. Ludlow. As I read and reread the article, I was prompted to write.

Graduation from BYU in 1981 took me into the working world of Chicago. Unfortunately, I fell into the syndrome many do when they experience success—I wanted more! “More” meant longer hours of work until there wasn’t much room for other pursuits of happiness. I became a “lost sheep”; the Church was only something I held membership in.

Then, in 1989, I realized that I was getting closer to having to account for the road I had traveled in life and for how I had served others. I also came to know that my non-LDS husband had a better chance of attaining the celestial kingdom than I did because he lived a life closer to our Savior’s admonitions!

That fired my desire to leaf through some notes and texts that I had saved from religion classes at BYU. If I was going to get back in the fold, I had a lot of studying to do! Most of my cache was lecture notes from Victor L. Ludlow’s Old Testament and Isaiah classes. How relevant these ten-year-old notes were to current events! I began to read and study the scriptures and knew I had to return to church.

I’ve been attending church for almost a year now—and I still use those lecture notes to study and to teach others.

Cheryl Hollis Allbritton
Pataskala, Ohio

More Nibley

Thanks for running the four-part series on the Atonement by Hugh Nibley. The link between the Atonement and the law of consecration that he points out in part four (Oct. 1990) is quite compelling.

Richard Olsen
Salt Lake City, Utah

Family History Prayers

In the November 1990 general conference report, I read about praying for help with one’s own family history. I can testify that it works.

I serve full-time in the Atlanta Temple. Two years ago, I suffered an angina attack, so I decided to go home to New York for the holidays and rest. I prayed each day as I prepared to leave Atlanta that while I was in New York I would be able to search graveyards and libraries in Long Island for my husband’s people—the L’Hommedieus. I had information on about three generations, but I wanted more.

During my stay, I was too sick to follow through on my plans. But when I arrived back in Atlanta I found in my mail a large square package about four and a half inches thick. A sister from Virginia had sent me pictures and family history information for my husband’s ancestors and their relatives, back to the beginning of Long Island.

I was impressed. I called the sister to learn how she had found me, and she told me she had seen my grandson’s name registered in International Computer Services. She called him, and he gave her my phone number and address at the temple. She decided that since I served in the temple I’d appreciate the complete records.

Then I began to pray I could match this information with my husband’s ancestors. I sent her the information I had, and we found that my husband’s great-grandfather and the sister’s great-grandfather were brothers.

I am now praying to find information on my Grandmother Pott’s and my Grandpa Sanders’s families, who came from England.

Leola L’Hommedieu
Atlanta, Georgia

Queen Esther’s Plea

The last sentence of the caption accompanying the picture of Queen Esther on the inside front cover of the August 1990 issue reads, “The king granted her petition and rescinded the order.” This seems to be an error. Esth. 8:11 says, “The king granted the Jews … to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all … that would assault them.” Rather than reversing the decree, the king allowed the Jews to defend themselves.

Leo E. Olson
Wasola, Missouri

Mom’s Influence

While studying similes and metaphors in his seventh-grade English class, my son Danny gave this example: “Mothers are like windows; they let the light in.” What a compliment in an era when we mothers tend to be devalued by society!

Becky Roberts
American Fork, Utah

Work for a Strong Marriage

When I began reading the articles in my new Ensign I could identify closely with the spiritual experiences that other members of the Church related. I was so moved that I, too, want to share what I have learned recently from my experience with divorce.

A devastating, debilitating monster may be at your door or at the door of someone you love very much. Society is making it far too easy for this monster to prey on all of us. In every marriage there are reasons that make one want to consider calling it quits, and there are reasons to stay together. Which direction are you looking? Which direction is your spouse looking?

Three years ago I was sure that my spouse and I were looking in the same direction. We had six beautiful children, a temple marriage, activity in the Church with responsible positions, and ample financial success. But we had slipped into habits that undermined our relationship.

Now I know that you can never be fully happy in your marriage unless your spouse is happy. Talk with your spouse about things that are important to him or her. Be quiet and listen with your heart and your spirit. Don’t take love for granted; let your spouse know that he or she is most important to you. Spend time doing things he or she likes to do. Stop being critical altogether. Criticism never builds a better relationship; it only harms the one you now have. Find things about your spouse that you like and tell him or her.

A strong marriage requires constant work—but it’s worth the effort. You have no idea how much misery you can save yourself by wising up sooner rather than later!

Name Withheld upon Request

Interested in the Handicapped

Thank you for the fine Ensign articles on people with various kinds of disabilities. I have a 47-year-old mentally retarded son who resides at the Idaho State School and Hospital. I visit him regularly, as do my daughter and son-in-law, some of my grandchildren, and some of my great-grandchildren. But when I have tried to enliven interest in him—or in other handicapped individuals—among my extended family and friends, I have met with little success. I don’t have ill will toward anyone because of this; I simply wish I knew how to increase their understanding. I know this is a huge undertaking—but articles like yours help break down the barriers.

Irene G. Gwilliam
Nampa, Idaho

Spiritual Food

I received a copy of your conference issue at our mission conference. The next morning, as I was eating breakfast, I started looking through it. So many talks caught my eye that I decided to start at the beginning and read them all. Now, along with my bowl of cereal, I also get a dose of spiritual food each morning. It gets my day off to a great start!

Sister Ellen Dawson
Ohio Cleveland Mission

Update

In “Canadian LDS Experience Is Topic of Scholarly Forum” in the September 1990 issue, we reported that the Canadian Mormon Studies Association conference and festival were sponsored by the province of Alberta and the city of Lethbridge. In reality, the conference was sponsored by CMSA and the University of Lethbridge, with support from the following federal, provincial, and municipal agencies: Multiculturalism Canada, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Alberta Culture, and City of Lethbridge Community Services.

In the October 1990 magazine, we gave incorrect information about the Seattle Temple president. The new president is Heber J. Badger. He and his wife, Mary Jean, are from St. George, Utah.