I'm proud of my children...

Their Mother passed away April 13. 2008 after a two year fight with cancer just shortly after her 45th birthday. She was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after her mother lost her fight with cancer. Kristi was only 17, a Senior in High School with a job afterwards and Saturdays and HOMEWORK, sings in the church choir, takes part in compassionate service projects as needed, faithfully giving 10% tithing each time she gets paid, Parker had just turned 19, helped carry his Mother's body to the gravesite, graduated high school with honors, earned his Eagle Scout Award, completed his first year at Arizona State University while working two jobs, has accepted the calling as a missionary, accepted the calling to leave his home for two years, accepted the calling to learn the Russian language , accepted the calling to carry the same book that brought his ancestors to America... ...to the Ukraine... ...a place not so far from the homes his ancestors left behind... ...but an eternity away from his... ...and why? Because of the message this book has for all the inhabitants of the Earth... ...Another Testament that Jesus IS The Christ, The Messiah, The Savior of the world, that He IS The Way, The Truth and The Life... that He suffered and died for us... ...me and you... ...the sinners that we are... ...because of the love He has for us... ...and that He rose from the dead a resurrected being with a body of flesh and bone, that He came to this the American Continent to visit and teach the inhabitants thereof... ...inhabitants that He spoke of in the Bible wherein The New Testament: 

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO
ST JOHN
CHAPTER 10

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 

These children of mine have set the example for me. I am moving forward again on a path of heart as opposed to a path of convenience. And I see my life changing to where the path of heart and the path of convenience are joining together to be traveling the same direction. I did not serve a mission... ...but I'm doing the best I can now. I've met with my Bishop and look forward to being ordained an Elder for the first time in three or four months and going to the Temple. The LDS temple in Kiev, Ukraine is under construction and is scheduled to be complete in Spring of 2010. The plan is for me to be ordained an Elder and temple worthy so that when I fly to Ukraine in November 2010 to pick up Parker, for us to go through the temple there before returning home. What Parker doesn't know is that I plan on bringing his younger sister, Kristina, with me to surprise him. I have a lot of saving to do as I live on a fixed income of Social Security Disability. Kristina will be close to 20 years old then so I'm hoping and praying that she too will have a temple recommend so all three of us can go through the Kiev, Ukraine Temple as a family. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

I'm sharing the gospel. I've handed out one Book of Mormon physically to Omar from Sudan... ...he is a driver that came to pick me up and take me to an appointment... ...the time before I had ridden with Yusuf and had started to discuss God and Jesus with him but I froze up... ...this time I was ready so I put my testimony and contact information and links to Parker's farewell in the Book of Mormon... ...I wasn't sure if Yusuf was going to pick me up so I didn't write his name in it... ...I'm glad I didn't because I was still able to hand one out to Omar after we discussed family, prayer, God, Jesus and the beauty of the day, I had one sent to Gail over the internet and she also has agreed to attend a Sacrament meeting for the first time... ...tonight she said she is going to become a Mormon... ...She is sweet and kind and loves her family very much... ...I told her that I would travel from Arizona to Texas to baptize her when she's ready... ...Again I live on a fixed Social Security Disability income so I'm gonna have to figure something out. Another lady, Tamna, requested me as a friend on MySpace. I went and looked at Tamna's  profile where I read that she had just moved to St. Augustine, Florida and that the church she attended was too far away and did anyone know of a church nearby... ...I went to http://mormon.org  and clicked on worship with us and located the address to the St. Augustine Ward and sent her the information as well as the link to Parker's farewell and promised her that if she would listen and pray about what she heard that the Holy Ghost would testify to her that it is the truth. I've sent Joseph Smith: The Restoration to my Catholic friend Laura and I plan on talking more about the gospel when her schedule permits... Wendell from Kentucky stated that his brother is LDS so I promised him that if he would read the Book of Mormon and pray that he too would come to know that it is true. Last Friday at the Doctor I had two more opportunities placed in front of me to share the gospel again. I had taken a book with me titled "Sharing The Gospel With Others" by President George Albert Smith. It once belonged to my maternal Grandmother - Jennie Mortensen - In it she had written: 

Property Of 
Jennie Mortensen 

Who desires to share 
the wonderful blessings 
& testimonies 
within the pages 
of this book. 

It must have been Smith day at the clinic. The first couple I sat next to was an this elderly black couple. I had the book on my lap and the lady may or may not have seen it but shortly after I sat down she pulled a small New Testament out of her handbag and started reading silently. I grabbed a piece of paper and put my name, address, phone # and email as well as the links to Parker's Farewell and James Conlee's music. I tore the picture of Jesus out of a church program I had and got a paper clip from the office assistant and clipped it to the information I had written down. As she read it she said her last name was also Smith and she shared with me the story of how she had always wanted to be a missionary - like Mother Theresa - I talked with her about Parker and Kristi and then I was called up to the desk to be checked out of the office. The lady at the desk saw the book in my hand and said that it looked like an interesting book... ...I talked with her about Parker and Kristi and the church and she gave me a yellow sticky-note to write down the web links and my contact information. I then went to walk away and a man in Army fatigues had heard me talking so I turned to him and his name tag read "Smith" . he saw the book in my hand and said that he was familiar with who George Albert Smith was - it was his way of saying that he was LDS.

 And I left feeling great... 

With all these I tell them that this could very well be the most important decision they will make in their life. 

Update as of March 9th, 2009:

Pray for missionary experiences and they will come:

I had just received two Books of Mormon from the Free Media link at http://mormon.org and had prayed for opportunities to hand these out.  It was early in the morning and my door was open letting the beautiful Arizona sunlight join with the Light of Christ to start my day off right.

I noticed my neighbors, Jesus and Marta, from across the street back their truck into the driveway and lower the tailgate down and lift the hatch on the camper shell.  I grabbed a Book of Mormon and quickly as I could added a three page testimony.  I then said a prayer and headed across the street.  I shared my testimony with them and they said the would read the Book of Mormon. 

Then I found out they were moving out instead of moving something in.  Luckily they are only moving just down the street - as a matter of fact I can see the house they are moving to from the house they are moving from - they are making the move because the rent is $1,500 where they were at and only $800 where they have moved to.  Now they have six children ranging from age 2 to 15 so they have a lot of stuff to move.  I helped move a couple of large loads and had to take a break.  They said we could start again in the morning.

The morning came and I called the area mission and requested two Spanish speaking Elders to come lend a hand in moving not only the family into the new home but also the Gospel of Jesus Christ into their lives.  Although the Elders for this area were not available they were able to send Elder Maxwell and Elder Oakey to help for an hour.  In that hour we were able to get Jesus' flatbed trailer hooked up and loaded with a lot of heavy furniture.  

The Elders had to leave soon but in the time there I had them give El Libro de Mormon (The Book Of Mormon - Spanish Translation) to Jesus and Marta as well as talk to them about Eternal Families.  Jesus and Marta  agreed to start meeting with the missionaries to learn more about the gospel.  

Later that day the Elder's from this area stopped by - Elder Lehman and Elder Cole - We went over to help move some more but Jesus and Marta were done for the day.  I asked for a Spanish Book Of Mormon from Elder's Lehman and Cole in case I had another opportunity to hand one out.

I walked with the Elder's a while as they headed towards an appointment.  I told them I would need to repent when I got home for coveting their position as missionaries.  They headed off into the sunset and I walked on up to Fry's Marketplace to pick up my prescription.

Leaving Fry's I stopped to speak with the elderly gentleman that meets and greets people as they come through the door.  I started talking about the beautiful day God had given us and he agreed.  I asked if he believed in God and Jesus Christ and he said yes.  I started talking about Kristi and Parker and the gospel but try as I might I could not convert him.  After a bit of me sharing my testimony he smiled and then told me that he is already a member of the LDS faith.  We talked a bit more and then I headed towards home.

THEN I REMEMBERED...

My dear friend Gail in Texas had ordered pizza from my favorite pizza shop - Dominos at University and Country Club in Mesa...  ...one for me and two for Jesus and Marta's family... ...so I started running... ...I ran off and on for that two mile stretch... ...whew.  I arrived... ...and the pizza arrived... ...a second time... ...I apologized and thanked the delivery gal.  I then took two piping hot pepperoni pizzas across the street to a surprised Jesus and Marta.  Thanks Gail... ...such a sweet gesture.  The Lord will bless you for your kind and thoughtful ways.  Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

---

I went to visit my friends Scot and Ruth who have been clean for 8 months now.  I am so proud of them and so very happy for them. They have been given custody of their two year old daughter, my goddaughter, Reese, after two long years.  While I was there I shared my testimony with them orally as well as writing it in a Book of Mormon. Their case manager stopped by for a home visit while I was writing my testimony.  It turns out that he, also, is LDS.  

Later in the evening they ordered pizza and I shared the video Joseph Smith: The Restoration as well as another church video Family Answers. I left these two videos for them as well as the Book of Mormon and asked them to pray about what they had seen and heard so far, and about what they would read. I promised them that they would come to know that these things are true.

I asked them if they would attend a Sacrament Meeting with Kristi and I and they agreed they would.  Before I left I asked if it was okay to kneel in prayer to which they agreed.  As we knelt I prayed giving thanks to God for all He has given us and asked that he would bless this family that they would know the truthfulness of my words.

Here is a link to a song page of How Great Thou Art with a precious picture of baby Reese.  

---

Mi amigo Jose stopped by mi casa. Jose habla un poqueto Ingles. Mi habla un poqueto Espanol. I gave Jose El Libro de Mormon. He read it all night long and told me that he had peace in his heart once again. He said he cried. He said he knew that Father in Heaven and Jesus loves him. I saw a side of Jose that I had never seen. We'll see what happens.

---

Another friend that I trade computer help with stopped by the other night and while here he shared with me that he is agnostic. Mike said he does believe in a supreme being and he does believe that Jesus was a man that walked the Earth but he doesn't believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I left it alone at that point and figured I would come back to it another time. Last night that other time arrived. Mike stopped by again and I shared with him the analogy I learned from Parker of the Bible and the Book of Mormon being an arrow that points to Jesus being The Christ - The Son of God. He liked it. (So do I. Thanks Parker!!! It's a blessing and a joy to have Elder Smith as my missionary companion.) I grabbed a Book of Mormon and put a promise in it that if he read it and prayed to his Creator to know the truth that he would come to know, by the Power of the Holy Ghost, that it is true and that Jesus is The Christ . I shared with him my testimony of the power of faith and prayer and how it helped me get over that mountain on the way to Flagstaff when the alternator in the Camaro was no longer working as it was designed - more a paperweight than an alternator. I tried to share Joseph Smith: The Restoration video but something was wrong with my computer sound. so I emailed him my testimony and pointed him to the video. 

---

When my son, Elder Parker Smith was in the MTC he started off by saying: 

"The food provides physical nourishment... 
        The scriptures provide Spiritual nourishment... 
                The language provides frustration... 
                        And the Lord provides hope" 

A couple weeks later he wrote to inform us that his District at the MTC was getting ready to start Speak Your Language week, weeks ahead of past districts. 

And now he's in the Ukraine [Since Jan 21, 2009] and has handed out his first Book Of Mormon

                                            He basically said:
                                                        "Take that! It's the key to your salvation!" 

Also he writes: 

"I got to bear my testimony in Russian to the branch and that was awesome. The three hours following was a mental workout as I tried to understand as much I could. The fact that I didn't understand everything isn't the point though. I will be able to do that in due time. What is of utmost importance is that I felt the Spirit there, and I now have come to see for myself that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the same wherever you attend, and that this is worldwide, and that it will be true forever and eternity. Oh, how I love it!" 

And he said: 

"Us four Elders just started a youth night for our branch. It'll be good to strengthen their testimonies, to spend time with each other, plus it'll give them a great opportunity to do missionary work also. So we'll see how that goes."

He states that: 

"They [Ukraines] have some very strange remedies that are supposed to work for everything. Like they think if you put an onion to the part of your body that hurts, then you'll get better. Or if you eat meat, you're supposed to get over a cold. Well you know what, people of Ukraine? I have a remedy for you... It's called Priesthood power!" 

That reminds me of a conversation I had just this past week when I was asked by Gail if I could have one superpower what would it be and I said that was easy... ...the power of the Priesthood which is the same power that Parley Parker Pratt called upon to heal the blind lady, the same power that Moses called upon to part the Red Sea, the same power that Jesus called upon to raise Lazarus from the dead, the same power that God called upon to create the Heavens and the Earth... ...the same power my son Parker called upon to give me a blessing, his first, after he was ordained an Elder. 

He also wrote on difficulties of tracting:

We were tracting one last flight of stairs before we had to get home, and in order to get back to home before curfew, we decided to each take a door on the last floor. Fortunately/Unfortunately, someone came to each of our doors (which is rare). They talk through the door, so we're each trying to introduce ourselves, and so the entire time we are trying not to laugh at the same time because we're all saying about the same thing (good evening, we are representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ, we want to share a brief message with them about whatever...). But yeah, it turned out terrible. Duffy ran away from his door because the old lady on the other side was getting upset and he couldn't say anything without laughing, and Lamarr and I continued to try to talk to our doors, but it was so hard to hear.

I asked Parker to pray, giving thanks throughout the day - to carry a prayer in his heart like a song - to ask God to help him to know where to go, what to say, to get those doors to open - I told him if he will do this with a humble heart, knowing that God is the answer... ...and listening for Him to speak... ...he WILL hear His guidance and be able to act accordingly... ...and those apartment doors will become faces... ...the faces will have names... ...and in hearing the truth Parker gives them from his heart, those names, in time, will begin with Brother and Sister.

Elder Smith then went on to say:

I love this work, though. It was exciting being a threesome while contacting too. It's weird having three missionaries talking to one person... I assume it would be a bit overwhelming for that one person. So what we did is when someone wanted to talk, two of us would stay and the third would go find someone else to talk with. I cannot boast in myself, but I just want to say that when I was that third person, I really saw the Lord working through me. There was this one older lady (there are a lot of them here) that I started talking to as best as I could, and I was just helping her carry her water jugs and bags that she had, and we talked for a good fifteen minutes before the other Elders finished with the person that had contacted, and then Lamarr sorta took over, but it was great to be an instrument in the Lord's hands, and I still have another 20 months to continue doing this. I love this work.

Well... I could go on... ...but I'll leave you with my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel and a hymn text I wrote with a friend that I will be submitting to the Church for acceptance as hymn text this year... ...oh what a joy and blessing it is to have been born and raised in a Latter Day Saint family. What a joy it is to know that life is eternal. What a joy it is to know that Jesus is the Christ. What a joy it is to know the plan of salvation. What a joy it is to know God the Father and to feel of His love. What a joy it is to know that we also have a Mother in Heaven, a Goddess, that reigns as an equal with our Father in Heaven and to feel the unconditional love that she, too, has for each and every one of us. What a joy it is to know that Joseph Smith stood face to face with God, with Jesus, with Moroni, with John the Baptist, With Peter, James and John. What a joy it is to remember as a young boy singing "We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet" and knowing that David O. McKay was that prophet. What a joy it is to see the gospel roll forth, to see Gordon B. Hinckley receive guidance to build so many beautiful temples so the work of God can be done by more people. And what a joy it is to say that I know that Thomas S. Monson is a man called of God, by prophecy to stand at the head of Jesus Christ's church here on the Earth and that he in fact does receive revelation from beyond the veil as to how to guide the people of the Earth. Oh what a joy it is indeed. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Brother Brett Martin Smith 
1916 North Macdonald 
Mesa, Arizona 85201 
brettsmith@everon.info  
480-306-4360 

Member of : 
Hillside Ward 
Lehi Stake 
Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona 
Bishop J.R. Stock 

But attending with my daughter: 
Harris 2nd Ward 
Maricopa North Stake 
Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona 
Bishop Paul Rowley 

It was time for the 2002 Arizona Spring Singles Conference for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints and the theme was Lift Up Your Heart. Entries were being accepted for Conference Hymn and Conference Poem. 

I had never written a hymn before and wanted to give it a try. Sandi Penrod Adair joined with me in this endeavor. We wrote the first draft and took it to Brent Jorgensen to ask if he would write the music. He looked it over and said he 'might' do it but he wanted us to go re-write it... ...yuck... ...I thought it was fine but went prayerfully to the task of the re-write. 

Feeling confident that it was hymn-worthy we once again took it to Brent and once again he looked it over and said he 'might' do it but he wanted us to go re-write it... ...yuck... okay back to the poets world although I didn't want to re-write it... ...Sandi coaxed me on and patiently looked up scriptures to help us know what to write. 

I'm now glad that Brent sent us back to the drawing board because I do believe this third and final version of Lift Up Your Heart turned out as a work that would be pleasing to the Lord. We took it back to Brent  but he said he was going to be working on a different piece for entry of the Conference Hymn. 

Well, someone suggested we try Linda Leavitt and so we gave her a call and she agreed to write the music. She got it done the day before the entry deadline arrived and called a gentleman she uses for transcribing the music. This is done on a piano that records the music as it is played and prints out the sheet music. One problem, the man was on vacation. So, we could not enter it into the Conference Hymn category but we did enter it into the Conference Poem category. 

Brent entered his work into the Conference Hymn category and it was selected as the Conference Hymn and we (the choir) learned it and sang it at the conference. Ours was selected as the Conference Poem and we read it before hundreds of members of the congregation at the closing conference fireside. 

We never did get it put to music but I hope to someday. I plan on sending it in for possible acceptance as Hymn text which is a selection process each year by the church. Deadline is March 31 for this. The picture is a drawing I did of Jesus using a painting by Greg Olsen entitled "The Savior" as the subject.