Flipping the Switch between Spiritual / Inspirational and Humorous▣ The Full Missionary Experience
A few evenings ago, we were talking as a family about the upcoming mission of our son, Michael, who turns 19 on February 14, 2011. Michael plans to attend one semester at BYU Hawaii in the fall and then go on his LDS mission in January or February, if possible.
▣ A government agency that works
Today, I renewed my driver's license at the DMV location on 800 North in Orem. I had to go in person (no more mail-in renewals) because I had to prove I was legal in the United States by showing my passport and my social security card.
▣ Mom and Dad are Here
Tonight Janet and I attended (and very much enjoyed) an outdoor concert with Julie de Azevedo outside Deseret Book in Orem. Janet loves her music and has all her CDs. After the concert, Janet bought another CD, even though she already had it, and had Julie sign it for her.
▣ Who attends BYU Education week?
I attended BYU Education Week this past week. I did so, because the law school offers continuing legal education (CLE) courses that satisfy Utah Bar requirements. Usually, CLE costs $30 an hour or more. But at BYU Education Week, it's about $4 per hour, a bargain.
▣ That Awkward Time at McDonald's
There is an awkward time at McDonald's that falls between the end of breakfast and the beginning of the lunch menu. The movie "Big Daddy" with Adam Sandler has a funny scene built around this concept.
▣ Our New York Hill Cumorah Trip
Here's Janet's great summary, with pictures, of our recent trip to New York.
http://jprserenity.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-york-trip-july-2010.html
▣ Andrew
My grandson, Andrew Rife Buchanan, is two years old. He has a head full of curly blond hair. He is adorable.
▣ Hill Cumorah Pageant
Janet and I spent the week of July 12th in upstate New York attending the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Our son, Michael, is in the cast of the pageant. He is Sam, the older brother of Nephi in the vision scene. He also throws rocks at Samuel the Lamanite and dies during the destruction scene at the death of the Savior in the Old World. Miraculously, he is alive again and in the blessed group the Savior visits when he appears in the New World.
▣ Two Cute Sayings from Ayden
My grandson, Ayden, has said a couple of cute things relating to me over the past month.
▣ Seattle
As you know, I grew up in Springville, Utah, center of the universe. I still put my hand over my heart every time I enter the city limits.
▣ Irony of Modern U.S. Life
For most of human history, people worked hard--morning, noon, and night--just to eek out a meager existence. Their work was physical in nature, requiring much energy. But the problem was trying to find enough calories to eat each day.
▣ Flowers or Candy?
We have been a bishopric for about four and one-half years. There have been four Mothers Days during that time. The first year, we gave flowers, delivering them on the Saturday morning before Mothers Day. The past three years we have given Kara chocolates after Sacrament Meeting.
▣ You can turn off the Tonight Show now
As many of you know, humor is an important value in my life. I like to laugh. I like a good joke. I like to see the humor in life. I like a good turn of a phrase.
▣ Great and Spacious Building
I generally don't attend General Conference in the Conference Center. I usually take it in in the comfort of my own home, seated on my comfortable sofa, with a diet soda nearby. However, once, after returning from our mission in Korea, our family did attend conference in SLC.
▣ Leaving Position Behind
Today it was my turn to clean the chapel again. Every member is a custodian.
▣ Lesson on Persons with Disabilities
I taught the lesson in priests quorum today. It was on the proper way to treat, and interact with, persons with disabilities. As a starter, I asked the boys to come to the board and write the word "DISABILITIES" on the board with their opposite hand. My lead-in didn't work, for these remarkable boys proceeded to write the word very well and very fast with their opposite hand.
▣ Tithing Miracles
Today in Sacrament Meeting, we heard from two octogenarians, Alta Rowley and Nevenka Kiriakov. Both sisters did a great job. They shared their wisdom and bore powerful testimonies.
▣ If you can find an unsigned copy it's worth an absolute fortune
Yesterday, I had a delightful experience at the offices of Cedar Fort Publishing in Springville, Utah.
▣ Amazing Graciousness
Yesterday, my friend and colleague, Mike Drake, and I ate lunch at Costco. We do this occasionally, because the hotdog is not bad and, with a drink, costs only $1.62 with tax. As an added benefit, you get to burp the frankfurter for the rest of the day and into the night. Moreover, the ambiance is excellent. (I recall an ad from Ernst Home Center that said "We have a warehouse, too; we just don't make you shop in it." And yet, Costco is thriving and Ernst is out of business.)
▣ Sale on Corn Dogs
Yesterday, my son Michael had his wisdom teeth removed. So, in the evening, I went to KFC to get him some delicious mashed potatoes and gravy, because that was something he could eat.
▣ Cry Over Your Flocks and Fields
I have been a bishop, this time around, for over four and a half years. During all that time, my executive secretary has been Ron Stakebake.
▣ Remember Jesus
I was reminded today of an experience I had many years ago, when Janet and I were on our way to St. George to visit Janet's grandma, who was seriously ill with cancer at the time.
▣ The Back-up Loaf
Each Saturday I purchase a loaf of Grandma Sycamore's white bread and put it in the trunk of my car. It's what I refer to as the "back-up loaf."
▣ Why did you say that?
I had the chance to visit with my old baseball friend, Mike Petro, the other day. Mike attended the University of Utah and is a "U" fan.
▣ So He Says
My former counselor, Cory Borup, was on a business trip to California a couple of weeks ago. On the airplane, he began talking with the flight attendant, who said she was from Springville. "Do you know any Rifes?" Cory asked. She responded: "I know Richard. He played sports with my brother. He was quite the guy in high school." "That's what he tells everyone," replied Cory.
▣ Laura and Mary
Laura flew out from New York to see her sister, Mary, and her new niece, Myla Jae. We've been having so much fun with Laura. Last night, after they all left our home to go back to Layton, I found that the wallpaper on my iPhone had been changed. I so much enjoyed this new picture as my wallpaper that I thought you'd all like to see it.
▣ Myla Jae Hammer Arrives
Our sixth grandchild, Myla Jae Hammer, arrived today. When I tried to send out the word to our family, the predictive function of the texting "corrected" her name to "Mylar," so at first I sent out the wrong name and had to fix it later.
▣ Wedding Reception for Elder Paul Dattage
Tonight we attended the wedding reception of Paul Dattage, one of our missionaries. He arrived in our mission on December 30, 2003, and we went home the following July. So we were not with him for most of his mission, but he was obviously a very good missionary--and he was delightful for the short six months we had with him. His parents were happy to see us, and his mom recalled that I had let him call home when he arrived to tell her he was safe.
▣ We Ate At Pony of the Mountain
Today we drove to the Salt Lake Airport to catch our flight to Anaheim for a week of meetings and fun at or near Disneyland.
▣ Cleaning the Chapel
Today, it was Janet's and my turn, along with a number of other ward members, to clean the chapel. In the time of President David O. McKay, every member was a missionary. Now, every member is a custodian.
▣ New Beginnings
Here is a paraphrase of my brief remarks at our Young Women "New Beginnings" program this past week:
▣ Love
Yesterday, it was my turn to give the bishopric message to the Primary children. Here is what I said.
▣ Why I Belong and Why I Believe
Yesterday was the fifth Sunday, so as bishop I taught the lesson in the combined Relief Society/Priesthood hour. I chose as my topic "Why I Belong and Why I Believe." I borrowed this from a great latter-day saint named Clayton Christensen, who is a Harvard Business School professor.
▣ Not a Fun Guy
Last night, when I returned from work, Janet was making two thin-crust pizzas. Actually, she was taking two thin-crust frozen pizzas and adding ingredients before she cooked them. The pizzas are relatively small. One was for me and our nephew Adam who was visiting. The other was for Janet and Michael to share.
▣ Being Nice to Your Wife
My friend had ward conference the other day. A stake presidency member taught a combined group of high priests and elders. He asked the question "How many of you brethren have said I love you to your wife in the past 24 hours?"
▣ Flossing
Six weeks ago, I visited the dentist for my six-month checkup. Angie, my hygienist, told me that my gums were showing the first signs of gingivitis. She said I should floss morning and night for six weeks, rinse my mouth with some medicine, and return in six weeks.
▣ Stay Where You Want Me to Stay
Jonn Claybaugh is a friend of mine. He teaches institute at UVU and has been a mission president in Costa Rica. We served together when he was in the stake presidency at BYU and I was a BYU bishop. Our wives are friends and our kids' ages match up nicely.
▣ Utah Jazz vs. LeBron James
Last night, I took my son, Michael, to see the basketball game between the Utah Jazz and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Michael is a great athlete--and a great fan of "the King"--LeBron James. It cost me $150 a ticket to sit in the lower bowl--and it was worth it, sort of.
▣ A Gasp of Joy
It was great this year to spend portions of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with all our children and grandchildren. What a blessing and, in today's world, what a rare opportunity!
▣ Traditional Atheist Reaction to Christmas
I watched Laura Ingraham interview the head of an atheist organization a few days ago. The organization is performing a great service by putting up billboards making fun of Christmas and anyone who is naive enough to believe in God.
▣ Christmas Service
We had a wonderful Christmas service in our ward today. The choir performed many Christmas hymns. Janet sang a duet, and it was beautiful. My counselors spoke--and gave very good talks.
▣ My Shoes
Janet and I attended two weddings this morning at the Mount Timpanogos Temple: Steven Whiteside and Ally Perkins (I am Steven's bishop) and Jeff Miles and Karen James (I was Jeff's mission president). It was a pleasant morning to be in the temple with Janet. But there was one tense moment.
▣ Best and Worst Christmas Songs
I love Christmas carols and Christmas music. When FM 100.3 plays Christmas music most of November and all of December, it's just fine with me. But even I have to admit that some Christmas songs are... how do you say?....bad!
▣ Honoring Christmas in My ....
I had lunch today with my regular Tuesday lunch group of friends. Nathan Jennings brought his friend Earl with him.
▣ Clark Kent and Superman
Our ward has been a ward for four+ years. This is our fifth Christmas. For the past four Christmas parties, I have been Santa Claus at the ward Christmas party. Santa comes early in the party format, and then we end on a sacred note.
▣ Testimony Meeting
I had a memory of my parents today. My parents were non-traditional Latter-day Saints. My mom found the Church on her own at age 11 (her family members were either nonmembers or less active). She gently led my father into the gospel light over many years.
▣ Heavenly Choir (or Double Quartet)
Last evening, the CEO of my company hosted a Christmas party at his beautiful home for the Board of Directors and executive staff. We had a delicious dinner, fun games, and ended by receiving beautiful gift baskets. But the best part of all was a small choir of BYU singers.
▣ President Hinckley on Grandkids
We're having company meetings this week, and I sat at lunch with Bryant Wadsworth, who is President Hinckley's nephew. The subject of grandchildren came up.
▣ DesignMom
The famous blogger DesignMom made a positive mention of my Christmas book in her December 11, 2009 post:
Thank you, Gabby!
▣ Chinese Proverb
In the course of a full day of meetings today, the best thing I heard was the following Chinese proverb: The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is today.
▣ The Bishop is Nice
Today at tithing settlement, Chris Thomsen told me something that made me happy. Chris and Taryn have four beautiful children: Tiffany, Grace, Christian, and David.
▣ 10 Years Ago Today
My mother, Gloria Gear Rife, died 10 years ago today, She was 78 and 1/2 years old. Ten years seems like a long time. I have really missed her.
▣ DesNews Mention
Yea! The Deseret News graciously mentioned my little Christmas book as a holiday read that would warm your spirit (go to the last page of the article):
▣ The Christmas Coat
Last night I attended our ward's Relief Society book club where the book read this month was--my Christmas book. I asked Janet if I had to do anything, and she said "no." As the meeting began, I was introduced as the evening's speaker. Well, I winged it, but mostly everyone spoke about what story in my little book they had enjoyed most.
▣ Purpose of Scripture Study
President Hinckley said: "For me, the reading of the scriptures is not the pursuit of scholarship. Rather, it is a love affair with the word of the Lord and that of His prophets." (Gordon B. Hinckley, The New Era, June 1995, 6-8)
▣ Rife Off Year
This Thanksgiving was "Rife Off Year." What that means is that our married children went to their in-laws rather than to our home for Thanksgiving Day and Dinner.
▣ Thanksgiving-Style Green Beans
I have a friend whose wife works for a company in the area. The company is owned by interests in Saudi Arabia. The board of directors consists of Saudis who visit Utah once a year for a board meeting. Naturally, the employees who work at the company make a good effort to ensure that all goes well during these once-a-year visits.
▣ Liberty Jail
Last Sunday evening, I spoke at a young single adult fireside. My subject was patience and long-suffering. During my talk, I noted that D&C 121 is my favorite scripture. I mentioned that it was received and written when Joseph Smith was confined in Liberty Jail.
▣ Relief Society President
Our daughter Jenny was sustained as Relief Society president in her ward yesterday. I could not have been a prouder dad. Jenny is a loving and kind person who will be a wonderful Relief Society president.
▣ Twilight New Moon
Last night I experienced a female cultural phenomenon: I attended a private showing of the new Twilight series movie New Moon.
▣ Greg Jones
Greg Jones is one of the smartest and best people I have ever known. He recently wrote this totally unbiased and objective review of my Christmas book on his mega-website, gregjones.org:
http://gregjones.org/ (click on the journal section and scroll down if necessary)
Check it out!
▣ Inadequacy or Capacity
I attended stake bishops meeting last Thursday evening. At the end of the meeting, President David B. McGinn, our stake president, gave us some excellent advice about counseling members who are distraught. This advice is equally applicable in our own lives, when we are sad, or when we are counseling a friend or family member.
▣ Crandall Historical Printing Museum
Last Wednesday evening, for Mutual, our young men and women visited the Crandall Printing Museum in Provo, Utah. The youth seemed to find the museum to be interesting. I found it fascinating, because my grandfather was a printer, my father was a printer, and I worked in a print shop when I was a teenager.
▣ Disney's Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is my favorite book, piece of fiction, play, and movie. I have read it more than 35 times. And so, while Janet was out of town last weekend, I took the opportunity to preview the new movie version, starring Jim Carrey, with my son Brian, to see whether I should take my grandchildren to see it during the holidays.The new Jim Carrey version is 3D, but we did not see it at a 3D theater.
▣ Ancestors
Today's Sunday School class dealt with ancestors, and Jim Shipp, our instructor, quoted a poem often used by his father. I loved it and so share it here. As is often the case, the poem was written by the gift poet Anonymous:
▣ Home Teaching
Our home teaching percentage has been going down lately. It's not the percentage I'm worried about; it's the growing list of families who are not receiving a visit from their home teachers each month. So, we could have had a lesson on home teaching, with a plea from the bishop to do better. But we decided to take a less direct approach.
▣ Wanda Sykes
I've been seeing the promos for the new Wanda Sykes show. Obviously, when you do the promo, you pick out some of her best material to highlight how funny she is. But, for the life of me, I can't find anything funny about her. Here is one of her promo lines: "Studies keep saying Americans are getting fatter. Do we need a study? Don't we have a mirror?" (If you think that's funny, it's because my delivery was better than hers.)
▣ Primary Program
Last Sunday, our ward had our annual Primary Program. The topic was the eternal family. As is customary, I was asked, as bishop, to give a few remarks at the end of the meeting. And as is customary, the program was longer than the allotted time, so I didn’t give any remarks, which was fine, because the program was wonderful and the kids were cute. They didn’t need to hear from me anyway. But, if I’d had time, here is what I would have said (after having profusely thanked the Primary presidency, the adult leaders, and all the cute Primary children):
▣ Where's the H1N1 Vaccine?
Today, HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifed before a Senate committee about why the government is slow in getting the H1N1 virus to the people. But I couldn't find anything about it on the CNN website just now.
Suppose this were the Bush administration. Would the headline be "Incompetent, Katrina-like response to the H1N1 flu pandemic by Bush adminstration puts American lives at risk?" Probably. But when the Obama administration fails, which it often does, it's "no problemo."
Just saying.
▣ Honoring Christmas in My Heart
It is cool (at least, for me) to see my little Christmas book listed in the Deseret Book website:
http://deseretbook.com/store/search?query=honoring+christmas
It's also listed on Amazon.com. And, you can read about it on my website by clicking on the "Books" page.
▣ Repetition
Today, Josh Tobler spoke in Sacrament Meeting on the law of the harvest. Josh is preparing to go on a mission. He was a substitute speaker for someone who called in sick--and he did and amazing job.
▣ No More Strangers
I enjoyed watching the President's Cup golf tournament over the past weekend. It pits the best U.S. players against the best non-European ROW (rest of the world) players. Teamed up for the International team were a Korean player named Yang Yong-Eun and a Japanese player named Ryo Ishikawa.
▣ Punk of the Week
In my latest blog entry, I noted that there are a lot of punks involved in sports at all levels. But the punk of the week is in show business. His name is David Letterman.▣ Taking a Knee
My son Michael plays football for Timpanogos High School. Last night, I attended his game at Orem High School, where two of our children graduated. Unfortunately, Orem won, 7-6.
▣ Why does it smell bad at DI?
Why does it smell bad at Deseret Industries? Just wondering, that's all.
▣ BYU Football
BYU Football is like a false lover. If you give her your heart, it's only going to get broken.
▣ Jimmy Carter
Today, our company had mandatory "respect in the workplace" (i.e., anti-harassment) training. We were taught never to make racist remarks in the workplace.
▣ Steve and Zander's Missionary Experience
Ward member (and former 3rd Ward bishop) Steve Nickle shared the most wonderful experience in Fast and Testimony Meeting on September 6.
▣ Why I Love Sacrament Meeting
When I was young, I thought Sacrament Meeting was boring. Oh, occasionally there was a good speaker. But, in case you haven’t noticed, most regular members are not gifted orators.
▣ My Birthday
September 5 was my 56th birthday. It's hard to believe that I'm that old. But I had a great day--two days, really.
▣ Ammon's Mission or Aaron's Mission
A few weeks ago, my counselor, Mike Ransom, gave a talk in church. Because of time constraints, he had to edit the talk as he was giving it. Mike is chairman of the department of economics at BYU, a very accomplished man.
▣ Don't Pray?
I was invited to Primary today, because my birthday is coming up this week. When a child has a birthday, he or she receives a pillowcase with the words "Don't Forget to Pray" on it. It comes with a card that says "Before you go to sleep at night Or arise from bed each day, Remember you are a loved child of God, So don't forget to pray."
▣ My Christmas Book
I realize that, in the eternal scheme of things, it's not that big a deal, but to me it's exciting to look at Amazon.com and the Cedar Fort Books websites and see my little Christmas book listed. Jen Boss, who works for Cedar Fort, designed the cover, which I think is beautiful.
▣ I Miss Janet
Janet went to NYC to take care of our grandchildren there, while Laura and Alan had an anniversary cruise. That was eight days ago, and I miss her!
▣ Missionaries Don't Count
The U.S. Census Bureau has informed Utah that LDS missionaries serving abroad will not be counted in the 2010 census. This despite the fact that the LDS Church has clear records of the names and locations of all Utahns serving abroad.
▣ WEC
I have a cold and don’t feel well, so I don’t have much left after work. Last night, because I didn’t have the strength to do anything productive, and because I wanted to spend a little time with my 17-year-old son, I agreed to watch WEC with him. WEC, if you don’t know, is World Extreme Cagefighting.
▣ Taking Up Our Cross Daily
It was my turn to write the bishopric message for the ward newsletter this month. I pirated from myself something I had written when serving as a mission president in Korea about taking up our cross daily.
▣ Respect for Women
The lesson in priest quorum this past Sunday was on respect for women. I taught the lesson, and I didn’t stick strictly to what was in the manual.
▣ Janet Wins a Teddy Bear
At Knott's Berry Farm yesterday, there was a girl who would attempt to guess your age, weight, or birth month. But first, you had to pay her $5. If she won, she kept your money and you got nothing. If she lost, she kept your money, but you won a prize, probably not worth $5. Clever, huh?
▣ Goatee
I'm on vacation in San Diego. We went to Seaworld today. I haven't shaved since last Friday. My goatee isn't that bad (it isn't that good, either).
▣ The Professor, the Police Officer, and the President
Even though I wasn't there, I can tell you who was wrong in the incident related to that Harvard professor arrested as he attempted to break into his own home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
▣ Young Women Camp
I attended YW camp for 48 hours this week—my two worst nights’ sleep of the rolling year. Okay, I’m not an outdoorsman, but I do love the young women, and I appreciate the massive effort the adult sisters go to in the preparation and carrying out of YW camp.
▣ Another Amazing Sacrament Meeting
We had another amazing Sacrament Meeting in our ward yesterday. We allowed plenty of time for our newly returned missionary, Elder Christopher Bringhurst, who gave the most wonderful talk about his mission in the Ukraine. Elder Bringhurst shared many inspirational stories from his mission, but I will include one in this blog post.
▣ Friendships from Korea
On July 5, we spent about 90 minutes with Sol, Yang Hwan, a dear from from Korea. President Sol is the president of the Daejeon stake, the city where our mission home was located. He is in the U.S. on a business trip for the university where he is a professor. Pres. Sol is a dynamic and dedicated Church leader, married to a dynamic and dedicated Sister Kim. Janet and I love them--and it was great to see Pres. Sol.
▣ Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words
A sad thing is how many times I hear family members speak unkindly to each other. Not my family members, mind you, but random people I see in public whom I don't know. Just the other day, I was having lunch with my Uncle Bill at the Riverside Country Club, and I overheard a married couple arguing, intemperately, saying hurtful things, at the next table.
▣ Confirming a Supreme Court Justice
Next week the U.S. Senate will take up the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. President Obama hopes the Senate gives her a fair hearing, recognizes she is a capable jurist, and votes to confirm her.
▣ The Face You Earn
I've heard it said that, before age 40, you have the face God gave you, but after age 40, you have the face you earned by the way you lived.
▣ Sacrament Meeting
We had the most wonderful Sacrament Meeting this Fast Sunday. I had tears in my eyes multiple times.
▣ Freedom Festival Parade
Thanks to the kindness of the Borup family, Janet and I attended the Freedom Festival Parade in Provo this morning and had a wonderful seat that the Borup family reserved by sleeping overnight in a grassy area between 200 and 300 N University.
▣ 4th of July Reminder
The other day Michael and I were driving home from the golf course. The car in front of us was going substantially lower than the speed limit. Michael said “if that guy’s under 80 years old, I’ll be surprised.” I said “if he’s over 80, he probably saved our world for us, and he can drive as slowly as he wishes.”
▣ Epitaph
Have you ever thought about what you’d like as your epitaph? What would you want on your gravestone?
▣ Jeong Seok Hwan
I spent much of this week with our international employees who had visited the head office. In my presentation, I started with one lawyer joke and ended with another: "Why do they bury lawyers 10 feet deep? Because deep down, lawyers are great guys." And, "what do lawyers do when they die? They lie still."
▣ 7 on 7
Last Saturday, I experienced my first ever 7 on 7 football tournament at BYU. Michael is playing football for the first time his senior year in high school--and he looks really good. In fact, the new head coach had worked with him for about three weeks before he was told that Michael had never played before, and he was really surprised.
▣ Father's Day 2009
I had a good Father’s Day. It started Saturday night, with dinner with Jenny and Trevor, who are spending Sunday in Layton. We enjoyed Thai food at a new restaurant in our neighborhood. Jenny and Trevor gave me a beautiful card, a triple album from Tim McGraw, and some treats for use with my upcoming present from Janet.
▣ The Birth of Twittering
I realized today that I may have been a witness to the first example of Twittering in the history of the world. Or, perhaps I witnessed the predecessor to modern Twittering (or tweeting) as we know it.
▣ A Message to Gen X and Gen Y
Last night Janet and I had dinner with dear friends of ours. The husband has a very responsible position where he manages 700 highly trained professionals. As we discussed his work, he told me there is a clear difference between our generation (i.e., the Baby Boomers) and his Gen X and Gen Y employees.
▣ The Real Reason We Serve
In an attempt to be kind and thoughtful, which I appreciated, our high councilor said something like this at a recent welfare committee meeting in our ward:
▣ Still Small (?) Voice
A week ago, I was conducting priesthood opening exercises. I asked one of the young men a question, and he looked perplexed, so I whispered the answer to him and then he repeated it aloud. One of the adult brethren said "What was that, Bishop, the still small voice?" I responded, "No, the still chubby voice." (It was my voice, and I'm still chubby after all efforts to change that condition.)
▣ Sunday Dinner Revelation
Sunday was Sophie's 3rd birthday, so we had a party for her. She is a doll, and it was really fun. But I must admit there was one revelation at the party that I really enjoyed.
▣ Dedication of the New Graves
I wrote a week or so ago about moving my parents to a better and upgraded gravesite. Today was the first time we could get our family together to dedicate the new graves. It was a great experience to be with them and to use the priesthood to dedicate the new graves.
▣ Conan's Off to a Good Start
I really like Jay Leno. He's a great stand-up comic, and he's a good person. So I was sad to see him leave the late-night scene. I'm happy he'll be available at the 9 p.m. hour (Mountain Time).
▣ Moving Day for My Mom and Dad
Today I did something totally illogical—and totally wonderful: I moved my deceased parents from their graves in Section G of the Springville Evergreen Cemetery to new graves in Section K of that cemetery.
▣ Nanna's Birthday
May 26 was my mom's 88th birthday. We lost her almost 10 years ago. I sent an email to my kids reminding them it was "Nanna's birthday," and Laura sent this reponse:
▣ Happy Memorial Day
The original meaning of Memorial Day was to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the service of our country. It has expanded to include remembrance of all our loved ones who have passed away.
▣ The Difference Between Women and Men
The difference between women and men was highlighted today during our bishopric meeting. One item on our agenda was to find priesthood brethren to spend a night a Young Women camp from July 14-18, 2009.
▣ Decorating the Graves
I took Friday off work and decorated our family graves in Springville, Levan, Silver City (now a ghost town), Eureka, American Fork, Wasatch Lawn (SLC), and Salt Lake City Cemetery. Jenny went with me on the southern swing, and it was great to be with her. Our southern swing started at 6:30 a.m. and included a delicious breakfast at JC Mickelson's in Nephi.
▣ Seminary Graduation
Last night was Seminary Graduation in the Heatheridge Stake. It was a wonderful evening, especially delightful because our Stake Presidency keeps the event to one hour, which is within my attention span.
▣ Nancy Pelosi
Even though I frequently disagree with President Obama, I feel sorry for him having to put up with Nancy Pelosi. President Obama is a serious man trying to accomplish serious things. I know this, even though I generally do not support his domestic agenda. He really doesn't need Nancy Pelosi wading into the torture debate.
▣ Guilt-Free Mother's Day
I hear from an increasing number of mothers that they don't like Mother's Day. Today at lunch, a man told me that several mothers told him what they wanted for Mother's Day was not to have to go to church and hear about Mother's Day.
▣ Priest Quorum on Mother's Day
I taught our priest quorum today. The lesson was supposed to be on journal-keeping, but I used my prerogative as bishop to do whatever I wanted. So I changed the subject to Mother's Day.
▣ Happy Mother's Day, Janet
Happy Mother's Day, Janet. You deserve it. Thank you for being such a wonderful, devoted, loving, kind wife, mother, and grandmother. I love you with all my heart.
▣ Jean-Luc Picard
With the new Star Trek movie hitting the theaters, I was reminded last evening, by none other than my wife, of our chance encounter with Star Trek TNG star Patrick Stewart.
▣ Bad Parenting
Last night for Mutual the priests had a hotdog roast up Provo Canyon. As we got out of our cars at Canyon Glen and were finding a spot, there was an unkempt mother with her unkempt children getting into their car. She was yelling at them in a loud voice and saying all sorts of mean things. The excoriation went on for too long.
▣ Springville High Baseball Reunion
Monday, May 4, was the reunion of the 1969-70 Springville High School baseball team. We owe the enjoyable evening to Chris Sorensen, Nebo School District Superintendent and fellow team member. I don't know how he did it, but he provided a delicious prime rib dinner and an SHS baseball tee-shirt to all the attendees. (Thank you, Chris!)
▣ The Facts of Life
A couple of weeks ago, our daughter Mary had a fascinating conversation with her son, 4-year-old Ayden, during Sacrament Meeting.
▣ Stimulus Package
On my way back from Tahiti on Sunday, I had 1 hour and 45 minutes to go through immigration, collect my baggage, go through customs, re-check my baggage, get a boarding pass for the SL flight, go through security again, and make it to the gate.
▣ I'm Back
After a 7-day cruise through the Societe islands (French Polynesia), I'm back. It was a great trip with Janet. More later.
▣ Andrew Rife Buchanan
Laura and Alan have been here from New York with their three children, Connor, Abigail, and Andrew. That means in the past 10 days or so I've been able to see all five of my ADORABLE grandchildren, including Ayden and Sophie who live in Layton, UT.
▣ Happy Easter
My dear wife Janet gave a wonderful Easter talk today in our Sacrament Meeting. Here is a link to the talk:
http://jprserenity.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-easter-talk.html
Enjoy--and Happy Easter!
▣ Sterne's Watch Repair
On Friday, I made my periodic visit to Sterne's Watch Repair in Orem, Utah. This time it was for a new band for my watch.
Entering Sterne's is like stepping back into the 1950s, which is kind of a treat for me, because I remember the 50s. Mr. Sterne is an elderly, portly man, with a white beard. His shop is filled with clocks and watches and his tools are strewn everywhere. His organization scheme is massive disorganizaton. He is open on his own terms, which are from noon to 6 p.m. each day.
▣ Maundy Thursday
Today is Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. It is the day on which we remember the Last Supper, the washing of the apostles' feet, Jesus' suffering in Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot.
▣ Happy 90th
Today is the 90th birthday of a most remarkable woman, our neighbor and ward member, Betsey Williams.
▣ Under Cover
The Young Women were in charge of our combined Mutual activity on Wednesday, April 1. A few of the adult leaders went to the chapel, as usual, and held opening exercises. Most of the adult leaders, including the bishopric, were already at the University Mall "under cover." We dressed up and the youth had to see how many adult leaders they could find and identify. The adult leaders were not allowed to enter any store, but had to remain in the common areas of the mall.
▣ April Fool's
I celebrate April Fool's Day 2009 by remembering three April Fool's jokes I played on Janet when we lived in Seoul, Korea in the 1980s.
▣ Ethical Dilemma
I want to see Angels and Demons, but I don't want to give any of my money to Tom Hanks.
▣ Eric Cragun
One of our excellent returned missionaries, Elder Eric Cragun, stopped by our home on Sunday evening. He is living in Maryland and working for a health care company in Washington, D.C. He was in Utah to visit his family.
▣ March Madness
Wednesday night was the 3rd annual Heatheridge 9th Ward March Madness activity. It started at 6 p.m. and ended at 7:45 p.m. Attendance was wonderful.
▣ Child Raising
Whenever the subject of child-raising comes up, either at church or at a social gathering, I go silent. Before I had children, I was a leading expert on child-rearing and had opinions on all relevant aspects of the subject. Now, however, having raised six children, I realize that I know absolutely nothing on the subject. I leave the child-raising advice to the childless. I have no illusions that I’m a perfect (or even good) parent.
▣ Eleven Years in Deacons Quorum
Usually, deacons quorum is a two-year thing, but for Dave Parker it was 11 years.
▣ Ward Conference Talk
This is my talk from ward conference yesterday. It's much longer than a normal blog post, so feel free to ignore it unless you have some time on your hands.
▣ Everyone Should Pay
Politicians and commentators throw out numbers willy-nilly, left and right, and I really don’t know whose numbers to believe, but lately we hear that one percent of the taxpayers in New York City pay 40% of the taxes. Thus, Mayor Bloomberg is reluctant to increase taxes on the “rich” for fear they’ll vacate the City.
▣ The Most Famous (Only Famous) Rife
I am reading two books about the only famous Rife. His name was Royal Raymond Rife, Jr., and he lived in San Diego, California. He was born in 1888 and died in 1971.
▣ Brent in Brazil
Our nephew Brent Parsons is serving a mission in Brazil. Earlier this month, he recorded this in his journal and his dad posted it on the BrentinBrazil website:
▣ High Profile
In our world, some people are high profile and some people are not. If you're like me, sometimes you get caught up in the feeling that high profile people are more important than those who labor in less conspicuous ways.
▣ HBO and the Temple Ceremony
It's all the buzz around here that the HBO show "Big Love," which I've never seen, is going to show the temple ceremony on March 15. I thought about writing a blog post on the subject, but then realized that the Church had written about it better on its website than I could do. Here it is for your reference: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-publicity-dilemma
▣ Sacrament Meeting
When I was a teenager (and I regret to say for many years after that), I was a critic of sacrament meeting talks. I had little patience for a speaker who was not a gifted orator or who was just plain not well prepared, which pretty much meant almost everyone. I suppose I was this way because I fancied myself a good public speaker.
▣ Green House?
My work associate and friend Mike Drake has a son serving a mission in Brazil. By all accounts, he's doing well. Before he totally had Portugese figured out, though, he had an interesting moment. This reminds me of some of the funny Korean mistakes I and my fellow missionaries made in Korea.
▣ Pornography
The Deseret News yesterday reported the conclusion of a Harvard economics professor, who tracked subscriptions to on-line porn sites from 2006-2008, that Utah ranks number 1 in subscriptions. According to the study, Utah topped the list with 5.47 users per 1,000. Montana had the lowest number of subscriptions at 1.92 per 1,000.
▣ A Black Car
I have a black car. It's very pretty, and I like it. It's hard to keep clean, but I guess that's okay. Why do I have a black car? I think it all started when I was serving in Korea in 2003. Here is what I wrote in my journal about the saga of the mission president's car.
▣ Lent
My wife Janet has been deciding what she would give up for Lent this year. She feels that Latter-day Saints really miss out on the full impact of Easter by not noting Ash Wednesday and not using Lent as a way to improve our performance.
▣ The Mountain Meadows Massacre
Janet and I spent the week in Las Vegas at our company meeting. This morning we drove back to our home. We took the time to take a detour to the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
▣ Teenage Years--From Triumph to Tragedy
Last weekend, I did a devotional for the young men at their cross-country skiing activity. I recalled just how hard it is sometimes to be a teenager. You go from great times to bad times. There are a lot of highs and lows.
▣ My Dad
My dad died 11 years ago today, February 25, 1998. I thought about him all day. I have missed him every day of the past 11 years.
▣ Las Vegas
Janet and I are in Las Vegas this week for a company event. I had to give a brief speech in front of 3,000+ customers from 48 countries. I started off with two lawyer jokes. I really wondered if I would get a laugh, but things are great, because the audience laughed heartily at both jokes.
▣ Cross-Country Skiing
Our young men’s presidency sponsored a well planned activity this weekend. Friday evening the young men in our ward cross-country skied from the parking lot to the Bringhurst cabin in Fairview Canyon. It was a three-mile uphill trek in the dark. And they all made it, which is a positive thing.
▣ Temporal and Spiritual Learning
My impression is that the public education system in the United States is not strict or serious enough. On the other hand, my impression of the educational system in Korea is that it is too strict and too rigorous.
▣ Looking for Lincoln
Every time I watch a PBS or similar special on Lincoln, I cringe. Will they do him justice? Or will they attempt to debunk him, or de-mythologize him, so we can all feel better about ourselves.
▣ When I Laugh
As I've noted before, I'm not a good poet, but I have written a few poems. One addresses the point that we tend to grow up to be a lot like our parents. In my case, if that's true, then it's a good thing, because my parents were excellent role models.
▣ Ballroom Dance Camp
As a bishop, I receive correspondence each week from Church headquarters. There are letters from the First Presidency to be read to the congregation and letters from the First Presidency for our information, but not to be read to the congregation. There are announcements of upcoming meetings and conferences. There are service opportunities for senior missionaries and announcements of events on Temple Square.
▣ Taxes and Blessings
Driving to a Korean restaurant after the movie, we passed Squire & Company, the largest independent firm of accountants in Utah. The managing partner of Squire is Tim Larsen, our neighbor and friend. I served as Tim's bishopric counselor many years ago. He was a wonderful bishop and had a major impact for good on the youth in our ward, including some of our children.
▣ Happy 200th Birthday, Mr. Lincoln!
February 12 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. I have always loved Abraham Lincoln. In the view of most presidential historians, he was our greatest president. I went to law school primarily because Lincoln was a lawyer, and he was my hero.
▣ English Pronunciation
I suppose it’s not rude to observe that most Asians have a hard time with “l” and “r” sounds in English. Heaven knows, I have trouble pronouncing a number of the sounds in Korean.
▣ Lost
I was discussing with my friends Harrison and Nathan why it is that I rarely go to a movie these days. I like movies. I used to go to them all the time.
▣ The Apostle Paul
I like the Apostle Paul. He's feisty, brash, and self-confident--but he's also humble. And oh does he love the Lord!
▣ Heart Attack
I was the victim of a "heart attack" on Sunday—thanks to the loving efforts of the Merrie Miss girls in Primary and their Activity Day leaders, Sisters Biesinger, Patten, and Iongi. (One look at me and you can tell that, unless I lose weight, I’ll suffer another kind of heart attack on my own without the help of the Primary girls.)
▣ Preference
Michael attended Preference at Timpanogos High School tonight with Taryn York. They looked marvelous (as you can see below). I attended every dance (boy's choice and girl's choice) when I was at Springville High School a lifetime ago, but I never looked as good as Michael did tonight.
▣ Today's Youth
When I served as mission president in Korea, we received a message from Salt Lake asking us to disclaim a quote circulating on the internet erroneously attributed to a top Church leader.
▣ Ayden made my day
Mary, Logan, and their two children, Ayden and Sophie (my grandchildren!), slept over Saturday night and attended our ward on Sunday. It was great to look out from the stand and see them enter the chapel for Sacrament Meeting, on time even, which is better than many members of our ward.
▣ Paper or Plastic?
I went to Harmon's Grocery Store on Saturday morning, as is my wont, to buy vegetables. When I reached the counter to pay, the bagger asked the question "paper or plastic?"
▣ The Mona Lisa
Two men were waiting in the long line at the Louvre in Paris to see the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa is kept behind glass and in the dark and is only displayed for five minutes of every hour. One of the two men was an art expert. The other knew nothing about art.
▣ I've Lost It
As many of you know, I have a condition that doctors like to refer to as "a little bit of a weight problem." Last night at Mutual, the Young Men played their adult leaders in basketball. The game lasted an hour and 10 minutes. The YM won 76-75.
▣ The Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a powerful witness of Jesus Christ.... I have read a lot of books in my life, but I have never read a book that compares with the Book of Mormon, except for the New Testament and the Doctrine & Covenants.
▣ Our God is a Happy God
Our God is a happy God. He is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured God. We will be that way too—when we have His Spirit to be with us.▣ TaxMasters
I spend part of each day monitoring Fox News for our family. I also spend a few minutes each day with MSNBC or, as I like to think of it, “the Obama channel.” It’s on Fox and MSNBC that I hear a constant drumbeat of commercials featuring happy individuals who have used the services of JK Harris & Company or TaxMasters, both of whom promise to help you solve your tax problems.
▣ Just a Thought
If you're the Chief Justice of the United States, and if it's your awesome responsibility to swear in the 44th President of the United States, you might want to run through the oath of office once before you stand there in front of the world.
▣ Jon & Kate Plus Eight
I never cease to be amazed by what you can see on TV these days. When I was a kid, we had three television stations, CBS, NBC, and ABC. Oh, I think there might have been a PBS-like station, but I never watched it. The options were limited. Nowadays, with the proliferation of cable TV stations, it’s just fascinating what makes the airwaves. Enter the TLC reality show “Jon & Kate Plus Eight,” which chronicles the exploits of Jon and Kate Gosselin, their eight-year-old twin girls, and their sextuplets, three girls and three boys, age four and a half.▣ The Inauguration
I didn’t vote for Barack Obama. But I don’t wish him any ill either. In fact, I’m pulling for him.
▣ I am a Child of God
I gave Sharing Time in Primary last Sunday. It’s the scariest thing I do each quarter.
▣ Twilight
Spoiler Alert: Don't read this is you haven't read all four books of the Twilight series and if you intend to do so.
I’m officially in touch with my feminine side. In an attempt to become more romantic, and to understand what all the fuss was about, I read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.
▣ What a Joke!
What a joke! President-Elect Barack Obama has named financial wizard Timothy Geithner as his designee for Secretary of the Treasury. His confirmation is a done deal, but it will not be smooth sailing, because of Mr. Geithner’s self-employment tax “mistake.”
▣ My Life is Now Complete
My life is now complete. For Christmas, my wife gave me a Japanese-style bidet toilet seat...
▣ Why I Like Rick Warren
I like Rick Warren. Richard Duane Warren is the founder and senior pastor of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. He is getting a lot of attention these days because President Elect Barack Obama has asked him to offer the invocation at his inauguration...
▣ New Year's Resolutions
It’s been more than 20 years since I quit making New Year’s resolutions. What a freeing feeling!
▣ A Christmas Carol
Today we followed our annual tradition by taking our family members who live in the area to see the Hale Center Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens...
▣ Gift Cards
Over the past few weeks, ward members have quietly slipped into my pockets Walmart and Target gift cards and cash totaling about $1,200. In past years, I have received more. It’s a tough year economically, but interestingly, the $1,200 is plenty for our needs...
▣ Playing Santa Claus
This is the fourth Christmas I have been bishop of the Heatheridge 9th Ward. The other three I willingly played Santa Claus at the beginning of the ward party. I appeared as Santa at the beginning so the party could end on a more spiritual and sacred note...
Copyright © 2008-2009 Richard Rife. All Rights Reserved.