My Trail Blazer, Morris

Last week I gave an insight to blooming where you were planted. I dont think I was done with the topic because I didn't show a great example to me, my great-grandfather Morris Johnson. Morris grew up in Sweden; had ten brothers and sisters and some great inspirational parents. I would have to say that Morris was born to goodly parents. He and his family were all deeply religious God fearing people. Do you want to know what changed his life? The gospel of Jesus Christ's message brought by two missionaries (one of which would be Thomas S. Monson's ancestor).

The story of Morris is one that was forged in courage, strength of character and faith. When he and his brother Frank arrived in America, as new members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, they went to work quickly and attempted to get money so that they could help get their sisters and brothers (11 in total; including themselves) and their parents to America and that meant getting and working a trade. The biggest hold back was that they spoke one language Swedish but they were determined to be part of the American dream and be part of the tapestry that is America. These two devoted brothers became roof gutter cleaners and worked on their English from their fellow workers. As a 'joke' the others taught these two brothers to greet people with the phrase, "Good morning you son of a...' you know the rest. These two brothers when they learned how offensive they were, they quit their job and started working for themselves and earned new friends. They raised the money to help their siblings and parents get to America.

It's a simple story but one that I cherish because Morris was an average person who did extraordinary things. His son was no different; a poor boy who wanted to be a rebel and rebel he was. While his father and mother were in California, his son Gaylen built a motorcycle and left home. He was going to see the world. He didn't want anything to do with his father's religion... until he met a girl in Salt Lake City. Some years later, he served a mission and came home to Salt Lake City and married that girl.

The point I am attempting to make is first the gospel changes people and second rooting where you are planted you can change the world. Morris found roots in America. Gaylen found roots in Utah. It wasn't about acquiring wealth or power, it was about changing lives for the better.

My biggest regret is that I didn't know these guys better. Morris died before I was born and Gaylen died after the turn of the century. I was so busy with my life that I didn't get to know theirs. Luckily I have their record that was published and can read it. My luck is that Morris and Gaylen were avid journal writers and kept a history of what happened in their 'mundane' lives.

Perhaps you are the trail blazer. Your testimony is simple and your story too but I would beg to differ. While you may think that you get up day to day, read your scriptures daily, go to work, come home and play games on the weekend with your wife and kids; to your grand kids and great grand kids, hearing stories of how you were born in a world that had only three channels on TV that was black and white because you could not afford a color tv is astounding. Your trail might have stories that could never be read unless they were written by you; your childhood, mission (if you served one) your service in the military (if you served one) your boss, your first time meeting with your wife/husband; you could hold an audience with those stories. its just your responsibility to make sure that that story is told because when you are gone, it might not be as well told as when it was done by you.

Take some time and challenge yourself to write your journal for forty days. See if that indeed changes the way you look at yourself. See if you have been the person that you wanted to be and the example that you wanted your children, grandchildren etc... to read about. If you are not that person, you are alive! Change your course. Let your mistakes be a reminder of what you were and then set a new course adjust your compass to the new direction.

The image is of Morris Claus Johnson in his younger years.

Luke I am Your Father

Today I was racking my brain with what the Lord wanted me to write about. For hours I thought about how rough my week was and how I had prayed and prayed to have a solution to the problems that I had had this week thinking that the blog post would be about perseverance or something like that. I was sure that it would be about me me me…. I was wrong.

At church I was given the opportunity to have such great speakers especially one missionary that spoke with such power and vigor that the spirit couldn't be denied. I thought, ‘well this was great and now we are done. There will be no need to have the other two lessons as this missionary has summed it all.’ Again I was told by the Spirit, ‘you are not writing about this’. Really? Wow! Then what?

I had a prompting on Saturday of the spirit of one of my ancestors to go and start finding my father’s family. I went to the genealogy class today and though that the work had already been done and there was nothing for me. I was intrigued and loved the class and thought I’d take a moment to see the website familysearch.org and I was certain that I would see the whole family. Man I was wrong. There is a feature that shows all of your family in a circle and half of it would be mom and the other would be dad; my dad’s half of the pie was GONE! I knew that there was some members of the family that had done the work and I could even recall from memory my dad’s genealogy up to the fifth generation but on this website it didn't exist.

As I listened to the class, I head how you could put photos and stories of your family in the site and I realized that my family story had only half been told. The stories of the roofer that had raised a family in PA or the German soldier from WW1 that had left his home country to raise his children in the States only to be a soldier of WW2 was not told. These and several more had never been told and their songs never sung except in my home.

Such anticipation and excitement changed my view of how I was going to tell my story and show that there was more than a story of a simple coal roofer’s grandson who took time to recreate his history for all to see. I know that I have had a great story. The shock and surprise that I can create in story and fable is, in fact, what genealogy is all about. My son asks me about the stories of our family and what he has accomplished. He wants to know of the metals and honors that men have given to our fathers and mothers; he wants the stories of their courage and tenacity; he wants their greatness to rub off on him. I’m no soldier; I am a son and great-grandson of one. I’m no roofer but I am a grandson of one. My mother’s family already knew the importance of the stories of the family and created a book (about 300 pages) of the family that she came from and I need to see if I can do the same with what my father’s family has done.

What does that mean for you? Do you remember what Uncle Owen told Luke? He told his nephew that his father was a miner on a space frigate; turns out that the secrets were always there if he let the Force guide him. Are we letting the Spirit guide us and show us the secrets and great discoveries that await us or are we hoping that the spirits of our fathers, mothers, uncles and aunts, no matter how far away they are from us be lost or forgotten because of our negligence.  I thought myself the matter closed but no longer. I aim to do some work so that they will not be lost. Please do  the same.

Image is from here.