Kevin Hobb
At a recent Valencia reunion in Utah I met Kevin Hobb. We knew each other in Valencia in the 80s and 90s and before that we knew his parents and him in Panorama City in the 70s. Kevin is an architect.
He reminded me that interviewed him for the priesthood as an Elder Quorum President in Panorama City. "Kevin what do you know about the oath and covenant of the priesthood?." Admittedly he didn't know much so I told him to go home and study it some more. Kevin, "I was surprised you asked me to study this out but after you told me to study it out I began to realize the seriousness of the priesthood. It was a defining moment.
Kevin told me he had worked on Salt Lake Temple. He and other had done 6K drawings. President Nelson came to them and told them the Lord wanted less art and more sealing and endowment rooms. He also said most earthquake proof builds are designed to handle a movement of 6 or seven inches but President Nelson wanted to earthquake the temple to 5 feet four inches. That was unheard of. Kevin said if that happened all other building in the valley would be destroyed and the Temple would stand.
The beautiful murals in both the Salt Lake Temple and the Manti temple had degraded to the point they were no longer able to be maintained and will not be restored. The celestial room and adjoining room will be kept intact.
There will be two visitor centers, one at each end of the temple. One would focus on the restoration and the other on the temple. Under at least the Temple Visitor Center would be some exact replica rooms of the temple so visitors can enjoy the beauty of the temple.
The workers want to tie some stories of the temple together with a large rod with only a quarter of an inch leaway, but it was not possible with current technology. But recently a company in Canada had come up with the ability to do so. Rock was send to them and it was found the task can be done.
Puzzles
Deborah found someone who was selling 80 puzzled on Facebook Marketplace. I agreed to go with her to check them out. We arrived at their beautiful home and were led upstairs to a bedroom with 80 puzzled piled neatly. All the pieces were there. The couple said during Covid they did puzzles. We bought 70 of the puzzles including one done out of wood. All were at least 500 pieces and many 1,000 pieces. Before we left they told us about their daughter Beth. She had undergone 9 heart surgeries in her short life. When she was 36 she realized she would not live. But she remained hopeful in the next life. She went around telling everyone, "The next life is like going to Disneyland. It will be fun and exciting and many good things will happen there." This continued until her death. A week after her death her parents received something in the mail that had never happened before or since. They received a card from Disney that said, "Your Disney adventure begins today."
Scott Myler
Scott and Barbara Myler were good friends in Valencia. Our children played together. Barbara divorced Scott. Fifteen years later Scott found himself still alone and wanting a companion. He was living near Fresno. One day he had the distince feeling he should work in the temple. That would not be easy because he worked full time. He went to his bishop and was approved to work in the temple. There he met Sharon another temple worker.
Sharon gret up in the church and was a faithful member. Previously she had 4 children. Two were severely disabled, could't talk, walk or eat by themselves. Her husband ran a radio station called the Wave. The two disabled children died and shortly thereafter her husband died as well. Then her daughter who had married was riding behind her husband on a motorcycle in Hawaii. They ran off the road and she was killed. So from having a family of 6, she was down to 2 children. She met and married Scott. Scott feels that he is a caretaker for Sharon while on this earth and that someday the way will open to him having a wife.
Jeff Boone
Kent Gardiner: 26 Sep 2022 I told our co-ordinator, Brother Beacher, I was available to help. A few minutes later he brought a couple who smiled and sat next to me. The tall man sat next to me and the very pretty wife sat next to him. After logging in and introductions Jeff Boon informed me he wanted to do the temple work for his step father. This was an unusual request because they really aren't related. For background he told me about growing up in Seattle. His father abandoned the family when he was six weeks old. They lived in the poorest part of Seattle. His alcoholic stepfather, Jack, made three things very clear. First Jeff was too stupid for college. Second he was told to have sex with all the girls you can but if she gets pregnant deny it was your child and third: Someday when Jeff was older, say 35 Jack would meet him in a dark alley and kick the crap out of me. Sometimes the yelling and abuse spilled out into the neighborhood and Jeff wondered why the neighbors didn't intervene. Jeff left home at 16 to live on the street for two years.
Eventually he joined the church and had a girlfriend. Her father encouraged Jeff to go on a mission and go to college. Jeff did go on a mission to the Dominican Republic. Living the missionary life made him want to be a better person. One day as a zone leader he was in the mission office when he was informed the mission president wanted to talk to him urgently. The mission president said Jeff had received a vulgar fax from someone called Jack. Jeff explained Jack was his stepfather. The fax included Santa Clause giving an obscene gesture. The mission President said Jeff should inform Jack that unless Jack cleaned up his act Jeff wasn't going to communicate with him. Jeff said, no, the fact he is taking the time to send me something is actually a positive thing. That Christmas Jeff called home and Jack answered. Jack asked, "How do you get money for your mission?" Jeff said, "The Ward is paying for it." Jack said how much per month does it cost?" Jeff said, "340 dollars" Jack then said, "I have an idea, let's stick it to the church and I'll pay for your last six months." Jeff told Jack he loved him and hung up.
Today Jeff calls Jack every week. Jeff tells Jack he loves him and Jack tells Jeff he loves him too. A few years ago Jack apologized for his rough treatment of Jeff. Last Christmas Jeff's son, who is on a mission in Argentina, made a 3 way zoom call to Jack and Jeff. Jack was wearing a t-shirt that said, "I'm not an alcoholic, I'm a drunk, alcoholic's go to meetings."
Jeff is a direct line descendant of Daniel Boone. Daniel Boone who appears to be a believing Christian had a granddaughter who married Governor Lilburn Boggs. About thirty years ago Jeff went to the Bountiful Temple and did the work for Governor Boggs.
Toward the end of our conversation I showed Jeff how to appeal the denial of doing temple work for Jack's ancestors. He was very enthusiastic and said he would make an appeal. Before he left Jeff said he would leave a copy of a book on his life at the front desk and I could pick it up on Friday.
Monica
Kent Gardiner: 10 Oct 2022, a sister missionary had to leave the center early and asked if I could help a woman who was trying to locate her slave ancestors. I said yes and introduced myself to Monica Brown. We worked a while and found a census which said her black great grandmother, Henrietta was married to a supposed slave owner and had been married for forty years. That didn't line up with a small booklet Monica had obtained from a family reunion about 10 years ago but he was encouraged because she found it difficult to find information. Henrietta lived in Louisiana. I told Monica I had a son who went to LSU to orthodontic school. She said "Oh really what is his name?" I said, "Ryan Gardiner." A big smile came over her face and she said, "I know Ryan. I fact I was Luke's primary teacher!!! We were in the same ward! Stephanie had a great influence on our daughter. How are they doing?"
We talked on an on about her husband who was a former Bishop in the area. She said her husband and Ryan loved talking to each other about gospel topics. I took a photo of Monica and myself and sent it to Ryan. He replied back, "We love the Brown's, how in the world did you meet up together?" Then I introduced her to Deborah. They chatted away. I told Monica to contact us when she came back to Utah to visit her children and we will take her out to dinner. She wanted a hug and by that time we were fast friends so we hugged and reluctantly parted.
An Eye Problem
One day I noticed a slight irritation in my left eye while I was playing Pickleball. Later I noticed some blurred vision. I tried eye drops which helped. My wife was insistent, “You have to go to the doctor. You may have a big problem.” I told her nothing was wrong, just a small case of dry eye.
Inside I asked myself, “Could I have an eye infection or maybe cataracts or something else?” I decided to see how my eye progressed. Three months later my wife put her foot down. “You must make an appointment today.”
After an hour of tests Doctor Griffin said, “The eyelashes in your left eye are rubbing on your cornea. It is called lower lid blepharoplasty, you need an ectropion repair.” Eye surgery!
September 15 came quickly and I was wheeled into surgery. When I awoke, I looked like a prize fighter had punched me in the left eye. Purple bruising radiated around the eye socket. A rivulet of blood went from the inner edge of the bottom eyelid across to the outer edge ending in a puddle of dark oozing red blood—still not dry. A white ice pack hung across my eye. “How is your pain?” a cheerful nurse inquired.
“Zero,” I replied, “no medication needed. It just feels a little itchy,”
That night as I adjusted my head on my pillow so I didn’t disrupt the 16 stitches holding my left eye together, a thought came to me. Two weeks ago, I didn’t know that blepharoplasty was even a thing. Now I know that things are not always as bad as you imagine them.
Recently my wife Deborah took a grandson to the Bean Museum on the BYU campus. They have many animals on display. As they walked around our grand son said, "Grandma, That animal is dead but it was once alive." He did that over and over. After visiting the museum Deborah and Crew went over to the BYU Bookstore. Upon seeing a display of BYU football mannequins Crew said, "Grandma, they are dead but they were once alive."
Which grandmother?
Another grandchild came into town recently. He has two sets of grandparents who live locally including us. Upon arriving in town he said, "Mom, I want to go over and see the grandma with ear rings."
Jean DaBell by Ashley DaBell
Last year my daughter Ashley’s mother in law, Jean DaBell went in for a gallbladder operation. When they opened her up they found she was filled with colon cancer. Over a period of three months she tried various cures with to no avail. She was in tremendous pain. Once Ashley visited her at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in SLC. Ashley got there after hours but went in anyway. They talked and laughed and had a wonderful time. Finally Ashley said, "Are you in pain?" Jean said yes, but I can't call for help because if they come in here they will see you and kick you out. Ashley had a special relationship with Jean. Last Sunday the 12th of December 2021 Jean, bedridden, in pain and tired started to fade. Her exhausted husband slept next to her and Jean’s daughters and Ashley woke Jean up every hour to administer pain meds. Late in the evening Jean took her last breath with Ashley watching. Her husband, Dan, slept. The daughters asked if they should just let Dan sleep. Ashley said, "No, we don't want him to wake up by himself to a dead Jean." So they woke Dan and told them Jean had just passed away. One of the daughters turned to Ashley and said, "You seem comfortable with death."
Pistol Packing Mamma by Leo Mathias
I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas in 1948. I mostly got around the country by hitch hiking. In those days, soldiers were held in high esteem. One day as I walked onto the highway in my uniform, three cars stopped to pick me up. However, this one day I found myself on a lonely road with very little traffic. A lady stopped to give me a ride. As she drove, she shelled peas with one hand and drove with the other. I helped her shell the peas. I asked her where she was headed and she told me to the next town to pick up her kids. I told her that very few ladies that were traveling alone have stopped to pick me up. “You must be a very trusting person.” She said, “I don’t know how trusting I am, but I am not afraid of anyone, including you.” She wore a long flowing skirt that came to her ankles. She then lifted it up to her knees. She was wearing a leg holster and in it was a 44. It had a pearl handle and a short barrel.
Hit by a Wave by Gayle Reese
“My brother, Kent was very protective of me. I remember swimming at the Santa Monica beach with our family. A huge wave came right over the top of all of us. I was little at the time. I can still remember what it felt like to be totally out of control under the water, hitting the sandy bottom and being tossed around. I felt like I was going to drown! A hand reached down and grabbed me and pulled me to the surface. It was Kent!”
The Generator by James Gardiner
In the midst of the great depression of the 1930s, many of us were delighted and fascinated by the marvels of radio. For our family, scratching out an existence from the dusty, alkali flats of southern Idaho, owning a real operating radio seemed impossible. We did not have electric power nor could we afford a battery-operated set. On General Conference Sundays, some of us walked the mile and a half to town to listen to the radio a local storekeeper provided for KSL radio conference coverage. We enjoyed hearing President Grant and the other authorities. For some of the Joe Louis fights, we walked about a mile south, to the checking station, to listen to the radio report of these matches. We loved the contact radio brought. From a single headset, a crystal radio leaves a lot to be desired for family listening. We were delighted when Grandpa Hulet sent us a battery operated “Airline” radio, complete with gooseneck speaker. We dipped into our savings and mail ordered “B” and “C” batteries. We pulled the 6-volt battery from our 1926 Chevy to power the filaments. It worked. We had a celebration and were soon fans of the great radio programs of the 30s. That radio brought a new world to us.
We were very frugal radio listeners. Only important listening was allowed. But the batteries were a problem. Especially the “A” battery from the car. We seldom ran the car because we could not afford the gasoline. As a result, the battery seldom got charged. After we ran the battery down on the radio, starting the car was a chore. We had to crank the car or pull it with a horse to start it. That can be a problem on an icy morning.
For all my life, I had seen my parents toil to exhaustion trying to keep up with farm and family needs. Washing clothes had always been a difficult task for my mother, who insisted on cleanliness. I recall her boiling the clothes, then scrubbing them on a wash— board, then rinsing and wringing. Even with the help of children, it was a tedious, never—ending burden. But once washed and wrung, clothes were hung out to dry in the ever-present south Idaho wind. They were gathered in dry, fresh and wonderfully clean.
At the end of a summer, my brother and I were looking at washing machines in a Sears catalog. We knew our mother needed to be spared from some of her burden. We checked the prices on washers driven, not by an electric motor, but by a one-cylinder gasoline engine. Remember, we did not have electric power. As I recall, the price was about $43. We pooled our savings and found we could handle that much. But hold can! The catalog showed a gasoline driven washing machine that came with a generator to charge a 6-volt battery! How much more to include the generator? About $5. With that feature, we could do the washing and charge the battery at the same time. No question, we decided to order the machine with the generator. We would have only a few cents left.
Then our mother got involved. How about your tithing? The bubble burst. We paid our tithing and ordered the washer without the generator. We were disappointed but were pleased that our mother and the family would benefit.
As delivery time approached, we were excited by the difference this machine would make. Each day after school, we dropped by the post office—freight depot to check on the arrival. Finally, it came. We checked the sturdy, wooden shipping crate and noted the address. It was ours. We peered between the case slats and admired the shiny new machine — complete with a small gasoline engine and a coiled, flexible exhaust pipe. But alas, there was something extra connected to the engine. Could that be a generator? It looked like a generator to me. What a cruel twist of fate! Sears had sent the wrong machine. Obviously, the washer would have to be exchanged for the one we had ordered and paid for. We were out of money and discouraged—another long wait for the matter to be corrected.
Our father picked up the mail, including a letter from Sears. They said, “We are sorry we could not supply the unit you ordered. We hope the unit shipped will be satisfactory.” It was.
Bad Habits by Leo Mathias
I can’t remember how old I was, but I was quite young. I lived with my Aunt and Uncle Edith and Nelson Cane on their farm near Basalt, Colorado. My uncle was a professional cowboy, hired to ride the range, where ranchers sent their cattle to feed on the grass in the high country. He had 75 different cattle brands to identify. He rode his horse 22 miles to get to the area where the cattle were grazing. He then rode through the herd to check for sick or downed cattle.
One day, he bought a 1929 Chevy coupe with a horse trailer. He loaded the two horses on the trailer, and we rode to where he worked. I enjoyed the ride in the old car. As we traveled up the winding dirt road, he put it into second gear, and the gearshift lever would rattle and vibrate. I would then hang onto it. I loved to hear the engine labor and the gear noise the transmission made. It would often lull me to sleep.
One of my duties was to roll cigarettes by hand for my uncle. I took some cigarette paper and loose tobacco and roll it into a cigarette. I rolled 25 cigarettes for him and 20 for my friends and me. In the evening, we would smoke them. We looked forward to that each day. It was fun. It was like a reward. When I got older and entered the service, I never really continued the smoking habit, except in the evening after a successful day. It was like a reward. Some years later, when I joined the Church, I had to quit the habit. When you develop a bad habit it becomes part of you like a fabric woven in your body. But even now after a good day, I will take a toothpick and make believe I am smoking it.
Temple Buddy by Leo Mathias
When I was serving in the Los Angeles Temple, I had a friend who was fun to be with. We kidded each other, laughed and had a good time. One of the Temple Patrons overheard me call him Brother Worthless. She was appalled, said I was insensitive and owed him an apology. He took advantage of the situation and told her that I made him feel bad daily and sometimes he was almost reduced to tears. She reported me to the Temple authorities and they told me to knock it off. The Patrons do not know when you are kidding.
Donuts by Leo Mathias
In 1950, I was serving in the Korean War. On occasion the kitchen crew would give us a treat. Sometimes they made donuts for us to eat. At about 2 am, I was on inner guard duty, which meant I was near the kitchen. The baker had just completed making donuts and went off somewhere to sleep. I looked at the pile of donuts and they smelled so good. I tried one and it was still warm. I had never tasted anything that good! So I had several more. I couldn’t stop until I had eaten a dozen or more. The outer guard soon picked up the donut aroma and he came to investigate. He also helped himself to the donuts, among others. In the morning, there were no donuts to be found. When the company commander found out about the disappearing donuts, he was furious.
Sometime later, the baker said he would make us some more donuts. This time the company commander said he would assign a special guard to watch the donuts. I was assigned to watch the donuts. During the night, a friend of mine approached me and asked me for a donut. I told him if I gave him a donut, I would have to kill him. I had been given special orders to shoot and kill anyone who takes a donut. If there were not 200 donuts on the table in the morning, the donut guards would be held responsible and would be shot. In the morning there were 200 donuts on the table.
Home Teacher by Leo Mathias
I was living in the Highland Park Ward in the Glendale Stake in the 1980’s. My junior companion and I had many widows to home teach. We had orders from the Bishop to bring our work clothes, our tool box, a song book, and the sacrament tray when we made our visits. Whatever was needed, we provided. If the door didn’t open properly, we fixed it right then; if there was a gas leak, we crawled under the house, found the problem and repaired it. We sang them a song and administered the sacrament.
There was one very elderly lady that we visited. One day, the visiting teacher contacted me and said that she would be out of town for two months so would we look after the elderly lady. We made our visit the first month. That Sunday as we drove by her house, there was an ambulance there. We stopped to ask the driver what had happened. He said that the elderly lady had passed away. I asked if it was from old age. He said, “No. It was from malnutrition because she had no food in the house.”
When we told the Bishop, he was very angry. He told us we were supposed to look after her and we let her starve to death. He told us that if this was not a volunteer service, he would have fired us. He was very unhappy with us and he didn’t let us forget it. The next family that he assigned us to visit, he told us not to let them starve to death. I don’t think he really ever forgave us for the elderly lady’s death and can you blame him?
A Near Fatal Mistake by Leo Mathias
During the war in Korea in 1950, our tank company had been engaged in heavy fighting for some time. We were all very tired. I was on guard duty. It was 2 am; I was exhausted, and kept falling asleep. My knees would buckle, and I would crash to the ground. This happened a number of times and was becoming quite painful. There were some nearby bushes and trees. I managed to hook my field jacket shoulder strap on the branch of a tree. As I hung there, I must have fallen asleep. Suddenly, I woke up and realized a figure was coming toward me. I tried to shoot, but I could not get my safety switch to release on the rifle. Try as I might, I could not get it to release. When you are on guard, you are supposed to holler out loud, “Halt, who goes there?” Then the passwords are exchanged. If the passwords are not correct, then you shoot. I did none of that. It was my error.
The next day I overheard the sergeant telling the captain, “If you go around checking on the guards at night, find out where Mathias is on guard and don’t go there, because he will try to shoot you.”
Elmo the Dog by Leo Mathias
This incident took place around 1994. We were living in Castaic on Gilmour Rd off Hasley Canyon. My dog Elmo was getting old and sick, so I took him to the animal shelter.
The attendant asked, “What do you want us to do for your dog.”
I said, “Put him down, he’s quite old.”
She said, “Ok say good bye to your dog.”
Elmo was inside the compound and the attendant held him with a lease. His back was to me and I was looking at him through a chain link fence. I said, “Elmo I guess this is good bye. We have had a lot of good times together. I took you every place we went and we lived in the fast lane. Often in the evening we would get a half gallon of chocolate ice cream and we would make it disappear together. I knew it wasn’t good for you but it was your favorite and I liked spoiling you. And when I get into the next world I’ll look you up and we will get another half gallon of chocolate ice cream and once again we will make it disappear.” Elmo then turned his head and looked back at me. When our eyes met he spoke to me with his eyes and said thank you. The attendant then led him away and he never looked back. He was ready to go and I knew it and he knew it. It was a pleasant goodbye and I left there with a good feeling.
Harley Motorcycle by Leo Mathias
I guess we all need some kind of therapy to cope with Life’s stresses. Activity in the church has proven to be the best for me. Guidance and direction are easily obtained through prayer. But as my days dwindle down, I remind my wife, Leona that we are in the middle of winter; however I still find joy and relief in mechanical things. One of my needs is to have a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Although I have been somewhat overtaken with age, my eyes have become dim and I can no longer keep up with traffic on the highway, I would still love to have one in my garage. My wife wonders what I would do with it. I would start it up daily and listen to the roar and thunder of the engine. As the excitement filled the air, it would become therapy to me and I would begin to heal from life’s wounds. As I walk away, I would turn for one last look and say to myself, “Is this not a thing of beauty?” Not to worry, I have a number of Harley’s and I keep them all in my head.
The Year Is 2010 by Leo Mathias
Bishop Parrish has moved to the southern states. He was our last bishop. He has a number of admirable traits; however I will only mention one at this time. During the sacrament service he keeps his eyes on the speaker and listens intently. I like that. It is an invitation for me to do the same. We now have a new bishop his name is, Scott Muir. He has a manor about him that puts you at ease and you feel comfortable with him and you will know immediately that he is your friend.
Bandini Mountain by Leo Mathias
When our family took a vacation it was our practice to stop and visit a park where the kids could run and play so they would not become bored with the long ride. One day we stopped at a place where there was a very large and high pile of what I thought was walnut shells. The kids were climbing up the pile and rolling down end over end and having a good time. As I stood watching, a worker in the plant walked by. I asked him what they were making, and he said this is the Bandini fertilizer and processing plant. Soon it was time to go and as we traveled down the road my wife asked what stinks. I said, “I don’t smell anything.”
Mark by Leo Mathias
Our first son, Mark, was born with some missing parts. He had only one kidney and there were some other things missing. So he was somewhat handicapped and chose not to marry. He had a good job and retired early but had a weight problem and passed away when he was 49. His mother had always thought that his physical problems were a result of some diet medication that had been prescribed by her doctor to take while she was pregnant. Some six months after his death he appeared to her in a dream and said, “Look Mom, I am all together, and I am happy.” Then he laughed and was gone. I wish he had appeared to me in a dream. I would ask him where are the bolt cutters you said I had that I could never find.
When he was born I visited his mother in the hospital room. I had an experience I will never forget. As she lay there with the newborn next to her, she was glowing and beaming with radiance. As I stood there staring at her in disbelief, she said, “Haven’t you ever seen a baby before?”
I said, “I am not looking at that baby.” To me it was a new dimension. It was so unreal. She was exalted. She was a creator. She had achieved the highest rank that can be obtained on this planet. Nothing on this earth will ever equal what I saw in that woman that day.
The Stake President and the Corvette by Ronald D. Blunck
Corvette
Paul drove into Stake President Naylor’s driveway in his shiny silver Corvette Stingray. (Start with action)
President Naylor raised his eyebrows and asked, “What is that?” (Dialogue is good)
Paul: “This is what we’re driving to conference.”
President Naylor, humbly got into the front seat.
As they were driving north on the 5 freeway, they stopped for gas in Las Vegas. Paul asked, "Would you like to see how my Corvette drives?" President Naylor said, “I’d love to," climbed into the driver’s seat and took off.
It wasn’t long before they came across a hitchhiker along the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. President Naylor, compassionately, slowed down. Paul excitedly asked, “What are you doing?”
President Naylor replied, “That man needs a ride!”
Paul quickly pointed out, “We only have two bucket-seats! Where is he going to sit?”
President Naylor replied, “On your lap!” and calmly slowed to a stop. Frowning, Paul opened the door and the man climbed in and sat on Paul’s lap!
That was the last time Paul let President Naylor drive his Corvette. (Paul’s five second moment)
Jeff’s Baby Blessing by Sandra Blunck
It was time for my brother Jeff ‘s baby’s blessing in the Glendale West Ward sacrament meeting. I remember Dad talking about what happened during the blessing. When it was time, Dad took Jeff from Elaine and carried him to the stand where those assisting in the blessing gathered around. Dad said, “. . .we present this child to give him a name and a blessing which he shall be known upon the records of the church and by family and friends and the name is . . . .” There was a long pause as Dad tried to remember the name he and Elaine had chosen. After a few moments he glanced around wondering what to do when he noticed the Certificate of Blessing lying on the podium and read, “Jeffrey Linn Gardiner”, and finished the blessing.