The Liverpool Mormon Yankees

I awakened to a -24 degrees reading on the thermometer this morning. Seems the air is coming in the form of the Arctic Express today. Jake came with dinner last night, and he was in a rental car with bald tires. He got stuck in the road on the way out, but we were able to extract him from the snowbank and send him on his way in frigid conditions. Always good to remember that “slow is best” during the winter on the ranch road.

It’s also Martin Luther King Day in America, and the 60th inaugural of a new POTUS, this time it was Donald J. Trump. It’s January 20th, 2025. 

I drove out of here after starting a fire in the stove to warm things up. It was 50 degrees on that side of the house. I went to Heber City for breakfast and listened to much of the inaugural proceeding on the car radio.

I was asked by Melanie the other day if I had ever written about the Mormon Yankees. I remembered writing about them tangentially in previous posts, but never intentionally. So today I will tell the full story.

To appreciate the context I must first lay a foundation. President Henry D. Moyle was one of Grandfather Lee’s favorite people. He was a wealthy businessman before being called to the apostleship, and he and Grandfather became fast friends. I was privileged to be his home teacher for a season in the Federal Heights Ward where we all resided. 

President Henry D. Moyle

Because of his success in business, President Moyle was what most people today would have called a very progressive thinker. For example, he favored rapid building of Church chapels throughout Europe. In addition, he sought and found prominent buildings for the Church to purchase then convert into mission homes. He wanted the Church to establish a “presence” throughout Europe. He reasoned that if missionaries were successful and added to the ranks of the members, the resulting tithing revenues would easily accommodate his expansionist vision. He does what most people who spend first, then hope for the best, also do without having the cash in the bank.

He served eventually as a counselor to President David O. McKay, succeeding the venerable President J. Reuben Clark when he died. It was clear President Moyle would have a vigorous role to play among his brethren of the First Presidency. Eventually, there would be four counselors serving simultaneously with President McKay as he aged, and that proved to be an unprecedented development that had never been seen in Church history, nor since. Two of the counselors, Alvin R. Dyer and Thorpe B. Isaacson were not ordained apostles. 

That development ended when President McKay was succeeded by President Joseph Fielding Smith, and Harold B. Lee and N. Eldon Tanner were named as counselors.

There were signs the Church was growing, but not fast enough to keep up with all the spending. Today, we would call it “deficit spending.” President Joseph Fielding Smith, who was serving as the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Harold B. Lee sought to put a damper on the profligate spending, and were aided by President N. Eldon Tanner of the First Presidency, all of whom were fiscal conservatives. Together they reined in spending and put the Church back on a sound fiscal footing. From 1970 until today, we are reaping the benefit of that conservative approach to Church finances.

T. Bowring Woodbury (l) and President McKay

That’s a quick snapshot in Church history to provide the background. President T. Bowring Woodbury at the time was serving as the president of the British Mission. He shared the expansive vision of President Moyle, and he was what we would likely call a “super salesman” in today’s world. It's not my purpose here to provide the complete litany of abuses that arose in that era. Those have been thoroughly documented elsewhere. Later, he would finish his business career as a vice-president in marketing at Zions Bank, where I knew him. (Coincidentally, President Jeffrey R. Holland and Elder Quentin L. Cook served as missionaries in the British Mission under President Woodbury). He was always a natty dresser and forever a promoter in the first rank. As a mission president he sought to put the Church “on the map” by promoting the Church in every way he knew with aggressive programs to baptize thousands where only mere hundreds had been the historical precedent. He instituted something called “baseball baptisms.”

The elders would gather at local parks throughout England and play baseball together. It was a novelty that attracted many youthful English participants. They would play with the Mormon elders, then go swimming in the nearby pools and local bathhouses where baptisms were performed. The numbers of baptisms soared, and the program was deemed a rousing success. This was way before the Osmonds made their rise to prominence to assist with marketing the Church, and the American baseball playing missionaries scored a lot of baptisms that pleased their promoters.

But there was a problem. The success was neutralized by the vast number of “converts” that were lost due to lack of follow up and fellowshipping on the part of the local members where they resided. Many of those “converts” would attest years later that they had no idea they had been baptized into the Church. The expected tithing revenues, therefore, failed to materialize, and the Church’s deficit spending caught up and threatened the Church financially during the Sixties.

That’s where I come in. I went to the North British Mission in 1967-69. One of my first assignments as a new missionary was to look up some of those ill-gotten converts. Our instructions were to seek them out, and if we could locate them ascertain their level of interest in the Church. President Spencer W. Kimball was by then supervising the work in England. My companion and I were given about 2500 names to research. If they expressed interest in the Church we were to embrace them and encourage them further. If they knew nothing about the Church and we were unable to arouse any interest we were to excommunicate them and strike their names from the records of the Church. I used to joke that I excommunicated WAY, WAY MORE than I baptized in my two years in England, and that was no joke - it was true. We failed to find most of our 2500 names.

President Wilford H. Payne was my first mission president. He was an advocate for “legitimate” baseball among missionaries. He elevated the effort by subscribing our North British Mission team in a semi-pro baseball league (“The National League”) sponsoring teams throughout England. We were exclusively Americans back then, and we competed against other American teams mostly comprised of servicemen in the various branches of the military serving in England. It was all above board, hoping to offset what back then was a never-ending onslaught of negative press from many sources. 

I joined what we dubbed the “Liverpool Mormon Yankees,” called to play by President Payne when I had been out about four months. There was also a “London Mormon Yankees” team. We were headquartered in Liverpool and the nearby Wirral Peninsula. I took Mom there with me years later to visit my old stomping grounds, though it didn’t resemble the old days much when we were there as missionaries. The team had been playing for three years before I joined them. We did well, playing other teams within our mission boundaries, and we did well enough that we went on to play in regional tournaments, then down to Nottingham (outside our mission) to play for the national championship. Here’s the line score from my Google search:

We took home the national trophy. I have to say the competition wasn’t really that great. Baseball was in its infancy back then in England, and it has never overtaken the national pastime of football (“soccer” is what we call it here).

Truth be told, it felt like that summer was one long holiday for us. We even got in a long weekend of spectating at the British Open golf championship that happened to be played within our zone boundaries that summer. The instruction from our zone leader was to “proselyte” among the spectators. It’s in quotes because that didn’t happen at all.

President Lenard R. Robison succeeded President Payne as our new mission president in July. He came to one of our games, and he told me later it was his strong impression after witnessing it firsthand to shut it all down. His instincts were right on point. He also told me that was when he knew I would be one of his Assistants someday before I went home. 

I am so grateful to have lived long enough to witness the day when President Russell M. Nelson has put the Church unerringly on a path of single-minded discipleship to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and temple worship. May we never again return to the days I lived through in England as a baseball-playing missionary. I am simply illustrating here what the contrast has been historically.

We didn’t attract many converts because of our exploits as baseball players, I’m sure. For all the hype that went along with it there was very little substance that converted to baptisms. We attracted a lot of young English lassies, some of whom were members, most were not, but we were little more than an interesting sideshow. Parenthetically, if you do a Google search for “Mormon Yankees,” you will discover a basketball team organized in the Fifties in Australia.

Eventually there would be seven missions throughout the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. We were on the front end of converting districts into stakes, and that part was fulfilling and rewarding. I have written elsewhere of my interactions with Grandfather and Aunt Joan when they visited my mission during the time when I had a challenging assignment with my “greenie” Elder Shoemaker in Gateshead up in Northumberland. 

So the chapter on the Mormon Yankees ends with my affirmation that even seemingly frivolous ventures can bear long-lasting fruits. We baptized the niece of the branch president during our assignment on the Wirral Peninsula while playing baseball. That was the summer back in the day, when native branch presidents thought they were entitled to a summer vacation (not kidding here), and we took over his branch leadership responsibilities while he relaxed. She remains active in the Church today, presuming she’s still living.

I was just sitting down to write when three beautiful young women passed over my threshold - granddaughters Paden, Chloe and Aleyah Goates. They were off for the holiday, and what a delightful trio they are!

I am grateful for each of you, and pray you may all be blessed. The sky overhead is crystal blue, not a cloud in sight. I pray that it may be so for each of you today and always!

Abolish the Electoral College?

I noted an article that appeared in The Hill yesterday. Three Democrat senators have proposed a bill to abolish the Electoral College. They bring up an ongoing discussion that never seems to go away. It's the difference between a democracy and a representative republic.

Our inspired Founders as they established the Constitution of the United States sought to prevent a true democracy, fearing that a straight democracy would disenfranchise the minority if a direct election empowered a majority.

The Constitutional Convention, 1787

Instead, they opted for a form of government that instituted a representative republic with "checks and balances." It features three branches of government - the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The elected representatives conduct the business of the people and are accountable ONLY to those whom they represent.

One fundamental principle of a constitutional republic is the protection of minority rights against the potential tyranny of the majority. This design counters direct democracy, where majority rules could potentially ride roughshod over minority interests. The U.S. Constitution outlines various checks and balances intended to prevent any single branch of government from gaining absolute power, thereby protecting individual rights from being infringed upon by majority vote.

The key element of this style of government is the separation of powers among branches of the government, a system meant to foster a balance of power. The legislative branch makes laws, the executive branch enforces these laws, and the judiciary interprets them. Each branch operates independently from the others to prevent any accumulation of power, adhering to the principles laid out by the framers of the Constitution.

Think of the background from which our Founders had escaped. They were subjects of the Crown of England, and they were seeking freedom from what they viewed as a despot in their King. When John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, affixed his signature at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence he wrote it boldly and as large as he could. He quipped that he wrote it so large so that "the old fat King" would not have to use his spectacles to read his name, but that story may be fictional.

As it unfolded in the debates over the form of government Americans would adopt, the electoral process distinctly forms the basis of the U.S. as a republic. Citizens do not vote directly for laws and policies but instead elect representatives who make these decisions on their behalf. This filter theoretically places an informed decision-making body between the populace’s desire and the law, which aligns with the characteristics of a republic.

It is not surprising that in the aftermath of this most recent national election there would be some who would once again seek to blur the lines between the very issues our Founders debated. The conflation of "democracy" and "republic" in contemporary usage often obscures their distinct historical and Constitutional meanings. 

A democracy, in its purest form as practiced in ancient Athens, involves direct participation of the citizenry in legislative decisions. While democratic, this approach was deemed impractical and potentially volatile by the framers of the U.S. Constitution, leading them to form a constitutional republic. This system combines representative democracy with foundational laws that protect individual rights and minority opinions against the potential tyranny of the majority.

During recent political upheavals, some commentators and politicians have asserted that calling the United States a democracy is incorrect, preferring instead the term "republic." This assertion, seen in media portrayals and political rhetoric, often suggests that appreciating the United States as a republic exclusively helps safeguard against the flaws of a pure democracy. Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) comments from October 2020 exemplify this stance as he described the American system as not one of mere majorities but rather as a “constitutional republic” where majority rule is tempered by statutory and constitutional boundaries. (Congressional Record vol. 166, no. 171 [October 8, 2020], statement of Sen. Mike Lee).

Having read this far into this post, some may simply say, "So what?" Well, the answer is it DOES make a difference what form of government we choose. 

The Electoral College is the process by which Americans elect their President and Vice-President indirectly through their state's electors. Candidates must secure 270 electoral votes, a majority of the 538 at stake, to win the White House. 

Before the general election, states select slates of electors. After voters cast their ballots in November, the candidate who wins the popular vote determines which slate of electors — Republican, Democrat or a third party — will cast electoral votes in the Electoral College for the president. 

In most states, it's winner-take-all — whoever gets the most votes in the state wins all of its electoral votes. 

In Maine and Nebraska, the rules are slightly different. They have a proportional representation system in which the winner of each congressional district is awarded one electoral vote, and the winner of the statewide vote is awarded each state's remaining two electoral votes. Some Republicans were hoping to change Nebraska's rules to a winner-take-all model, since one of its electoral votes often goes to the Democrat, but the effort fell short. 

Electors meet in their respective states in mid-December to cast their votes for the president. The meeting takes place the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December, which fell on Dec. 17, 2024. 

There is no Constitutional provision or federal law that requires electors to vote for the candidate to whom they are pledged, though they almost always do. "Faithless electors" are rare, since the electors are selected by the parties.

There are 538 electors in total across the 50 states and Washington, D.C. 

Each state is allocated electors based on the size of its congressional delegation. Several states with the smallest populations — Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming — have three electors each, since they have one representative in the House and two senators, while California, the largest, has 54 electoral votes.  Washington, D.C., is also allocated three electors.

By spreading power and influence throughout the nation, we see the wisdom of our Founders. However, be aware that there will always and forever, it seems, be people who lose elections and seek to reverse the history of the Electoral College. They usually fly under a banner labelled "Progressives." 

Put me down as a "Traditionalist."

It's a New Year!!

We have turned the page in our calendars and we have welcomed 2025. The election results were certified by Congress this week in the Electoral College, setting up the January 20th inauguration of our 47th POTUS, Donald J. Trump. He returns after a four-year exile, and already the surge in energy politically is resounding throughout the world.

Trump is no minimalist thinker. He is proposing buying Greenland (yes, the country), taking back control of the Panama Canal from China, annexing Canada as the 51st state (yes, the whole country apparently), putting an end to the unnecessary war between Ukraine and Russia, downsizing the Washington D.C. swamp of excessive governmental agencies, and oh yes, shutting down the borders and exporting the criminals that have been allowed to enter America illegally. Did I miss anything? Probably, because no matter how you describe it "Make America Great Again" is going to involve a lot of agenda items. 

There are razor-thin majorities in both the House and the Senate this year, and it appears that majority is ready to take on the world at the jump when Trump officially is sworn in. No matter whether you believe the MAGA hype or not, it has the feel of a BIG DEAL about to be unleashed. If even a small percentage of his agenda gets enacted it will no doubt affect the lives of Americans here at home and potentially the lives of nations elsewhere.

The gloating over the election victory is getting a little tiresome, if you ask me. I am weary to the point of exhaustion over all the hyperbole on display. The partisanship is frankly disturbing. It has extended in the extremity to Trump roundly and squarely placing ALL the blame on Governor Newsom (D-CA) for the raging wildfires exploding in Los Angeles County. Trump says he warned Newsom repeatedly about his ill-conceived policies that shrunk the water supplies, and now California is suffering because of the unheeded cautions Trump raised. Politicizing EVERYTHING must end, I pray.

It appears Trump has selected a team of cabinet members from among the ranks of the best and brightest to kick off his last hurrah. This slate of party faithful will be turned loose to tackle some big issues, and one can only hope they will be successful, regardless of your leanings politically. Can we really unite behind this new leader? He is signaling early his proclivity to speak his mind. He has no further political aspirations - this is his final shot to fulfill his MAGA promise, and so far he is withholding nothing in his verbal arsenal. He's already held more news conferences than his predecessor did for four years. My counsel to my family recently was "Buckle Up." Change is coming.

I was reminded the other day about something Joseph Smith said. Lorenzo Snow reported a day when someone came and asked Joseph Smith, “Who are you?” To which he replied, “Noah came before the flood. I have come before the fire.” (See this report of President Snow under entry of January 1, 1892, in diary of Abraham H. Cannon, vol. 16, p. 30). What could he have meant by that answer? 

Truman Madsen offers this: 

That leads to a probing question: How much did Joseph Smith know about himself and his own calling? Clearly his knowledge grew and expanded from the initial encounters of the Sacred Grove. But what really was implicated in that tantalizing phrase picked up by enemies and friends, “You do not know me”? Or, in his turning to people on the stand (this happened at least three times in Nauvoo) and saying, “If I revealed all that has been made known to me, scarcely a man on this stand would stay with me”? (“The Prophet said to me [Brigham Young] about sixteen years ago [at Kirtland], ‘If I was to show the Latter-day Saints all the revelations that the Lord has shown unto me, there is scarce a man that would stay with me, they could not bear it’” (MS 13 [September 1, 1851]: 257). 

In another case he said, “If the Church knew all the commandments, one-half they would condemn through prejudice and ignorance.” (HC 2:477. Compare George Q. Cannon, in Conference Report, April 6, 1900, p. 57).

Some readers of this page may not know about Joseph Smith. Search deeper into this blog and others to resolve your curiosity. Suffice it to say he opened this last dispensation of the fulness of times. He sought guidance from his Father in Heaven in a humble prayer in the spring of 1820, and was answered in a glorious vision from both the Father and the Beloved Son Jesus Christ. He organized The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830, in Palmyra, New York. I revere him as a mighty prophet of God, who was followed in succession until the 17th President Russell M. Nelson, who now presides in his 101st year in mortality.

We have seen "the fire" now in Los Angeles County with no end in sight. Legion are the Biblical prophecies about fire in the latter days that will threaten to consume the whole earth before the Second Coming of our Lord. 

We will yet see many horrific scenes before that day comes, and we can do all that we can do to forestall it through all the political machinations the mind of man can conceive. However, the building of modern-day temples will predominate our work as Latter-day Saints to ensure the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil. Those sacred ordinances performed within the temples will seal our progenitors to their families as fervently as we know how to do that work. 

I was asked recently what I do when my loneliness overtakes me from time to time since the death of my beloved wife Patsy. My simple response was, "I don't stay at home; instead I go to a nearby temple and perform an ordinance." It's never been easier to do temple work than it is right now, and I pray I may be independent enough to go and accomplish that angelic mission for as along as I am able.

I look forward with great anticipation for the events of 2025 yet to unfold. I am a born optimist by nature. In saying that, I recognize the gravity of the Machiavellian contrivances in which the world finds itself today. Those who seek for power to work their plots through subtlety and deception always seem to come to a deadly end, however. Eventually the truth will out.

So what is my prediction for 2025? That the day will come in the not too distant future when Joseph Smith and his successors will yet shine forth when all other solutions fail on the grand stage of political intrigues. President Russell M. Nelson has unleashed an era of temple building worldwide that will continue to accelerate around the world. That eternal work of providing ordinances to our kindred dead who now reside in the spirit world will go forward without ceasing from this year onward.

I claim no special gift of prophecy here, but that's about as safe a bet on the future as I can conceive of making. 

Oh, and I AM NOT given to hyperbole.

Happy Boxing Day, 2024

In England it's bigger than Christmas, yet widely ignored as a "holiday" in the United States. What exactly is Boxing Day?

I quote from Wikipedia:

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Boxing Day was once a day to donate gifts to those in need, but it has evolved to become a part of Christmas festivities, with many people choosing to shop for deals on Boxing Day. It originated in the United Kingdom and is celebrated in several Commonwealth nations. The attached bank holiday or public holiday may take place on 27 or 28 December if necessary to ensure it falls on a weekday. Boxing Day is also concurrent with the Christian festival Saint Stephen's Day.

In parts of Europe, such as Catalonia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Romania, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Latvia and the Republic of Ireland, 26 December is Saint Stephen's Day, which is considered the second day of Christmas.

Etymology:

There are competing theories for the origins of the term, none of which is definitive.

The European tradition of giving money and other gifts to those in need, or in service positions, has been dated to the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is unknown; it may refer to the alms box placed in the narthex of Christian churches to collect donations for the poor. The tradition may come from a custom in the late Roman and early Christian era, wherein alms boxes placed in churches were used to collect special offerings tied to the Feast of Saint Stephen, which, in the Western Christian Churches, falls on the same day as Boxing Day, the second day of Christmastide. On this day, it is customary in some localities for the alms boxes to be opened and distributed to the poor.

The Oxford English Dictionary gives the earliest attestation from Britain in 1743, defining it as "the day after Christmas day", and saying "traditionally on this day tradespeople, employees, etc., would receive presents or gratuities (a "Christmas box") from their customers or employers."

The term "Christmas box" dates back to the 17th century, and among other things meant:

A present or gratuity given at Christmas: In Great Britain, usually confined to gratuities given to those who are supposed to have a vague claim upon the donor for services rendered to him as one of the general public by whom they are employed and paid, or as a customer of their legal employer; the undefined theory being that as they have done offices for this person, for which he has not directly paid them, some direct acknowledgement is becoming at Christmas.

In Britain, it was a custom for tradesmen to collect "Christmas boxes" of money or presents on the first weekday after Christmas as thanks for good service throughout the year. This is mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary entry for 19 December 1663. This custom is linked to an older British tradition in which the servants of the wealthy were allowed the next day to visit their families since they would have had to serve their masters on Christmas Day. The employers would give each servant a box to take home containing gifts, bonuses, and sometimes leftover food. Until the late 20th century, there continued to be a tradition among many in the UK to give a Christmas gift, usually cash, to vendors, although not on Boxing Day, as many would not work on that day.

* * *

I became acquainted with Boxing Day as a young missionary serving in England in 1967-69, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We found it was a marvelous time to knock on doors in our neighborhood, and we often found men at home with their families in a relaxed and joyful setting. It was a happy time for all concerned, especially us. We were the recipients (and sometimes the givers) of unexpected gifts from those we contacted. Everyone just seemed friendlier and more welcoming.

Christmas is historically a wonderful time in general. However, for those who are suffering it is a sacred opportunity for those who have to give to those who do not. Everyone seems more inclined to look to the needs of others outside themselves. It is the spirit of Christmas, indeed the spirit of Christ, that infuses each soul with a spirit of generosity and kindness. 

Boxing Day seems to emulate all these best traditions, and I have always wished that in America we could ennoble the practices cites above more completely. Unfortunately, we don't have the longstanding traditions we observe in the United Kingdom. That's why, I suppose, we jettisoned the tradition of Boxing Day at some point.

When I stop to consider why we don't have more of the attitude of preserving the best of Christmas Day on every other day of the year, I must confess it's hard to implement high ideals no matter what the correlation between an elevated sense of goodness and surrendering to our baser instincts. It's just hard, isn't it, to rise above the crowd going about their selective brands of misery. We can catch a glimpse of greatness like we see embodied in Jesus Christ's life when we celebrate Christmas, but it isn't easy to maintain His high ideals on every other day of the year.

So now we stand on the threshold of another New Year that looms around the next corner next week. We can view it as another opportunity to resolve to do better in whatever ways we wish. I remember a good brother in our ward many, many years ago who was asked to talk about "New Year's Resolutions" in sacrament meeting the week after Christmas. He astoundingly took the position that such an exercise was futile and he had never engaged in such a trivial and worthless pursuit. This was a man who had emigrated from England some years before that, and had carved out a wonderful life for himself and his family as a very skilled tradesman. He caught us all off guard because his assigned topic would have suggested his assent to the premise of setting good goals for the coming year.

I have reflected this morning, all these years later, on his position. Like most Englishmen I have known, he was outspoken, assertive and not the least bit shy about sharing his headstrong opinions. The fact I am remembering so vividly what he had to say is an evidence of the impact he had on me. 

So let us resolve here and today on Boxing Day that we will live better one day at a time in 2025. Let's agree that we will not make sweeping and lifelong commitments to ourselves that we may not be able to attain because they might be too grandiose or unattainable from where we stand today.

Rather, let's be generous with ourselves, relying alone upon the merits of our Savior Jesus Christ and His perfection instead. Consider these verses to refute the idea advanced by some enemies of the Church (even at this late date) that we are not Christians because we accept the Book of Mormon as the inspired word of God:

"And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

"And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen." (2 Nephi 31:19-21, emphasis mine).

Not only are we devoted Christians, we ARE the restored Church of Jesus Christ, the ONLY true Church with the fulness of the doctrine of Christ, the ordinances, and the approved path leading to eternal life. 

It is my witness after living a long time on this blessed planet that we are led by living prophets today, President Russell M. Nelson in his 101st year being the senior Apostle among his brethren. I love them, and I love the Church they lead because it is Christ's Church on the earth today.

Let's agree, like my friend from England, that we can embrace each day, one day at a time as it presents itself to us in 2025, and not stress unduly over our goals of a lifetime that may seem unattainable today and cause us an undue burden we needn't carry all alone. 

Today is Friday, December 13th, 2024. Should I Be Worried?

Short answer, not unless you are hopelessly superstitious. You may conclude I have WAY TOO MUCH time on my hands these days, and you would not be wrong in that conclusion. I did a little research about Friday the 13th this morning. Here’s a sampling of what I learned:

One source mentioned for the unlucky reputation of the number 13 is a Norse myth about twelve gods having a dinner party in Valhalla. The trickster god Loki, who was not invited, arrived as the thirteenth guest, and arranged for Höðr, the god of darkness, to shoot Balder, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Balder died, triggering much suffering in the world, which caused the number 13 to be considered unlucky.

Christian associations:

The superstition seems to relate to various things, like the story of Jesus’s Last Supper and crucifixion in which there were thirteen individuals present in the Upper Room on the thirteenth of Nisan Maundy Thursday, the night before his death on Good Friday. Judas was the 13th invited guest.

In conjunction with Friday:

While there is evidence of both Friday and the number 13 being considered unlucky, there is no record of the two items being referred to as especially unlucky in conjunction before the 19th century. In short, the idea is relatively a modern invention.

The Knights Templar:

Some cite the arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307, by officers of King Philip IV of France as the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition, but it is agreed the origins remain murky.

19th century:

In France, Friday 13th might have been associated with misfortune as early as the first half of the 19th century. A character in the 1834 play Les Finesses des Gribouilles states, “I was born on a Friday, December 13th, 1813 from which come all of my misfortunes.”

An early documented reference in English occurs in H. S. Edwards’ biography of Gioachino Rossini, who died on Friday 13th of November 1868:

“Rossini was surrounded to the last by admiring friends; and if it be true that, like so many Italians, he regarded Fridays as an unlucky day and thirteen as an unlucky number, it is remarkable that on Friday 13th of November he passed away.”

Dissemination:

It is possible that the publication in 1907 of T. W. Lawson’s popular novel “Friday, the Thirteenth,” contributed to popularizing the superstition. In the novel, an unscrupulous broker takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th. 

* * *

So, there you have it in a nutshell. Like most superstitions, this one is likely powerless. Where I live and from where I am writing this morning, the skies overhead are producing about four inches of light powder snow. It’s been snowing steadily for about ten hours now, and I am told by forecasters this is simply the precursor for what is supposed to be a larger storm coming on Sunday. Just yesterday I read that we have had zero inches of snow so far in December, and so who among snow lovers in Utah would say Friday the 13th is unlucky? Not many, I would wager.

If it were anyone else, this day would pass for just another Friday the 13th, but today is also Taylor Swift’s birthday. I probably live in the Dark Ages in my little corner of 2024, I suppose, but I have NEVER even heard ONE of her songs. 

It’s also Dick Van Dyke’s 99th birthday today, and he’s a famous actor and entertainer with whom I totally relate. Put him together with Julie Andrews, and there’s a duo worth celebrating on any day of the year! 

It is actuarily sound that there are fewer accidents recorded on this day than any other day of the year, simply because people avoid going out. They stay at home to avoid the bad luck associated with Friday the 13th. Take it for what it’s worth.

I chose today to vacuum and do some laundry. Believe it or not, there were still flies to vacuum up in my home this morning. It was a banner year for houseflies where I live, but I am guessing that now that winter is officially here with plunging temperatures and snow on the ground outside there will be fewer of them. Hope springs eternal within me.

By the way, there is at least one Friday the 13th in every calendar year, and sometimes as many as three. Whenever Sunday starts a new month, that month will have a Friday the 13th. 

Hopefully, my little missive of today will give you a full bucket of confidence that you may embrace your normal activities without fear of any bad luck crossing your path. Just to be on the safe side, however, don’t walk under any ladders, and avoid any black cats that may be visible to you. 

But that’s all a story for another day.