Just some thoughts

 As you all know, I'm the secretary for the Cook Family Organization.  Each month we meet to discuss genealogy and the projects we are working on as a committee.  One of the things that has been done recently are some great little videos on the Phineas Wolcott Cook Family Organization Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/cookfamilyorg/videos

I hope you'll all take a minute to watch these videos and learn a little bit about Phineas' grandfathers--Daniel Cook, and Jonathon Churchhill.  Daniel Cook served faithfully in the revolutionary war.  Marcia Marshall is on the committee with me and she has spent a lot of time trying to build up our social media presence.  Besides the videos she regularly posts stories and anecdotes.  Please check out our Facebook site.

Yesterday at the meeting we talked about the economics of the time, and Brent Hale, another committee member, had written up a little pamphlet of Phineas' ledgers that he kept.  It gave great insight into the economics of the time period.  Phineas worked 5 1/2 to 6 days a week--and he worked 12 hour days.  If he worked less, 8 or 10 hours, he would notate it.  At one time he was making 12.5 cents per hour.  That later increased to .25 because he was a construction manager. Potatoes were cheap and beef and other meats were relatively inexpensive, but flour, wheat and sugar were extremely expensive--especially before the Saints had built up their industries in the valley to produce some of their own commodities.  For example, Phineas paid an average of $1.98 per bushel of wheat which was his most important food purchase.  That bushel today only costs us about $5.50.  If the rates had increased at the same rate as labor costs, we would be paying $217.00 per bushel of wheat today.  The early pioneers spent approximately half their income on food (and the comment was made that the food wasn't even very good).  Today, most people spend only 13% or so of their income on food.  It was interesting to see how difficult it was for the pioneers to make enough money for the basic essentials of life.  Phineas' work ethic was also amazing.

In my studies this week I came across an Ensign article from 2010 "Lehi's dream Finding Ourselves in Lehi's Dream" from 2010 August Ensign.  Boyd K Packer talks about being in the war when he was young and how destructive it was.  He said that back then, that was the test of life--to destroy in war, and not let it destroy you, physically, spiritually and morally.  Then he said, 

"You too live in a time of war, the spiritual war that will never end. War itself now dominates the affairs of mankind. Your world at war has lost its innocence. There is nothing, however crude or unworthy, that is not deemed acceptable for movies or plays or music or conversation. The world seems to be turned upside down. (See 2 Peter 2.)

He lists some of the moral decay of the day (2010) including  dignity and lack of respect for authority.  No modesty or neatness in dress and grooming.  A disdain for the rules of honesty, integrity and basic morality.

"Conversation is laced with profanity. You see [this] in art and literature, in drama and entertainment. Instead of being refined, they have become coarse.

Elder Packer then refers to Lehi's dream and asks us to liken the scriptures to ourselves.  This next quote really hit me.

"Largely because of television, instead of looking over into that spacious building, we are, in effect, living inside of it. That is your fate in this generation. You are living in that great and spacious building."

So, if this is true, then how do we fight against it?  We hold to the iron rod. 

"If you hold to the rod, you can feel your way forward with the gift of the Holy Ghost, conferred upon you at the time you were confirmed a member of the Church. The Holy Ghost will comfort you. You will be able to feel the influence of angels, as Nephi did, and feel your way through life. The Book of Mormon has been my iron rod."

I loved this article and I hope you'll take a few minutes to read it.  It was applicable 11 years ago, and as with most things stated by our leaders, it is even more applicable to today.  

 "The Book of Mormon talks about life after death: what happens to the spirit (see Alma 40:11–12) and what happens in the spirit world (see 2 Nephi 2:29; 9:10–13). All of the things that you need to know are there. Read it, and make it a part of your life. Then the criticism or mocking of the world, mocking those in the Church, will be of no concern to you as it is of no concern to us (see 1 Nephi 8:33). We just move forward doing the things that we are called to do and know that the Lord is guiding us."

Also in my study this week I came across this quote--also by Boyd K. Packer:  "We need not fear the future.  We have every reason to rejoice and little reason to fear.  If we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we will be safe, whatever the future holds.  We will be shown what to do." ("Cloven Tongues of Fire" Packer; August Ensign 2010) 

So, while at times we may be looking out from within that large and spacious building, and we are seeing hatred and divisiveness all around us, we know that we need not fear if we cleave to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

I don't have any pictures of the week except the cute one Hyeji shared with us of her and her sweet little sister Yuli, with Dojin looking over her shoulder.  She must have been helping out her parents.  She's a good helper.  She came over Saturday and helped grandpa and me with a few chores around the house.  Then she made some delicious cookies before she went home.  She told us that Dojin and Yuna really wanted to come, too, but she told them that she'd just be working.