My last Sunday in Morristown

Today I was asked to speak on the atonement of the Savior. It's ok, because I would have, anyway.

I talked about people in the scriptures who have moved, usually with mixed emotions.

Abraham says he had to find another place of residence. He wanted to be a follower of righteousness and a possessor of knowledge. Then a greater follower of righteousness and a greater possessor of knowledge, and to obtain the blessings of the fathers, which came from being a High Priest in the holy priesthood, and to be a father of nations.

Lehi was commanded to move his family into the wilderness, on the way to obtaining the Promised Land. He left behind his gold, silver and precious things.

Joseph Smith, Sr, had to move his family from Vermont to western New York.

Abraham went to a place, a "strange land" the Lord called it, without knowing much about it. But he did it to obey the Lord.

Lehi went knowing nothing about where he was headed, but he obeyed.

Joseph Smith took his family west, about the time the crops failed in New England from the Tambora eruption the year before. Rivers and lakes froze over in the northeastern US in July and August, and most crops failed to even germinated, let along reach maturity.

If the Lord wants you to move, he'll find a way to get you to move. Usually the cards are in play long before you need to go. He plans ahead.

We are moving in the same way. I had applied over ten times for different jobs to no avail. Kept coming in second place or failing utterly. The last time was to Amarillo. I was bitter about that. Turns out a married couple needed to be together and so the Lord played their cards first. That is as it should be. It is not right for us to be blessed at the expensive of someone else being cursed. If we are patient, everyone can be blessed. He has it all under control.

When Jehovah was in heaven with us before the earth was, he was God, even the First Born of the Father. He created all the earths and heavens even before he was born in the flesh. He had reached Godhood even as an unembodied spirit.

Yet, as Abraham, he found it was needful for him to obtain another place of residence. Like Lehi, he came to earth not knowing fully what mortal life would be like. This says nothing about his omnipotence. He still had to learn like we did, by living in a mortal body and feeling pain, temptation, sorrow, and joy. Like Joseph Smith, he was fulling the commandments of God.

Abraham was promised the Promised Land as a place to raise his children forever. Jehovah was promised the Earth to raise his children, or those who are born again because of him, forever.

See? Moving is not so bad.

On the way home from church, I was feeling pretty down. It was the last time I'd pull out of the parking lot there. Loni said, "Dad, don't look on it as the end. Look on it as just another chapter in your life."

That helped a great deal. Thanks Loni.

My children teach me still, after all this time, I still learn from them. Cindy is so full of goodness, there is not one mean bone in her, and she only wants to do good continually.

I am blessed.