Gratitude is Happiness Doubled by Wonder

    Is it legal to be especially grateful for a single kind of animal? I love  the mountain goats of the Wasatch mountains! Perhaps I love them because we share an appreciation of the beauty of the high elevations. I love their agility and confidence, their "family unity," their beauty and dignity. I love that they have often let me walk among their herd very peacefully. My first experience with the goats of Timpanogos came in the early 1980s. I learned later that they had only recently been reintroduced into the area, but I was unaware of them at the time. As a single college-age kid, I was spending the night in the Emerald Basin, and had made my campsite. I was sitting at the top of the Primrose Cirque overlooking the beautiful scenery. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a white shape climbing up the steep ridge off to the north. From my vantage point in the evening light, it looked like a man in a white robe, and I wondered if I was having some kind of religious experie...

 I had a dream last night that took me back many years to a happy period of service in the Orem Canyon View Stake. It was interesting in the dream to relive both joys and challenges of that time. While I #GiveThanks for the privilege of serving and the blessings and joys I felt, I also appreciate the wisdom of temporary assignments, and of allowing others to take their turn of sacrificing time and energy, and blessing others with their inspiration and experiences.

 "Nature has been for me, for as long as I remember, a source of solace, inspiration, adventure, and delight; a home, a teacher, a companion." (Lorraine Anderson) I love the peace that comes from being outdoors. Majestic trees (such as this ponderosa in Yosemite), delicate flowers, the intricate symbiosis of organisms; the majesty and variety of the animals who adapt and coexist in the broad and varied environment; the colors and formations of mountains, canyons, cliffs, and valleys. There is infinite variety, but the more we slow down, the more we appreciate how glorious creation is. I #GiveThanks for the privilege of hugging a tree.

British poet William Wordsworth once wrote of encountering a beautiful field of daffodils while he was wandering the countryside, and being enthralled as he enjoyed the wonder of the sight. He ends the poem with this reflection: I gazed—and gazed—but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. I feel the same of many of my precious memoriess, similar to Wordsworth's experience. This photo of me was taken seven and a half years ago by my friend Wade Meier. I remember the day vividly. It was July 24 and a group of friends were enjoying one of the prettiest days ever on Mt. Timpanogos. The colors were brilliant; the smell was divine. I can recall the buzz of the happily polinating bees in the field. When this photo was taken I was creeping along, trying to get the perfect angle for...

You knew it was coming, didn't you?? Scholars think the ancient Chinese were the first to create desserts using frozen cream. The process has been refined and perfected through the centuries. The Italians are particularly good at it now. But one of my joys in life has been to discover variations of fine ice cream or gelato all around the world. In a broader sense - perhaps it is only when one temporarily loses the sense of taste and smell (as sometimes happens with COVID), or when one has issues with vision (as I did earlier this summer), or when one has trouble hearing (as sometimes happens with aging) - only when we lose the gift of sensing the world around us do we appreciate how incredibly rich our lives are because of our senses! That richness includes listening to the sounds of nature or to beautiful music; seeing a glorious mountain vista or a spectacular sunrise; smelling the purity of mountain air or the fragrance of a wildflower. And yes, tasting a delicious ice cream. I ...

My father's mortal experience ended when I was 7 years old. He didn't get the privilege of seeing his five children mature and marry, and have children of their own, or feel the special joy of being a grandfather. I now have grandchildren the age that I was when he left us - a whole generation of extra time. So I #GiveThanks for the gift of one more day, a priceless ongoing sharing of joy.

  My childhood and youth were profoundly influenced by my two grandmothers. I didn't have the privilege of knowing either grandfather; both died years before I was born. But these two women truly made a difference for me. My father's mother, who died when I was not yet 13, helped instill in me a love of reading and hard work; my mother's mother was with us for 26 years of my life and helped me appreciate languages, world culture, and temple service. Both were women of deep and lasting faith in God, and helped plant those seeds firmly in my heart. I #GiveThanks to Mary Ellen Davies Kenison and Elise Schmid Frey for the good they did for me.

  As the years go by, my heart has continued to spread around the world. I wonder how many more locations will capture a portion in coming years? But we #GiveThanks for these locations and the special memories each holds for us. 1. I was born and raised in the shadows of Utah's majestic peaks, and will forever hold this place dear. 2. Early in life I learned to love Germany, my mother's homeland. It's been wonderful to visit and explore the culture and history. 3. I also learned to appreciate Samoa, where my grandfather was born and where I have many cousins and relatives. Still need to visit to cement the love! 4. As a young man, the call to serve a mission in Brazil was completely unexpected but a remarkable blessing. 5. My first job out of college was in northern Virginia, where I met and married my sweetheart, had our sweet Sarah born, and I survived cancer. 6. We were only in Colorado for two short years, but loved the wholesome mountain setting - and adopted our son M...

  THE HUMAN BODY has built-in systems of maintenance and repair that are astonishing. They can often correct anomalies, fight off invaders, repair injuries, and compensate for abnormal conditions. Right now I am observing my body fight off the coronavirus invader. I can certainly feel the impacts of the virus; and though I can't observe the process, I trust that antibodies are being rapidly created that will eventually disable the virus attack and then will stay in my body to prevent future invasions. It's truly a miraculous process. We do what we can to help with nutrition, exercise, sleep, etc. And in some cases for reasons we're not sure of, it isn't enough and the invader wins. But in general, God has blessed us with a pretty amazing machine. #GiveThanks

I love our magnificent, beautiful earth in all its splended variety - but especially the elevated parts that call me to "rise up." I am very thankful for a body that gives me the ability to get to places that take my breath away. #GiveThanks

I'm so grateful for the privilege I had to be a Daddy! We were only privileged to have one precious daughter born to us, and then adopted a wonderful son. But my sweet wife and these two little cuties have made my life meaningful and worthwhile. #GiveThanks