June 21, 2020
I hope that everything is going well with the ward members. I miss you greatly.
On this Father’s Day, I have been thinking about my father a lot this past week. What a wonderful father and example he has been to me and my family. I miss him,
Let me share a song that was written by my sister, Janet Tolley titled: “I Am Thankful God Made Fathers”. She submitted this song to the church for consideration for publication. The lyrics truly express my feelings about my father and his role in our Heavenly Father’s Plan of Happiness.
Here is the few lines of the chorus:
I am thankful God made Fathers for their lives and for their love. By divine design they buide us to our home in heav'n above.
I have been pondering about my role as a father on Father’s Day. During this time of upheaval in the world I wrote an article that I published on Medium.com, “View of Racism by a White Father of Two Black Children”.
Here is a small part of the article:
- When My son was in the 1st grade, we were contacted by a neighbor whose daughter was in the same class. During this particular day, my wife was at the school presenting a spotlight on our son and talked about him being adopted. They related this simple communication they had with their daughter at the dinner table that evening.
- She sat down, visually upset about something. “I just found out that Shawn”, my son, “was adopted.” She and Shawn were friends, they had played together outside of school and were also friends at church. Here is a young little white girl, confused about adoption but now understood that Shawn was not our biological son. She didn’t see color, she saw a friend, a boy her age who she enjoyed. She did not connect the idea that he was different in any way. Father in Heaven loves all of his creations equally. These two children of mine are mine. I’m blessed, given the chance to be their earthly father. I love them as much as I do our other children.
In the church, there has been some discussion lately about marks upon peoples in the scriptures. This has been a topic in our home as we have been addressing racism and other questions related to diversity. I was reading 2 Nephi 30:5-18.
6 And then shall they rejoice; for they shall aknow that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their bscales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a cdelightsome people.
2 Nephi 30:6
This verse refers to the mark as being as “scales of darkness…” in “their eyes”. What a wonderful way to view this variance of those identified as not following the commandments and not accepting Christ. This is the only variance we should allow in our hearts. Yet still, need to be accepting of all as Christ was accepting of all. These verses continue to explain the environment which will be naturally created at Christ’s return.
God talked with Moses about his creations and that he continues to create. He knows us because he created us.
4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore alook, and I will show thee the bworkmanship of mine chands; but not all, for my dworks are without eend, and also my fwords, for they never cease.
Moses 1:4
Remember his statement in Moses 1:39,
39 For behold, this is my awork and my bglory—to bring to pass the cimmortality and deternal elife of man.
Moses 1:39
Let me testify of the goodness of God. He loves all of his children and simply wants us to return to him at the completion of our human existence. Christ is there with arms open waiting to receive us if we but “turn” to him.
I love you all,
Bishop Anderson
Hear Him – Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles