Thoughts and stories, by Pal

An "extra" today! I wanted to write an entry on "integrity" , and had found notes our son Wayne had sent to us after he had given a talk on "integrity".  When I decided to write I couldn't find them, and did blog # 76.  Then today, in cleaning my desk, I found them !  So I decided to put them in as a new entry, as I really like them.   INTEGRITY (as given in a talk by Wayne M. Eckman – son of Wayne D and Paralee Miles Eckman) Our son, Wayne Miles Eckman, State Farm Agent, and in Tabernacle Choir. "The dictionary defines integrity as “honesty, sincerity, completeness, wholeness, an unimpaired condition.”  It means that one having integrity could be trusted by his every word and his actions would be consistent with his beliefs, even when nobody is watching.  All of us desire that kind of genuine integrity, but occasionally we compromise what is our inner core we know to be true and right.  Thankfully, through the atonement of Christ, we ca...

 This subject, the Church in China , is especially interesting to us.  We had a son, McKay go on a mission in the 1980's to Taipai, Taiwan, and we now have a grandson serving in the Taichung, Taiwan mission.  McKay married a lovely Chinese girl, Kim, whom he met at BYU Hawaii.  We have a loving relationship with her family. Photo of McKay's and Kim's wedding.  Her parents came from Taiwan for the wedding.  See blog # 40. Last night, Friday Jan. 24, 2014, we went to a very interesting fireside in the St. George Tabernacle, by Brother Lynn Blake.  He  was born and raised on a small farm in Northern Utah.  He went on a mission to Germany when the Berlin wall was still up, after having been an exchange student to Germany when in high school.  Brother Blake has served as a Bishop, Stake President, Mission President (Canada Halifax Mission). He worked for the Missionary Department (51 mission presidents in the three Europe Areas), Temp...

What is integrity ? That word inspires me, and I have wanted to write about it.  When writing about our pioneers, and ancestors, I feel their integrity.  Our lives are so important in the eternal scheme of things, that we need to live with integrity, so we can truly have happiness in this life, and in the life to come. On December 18, 1835, The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote, "I could pray in my heart that all my brethren were like unto my beloved brother Hyrum, who possesses the mildness of a lamb, and the integrity of a Job, and in short, the meekness and humility of Christ; I love him with that love that is stronger than death".   What a comfort such a brother was to the Prophet who had so many turn against him, both in and out of the Church.   (Italics and bold print added.)                A painting of Joseph, left, and his beloved brother Hyrum. By 1841,the saints had left Missouri because of increasing persecuti...

I WANT TO BEGIN WITH A QUOTE I REALLY AGREE WITH! Pres. Thomas S. Monson (quote below) Don’t be afraid to walk out of a movie, turn off a television set, or change the radio station if what’s being presented does not meet your Heavenly Father’s standards. In short, if you have any question about whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is appropriate, don’t see it, don’t read it, don’t participate.  (This isn't about the following story ------  Just WISDOM! ) An interesting situation with Wayne's father Roy 's family .  We told about him and his parents and grandparents in yesterday's blog.  John Emanuel Wengren Eckman and his wife Margaret Turnquist, Roy's parents, came from Sweden with one child.  They had a second child in Sweden who died at about 2 months old, and she had a child shortly after they came to Utah.  That child lived only 6 days, possibly to the difficult trip they had coming to Utah.  Lat...

    Tonight I'll tell interesting things about my husband Wayne D Eckman's father, and his ancestors from Sweden.   Wayne wrote, in the book about his ancestors:  (Pages 39, and on to 48)    I want to acknowledge my gratitude to our wonderful missionary system and to the missionaries who visited Sweden in the year 1880, C.P. Larsson and Elder Gillan, both of Murray, Utah, who preached the gospel to our forebears and converted them. Those were my father Roy Waldamer Eckman's parents, John Emanuel Wengreen Eckman and Margaret Christine Turnquist, and Roy's grandparents, Johan and Anna Gretha Wengreen, and Erik and Carolina Soderbom Turnquist.    Roy's father’s 3 sisters and 2 brothers and his mother’s only sister were all baptized and emigrated to Utah, some in 1881 and others in 1883. Grandfather Johan Emanuel Wengreen Eckman was born in Tierp, Sweden, August 15, 1836. He was Roy's grandfather, and left Sweden in 1881 with his 2 sons, Willia...

I believe tonight, I'll just say a few personal things.  At times I probably will tell some about our life today.  My husband Wayne is a Temple Ordinance worker, and he has already gone to bed to be able to get up, Monday morning, at 4:45 a.m., to get ready to be at the Temple at 6:00 a.m.  He stays until the 11:20 session is done, usually about 1:30 p.m.  I usually try to go to an ordinance session on Monday morning, as I want to go at least once a week.  I've heard there is a second new Temple film, and I'm excited to go.  I love the Temple, and remember a wonderful blessing I got over 60 years ago, from Brother George E. Miles, a Patriarch, for whom I typed blessings when I was around 18 to 20 years old.  (What a blessing that was to me!)  His wife had died, and in those days, the Patriarch spoke slowly and it was written down by hand.  He always kept his train of thought, and never asked to have anything read back to him. In that blessi...

 This photo was taken on my mother Ruth's 80th birthday celebration.  From left to right, Vina, her son Curtis, Bud's mother "Bain", and Ruth, our mother.  All have passed on but Vina.  (1988)  Mavis on the left, Mom, (Ruth) 9 years older than the above picture, me (Pal,) and Vina. (1997) Mother was then in Porter's Care Center.  She lived a year and 9 months longer after this time.                     Three sisters, about 2012, Vina, left, Mavis, center, amd me, Pal right. Wayne, acting up at a 4th of July celebration in Menan, Idaho, when visiting with Allen, about 2010. A fun picture!  On the right is Anita, about age 15, at a Young Women's activity in Sandy, 1970's.  This picture was taken at a family reunion with the three sisters and families, Mom Miles (Ruth) in the back. I'm holding Angie, when she was a baby.  Can you recognize others?  Some I can't! ...