Thoughts and stories, by Pal

This article from LDS Living is so appropriate today, on Christopher Columbus' birthday!  It appeared in LDS Living on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014.  It is very interesting! What You Should Know about Christopher Columbus and the Restoration CLARK B. HINCKLEY -  Though everyone knows his name, most people know surprisingly little about Christopher Columbus and the way he shaped the modern world. Fewer still appreciate the role he played in the Restoration and the opening of the last dispensation. At noon on the Ides of March, 1493, a small wooden ship rode the rising tide up the Río Tinto and into the harbor of Palos, Spain. She wasn’t much of a ship—her deck was only about 55 feet long. She was weathered but solidly built and appeared to be newly caulked. She was named the Santa Clara, but was usually called the Niña after her owner, Juan Niño of Moguer. The Niña had last been seen in Palos on August 3, 1492, sailing down the ebb tide with two other ships, the S...

Samuel Miles wrote a detailed journal, and I put it in entries # 128, 130, 133, and 134, if you'd like to find them and read them.  They were back in April, 2014.  He lived a fascinating life!                                     SHORT HISTORY OF SAMUEL MILES  REMARKS BY A GRANDDAUGHTER, SARAH MILES WALLACE, Pal's Aunt                      ----------In the words of my Aunt Sarah -- my father's sister. My grandfather, Samuel Miles, was one of the most humble and appreciative men I ever knew.  He expressed many times his thankfulness to the Lord for many blessings given him.  He was an efficient speaker and took many home missionary assignments.  He found great comfort in the Spirit of the Lord and lived a life worthy of the guidance of the Lord. I remember him as gentle, slow to anger, and used a language fr...

This is a brief history of my own grandfather who died before I was born.  He was 11 years old when they came to St. George as original pioneers.                  INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF WILLIAM GUSTAVUS MILES  WRITTEN BY HIS DAUGHTER, SARAH MILES WALLACE, SISTER TO ORSON PRATT MILES (my father) William Gustavis Miles was born at Salt Lake City, Utah, the first child of Samuel Miles Jr. And Hannah Colborn Miles.  He was born of goodly parents, his grandparents on both sides being faithful Latter-day Saints until the day of their death, and so were his parents.  His father was only seven years of age at the time the family joined the Church and when ten years of age he had read the Book of Mormon through.  His parents and grandparents were real Pioneers and suffered many afflictions as most of the L.D.S. died in the early history of the Church.    (Written by my Aunt Sarah)  I remember heari...

I love Patriarchal Blessings!  When I was about 18 years old I had the amazing blessing of being able to type blessings for an elderly Patriarch here in St. George for a couple of years.  His wife had passed away, and I would take a hand written copy of the blessing and type it out.  They didn't use recorders at that time.  He would quote a sentence, and then wait for it to be hand-written, and then go on, perfectly continuing on with what had just been spoken. I ENCOURAGE ANYONE READING THIS TO AGAIN READ YOUR OWN PATRIARCHAL BLESSING.  IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED ONE YET, IT WOULD BE SO IMPORTANT TO DO THAT AS SOON AS CIRCUMSTANCES PERMIT! !  MY PATERNAL GRANDFATHER, AND HIS FATHER WERE BOTH PATRIARCHS IN PIONEER ST. GEORGE, UTAH.  I'LL POST A BRIEF HISTORY OF EACH OF THEIR LIVES IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.   This is a wonderful talk by Pres. Monson, which tells some very special stories, and when he needed to call a new Patriarch, and his rece...

This inspiring article was printed in LDS Living (www.ldsliving.com) on September 26, 2014.  I saved it for a day such as today!  It really helps us realize how much we have to be grateful for, even on a bad day.  For me, personally, writing this blog has been something I'm grateful for.  It helps me think of positive and inspiring ideas, and lifts my spirits to record them. Actually today isn't a bad day for me--I get my sling off my right arm after having shoulder surgery 6 weeks ago, and I'll be doing physical therapy and hopefully regain the complete use of my right arm.  But these thoughts are worth saving, and remembering.  I hope you all have a wonderful day! 10 Things to Be Grateful For When Everything Seems to Be Going Wrong JANNALEE ROSNER -  When life gets rough, be grateful! There are always blessings in our lives that we miss seeing when our vision is clouded by bad luck or discouragement. We've all heard the phrase that w...

  PAL’S THOUGHTS TO POSTERITY ON MY 80TH BIRTHDAY ! I decided today to put in my blog, the counsel I wrote to my posterity when we wrote our family book in 2006, with some minor changes.  We had our Golden Wedding the year before, and were working on what became a 635  page hard bound book of our lives, and some of our ancestors and posterity.  The book referred to was given to each of our children and grandchildren.   So here it is: ----- It seems strange to be thinking of thoughts to leave to  my posterity, as I feel I still have ten or so more years to  live. If I can live to the age my mother did, almost 91, and  longer, I plan to do as much genealogy as I can, and try to  be a help to my family, and others as much as I can.  This was taken just before we left on our mission to Sweden, in 1994.  Top row, L to R: McKay, Allen, Anita, Delsy, Wayne M., and Wayne and me.  Front row: Jeremy, Pamela, Tacy, an...