Lessons Learned Along the Way

Much earlier this morning, while reading and pondering the words of the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah, my mind once again was taken back to revisit many of the past experiences in my life.
It is true that some caring friends and associates have expressed sympathy to me about many of the the "trials" which they believe that I have previously endured in my life, but they also usually fail to understand the blessings which only were made possible for me from the tide of those events.
Admittedly, as a much younger man, I would have preferred that my life to have been as comfortable and free of challenges as possible, but, now having had the benefits and blessings from life's "School of Hard Knocks", I now have come to cherish the perspicacity of those lessons learned from those adverse circumstances.
That price that I have paid to become acquainted with God and to receive the ministry of Angels (both Heavenly and Earthly) has been a privilege for me to pay.
Because of becoming intimately acquainted with Him in my extremities, I have been richly blessed with absolute faith in the Loving Providence and Supernal Wisdom of Our Father in Heaven.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Memories (A Letter to a Friend)

Dear (name redacted),
You are not alone with your frustration about being forgetful of things you wish you could remember.
All of us forget, or even repress, lots of our memories, and it's annoying.
It's also a side effect of having the veil over our minds to prevent us from remembering our pre-mortal experiences, in order that we may progress in this life and develop faith.
(several paragraphs redacted here)
There also is much that I don't remember from my own life..
When I read my previous personal journal entries, sometimes these memories come flooding back to me, but sometimes those entries are as if a stranger wrote them, even though it's in my own handwriting and it's a description of the type of behavior that I recognize as being uniquely me.
We are taught that, when we are resurrected, we all will know as we are known.
Every one of our memories will be restored to us, both from this life and before we came here to Earth.
This will include the good and the bad, as well as those memories that we previously and deliberately repressed.
We also are taught that it is our repentance and acceptance of the Atonement of Christ that will cause us to learn from all of those memories, and not suffer from those awful ones.
Another thing comes to mind just now, and that is how we often do and say (or don't do and say) many things that tremendously influences and gets the immediate attention of others, even when we have no awareness of what we are doing or that it is being noticed.
Many times, and to my chagrin and regret, I have later learned that others have noticed me (or even grossly misinterpreted my intentions) in ways that escaped my knowledge at the time.
Sometimes what others have noticed about me was gratifying, but, far too often, others have been hurt or offended by me.
That is especially troubling when I wasn't even aware that I was having such a negative effect, and being such a discouraging example for them.
For example, I remember visiting with the Brant family at their family reunion several years ago in Romney, West Virginia.
(another paragraph redacted here)
One of the twin girls told me then of an earlier experience with me in the Cultural Hall of the old Columbia Street Meetinghouse (in Cumberland, Maryland).
Fortunately, that experience with me made a good impression on her (she was just a very little girl then).
At the time, I was unaware that she was watching me, and I don't even remember that she even was in the room and sitting beside me.
I also can think of negative examples, but won't go down that path.
You get the idea.
Larry

Previously Sent to an LDS Friend

Dear XXXXXX,
The weather was wonderful, and the crowds at theme parks always are minimal on Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.
Such was the case for us on our Labor Day outing.
It was a wonderful day and I had a good time, even though I wasn't completely recovered from cold/flu, and started to lose steam early in the afternoon.
The love of my coworker friends in making this day possible particularly buoyed me up.
However, in response to your question about comparing this day with a day at the Temple, I cheerfully confess that there's just no comparison with the satisfaction I receive from doing proxy work for those who have waited so long to be released from Spirit Prison.
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Below is my message to the coworkers who made this day possible for me.
Larry

To Roy and Suzy: Thank you so much for allowing me to tag along with you to Hershey Park in Pennsylvania. I especially enjoyed the "gay lemonade ride" at the end of the day with Roy ;).
To Denise: Thank you for calling my bluff and grubstaking me for this outing. You surprised and outmanuevered me. Touche'!
Even though I probably shouldn't have gone anywhere until my cold/flu was completely cleared up and I quickly lost stamina early in the afternoon, it was well worth it, and the day will be one of my special memories.
The congestion, fever, bodyaches, and nausea now have returned in force, so it's back to bed right now for me.
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