More of My History (Edited Excerpts of a Letter to a Friend)

Most outsiders only are familiar with the mega-metropolitan parts of the East Coast, which I also don't like.
The rest is an entirely different world and culture (and usually conservative Republican).
Many are amazed at the amount of forest, farmland, mountains, and open spaces that are still extant here in the East.
My MCEA (Maryland Classified Employees Association) union (www.mcea67.org) is independent and not affiliated with the AFL-CIO, which, unfortunately, and in my opinion, far too often is more focused on perpetuating itself than helping its members.
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Just as our country's early "Minutemen" fought for individual liberty and free agency, so do I try to do the same for workplace job justice and individual freedom of choice through MCEA.
It's a moral issue for me, about which my Patriarchal Blessing also gives me strength and direction.
My politics are moralist libertarian, and decidedly populist.
I can't abide ... limousine liberals like Kerry (or most liberals of any stripe - more government control of our lives is anathema to me).
However, the sometimes intolerant religious right..and repressive Old Guard in the Republican Party also makes me uneasy.
Still, on balance, I prefer most Republican Party Platform principles, and I already have begun working for Mitt Romney for President in 2008.
Falling Waters, WV has a very small waterfall (almost hidden), from which its name derives, and I really like the much larger "Muddy Creek" waterfall at Swallow Falls State Park in the mountains of Western Maryland.
The spelling and pronunciation of my surname was mangled by the difficulty of pronouncing it ("Koooompf"), so the family anglocized it's spelling and pronunciation several generations ago (Kump now is pronounced like "Dump", with a hard "K", but others still try to spell it with a "C" and, for some odd reason, try to put an "R" in it- Arrrgh!).
My ancestors included Hessian (German) soldiers who fought for the British during the Revolutionary War, were captured by George Washington during the Battle of Trenton (NJ), were confined for the rest of the war at Fort Frederick (between Clear Spring and Hancock, MD), and, after our country's independence, became farmers in the mountain valley of Cove Gap, PA.
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Patrick Henry of Virginia also is one of my great Uncles, and my hero since I was just a little guy, but I didn't know of our blood relationship until I was converted to the Gospel and researched my family history.
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I was born in Chambersburg, PA, and lived for a short while thereafter in Greencastle, PA (on Ridge Avenue), but my family moved to Hagerstown, MD when I was almost six.
I attended school in Hagerstown (except for a few months in Greencastle), went to the local Community College, and then transferred to Frostburg State College in Frostburg, MD for my B.S. degree (majors in Political Science and Social Science, minors in economics, geography, and philosophy).
I was converted to the Restored Gospel at age 14, but my parents opposed my choice in this, so I "fell away" in a sense (but still believed).
I finally was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( see www.mormon.org for more about my faith) at age 21, when I was a college senior.
My family was extremely unhappy with me, but it was a choice I've never regretted.
I previously was Executive Director of the Indiana State Employees Association, another independent public employee union, and fought it's takeover by the AFL-CIO. After they won, I parted company with them (in 1989).
Subsequently unable to find employment in my chosen field, I became an itinerant worker at whatever I could find until I finally accepted my current prison case manager job in January of 1991, where I still am active in workplace job justice and other individual liberty issues.

Old Friends & Memories (with a Special Postscript)

Ray A. Geyer, my boyhood friend (since age 12) and the one who introduced me to the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ (see "Best Buddies" entry at this blog), telephoned me from his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last night.
As we caught up on recent events and reflected together about our past and current trials and triumphs, some recent promptings further crystallized in my thoughts and understanding.
It has long been known to me and other members of my LDS faith that all of us existed prior to our mortal births and that we all came to Earth "trailing clouds of glory".
To that end and as a part of our eternal journey, a veil of forgetfulness has been placed over our minds, in order that we may better learn, progress, and grow in faith.
However, even our memories of our everyday life here and now are much obscured and repressed, much more than most of us realize.
Nevertheless, all of these memories also will be restored to us upon our resurrection and we will know as we are known (See Book of Mormon: 2 Nephi, Chapter 9, Verse 14).
Reflecting further upon this, I then thought about Lee Ann, Debbie, and Svetlana; three lovely ladies in my life, each of whom I previously sought to marry at different times in my life.
Sadly, Debbie died in the Recovery Room of a Chicago hospital, Lee Ann was murdered by a drug addict, and Svetlana lost her life in a passenger jet airliner crash.
While continuing to ponder in prayer about these three ladies, I was given to know that each of them now are really happy.
They have no regrets, and each is much involved in good works on their side of the veil (Also see LDS Doctrine & Covenants, Section 137, especially verses 5- 9).
And so it is that the Atonement of Jesus Christ will restore all to us, including our premortal as well as mortal memories.
Through His redemption for our sins, He also will wipe away all our tears and heartaches, as we accept and rejoice in Him and Our Father's Plan of Happiness for us.
For more of this about all of that, visit www.mormon.org or call 1-800-438-7557.

Postscript:
Last Sunday, while deliberating about some other issues in my life, I finally decided that it would be prudent to seek out a Priesthood Blessing under the hands of two of my fellow Priesthood Brethren.
Consequently, Brothers Darvin Perez and Jeremy Betts annointed my head and laid their hands upon me to give me a blessing through this sacred Priesthood ordinance ( See King James Bible: James, Chapter 5, Verses 14 - 15).
Brother Perez is Hispanic, and although I could not comprehend a word that he said as he annointed me, it was not necessary for me to understand Spanish.
Immediately upon the touch of his hands upon my head, it was as if a fire coursed through my veins, filling me with a sense of comfort, love, and of obstacles being removed from my path.
As Brother Betts joined his hands with Brother Perez', to seal this sacred annointing, the intensity of the experience continued, and the words he spoke mirrored much of the promises I received on November 29th, 1969 in my Patriarchal Blessing (See "Patriarchal Promises" entry at this blog).
Neither of these two humble brethren knew my personal history or had any previous knowledge of the promises of my Patriarchal Blessing.
That's how the Priesthood of God works, when it is wielded in humility and love, by those who have been called and ordained of God.