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The Ministry of John L. Smith
P. O. Box 9
226 West Main
Vol. 1 October 1, 2002 No. 6
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The Mormon Olympics
The
Salt Lake Olympics which planners denied being the "Molympics,"
and indication that they were overly influenced by the Mormon Church,
but today the top Olympic chief, also a Mormon, declared that divine
intervention was at play during the 17 day event.
Fraser
Bullock, now president and top executive officer of the SLOC (Salt
Lake Organizing Committee) made the assertion.
Bullock became the chief financial officer, now CEO after Mormon Mitt
Romney who served during the Olympics quit to run for governor of
Massachusetts, according to an Associated Press article in the 10/3/02
Salt Lake Tribune.
Bullock, a BYU graduate, quoted the Mormon prophet Brigham Young
as saying of Utah, "Kings and emperors and the noble and wise of
the earth will visit us here."
Bullock said the Olympics proved that prophecy!
The
current prophet, Hinckley said, 140 dignitaries including our
president, vice president and most of the cabinet, along with others
had visited the games.
After
the games, Hinckley said, "We have witnessed the fulfillment of
that prophecy in these recent days.
A
storm hit the area just 15 minutes after the stadium emptied.
Romney said "that was the punction mark of who really was in
charge."
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I'VE COME A FUR PIECE!
I've
come from the days of the Model "T." When country
roads weren't paved, when we rode and drove horses.
At our
school house we finally got carbide lights! Some of my
schoolmates rode horses to school. I even rode one for awhile.
Usually there were gasoline lanterns for night functions. I
preached my first sermons in country school houses. I used to
preach on the street every Saturday.
My
wife was a country school teacher. When we married she had a
car. I did not realize until later that she had just paid $17.00
down on it.
I had
hitch-hiked to college. I rode a city bus through Oklahoma City
and then hitch-hiked again the rest of the way. The city bus
cost .15 cents for two slugs. I used the second one on my
way home several weeks later.
People
would pick me up and say, "Sonny boy, where are you going?
Do your parents know where you are?"
I used
to walk several miles to my first engagements. I had to start
pretty early on Sunday mornings.
I
started preaching on the street when I was in college. I was an
'Associational Missionary for a while, probably the youngest in our
Convention. I purchased a used '29 Ford with 21 inch wheels so I
avoid most of the 'high-centers' on the country roads in my area!
In my
first 'city' church my people were embarrassed when I would go down on
the street Saturday afternoons and after a candidate or two
campaigning for public office had spoken, I would step over where the
candidate had stood, before all the crowd walked on, and begin
preaching.
My
people were embarrassed! Some told me so!
I was
so young, in my second pastorate that one day I was in the high school
building. As I walked down the hall I paused to read something
on the bulletin board, a teacher stuck her head out of a classroom and
said sternly, "Young man, you get yourself back in your
classroom. Right now!"
That
teacher was a member of my church, but she hadn't been to the church
since I had become it's pastor.
She
never liked me!
I
preached 59 funerals during that pastorate, four years.
Then
my wife and I and our three kids" went to the mission
field!" New Mexico!
We
moved to an area more than 6,000 foot altitude. My wife cooked
some beans one day in an open pot and refusing to heed my reminder
that they should be cooked in the pressure cooker, we sat down to eat
and when she poured out the beans, they just rattled!
Water
there boiled at 180 degree!
We
lived a block from the main street. It was slightly upgrade to
our house. Because of the altitude I would have to rest on my
way home. It was hard to keep from trotting down hill to the
stores.
By
that time I had a wire recorder. They predated the tape
recorder, video tapes, etc.
A
visitor not used to our altitude, went to sleep while I was preaching.
After the service she apologized She apologized that afternoon
when I saw her at the cafe. She said it was not my sermon, it
must have been the altitude.
The
next day I saw her again and she apologized again for "going
to sleep while I was preaching."
I
said, "that's all right Mrs. _______, don't worry about it,
I made a recording of that sermon yesterday morning and after I
went to bed last night I decided to hear it, and I went to sleep
too!"
Then
we moved to Utah! Boy, were things different there!
Every
time I met a new person, at the store or filling station or wherever,
he would say, "what part of the south are you from?"
Then he'd ask what 'ward' I attended. That way before we had
talked even a minute he knew I wasn't a Mormon.
After
about a week we had company every night Monday through Friday!
Where I'd come from in rural Oklahoma, when a fellow came to your
house, you would always invite him in.
It
took me several weeks to realize that they were all coming according
to a plan. I soon learned who to expect each night.
Though
they introduced themselves as members of 'the' church, they used the
same words I used so do it was very difficult for me to realize that
our belief's were far, far apart.
We
used the same words but they had entirely different meanings. To
them, God was a man with parents, wives (note: wives), Christ was the
result of an affair that God had with his own daughter, Mary! I
soon learned that they believed Christ and Lucifer had the same
father!
My 17
years in Utah were most interesting.
Then I
got a slide-in camper and my kids were all in college or married, so
my wife quit her job as a teacher and traveled with me.
Our
first long trip was 9 1/2 months long. We traveled form Utah to
the east coast, and visited about every state in the northeast except
Maine. That is the only state that I've not been in!
I've
spoken in 44 states including Alaska and Hawaii. I've spoken
over 7,000 times on one subject!
I've
spoken through the years in chapel and classes at some of the largest
and most prestigious colleges and seminaries in the land,
Southwestern, Midwestern, Golden Gate, Dallas, seminaries, and
Tennessee Temple, Bob Jones University, etc. I have spoken in
many of the largest and most prominent churches in the land through
the years, First Baptist Albuquerque, Houston, huge churches in
Dallas, Del City, Altus, Lawton, Ardmore, Chickasha, Hugo, in
Oklahoma, etc.
And
I've written 10 books, one of which was printed 10 times, 10,000
copies the last time!
I told
you I'd come a "Fur Piece!"
And
barring some unforeseen problem, I'm not through yet!
As I
was thinking of writing this, (I woke up long before my getting up
time this morning), and I thought of an experience many years ago
when I was preaching on the street in Ogden, Utah.
After
I had finished, a young fellow walked up to me and told me he was from
Arkansas, and that he was in the Air Force at Hill Field (Utah) and
that his wife and kids were back in Arkansas. She was a Baptist,
and did not want to move to Utah where they had heard that Baptist's
were few and far between.
He
said, "I'm going to go call her and tell her I've just heard you
and I think she will be glad to come."
A week
or so later she and the kids arrived. This began a half-century
of friendship and support.
After
a while in Utah he was transferred, I think through the years he
served in Japan, North Africa, Oklahoma and perhaps five other places,
before returning to Arkansas.
He
later became a Christian. They were stalwarts in their church
wherever they lived.
She
began sending $5.00 a month to my ministry. Throughout the years
I believe we have received a gift for our work every month
since that time.
As
time has passed, she's given more and more. She still sends a
gift each month, now many times that first amount.
For
years they've lived in the Little Rock area of Arkansas. I was
always welcome to stop by, usually to speak in their church, and
fellowship with them and their kids, who are now grandparents!
Then,
about 1995 I received a call. Her husband had just died, and she
asked me to speak at his funeral. I went, spent a couple or
perhaps three days in the area, stayed with a son and grieved with the
family, but I shall never forget the wonderful friendship and support
of that lady and her wonderful family.
Yes,
I've come a fur piece, but I'm not through yet. For five weeks
recently, I went each Sunday evening to a nearby church at their
invitation - to speak an hour each time to their people.
They
had just returned from a trip to Arizona with some of their young
people who'd intended to witness in the area. But they were
overwhelmed by the Mormon population there! They needed help!
I'm
only sorry that I was not able to speak to their young people before
their visit to Arizona! There are only about 5.3 million people
in Arizona, but they have more than 300,000 Mormon. And they
have 634 congregations in the state.
I've
come a Fur Piece! And I'm still at it!
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