Wednesday, February 16, 1994

16 Feb 1994 - turning the swim log into a journal!

400 - 400 reverse IM

600 - 12 x 50's free 4 on 1:00, 4 on :50, 4 on :45

500 - 5 x 100's sprint under 1:00 on 3:00

100 - ez

1600 total

We had a short workout because there is a class at 6:30. We had another swimmer join us. Seth from Salt Lake (he went to Olympus). Also Kelly wants to join us. She is a swimmer from California. She wants to get a water polo team going for next week. She said she'll come in and swim with us at 5:00.

Bryan got his nipple pierced and he had tape over it so it doesn't move around on his titty and fall off. That has got to be the most stupid thing anyone could do. I mean an earring is pooftery enough. But a nipple? Might as well get a sex change along with it man.

Felt good cause I was killing Bryan and Seth in the 100s and averaging 1:00 on the 100s.

Sarah called last night and we talked for a good 30 minutes I guess. From the way she talks, she isn't pushing me away, just asking for a bit of time to get over jack sprat on the mission. We are still going out tomorrow. We are also going to the BB game on Saturday and then country dancing next Wednesday. I'll teach her ball room Saturday here. I still have this intense feeling for her, which is good. I love you Sarah Bowman.

Today in Pearl of Great Price Brother Wightman said how well the papers were done this time. He said he learned much from some of them and took mine out and showed it to the class (about 120) and said some of the points I expanded on the report. He even quoted something I said later on in his discussion. I felt rather honoured, not of man, because no one knows who "Gordy" is with which he was referring. I knew as I got my paper with a "Gordy, you done good! -- 25" on it. Here it is:

Brother Wightman Moses Chapter 6 Gordon Gridley

4 February, 1994

The first few verses in this chapter lead me into pondering the attitudes of Father and Son relationships. For instance in the earlier chapter, Lamech killed his Grandpa because of a secret he revealed. In Chapter six, Adam and Eve are rejoicing over another newborn with which they have another chance to have righteous seed.

Seth did have a positive attitude and honoured his Father and hearkened unto his teachings. He was blessed with a faithful testimony of God. He had a son and Seth taught him. Now a strong seed in the Lord is forming. They had "family prayers" as they "call[ed] upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed them."

Reading and writing was very important as it was a means to record genealogy and words given from the Lord. It was a pure language with which meaning of words had no question as does our confused world of language does today with the many different interpretations.

Now in verse nine, I thought of its meaning. Adam was a literal Son of God. He was physically and spiritual born of God. I believe that just by being a Son of God does not make one a God through simple heredity. Adam was a Son of God, but not a God. He had to do certain things to chose to become a God. By taking of the fruit, it did two things.

One, by taking of the fruit, he lost his heredity of immortalship. But that could never change the fact that Adam is a Son of God.

Two, by taking of the fruit, he could now take those steps to become a God, through obedience and experience.

Through the righteous seed of Seth, Enoch was born. Enoch was in his own eyes, "just a lad", and hated of the people, and retarded in speech. With this humility it was at first difficult for him to be told of the Lord that he was chosen.

The Lord told this servant he wasn't to be relying on his own strength, but literally an instrument in the Lord's hands.

He was told to put clay in his eyes and then wash them. Enoch was now seeing, and this wonderful gift was given to prophesy of things to come.

Enoch knew that the fear of God was much more than the fear of man and so he taught the truth without worry of offending man. So there were many who were marvelling at this "madman" who came to testify against them. The people feared harming Enoch for he was obviously so full of truth.

One point of the teaching that I took notice of is that Enoch does not separate them from him in that they are all related to Adam and they all know him and where he came from. He simply reminds them. "The Lord which spake with me, the same is the God of heaven, and he is my God, and your God, and ye are my brethren, and why counsel ye yourselves, and deny the God of Heaven?"

He relates the conversation of the Lord teaching Adam about how to make solid steps in his path to Godliness. Adam was forgiven of his transgression of taking of the fruit, and thus it was important for all men to be baptized and take responsibility for their own sins. He is commanded to teach his children to have faith in God and repent of their own personal sins and then be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. The to be faithful for the rest of their lives (I imagine being faithful for 900 years was quite a test).

Symbolism of baptism is taught. Just as one dies and returns to the dust, baptism represents the immersion or death of the sin conceived hearts. The coming out of the water represents the resurrection or the being born again of the water and the spirit. Water being the symbol and the spirit being the actual change.

Adam was the only person in scripture that I know of to be physically baptized by the Spirit in where he was carried away into the water and baptized by the Lord and then receiving great spiritual strength. Eve's baptism is not recorded but I imagine that she was a witness of this even and probably a participant.

Adam received the priesthood and is pronounced again, "Behold, thou are one in me, a son of God". The next part then pertains to everyone else and helps me understand that I am not really much different, "and thus may all become my sons."

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