Letters From Pops

of mice and mountain

January 20, 2022

Dear Sister Burton,

Let me tell you a story:
    A few days ago I had scheduled some time
on my Ely route to go up Dry Creek Rd towards
a mountain that seems to me, has great significance to our ancestors. It stands across one of a few caves they stayed in. It sits high at almost 9000'. The interesting thing is it rises up from the valley floor that is already at around 6200'.
Bates Mtn is the second tallest peak along the Simpson Park Range which runs somewhat northeast to southwest between Austin and Eureka. I wanted to head up Ackerman Canyon but the snow and mud were to deep. You know me.......a hunter and forager, I tried anyways. :)
With the late afternoon sun fading and the air getting colder I decided to do some hiking while
I can. I tracked a coyote in the snow and knew that he was close by watching. I stood on the very trail the pony express riders rode on as they would race along the foothill as I envisioned them coming up out of the Kobeh Valley headed west past the mouth of Monitor Valley right where
I am standing.
    The feeling in the mountains were celestial.
I felt incredible energy and though I were alone
I could feel the presence of other's there. I had feelings of completeness. I felt a surety of things as they are now and as they will be. A clarity
of past things I could see. The workings of the spirit are real!! The very cells in my body were lit up and quickened! I was alive Gussy in a way only one could experience through the Holy Ghost.
    I was told to return in the spring. I will hike up the canyon the Pony Express riders rode through.
I'll then hike to the top of Bates Mtn where I can offer up my thanks to The Lord, yea a sacrifice upon an alter of rock and stone that of my soul;
a yielding of the natural man, becoming anew. Reborn of the spirit. Sanctified through His grace.  Amen

Over many, many years—— oh the timeless stories. So many miracles to share. A blessing unto my posterity........ forever!

Your story at this time is one of service. You are
a missionary. You are set apart for a specific time and purpose to serve in Ohio. Your calling
is to teach with conviction that the second coming is at hand. You are to call out with thunder the words, "The Lord is coming, King of Kings the very creator of all upon this land. The master architect of this earth. Under the direction of Heavenly Father He served by His side and is the Great I Am!"

Gussy,
Fall in love with the people. Fall in love with the struggle. What does it mean to fall in love?
How do we love the struggle? Love a people
I don't know? A people that may not
want to love me. How is this possible?
My dear Gussy....... Let me set you an example. :)
Falling in love means you accept the conditions upon which the law of love exists. 
Here is the law: (True love only exists in the development of one's self). Did you get that?
Let me say it this way: (As you grow in experience, you develop and find love in you as a person first.
Life is the roadmap.)
That's one of "the secrets of life". Through your focus on developing love in yourself first, you then will have the capacity to share and find
it in other's around you. You then will achieve
self worth. You will be able to acknowledge the need of a higher power; therefore, more easily
to find the good in other's and lifting them
to a higher place spiritually first then temporally second. The world has it backwards. They focus on the temporal first and if there is time or not
at all on spiritual. As we talked before, the schedule should always prioritize the spiritual first then as to the remaining time, the temporal things. As you learn of the Law of Love you will
be given the capacity to accept others and love them in return. To often we reward our love
as a coupon to be redeemed when we are pleased at some effort that's found to be acceptable and worthy of our love. That's backwards. That's a trick of the adversary. We must not fall into that routine. Love is of God. He is the creator of love.
He is love. As we draw closer to Him we will have the seeds of charity take root within our souls
to grow up as a sword of strength that will dash away despair, hopelessness, and pride.
As you learn to love by loving yourself first then serving others even your companion, you will
be blessed. How are we a blessed people?
We are through the blessings from heaven.

This was part of the change that resulted from
a visitation from a heavenly messenger sent
to rebuke Alma and the son's of Mosiah.
Were not their hearts changed? It was through
the love of The Savior. His love is redeeming.
Love is powerful. It's a gift.

Be full of love Halle, and you will have patience,
understanding, power of discernment, courage, and the ability to see other's as children, the innocence in them will be revealed to you along with their weaknesses.
Yes, you can love them that don't know you.
Yes, the struggle that truly unveils itself in the very lessons learned thus creating love.
Yes, you fall in love because you accept and trust in a fullness of hope and unwavering faith in the road map........... life. You know that it's a process and that great and mighty are the workings
of such in one that trusts and learns from the spirit. (Love always gives back). Another secret
of life. (Love always gives back). You have been
told "two secrets of life today".  :)
Tell the people you and your companion love them, The Lord love's them.

I love the mountains and for what they stand for.
Be it written upon my heart that I stand
as a majestic mountain in word, in deed,
as a witness to the truthfulness of the gospel.
It is the way. :)
The great White Pine stands tall on the tops
of the mighty mountain ranges in
The Great Basin. One wouldn't know of their great works unless having visited them. I have.

A mission will teach that you're there to serve.
The adversary would have one believe that it's about you or that it's not necessary. There will be instances where your voice may be the voice heard of warning to some, their opportunity
to accept or reject the gospel. Testify of a falling away of the truths originally established among the apostles in ancient times. An apostasy resulted when the authority was removed for
a time from among the children of men.
Teach that the fullness of the gospel has been restored to bless all of God's children now, tomorrow, and time gone by, that all will have the opportunity to hear the message of glad tidings
of great joy. Teach that the ultimate goal is the blessings of the temple.
What is the tidings of great joy spoken of in the scriptures? As my friend King Benjamin says,
"It is Jesus Christ."

Love you more than all the stars in the nighttime sky Sister Burton. Keep your chin up.
You are special to me. You are one of a noble and great spirit. What a blessing for me as your dad
to call you my daughter. Your sweet spirit and love of the gospel is contagious. You are amazing.
You have chosen to serve The Lord when the sacrifice wasn't necessary to give. Your obedience to the will of The Savior will be rewarded 10 fold.

[A mouse is curious and knows not why.
He is mischievous. Understands not the place around him. They just survive. Mice are foolish.
A pesky, sneaky rodent. Going about business
in the shadows. They are food to the hawk.
Let it be known, a mouse you won't find on the mountain top]!

We mustn't be foolish. Those of us with testimonies and have righteous desires in our hearts are not mouse like! We are acting sons and daughters from the God of our heaven. He is our
Heavenly Father yea the very Father of our spirits, even of Jesus Christ. We have the ability to rise above it all. We are His greatest creation.
His children.

Pops