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Show WIT V T 1T1TO SEQION SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2008 EDITOR I Elyssa Andrus eandfusheraldextra.com 344-255- 3 LaRae Free Kerr It's All Relatives I.I I; ' it Y"t 1 TV : - t 1' GENEALOGY 'COMEDY OF ERRORS' 4 f A M vr MARK JOHNSTONDaily Herald at home with his family on Monday. From left to right: Daughter Indiana, son Reugan, wife Jill, daughter California, Johnson and daughter America. The Rev. Gregory Johnson "Comedy of Errors." In three parts. Showing how human tendencies can be manifest in genealogy research, causing errors and what to do about them. Tendency 1: Humans embellish stories. From modern life: "Hillary Clinton met her Waterloo at Tuzla. She'd been regaling audiences with tales of a dangerous landing under sniper fire in Tuzla 12 years ago and then running for cover. None of this occurred. When CBS provided the tape, she was forced" to admit to 'a misstatement.' (Charles Krauthammer editorial in the Daily Herald on April 7 , pg A5). From genealogy: Many members of our Free family told the tale that our Absalom P. Free, had given Salt Lake City's Liberty Park to the city. When I spent several hours with a clerk in the county courthouse following the trail of deeds, we discovered irrefutable evidence that it was Brigham Young who gave Liberty Park r, CAT 1 Tig j to the city. Local pastor accepts advisoiy position with National Association ofEvangelicals energy, and the vibrancy of Standing which is similar to the NAE Together status and its core both in its purpose of promoting unity and cooperation among Evangelical Christians are what got him his appointment. Cody Clark DAILY w V ' hen most people V I'm humbled, I'm honored." HERALD think about religion in Utah, they probably don't think first about the Beehive State's strong ties to Evangelical Christians. Especially outside Utah, where, in the minds of many, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints constitutes the entire picture of religion in Utah, there are likely some who question whether any Evangelical Christians broadly defined as being mainstream Protestant Christians who proclaim the divinity of Jesus Christ and the literal truth of the even live here. Bible -- Reaching out to Latter-da- y Saints The Rev. Gregory Johnson There's another element of Johnson's ministry, however, that makes him an intriguing piece of the NAE puzzle. Johnson is a pioneer of sorts in his apspeaking with a representative voice and serving the evangelical community proach to the sometimes contentious relationship between Evangelical Christhrough united action, cooperative mintians and members of The'Church of istry and strategic planning." Saints. Jesus Christ of Latter-da"I'm humbled, I'm honored," said,. Some observers would say that the Johnson. He's also not surprised, entirely. Johnson said he'd .been nominated to relationship doesn't exist, except for the board and would have been voted on the often sniping between in 2006 if not for the sudden resignation the two camps that was widely evident of during the recent and unsuccessful president Ted Haggard, whose departure following the revelapresidential campaign of former Massation of his involvement in a sex scandal chusetts governor Mitt Romney. Johnson understands. For a lot of temporarily shut down the organization's administrative functions. people, he said, "This is the way that With the NAE moving forward again Mormons and Evangelicals interact. How do you change that?" under new leadership, Johnson and You probably don't change it right a handful of other candidates were away. And Johnson thinks that you presented to the board and approved in March. NAE spokesperson Heather can't change it by ignoring it, by taking a "can't we all get along" approach that Gonzales said that, with his NAE standdoesn't address theological differences. Lehi ing now official, the resident is the only member of the board Or, as he put it, "Mormonism's 178 who currently lives in Utah. years old. If we don't know by now that there are tensions between Mormon Gonzales said she thinks Johnson's geographic location is good for the diSee JOHNSON, D2 versity of the NAE, but that his youthful y Things are changing, however, thanks to the inclusive thinking of at least one prominent Christian group. Last month, the National Association of Evangelicals announced that the Rev. Standd Gregory Johnson of ing Together had been appointed to an at large position on its national board. For at least the next three years, Johnson will participate in twice-yearl- y meetings of the board and other activities of the NAE, a group founded in 1942 and based in Washington, D.C. According to its mission statement, the NAE sees its purpose as being "to extend the kingdom of God through a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations and individuals, demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ by standing for biblical truth, Lehi-base- non-prof- it hard-edge- then-NA- d E Why did the Free family have that legend? It was simple, really. Many of the Free cousins were descendants of Brigham Young. And it was their other grandfather who gave the land to the city. But somehow all the Free grandchildren claimed the event as their own. Please learn from these examples that even in your own history, you need corroboration to prove the truth Clinton's people could have asked CBS for the tape, reviewed it and made sure Hillary's story was legit. The Free family researcher did go to the courthouse to discover the truth about Liberty Park. Now, if I could only convince family members to believe the true story ..: Tendency 2: Some people lie. From modern life: "Of all the stories to emerge from September 11, Tania Head's was one of the more harrowing: Trapped in her Merrill Lynch off ice on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's south tower, her clothes afire, Head crawled to safety through the inferno becoming just one of 19 people to escape from the floors above the impact of the hijacked jetliner. ... But Merrill Lynch has no record of employing her." ("Tragedy Tricksters" by Michael Crowley in Reader's Digest May, 2008, pg 41). From genealogy: When I was writing the Wadsworth book 25 years ago, a group of family members threatened and cajoled that I not reveal certain relationships because if I did these people would have to share their inheritance. Even though I was young and amazed at such a See ' C (l)2 Ar(Llllr(l MvllM Y NMlJU O) fc VEV SA J7 YJ 1 t;;;;i,-- i j:; v WILSON, COULD YOuYJ FIFTY BUCKS? ' li at Sr 1hMBl?t 5LVs It1 m U JoT WHEN rmw D0 YOU VOU CAN 'AV MEBAC- '' I I ewL MV'T i WW I f' SEE MERE' IN LUICE- CHAPTER t, VERSE Jf- "BUT L0VB V0UR tKHIES, DO 600D TO TIM, AM LBHb WITHOUT BXHCTIH& llWV KERR, D2 AT 1 rH GlM V0U SU66ESTE1 START READING THE BIBLE, WILSON. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STUFF YOU CHRISTIANS FOR ARE US SUPPOSED TO DO UNBELIEVERS! PH |