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Show 4 Letters From L D. S. Servicemen nt At interesting bit from letter addressed to the Church News 'by Captain Wayne B. Garff, stationed at Camp Davis, North Carolina NOTICE from l. d. s. Letters Servicemen containing faith - promoting experi ence? or the influence of religion upon their lives are solicited for publication in these columns. Send your letters' or copies' thereof and brief in- formation about the writer to Editor," Church News, Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Utah. branch of the Church, which met , in a small rented hall. The saints received him with open arms, and there he also met a half dozen other boys of his own faith. QEAR Folks: This is one of those very quiet, lazy days. The radio is playing a soft tune and the weather is cloudy and cold. This is the kind of a day that one would like to stay at home by a nice grate fire and read. It must be the autumn atmosphere, but it has certainly made me homesick again. Last night I went on a little scouting and patrol mission. At- Camp Fannin we were told to always scout and examine the terrain before we attempted to use it and get all the., features well in mind. We all possible were told to routes of advance and retreat. So, I went on this scouting . - Street. I.walkecLup Chestnut St. to 46th, and along 46th until I came to Spruce St. 46th St. past Spruce, iooking into of beautiful trees. In the evening sunset it was a magnificent view. The great1 trees formed a complete arch" over the street. Along were rows of nice looking homes with grass and 'shrubs and flowers. Walking into this grove for about a half block, I came to a medium size building, trimmed in white stone and surrounded with a lovely lawn. On a large slab of white marble, just below the window, were the .words Church of Jesus Christ of -Latter-day Saints. At the 'f be sugiiwas almost magically lighted by the rays of the setting sun, as they filtered through the leaves of the trees. I was filled with a spirit of great emotion and happiness. The moment I saw that beautiful little chapel sitting in the trees and read that sign, I felt thrill go through my whole body. To me it was a symbol of friendship to a stranger. I knew that here I could find someone who had the same ideas that I have concerning life; someone who was trying to live up to the standards that I had been taught and' that I am trying to live, even in the army, during these trying days of war. Here was a link be- tween the things I had left back home and those I am trying- to do now. It was indeed a great thrill to see that chapel and for a few minute's I just stood and stared at iCand was thank- Look-ingjhow- n e- -- the-stre- (Continued on Page HIS morning I attended a seryice conducted by Samuel W. Hilton, a young man from Logan; Utah. He is one of over fifty L. D. S. men who Are studying day and night school at Cmp Davis. We had a testimony meeting, and it was in the ' most enjoyable and full oThe spirit of humility and worship.' ' One young man bore his testimony for the first time. He had been in the hospital for about thirty days, and had not only suffered physically, but had suffered mentally and spiritually because of, the derision and caustic remarks of some of his hospital buddies, because of his religion and his ideals. This he told: Aftet- lights out there were two rows of little red points of lights down the length of the entire ward but in one row there was a break in . the regularity,. for in that n in" apparentgapwas his bed. - All thejard.were well acquainted Jyjthat time. one private said: Any man who wont smoke to war and The talk turned and fighting, and drink wont fight! Now I am no small man and immediately the thought came to me that I wouldnt have let that remark pass Unchallenged, but would have made that fellow eat those words. However, this young man who told the story simply said: I turned over --and., . . shed a few tears. . I could not understand his remarks until after church when the men toid me that this particular Freddie could lick his weight in wildcats, and could probably beat the tar out of every man, one at a time, in that ward. He is an. exceptional boxer and a good athlete, but he showed a most rare quality when he simply 'turned over and shed ra few tears not for shame but for sorrow because of the lack of understanding on the part of those other men. Like our Savior he was deeply moved with compassion for his fellowmen. Then he said: I wish I knew more about the Gospel so that I might explain it better to them. I explained 'some of It to one of the men, and now he sticks up for me whenever the , boys start their fun. officer-candidat- mission, the objective of which was to find 316 South 46th was-lik- et Twelve) e , - the-me- J red'A WayOFLi fe' Religion The following is an excerpt from a talk delivered by Lt. Robert E. Wallin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvin W. Wallin of Tooele, Utah, at the Hartford Branch of the Eastern States. Mission near which he is stationed. Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints. Let us use a tory to illustrate: There was an old man, who lived alone in the mountains. Word went around that there was no question he could not answer correctly. I will ask something he cannot answer correctly, asserted a young inan. I will catch a bird, take It to him, holding it in my hand so that the feathers show through my fingers, and I will say to him, What have I In my hand? Seeing the feathers, he will Then I will reply, A bird. say, That is correct. Is it dead or alive? If he ays It is dead will open my hand and let it fly away. If he says, It is alive I will drop if lifeless at his feet. Regardless of his answer he will be me that you can answer all What is questions correctly; this in my hand? The old man looked, It is a bird; I can see the feathers between your That is correct, the fingers. young man responded. Is it dead or alive? The old man paused. Then looking deep inWONDER just how many to the young mans eyes and talkheart, he responded, Well, my or written have people son, that depends on you. ed on the. subject: . What the What will life or religion be Gospel Means to Me or A'hat to you? Well, that depends on the Gospel Means to a Man in yon. We, as members of the the Service? Certainly there Church of Jesus Christ of Lawill be many explanations, but tterly Saints, have the true I am sure that the essence of Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just all can .be summed up in one how weapplyj.ts principles to won everything. I have alour lives depends on us, and the extent the gospel enters ways been taught, and jtudy our life and daily habits, is the ing has verified the fact to me, that religion is not just a one "measuring stick of happiness, of the peace of mind, and the day a week duty, but it is a way of life. It must cover degree of success we will atall activities in which a man tain in this life. To me it ' ' means "everything. There is may, participate, and must be wrong. The yoong man caught a nothing in the world that I applicable to all of his problems, simple or complex. Such bird and when he found the would exchange for my belief a religion is the Gospel of Jesus wise old man, said, They tell in the Gospel of Jesus. Christ. y -- t Soldier Retraces Path Jesus Took Another in the series of let-twriMen by 1vt. Doa Hem. Ingway, with the armed forces Somewhere in the East, to his parents. Dr. and fin. W. J. Hemingway, of Ely, Nev, er Dear Mom: Up at 6:30 on a hew day, and a big one, too, beginning with a walk through the market place of the old city with the narrow cornered streets - of brick.' This was the Jewish section with innumertheir able tiny gtyops displaying wares.- - workmen- were busy while no one came to buy, making shoes, sewing blankets, .stirring concoctions and delicacies, baking sweet loaves, chattering, beating ' burdened donkeys, barking their wares. Our time was too short. Churches were to be visited, the place where the Savior was crucified, the piece of stone rolled against the tomb (which by the way; was being prayed over and kissed by'' a Coptic Pilgrim from Egypt), the tomb on which1 the Savior was lain had a priest standing by !t with his money box which 7 was shared by the American . well-wor- n Page 8 October 30, 1943 Church, the Greek Orthodox and - RomanCatholie Church. There was the , grotto where the crosses were found, and a statue of the Virgin Mary, over the spot of the Saviors crucifixion, which had worth of jewels hanging on her. Diamonds ' so big and common that .one might have thought they were us far from ot costly, jiung all over the statue. We saw, the Jews Wailing WalJ. I heard no wailing, but saw only several Jews offering silent prayer at the ancient wall of Solomons and stuffing their Temple, written requests in between the already heavily laden cracks. From there we jvent to the Mosque of Omar, a Moslem edifice having as Its attraction the huge sacrificial rock where blood sacrifices were previously offered. We saw the one on which Abraham was to have offered his son, Isaac. Below it Is a grotto In which Solomon, David, Abraham and Mohammed prayed. There Is an indentation In the celling left by Mohammed when he struck his head ' against It while the- $20,-000,0- being-precio- ,$. Strong Man Weeps With Compassion For Buddies Mormon Soldier Receives Hearty Welcome From Branch President stu-de- Mtri Soldiers Hold Testimony Session Homesick Cadet 'Scouts7 Location of L. D. S. Chapel The writer of the .following letter, Cadet Roscoe Pat ten "Eardlry,. a former of the University of Utah and an active member ofthe Highland Park Ward, Highland Stake, is the son of Rocoe W. Eardley.a member of the General Church Welfare Committee and Ella M. Patten. In the town of Tyler, ten miles from Camp Fannin, where he Is stationed, he located a small t - t praying. He must have had a - hard - head -- and - big one, if this, is true, because the hole in the ceiling is about two and one half feet across and eight inches deep. Most of the time our guide was quite good, but some of the tales he told were too tall for me. From there we jaunted down the path which Jesus took in carrying Jthe pross-t- o Calvary, and then we took a bus to Bethlehem. On the way was Rachels Tomb and the spot where the three wise men drank water, while traveling from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. We saw the spot where the flocks were abiding when the shepherds beheld the star. Since Bethlehem is the worst place of all for ambitious who doubled the Jerusalem prices, our. visit was brief, seeing only the grotto In which the Savior was born. I had always thought of a stable as being a place built like a bam in Utah, but this stable was underground, being hollowed out, with' passage ways and steps Reading above. The American, Coptic, Greek Orthodox, and Roman Catholic all have their altara . shop-keeper- s To Calvary there, each trying to outdo the other -- with gold -- and -- riches. Despite all 7 this bickering, I found one of my greatest thrills in standing in the manger, or at least the grotto where it was housed. Rain poured down as we left the chapel, but this could not stop us. We were next on top of the Mount of Olives, the place of ascension of the Savior Into Heaven. The very rock from which He left is pointed out Another church covers it.. That same Mount of Olives is to be split in twain, leaving a great valley lr between, when the Savior comes His second time, according to the Prophet Zechariah. Such 'em earthquake will certainly upset all these old decrepit lurches over each little spot mentioned in the scriptures, despite the jewels and riches present in each structure. As we left Jerusalem we took a last look. Maybe lt wouldnt be seen again. Our bus turned north there, where Jesus, at twelve years, confounded the Pharisees. We passed hills terraced with jigsaws of rock fences to- keep the earth from being washed - I away with the 'rain, and passed numeroussmall valleys and hills. We . stopped at Jacobs Well and had a drink of pure water from this mark; viewed Samuels , and Josephs tomb, where he was sold Into the hands of the Midianites. A small village called Nazareth had a carpenter shop in it which was another grotto. This village was just over the hills frorq the Valley of Am mergeddon, predicted as the spot of a great final battle before the Saviors second advent. As the afternoon waned we had to hurry through Cana and its water to . Dusk crept over us as we moved down on the peaceful sea of Galilee which is not very big. Little fishing boats like Peters were still there'. A lad offered us a boat ride for 150 mills (about 70 cents). I could picture a stfirm on the calmness of evening and Peter . crying, "Master, save us, lest we,iei d 1 birth-place- ' ish,. r and the reply,1' Ye of little faith. I guess Peter , -- 'i was not the only one to whom ' (Continued on Page Twelve) |
