Thank you to everyone who has contributed thus far. I received some great emails, some of which I have included in comments on previous posts. Others I have stored and will use the stories in future chapters. The first chapter was intended to be somewhat introductory, highlighting what Dad might have considered his greatest success.
When I first envisioning the finished product, I didn't see a novel with text and a few pictures. I saw a work, probably a cross between a biography and a scrap book, where the text made up at most 50% of the finished book. With that in mind, I have set up some links under the title of "Pictures and Exhibits" in the side bar, organized by Chapter. Right now, this is only set up to view pictures, but I hope to also provide the ability to view scanned and transcribed documents, quotes, poetry, etc. fitting to the chapter and discussion of Dad's life.
Moving forward, next week I will post the first section of Chapter Two. This will begin to illustrate Dad's family history and a few stories and events I have collected. Based on all of his notes, Dad was particularly interested in his family history, so it is only fitting. Please keep the comments coming!
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I believe that if you look at some of the notes of a man you can learn a little about him or at least what was pressing on the mind at the time. The first two quotes in this book are in red colored pencil the rest are in black pen. The color doesn´t show in this comment I sent the original email to john.
ReplyDeleteOur Search for Happiness by M. Russell Ballard
Lines underlined by Allen Kjelstrom
Book is almost new. Miss Colored part is the part Allen underlined or added material.
p.14 Living a Christ-Centered Life
"Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."
p.25
Almost all of page 25 is bracketed in red. It is about praying about the book of mormon and finding truth.
p. 74 second paragraph
" A quality life is one that positively influences others and makes the world around it a better place in wish to live. A quality life is one that is constantly growing, expanding its horizons and enlarging its borders. A quality life is one that is filled with love loyalty, patience and perseverance, kindness and compassion. A quality life is one that is based on eternal potential and not confined to this life only. A quality life is a life well-lived."
p.76
" In this imperfect world, bad things sometimes happen."
p.78
" Thus illuminated by the light of faith, adversity becomes a vehicle for growth and death becomes a doorway from one phase of our eternal existence to another."
p.80
"The Apostle Paul taught his listeners in Athens "that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, thought he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."'
From what I understand is that dad loved to read although sometimes he would not finish the book. Not that these markings are any indication that Dad did not finish the book which I am sure he did. I believe that the first markings in red where done first and that my father was read a book for no inperticular reason and he found those things underlined of importance at the time. I believe that he had probably read the book before and didn´t finish it that time around with the read pencil.
However the book being relatively new and the underlined quotes as a bases of my assumptions. I think it is safe to surmise that Allen was reading this book while he was looking for guidance during his cancer. Since the book is directed to the readers "to help people find understanding." Because of the pressing nature of the underlined passages about life and death. Such things might have been on his mind as Did I live a quality life? Sometimes bad things happen. Death is just a doorway it is not the end. Have I done all I can to seek after, feel after and come unto the Lord?
Mind you this is just assumption made on no evidence save this book. I am perfectly willing to accept that they are just unlined passages in one of the hundreds of books my father owned.
Jason and everyone,
ReplyDeleteAs I'm sure dad did this to each one of the children, he pulled me aside when he was sick during one of my visits (either when I was getting married or that april before he died) and told me that the fact that he was dying so young and while the children were so young was heavy on his mind. He told me that he has spent many hours in prayer trying to recieve an answer as to why this was happening. So as Jason said it was on his mind and I think you are right, Jason, about the book. I will also tell you that during this conversation he said he recieved a somewhat vague answer to his prayer. He said that he had a very strong feeling that there was work for him to do on the other side - more important than any work that could be done here on earth. That was what he needed, he told me, and it put him mind at ease.