As this year draws to a close I begin a new adventure which should carry me well into my 81st year. As I am about to venture forth on this task I have longed to do for a very long time, I feel a need to explain how coming to this moment has taken such a long time and although my bundle of experiences has been very extensive I still wonder if the preparation period has been sufficient to see me successfully through the next 100 weeks of writing.
In recent days I have been taking an inventory about the preparatory path I have been troding during the majority of my life.
During the first years of my life and well into my teen years my foundational experiences mainly consisted of that of a learner. I was always a very calm and obedient student in the public arenas of education, but in the Primary and Sunday School classes at church, I was probably rightfully branded as a disruptive child. I always credited much of my acting out to the repetitious material and the uncreative presentations of the lessons. Not many of my early teachers went beyond reading the lessons in class.
I will have to ask Bishop Matthews, when I see him again after the resurrection why he called me to teach the 13 and 14 year olds in Sunday school when I had just finished my junior year of High School and was barely 17 years old. It might have been requested by the teacher who was teaching my age group in Sunday school. Then again, it might have been because this particular group of 13 and 14 year old teenagers had much the same attentiveness in Sunday School I had demonstrated most of my young life and the Bishop thought I might be able to tame those who shared like characteristics with me. As I look back it might have been a heaven sent directive to allow me to have a glimpse of the purpose for which I had been sent to earth.
I had a short break as I enjoyed the hospitality of the US Army before heading to Northern Mexico to spend two plus years teaching the gospel, learning to love others and take some baby steps in becoming more inclusive in my relationships. If my pre Army experience with an enthusiastic group of 13 and 14 year olds hadn't illuminated in my brain the direction my life’s work as a teacher would take, this time among my beloved brothers and sisters of Mexico turned the light brightly on.
Not too long after returning home and while I was courting Kathleen, I started teaching Early Morning Seminary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I ended up teaching for a total of four years, which was just long enough to go through the entire four year curriculum. Besides marrying my eternal companion during these years and starting our family together, I was working full time in construction and trying to complete some college courses. The complete story can be found in my autobiography, but the short version is that after I had taught four years of early morning seminary we found ourselves in Provo, Utah, where the offices of the Church Education System were located at the time. In two short days my feet became firmly planted on the path of teaching the gospel as a career, something that I didn't even know existed until a year earlier.
For the next 41 years with only a short interruption of three years while Kathleen and I presided over the Colombia Bogota North Mission for our church, I was in the classroom from180 – 240 days a year teaching 5 – 7 hours a day, along with being involved in my church assignments which usually included teaching.
As if I hadn't been blessed enough, I was able to teach an adult class for the Stakes of southern Orange County for another five years when my body had to have bionic parts put in it to keep me functional. During these last five years of wonderful experiences interacting with students in formal classroom settings, two very important events happened which would cause me to embark on paths I never would have imagined. First, the ‘always seeking to serve’ Pam Larsen gifted me a computer they were no longer using in their home and my very dear friend Paul Maddox out of the goodness of his heart offered to tutor me in the fundamentals of computers. Second, since I was no longer under the direction of The Church Education System, I was free to develop and teach whatever I desired. I started developing and writing my own lessons and found I was enjoying the extensive preparation I was doing during these final years as much as I was the two hours myself and the students spent together in the classroom each week.
Having received these two wonderful gifts, and not wanting to be found an ungrateful receiver, since leaving the classroom I have been involve for the last eight years with a cyber space classroom which now finds its way into the computers of brothers and sisters in many lands and of many ages. Besides assisting me in my desire to become ever more inclusive in my relationships, this post formal classroom writing experience has resulted in my self-publishing this work plus four other volumes of Thoughts for 100 Sabbath Days, two volumes of Life's Lessons Learned and my autobiography.
When I first started writing during these days of retirement I was desirous to leave a legacy for my children and my children’s children about who I am and what I believe. I soon found a need to continue the commission I received from Elder Perry when he set Kathleen and I apart to preside over the Colombia Bogota Mission, which was to convert the missionaries with whom we were blessed to serve to the gospel of Jesus the Christ. I soon found myself reestablishing connections with students from seminary and institute classes as well. My friendships on Face Book are now extensive and they also have been included as brothers and sisters, even though we may only know one another in the spaces of cyber.
Now why have I recanted this entire preparatory path I have been walking and what is this marvelous adventure I want to embark upon?
I want to write at least 100 Thoughts based entirely on the teachings found in the Book of Mormon.
Why would I choose to center such a large portion of my remaining life on this volume of scripture when it is obvious my past mortal life is much more extensive than my anticipated future days?
1. During the times when I have been privileged to teach the Old Testament I often found myself with more questions than answers. As the saying goes, if you want to have three views on a given scripture ask two Jewish Scholars. I at times found it difficult to find the characteristics of God as described in that work to be in harmony with my belief in a loving Heavenly Father who, along with His son Jesus the Christ, dedicated their existence to bringing their children to immortal and eternal lives. I have even studied rabbinical writings hoping that I might gain greater light by having a better understanding of the point of view of the original writers of those holy books. Although the Pearl of Great Price adds some very precious nuggets to our understanding of the Old Testament teachings. I would never be able to fill a volume of 100 Thoughts for a Sabbath Day from that small treasure trove.
2. I have had the opportunity to teach the New Testament in many ways and have grown to love the Savior and have felt His love because of His Atoning sacrifice, but I always felt a sense of something missing. What I finally settled on as being the missing link was that I didn't find much counsel for the happenings of my daily life in the 20th and 21st centuries. I have been blessed to read writings from almost all Christian faiths and I am grateful that my understanding of the principle of grace was greatly expanded which, of course, also expanded my love for Heavenly Father and His son Jesus the Christ.
3. The Doctrine and Covenants is foundational and absolutely important to the substantiating of one’s belief in the restoration of the gospel and the authority and offices of the church, but more and more it has become a volume which is used to teach the historical foundations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Since I have never taken the time to collect nor digest the personal stories to make these lessons come to life, I have had to defer the teaching of the Doctrine and Covenants to those who have paid that particular price.
4. Therefore, I will spend the next two years of my waning life writing about the Book of Mormon.
The Book of Mormon is the foundation of my eternal beliefs and through it my lack of testimony in some principles has been slowly eroded until there remains but a very small hill where once a mountain stood.
The Book of Mormon was translated and brought to light by Joseph Smith as a warning and guide to those who would live during the preparatory days preceding the second coming of the Lord Jesus the Christ.
The Book of Mormon is a complete self-help book on how we can incorporate the Plan of Happiness into our daily lives.
The Book of Mormon is the more sure witness that Jesus is the Christ.
I believe with all my heart that as Joseph Smith taught, a person can get closer to Jesus Christ by reading the Book of Mormon than by any other work.
Therefore, I rejoice as I set out on this wonderful adventure for at least the next two years.
THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY
EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY
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