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APPENDIX 2 has the COMBAT HANDGUNS article about us.
APPENDIX 3 has the letter from the LDS Financial Dept. authorizing our Group at Valparaiso to operate a system saving lives, includes receiving financial aid from the Guatemalan Foundation
APPENDIX 4 has all the documents from my Church TRIAL
APPENDIX 5 has my letter to the First Presidency concerning interest in returning to the Church
It will also be available as a beautifully PRINTED BOOK like never seen before
ABOUT THE LAND OF THE MAYAS "WHERE COLOR WAS INVENTED!"
CONTENTS :
Part 1: The Mysterious Cause & Preparation to Act..............43 pages
Part 2: The Risky.....Journey to the Mountains of the Maya....48 pages
Part 3: The Complete "controversial" Final Report.............346 pages
Plus APPENDIX and over 800 color photographs
Part 1
THE MYSTERIOUS CAUSE
and PREPARATION TO ACT: Nine Years Finding the
Faith to Make the 1967 RISKY…JOURNEY to the LAND OF THE MAYAS
By Cordell M. Andersen, life-long volunteer Field
Director
We will now launch ourselves
into trying to understand the lifetime efforts of the Cordell Andersen
family, in making what later was called:
The 1967 RISKY,
BREATHTAKING PIONEER JOURNEY TO THE JUNGLES & MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA....
….moving
to rural Guatemala—literally heading
into the teeth of a dangerous storm, where the death rate for children was 50%, where we
would be isolated from modern essential
services, and where had exploded a
Cuban/communist supported GUERRILLA WAR targeting those thought to be
wealthy, like landowners and people from the U.S.—all making difficult to understand the move
to the then...
DANGEROUS
& MYSTERIOUS JUNGLES and MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA
NOW THE
CRUCIAL QUESTION:
In all frank honesty, what had happened in our lives during the previous 9 years—from the end of our LDS
missions to our leaving for Guatemala in mid-1967—motivating such a seemingly perilous, but faithful
move?
The
spiritual foundation of it has been described in
PART 1: 0-22 years of
Cordell M. Andersen
THIS ENTIRE HISTORICAL DOCUMENT IS FOUND IN APPENDIX 1
The rest of the difficult reply to
the question is found in
Part 2: 22-31 years - PREPARATION
Nine Years Finding the Faith to Make
the 1967 RISKY....JOURNEY to "GUATEPEOR"*
*GUATEPEOR is a derogatory term for
Guatemala used in jest!
You’ll see it used in a
bit as I also laugh at myself calling myself a “Rodeo Clown”
It will basically be this post on the Guatemalan
Foundation’s website
and Part 1 of the printable book.
PREFACE
But, why bother with this history of a
“sort of crazy” family?
A quote from the RISKY…JOURNEY post might help:
Two other returned LDS missionaries from Guatemala had quickly responded to the feeling had by many—that something had to be done to respond to the urgent “CAUSE” but had failed within 6 months and have been forgotten.
Our effort ….
wasn't expected to last very long either, but our Andersen
family pioneering endeavor was
different—first achieving a 14 year "Ammon-like"
period, but then persisting and was still going strong after 50 years, and so
perhaps is historically of great value to report about fully and
honestly. It didn't work out being just another crazy, flash in the pan,
ill-prepared undertaking as everyone but my father had predicted, but honestly reporting
the truth of the effort has strangely ruffled feathers.
BUT WHY?
THE LONG-TERM POTENTIAL OF OUR EFFORTS?
Three years after we started my father and friends organized the Foundation for Indian Development to help us and one of the promotional firesides dad presented a few years later was to his LDS Stake High Priest Quorum members and their wives. One of them, a brother Paul E. Felt, previously the Director of the BYU Lamanite Development Program, who was by then the ex-Mission President of the Church’s Southwest Indian Mission, and afterwards a Professor of Religion at BYU, after the fireside he published a report describing the long-term outcome of the Foundation’s work:
“It is not unlikely that within a few decades it will be recognized that the most significant work among the Lamanites of our century is that being undertaken by the Foundation for Indian Development and the Cordell Andersen family!”
WITH THE ABOVE POSSIBILITIES IN MIND, IT MIGHT BE WORTH LOOKING FURTHER TO SEE WHAT DEVELOPED
********
IMPORTANT EXPLANATION
In the above explanation I use the terminology “Ammon-like” that will be used throughout this writing, and especially for non-Mormon readers I should explain. Ammon was an important young man from ancient America whose life is detailed in the Book of Mormon, that Mormons, or LDS people, believe to be the history of ancient America and a companion book with the Bible, both of which we accept as sacred history and “witnesses of Jesus Christ.” Ammon had been a rebellious son of an important leader, but who was converted much the same as had happened to Paul in the New Testament. With his conversion he believed the Lord wanted him to go as a missionary among a rebellious faction of his day the book calls, Lamanites.
Along with his brothers and companions they were criticized or “laughed to scorn” by their own people, but they nonetheless dedicated their lives to helping the Lamanites and were the first to experience success in such a dangerous God-appointed mission. The first phase of his effort was a span of 14 years, so “Ammon-like” usually refers to a 14 year period. Ammon himself actually continued among his Lamanite converts his entire life—I believe because he married one of them.
NOW BACK TO "THE STORY"
On digging into my files, and those of my father, to accurately write "the
rest of the story" I became convinced that more details
of the history had to be told in frank honesty, including that of my family and personal life that--some
Foundation leaders had said didn’t need to be told, rather they felt we should just stick to the
work and accomplishments of Foundation projects.
Yet, due to gossip and all kinds of rumors that surfaced over the years,
I felt that in the end the truth should be known, removing the burden from my
shoulders and let the truth take us where it may.
It couldn't be as bad as where gossip and rumor has taken the history causing the loss of many friends.
It couldn't be as bad as where gossip and rumor has taken the history causing the loss of many friends.
THE
DIFFICULTIES OF “the rest of the story”
As explained further along, it would be…..
As explained further along, it would be…..
“……….a
risky challenge as demonstrated by one LDS General Authority, William Bradford—who
had heard a scandalous version of my
history and demanded I confess—so, as I began an honest 2 hour long recounting
of my history....his first response was, "The
devil was deceiving you," but I continued undeterred, with him
later shockingly injecting, "Satan
was trying to destroy you!" But unbothered I continued with
him gradually changing his attitude, eventually saying, "Well, there might be something to this." For a brief moment he comprehended some and
counseled me, saying,
“Don't
tell anyone as no one will understand!"
I went on to say in that section:
One unique
man, Harold Brown, showed that it was possible to understand fairly by
having an .......
.....unbiased open mind, an understanding
heart, a spiritually perceptive spirit, and courageously honest soul.”
Brother Brown is sadly gone. But, I
hope and pray a few such individuals still exist and will be interested
as it was a story worth living and of great value to understand fairly as
did Brother Brown.
So, I will now begin to stick my neck out and give all a chance to understand this PART 2 of my autobiography entitled PREPARATION, but in this book, A FIFTY YEAR “IMPOSSIBLE DREAM” IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MAYA, will be Part 1: THE MYSTERIOUS CAUSE & PREPARATION TO ACT, followed by Part 2, The RISKY….JOURNEY, and concluded in Part 3, with the “rest of the story” in the COMPLETE FINAL REPORT that comes last.
DIVINE GUIDANCE
To guide me in gradually revealing all--I had a very profound dream, that two times was interrupted by waking for various reasons, but each time as I went back to bed, the dream continued without missing a beat, convincing me it was much more than a simple dream.
To guide me in gradually revealing all--I had a very profound dream, that two times was interrupted by waking for various reasons, but each time as I went back to bed, the dream continued without missing a beat, convincing me it was much more than a simple dream.
A brief summary follows:
I saw myself invited to speak in LDS General Conference but told not to worry about what I would say as it would be on the teleprompter. Nevertheless, I felt like I had to prepare in my mind a special message just in case.
I saw myself invited to speak in LDS General Conference but told not to worry about what I would say as it would be on the teleprompter. Nevertheless, I felt like I had to prepare in my mind a special message just in case.
Through a lot of interesting and informative details in the actual
dream, including being shown the technically complicated control room where it
was explained to me how they could quickly edit out unacceptable remarks. I finally got to the point of standing behind
the pulpit looking out over the vast sea of 22,000 souls plus millions of
TV viewers.
At that moment I recalled my experience as a 17-year-old—known at
that time as a very timid soul--in the old Provo Tabernacle in a Stake
Conference in 1953 when looking at what for me was "a vast sea
of 3,000 souls," I bowed my head
thinking a brief prayer and was then guided by the
Lord to speak His words.
In the
Conference Center, after a brief silent prayer, I looked at the
teleprompter to know what I was supposed to say. It had a message in
bold letters clearly from the Lord, saying:
"SPEAK
THE TRUTH FROM YOUR HEART!"
That ended the
dream…so, I was disappointed not being able to see what happened by attempting
to give my own special message. I interpreted the message as guidance from the
Lord in writing my history, and this section on The MYSTERIOUS CAUSE & PREPARATION, the RISKY...JOURNEY, then the COMPLETE FINAL REPORT.
Likely an honest recounting of history will....
"ruffle a few
feathers," but "we have all sinned and fallen
short...."
....and all, including the LDS Church’s Leaders,
need to have an honest chance
to have
"a broken heart
& contrite spirit,"
and
HEAL OURSELVES and
THOSE HURT.
Are you surprised I infer people were “HURT!”
Misunderstanding & believing false reports
were sadly responsible for…
SOME INFANTS DYING! OTHER
GOOD PEOPLE CAUSED
TO LOSE FAITH!
CAUTION THROUGHOUT THIS HISTORY! The author refers to serious mistakes, that literally caused loss of life, spiritual destruction and loss of faith that cannot be ignored by HONEST and TRULY HUMBLE PEOPLE—perpetrated by individuals and groups of individuals—REVEALED IN HOPES OF MOTIVATING REPENTANCE! I NEVER INTEND TO INFER THAT ARE IN DOUBT THE RESTORED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, or all the wonderful programs of the LDS Church, and inspiring organizations like the Spoken Word & the Tabernacle Choir, the Missionary Program so critical in my life, BYU, etc.
MISTAKES and FAILURES are excellent teachers as long as those making them have a chance to learn about them and ARE WILLING STUDENTS!
************************************
INTRODUCTION
A KEY PART
OF THE FOUNDATION OF MY LIFE
Part1—of the "Checkered--Faith
& Works"....Autobiographical history 0-22 years old, just takes us to the end of my mission and that of Maria in late 1958. Our leaving for Guatemala was in mid-1967—so
there is a nine year gap I call PREPARATION that will help us
understand and appreciate the RISKY….JOURNEY section that will follow.
I will now summarize very briefly that critical portion
of “the
rest of the story” to give all a chance to understand what we were
going to attempt, and crucially WHY, then how we came to have the courage and the faith to make
what some called
“a reckless and crazy move.”
First, THE MYSTERIOUS
CAUSE
The Sacred Book of the Mayans, THE
POPUL VUH, states that anciently their people had a darkness come over them, causing them to lose their original sacred book,
and bring upon them all the
terrible problems they suffer today. LDS people call this “a
curse,” described in detail in 2 Nephi 1, of the Book of Mormon,
which for you who might not be LDS, is considered by us as the sacred book of the indigenous Americans, newly revealed to the
world.
But, the Mayans have ancient prophecies of a day when they will
solve the problems and prosper.
Correspondingly, LDS people believe in scriptures that say, paraphrased:
“They will
awaken, come out of darkness into the light, and blossom.”
OUR CAUSE WAS TO APPLY A FORMULA TO HELP THEM OVERCOME
“THE CURSE” & “BLOSSOM”
A CHANGE WAS
URGENTLY NEEDED: As an LDS
missionary in 1958 I was sent to the remote area of Coban in Guatemala with a
special purpose given by the Mission President. It was an area known among the
missionaries as The Siberia of Central America, due to its remoteness, rain thirteen
months a year, and difficult
missionary work.
The area’s missionary work was
stagnant and difficult, and the missionaries would evolve into a pattern of
hiking out into the mountains, and not actually do a lot of missionary work.
When one would be changed and a new one sent, the one having been there for a
while would soon infect the new missionary with the same discouragement continuing
the pattern.
I had a different mind-set due to a
prophecy about my life a month earlier in Managua, Nicaragua by Church leader, Hugh B. Brown, inferring a future
that would be among the Mayans, and the Mission President Wagner knew this and
so I was chosen and was sent in fresh with a new missionary, both of us
un-exposed to the discouragement, so we would take seriously our mission. On
arrival at the grass landing field in an Aviateca DC-3 two engine war-surplus airplane,
I was seeing for the first time in my
mission Q’eqchi’-Mayans in their
typical colorful clothing, and to me the area became my Shangri-la.
We quickly knocked on every door in
town and had no success with traditional missionary methods. We seriously took a long look at what we were
doing—on what we were supposed to be doing, and concluded we were going about
our job wrong. NOTE: My Checkered autobiography explains
we were encouraged to seek the Lord’s inspiration to discover more effective methods
of missionary work. We realized our main
purpose, especially among the Mayans was to find an understandable way to get
back into their hands their newly found Sacred Book, and let it take them where
it may, rather than being obsessed with baptisms. If we could have them accept the book, and
find an effective way to help them understand, it would guide them to an
awakening and blossoming.
Consequently I was inspired with a
strategy to do that, FIRST, telling
them with pictures how progressive their
ancestors were who some called “The Greeks of the New World,” THEN read to them from the Popul Vuh
about a darkness that had come upon them
bringing all the problems they still suffered, and LAST, prophecies about the
latter days when “They will awaken, come out of darkness into
the light, and blossom.” But
they would need their Sacred Book, which we would tell them has now been found,
which would help them overcome “the curse & blossom.”
So, our new system would first have
them feeling great about their ancestors and therefore feel good about
themselves and their ability to improve their lives. Next, accepting
their book and help them to understand
it and have the confidence to find a new life. Then I realized that the method had to
outline the steps they would need to take to really blossom.
So….. THE FORMULA that had come to me in the “visions of the night” as a
missionary in 1958, came to be called
The
Philosophy & Principles of the Good life.
Our PURPOSE then was to awaken the interest of Mayans to overcome “the curse” and organize projects to help them apply the principles of the Good Life, which was
our
MYSTERIOUS CAUSE.
MYSTERIOUS CAUSE.
**************
PREPARATION-1958
to 1967
Before the 2nd leaving for Guatemala in 1967 we
had a 2 hour long “heart to heart talk”
with my parents, ending with him giving me a Father’s blessing. I quote (in outlined form):
For better understanding I’ll quote a few paragraphs of that future chapter—THE RISKY…..JOURNEY, as it mentions clearly our reasons and what would be our necessary preparation.
“Our final leaving for Guatemala was after having failed the first time, and we had to return to Provo, go back to work for Andersen Samplers & Consulting Service, and wait for authorization to go through Mexico with our huge load. I'll quote a paragraph or two for complete understanding, coming out of it with a list of our reasons for making the move.
“Two weeks or so later a telegram came and we packed up for the 2nd time and headed for Mexico. But this time, before leaving, had a 2-hour long heart-to-heart talk with my parents who had been understandably doubtful and scared to death about what we were to attempt. Dad had previously tried to talk me out of it in what at times almost became heated conversations. Once he shocked me saying,
"No cursed people in the history of the world have ever been able to rise above it! You will be sacrificing you and your family in vain!"
I was shocked that a true believer in the BOOK OF MORMON would say such, and decided to not debate the matter anymore, rather quietly continue our preparations. Eventually, Dad, seeing my resolve decided to support us even without full understanding.
We had left the first time without any further discussion, but having to return "with my tail between my legs," as elderly Sister Cannon had predicted, I felt strongly there was purpose in it, and believed I had to have a heart to heart talk with mom and dad.
I requested they let me talk without interruption, but to jot down any comments or questions to deal with afterwards.
“I described emotionally the long
chain of spiritual experiences had since I was a young boy, including my
(1) NDE
at 16 convincing me I had to dedicate my life SAVING PEOPLE, then me
following Dad's example achieving
(2) spiritual conversion to the Book of Mormon, then I went on
to explain
(3) my mission experiences, focusing on
(4) Hugh B. Brown's prophecy
about my life, then as a missionary
(5) seeing Indian
babies dying that I had to do something about, and later
(6) profound
experiences when I was President of the Spanish American Branch in Provo,
including
(7) critically on the snowy slopes of the Henry Mountains
when, as had happened anciently to Enos, then to Ammon and his
brothers from the Book of Mormon--I literally had "the spirit of
the Lord work on [me] .....," and I had my encounter with the Lord
giving me the courage to make the move--and was supported by Maria and the
kids.”
But, it involved impossible challenges
we have to describe to fully understand.
MY TO DO LIST FOR RETURNING
TO GUATEMALA
1.
Marry the right companion to support me in the
adventure.
2.
Fulfill my military
obligation.
3.
Graduation from BYU
4.
Work in Andersen
Samplers, building up the business and accumulating capital for the
Guatemalan Adventure, as well as investing capital to make enough money for our
new life.
5.
Do research, investigate
and make exploratory trips to prepare the way for a move.
THE CHALLENGE & KEY
EVENTS PREPARING US
My last day in the Central American Mission
was memorable described in my autobiography, but it boiled down to my Mission
President, Edgar L. Wagner, taking me to the airport. I was hoping to insert here a
picture of him, but can’t find one—my camera was stolen during my mission (in
Managua). One of his chores as a Mission President was to talk to the
missionaries in a way to hopefully prevent them falling in love with a local
girl—so his preaching became pretty
extreme even calling one of us gringo’s marrying a Lamanite girl “a
sin.” He especially seemed to
pour it on during the last months of my mission when I was Secretary of the
Mission. He claimed knowing my girl friend, Maria, who had spent a year or so
in the Mormon Colonies in Northern Mexico before migrating to the U.S. This forced me to analyze his arguments, and
it was quite easy—but I was respectful of his intentions and resisted any
debate or getting him in a strangle hold.
But on the way to the airport he said,
“I know who your girl friend is, and you are fully aware of my extreme
preaching on such a mixed marriage, but want you to know that on getting back
together with Maria, if you both feel the way you did before your missions,
ignore everything thing I’ve said and MARRY HER QUICKLY!”
At the
airport a very special woman was there to say goodbye having made the long and
difficult trip from Coban on the bus. It
was Sister Carlota de Yalibat mentioned often in my writings from my mission,
and in the RISKY….JOURNEY
history. I had already said
goodbye to President Wagner, and last of all had a tearful parting with this
very special sister, not saying “ADIOS,”
rather “HASTA LUEGO,” as I knew
that as soon as possible I had to PREPARE and then RETURN TO THE “LAND
OF THE MAYAS.”
Maria, was
still in Mexico, remaining there to help her mother acquire a Resident Visa to
come to the U.S. and so I used the time
to check out three other very special young ladies I had on my list—but, even
though they were all wonderful women, it was quite easy to perceive that being
my wife in a pioneer adventure in the “jungles & mountains of the Maya,”
would be out of the question for any of them.
WHO WAS MARIA BERNARD?
She was
from Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, Mexico with a tragic, but interesting past for our possible future together. She
was the 3rd child born to Angela, her mother—Graciela was her
sister, and brother Albert. But when
Maria was a baby their father was killed by cattle rustlers on their ranch.
His widow, Maria's mother, was emotionally wounded seriously,
and soon was swindled out of their property, all of them ending up literally
starving in a thatch hut. They were
saved by aunt Clementina, mother of Aurora, who years later would marry Jim
Penrod, and be the ones to start AYUDA’s project in Cunen, Guatemala.So, Maria was raised by her aunt, in Tierra Blanca, and they were all early converts to Mormonism we see in an old photograph of the LDS branch members.
I’ll
first insert a picture of the group with a picture of Maria as a young lady
superimposed.
Maria is the little girl shading her eyes on the left, next to her brother Albert, and then Graciela, also shading her eyes. I’ll insert below the complete group picture with a special purpose as in it we see on the back row, far left, one of the young—but very tall, full time LDS missionaries, who good fortune would have it was HAROLD BROWN, who years later became one of the most key actors in our entire history.
He
was—about 33 years later, in 1973 the
LDS Regional Representative who surprised us with his visit at Valparaiso —as
though he was an ANGEL FROM HEAVEN, when we were going through the roughest
period in our history.
He had
known us for years, and even for a time lived a crossed from the Andersen home
on Ash Avenue in Provo. In 1973 from his
home in Mexico City, he explained he had kept
a close eye on what we were doing, hearing some very negative reports, but also
some very positive ones—and figured out what was happening—we were being “laughed
to scorn” –or criticized by some of our own LDS people, as had happened
anciently to Ammon and his companions, criticized by their people.
He
surprised us with a visit and was the only Church leader to come and
investigate with an open mind, and spiritually perceptive heart, and when hearing
what was happening at the hands of the LDS Mission and Leaders from Salt Lake
City, he literally broke down in tears and in significant ways encouraged us to
continue.......and, even later when I became more controversial, he listened with
an open mind and became my supporter throughout his life, rather than turn against me as so many friends and family did. He was the first to begin calling me a…
“Modern Ammon,” and us “A
Family of Ammons.”
NOW BACK TO THE HISTORY
AFTER MY MISSION
Soon I was asked to present a Welcome Home
Sacrament Meeting Program, resulting in a friend and local businessman,
Tom James, asking me to work with him. I tried, but soon determined it best to work with
my father who had recently published
in the Journal of
Bacteriology a report on the Andersen Sampler
and was getting tons of inquiries from all over the world. We established
the family partnership,
in the Journal of
Bacteriology a report on the Andersen Sampler
and was getting tons of inquiries from all over the world. We established
the family partnership,
Andersen
Samplers & Consulting Service.
Dad soon
discovered that I was the only person he had found to that point who could drill with a
jewelers drill press the 2,400 AIR jets in each sampler—all the way down to the
smallest about the diameter of a human hair.
After my Sacrament Meeting, I was also asked
again—as happened when I was 17, to speak in Stake Conference in the old Provo
Tabernacle, and again had an unforgettable experience talking about my mission
experience to a very large congregation—and congratulated by many, some saying I then spoke with an accent
as though I was a Mexican trying to speak English—which was a compliment for
this guy who had failed Spanish in high school, but discovered at the beginning
of the mission--no Language Training Center yet-- my own system for learning that had me speaking faster
than the average missionary. It was one of the great spiritual experiences of
my life. I actually went on to major in Spanish at BYU, and on graduation
was offered a fellowship to get a Masters Degree at Kansas State University, but
Guatemala and preparing to return was my priority.
“1. MARRY THE RIGHT COMPANION”
In December I received my induction
papers to report to the Army in January, but not
wanting to be away from
Maria for 2 more years I panicked and joined the Army
Reserves on December 31st, signing up to be trained as a Medical Specialist, which turned out to
be for our life in Guatemala, an inspired move.
Maria arrived that same day.
I was finally obedient to my Mission President, and Maria and me quickly
decided to get married on January 20th—her birthday, in 1959. NOTE:
I’m joking about finally being obedient!
DISASTER STRIKES—AFTER THE HONEYMOON A NEW CHALLENGE
A week after the honeymoon, I was going to have to report for Basic
Training at Fort Ord, California, after which I would be sent to San Antonio,
Texas at Fort Sam Houston for medical training.
Once settled into our apartment in Provo I began excitedly talking to
Maria about our future plans which would eventually be to leave the U.S. and
migrate to Guatemala to live and work among the rural Mayan people—with Coban as the target area. Somehow in the excitement of marriage and the
honeymoon, that subject hadn’t come up—A BIG MISTAKE!
Her reaction was never imagined—I was so naive—She was ready to explode
and said,
“If that
is your plan, it will be best for us to immediately get a divorce!”
I was a very orthodox Mormon and “divorce” was not part
of my vocabulary. I launched myself into a step by step recounting of all of my
spiritual experiences as a young teenager, then as a missionary, including the prophecy of Hugh B. Brown—all
adding up to my “Ammon-like” mission and future that I assumed a
good Mormon girl would be excited about.
But my explanation fell on deaf ears and she replied,
“I didn’t
struggle all my life to get out of Mexico to just go back, especially to live
out in the sticks in Guatepeor!”
I began again very emotionally reviewing everything, but then it was
clear it would get me nowhere, and besides, I thought, “The truth is that
it is going to take quite a while to PREPARE properly and somehow during the years it
would take, she will come around,”
so I backed off and privately laid out a subtle plan of PREPARATION—a
bit more complicated than the one I already had.
A day or so later I talked to a Mexican friend, Benjamin de Hoyos, who
knew Maria and he told me that “She came to the U.S. with the plan of
marrying a rich gringo and living in a big house happily ever after!” Poor Maria! She had got a bad deal with me…to say the
least—except, as I joked years later, she got the big house when living in the haunted Central House
at Valparaiso!
OFF TO THE ARMY TO BECOME A MEDICAL
SPECIALIST
My autobiography will tell a lot
of interesting details, but after initially hating and
fighting
all the vulgarity and immorality surrounding me in the Army, I found a way to
turn it around and “next to my mission experience it became to that time
the greatest experience of my life.” It was so much that way that
afterwards I was used by Church leaders to speak to youth groups and help
prepare them for having positive experiences in the Military.
In the San Antonio part of the
six months of training I took Maria with and we associated with Spanish
speaking people in LDS branches where I was given callings. That
was part of my plan: ASSOCIATE WITH LATIN AMERICANS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY.
THEN BACK TO BYU EVENTUALLY GRADUATING IN
1963
Of major importance we got together with other Latin American students
and ex-missionaries to study the Gospel in Spanish every Sunday
afternoon. Eventually that was converted
into the Spanish American Branch.
I became the Elder’s Quorum President.
Importantly the Branch Presidency believed all those attending should
forget Latin America and remain in the U.S.--having gathered to Zion, but I held exactly the opposite view
and initiated a monthly fireside to promote us all preparing to go back and be of service where it was needed most—Maria, indirectly
was my target.
AT BYU….I COULDN’T FORGET FOOTBALL &
MY ONETIME DREAM OF THE NFL....
—injuries reducing my
DREAMED OF SUPERBOWL* to
THE BYU“Flag Footall” CHAMPIONSHIP
*The
Super Bowl didn’t exist for 8 more years in 1967 but that is what I call it
today
--AN
EXAMPLE OF DETERMINATION & NOT ACCEPTING BULLYING--
Quoting
first from….FROM PART 1: 0-22 YEARS of my autobiography.
Note:
This is important if you want to understand me and who I am.
I had also been pressured by Chuck Peterson
and the BYU Cougar Club, to go out for
Freshman football, along with Grit Young (Steve Young's father) and others and did so, but my ankle was hurting me—from the serious injury in my senior year in
high school, and I
protected myself too much. I just couldn't play football that way, and so after two weeks dropped out. I was then asked by my
old California friend, Tom Green, to join him in forming a flag football team to play intramural football, and so
one tough bunch of little guys registered a new team,
one tough bunch of little guys registered a new team,
The MACCABEES.
WHERE DID THAT NAME COME
FROM AND WHAT DID IT MEAN?
A bit over 2000 years ago the mighty Greek army attempted to conquer the Jewish people and wipe out
their culture. Incredible brutality was unleashed on the Jews and they were going through a great period of darkness, when one family
and their leader, Judah Maccabee, created a revolt against the unbeatable Greek army. He was a fearless leader
and a brilliant strategist who inspired many to take up arms and eventually saved the Jewish people and way of life. So….
….Maccabees
are unbeatable mavericks!
As MACCABEES—to win, we had to play hard and rough, but flag football
would put much less pressure on my “football ankle” than would have been the case playing
football for BYU. I was made the captain
and outlined our basic plays, and we won the championship that
year—1954. Note: Interestingly that had several people ask me why I hadn’t gone out for
football at BYU, and had me thinking I should have had corrective surgery on my
ankle after the High School injury and been on the team with Grit Young!
Soon we all went on missions……
On
returning we got the MACCABEES going again, but things had changed as in previous years there had been too
many injuries so there were all kinds of rules and regulations. In 1954 and
before there was just one narrow flag down our back which was very difficult to
grab so we just played tackle football acting as though we were reaching for
the flag. From 1959 on, as seen in the picture, there was a flag down each side
and strict penalties for knocking down players.
BYU had doubled too in size from 5,000 students to 10,000, and so rather
than just two intramural flag football
leagues, there were 4.
To have a bit of advantage, and run faster than anyone
else, I played barefoot even when on frozen turf—with thick socks taped around
the ankles to not fall down.
We won our
league, and in the playoffs beat another league winner, and then came the
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, against a bunch of giants—all athletes on scholarship from
the baseball and track teams, captained
by Bob “Andy” Mostellar, all-star
pitcher on the baseball team who later went on to play in the Major
Leagues. He was tall, 6’+ and their
quarterback, so became my man on defense, and I his when on offense.
Prior to
the game they were vocal making fun of us as a bunch of midget football
players, and so we decided to teach them who we were on the kickoff
which they would receive. Each of us had
to take out our man—literally!
I remember that play so perfectly it is incredible, but Mostellar
got the ball and swung to his right while each of our guys surprised their guy
knocking them down. I was the only one left to get him. As he came charging down the side line I
launched myself into him hitting him on his hip, lifted him into the air, and
slammed him to the ground—totally surprising him and knocking the wind out of
him. He was so mad at my flagrant foul
he tried desperately to get to his feet and punch me out, but couldn’t get his
breath and was helpless—it was really funny!
The same happened all over the field and penalty flags flew everywhere. It was likely the only play in the history
of any kind of football when literally
every player on a defensive team was called for a flagrant foul!
That moved
them down the field close to the goal, and our zone defense didn’t work and
they made a touchdown. We came back with
our own touchdown, and then decided on
defense to play man-for-man, so it turned into a strange game—rather than
rushing quickly Mostellar, I carefully stalked him to keep him from getting
around me. After their first touchdown,
we matched them touchdown for touchdown, and ended up losing by their initial
touchdown.
But it was a memorable way to play basically my
last football game. If nothing more we
showed them we wouldn’t accept bullying and fought them like true MACCABEES to
the end…..just as you’ll see in my Guatemalan
adventure I resisted and fought bullying to the end, refusing to accept
injustice and unrighteousness.
SORRY ABOUT
THAT, BUT I COULDN’T RESIST REMEMBERING--WITH A SMILE, MY LAST FOOTBALL GAME—
WOW I LOVE FOOTBALL!
WOW I LOVE FOOTBALL!
NOTE: On honestly analyzing what happened, it occurs to me now
that my attitude to instantly react--taking no guff from any bully,
perhaps cost us the championship. Our insistence on getting instant
satisfaction on that first play had them
scoring easily the first touchdown that won them the game. Otherwise, we might
have—during the normal game--taking no guff, WON THE GAME & HUMILIATED THE
ELITE ATHLETE/BULLIES! But, I have to admit that
I remember that first play
with a smile.
In the Guatemalan Adventure, you'll notice I usually controlled
myself in the face of unrighteous bullying, and rather—retained my calling, letting the bullies leave or the
interview to end, and then showed my tenacity by going to work and showing the
bullies with great success that they had been wrong.
I THEN LAUNCHED MYSELF INTO THE TASK OF PREPARING MY RETURN TO
THE LAND OF THE MAYAS WITH TENACITY.
BACK TO GETTING AN EDUCATION
I majored in Spanish, taking the easy way to graduation, along with a
minor in History, as well as in Geology, and even Speech--winning the Speech Contest one year, but actually trained to become a Seminary Teacher with the
idea of maybe one day being the one sent to Central America to establish the
Seminary system, and even did my Student Teaching, but then I was turned off by
an orientation that emphasized how lucrative it could be by being “especially
spiritual!” I dropped that
plan, still planning to in some way establish the first Seminary Class in
Guatemala, but do so as a non-paid volunteer.
Getting paid for teaching the Gospel, just wasn’t right—for me.
I was first working part-time as a janitor early every morning, and
then in my extra time working at Andersen Samplers which I began
to see would be my ticket back to Guatemala so, even though able to graduate in
1962, I went an extra year to have as my minor Business Management, and
while doing that worked part-time as the Administrative Assistant to Raymond
Beckham, of the BYU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION as well as part-time with Andersen
Samplers.
RESEARCH, INVESTIGATIONS & EXPLORATORY TRIPS
At the BYU Library I devoured every book they had about Guatemala, and
began forming different business schemes for our life in Guatemala. I shared all with Maria, preparing her more
and more to think positively about Guatepeor.
We always attended ex-missionary Reunions at LDS Conference times and
eventually stimulated separate meetings talking about us returned missionaries doing something to
help as Brother Hugh B. Brown had prophesied.
I was elected to head the movement and contacted an ex-missionary, Gary
Cooper, who had gone back to hustle one of the O’Donnal daughters, and had a
proposal he made to our group.
I investigated as best I could and had my contacts in Guatemala
checking out the proposal, but there were serious questions and so I began
making plans for a trip—after my BYU Graduation in the summer of 1963.
THE SPECIAL FIRESIDES
At the Branch several firesides had been presented by groups from Latin
American mission areas, but they didn’t do well, and I prepared a fireside to
show them the way and convert Maria. My
camera had been stolen during my mission so I didn’t have slides, so I took
slides of pictures from National Geographic and other magazines and presented a
pretty good result. Maria began
softening. By then I had graduated and was planning my first trip back to
Guatemala, along with an ex-missionary companion, Frank Lawton, and a couple of
friends from BYU, Garth Norman, being one of them.
FIRST EXPLORATORY TRIP IN 1963
Frank drove his car with us to El Paso.
From there we took a Pullman style bus to Mexico City. Then we jumped on
the train all the way down through Veracruz and on to Tapachula, and from there
took Guatemala’s narrow-gauge railroad to Retalhuleu and John O’Donnal’s rubber
plantation where we were supposed to find Gary Cooper.
Some
of O’Donnal’s rubber trees seen on the right.
O’Donnal said that Gary had
given up several months prior and gone back to the U.S. without ever notifying
us. That’s when I had the discussion with O’Donnal who criticized the research I
had done and shared with Gary about his proposal being against the law in
Guatemala. O’Donnal just laughed and
said I didn’t know how things were done in Guatemala, and that the project
proposal could have been done by paying bribes to government officials,
etc. He made fun of my resolve to be honest and not give in to the bribe
system. That was the beginning of me having serious doubts about the
honesty and sincerity of the man who would become a leader for the LDS
Church in Guatemala.
Frank and me rented a car and did some touring
and I was able to get a lot of pictures of my own for the slide show, as well
as having very revealing experiences, and meeting some very fine people.
Frank headed home alone as we had come, I
remained for a while doing more research, and eventually flew home.
THE NEW SLIDE SHOW
BEGINS CONVERTING MARIA
I was able to vastly improve my slide show,
showing Indian Guatemala, but also showing the O’Donnal’s living in a very nice
home, with swimming pool, as well as many views of Modern Guatemala City. Maria, of course always went with me to the
firesides, and after this one remarked, “Living in Guatemala City would
maybe be alright—living in a nice home and having three maids!” In four years some progress was made—more
needed described next.
WORK TO BEGIN
ACCUMULATING CAPITAL
After my graduation in 1963 from BYU I became
the first full time employee of Andersen Samplers & Consulting Service. I was also
released early from my Army Reserve duties as an Instructor in Utah
Valley in Emergency Medical Treatments, due to pressing orders for Andersen
Samplers considered of National
Security importance as dad’s sampler had become the cornerstone of the Government’s
Biological Warfare Detection System.
I produced the first formal brochure for the
business, seen to the right, and put adds in scientific magazines and journals
and sales increased quickly with sales in all 50 states, and in 30 foreign countries.
CALLED AS BRANCH
PRESIDENT
During 1964 I was called to be the President
of the Spanish American Branch that had by then more than 120 adult members,
representing 11 Latin American countries, as well as Canada and the U.S.
I called as my counselors Efren Flores, from
Northern Mexico, and David Buist, an ex-missionary also from the mission in
Guatemala and Central America, who was married to a Latin American woman from
Texas.
SUMMERTIME 1965—THE 2nd
EXPLORATORY TRIP & CLINCHER FOR MARIA
The Branch was mostly composed of BYU
students, so summertime was a time of a lull in the action. So I chose it as a time for a much more
serious exploratory trip to Guatemala—this one specifically for Maria’s
benefit. By then we had three
children: Julie, almost 6, David 2-1/2,
and Cristina 18 months. Cristina was too small to get much out of the
trip, so my mother volunteered to take care of her for 1 month. Julie and David, both understood Spanish, but
wouldn’t speak, so we would leave them with Maria’s relatives in Tierra Blanca,
Veracruz and be forced to begin speaking.
Maria would go with me on a 10 day whirlwind tour of Guatemala,
including Coban and the remote area from there across the country.
With Maria we first visited the O’Donnals so
she could see a sort of gringo family living well in Guatemala and being of
help. Then on to the City, seeing....
MODERN GUATEMALA.
Then to INDIAN GUATEMALA at Patzicia where I was able to show her after a
Sacrament Meeting, malnourished babies that needed help.
Then we made a visit
to the home of the most outstanding LDS family, the family of Branch President Pablo Choc, his home
seen on the right—with dirt floor, soot blackened interior from the open
cooking fire, etc. Sister Choc, we see in the picture, along with the
older daughter to the right, were both killed in the 1976 earthquake, when the
adobe walls were instantly turned to dust, with the heavy roof of timbers and
tiles crushing our friends.
Daniel Choc, as the first Mayan to become a full time missionary for the LDS Church, also was killed in the aftermath of the
quake that killed 25,000 in the country.
We then continued to Lake Atitlan that some believe to be
“the most beautiful lake in the world.”
From there we drove up to Solola, and on the
outskirts of the town had a hair raising
experience getting pictures of REAL
INDIAN GUATEMALA....
.....along with legitimate recordings all of which helped make my next slide
show professional quality.
We continued to Chichicastenango, and then back to the city and....
........down the Atlantic Coast Highway to visit the magnificent ruins of QUIRIGUA, getting more wonderful photographs.
After a wonderful experience at Quirigua photographing the amazing ruins that interestingly had been discovered while Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet was still alive and had him speculating it could have been “Zarahemla,” that at least had him placing the BOOK OF MORMON history squarely in Guatemala, and clearly showed his belief it was true history.
Then a quick trip to Lake Izabal, almost
getting caught in a monsoon in our small aluminum boat........
....and on to the mountain stronghold of remote Coban—COLONIAL GUATEMALA where Maria was able to see there was one General Store, one Dental Clinic, one pharmacy, an old government Hospital and schools.
Then quickly across the country through what would two years later be
my CINE CHAPINLANDIA—the traveling movie tour....
.....then to the ruins of ZACULEO,
and down to Quetzaltenango and a District Conference seeing some of my converts
from 7 years before in the leadership.
Then back to Mexico to get the kids who were by then speaking Spanish
like the natives.
After that trip, Maria was saying,
“WELL, COBAN WOULDN’T BE SO BAD,
BUT NOT OUT IN THE STICKS!”
With that, I was all of a sudden under the pressure of finding
the courage I needed to do what I’d been talking about so much and knew I had to do. I would have to abandon what had become a very comfortable and
lucrative future, and plunge me and my family into the mysterious and dangerous
“jungles and mountains of the Maya” that by then were in the
middle of a vicious Guerrilla War trying to convert Guatemala into
another Cuba.
It had taken me 5 years to brainwash…..I mean, mentally
condition Maria into accepting my vision, now I had to quickly strengthen
my faith to be as strong as, or even stronger than was Ammon’s in ancient
America--he
didn’t have a family to also worry about!
Soon after our return from that exploratory trip and just prior to the busy school year beginning, my older brother, Marlo and Wydonna got married, and at their reception I took a most beautiful picture of Maria and Julie that I have to include in this history…..you see them to the right. It was on August 20, 1965, Julie 2 months short of being 6 years old.
INTERESTING PROBLEM FROM TESTIMONY MEETING
Soon after returning from our trip to Guatemala having made a lot of headway with Maria, one of our Guatemalan members of the Branch, who along with her family had been converted by John O'Donnal in Retalhuleu, had also made a trip back to Guatemala. She stood in Testimony Meeting, and described how she had literally been tortured in Guatemala to witness all the poverty and suffering, and said it was so depressing that she had made the decision to forget all of that human misery and never return to her country. I of course thought, "What a disaster! Rather than be concerned for her suffering people and wanting to do something to help, she rather put blinders on, and turned her back on her people."
Gratefully, Maria also reacted as I did. Interestingly years later when living in Guatemala I learned that said member's younger brother, Julio Cesar, an LDS University student in Guatemala City had become the leader of the main Guerrilla rebel group in the country. Somehow, as far as I know it never became public knowledge that he was a Mormon. Eventually he, and his brother, Alfonso, were both killed by Guatemalan security forces.
Years later
I attended in Salt Lake the Missionary Farewell
Sacrament Meeting Program for the mother in that family, and it was fascinating
to hear leaders in that meeting talk about how that family had suffered “the murder of the two sons” called “Freedom
Fighter martyrs!” It was interesting to see how the family defended
two that created such mayhem, chaos and loss of innocent lives in Guatemala--almost mine!
Now back to more pleasant developments.
THE CHAT WITH MY PARENTS POINT OUT MORE KEY EVENTS
That brings us to what is described in my heart to heart chat with my
parents in 1967,
“(6)…… profound experiences when I was President
of the Spanish American Branch in Provo, including (7) critically
on the snowy slopes of the Henry Mountains when, as had happened
anciently to Enos, then to Ammon and his brothers from the Book of Mormon--I
literally had "the spirit of the Lord work on [me] .....,"
and had my encounter with the Lord
giving me the courage to make the move…..”
REDEDICATING MYSELF AS BRANCH PRESIDENT
…THEN AWAKENED TO DO MORE …
To begin the school year in September with even a larger membership in
the branch, Maria and I, along with my counselors, rededicated ourselves
to do even better than we had the year before.
Maria was now more supportive than ever as we had gradually moved onto
the same page about our future. We were
in all respects the
“perfect marriage” – finally.
“perfect marriage” – finally.
I knew that to find the courage to now actually move closer to the
dream of getting back to Guatemala, it was a spiritual matter as had been the
case anciently with Ammon and his companions.
I began my day always being up early—no later than 6:00 AM, beginning
with scripture study, and then going to work.
I would dedicate my evenings to as quickly as possible interview
personally every member of the branch to get to know them, and be able to get
the branch organized, fitting every member into a calling they were best
qualified for.
My plan was to then quickly do a second interview with everyone as part
of a plan to solve what had been our greatest problem in the past—chastity, and
marital relations. This would culminate sometime in October with a Special
Sacrament Meeting focusing on that, followed up in the evening with a Special
Fireside with a panel of experts with questions, answers and discussion.
On September 28th I got a call from one of our members from
Guatemala who had a friend just arrived needing a place to live, and a part-time
job. Her identity will be kept
confidential, and for the purposes of this history we will call her Nora.
That evening I was actually exhausted from all the activity and needed
a rest, but I told the friend to bring Nora over. When they came I recall vividly coming into
the living room with an instant knowing of this young 21 year old. There were profound feelings of knowing and
love. I instantly reacted as had the General
Authority, 12 years later, and as would
be normal for many active Mormons, thinking,
"The devil is trying to tempt me!"
"The devil is trying to tempt me!"
I recognized I was going to have to be very careful
and said a silent prayer. The beautiful
feeling continued, and I made arrangements to help Nora.
That night I was up late, after the family had retired, studying the
scriptures and praying. My love for
Maria in no way was diminished, but the profound feeling for Nora persisted and
I couldn’t help but think, “Is the Church going to restore plural
marriage--again?” I was pronouncing
the PROHIBITED “P” WORD that
importantly was once in Mormonism a badge
of honor
as the “DIVINE,
ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE OF THE FULLNESS OF THE RESTORED GOSPEL,” but in
modern Mormonism,
HAD
STRANGELY BECOME POISON!
Note:
From this point on is the area of my personal history that some in the
Foundation leadership--20 years later when the
matter surfaced,
felt didn't need to be revealed to the public,
rather just focus on the positive work among the needy done in the name of the
Foundation. But, now on my own, I felt
it best to tell “the rest of the story” myself, rather than be ambushed later by those
who “don’t understand.”
I had just read Jacob 2, pretty strict about the idea of multiple
wives, and replied to my question, “There is no way such comes back
officially by the Church!” The
Church was enjoying too much the acceptance and even admiration of many in the
world.
I knew well
by that time that the famous Manifesto, that orthodox Mormons believed was a revelation--the
Lord stopping that principle, however just a simple glance made it clear it
wasn’t the Lord talking. And, while not
widely understood, even the Leaders
secretly continued the principle until being caught by the government in
their deception by 1904, when there was a 2nd Manifesto, and to show
they were serious this time, excommunicated in 1905 a couple of the Apostles. One, John W. Taylor, President Taylor’s son—known
then as the Prophet’s prophet, who happily accepted the punishment
continuing with his three wives throughout his life, knowing it wouldn’t stand
in the eternities and there was no need of repentance nor returning to Church
membership.
The Church was tired of persecution, and entered a
new phase to become acceptable to the world,
So I had questions and needed greater
understanding, while realizing too clearly the possibility of this being an “attempt
by the devil to destroy me and render me useless in the work of the Lord.”
I put into service the alarm clock I had used in
the last part of my mission to get up an hour before the other
missionaries, now arising at 5:00 AM.
as I had done in the Mission. Then drive to the chapel to spend a few hours of
study and prayer.
The old chapel, on 1st West & 4th North, had an
altar—like the ones in the temples, and I would kneel at that altar and pour my
soul out to the Lord for greater
understanding and strength I needed and 
My
office window is the open one on the right. The prayer room was just down
the hall with a window looking east we see on the left under the gable.
I knew that the General Authorities had instructed
Bishops to do away with such, but there it was for me to use and it intensified
the spiritual feelings while praying.
At times I would go down to the chapel and play
some hymns on the piano and then continue my study of the scriptures. By 8:00 I
would return home, have a quick breakfast and then go to work. This went on for months, seeking to leave no
stone unturned in my effort to cleanse and purify my life seeking the courage
I needed for the move to Guatemala, and multiplied many times in intensity by
this young lady who had entered my life who I felt a divine love for equal to
what I continued to feel for Maria. In a
sense I was living the spirit of the higher law of Celestial marriage.
In the beginning of the struggle for understanding
I naturally considered all the normal explanations that would occur to a person of
faith—that Satan had something to do with this, but time after time, the
wonderful spiritual love persisted inspiring me to do more in my quest, adding
to my agenda of duties with the branch members a weekly temple excursion
filling my car each time with my youthful members.
I
realized that in a very pure spiritual sense I was living with my feelings the
higher law of marriage, or Celestial
marriage as it was originally called. Never was there any hint of
temptation or carnal thoughts.
Eventually it was revealed to me
that one day I would lose Maria in some way, with the possibility of Nora
taking her place. The only way my
orthodox LDS mentality would permit me to interpret losing her was her all of a sudden passing on—which would only be a
temporary loss, but we would be together in the eternities.
But,
I had to keep an open mind about what that losing might mean.
But,
whatever that might mean my prayers then became pleas with the Lord to permit Maria and me to begin the adventure among
the Mayans together. We had come so
far and I didn’t want that to be in vain.
THE
HENRY MOUNTAINS THEN BECOME
CENTRAL TO THE DRAMA
Maria and I had planned a great adventure in Southern Utah for the
weekend of the mid-October deer hunt. I
had an outdoor magazine interested in the article I would write: About a great outdoor trip to Southern
Utah—driving to Bullfrog Bay on Lake Powell, just then filling up where there
was only a boat launch ramp. Then after
a great day of spectacular scenery and fishing, we would drive up into the
Henry Mountains for a great deer hunt.
I awoke that Thursday morning, October 21st, filled
with ominous impressions that if Maria went with, as planned, there would be a
tragedy. Perhaps my faith was weak, but I didn’t want that to happen yet, and had
silent tears rolling down my cheeks when Maria awoke and noticed. “What’s
wrong?” she asked. I replied I
had a feeling of tragedy about the trip and told her,
“You aren’t going with. I’m going alone!”
“You aren’t going with. I’m going alone!”
That evening I had another “chastity interview” and it was with
Nora.
I then in the dark left for Southern Utah keeping myself awake during
the long drive with a continual prayer to the Lord. I arrived at Bullfrog Bay
finding myself alone, but rather than sleeping, I pulled out my Spanish Book
of Mormon, and just flipped it open with no chapter in mind. It opened to
the Book of Enos, and I read,
“And I will tell
you of the wrestle I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins.
– Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests;
and the words which I often heard my father speak concerning eternal
life, and the joy of the saints, sank deep into my heart……..”
I knew in that instant that I had to go through on this trip the same
kind of spiritual transformation
experienced by Enos and decided I
would fast.
I continued studying carefully the Book, reading up through the
discourse of King Benjamin in Mosiah 5. On finishing the 21 page section, I
knelt in prayer, and then began again the same section feeling even more
powerfully the spiritual messages.
All of a sudden the day dawned,
October 22nd, without having
slept, but something very profound had changed in me.
I wrote at that time: “Some
profound changes had happened during the long night—everything was so
beautiful! The Spirit of the Lord had
unlocked to my understanding the secret wonderment of my surroundings. I was left in humble awe at the beauty of the
rock formations, the shadow effects, the reflections on the water, the cool
morning breeze, the desert plants—even the tiny ones. There was a new sensitivity, a new joy in
truly being alive!”
While focusing on the
spirituality of the days alone I was determined to also fulfill my outdoor
purposes for the trip.
So, I boated down the lake to Lost Eden Canyon getting the photographs
I needed. I didn’t fish as I already had
good photographs for that aspect of the experience I would write about.
I then headed for the Henry Mountains that were covered up high by a
new mantle of snow. I drove up the west
side past hunter’s camps in the aspens, until I was into the snow, and parked
for the night and lit my propane gas heater to keep warm.
I got out my Book of Mormon again, and
after a word of prayer, carefully read through the 21 page section from Enos to
Mosiah 5, then knelt in prayer. This was
repeated a number of times until 1:00 AM, Saturday October 23rd when I knelt again, but this time it was
different.
“I was flooded with the Spirit of the Lord and
filled with a love I had never known before.
I felt clean and filled with unspeakable joy and happiness. As I was
embraced by the warmth of His love, fear fled and I spontaneously began making
promises to the Lord in whose presence I was kneeling. I covenanted to do what I had known for
several years I had to do. I now really
believed, I really loved and I was more
than willing to stake my life on that conviction, and promised to leave with my
family for Guatemala as soon as possible and the Lord promised me that as long
as I faithfully persisted in serving those He called, ‘MY LITTLE ONES,’ I
would be protected and guided by Him.” Fear had been overcome by
love.
I slept peacefully as never before in my life.
In fact I slept too peacefully, as when I
awoke it was light, and I was supposed to be on top of the mountain. I struggled up through the snow and about
halfway to the top noticed a hunter coming behind me several hundred yards who
all of a sudden began shooting at a herd that gradually moved between us, and
he then let off another shot that whistled by my right ear, and I yelled
hitting the snow.
As I lay there I envisioned that if Maria had
of been with me, she would have been standing to my right and would have been
lost. I said a heartfelt prayer of
gratitude to the Lord for having answered my prayers preserving her life to
help me lay the groundwork for something of importance among the Lamanites in
Guatemala.
NOTE: Later I talked to the hunter who had
almost shot me—in fact when he heard me yell and I hit the ground, he had
thought he had hit me, and was grateful when
in a moment I got up and continued up the mountain.
In spite of feeling weak from fasting, I continued
to the top of the mountain having seen silhouetted in the early morning sun two huge bucks.
From there I shot the biggest mule deer of my life, but he kicked
himself down the wrong side of the
mountain. So I had to de-bone the deer
and along with the antlers struggled to the top with a 150 lb. load and
slid down the other side to my van.
I rested during the remainder of the day and towards evening headed for
home, but as I got to the pavement I felt the need to pray, so walked along the
river and knelt in prayer, and there was filled with the impression from the
Lord that I had to talk to Nora in some way about what I was experiencing. That filled me with a natural ominous feeling
that such could be harmful to her, so I had my wrestle with the Lord,
who persisted with even stronger impressions of what I had to do. I finally gave up the debate and promised the
Lord to do it, but added that if in any way I was being deceived, rather than
doing anything that would hurt Nora, I would prefer giving my life, and told
the Lord I would give him all the chance he needed to take me if that would be best.
To give Him a chance to take me, I did something that would be
considered crazy, and determined to drive home at full speed, only slowing down
going through one community along the
way. As I raced through the mountains—once I
couldn’t make the turn and left the road—it all of a sudden became like a dream—seemingly as though the van had wings that somehow got me back
on the road. While it took me about
5 hours to get to Southern Utah, I made it home in 3 and was alive.
It was late, but I was greeted by Maria and my mom. Mom, during the week had a dream that there would be
a tragedy on that trip to Southern Utah—that was when she understood Maria was
going with me, but later learned I had gone alone. She was with Maria anxiously waiting for me.
They were both convinced the tragedy would be me, so when I walked in I got a
wonderfully emotional and loving welcome.
THE GREATEST SUNDAY OF MY LIFE
I continued my fast, and the next day, October 24th had the Sunday of my life. In Priesthood meeting, there was some kind of discussion going on, and the Elder’s Quorum President, Roque Quiroz, turned to me and said, “President Andersen, can you help us?” I gave a simple explanation.
For Sunday School I was sitting up front observing all who entered and
wished I could have been the greeter to be able to hug all as I was overwhelmed
with a great love for everybody, including even one or two that were
problems. After the opening exercises something
strange happened, as all came forward surrounding me—all wanting to give me a hug. Nora was part of
that very loving scene. I had never
experienced anything quite so wonderful and humbling before.
Afterwards I got a ride home for Maria and the kids, and remained in my
office doing the final chastity interviews.
Then the Sacrament Meeting, and the Special Fireside, followed by a
whole line of members who wanted to talk to me again—to clarify inaccurate things
they had told me in the interviews. I
finally finished the last draining interview at 11:30 PM and headed for home, feeling very strongly
that I needed to share openly with Maria everything I had been experiencing—prior
to the next day talking with Nora.
I did my best, but was frustrated at being understood by her. She was understanding my guarded explanation
to be about plural marriage. She had
experienced in the Mormon Colonies in Mexico, when only 15 years old, the
advances of Joel LeBaron of that infamous Fundamentalist family, and no
matter what I said, it didn’t matter. By 3:00 AM I gave up, expressed my deep love for her, and tried to sleep
concluding I couldn’t talk with her again about what I was experiencing. But, I was restless, and by 5:00 AM when my
alarm sounded, decided to drive to Salt Lake and attend a session in the
Temple, convinced that if in any way I was being deceived in all that I was
experiencing, it would be there where clarity would come. One of the modern
Apostles once said:
“At the temple the dust
of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we
can see things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our
troubles that we had not previously known.”
I returned home more convinced than ever that I was being guided by the
Lord and had a guarded visit with Nora relating some of the background in my spiritual conversion and development, including
many of my missionary experiences and my conviction that I had an important
work to do among the Mayan peoples of Guatemala and was preparing to return as
soon as possible. I also had felt
strong impressions she should go on a mission, and told her with her comment
that she had been approached before, but cool to the idea. I also
had envisioned some of her future that would be very difficult and troubling, and told her that if she ever felt
the need of advice and help of any kind, she should not hesitate to look for
me, and I would never fail her.
NOTE: The next
Sunday after Sacrament Meeting, Nora asked to speak with me, and in my office said, “How do I make it known I accept the call to go on a mission?” I immediately filled out the Application to
begin the process.
WHAT HAD REALLY HAPPENED ON THAT SPECIAL SUNDAY?
Two weeks later, on November 7th in a Testimony Meeting, the Elder’s Quorum
President Roque Quiroz, related the experience in the Quorum meeting when
asking me to clarify whatever, and said, “As President Andersen spoke to us,
his words penetrated my soul as never before, and as he spoke he was surrounded
by a heavenly light!”
My counselor, Efren Flores, had learned some of what my challenge was,
and also confirmed that he had noticed a very evident spiritual transformation
in me and made some very nice comments that confirmed the good spirit I felt
that special day and through this entire period. I only mention these two, to indicate that
something special was happening to the extent of other’s witnessing it, and it was all good.
As it worked out, Nora, ended up leaving Provo in early November with a
very emotional parting between us. The
day before she was to leave for San Francisco she had sent an envelope to me with one
of her roommates that had $160 for tithing for the wages she had earned doing
work for Andersen Samplers & Consulting Service, and requested
I write a letter of recommendation introducing her to Church leaders in San
Francisco informing them she “had been called on a mission,” which
apparently she was taking very seriously.
I went to the apartment where she lived with other students and members
from Central America to give her the letter.
We were outside on the porch to say goodbye and there was a warm embrace, hesitating a bit
as we separated, then the whole matter was
left in the hands of the Lord.
After getting back to my car I all of a sudden realized that after
separating slightly from the embrace we remained for a moment our noses
separated by ¼ of an inch, when it would have been natural to show love—but I
didn’t even notice, much less felt temptation as was always the case in spite of
the deep love I felt for her and at times demonstrated subtly by her too.
MORE TEMPLE CONFIRMATIONS
A few weeks later I had ominous impressions about Nora living
in San Francisco, and again fasted and prayed for her and went to the Temple,
and there had revealed to me the reason why I had to have that talk with
her—important for our future.
But, seemingly wanting a more sure confirmation from
the Lord, a month later I 
attended a special Priesthood session in the temple on Saturday, December 4th. I was in the Celestial Room, looking into a small sealing room with its altar—similar to the one shown, when a heavenly vision was opened up to me filling me with overwhelming love such as only can come from God and the whole experience was confirmed by the burning in the bosom, and I shouted within myself to the Lord,
WHAT REASON?
One purpose of prophecy is....that when what was predicted
begins to be fulfilled, there is immediately a growing of faith. When at
some future date there would begin a quite miraculous fulfillment of what was
inferred, Nora's faith would have a chance to be multiplied and increase the
chance of total fulfillment and pave the way for her having the confidence in
me necessary to help the attainment of our purposes.
attended a special Priesthood session in the temple on Saturday, December 4th. I was in the Celestial Room, looking into a small sealing room with its altar—similar to the one shown, when a heavenly vision was opened up to me filling me with overwhelming love such as only can come from God and the whole experience was confirmed by the burning in the bosom, and I shouted within myself to the Lord,
“It is enough Lord, I will bother you no more on
this matter.”
For sure, the vision clearly showed me for whatever reasons, I was chosen to
live Celestial Marriage in some way, but the whole
matter was left in the hands of the Lord and, along with Maria, we prepared to
leave for Guatemala as soon as possible.
Twelve years would go by with neither me nor Nora
having any knowledge of each other. It was left confidently in the hands
of the Lord, but as you will see it was far from over as eventually the Lord
intervened again in our lives as all of a sudden she had desperate need--which I had foreseen, but
she didn’t know what had become of me—so the Lord helped her as will be explained
at the right chronological point in the FINAL REPORT. But, it was without me taking any
initiative while never going through a day without feeling the love for her and
Maria, and having both of them always in my prayers.
CRUCIAL
HISTORICAL NOTE:
As you will see this matter was of critical influence both in my relationship
with the Foundation leadership, and also with LDS Church leaders, so it will be
briefly blended into the history described in the FINAL REPORT. It became
a seemingly unending drama—or as our friend Carl Jacob called it, “A never
ending soap opera,” that he planned on
writing about and becoming famous, but the truth is that MY REAL LIFE WAS
BETTER THAN ANY SOAP OPERA.....and with each complication,
Carl sort of cheered me on!
From the beginning going through a period of 12 years "leaving it in the hands of the Lord," and then quite incredibly renewed with a period of 8 years of struggle—attempting to understand and do what the Lord wanted all three of us to do—and we should have made it then, yet again it would "be left in the hands of the Lord" and unbelievably 30 years would go by without neither Nora nor me having any knowledge of the other—but always loving, never forgetting and always believing. During those years the plot would thicken somewhat and I would actually be given the opportunity to fulfill the covenant of Celestial Marriage, and in a tragic sense “loose Maria,” not as anticipated, but nonetheless sadly lost!
So, it still
wasn’t over but left faithfully in the hands of the Lord and
after 30 years of knowing nothing, out of the blue there Nora was again for the
third time over nearly 50 years. Our relationship could of, and maybe
should have been realized at that point, but 30 years of growing apart--each in our
own way, took its toll--and me especially growing sort of old with related
complications had again our relationship put on hold, and so our union seemingly remains for the future as I had seen
clearly in the vision. Some detail will be woven into the COMPLETE FINAL
REPORT.
THE FIRST LEADER TO HEAR RUMORS IN 1978
The details of the vision in the temple are not revealed here, nor were
they revealed to the Leader, William Bradford, mentioned at the end of the RISKY….JOURNEY
writing, who was told my story—taking
two hours, so there were a lot of details related then, except for the details
of the vision—only telling him basically
as I have also related here, assuring him “It was a revelation in the
Temple confirming what was happening was from the Lord,” and who concluded counseling me,
“Don’t tell
anyone--no one will understand.”
But,
within six months he had broken the confidence and related the matter to
six others in a distorted way—for said
leader it had become “a dream.” The
main one told was Apostle Boyd Packer, who in
two long 1979 interviews with me, to get a recommend for my daughter Julie's wedding, began
weakening my confidence in him by demonstrating he still believed I was guilty
of what is described in the COMPLETE FINAL REPORT--the debunked,“illegal adoption work that destroyed the missionary work in many rural
areas,” plus other comments—like labeling the rumored Nora as “a tramp,” as well as trying to get me to admit the
temple experience he called “a dream,”
was from the devil, and repeatedly all
of a sudden accusing me of adultery,
which I calmly told him each time was not true.
He then insisted I tell him the whole
history,
but with his uninspired condemnatory
attitude
I replied,
“Sorry,
it's not possible because my Priesthood leader counseled me,
‘Don’t tell anyone.........’”
That
didn’t help in my relationship with him, however his negative attitudes
and lack of inspiration had me unconcerned, but he couldn’t
deny me the recommend.
…I had seen a vision, and I knew that the Lord knew he had
given me a vision, and it couldn’t be denied without forfeiting my future in
the eternities.
THE DIVINE POWER OF A HEAVENLY VISION
The outcome of that Fall of 1965 was profoundly positive for our future. As we LDS have seen, like in the life of
Joseph Smith, a literal HEAVENLY VISION, is powerful like nothing
else. But, for such a risky, faith
motivated move—our
God appointed mission to the dangerous LAND OF THE MAYA was
so profoundly serious—actually a
life-long risky cause, that it would require one more year of
PREPARATION, I will describe next.
SERIOUS PREPARATIONS FOR “THE
JOURNEY”
During 1966 I focused a
lot of my attention on working and promoting Andersen
Samplers, and investing all of our surplus money acquiring first, the
vehicle we would need—a Ford 150 pickup, seen on the right, equipped with a special camper with a
modified
interior. I installed overload springs,
and got tough Michelin tires that would withstand heavy loads. Then began acquiring other equipment we would
need for our first project in Guatemala:
4 - 16mm. movie projectors, a public address system, 2 large 9’ x
12’ professional movie screens, 3 – portable generators, etc.
The THIRD EXPLORATORY TRIP
In the summer
of 1966 I was approached by archaeologist Garth Norman for an\
expedition in Southern Mexico—to sites
relative to the Tree of Life Stela between Tapachula and the Guatemalan
border where we were to end up.
I was
doing some work as a free-lance
photographer and had professional 4” x 5” cameras and capability of doing night
photography to make visible the relief on stelae. 
I converted the camper into a dark room to be
able to immediately develop the 4” x 5” —color and black & white film. I
would be the driver on the expedition, and after finishing with Garth would
travel to Coban for more exploring and investigations prior to our family
move.
We see to the right Garth examining one of the negatives in my camper/darkroom, with containers of all the chemicals I had to use to process daily the film—to make sure what I was getting was professional quality for Garth’s purposes.
In my RISKY….JOURNEY history I
mention that expedition, continuing to Coban, actually Garth and me
together as he was interested in seeing the mountainous area from Coban to
Huehuetenango as he believed it important in the geography of the BOOK OF
MORMON. Note: That will be explained in
Part 2. Then, after a few
days in Coban he took the bus to the city, and from there flew home.