GIFTS: "How Green Was My Valley" --- a welding link

For anyone interested in the silver screen it was a big surprise to note that the Best Picture Academy Award in 1941 went to How Green Was My Valley, beating out the favorite, Orson Welles's Citizen Kane.

The winning film was adapted from Richard Llewellyn's tale of family life in a Welsh mining village, a warm and enchanting account, moral and wholesome, with a religious theme. The following extended quotation from the book has special interest and application for Latter-day Saints, especially since we have just studied Lehi's Dream in the Book of Mormon. See what you think:

"Courage came to me from the height of the mountain, and with it came the dignity of manhood, and knowledge of the Tree of Life, for now I was a branch, running with the vital blood, waiting in the darkness of the Garden . . . to bring forth sons and daughters.

"I saw behind me those who had gone, and before me, those who were to come. I looked back and saw my father, and his father, and all our fathers, and in front, to see my son, and his son, and the sons upon sons beyond.

"And their eyes were my eyes.

"As I felt, so they had felt, and were to feel, as then, so now, as tomorrow and forever.

"Then I was not afraid, for I was in a long line that had no beginning, and no end, and the hand of his father grasped my father's hand, and his hand was in mine, and my unborn son took my right hand, and all, up and down the line that stretched from Time That Was, to Time That Is, and Is Not Yet, raised their hands to show the link, and we found that we were one, born of Woman, son of Man, made in the image, fashioned in the Womb by the Will of God, the Eternal Father."

--------------------------------
What a remarkable description!

In it, we hear echoes of the temple. Of the ordinances of salvation. Of the scriptures of the Restoration, especially this one:

Having just cited the last two verses of the Old Testament, Malachi 4:5--6, which foretell the coming of "Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord" to "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse," the Prophet then continues:

"I might have rendered a plainer translation to this [see section 2 of the Doctrine and Covenants], but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children . . . ."

Joseph then speaks of the ordinances for the dead, "For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. . . for it is necessary . . . that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories [as well as families] should take place . . . ."

The doctrine is a compelling one --- unique to Latter-day Saint theology, and yet shared by untold millions not of our faith who, animated by this "spirit of Elijah," are impelled, obsessed, driven to find their ancestors and make a record of their dead.

This work of genealogy was the life work of my dear Mum, and of her husband, our Dad, before her. I felt inspired to speak of these things at Mum's funeral last month.

It was the 22nd of December, the first day of winter. The next day was the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith, in 1805. Three days later was the celebration of Christmas. I tried to pull together --- to weld --- all these facts into one great whole, to show what Mum and Dad and millions of others were motivated to do, and how we as family, and as a larger family of Saints were blessed and benefited by this work. Richard Llewellyn, as evidenced by the remarkable excerpt above, was one with this doctrine and this magnificent obsession.

I made the point in my funeral remarks that "The hopes and fears of all the years" were met in the little town of Bethlehem on that night of the dear Savior's birth. Notice how (Brother) Llewellyn had brought out this point: "Then I was not afraid . . . " as I contemplated the link, the welding link of families, bound and sealed together, brought into harmony and unity and into eternity together.

It is a most remarkable doctrine. Centered in the Savior. And in His house, the holy temple. And in our homes.

Do we understand, or even glimpse, what it is that we have? To come to know of these things, to have a working knowledge of them from our interest in the scriptures which gives meaning and explanation to our compelling drive to act upon this spirit of Elijah to seek out our dead and to bring them together, in one, with us and with those not yet born, in a covenant of binding relationship with our God. It is a central part of the grandest work under the sun. What a privilege to be a part of it!

This miracle of the internet is a huge part of this work today. Can I prevail upon you to share this humble piece of writing that addresses these monumental themes. Send this to any in your extended family, or circle of friends, whose address I do not have.

It is a uniting work, bringing together souls past, present, and future, as you can see. Please help in sharing it and expanding it by sending this little message to others who otherwise will not see it.

God bless us all in this work.

More later,

Steve