Easter 2026

Easter weekend this year came and went, as it is wont to, with lots and lots of candy. Also, in our case, a few family gatherings. And, as a bonus, general conference on both Saturday and Sunday. We pretty much had the perfect weekend.

On Saturday, we went out to Grantsville for our two-year-old nephew William's second birthday party. Together with most of JB's side of the family, we enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and dip, and a delicious peanut butter and chocolate cake that Nicole made for the occasion.

William received a number of gifts, including a harmonica from us. He was not able (yet) to make music with his new instrument, due to being two years old and not having the lung power to blow into it. But he enjoyed dancing along to the music that came from it. And he also loved playing with the balloons that were there.

On Sunday morning, we awoke to find that the Easter Bunny had visited both JB and me, and he had been generous with his offerings. We then gathered with the Plowman side for general conference breakfast at Biz's and Jeff's home in West Bountiful. There were pancakes, bubble buns, fresh fruit, and myriad breakfast casseroles to choose from.

The conference messages all weekend, and especially Sunday morning, were wonderful. It was a blessing to participate remotely in the solemn assembly, raising the right hand to sustain our new prophet, Dallin H. Oaks, and to receive his counsel from the pulpit.

Later that afternoon, we were joined by JB's parents for Easter dinner at our house. The menu included pork loin roast, Lion House rolls, baked potatoes, and carrot cake for dessert.

Death, Taxes, and a Few Other Sure Things

I was asked to give a short talk in my ward's sacrament meeting today. I have posted my remarks below. Happy Easter, friends.

Jana and I recently watched the new Ken Burns documentary on Benjamin Franklin, one of our Founding Fathers. I’m a history buff, and I even majored in the subject in college until I realized one day, “Yikes, I’m majoring in history.” Franklin’s is, of course, the portrait on one of my favorite pieces of U.S. currency. If a hip hop musical were ever created about his life, I would most seriously consider listening to it.

It was interesting to me to learn that when the Constitution was adopted, he wasn’t completely sure it was last---though he hoped it would. He observed: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” A cynic today might look at the state of the world and reach the same conclusion.

Five years ago this weekend, death and taxes converged for me on the same day when my father passed away following a long illness on Saturday, April 15 (2017). Earlier that day, I got the impression to go and visit him in the care center. Jana and I were dating at that time, and she got the same impression. I’m so glad we followed that prompting. Had I waited to go and visit him the next day, on Easter Sunday, with the Easter candy I planned to bring, it would’ve been too late.

On that day, I got to hug him one last time and tell him once more that I loved him. Just a few hours later, he was gone. The doctors had given him six months; he lasted only nine more days. Though it was an expected loss, it occurred unexpectedly quickly, and it was a painful one.

When I arrived at the hospital that night, Dad had already passed. My siblings and I recalled numerous funny stories we remembered about Dad; it was a mix of laughter amid the tears. Upon leaving the hospital, I suddenly realized that it was past midnight, and that the day had changed from Saturday night to Sunday morning---it was Easter morning! The timing of this loss was a tender mercy to me and to our family.

In addition, the Comforter came in an unexpected way. The words of a favorite scripture appeared in my mind as I drove home. I saw or heard them repeated very clearly:

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

In the April 1992 general conference, Elder Marion D. Hanks of the Seventy related the following:

“Let me share with you the tender story of an eleven-year-old boy named Philip, a Down’s syndrome child who was in a Sunday School class with eight other children.

“Easter Sunday the teacher brought an empty plastic egg for each child. They were instructed to go out of the church building onto the grounds and put into the egg something that would remind them of the meaning of Easter.

“All returned joyfully. As each egg was opened there were exclamations of delight at a butterfly, a twig, a flower, a blade of grass. Then the last egg was opened. It was Philip’s, and it was empty!

“Some of the children made fun of Philip. ‘But, teacher,’ he said, ‘teacher, the tomb was empty.’

“A newspaper article announcing Philip’s death a few months later noted that at the conclusion of the funeral eight children marched forward and put a large empty egg on the small casket. On it was a banner that said, ‘The tomb was empty’” (Ensign, May 1992, p. 11).

The tomb was empty---and yet that tomb with nothing and no one inside gave us everything! Our Savior gave us the two greatest gifts He could: triumphing over sin through the Atonement and over death with His Resurrection. Beyond death and taxes, the gospel gives us so many certain things in this life, and many reasons to have great hope in the next one.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended to heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 121).

That is why we are here, today and every other week. We take the sacrament as an appendage to the Atonement and the Resurrection. We meet here on Sundays as an appendage. Our missionary and temple work are appendages to it. We have so much to be grateful for and so many reasons to rejoice this day and every other as followers of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, I know that my Redeemer lives. I also know that the gift of the Holy Ghost is real and is also one of our Father’s greatest gifts to us. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Easter 2021

Monthly family dinners with my in-laws resumed this month–at least, we had one on Easter Sunday. Jeremy, Alice, and their kids came over to watch the Sunday afternoon session of general conference  with us, and then we enjoyed an Easter-themed dinner, followed by card games, together.

No one was more excited about this than Leia, who absolutely adores Spencer, Olivia, and Jake (picture here with our puppers):

The messages from our prophet, Apostles, and other Church leaders for general conference were wonderful. The company was equally good!

Easter 2020

This year's Easter Sunday was unlike any other we had previously experienced. Due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, we were unable to worship together with our ward members at the local meetinghouse, nor could we gather with family members for an Easter egg hunt or for family dinner. However, we still held church in our home, partaking of the sacrament and then studying this week's Come, Follow Me lesson together.

Through the use of modern technology, we used mobile devices to join in together with the in-laws on a Zoom family dinner meeting, through which we were able to check in with everybody and to make sure they are all doing OK.

The bishop and his wife also made a socially distant visit, dropping off this Easter-themed gift:

The rabbit's head is a roll of toilet paper, and its ears are a dish towel—two very useful gifts in these days of spending more time at home.

Post-Easter Egg Hunt

The kids finally had their annual Easter egg hunt, albeit a week after Easter. This is because Easter Sunday this year did not align with either our Sunday general conference breakfast or fourth-Sunday family dinner.

Anyhow, we met up at Mike's and Jana's home in Layton Sunday for both family dinner and the kids' Easter egg hunt. Jackson took the time to organize the Easter egg hunt, and he did a great job doing so.

Everyone got a basket or bag full of plastic eggs and goodies inside them, which made for a lot of happy kids.

After this, we had our monthly family birthday party for our April birthdays: Graham (3), Jenna (16), and Jackson (11).

Graham was particularly grateful for his Kylo Ren light saber and Kylo Ren teddy bear:

JB is becoming a favorite of a number of the niblings, including four-year-old Kate here (but, then again, JB has pretty much been a favorite from the first family dinner she attended):

Her cousin Kylee is also a favorite:

In short, it was another great family dinner and Easter event for us.

Easter

It's Easter Sunday (did ya notice?) and also the second day of the 188th Annual General Conference of the Church! Normally, we meet up at Mom's house for breakfast together prior to the Sunday morning session of conference, but since Mom is home sick today, we instead met up at Mike's and Jana's house in Layton.

The kids took part in our annual Easter egg hunt and had a great time looking for goodies.

General conference was pretty amazing, but then again, it always is! The Saturday morning session yesterday was also a solemn assembly in which we sustained our new prophet. President Russell M. Nelson, as well as his counselors in the First Presidency, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring. In addition, we also sustained the first Asian-American and Latin American members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of this dispensation: Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares, respectively.

Priesthood meeting last night featuring a change: the end of high priests groups in wards, which are being combined with elders quorums. The Church is also consolidating some of its priesthood meetings (which means fewer meetings; hooray!).

Following priesthood session, JB and I traveled to downtown Salt Lake City to visit an old friend of mine, Janett Cuba del Carpio, whose father, Carlos Cuba, was my mission president in Peru. Janett's husband, Elder Fernando del Carpio, is an Area Seventy in Tacna, Peru, and they were both in town to attend general conference.

There were two other special announcements today during the afternoon session: Home and visiting teaching programs are being discontinued and replaced with "ministering" objectives. I guess we'll find out more about those in the weeks that follow. Also, Pres. Nelson announced seven new temples to be built in: Layton, Utah (Davis County's second!); Richmond, Virginia; Salta, Argentina; Managua, Nicaragua; another in the Philippines; and the first temples in both India and Russia.

What an inspiring, uplifting weekend it was. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to sustain a new prophet and to feel the mantle upon his shoulders as he taught gospel truths. So many wonderful messages delivered so many incredible teachings.

No Fooling

One of the last movies I saw in the theater before leaving on my mission (in case you've not been keeping up with Paco Nation, I'm old, folks), was Forrest Gump, and I went to see it with Mom. *SPOILER ALERT* After Jenny's death and the very somber ending, Mom turned to me as the credits began to roll and said, "I wish I could introduce them (presumably Forrest and Forrest Jr.) to the missionaries right at that moment."

This is just the kind of person Mom was and is. That's how her mind works.

Fast forward to earlier this week when, on my day off work, and while recovering from a bout of the Martian Death Flu, I watched the last few episodes of "Parenthood," a TV drama I did not watch when it originally ran on TV but which I've been following over the past few months on Netflix. In the final episode, which may be one of the all-around greatest TV episodes and finales ever produced, so many things wrapped around my heart like an anaconda, and I was bawling like a baby during the final 15 or 20 minutes. *SPOILER ALERT* What hit home most was (1) the grandfather/patriarch of the family passing away and (2) Sarah's and Hank's wedding, which was beautifully done. Most if not all of the main characters' (and even some of the supporting characters') story lines also wrapped up rather well in the process.

JB and I are in the middle of our own wedding preparations as I write this. So, of course, my brain goes there only several hundred times each day right now. It's getting real at this point. I picked up my suit just a few days ago. This is actually happening, I have to keep reminding myself. So, my heart was there with Sarah and Hank as they tied the knot.

Beyond that, though: As the four adult children and widow grieved for their departed father, I went mentally and spiritually where Mom went with the ending of Forrest Gump. Basically, I wanted to hug them and tell them: I've been where you've been. I've lost my father, too. I know your heartache. But I also know the peace, "which passeth all understanding," that only the gospel brings. This life is not the end. You can see him again!

I'm incredibly grateful for the gospel plan by which families can be sealed not for this life only but for eternity, as well, if we are faithful and give our whole souls to the great gospel plan. Because of it and because of our Savior's sacrifice, this incredible blessing is ours for the asking. And unlike the plots of both Forrest Gump and "Parenthood," this concept isn't just a neat story. It's not just something that makes me smile when I am down or a good idea. Though today is also April Fool's Day, it is most certainly no joke. It's everything! And it's what keeps me going day by day.

It being Easter Sunday, I'm reminded that Dad passed away last year just a few, short hours before the dawn of Easter morning 2017. Though it's not chronologically been a year yet, it was still last Easter, and this Easter brings with it memories of that sorrowful night. It also brings with it a reminder of the truly great gift the Savior gave to us all.

Death, Taxes, and Other Sure Things

I recently gave a talk in church. The occasion, in case you hadn't guessed from my recent posts, was Dad's funeral. Here is what I spoke about:

There is an old saying that the only sureties in life are death and taxes. Well, Dad passed away April 15.

Dad had a great sense of humor. But in all seriousness, and in the few minutes I have today, I'd like to talk about some of the most important things he gave me (besides nearsightedness and the bald spot):

1) Time. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: "In family relationships, love is really spelled T-I-M-E." Dad gave us his time, and he was thoroughly invested in our lives. Whether it was yelling from the sidelines as a coach or just an anxious parent, he was there at our basketball and soccer games and hardly ever missed one. He supported us in our hobbies and interests. We knew he cared, and his love language was the time he gave.

2) Work. Dad taught us to work. The plowboy who grew up on a farm in Smithfield and learned the value of an honest day's labor taught his children that you don't get something for nothing and you have to work for it. We were given an allowance, but we had to do our chores (weeding, mowing the lawn, etc.) to earn it. For years, we had a paper route, waking up at 5:00 or 5:30 a.m. even on school days and holidays, and he worked right alongside us, never taking a cent for himself. Those lessons carried me through part-time jobs in high school and college and into the present.

3) He taught me five simple words that stand out: excuse me, please, and thank you. I vividly remember him teaching me to use these words when I was growing up. Good manners were and are important. Knowing and using these words have helped me open countless doors in my daily interactions with people and my work experience.

Though Dad passed on a Saturday night, as a family we left the hospital when it was already Sunday morning. Easter Sunday! The timing of it all, we think, was not a coincidence. And the most important message in the world is still, as the Prophet Joseph Smith described, that Jesus Christ "died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it."

In a world rife with "fake news," rumors of wars, fads that come and go, the philosophies of men, and other false Christs the prophets saw would be abundant in our day, my knowledge of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is, in addition to death and taxes, the third sure thing in my life; and not only do I believe it, but I also know it through the Holy Spirit.

In the New Testament, Paul said that "this thing (the gospel) was not done in a corner" (Acts 26:26), and Peter spoke of the world's "cunningly devised fables" (2 Peter 1:16). Elder Jeffrey R. Holland recently spoke on "cunningly devised fables" in his Face 2 Face event:

"This is not a cunningly devised fable. This is God's truth. I want all of you here and afar to know that I know that this is the work and kingdom of God on earth. I am more certain of that than anything I know, anything I have seen, anything I have ever heard, and anything I hope to embrace in the future."

Today, I echo what he taught. When we talk of the concepts of resurrection and eternal families, not only are these good or neat ideas; I testify that they are true! And that knowledge carries me at this time and will carry me in future days.

In an all-wise, all-loving Heavenly Father's magnificent plan, there is so much more in store for us than wearing halos and playing harps in heaven! He has so much more in store for us, and it is beautiful and wonderful to think of. Death is a necessary part of that plan. Though we mourn today, we also rejoice.

Paul said: "For now we see through a glass, darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12). I know that Dad now sees clearly. I take great hope in the knowledge that he is reunited with his parents, my Uncle Dexter, and other loved ones who have gone on before.

Dad was sick for a long time. Some of his thorns in the flesh he carried for all of his life on Earth. He is now free of them. I don't know why Dad had to suffer through those nor the illness that ultimately claimed his mortal life. (How can any of us know for sure why these things happen while "we see through a glass, darkly"?)

Neverthless, like Nephi, though "I do not know the meaning of all things," "I know that he (God) loveth his children." I know that (1) our Heavenly Father loved Dad and (2) Dad loved his children and his grandchildren.

I testify of the importance of the gift of the Holy Ghost. His presence has been so important to me over the past week. When we got the call that Dad had been taken to the hospital, I felt urgency to get there, and yet I also felt peace. I feel at peace today. The Spirit, also known as the Comforter, has comforted when I have been sad, and He has given me also joy in the knowledge of these things, of which I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Conference Breakfast

On General Conference Sunday, as is our custom, we gathered together as a family (minus Ben, Adi, Christian, and their two-day-old baby Graham) for breakfast prior to the morning session. Jackson was there for the video games:

. . . but he also emerged out to listen to the prophet's message.

The kids participated in an Easter egg hunt one week after the actual holiday, as we were not able to get together on Easter Sunday. Jake and Kira picked up a lot of good loot:

After the conclusion of another fantastic conference, Kylee and seven-month-old Daniel enjoyed a cool breeze on the back porch:

The strawberry we put into Daniel's pacifier kept him busy for quite a while.