Mom's Obituary

My dear mother passed away apparently peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, November 19. I had the privilege of writing the bulk of her obituary, along with input from all of my siblings. You can read it here:

https://www.russonmortuary.com/obituaries/kathleen-plowman

Humbled or Hardened?

I was recently asked to write an article for the ward newsletter. (Published again! W00t!) Below is the text from my article:

The "war chapters" of the Book of Mormon cover approximately 20 chapters, from Alma 43 through 62. In his account, Mormon takes us through a long, grueling experience for the Nephites as they endure years of hardship and sacrifice. In battle, they and their loved ones are wounded or killed. The people themselves suffer through hunger and sedition within the government. By the conclusion of this terrible war, everyone is understandably exhausted.

At this point, Mormon tells us that "because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility" (Alma 62:41).

These people have been through the same experience together. Yet there are two very opposite effects on those who have lived through it. What is the difference between those who have become "hardened" and those who have humbled themselves? Ultimately, it is their attitude.

Not long ago, I read through these chapters in my personal scripture study. I couldn't help but think of the COVID-19 pandemic we've all endured together these past few years. When I came to verse 41, I replaced the word war in my mind with the term pandemic.

"Because of the exceedingly great length of the [pandemic] many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the [pandemic]; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility" (Alma 62:41).

Just like the Nephites, we determine our reaction to adversity through our attitude. Will we become hardened by our challenges? Or will we choose to be more humble?

As I've had the opportunity to visit with our ward members, I have learned so much. I have observed that you face a wide array of challenges. Again and again, you have chosen humility over hardness. I'm in constant awe, inspired by the depth of your character and strength. You also strive to take care of each other. Like the people of Alma the Elder at the waters of Mormon, you witness that you "are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in" (Mosiah 18:9).

In return, our Father in Heaven promises that He will "pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon [us]" (Mosiah 18:10).

May we each strive to choose humility through our challenges. "And while [we] strive through grief and pain, His voice is heard: '[We] shall obtain'" (Hymns, no. 134). 

Mr. Paco's Opus

My copies of these four books arrived in the mail yesterday. I co-authored them along with a handful of other talented writers and editors. (To be honest, though, I am responsible for somewhere between two-thirds and three-quarters of the content.)

The Reading Horizons Reading Library (fourth edition) contains hundreds of passages on various topics of interest for beginning readers, totaling more than 800 pages altogether. They are the product of countless hours of brainstorming, research, writing, editing, rewriting, and rewriting again over the past decade. The topics include everything from animals, Earth science, biology, sports, and technology to culture, famous places, world historical figures, famous firsts and even pumpkin chunking, parkour, and the legend of the Chupacabras, to name just a few.

It's been a labor of love for all involved, and I'm grateful for what we have created together and for the many who will benefit from using the Library. I've been a contractor for Reading Horizons for almost 11 years now. I would recommend our methods and products to every beginning or struggling reader and ESL student.

Dad's Eulogy

Lowell Brent Plowman passed away Saturday, April 15, 2017, at Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful, Utah, from the effects of a prolonged illness. He was 73 years old.

Brent was born June 12, 1943, in Logan, Utah, the second of two children of Lowell Thomas and Bernice Nelson Plowman. Brent, a Cache Valley boy to the end, grew up working on the family farm, where he learned the values of responsibility and hard work. Throughout his life, he remained deeply grateful for and mindful of his LDS pioneer ancestry, including his great-grandfather John Jacob Plowman and his grandfather Christian Jorgensen Plowman, who crossed the plains to Utah by handcart after emigrating from Denmark in the 1860s; they eventually settled in Mantua ("Little Copenhagen") and then permanently in Smithfield.

As a youth, Brent was active in the Boy Scouts and attained the rank of Eagle. Especially memorable for him was the opportunity to travel to New York on a Scout Jamboree, where he visited the Sacred Grove in Palmyra and also saw Jackie Robinson play baseball at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. At North Cache High School in Smithfield, Brent excelled in his studies and played defensive end on the football team, earning All-Region honors and a scholarship to play football at Brigham Young University. A knee injury, however, ended those plans. Nevertheless, sports played an important part for the remainder of his life, and he often could be seen coaching his sons' basketball and soccer teams in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1961, Brent graduated from North Cache High School and then continued his studies at Utah State University in Logan, Utah.

In 1962, Brent accepted a calling to serve as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Northeast British Mission. He loved the British people and for many years after his service spoke with fondness of the many experiences he had across the pond. He also took the opportunity to take his family to England on multiple occasions to see those people and places as well as his British family members.

Upon his return home in 1964, "Wally" resumed his studies at Utah State University, where he enjoyed the social life and became active in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He graduated with an MBA in 1968. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a position in the Finance Department of the Ford Motor Company at their Dearborn, Michigan, plant.

Through mutual friends, Brent was reintroduced to Kathleen Attey, whom he had met briefly as a missionary years previously in England, while he was on a visit back home to Utah. After their courtship, they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Logan Utah LDS temple June 11, 1971. After brief stays in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Brent and Kathy raised their family and resided in Bountiful, Utah, for the majority of their life together.

The bulk of Brent's professional experiences were spent in various assignments for the LDS Church, giving him the opportunity to travel across the globe, including North and South America, Europe, and East Asia. A two-and-a-half-year stint as director of temporal affairs of the Church's Caribbean office took Brent, Kathy, and family to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from 1988 to 1990, allowing Brent to meet and work with people all over the islands of the Caribbean. His other assignments included executive secretary to Elder H. Burke Peterson, president of the Church’s Southwest Area in North America; the Physical Facilities and Welfare departments; the Presiding Bishopric's office, where he worked closely with Bishop H. David Burton; and the Perpetual Education Fund, under the direction of Elder John K. Carmack, for which Brent became the organization's first controller in 2001.

After retiring in 2003, Brent worked part-time as a representative of the United Way. He also enjoyed opportunities to teach business classes at both LDS Business College and the BYU extension in Salt Lake City. He never stopped learning, earning an additional history degree from Utah State. He and Kathy also filled countless hours tending grandchildren and volunteering to teach reading at Hannah Holbrook Elementary School in Bountiful.

A lifelong member of the LDS Church, Brent relished his opportunities to serve as a stake missionary along with Kathy in Michigan, and he later was called as branch president of the University of Michigan student branch in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He also served in callings as high priests group leader, Gospel Doctrine and Sunday School teacher, coach, and home teacher, among many others.

Preceded in death by his parents and brother-in-law, William Dexter Sanders, Brent is survived by Kathy, his wife of nearly 46 years; children Michael (Jana), Layton; Jonathan, North Salt Lake; David (Jessica), Woods Cross; Benjamin (Adrienne), Centerville; Stephen (Summer), North Salt Lake; Elizabeth (Jeffrey) Wood, Centerville; 12 grandchildren; 1 great-grandchild; sister Marilyn Sanders, Fairfield, California; and numerous nieces and nephews in Utah, California, and England.

Brent's family are grateful to the health care providers who cared for him during the final days of his time on Earth, as well as the many friends and neighbors who blessed his life in countless ways over the years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Perpetual Education Fund.

Dad's Obituary

My dad passed away Saturday, April 15, 2017, following a prolonged illness. You may read his obituary (which I wrote) here.

More posts about some of the goings-on and the rollercoaster that was the past week will follow shortly here on Paco Nation.

We love you, Dad, and we miss you.

"Giving Back to the Community"

I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this here on Paco Nation, but I'm a self-employed writer who also has many leather-bound books and whose apartment smells of rich mahogany.

Seriously, though, I recently wrote this piece for my friends at MannMade Innovations, which was published on their company blog and shared on social media:

So, I'm sharing it with you here. The folks at MannMade are not only wonderful people, but they're also doing some great things in their company, both during and after business hours.

"Papá Noel in Perú"

Twenty years ago (twenty!) this week, I had one of the most memorable weeks of my mission. My companion and I saw the baptism of two sisters who (1) remain good friends of mine, (2) remain active in the Church, and (3) would bring the remainder of their family into the Church in the years that followed. Our week culminated with a stake Primary program, for which yours truly got asked to play Santa Claus (or, colloquially, "Papá Noel").

It wasn't one of my best acting roles, although it has remained one of the most memorable. I wrote an article about the experience, which was published in the Church's Liahona (international) magazine in December 2001. (As a side note, one of the other articles, published adjacent to mine, was written by the mother of one of my fellow Improvables troupe members! Incredible.)

I don't have the rights to re-print the text here, as I signed them away and whatnot, but you can read all about it by clicking on this link. And if you don't, well, I'll still be your friend.

May the Spirit and goodwill of the Christmas season be with you all.