amasa mason lyman newsletter, volume 12 …...his nearly 90 years there. to me, as a boy, he looked...
TRANSCRIPT
Two Important TruthsI. I remember George D. Durrant in a World Records Conference35 years ago saying that the truest essence of wisdom, the finalunderstandingofthemeaningoflife,comeswhenyoumakepeacewithexactlywhoyouare;yourexactheritageandparentsandsiblingsandyour own broken road – everything that makes you, you! I heard apreachersayoncethatyour“mess”isyour“message.”Putanotherway,thereisacountry-westernsong,thechorusofwhich,alwaysmovesme:
IfIlivetobeahundredAndneverseethesevenwondersThat’llbealright
IfIdon’tmakeittothebigleaguesIfIneverwinaGrammy
I’mgonnabejustfine‘CauseIknowexactlywhoIam
IamRosemary’sgranddaughterThespittingimageofmyfather
AndwhenthedayisdoneMymomma’sstillmybiggestfan…
(WHO I AM, by Jessica Andrews)
Boththehistoryofyourfamilylineandyourownhistorymakethefabricofwhatwill,with time,becomeabeautiful tapestryandauniquelymeaningful foundationuponwhicheverythingofvaluewillbefitted.
II. Jed in this newsletter last July cited a New York Times piece entitled, “TheStoriesThatBindUs”whichtalksaboutthesecretsaucethatbinds“effective,resilient,happy”familiestogether:“Thesinglemostimportantthingyoucandoforyourfamilyistodevelopastrongfamilynarrative.”
Society Leadership PresidencyReport
AmasaMasonLymanEducational & Historical Society
Newsletter, Volume 12April 15, 2015
DavidD.BusathPresident
JedLymanFirst Vice President
TaftaWatsonSecond Vice President
AlisaLymanClarkExecutive Secretary
JeremyLymanTreasurer
MatthewLymanDirector ofPublications
JodyLymanFellmethDirector of Membership Development
PhilLymanDirector of Tax Affairs
ThomasKingDirector of Legal Affairs
AlisaLymanClarkSociety Newsletter Editor
Photo of Lyman, N.H., courtesy of Rebecca Brown
By Greg Lyman - AML Society President, Emeritus
AML Society April15,2015
Presidency Report, cont’d.
Testing was done and the researchers were “blown away” bythe correlation between emotional and psychological healthandwellnessoffamilymembersandtheirfamiliaritywiththeirfamilyhistory.
Thestoriesfromyourpastthatmattertoyouarenotthosethatcanbefoundinabookbutthoseyoucarryinyourhead.HerearefiveitemsgroupedbyindividualsthatIcarryinmyheadandwhichIshare,Iamsure,withmyfivebrothersandalloftheirchildren--togethertheyarepartandparcelofwhoweare:
1. Ourgreat-greatgrandfather(AmasaM.)wasanapostle,a pioneer, a missionary extraordinaire, the founder of a greatfamily.Hewasasolidman,belovedofmany.AsthefounderandfirstmayorofSanBernardino,California,hewasenormouslypopularinaneraofauthoritativeleadership,forhewasmorethelovingequal;whorespectedtheviewsanddecisionsofothers.He led with great respect and empathy notwithstanding hiswisdomandexperience.
2. Mygreat-grandfather,WalterC.Lyman,was also thefounder of a city; Blanding, Utah.There are many stories ofhimthatstandoutinmyhead:a)Hisbreakinganicejamintheditchthatbroughtwatertothetown,returninghourslateonChristmasEve(andsoakingwet)but judging it“allgood”simply towakeupChristmasmorning to thegurgleof freelyflowingwateroutsidehisbedroomwindow.b)Hiskeepingasecretforlifeastotheidentityofthemanwhowasstealingtheprize peaches from his orchard because he promised to sparehimtheembarrassmentifherepentedofhis“thieving”ways.c)Ofhisrefrainingfromangryprofanitywhenhishomeburnedto the ground, stating merely to a listening boy (who wouldlater chronicle the “saga of San Juan”), “Well, it surely camedownfasterthanitwentup!”d)HisgivingawayhisfortuneinacquiredlandaroundBlandingifotherswouldmovethereandsharehisdreamon“WhiteMesa.”
3. Mygrandfather,LynnF.Lyman,whoafullpagestoryintheDeseretNewsinthe80’scalled“Mr.Hole-in-the-Rock”--heknewthe trail and ledmore jeepexpeditions there thanany man alive. He was self-taught and indispensable on anyjeeptrip—becausehecouldfixanythingthatmovedorspun.Helivedtoservehisfellowmanandspenthislifebringingaidandafewofthemoderncomfortsoflifetohisfrontierwesterntown.Hewasbornin1905whenBlandingbeganandfinishedhisnearly90yearsthere.Tome,asaboy,helookedlikeMattDillon,heroofGunsmoke.IthinkthatwhenIwasveryyoungI thought they were the same man. The thoughtful, strong,silenttype!ButLynnLymanwasbestdefined(aswassaidmorethanonceathisfuneral)as“anIsraeliteindeed,inwhomthereisnoguile.”Welovedhimbecausehelovedusfirstandsoverydearly.
4. My father, Gary B. Lyman has been gone nearly adecade.As I amnearlyoutof space Iwillnot try todohimjusticeexcepttosaythatgrowingupsomehowwewouldend
2
thecliché:“Nobody’sperfect!”withtherejoinder“ExceptDad!”Theremusthavebeenmorethanalittletruththere;Iremembertellingmybrother Jed recently that inallmy life I couldnotrememberDadeverdoinganythingthatheknewtobewrong.Icanonlyimaginewhattheworldwouldbelikeifallhadthekindoffatherweenjoyed.
5. Of course neglected from all these stories that formour legacy are theLymanwomenwhowere the fabricofourlives.IamsoproudtobedescendedfromthePartridgesisters(Caroline Ely in my case). Were there greater women in thehistoryof thechurch?Theysprungfromtheverybosomandgenesisofwhathasbecomeagrowingnationandmovement.IthinkofElizabeth,andHazel,andJo-Anwithhumility,mirth,andawe!
Don’tletyourstoriesdiewithyou!Findopportunitiestosharethemwiththosewhowilloutliveyou!Itmaybeoneofthemostimportantthingsyoueverdo!
HowtoShareYourStories
LeeNelson,anauthorofover20novelsandhisownautobiographywrote,““Theelementsingreatstories,thestoriesthatneverdie,arethesameelementsweseeinourownlives.Thegreatstoriesparallelthelivesofhumanbeings.Allofusarereluctantheroesorheroinesengagedinlife’sjourney.”Weallhaveimportantstoriestoshare.Thebenefitsofsharingthesestoriesextendfrommakingsenseofourownlives,toprovidingpositiveexamplesforourposterity,topassingdowntruth. Herearesomesimplewaystoshareyourstories:
1. Keep a Personal Record/JournalRecordspecialeventsanddates,suchasweddingdate,birthofchildren,etc.Writeaboutchallengingorsignificantsituations,usingthefollowingthreequestions:1)WhatdidIlearn?2)Whywasitsignificanttome?3)Therefore,what?.Writethewayyouspeak.
2. Interview Family Members Scheduleanappointmentwhenpossible,butbepreparedforopportunitiesatfamilygatherings.Face-to-faceinterviewsaremoreeffective,butdon’tdiscounttheblessingsoftechnology,includingphoneandemail.Preparewithamixtureofopen-endedanddirectquestions.Bringrecordingequipment,notebooks,pencils,andalistofquestions,andreferenceslikepedigreechartsandfamilyphotos.Keeptheinterviewtoanhourmaximum.Spendthelastfewminutesclarifyingnamespellings,dates,andthingsyoudon’tunderstand.Transcribetheinterviewshortlyafteritends,whilethewordsarestillfreshinyourmind.
3. Create a Blog Postyourownfamilystoriesandphotostotheblog,andask
By Alisa Clark - Editor
April15,2015 AML Society
3
Amasa Anecdotes
“IfourGodshinesastheperfectionofbeautyoutofZion,Zion must reflect that beauty; it must have an existence inZionreflecting itsbeautyoutwardlyupontheworldaround.ThegloryofZionmustbe createdby the childrenofZion.We cannot attain to this all in amoment.We first begin tomakeourhomestidyandtosubdueeveryenemytoourpeace,thatwemayhavemorecomfort. If we wish our children to have an exalted taste for the lovely and beautiful, create something lovely for them to look upon, let them behold a practical example and exhibition of the beautiful and lovely when they are at home; whentheygointothegardenletthemseethedevelopmentofbeauty,andwhentheycometomaturityandremovefarawaytheywillthinkofthepaternal
home with delight and pleasure as the place where peacereigns, where joy is developed, where the odor of sweetflowersareinhaledbythevisitors,greetingourearlyrisingorcheeringuswhenweretiretoourrest.ThisisthepictureofthehomeofaSaint,ofhimwholovestobeautifyZionandexaltthechildrenofZionaboveallotherpeopleontheearth.”
“It does not follow of necessity that the poor man mustpossess broad acres. If your garden is no larger than thisstand,cultivateitproperly,plantfruittreesandotherusefulplants, and rivet the attention of your growing family tothe contemplationof their duty; let them see an exampleinyou fromday todayand fromyear toyearwhichwillexercise a salutary influence upon the minds of yourchildrenthroughouttheirfuturelives.”
“IwanttoseethekingdomofGodgrowfromthissmallbeginningthatisrightaroundus,untilthewholeearthisfilledandblessedwithitsgloryasitnowblessesandfillsthevalleysofDeseretinadegree.Weareconnectedwithanenterprisethatisgreat,nobleandhonorable,withanenterprisethatisnotsatisfiedwithalimitedacquisition,withasmallvictoryoversin,butitisanenterprisethatgraspstheworld’semancipationfromsin,darknessanddeath;itlooksatnosmallerobjectthantheworld’sfreedomfromsinanditsconsequences.”
Spring-TimeQuotesfromAmasaMasonLyman
Pictured above: Amasa Mason Lyman’s Filmore home
familymemberstodothesame.Rememberthateveryonehasdifferentperceptionsandmemories.Thereisn’tonerightwaytorecordhistory.
4. Create an Online Photo Book with Captions Ifwritingisn’tyourforte,tryuploadingfamilyphotostoadigitalscrapbookserviceandaddsimplecaptions,includingdatesandnamesofthoseinthephotos.Thereareseveralcompaniesthatwilloffertemplatestodesignandprintyourownphotohistorybooks.
5. Record Yourself Setupavideooraudiorecorder,andjuststarttalking!Tellyourchildren,grandchildrenaboutchildhoodmemories,excitingevents,andlikes/dislikes.Ifyouaren’tsurewheretostart,writeupalistofquestionsbeforehand,andanswerthemasyougo.
AML Society April15,2015
Society News
4
SocietyBlogDianeMillerhascreatedablog“tocollectdescendant stories,obituaries,andpictures inconnectionwith theAmasaMasonLyman Educational and Historical Society.” Information onseveral of Amasa’s descendents is already available, and issearchable by name and organized under each of Amasa’swives with children. Diane accepts all submissions of stories,obituaries, and pictures as long as they are descended fromAmasaMasonLyman.Toshareinformationonherblog,[email protected].
VolunteersNeededTheAmasaMasonLymanEducationalandHistoricalSocietyneedsvolunteerstohelpinseveralareasinordertohelpgrowitsmissiontopromoteeducationofthepubliconthelegacieswithwhichAmasaMasonLyman,hisfamilyandassociatecolonizersblessedAmerica.
Publishing Committee Member:writeorlocatearticlesforthenewsletter,andassistwithnewpublishingprojects
Deceased Descendents Committee Member: gather familyhistoriesofAMLdescendants
Membership Committee Member:assistthedirectorindrivesandprojectsmeanttoincreasesocietymembership
If you are interested in serving the society and sharing yourskills,pleasecontactoneoftheboardmembers(seefrontpage.)
(Unabridged minutes of society meetings and financial records will soon be available to all members on our Society website.)
Board Meeting Minutes January 7, 2015
DiscussedpublishingcontractsDiscussedprogressonRichardR.LymanManuscriptNewwebsitedomainnameisamlsociety.orgDiscussedongoingwebsitedevelopmentDiscussedcontactinformationdriveforallsocietymembers
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes February 4, 2015
PlannedforAprilBoardMeetingDiscussedcreatingaPolicyDocumentforconsistencyDiscussedpolicyonofferingfreeAMLbookstonewmembersDisucessedtheprocessforaddingnewsocietymembers
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes March 4, 2015
NewURL:www.amlsociety.org
SocietyMeetingMinutes
SAVE THE DATEAMLSocietyAnnualActivity
forallsocietymembersandinterestedparties
October2,2015inOrem,Utah
Moredetailswillfollow.
DiscussedauditoffinancialrecordsProgressonthecontactinformationdriveBeganplanningforOctobersocietymeeting
Board Meeting Minutes April 4, 2015
Reviewedstatusonupdatestoamlsociety.orgDiscussed501(c)3statusPlannedforauditandfinancialreportMadeinitialassignmentsforOctobersocietymeetingDiscussedprocessofaddingnewsocietymembers
Votes Approved:
Thedescendencynumberformatforthecontactinformationdrivewillincludeaspousenumberandusealetterforbirth-orderwithinanuclearfamilyandthechangewillbeaddedtothewebsite
APolicyDocumentwillbecreatedfrompastmeetingminutesandpostedonthesocietywebsite.
NewmemberswillbeofferedafreecopyoftheAMLbiography,LaborofLoveDVD,orLymanFamilyHistoryVolumeIICD,butitwillbeadvertisedasS&Hcostonly.
PublishingCommitteeThe publishing committee is working with Leo Lyman tomakehisbiographyofAmasaMasonLymanavailabletofamilymembers. We are excited to soon be able to offer anotherfantasticrenditionofhislife.
Articles submitted by family members are welcome in thisnewsletter. Articles should be typed single space and ½ toonepage.Ifyouwouldliketosubmitanarticleaboutoneofyour “Lyman” ancestors, or some other family history topicthat may be of interest to family members, please contactMatthewLymanatmmlyman.123@gmail.comortheSocietyNewsletterEditor,[email protected].
April15,2015 AML Society
Publications
5
A Labor of Love AmasaM.LymanDocumentary
Francis M. Lyman Biography
WrittenbyAlbertR.Lyman
Amasa Mason Lyman, Pioneer
WrittenbyAlbertR.Lyman
Lyman Family Vol 2 CD
ThiscontainsthehistoriesofAmasaMasonLyman,hiswives,andhischildren.
AMLSocietyPublications
Voice of the IntangibleKindleEditionEbook$1.99Orderatwww.amazon.com
VoiceoftheIntangiblewaswrittenbyAuthorAlbertRLymanandfirstpublished inbook form in1936. It is the storyofyoungBenRoger,whospendshisyouthherdingcattlewithhis father in thewild countryofwesternSan JuanCounty.YoungBenfirstfearsthenlearnstolistentothesweet“VoiceoftheIntangible”amidtherigorsandhardshipsofthepioneerera.
Edward Leo Lyman Jr. Biography
OtherEducational&HistoricalMaterialfromOutsideSources
FacebookPageLookfortheAmasaMasonLymanpageonFacebookatfacebook.com/AmasaMasonLyman
Websitesamlsociety.org-Officialsocietywebsitethathasinformationonthesociety,includingmeetingminutes,howtojoin,ancestorybiographies,andavailablepublications.
amasamasonlyman.com-CreatedbyJackandAmyLyman,thisisafreewebsitefortheeverydayuserwhowantstoknowmoreaboutthemanAmasaMasonLymanandhisfamily.
aml.lymansite.us-CreatedbyCarlLyman,thissitecontainsinformationaboutAmasaMasonLymanandhiswives,aswellasfamilyhistoryphotosandresources.