We have loved the new home centered, Church supported approach to learning the gospel, "Come Follow Me". By following the guidelines in the new curriculum, we have been greatly enriched as we have sought learning not only by study, but also by faith. The last several weeks has also brought us many real live examples of faith in our lives and in the lives of others. This has included the passing of my younger brother Michael and our neighbor and friend, Jerry Folsom.
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| The new Home Centered Curriculum helps us to to "Come Follow Me" |
We started the new approach to home centered Gospel Study on December 30, 2018 with the rest of the Church. In our study and our pondering, we began to understand the meaning of D&C 88:118, where we are taught to "seek learning even by study and also by faith". The Spirit spoke to my heart and helped me to understand that simply reading and studying would no longer be sufficient. To increase our faith, we must not only study but also
act on the principles that we are studying. That is how we study "by faith". In this process a greater level of learning and growth occurs.
This principle of acting to increase our faith was emphasized heavily in our lives as we found out on Monday, December 31, 2018, that my younger brother Michael John Rueckert had died in a skiing accident that very day. It was just three weeks prior to the beginning of a mission with his wife to the Philippines. What a shock!
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| Photo of Mike and much of his family in our recent Christmas Nativity presentation. Mike's wife, Kendra, is the angel and Mike and several of his children and grandchildren were the shepherds. |
Most of Mike's family was in town to help him and Kendra pack up their house before their mission as they would be renting the house while they were gone. Mike had convinced his children to go skiing one last time on December 31. He was enjoying the beauty of nature and the company of his family. Unfortunately, as he swerved to miss another skier in front of him, he lost control and hit a tree directly, dying on impact.
His family has shown incredible faith through this experience They all saw the positives in the tragedy. Mike's health, mental and physical, had been declining over the past few years which had caused concern for all. His wife was committed to help him experience the senior mission that he had always wanted, even though his capabilities were declining. Most of us worried about his well being during this mission. We found out that His Heavenly Father transferred him to a different mission. His declining health helped give a level of peace to all of the family members.
Mike had spent most of his life in a high adventure mode, always hiking, boating, skiing and anything else that came along. His adventurous attitude had brought on many, many accidents which had taken a toll on his health. This included being involved in a car rollover accident and a 30 foot fall off of a cliff. In the latter experience, he was in critical condition over night with his children waiting for a life flight to finally arrive the next day.
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| My brother MIke's obituary photo (obituary follows) |
Michael John Rueckert
After cheating death more times than seemed humanly possible, on Dec. 31, 2018, Mike died doing what he loved — skiing with his family.
Michael John Rueckert was born on May 15, 1955, to Albert and Goldia Rueckert. He graduated from South High School, served in the Japan Osaka Mission, then attended the University of Utah before earning his doctorate from Los Angeles Chiropractic College. He always slept well because he knew that if we worked hard, the Lord would bless it. He worked alongside his brothers in both serving and business his whole life.
Mike and Kendra’s marriage was “a classic tale of true love and high adventure.” He found a partner who would support him in his adventures and love him for it. For 41 years they enjoyed taking trips together, anywhere from Alabama to Iceland. Their love was shared through playing games and doing puzzles. He would frequently tell Kendra and their kids how beautiful her face is. He demonstrated his love with clever cards and gifts. Together they were unstoppable, from planning a party to serving their neighbors.
Mike was loved for his loud laugh, his wide smile and his gag gifts. He was always happiest outside — hiking red rock canyons, cruising snowy slopes, kayaking and skating on thin ice. He was often seen running long distances around Stansbury Lake. But, his greatest superpower was being a husband and father.
Mike’s faith was based on action; his personal motto was: “Get off your butt and serve!” His humor, ‘git-er-done’ attitude, and enthusiasm for the gospel was contagious. He was a scout leader, a bishop and a temple worker for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mike and Kendra had accepted the call to depart for the Philippines Cebu Mission on Jan. 21, before Mike’s unexpected transfer.
Mike was preceded in death by his father, Albert Adam Rueckert and his brother, Andy. He is survived by: his mother, Goldia; five brothers: Tom (Debbie), Dave (Ann), Jim (Becky), Rob (Sarah) and Dan (Eloana); his wife, Kendra Dee Moffett; six children: Sparkle (Nestor), Troy (Katie), Rusty (Susanna), Spring (Kaplan), Marty (Cindy) and Rondi; and a plethora of grandchildren (15, we think).
A viewing will be held Friday, from 6-8 p.m at the Stansbury Park Bayshore Church, 5899 Bayshore Drive. The funeral will also be at the benson mill stake center on Saturday, Jan. 5, at 11 a.m., with a viewing from 10-11 a.m. Interment will be at the Stansbury Park Cemetery.
As we participated in Mike's viewing and funeral there was an outpouring of love from friends and relatives from all over the country. The chapel and cultural hall were completely filled as we remembered and celebrated an extraordinary life. As his children spoke, they all shared unique outdoor experiences with their father. Each one of them finished by telling how those experiences had strengthened their testimonies as their father had taught them in the process.
It is always a deeply reflective experience to ponder the life of someone so close to you. With MIke's passing, I have now lost my oldest brother and my younger brother. As we looked at the many photos that were displayed, it caused much thought as I realized that I was the only one left in the photos of the first three children of my parents. I am thankful for Mike's example and inspiration to all of us.
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| All remaining five brothers and a dear friend (Desmond) were the pall bearers |
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| After the dedication of the grave, Mike's wife and children and grandchildren are all in this photo |
During the funeral, we had some special experiences with our own children. Our daughter, Melanie, flew in from Pennsylvania and our daughter, Nilza, flew in from Texas. It was a shock to us to see Nilza at the viewing, since we had not seen her for several years and our relationship unfortunately had been strained. However, it became a tender mercy for us to have both of our daughters with us at this time. In fact, it was the first time that Melanie and Nilza had seen each other in 16 years.
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| With my two oldest daughters at the viewing of my brother |
My brother Dan and his family also came in from California. His two sons are the two youngest grandchildren of my mother, while Nilza and Melanie are the two oldest grandchildren. This was the first time that they had ever met each other. The photo below shows my mother with her two oldest and two youngest grandchildren.
The following photo showed many of our children and grandchildren who stayed after the visit to the cemetery. Some of our other children attended the funeral but had left earlier. Mike was a beloved uncle to all of our children.
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| My mother, her sister Vivian and niece Debbie (From Seattle) visiting in our home with my Debbie and our daughter Melanie. Blessings that accompany the funeral. |
The same day as Mike's funeral, we had scheduled our annual Moeller Family party at Noah's. We always do this the first Saturday of January. Due to the conflict we were unable to stay, but we did stop and bring our food assignment and greet Debbie's brothers and sister. It became a day of mingling with family members on both sides of our family.
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| Debbie with her sister Luann, her brother Doug and sister-in-law Annetta |
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| Debbie's brothers Tom and Gary and her sister Luann |
The outpouring of love and condolences from our neighborhood and ward family was overwhelming. We had food brought in that fed us and our house guests for days. Condolence cards and flowers also kept coming. Our ward understands death and really reaches out to comfort those in need of comfort, another expression of faith in practice.
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| First group of cards and flowers |
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| More flowers, goodies, cards and a book that kept coming in the days that followed |
Birthdays and more birthdays
On January 3, we celebrated Camila's birthday, taking her four children with us to the Care Center. Debbie had made 2 dozen cupcakes which were shared with the other residents of the care center. This was our third visit to Camila with her children in the past two months. They bring so much joy to their mother. We love seeing the exchange of love between them.
During the month of January we held our annual meeting of the Home Owners Association of the Cornerstone Condominiums. I had agreed to be on the ballot to elect a new management committee member to fulfill the needs of the by-laws. As a result I was elected. Now I have a new part time job.
I have already replaced over 30 light bulbs in the outside lighting of the different condos. I also have been up on the roofs twice to fix different issues. On the bright side, it is a good chance to get to know and serve our neighbors.
Family History and Temple Work
We continue to have opportunities to do the work for our ancestors on the other side of the veil. On January 16, we were able to be with Debbie's siblings in a special sealing session where we were able to have 11 more couple sealings of her great grandparents and about 33 children sealed to their parents. It took two hours to accomplish but was very enjoyable. This is the culmination of the work that we have performed. The wonderful sealing session was followed by a nice dinner afterwards together with these dear siblings. What a wonderful way to keep our family relationships strong on this side of the veil while we help our ancestors on the other side of the veil.
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| Family name cards of those whose sealings were performed on January 16, 2019 |
The day before we performed the sealing ordinances, we were able to take three of our grandchildren to the temple to perform baptisms for 33 more of Debbie's relatives. This was our first time with McKenzie. She just began going to the temple with the change to let 11 year olds be baptized in the year that they turn 12. McKenzie did baptisms 5 times within 2 weeks. She has a great spirit with her and enjoyed being with her cousins, Joseph and Josh.
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| Joshua, Joseph and McKenzie in front of the Jordan River Temple |
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| Ten days later, McKenzie with her cousin Katelyn and their grandparents |
We continue to meet new cousins as we perform this work. We were visited by my distant cousin, Brinton Burbidge. His mother was a great friend to my mother for many years. As he came to visit with us, we were able to relive the past. He served a mission in Brazil a few years before I did, so we had some good Brazilian missionary conversation. He also left with a commitment to involve more of his family with the temple work for our ancestors. He has accepted 100 names to do endowments and has put his family in contact with us for baptisms and sealing opportunities.
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| Brinton Burbidge and my mother |
We also had dinner with Gail Atkinson at the Legacy Retirement Home. She wanted us to visit with several of the residents who are diligently working on our family names. This visit included a Polynesian celebration. The photo below is of Gail and the sister who first did work for one of our ancestors. This work led to our acquaintance together and the incredible effort that these dear saints are doing on behalf of our ancestors.
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| Gail Atkinson and the sister who did the first endowment for a "Rueckert Name" |
We continue to enjoy our service in the temple. It gives us a spiritual uplift each day that we serve. The Jordan River Temple has become our second home as we serve as ordinance workers and in doing the proxy work for our ancestors. It is always our refuge from the storm, sometime very literally. This past week we spent the day in the temple while we had a major snowstorm.
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Debbie outside the temple as we came home after a major snowstorm while we were inside
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Come Follow Me
As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, we are loving the new approach to studying the gospel. It not only has scriptures to read but we are asked inspiring questions. As we ponder the answers to these questions and the scriptures that we are studying, we are feeling increased inspiration. As we practice the principles that we are studying, our learning is also "by faith".
As we have studied the early chapters of the New Testament, we have developed wonderful insights of the Gospel writers and have pondered how to receive God's blessings in His own time. We have learned from the words of Mary and Joseph, Elisabeth and Zacharias, Simeon and Anna and John the Baptist. They have all became real people to us that have born strong witnesses of our Savior. We have learned to invite others to "Come and See" and the Holy Ghost has inspired us how to do that. We have better understood the principle of repentance and our covenants of baptism and have been inspired how to better obey those covenants. Most of all, we are gaining an increased understanding and love for our Savior. His example inspires us to better resist temptation and to trust in the Lord.
We rejoice in seeing many others improving their study efforts and results. As Debbie has facilitated a lesson in Sunday School, we found increased participation and sharing from our ward members. We also held a family home evening with our children and were pleased with the sharing that came from many of them as they are applying this process in their homes.
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| Debbie facilitating the discussion on the birth of the Savior and the many witnesses of his mission |
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| Sharing with our children of their experiences with Come Follow Me |
We testify that Our Heavenly Father is guiding His Church on the earth and that as we follow the teachings of our Prophet and Apostles, we will receive blessings in our lives. We certainly have felt that, as we have tried to follow this inspired home centered method of learning.
Taking His Name Upon Us
Since the last General Conference we have continued to read and ponder the talks from our leaders. One theme that was so strong in that conference related to the use of the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. President Nelson emphasized the use of the correct name of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Several of the speakers also taught us about the meaning of Taking His Name on Ourselves. This is one of the covenants which we make when we are baptized and renew each week as we partake of the sacrament. I want to share here a one page summary that I prepared from these talks. This has always been a subject that was a little vague in my understanding. Now I have a source of specific ways that I can Take His Name Upon Me to review on a continual basis.
“Take Upon Them the Name of Thy Son”
October 2018 General Conference
· Taking the Savior’s name upon us includes declaring and witnessing to others--through our actions and our words--that Jesus is the Christ. . . If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ--to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us--we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power. We can begin by calling His Church by the name He decreed.
(President Russell M. Nelson)
· You may take upon you the holy name of the Lord. You can qualify to speak in the sacred name of God. . . Yet it takes more than speaking for Him to take His name upon us. There are feelings in our heartswe must have to qualify as His servants. . . By your being willingto take His name upon you, you will lift the burdens of countless others. And you will find in time that you know the Savior better and that you love Him more. His name will be in your heart and fixed in your memory. (President Henry B. Eyring)
· Here is the verse we read that changed both our hearts and our approach: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy might, mind, and strength; and in the name of Jesus Christ thou shalt serve him.” . . . And President Russell M. Nelson has likewise taught us, “When we comprehend His voluntary Atonement, any sense of sacrifice on our part becomes completely overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of serving Him.” (Sister Joy B. Jones)
· My prayer is that we will faithfully take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ--by seeing as He sees, by serving as He served, and by trusting that His grace is sufficient to deliver us home and to enduring joy. . . I believe God was asking me, “Can’t you see that everyone around you is a sacred being?” . . . we must do His work and serve as He served . . . In any of life’s travels, why would you ever turn away from the only Savior who has all power to heal and deliver you? Whatever the price you must pay to trust Him is worth it. (Elder Robert C. Gay)
· The word take is not passive. It is an action word with multiple definitions. Likewise, our commitment to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ requires action and has multiple dimensions . . . the word take is to partake of or receive into one’s body . . . By taking upon ourselves the name of Christ, we commit to take His teachings, His characteristics, and ultimately His love deep into our beings so that they become part of who we are.Another meaning of the word take is to accept a person in a particular role or embrace the truthfulness of an idea or principle. When we take upon us the name of Christ, we accept Him as our Savior and continually embrace His teachings as the guide for our lives. The word take can also mean to align oneself with a name or a cause . . . When we take upon ourselves the name of Christ, we take upon us the responsibilities of a true disciple, we advocate His cause, and we “stand as witnesses of [Him] at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in.” (Elder Paul B. Pieper)
