My Dad - A Photo Essay

Dad - Solid, Confident

Here is my Dad. He is a photographer and so he is the one who is always taking the pictures. He always claims that he is never in any of them. I have oodles of pictures of the photographer and I am going to prove him wrong. His pictures are better than mine, (as you will see in some that he actually took in this series) but I will do my best to do a photoessay on my Dad. He usually is the one who does photoessays on all the pictures he takes, but now it is my turn to do a photo essay on why I love my Dad. He is amazing.

A Heavenly Curtain in the Sky

He appreciates beauty in all its forms. One thing that my Dad taught me at an early age is to appreciate beautiful things in nature. He used to take me and the boys out with binoculars and a book from national geographic that had every bird that ever existed. So we would spot one, and then we would look it up and memorize the name of it. I loved that. I am grateful for a Dad who teaches me to have fun learning and appreciating nature and beauty. As a photographer, he naturally showed his respect and reverence for beauty in God's creations. I remember one time as we were traveling on I-15 when I was a youngster, we saw a huge light in the distance as if it were a curtain of fire being shaken by some huge man in the sky. It was an anomaly. An Aurora Borealis happening further south than normal. They are called "The Northern Lights" for a reason. Dad stopped the car and we all got out and stared in awe until the heavenly light show stopped. This particular photo is at Cascade Lake in Northern ID and it reminded me of that experience.

Triple Buddies!

My Dad also loves to have fun and to keep traditions going in the family. He always makes it fun to be with him and to be with the family. Here we are making the dough for our ginger bread houses.

One Expression for a Thousand Words Within

Here he is on the steps leading up St. Peter at Gallicantu. He has a deep respect for things that are spiritual and sacred. These steps are original and very good candidates for being ones that the Savior Himself walked up.

Here he is showing reverence and respect for a very holy site for 3 religions. He has that look on his face. That look that says - "My heart is full of thousands of words to say about this ground, but I cannot say it at this time in this current situation." I know what he is thinking inside. He is showing respect for Islam, because of the present stewardship of this ground, but deep inside he is amazed that he is standing on the holy temple mount - the place where history began to write itself. In legend, this is the very center of everything, for from this very spot the first dry land appeared out of the waters of the creation and the gods stood from this spot and began to organize. It is the very place where Abraham came from Bethel to sacrifice Isaac, the place where two temples stood, where the very ark of the covenant was placed, where Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Lehi, Nephi, David, Solomon, and even the Savior Jesus the Christ Himself came here to teach, heal and commune with His Father. This was all in his heart though he did not say it with his mouth. I have seen him with this look in many places sacred like this. From the Sacred Grove, to Gettysburg to Gethsemane. He hungers and thirsts after righteousness and has therefore been filled.

A Deep Brotherhood

My Dad has such a knack for talking to anyone anywhere as if he were a part of their family. And that is something that I have learned from my Dad - everyone is a part of our family. He truly believes this and shows it by talking to everyone as if they were his brother. He shows his love, and they assume the love and reciprocate, and miracles often happen. This is the Western Wall. The holiest site in the world for all Jews. You would think that because you are a Mormon in a site that is so holy to all of Judaism, a person would just sit back and let the Jews alone. But my Dad got out of his comfort zone to show his love and respect. He even offered this man to take his picture at this holy place and email it to him later for free. What a generous offering from a professional photographer.

World Class Shooter

My Dad travels the world to capture light and life. He is an amazing photographer and he takes his job seriously. He has a gift for capturing light and life in the face of those he shoots. He has shot a lot of people. Any any other house, it would be really odd if your dad told you he was going on a week trip to shoot the prophet, but for me, it is just normal. He has shot many prophets and the shots are world class. (this is a picture of him shooting from the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem).

Here he is in Gethsemane.

Some of My favorite pics of my Dad are of him taking pictures.

Good Sport and Goober

My Dad is the most playful goofball jokester you ever knew. From Willie to what have been come to know as "Dad jokes" he is a class act goober. He knows when to be serious and of a sober mind and he knows when it's time to loosen the bow and laugh. He works hard and then he plays hard.

Always There

My Dad has been there in all the turning point moments in my life. He was there when I was born, to give me a blessing from a distance that allowed me to stay on this earth instead of suffocating as my little body turned purple and blue after I was born. He was there and worthy for my baptism and confirmation.

He was there to ordain me to the office of Deacon, Teacher, Priest and Elder. He was there to help me with my Eagle project. He was there with his telephoto lens at my track meets. He was there when I graduated from high school and college. He was there when I went to the temple to be endowed from power from on high for myself. He was there as I left for the mission. He was there when I returned. He even came to Jerusalem to be there as I immersed myself in some of the most life changing experiences I have ever had.

I would like to share one experience I had that is probably the best surprise I have ever received. When I got to Jerusalem He was there for the first time I experienced going to the Western Wall, (which in itself is a sacred experience.) I didn't know he would be there. I did feel a power there that I wished I could share with someone who shared their priesthood lineage with me. And though there were many other great guys (who were priesthood holders) there with me, I just felt things in my heart that I didn't think I could share with anyone who I didn't have a deeply personal relationship with. As these thoughts went through my mind, I started to go toward the place where you can put on the courtesy Kippa (as you see on our heads below). When I looked toward that area, I saw a face that looked a lot like my Dad. It WAS my Dad!! I couldn't believe it! It was amazing to share that with him. Every time after that during my time in Jerusalem, when I went to that incredibly significant and historic and sacred place, I always thought of when he (and my Mom) came and surprised me and my sister. It was the perfect surprise at the perfect moment and he sacrificed much to make it happen.

My Dad is the Man.

As I shared above, my Dad is always there to make special moments last forever. He has done this countless times in my life. The next few photos don't really have my Dad in them, but I wanted to show off my Dad's amazing photography skills along with showing how cool he is. There is an event that happens in Philadelphia every year at the University of Pennsylvania (and has for 116 years).

It is called the Penn Relay Carnival. For anyone who loves track, it is a spectacular event. Track athletes from middle school, high school and college come to compete with their relay team. At the end there is an amazing display as they have a few relays that are run by Olympic athletes - the fastest in the world. They call the event "USA vs. The World". The year that I went with my high school team, the man of the hour was Maurice Greene.

He was (at the time, the fastest man in the world). I was so excited just to be able to see him from the stands. But my Dad wanted to make it an awesome experience, so he went to all the lengths to use his Meridian Magazine power to get ahold of a press pass that would allow him to stand very close to the Olympians. I told him if he was going to stand anywhere, it should be at the anchor leg position. So he did. And you can see the amazing shots he got of this short, yet blazingly fast man. My Dad is so cool, he is the man.

My Spiritual Hero

Here he is at the John Johnson Home in Ohio (near Kirtland). He is standing on the steps where Joseph Smith stood to preach the day after he was torn from his bed, stripped, tarred and feathered and left for dead. The mobsters yelling out: "you won't be preaching tomorrow!" (or something similar). The next morning he did preach, about Charity, the pure love of Christ. And some of the members of the mob were in the crowd, listening to him. An amazing story that my Dad can tell better than I think anyone else. He is, in my eyes, the world's expert on the prophet Joseph Smith. He is the exact build and height of Joseph. He even has a chip in his front tooth (as Joseph did). I love my Dad's love for the prophet. He makes me want to get to know him better. I have come to know the life of the prophet Joseph better because I am my Dad's son.

This last picture is probably my favorite picture that I have of my Dad. I know there is a man holding a walkie talkie on the right (maybe I'll photoshop him out later). Despite the imperfection of the photo, I love it. I love that it is at the Susquehanna River, in the spot where the Holy Priesthood was restored. And the reason why my Dad is holding his hand up the way he is, is because he is declaring his priesthood line of ordination. He has it memorized (down to the day of every single ordination). From him, to his father, to others back to the three witnesses, to John the Baptist/Peter, James and John, who received the priesthood under the hand of Jesus Christ Himself. What an amazing moment this was for me. What an amazing example my Dad has always been. I love his passion for all things Spiritual. The prophet Joseph Said: "The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 137.)

My Dad has taken the time and spent countless hours in ponderous and solemn thought. I love him for this and I will always look up to the example he has given to me. I love my Dad. I love his love the Lord and it will have a lasting impact not only on me, but on my posterity for generations to come.

Garbage in Gethsemane

I am currently writing a book for returned missionaries. One of the chapters in that book is called "How do I make the atonement the center of my life?" Every time I begin thinking about what I am going to write, I am brought back to the many Sabbath afternoons I spent in Gethsemane.

I lived in Jerusalem in the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies for about 4 months. This spectacular building is located on the northern end of the Mount of Olives. It overlooks the Kidron Valley and Mount Moriah where the Old City of Jerusalem stands.

Some argue that it is the best view of the city from anywhere and it is a good argument considering the hordes of tourists and local visitors who come for this view of the city. Living there was something that very very few people will ever experience. Almost every morning I would wake up before sunrise and go to the spot where President Hinckley was filmed for the first scene of "Special Witnesses of Jesus Christ" (the very spot...on the eighth floor balcony).

Here is a video to show you. (see 0:48 of the video for the exact spot) I would pray and read and write and just think as I did many time lapse videos of the sun coming up on this ancient city of God. That alone was worth the $10,000 price tag for this program. It became my sanctuary and I had some of the most powerful prayers of my life in that spot in the wee hours of the Judean mornings.

The Center was located on the North end of the Mount of Olives, so it was quite close to a garden very special to the hearts of all who call themselves Christians. The Garden of All Gardens - Gethsemane.

While we were there we had the chance to participate in service. One of the things we got to do was clean up the Orson Hyde Memorial Park. This park is also on the Mount of Olives. It was the path the led down to the Garden of Gethsemane. We all got bags and gloves and went to work. There were over 80 people there so the work went fast. I began to move to the bottom of the path closer to the opening to Gethsemane. We finished the whole thing within a matter of about an hour. Students started turning in their gloves and going back to the Center. I was at the bottom of the trail at the opening to where the park converged with Gethsemane. I then remembered that every time we walked past the Garden, there was so much trash. I saw that we had tons of bags left and I still had my gloves on. I asked one of our leaders if it would be okay if we just went over and started picking up trash. They were a little hesitant because it was property which we had no permission to clean. (You may think this sounds funny, but in Jerusalem people get in fights over who can sweep where - Just google "broom wars in the Church of the HS" and you'll get a laugh).

So our leader hesitantly gave us permission to start cleaning. When we got there, I realized there was so much more garbage than I had seen while walking by. In fact, there was garbage everywhere. It was hidden. Beer cans and bottles under bushes that were grown over. Half-buried old t-shirts and lots of plastic. We even found a tire buried in the ground. Some of the things had to have been there for years - even decades. So we picked up all the garbage we could find whether it was left there years ago or just thrown in there the day before.

There was a prickly bush that had a lot of trash underneath. At first I was just going to leave it there because I didn't want to risk getting pierced by the thorns of the plant. But I looked at how much was under it and so I decided to reach in and start collecting the garbage. I rummaged soda cans and clothes and rusty old bottles and more plastic. In the end I did get a little bloody because of the prickles, but the trash hidden under the bush was removed.

It is hard not to think of symbolism when you are in places like Jerusalem, especially when you are in the Garden of Gethsemane. I just began thinking of all the garbage that the Savior found in that same Garden. He got there and realized that there was much MUCH more than He had ever imagined and doubted that He would be able to clean it all up. When he realized the amount of trash He was dealing with, He "began to be sore amazed" or in the Greek "atonished, awestruck". He was dealing with every type of garbage from everyone, every where from every time. I am so grateful that He went to that Garden and cleaned up the garbage. He has cleaned up so much of my garbage. Some garbage had been there for years and was rotting. Some garbage that was just thrown in yesterday. He picks it all up. No matter when it is from or what it is. He doesn't just choose the easy stuff. He digs deep. He cleanses what C.S. Lewis calls "the central self" - the sum of all the decisions we have made.

I am grateful for that experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. I am glad I got to pick up garbage in that Garden. How many people have ever been able to pick up garbage from that place? Maybe it wasn't a very big deal to some, but to one who loves symbolism, it was nothing short of a direct tender mercy. I thought about that experience every time I took the sacrament in that celestial auditorium that looks out over the Old City. It will give me a visual that I can look back on for the rest of my life as I consider "the central act of all human history".

I am grateful that my garbage was picked up in that Garden and that even as I continue to throw it in, He will be there to clean up my trash.

"Come now and let us reason together,

saith the LORD: though your sins be as

scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they be red like crimson, they

shall be as wool."

(Isaiah 1:18)