So on Father’s day I was asking my dad about the Ellis peoples that I have never known. You know… his grandmas and grandpas. I am really interested in their stories.I have some pretty far out ideas about family that has passed on… like that they really are around us helping us become better. Part of the reason I think this is that we are born perfect, but by nature of being human we take on the really beautifully developed talents and gifts of our ancestors as well as their shortcomings. I am sure we have all heard things like… “Oh he has his fathers temper”… right?
So I kind of have this little idea that they are helping us from the other side to overcome any short comings bestowed upon us simply for being born. So this little idea of mine I think (this is gospel according to Tanya)… can be backed by the idea of the spirit of Elias turning “the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Mal. 4:6, Luke 1:17, 3 Ne. 25:6, D&C 2:2, D&C 27:9, D&C 110:15) I know these scriptures are talking about temple work specifically, but I also think these crazy little ideas I have can be another level of interpretation.
I was thinking about Alma chapter 8 when he talks about how it will be better for the Lamanites than for the Nephites. One of the reasons he gives is that the Lamanite seed will remain, whereas the Nephites will be wiped out. Not only do the Lamanites get the gospel in the last days, but the Lamanite fathers have more time to help their sons over come the “wicked traditions of the fathers”.
With this all said I hope some of you are still with me… I really really want to know more about the grandparents’ aunts and uncles that I have never known.
I asked Grandpa (Merthan) about his mother… He told me that she had a sharp tongue… You know, my siblings can testify of my feisty temper and sharp tongue. Does it come from this grandma I don’t remember meeting? I can’t say, but my hair probably does. From asking my siblings that remember Grandma Elision, I know that she really loved flowers… Is that where my love for beauty comes from?… Again, I can’t really say… But I do trust that they are around us helping us out…
My dad, Randy, told me a story or two about his grandparents. In fact once I got him started last Sunday he couldn’t stop. So, I invite you all that knew the Ellis grandparents that the rest of us didn’t to share both their strengths and their weaknesses... I am just trying to help Elias thats all.
