Mostly about Utah
On 3 May 1979 I voted for Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom general election. The next year I emigrated to the United States. The two events were not connected as I very much admire Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom’s and Europe’s first female head of government. As Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990, she [...]
The Battleship “Utah,” turned over to the government by the builders, the New York Ship-building Company, on August 30, was placed in commission at the Philadelphia Navy yard on August 31, with Captain W. S. Benson in command. It joined the Atlantic fleet soon as supplies were put on board. “Utah” is the fifth of the all-big-gun type to be launched, is 551 feet long, and has a displacement of 21,825 tons. It developed 21.63 knots on the speed test. It has ten 12-inch guns mounted in five turrets.
Hi Friends and Family, This is our fourth annual Christmas Letter blog post. We will send the URL to this page to friends and family with their Christmas cards. We have added a few events that happened too late in the season to be included in last year’s letter. December 2010 Missionary Dan returned [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of October 1911. Utah Gains House Member Congress at the extra session passed the Congressional Reapportionment Bill, fixing the future House membership at 433 instead of the present 391. It provides for increased representation according to population, without reducing the membership from any state. This gives [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of September 1911. The editors receive many suggestions, criticisms and commendations, from the readers of the Improvement Era, of general interest to the public. Some of these good things, we are tempted to print from time to time: Saloons Open More Than Churches Have you ever [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of August 1911. King George V King George V received the crown of his ancestors on Thursday, June 22, in Westminster Abbey, amid the manifestations of love and loyalty from the people on every hand. Without a hitch, and with every circumstance of historic pomp, the [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of July 1911. “Hatchetations” Carry A. Nation, made famous because she began a campaign in Wichita, Kansas, December 17, 1900, against the saloons, by smashing furniture and windows with a hatchet, died in Leavenworth, Kansas, June 9. Carry Moore was born in Kentucky, in 1846, and [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of June 1911. Another Congressman On the morning of April 27 the House of Representatives passed a bill providing for the enlargement of the National House of Representatives from 391 to 433 members. The apportionment to the several states will be made on the basis of [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of April 1911 Investigation of Mormon activity Investigation of “Mormon” activity in England will be made by the House of Commons. On the 6th of March, Secretary Churchill stated that the attention of the government had been attracted to recent allegations that young girls were being [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazines of April 1911 and May 1911. Inheritance Tax The largest inheritance tax on record in the United States was lately received by the state of Utah. The check, dated March 1, 1911, was received by State Treasurer David Mattson, on the 9th of March, from Mrs. [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of April 1911. First State Flag An official state flag for Utah, to be given to the Battleship Utah together with the silver service, has been officially adopted by the legislature. The flag was made by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and presented by them [...]
An excerpt from President Joseph F. Smith’s April 1911 General Conference opening address: I have had prepared just a few little statements which will indicate to you, I think, better perhaps than I could tell you from memory, although they are familiar to me, the condition of the Church and of the labors and accomplishments [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of March 1911. Wireless Telegraphy Wireless telegraphy has achieved a new triumph. The telegrams announced, a few days ago, that a physician on an ocean inner prescribed for and cured a case of ptomain-poisoning on a ship, eight hundred miles from the physician; and likewise the [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of March 1911. Insurrection In Mexico (Again) The insurrection in Mexico, in the interest of Francisco de Madero, the defeated candidate for the presidency, which broke out on November 17 last, is still in progress in northern Mexico. Considerable trouble has been experienced by roving bands [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of February 1911. No More War? For the abolition of international war, Mr. Andrew Carnegie has transferred to a board of trustees, twenty-seven in number, Senator Root of New York as president, ten million dollars, in five per cent first mortgage bonds.The proceeds, five hundred thousand [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of February 1911. Number of Wards The number of wards in the various stakes of Zion increased from 689, in 1909, to 696 in 1910. There are now 62 stakes, not including the California mission, where five wards were organized in 1910. Duchesne stake, with four [...]
Stephen R. Covey is the author of the best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Other books he has written include First Things First, Principle-Centered Leadership, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, The Divine Center and Spiritual Roots of Human Relations. Dr. Covey, father of nine and a grandfather of fifty-two, lives [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of 100 years ago. Women’s Right To Vote Women gained the right to vote, in the November 8 election of 1910 in the state of Washington. Woman suffrage amendments to the state constitutions were submitted in that state, in Oregon, South Dakota and Oklahoma, and all [...]
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of 100 years ago. In the spring of 1894, Elder Squires was serving as a missionary in Leipsic, Germany. He welcomed a new companion, fresh to the mission field, and showed him around the city. After touring the great market-hall and the library, they went to [...]
Hi Friends and Family, This is our third annual Christmas Letter blog post. We will send the URL to this page to friends and family with their Christmas cards. It has been a great year for our family. Here are a few highlights: Steven and Adelaide welcomed a new baby, Cassandra Ruth Willoughby (Cassie) in [...]
Here is our second Christmas blog post. We will send to friends and family the URL to this page with their Christmas cards. It has been a very busy year and here are a few highlights…
Paul has a lot of choices of toothpaste to brush his teeth.
Instead of doing a Christmas letter, we decided to do something different this year.
Gordon Bitner Hinckley, born 23 June 1910 was the fifteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 12 march 1995 until his death.
An organization that treats its programmers as morons will soon have programmers that are willing and able to act like morons only. (page 382)
I had a companion who didn’t want to work and wanted to sleep in. I hadn’t learned how to tell people they are wrong. So I kicked a soccer ball against the wall by his bed to wake him up.
Today Jake was returning from Mexico after two years. We all climbed into our rickety old van and went to the airport to greet him. Parents and siblings were all there along with an aunt and cousin. It is indeed a happy day.
I remember calmly opening the envelope with the cameras rolling and reading the letter that extended my call to serve in the Mexico, Mexico City North Mission.
We are also going to baptize a young couple and another small family in the coming weeks. Sometimes we are so tired from climbing all of the department buildings knocking on doors and talking with everyone that we hardly even sleep from the fatigue.
This month should be records for the mission, the zone, and for my personal mission. Every day we seek to magnify better our calling of establishing the Kingdom by baptizing more and more.
Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965) was a British politician known chiefly for his leadership of the United Kingdom during World War II, saving the world from Nazi domination in the dark days of 1940.
This week we found two great families. The mom of one family said “I’ve been praying to know which church is the true church.” I said something like “Perfect, we have an answer.” She will be baptized in two weeks along with two of her five children and her mother.
We are still the best zone in the mission. The president is really proud of our work. In November we are going to break another record. There are two wards in my area. One ward is really strong and the other ward is a little weak. We are working hard to keep the attendance high with lots of new converts.
Our mission broke a record of baptisms in the mission (500 something). Our zone broke the record of baptisms in a zone (101). This month we are going to break it again (120). We have a great zone leader with true vision and faith. The rest of the zones have a hard time with 30 baptisms.
Almost of my converts are active. As a mission we have about 70-80% retention. The church as a whole is growing fast, and it depends a lot on Mexico and Brazil for its growth. he ward that I am in was a branch the previous year and now they are going to divide the ward.
I am still in Tultepec. The municipal of Tultepec is known for fireworks. All of this week there are going to be a ton of fireworks. They make huge bulls (kinda like the huge mammoth that we made for the Kaysville parade) and they fill them with fireworks.
Things are good down here in Mexico. The weather is really nice—not too hot and not too cold. It rains sometimes, but never is cold enough to snow. The climate is similar to Utah but more mild. I imagine that the summers will be really hot.
Mexico is a blast. There is a ton of people to teach and they are a very faithful people. The mission president has told us to always invite people to be baptized in the first lesson, and most of them accept! If they don’t during the first lesson then usually the second.
I haven’t been up to much during the long wait until my departure date (besides work), and I feel unprepared. It feels like high school—I procrastinated and will get bad grades. I still need to go out and buy a suit, shoes, and get some shots.
The card came on my birthday and the package the next day. It was really nice. My companion is doing well. He gets a little frustrated sometimes because he can’t understand anything. We have a young couple Juan and Mayra that are doing really well. Also the Relief Society president’s sister, Marcia, is really good. She will probably be baptized soon.
It looks like this transfer will be the last in the mission office. We’ll see what happens. In the office I do lots of things: order all the supplies Books of Mormon, pass along cards, DVDs and so forth. Handle all of the referrals for the mission. If someone calls on a TV commercial for a free DVD the information comes to me and I figure out what missionaries it goes to. Enter all the baptism records into the computer and send them to Salt Lake. Keep all the computers running.
I was happy to find out that my blog was helpful in some way this week. Follow the email narrative below to see how it happened. I have changed the name of the person contacting me and the names of the people he was trying to find. Otherwise the account is verbatim.
I am currently serving in the cities of Concord, Clayton, Martinez, and Pleasant Hill California. Many of the Latino people here are receptive to the gospel message and the work is moving forward slowly but surely. Many of the people we meet are from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Peru. The food here is excellent. I think I like Mexican food the best. It is wonderful to be able to learn about many different countries without having to do any traveling and invite everyone to come unto Christ.
There are about 110 to 200 people that come every week to the branch here. They all are Spanish speaking although some of the kids don’t speak Spanish very well. Si me amáis, guardad mis mandamientos.
We went to Alcoholicos Anonimos last Thursday with one of our investigators. He is one of the big promoters of the program here. It was fun.
It’s too bad to hear that grandpa isn’t doing well. Try not to be too sad. Photo of Wilson Rivas Sanchez
One of my little friends, Wilson, died a few weeks ago at five years old. I was there the first time their family came to church and followed their progress until the Mother and her twelve year old were baptized three months later.
We had stake conference here this past Saturday and Sunday. Photo of Paul with convert
President Monson and Elder Eyring came to speak as well as some of the seventy. Twenty-seven stakes came to the leadership training, two stakes were invited to the Sunday session which was broadcast to all of northern California.
This week it was a little cold in the chapel when we got there. I didn’t think much of it and went to Sunday school. A few minutes later my companion called me out and we went to the heater room. He says to me, “We’ve got to get the some heat in that chapel before everyone leaves.” The chapel was 57 degrees.
My name is Elder Chandler Smoot and I’m your son’s companion. I’m from Provo, Utah and have been out on my mission for about 15 months now. I just wanted to write you and give you my thanks for raising such a wonderful son. It really is a pleasure to work with such a fine man. He has an exceptional desire to learn and studies hard.
Today we hiked The Mueller Park Trail in Bountiful. It is a great walk that is mostly shaded all the …
The 100 million mark banknote I am holding was mere pocket change compared to the value of the …
The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of October 1911. Utah Gains House …
Yesterday Susan, Shauna, Jill and I hiked Shepard Creek Trail. Shepard Creek Trail winds out of …
Last Tuesday afternoon found Paul and I heading north to visit Spiral Jetty at Rozal Point. It was a …
On the flight from Fort Worth to Salt Lake City my wife gave me the window seat. I took a few …
Ponds Park was alive this morning with a number of hot air balloon launches. I enjoyed taking …
I'm Rick Willoughby. I live in Utah, working as a Software Engineer. I'm a Mormon, married with 5 children and 3 grandchildren.
I emigrated from England in my late twenties, bringing with me one small suitcase and $1,000. I appreciate the opportunities America gave me and the friendliness of the people to new citizens.
I blog about my family as well as politics, religion, finance, technology, and other topics.
Currently Rickety has an average of 17,000 pageviews a month and over 400 visitors a day. Thank you for being one of them.