Play Writing
Department of
Independent Study
Brigham Young
University
206 HCEB
Provo, UT 84602
Course: TMA 251 - 002 - PLAY WRITING 1
Name : JOSEPH TOOMEY Credit Hrs. : 3.0
SSN# : 528-22-0547
Bar Code ID# 4224630
Instr :
NEIL NEWELL Expire : Date: 11/09/99
Enroll Date: 11/09/98
SUBMISSION COVER
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Brigham Young University
Department of
Independent Study
P.O. Box 21514
Provo, UT 84602
(801) 378 - 2868
Student
Comments/Questions for the Instructor:
1. I am not persistent in completing projects
2. I feel that the consequences of not passing
are not serious
3. I do not like to work “on my own”.
4. I am not disciplined to study at a regular
time and place.
5. I do think of myself as creative, funny,
affectionate, intelligent,; broad-minded, frank, and courageous
6. I am primarily concerned with writing _a
series of one act plays that can be used by my Grandchildren in Family Home Evening. However, I would be pleased if these plays
were used in the Ward’s
Family History. Since I have 27 great
grandchildren, I want it put in a
book form
7. I am not as concerned with “facts” as I am
with “fantasy” For example, I write as fact that Gordon B. Hinckley is ten years older than I, and
that when I was 6 years old, he was my
primary
teacher In the Waterloo Ward;, Liberty Stake 70 years ago. Nor do I know
that he had this
“calling.” However, if “The Work and the Glory” is fictitious, yet
based on obvious fact, I can
use the same poetic license.
8. As a result, all these “Plays” begin in the
FAMILY HOME EVENING setting, and end on
The day of judgment.
9. Your request for “about me” is extremely
difficult to perform. I am 75 years old
and have had numerous experiences some of which I have written about in a long
cumbersome, and perhaps boring poem which I am enclosing. This is only about one chapter in my
life...and there are many other subchapters
which I would like to submit if this one is interesting. I am sending it on floppy disc for editing. Do not return either poems or disc, but I
would like your comments.
I have copy written
them, but I do authorize their use as long as I am given credit for anything
that is original.
I am sending this
“examination request” separately from assignment No. 1.
LESSON 1 ACT I
Play no. 1 Hinckley Hearing
Assignment: Play
#1
Play no. 2 Death ;of Spirit.
Play no. 3 Image of God
Play no. 4 Captivity.
Play no. 5 Seminary
Play no. 6 Patriarchal
Blessing
Play no. 7 Treasures that
hide?
Play no. 8 Ezra Taft Benson
Play no. 9 Darkness
Title page: THE HINKLEY
HEARINGS
- By-
Grandfather
A courtroom scene in
which Grandfather is an Attorney questioning
a boy of 16 who has been
called to be his primary teacher.
This took place about 70
years ago, and so a strict cross-examination
Is required to show
intent.
The grandchildren will
act as Jurors.
All the action takes
place in the Family room
The object is a
“Family Home Evening” lesson.
As designated on
Monday Evening? Maybe Sunday
To avoid Monday night
football.
Authority: Alma
5:3.... I, Alma,; having been
consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the Church of God, he
having power and authority from God to do these
things.........
Alma 5:14.. And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren
of the church, have ye Spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your Countenances.
Joseph Eldon Toomey 58
So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 10, 1998
dialogue:
HAROLD
(Getting up from the most
comfortable chair in the living room, and which grandfather dives in, beating
David to it.)
Everybody come in
for Family Home Evening...We’ve got to make it in a hurry, cause I’ve got a
meeting to go to.
HOLLY
(Shouting from the bedroom)
You guys will have
to get along without me....I’ve got a headache.
JOSHUA
(Sitting on top of Aria)
Can I read these
jokes I got on the Internet?
REBECCA
No you can’t
(But he reads them anyway.)
GRANDFATHER
Shut - up , dumb kid
and pay attention while I continue the stories you have heard a dozen times.
( The Orchestra opens with
fan-fare from XERXES)
GRANDFATHER continues
Harold, What does
your Patriarchal blessing mean to you?
HAROLD
It told me to
prepare myself with prayer, and study, even by faith to go on a mission.
GRANDFATHER
Holly, What does
your Patriarchal blessing mean to you?
HOLLY
I was told that if I
was valiant , I would become a Queen in Heaven.
GRANDFATHER
Rebecca, what about
you?
REBECCA
I was told to study,
and prepare myself to become a Mother, in Israel.
GRANDFATHER
Your
Great-Grandmother, Fern Morrison was to told that she would have the
opportunity to teach the Indians. She
was very proud of that calling, and I heard her repeat it many times.
Also, your
Grandmother Marcia Warner was told that by faith and diligence she would meet a
man who was to be worthy to take her to the temple, and that she and her
husband would have sons and daughters who would rise up and bless them
together in their old age.
GRANDFATHER continuing
I have a
question....is a patriarchal blessing a promise? From what you know, which of the above blessings have been
fulfilled?
GRANDCHILDREN
(Each tells what they
know)
GRANDFATHER
And so a calling is
not a promise, but it can be........
GRANDFATHER continuing
My Patriarchal
blessing says, “thou shalt be carried through difficulties of this life with a
power and strength beyond and above thy own”...Wherefore, let the voice of the
Holy Spirit be thy guide”...............and it was inferred, but not spoken
that I would see the face of God before I died.
Or, was it that I
would hear the voice of God.
(End
of Scene one, while cookies and ice cream were eaten)
Scene 2: A blessing give by William D. Kurhe,
Patriarch, on the head of
Joseph Eldon Toomey
Son of Otto Norman
Toomey and Rosa Cornwall, born July 28, 1923.
At Salt Lake City,
Utah.
“ I seal thee up
unto the day of redemption, for thus I have been permitted to do.....”
And to this day will
I be judged, but others will also have their callings laid bare for all to see.
And so in within
this court,; I will have the opportunity to determine the faithfulness.......
-of-
A
CHILD.....age 6
Q.: Mr. Hinckley, what is your name? A:.
Gordon B. Hinckley
Q:. All your responses must be oral, OK? What church did you go to 70 years ago. A: Oral
Q: Did you go to the Waterloo Ward 70 years
ago? A: I can’t remember.
Q: Is the Waterloo
Ward in the Liberty Stake? A. How should I know?
Q: Did you ever meet
the plaintiff, Joseph Eldon Toomey? A:
I can’t remember.
Q: Was it down the
street? A: I met a lot of scruffy
little kids when I was 16.
Q: Was it long
ago? A: No, it was only 70 years.
Q: Is your
appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice that I sent your
attorney?
A: No, this is how I
dress when I go to work.
Q: When you were a
Primary teacher, did you walk hand in hand together with the children?
A: yes
Q: Did we walk up a
mountain? A: yes.
Q: It seemed like
such a little climb. Gordon’s Attorney:
Objection, that is a leading question.
Judge: Sustained.
Q: To greet the
sunshine in the morning of our lives. Gordon’s Attorney...I like that.
When did we ever
touch...
Our lives to each
other?
Is love and sorrow
intertwined
With each other?
And did your love
for me survive the darkness?
And were there stars
to cling to?
Was it true that God
sent me an angel?
Was it you?
Possible, plausible,
and Probable? It is here I need help.
Conclusion: By this
time half the kids were asleep, and so I concluded that I had great
success....until I pushed Joshua over.
He was faking wakefulness. I
wish that it would be just as easy to put me to sleep.
Assignment: Play No.
2
Title page: DEATH OF
SPIRIT
-by-
Grandfather
A family room
scene in which Grandfather is assuming the role of a Father, and is
presiding over the Family Home evening discussions. He is discussing his life at the time he was 8
years old.
All the action
takes place in the family room. The
object is a Family Home Evening lesson as designated on
Monday Evening.
Authority:..............Alma:
5:23 Behold will they not testify
that ye are murderers.
Alma: 5:42 And whosoever doeth this must receive his
wages of him;
(Satan)
therefore, for his wages he receiveth death as to things pertaining
unto righteousness.
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208)
677 - 8374
Draft no. 1.... Nov. 11, 1998
dialogue:
GRANDFATHER
Wherefore have
we crucified
The first
unblemished lamb?.
Lord, am I not
pure?
And made Eternal Life secure?
When I was 8 years
old, I belonged to an apostate sect .
The things I remember most about this group is well expressed in Alma 5:
53. Yea;, can ye be puffed up in the
pride of your hearts. For...Our basic
belief was derived from one issue.......That we will be exalted simply by
having more than one wife.
And then I
have offended...ever
My offering
of Sacrifice unsure
Dour flocks of thought
And words as
herds....I sought.
There was one person that filled my Fathers
family with hate. His name was Heber J
. Grant. I listened many times to stories of his
unfairness.....His persecution of the “Saints”....meaning us.
The mean spirit that
he had. And that spirit was found dead,
dead to our home. It was not there, having been destroyed as
to our family. And he was mocked
To justify
your actions....then you find.
An
imperfection...a flaw. A wrong
unrectified
Without
intent, our thoughtless acts of sin
Have stained the spirit held within.
As the result, of
this dearth of spirit....I rebelled. I
rebelled not only against the church, but also, I rebelled against this Sect
also. And so died my spirit....and I
cast away the spirit of faith.
When I was
young I eagerly did frequent
Doctor and
Saint
Yet,
evermore I ever did
Come out
again the self-same door
Where in I
went...Omar Kayam
And with that spirit
slain, I also abandoned all hope.....another death
Is not
the spirit slain....
Is ours
alone when’ere we maim
Or hurt
and make afraid the one who loves.
JOSHUA
Q: Isn’t it true that when a person dies in his
sleep, he doesn’t know about?
ARIA
Q: Were you present when you died?
MATTHEW
Q: Were you alone or by yourself?
NATHAN
Q: You were there until the time you left, is
that true?
JOSHUA
Q: How many autopsies have been performed on
you when you died.
DAVID
Q: Do you recall the
time that you examined the body?
ARIA
Q: Were you dead at
the time?
HAROLD
Q: If, as you say,
hope was lost, and faith was dead, How was it restored.?
HOLLY
Statement: Alma
5:40.....For I say unto you that whatever is good cometh from God, and whatever
is evil cometh from the devil.
REBECCA
Statement: Alma 5:
20....I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when ye have yielded
yourselves to become subjects to the devil?
Possible, plausible,
and Probable? It is here I need help.
Conclusion: By this
time half the kids were asleep, and so I concluded that I had been a great
success because half of them were awake.
I talked too much....How can I get them to talk...and not me. “Little Jack Horner ...Sat in a
corner...Eating his curds and whey...He put in his thumb, and pulled out a
plumb...And said ..”What a great boy am I”
S
Assignment: Play No.
3
Title page: THE IMAGE OF GOD
-by-
Grandfather
A family room
scene in which Grand father is presenting a Family History lesson by telling a story about his life.
All the action takes
place in the Family room. The object is
a Family Home Evening lesson as designated on Monday Evening.
Authority: Alma 5: 14 And now behold, I ask
of you, my brethren of the church,
have ye
spiritually been born of God? Have ye
received his image in your countenances?
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no 1.....Nov. 11, 1998
dialogue:
GRANDFATHER
When I was 12 years
old, I attended a Matanae dance at Union Jr. High. I happened to tell my older sister, Helen about it, and she
offered to pay a nickel for each dance that I would dance. And so I went with dreams of great riches,
for she had forgotten to say a complete dance.
I then conspired with my (friends ?) To have them cut in, and then I
could cut in again on them...and so on and so forth.
And there we lined
up facing each other in glaring hatred, and fear, for hate and fear had become
our Gods.
And then a fracas
ensued. I was forced out on to the
dance floor with no hope of return.
JOSHUA
Q: And were you hit in the fracas?
A: No, I was hit midway between the fracas and
the naval.
DAVID
Q: How far apart were you at the time of the
collision?
ARIA
Q: Were you present when this fracas took
place?
MATTHEW
Q; Did you leave your friends quietly?
A: No, quietly left before I did.
NATHAN
Q: Can you describe the individual who hit
you?
A: He was about medium build, and had gray
pants and a blue shirt.
Q: Was this a male or female?
Q: How many girls were on your side of the
gym?
Q: Were there any boys?
HAROLD
Q; How was your place in line terminated.
A: By death
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?
HOLLY
Q; How did you get to the other side where the
girls were?
A: I slithered.
JEFF
Q; What girl did you choose to ask for a
dance?
A: The stake presidents daughter.
REBECCA
Q; Was she very popular?
A: Not after that dance.
JOSHUA
Q; Did you ask her to dance with you?
MATTHEW
Q; What did you do when she laughed her head
off?
NATHAN
Q; Did you leave immediately?
A: No, she left me.
REBECCA
Q; Did you see the little girl who was sitting
all by yourself?
A; No, my eyes were filled with tears.
JEFF
Q; Did you investigate the fact that she
wasn’t very popular
A; After the dance she was popular with the boys..not
with the girls.
ARIA
Q; Weren’t you suspicious when she smiled at
you?
A; Yes, I doubted her sanity.
JOSHUA
Q; How did she get on to the floor.
A: She was pushed.
NATHAN
Q; What happened after you got her on to the
dance floor?
A: I refuse to answer on grounds that it will
incriminate me.
HAROLD
Q; Was the smile still on her face when you
danced?
A: Yes, but it was followed by a scream
REBECCA
Q: You mean she was screaming on the dance
floor?
A: No, I was.
JEFF
Q; When you lead with your right and left
foot, did she follow with her left foot or right foot?
A: Yes, that is when we stumbled over each
other.
NATHAN
Q; Did you ever get your feet straightened
out?
A: No, I was saved by my faithful friends who
came to my rescue.
HAROLD
Q; Did you ever get back to dancing with her?
A: No there was too long of a line
HOLLY
Q; Did you ever ask any of the other girls to
dance?
A: No, I may be stupid, but I’m not crazy.
GRANDFATHER
And yet, when I was
there
You were willing to
share.
This not a vain
thing;
Surely, surely,
Christ’s spirit was there.
I was you from out
on the floor
I saw the spirit
radiated there.
The loneliness and
sorrow
A comfort there.
Is this gift of Joy
and sorrow
Which you’ve been
given.
Now reflected then
by me?
And this...in answer
to our prayer?
I soared on wings of
eagles
With love and joy
carried by.
The exhilaration
that I shared
Now seen by those
close by.
I had descended to
the depth’s of sorrow
I wondered why?
Am I then shamed
because of fears
That go unheeded in
a world of night?
Oh, Lord, is it
wrong to see the light
That shines on me
from heaven?
And all she did was
smile
Smiling through the
mists of fright.
The darkness of the
night.
Possible, plausible,
and probable?
Conclusion: I never did explain the image of God, but
it was always on my mind.
Should I have
explained...Alma 5: 14 Have you seen
his image on your countenances?
Alma 5: 24 Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that
such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham,
with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are
cleansed and are spotless, pure and white.
Assignment Play # 4
Title page CAPTIVITY
-by-
Grandfather
A scene in the
Family History center in which Grandfather is telling the story
of his life when
he was 14. His children and
grandchildren are gathered in a circle about him.
All the action
takes place in this room.
Authority: Alma 5:6.......And now behold, I
say unto you, my brethren, that you belong to this church, have you sufficiently
retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy
and
long-suffering towards them? And
moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered
their souls from hell.
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley,
Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 12, 1998
dialogue:
Getting off the throne in the bathroom,
and sitting at the feet of his children and grandchildren
GRANDFATHER
Lord, why did you
tell me I couldn’t have kids? Are there
33? That’s one for every year of my
married life. I think you have an error
in judgment? What about when I was 14
years old.
GRANDFATHER (continuing)
This is the shadow
he remembers.
He remembers Arthur
Godfrey, his Bishop
Putting his arm
around him.
And this Bishop
asked him to hoe his garden.
And this Bishop would take little walks
And he would talk
And the little boy
could feel the respect
That he had for this
little boy.
He would walk with
me,
And he’d talk with
me
And he’d tell me I
was his own
And the Joy we’d
share as we tarried there.
None other had ever
known.
GRANDFATHER (cont.)
When his father was
excommunicated, I was not. But let me
tell you about Helen, my sister who’s husband was also excommunicated, and
placed in Jail. Her Bishop
excommunicated the whole family. And
they had a son named Heber Jentzsch who was about one year younger than I, and
I would go to Farmington many times to play with this “cousin”. And his talent’s were above and beyond
belief.
When my wife and I
were on our honeymoon, we passed through Los Vegas and ran into him again. He gave us tickets;, and invited us to his
show. And on the stage, there he was,
the star of the show, and he was surrounded by 5 beautiful, naked, girls. After the show we had dinner together, and
he told us that he had been in the movie, “Paint your wagon”, and “1776"
JOSHUA
Q; Grandpa, you went on a rather elaborate
honeymoon, didn’t you?
A: I went to Los Angeles, kid
Q: And you took your new wife?
MATTHEW
Q: You said you ran into him, how far apart
were the vehicles at the time of the collision?
NATHAN
Q: You were there until the time you left, is
that true?
ARIA
Q; Was it you or your wife who was killed in
the accident?
DAVID
Q; Were you present when your picture was
taken?
RYAN
Q; Was Heber Jentzsch an apostate like
yourself?
RONALD
Q; Was Heber Jentzsch’s spirit dead at the
time?
A: No, he was sitting at the table while I was
doing an autopsy
PAUL
Q; Did you ever see Heber again?
A: Yes, he came to our house dressed as George
Washington from a prop in the movie “1776"
DONALD
Q; When I was on my mission in Columbus, Ohio,
I happened to mention that Heber Jentzsch was my cousin. Why did they treat me like royalty?
A: Because at that time he was president of
the “Church of Scientology”.
JERRY
Q; Was he primarily responsible for getting
that church started in Hollywood?
A: Yes.
REBECCA
Q; What did his mother think of him?
A: The things he cares about..
.
The philosophies of
men.
Teaching the
philosophies as “real life”
To make his mind
flit “to and fro”
Don’t ask what he means by “real”
A soundless scream
that seemed to go to eternity.
Never again would
she get
The terrible memory
from her mind.
The revulsion was to
Heber
Who had done this to
his mother.
Great waves came
thundering in endless succession
Out of the dark
towering high
Each seemed to
engulf her utterly
Yet always she would
rise.
The sky hung low,
carried in continuing roar
A high shriek of
malevolence
Ripping off the
crest of the waves.
Flinging then
horizontally , over the sea.
The star of the
morning stretched the distance
The reality turning
into a sort of ugliness.
Passing the point of
no return
Never succeeding in
turning back.
Only a few moments
of the Lilac light remaining
As it had been, and
would forever be.
Is there any time to
ask
About the falling
star?
GRANDFATHER
And now, turn to
page 218 and read Alma: 5:6 read it silently and listen....
Possible, plausible,
and probable?...nevertheless, this story is true.
Conclusion: The
blessing of being there is incomprehensible....and I was there.
Assignment: Play #5
Title page: SEMINARY
-by-
Grandfather
A scene in the family
room in which Grandfather is telling his story of his life when he was 16
He has managed to
grab the softest chair in the house, and refused to budge even though he is in his
son’s home.
All the action takes place in this room.
Authority: Alma 5: 25.......I say unto you, Nay:
except ye make our creator a liar from ;the beginning, or suppose that he is a liar
from the beginning, ye cannot suppose that such can have place in the kingdom of
heaven; but they shall cast out for they are the children of the kingdom of the devil.
Joseph Eldon
Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208)
677-8318
Draft No. 1 Nov. 12, 1998
dialogue:
Waiting patiently
for the herd to get together for family home evening. Then getting impatient and turning on Monday night football.
GRANDFATHER
Q; Lord, are you not sure that I was
misdiagnosed? When I had the mumps, I
was sure I would be spared all this?
MATTHEW
Turning off the
television.
Q: Do you need this?
A:
whimpering...Can’t I even watch Steve Young?
ARIA
Q; Who is Steve Young?
A: He’s a general authority, so turn the
television back on.
JOSHUA
Q; When do we eat?
HAROLD
Q; Was I was conceived on August 8
A: Yes.
Q; And what were you doing at the time?
JERRY
Q; How was your first marriage terminated?
A: by divorce
Q: And by whose divorce was it terminated?
PAUL
Q; Why were you divorced?
A: So I might have eternal life.
Alma: 5 28 Behold are you stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly for the
kingdom of heaven is soon at
hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.
REBECCA
Q; Sounding off in the kitchen Alma 5 : 37 O ye workers of iniquity: ye
that are puffed up in the vain
things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of
righteousness nevertheless have
gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you, but ye will not
hearken unto his voice!
GRANDFATHER
Will you all come in
and sit down so I can tell you about a Shepherd, Seminary Teacher I had when I
was 17. His name was Jedediah Grant.
JEFF
Q; Was he related to Heber J. Grant?
A: Yes, he was his brother. It is not how much he has to do.
For love is blinded by a spirit too
Each enchanted evening...and the day.
And I saw the face of God...that way.
DONALD
Q; Was there a shadow in your life, a loss of
hope?
A: Yes, Brother Grant had a standing Joke, “I
hope that you all have more than a picket fence
running around your house”
RONALD
Q; Was there another shadow in your life?
A: Yes, This young man got the mumps.
And these mumps went down,
And he was told because of this
He would never have children.
GRANDFATHER (cont)
Teacher, can you tear the
clouds of doubt in two?
Can you make the face of God
shine through?
If only for a moment...
Teach me then to pray
When hope is gone and closed
within
The walls pushed in.
And heaven so very far away
On he whose heart ... can’t
hold them in.
Conclusion: I liked
my Seminary Teacher...but what effect did he have on my life?
Assignment: Play #6
Title page:
PATRIARCHAL BLESSING
-by-
Grandfather
A family scene in
which Grandfather is asked to explain what his personal Patriarchal
blessing means to him.
He is required to show the “intent” of
this blessing.
The grandchildren
will act as judges.
All the action takes
place in the family room
The object is a
“Family home evening “ lesson
As designated on
Monday Evening.
Authority: Alma 5:38.....Behold, I say unto
you, that the good shepherd doth call you: Yea, and in his own name he doth call you,
which is the name of Christ; and if ye will
not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd,
to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep; of the good shepherd.
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 12, 1998
dialogue:
GRANDFATHER
Reads his
Patriarchal blessing to his family (enclosed) This is in the hope that other
family members will share their blessings with the family.
ARIA
Q; Why weren’t you told of Principalities, and
Kingdoms in an exalted throne?
A: That is true, but this is not a
threat....it is a promise.
Alma 29: 1...... O that I were an
angel, and could have the wish of my heart .........
Alma 29: 3...... But behold, I am a
man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the lord has
allotted unto me.
Alma 29: 4..... I know that he granteth
unto men according to their desire......
REBECCA
Q; What is it that you most desire?
A: That I can hear
Listen to that still small voice.
The voice of God....within.
Listen to the whispering of the
spirit.
Listen...listen....was repeated again
and again.
DONALD
Q; What else is better than being a king?
A: Come listen to that still small voice
And thou shalt have joy therein
Can a home teacher have the very same
joy as the church President?
Is a big fish in a big pond any happier
than a little fish in a little pond?
HAROLD
Q; Is it not true that you were a wimp when
you were a child? How does your
blessing address that?
A: Come listen to ...that still small voice
And thou shalt have joy therein.
With a power and strength above thy
own.
A spiritual dominating strength will
come to thee.
PAUL
Q; Have you ever dreamed that we, your
children will look up to you as a king?
A: Come listen....that still small voice
Ten thousand dreams....or more
Are they not shared...with him?
JERRY
Q: Have you ever asked for the spirit of
Faith?
A: Oh Father dear....come dwell herein.
For blessed are those who believe
That softly...with loneliness
touched...and shared.
ROBERT
Q; Have you counted the ways....that God has
loved you?
A: It is not in being loved, but in loving ...that
I can have joy
Father, can I love you as you loved me?
And not rejoice when I have felt
The love...the lighted path that I must
follow.
HOLLY
Q; Have you ever been tempted to “Curse God
and die” as did Job’s wife?
A: Thou shalt be carried
Through the difficulties of this life.
With a power and strength above thy
own.
RONALD
Q; How have you been carried through the
difficulties of this life?
A: Seek the Lord in humble prayer,
If thou art to hear...and then obey
Unto the day of redemption....I seal
thee.
JOSHUA
Q; Has the Lord given you a purpose for living?
A: I have a mission to perform
However small is mine.
And yet I know that what I do
I do in a very short time.
ARIA
Q: Have you had any great adventures in this
life?
A: I asked the Lord, then what is wanted.
How he wanted that I live?
I promise you that what’s been given
You will like....if only you knew
You would beg me......for this chance
too.
Arise he said, and you shall see....
Conclusion: Alma 29: 3 But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish for I cannot count
all the blessings.
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 12, 1998
Assignment: Play # 7
Title page:
TREASURES that hide.
-by-
Grandfather
A meeting of
Environmental Extremists at a BYU Symposium concerning the conservation of Human resources
This symposium is being
broadcast on television :
The grandchildren are
watching in front the giant screen on their television.
The place is the family
living room.
This is an alternative
to the regular family home evening.
The object is to show
the “hidden” treasures mentioned in Section 89: 19
Authority: Doctrine and Covenants 89: 19 And
shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures.
D. and C 89: 3 Given for a principle with promise.
Joseph
Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 13, 1998
dialogue:
TELEVISION EXTREMIST
Statement: D&C
89:5 That inasmuch as any man drinketh
wine or strong drink....neither is meet in the sight of your
father..............
GRANDFATHER
Response: I am very aware of Drunkenness. My Father was an alcoholic, and I had a
brother who came home one night all beat up. “ What happened,” I said,” Well,”
he said, “Last night I was with my drinking buddy, and we agreed that I would
stay more or less sober so I could take care of him. This I did. Then tonight,
he was supposed to stay more or less sober While I got drunk. This he did not do. So I beat him up.” I asked him, “who beat who up?”
Then I remembered,
when I was a little kid I bought 100 turkeys to raise as an Ag. Project. I fed them chicken food and the fermented
curds and whey we discarded when we saved the cream for butter. I raised 105 healthy turkeys. The hatchery gave me 5 extras because they
were 2nds, (deformed) I was deformed
also, and so I had a brilliant thought, and I decided to eat what they
eat. They ate a lot of leafy foods, and
bugs and worms. I drew the line on bugs and worms.
TE
Statement: D&C
89:8 Tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for
man, but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle..........
GF
Response: When I was
in jail in Santa Maria, I was being harassed by another inmate. Needless to say, I was under great stress,
which triggered a tick in my right eye which is a spasm. The problem ....this is called Torret’s
syndrome, and the whole body and spirit is in spasm. He threw a lighted cigarette at me...and I wanted to die. I ate the cigarette, and waited to die. I did not.
I have since found that the only treatment available for Torrett’s
syndrome is nicotine. I will not smoke
as did my father. I wonder if I can
be treated as a sick cow, tobacco to be
used with judgment and skill.
(Remember,; this is a first
draft, and I am asking for help...how could I change it)
TE
Statement: D&C
89: 10 And again;, verily I say unto,
all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of
man. (The case for vegetarian diet)
GF
Response: I keep
remembering the bugs and worms my turkeys ate
D&C 89:12 Yea,
flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I the Lord, have ordained the
use of man with thanksgiving, nevertheless they are to be used sparingly.
TE
Statement; D&C
89; 16 All grain is good for the food of
man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the
ground or above the ground.
GF
Response: I would rather eat chicken food that
wheaties or corn flakes
TE
At this time, I felt
that the program ignored the spiritual part of this revelation.
Jesus Christ has
told us that it is not that which goes into a man that defiles, but that which
comes forth out of his mouth. This is
the greatest hidden treasure that I perceive is given.
Respect, hope,
faith, Charity, heaven, hell , fear, hate, pride, envy, all come from within,
and all are a gift of spirit that comes
from God. (I give men weakness that
they may be strengthened.)
And they are all an
expression of the spirit within.
D&C 89: 19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures
of knowledge, even hidden treasures:
THE PURPOSE OF FAMILY HOME EVENING IS TO
DIG FOR THESE HIDDEN TREASURES,
God, walk with me.
Hold my hand when I
am weary.
Give me your faith
when ‘ere I falter.
Will I go through
shrouds
Of Dark and gloom
And can I cry?
Will I not faint
when oft I walk
I wonder why?
I come with
treasures from the sky.
Will I walk with
giants,
Will I pass them by?
Will I have
run....and will I have won?
The asp (deformity) that bit my heel
Will he pass me by?
Will I fly with
eagles
In the sky?
How could a child so
dim
Hold fast the iron
rod?
How could a child of
Cain
Talk with God?
Not by might and
power
Not by inner
strength
And not by great
desire?
Only by a spirit not
my own.
Conclusion: Alma 5:17... Or do you imagine to yourselves that ye can
lie unto the Lord in that day, and say,
Our works have
been righteous works upon the face of the earth--------
AND THAT HE
WILL SAVE YOU?
Extremism in
the defense of truth (Christ’s Spirit) is no vice. Therein lies
Eternal
life.
Extremism in
things temporal is good, but their reward is physical, and they shall be
rewarded here on earth And they shall
have health to their marrow.
Assignment: Play no.
8
Title page: EZRA TAFT
BENSON
-by-
Grandfather
A scene in a large
hall at Brigham Young University
Ezra Taft Benson was
the featured speaker.
All the action takes
place at this convocation.
I was witness to the
death of spirit
Another God would
take his place.
A shadow.
The object is a
Family Home Evening lesson
Authority: Alma 5: 30 And
again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his
brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft No. 1 Nov. 14, 1998
Dialogue:
GRANDFATHER
story: ........Job
2: 9 ..... Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine
integrity?
Job 2:10.... But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one
of the foolish
Women
speaketh, what? Shall we receive good
at the hands of God,
And shall
we not receive evil?
In all
this did not Job sin with his lips.
When I was 18 years old, I went to
Brigham Young University.......
Q: Did you see Carl Eyring?
A: Yes, he was one of my teachers in a
religion class.
Q: I thought that he was a scientist.
A: He knew a lot about Acoustics. (Sound)
Q: Did you know that Wayne Hales was there?
A: Yes, he taught me chemistry.
Q: You mean that a general Authority was your
chemistry teacher?
A: No stupid, it was his father.
Q: How did you get to the University?
A: He walked all night in the darkness,
And the icy road covered with snow.
There to the land of peace and kindness
Not so.
Q: Were you inspired
to go to BYU.?
A: Yes. I took a gun away from a drunken father and buried
it.
Q: You call that
inspiration?
A: Yes, at that time
I was not suicidal. And I was inspired
to leave home.
Q: When did you see EZRA TAFT BENSON?
A: I can see the small auditorium
I see the professors on the podium
The weeping and wailing and gnashing of
teeth.
Q: Didn’t they have a right to question his
integrity?
A: Claiming academic freedom.
And who was it they claimed had taken
it away?
They did not assail the president of
the church.
As my father had.
Q: Were they snarling at a poor deluded
Elder? Ezra Taft Benson
A: He had given a talk at this convocation.
They were setting up a straw man.
Deriding what he said,
Yet that I never heard.
Q: Did you stand up and defend his position?
A: No, I did not.
Q: Is there a spirit?
A spirit of forgetting hurt and
thoughtlessness?
A spirit that reaches out and comes to
me
A spirit of forgiveness
Q: Can he forgive my faltering steps?
A: Is it by chance, this humble man
Would come into my life again?
Lift me to your shoulder, and
Help me bring back that which has faded
away?
Q: Can we thy children honor thee this day?
A: Can we thy children bless thee now?
Can we thy children change our hearts,
and
Make this a day to remember?
Q: Can we let the true love of Christ enter
our home?
A: Let each be happy to report
That he has lifted...the burden of
another
And made the way easier for those who
pass us by.
Q: Can the spirit of contentment dwell within?
A: To carry me closer.....to thy side.
Let me find that spirit in a child
As thou has found it in me.
Q: Then neither your home, nor BYU a haven?
A: The rage he would have to bear
Describing that great Satan
Q: Wherefore have we crucified
A: The
first unblemished lamb?
Lord, am I not pure?
And made eternal life secure?
Q: And have I then offended...ever?
A: My offering of sacrifice unsure?
Dour flocks of thought
And words as herds...I sought.
Q: To justify your actions...then you find.
A. An imperfection...a flaw....a wrong
unrectified.
Without intent, our thoughtless acts of
Sin
Have stained the spirit held
within.
Q: Is not the spirit slain?
A: Is ours alone when ‘ere we maim
Or hurt and make afraid the one who
loves
And
maybe you.....have wronged him too.
Conclusion: And then the darkness descended.
Assignment: Play
no.9
Title page:
DARKNESS
-by-
Grandfather
A scene
in my bedroom followed by:
A scene
in hell, and grandfather shoveling coal
A place
where “God is dead.”
Authority: Alma 5: 7 .......Behold,
they were in the midst of darkness:
Nevertheless, their souls were
illuminated by the light
of the
everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about
By the
bands of death, and the chains of hell,
And an
everlasting destruction did await them;.
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 14, l998
Dialogue:
GRANDFATHER
Q: We never know the measure of our doing?.
A: The joy that kindly thoughts and deeds
bestow
The thrusts that burn
We never see the scars.
Q: We never know when written word or spoken?
A: May stanch the stream of bitter words that
flow.
Or set an erstwhile heart to singing
And wreathe a face in smile.
Q: We never know the gratitude unbounded?
A: Of one who dreads the dawning of the day.
And steels himself to face that which
is fated.
To find someone’s rolled the stone
away.
Q: We never know what depths of fear and
sorrow?
A: Engulf a soul in time of bitter trial,
Of
loneliness, Of one who lacks a brother
To walk with him....the last....long....bitter mile.
We never know.
GRANDFATHER
Q; There was a dream, a vision of the night.?
A: And slumber rose and fled my bed.
I dreamed there was eternal life.
Without my Lord, without my Savior.
Q: The long flight had begun?
A: There was a price on his willingness.
That must be paid.
Q: If nothing could be counted on?
A: Save spent appetite.
If sent money, and spent manhood,
Claimed the swinish couch.
Q: What God was this?
A: Had spread the limbs of man?
Q: What web of life?
A: For all its brutish stands.
Q: Yet it was a bed he must lie on?
A: Unchanged by mortal man.
Had flavored with pride...his destiny.
Q: And so he must go on and on....until.....?.
A: And now those dark thoughts came flooding
in.
Drowning everything else in a swift
nightmare.
Of doubt and fear
Q: These fearful thoughts now part of his calendar?.
A: Part of every night ashore.
What must he do to defeat them?
Q: They took hold again?
A: Yet in the demented numbering of his days,
only yesterday
Q: A man who fell into his hands?
A: Must die a slow death
For one long day of life.
Q: Was not the law then challenged?
A: A night of torment and terror, and vanished
hope.
A night of cursing God....and death.
Conclusion: Moses 7:15 And the giants of the land, also,
stood afar off;
and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought
against God.
Moses 7: 16....And from that time forth there were wars
and bloodshed.. (Was this the
blood of Christ?)
Was Christ’s spirit gone from me?
Is that not death?
The death of spirit?
Act 11
Play no. 10 A. Ray Olpin
Play no. 11 Bob Spencer
Play no. 12 R.M Nelson
Play no. 13 War
Play no. 14
Play no. 15
Play no. 16
Zechariah
4: 4 - 10 4...So I answered and spake to
the angel that talked with me.
Saying, what are these things, my Lord?
5. Then the angel that talked
with me answered
And said unto me, knowest thou not what these be?
And I said, No, my Lord.
6. Then he answered and spake
unto me, saying
This the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying,
Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,
Saith the Lord of Hosts.
7. Who art thou , O great
mountain?
Before Zerubabbel thou shall become a plain
And he shall bring for the headstone thereof with shoutings,
Crying, Grace,; grace unto it.
8. Moreover the word of the
Lord came unto me saying,
9. The hands of Zerubabbel have
laid the foundation
of this house: his hands shall also finish it.
And thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts
Hath sent me to you.
10 For who hath despised the
day of small things?.
For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet
In the hands of Zerubbabel with these seven,
They are the servants of the Lord, which
Run to and fro through the whole earth.
Assignment: Play #10
Title page A. RAY
OLPIN
-by-
Grandfather
A scene
in the dining room at the home of a
Professor at Ohio State University.
His wife and daughter Betty were there
The
action takes place during dinner at his home.
Authority: Alma 5:
11......Behold, I can tell you-----
Did
not my father believe in the words
Which
were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi?
And
was he not a holy prophet?.
Did he not speak the words of God?
And my
father Alma believe them?
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So.
200 West
Burley,
Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1....Nov. 14,
1998
dialogue:
Q: Look how the light in the morning lies?
A: Please say no more...I see its time.
Ten thousand tears till I dry my eyes.
A million more is what I’m hoping for.
Q: Or is it love what you have in mind?
A: Follow the song of the morning sun.
Wander with me where you go.
Ten thousand dreams...I know every one
A million more is what I’m hoping for
Q: Or is it love what we live to know?
Q: Where were you when you were young?
A: Did you hide beside whoever tried to please
you?
Q: Where were you when you were young.
A: Did you have eyes just to ignore me?
Q: Or were you looking for me?
Q: And tell me how long before you believed
me?
A: The summer sun still loves the rain
Q: Ten thousand times you may leave me?
A: A million more is what I’m looking for.
Or doesn’t love bring you home again
(Anne Murray)
JOSHUA
Q: Did you say the stairs went down to the
basement?
A: Yes
Q: And these stairs did they go up also?
A: No.
Q: What were you doing in the basement?
A: We played ping pong.
MATTHEW
Q: Did she beat you?
A: Always.
Q: When she beat you, were you hurt?
A; Only when she hit the ball between my eyes.
Q: The youngest daughter...the 18 year
old...how old was she?
A: She was a year younger than I was.
ARIA
Q; Can you describe the individual?
A: She was about medium height and wore a blue
dress.
Q: Was this a male or a female?
Q: Did a fracas ensue?
A: No, we just yelled at each other.
Q: Were you hit in the fracas?
A; No, I was hit between the eyes.
Q: Was anyone hurt in that wreck.
A: I don’t think so...she drove me home.
NATHAN
Q; Did her mother call you late for dinner?
A: No she called me Eldon
Q: Did you come immediately?
A: No, my name was Joseph.
Q: Was A. Ray Olpin a professor at Ohio State
University?
A: Yes.
Q: Did he ever amount to anything?
REBECCA
Q; On what day did they have you over for
Sunday dinner?
A: I can’t remember.
Q: Were you in the army in 1943?
A: Yes, I was also in the army in 1945.
Q: What did you do in between?
A: Well, mostly it was hurry up and wait.
Q: Why did he send his daughter to pick you
up?
A: He thought it was road kill.
JEFF
Q: Do you recall the time that you examined
the body?
A: The autopsy started at 8:30 PM
Q: Was the young war veteran dead at the time?
A: No, he had never been in combat.
Q: Was he alone
A: No.
He was by beside himself
Q: Was she hurt in the accident too?
A: No, she drove it away.
Q: All your responses must be oral. What class were you in at Ohio State
University?
A: Oral
Conclusion: And there had come a day in spring
When death and
winter lost their chill white hold.
Quite suddenly.
A day of sunlit
air when daffodils and crocus bloom
And Lilacs lace
their scented bloom
On such a day I
had returned to you
When winging
robins seek their nest.
When winging
birds return.
And we did speak
of every lovely thing
For Christ did
rise...that day in spring.
Assignment : Play no.11
Title page: BOB
SPENCER
-by-
Robert Spencer
October 14, 1998
Robert Spencer
223l Glacier Lane
Santa Maria, CA
93456
Dear Brother
Spencer:
I am sending a first
draft of a play I am writing for a class at BYU. I hope you will make it a portrait of your spiritual life more
than your throwing the winning touchdown.
Although, that will be accepted if humorous.
I would like it to
be parallel with my life, and you can see by the script,
Chapter l
would be your preparation for a
mission....saving me..You might show your objections to such a task, and ask
for a less dangerous mission like flying over the Yalu river.
Chapter 2
would be how you were
preserved from death in the wars you fought just so you could become my Home
teacher.
Chapter 3
Would be how you
arranged the return of the Church in Japan (as my home teacher) and called
“Russell M. Nelson to be my Sunday School Teacher when I was in Japan during
the Korean War.
Chapter 4
Your trials and
tribulations as my Home teacher in Santa Maria.
Surely, you can find
a few jokes to put in this. Battlefield
humor. Read the stars and stripes.
Sincerely,
Nov. 14, 1998
Russell M. Nelson
Counsel of the 12
Apostles.
Church Office
Building
Salt Lake City,
Utah.
Dear Mr. Nelson,
I am taking a class
at BYU in playwriting. You played a
vital role in my life when you were a Sunday school teacher, while in the army in Sendai, Japan.
I would like to ask
of you if you would send to me the same portrait of your spiritual life as I
have asked brother Spencer;. However, I
would like it to geared to you as to your calling as a Sunday School Teacher,
saving me. I am not interested in your
later life. As I have asked brother
Spencer—don’t be ponderous. This is
geared to a family home evening with young children. You don’t have to send all your life, just your spiritual
experiences. Think of yourself as
Moroni, condensing the Book of Mormon.
If you want me to
send the completed manuscript, just ask.
I don’t want anything
about Heart Surgery
Sincerely,
Joseph E. Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Assignment: Play #
13
Title page: WAR
-by-
Grandfather
While we
were attending Stake Conference, Joshua asked me if
I would come over and play
Monopoly “We don’t do anything on Sunday afternoon, except sit
around.” I said, Well, all I do is sit
around and watch football. There’s something wrong here. To be saved is to do nothing?
nothing????????
I submit a
definition of Hell....Nihil
Authority: 2 Nephi 11 For it must
needs be, that there is an opposition
In all things.. If not
so, my first-born in the wilderness
Righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness,
neither holiness nor misery,
neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all
things
must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be
one body
it must needs remain as dead, having
no life.
Couldn’t
we at least have Sunday afternoon designated for
genealogy
and family history? Couldn’t we call
on grandparents and great grandparents before
it is too late?
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley,
Idaho 83318
(208) 677 - 8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 15, 1998
(Sunday)
dialogue:
GRANDFATHER
Moses: 18 And the Lord called his people Zion,
because they were of one heart and one mind.
Q: Is there a place
called Xian in china?
A: Yes, which leads
me to believe that Judah was not the only people God had revealed himself.
Q: Does Xian have a
wall on its northern border?
A: Yes, and what was
that wall for?
Statement: I have
seen the maginot line, and a place called Duran, the queen city of the Rurhe
And we came upon a
school building which was only partially destroyed. And we used it as a shelter.
When I was on the 4th floor, I opened a desk drawer, looked,
and saw some bags of black powder. It
was booby trapped.
Q: What did you do?
A: I was inspired to leave.
Q: What did some of the other soldiers do when
you told them.
A: They went to investigate.
Q: What did they do?
A: They dumped the booby trap on the floor and
kicked it.
Q Was that a good idea?
A: No, so they threw it out the window.
Q: I looked out.
A: And there were a group of guys in a circle, kicking it.
Q: A corporal came by and said, they must all
be sons of the same father.
A: Why?
They are not very bright.
Then I heard a big explosion.
Q: What was that?
A: Someone had crawled into an adjacent mine
field, attached a rope to an antitank mine, and pulled.
One day, one of my
(buddies) left all his valuables in my care while he went fraternizing.
He staggered back,
yelling that he was going to get those Germans. It seemed that they fed him buzz bomb juice (which is methyl
alcohol) He died.
I had to take him
all over the place to get an autopsy.
Which I watched.
Another guy I picked
up had fallen from a second story window.
He was trying to break and enter.
Then there was the
train wreck. I patched them up the best
I could while they were pleading with me to turn my head so they could
escape. I did not. I knew they would die when they got to
Poland.
Q: What is war?
A: War is
stupidity. That is when we were not
sleeping.
I was a song without
a tune.
A poem with no
rhyme.
I was a word without
meaning.
A dancer out of
time.
Rain in the sky.
A tear in my eye.
Static on the radio.
Like a leaf upon the
wind.
I could find no
place to land.
Wandered every way.
A couple of my
friends and I went to Church in Bad Godesburg.
This is a small town near Munich.
The speaker was Ezra Taft Benson.
I don’t remember
what he said in his talk, but I do remember this. He walked down the aisles deliberately and slowly and stopped
before us. He put his arm around
me and turned to the other soldiers
and said, “And there shall come a day when every knee shall bend, and every
tongue confess that Jesus is the
Christ”.
What if I never met
you.
Where would I be
right now?
Funny how life just
falls in place somehow.
Conclusion: 2
Nephi 12 Wherefore, it must
needs have been for a thing of naught;
Wherefore there would
have been no purpose in the end of it’s creation.
Wherefore this thing must needs destroy the
wisdom of God and his eternal purposes. And also the power, and the mercy, and the
justice of God.
Assignment: Play no,
14
Title page.
...A PRAYER
-by-
Grandfather
Authority: Genesis 7: 50 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark,
and the
Lord smiled at it, and held it in his own hand;
Genesis 7: 61 And it came to
pass, that Enoch cried unto the Lord
When the Son of Man cometh in
the flesh, shall the earth rest?
Genesis 7: 64 And as many of
the spirits as were in prison came forth...
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677-8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 16, 1998
Scene: A barracks at the U.S. Army base in Sendai, Japan.
dialogue
GRANDFATHER
When hope is gone,
and closed within?.
The walls pushed in?
And heaven so very
far away?
On he whose heart
can’t hold them in.
I dreamed I
saw....and dimly seen
A bridge–a prayer
And hope within.
R.M. NELSON (reading)
Alma 22: 15 And it came to pass. That after Aaron had
expounded these things to him, the King said: What shall I do that I may have
this eternal life? Of which thou hast spoken:
Yea, of what shall I do that may be born of God, having this wicked
spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his spirit, that I may be filled
with Joy, that I may not be cast off.......
Alma 22: 16 Aaron said unto him: if thou desirest this
thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea if thou wilt repent of all thy
sins (I have a problem with that.) And
will bow down before God, ;and call on his name in faith (where do I get that faith, believing that ye shall
receive) then shalt thou receive that
hope which thou desirest.
Alma 22: 17 ..........The king did bow down before the
Lord, upon his knees: yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth and
cried mightily, saying.
Alma 22: 18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a
God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known to me.
And so as I thought
of these things, I was reading the words described in Alma. And I was laying on my bed with the bulb
over my head. I reached up, turned
off the light, and knelt down in the dark of night. The blackness of that night was impenetrable.
O God, if you are he
Let me see into the
darkness
That covers me this
night.
Let me see that you
are there.
Am I to kneel here
without purpose
Without flight?
Cannot I leave this
dismal sea of void
This desert of the
night?
O God, if you are
there
Let your light shine
through the night
Rend the clouds of
doubt
I have need to feel
your touch...to hold me tight.
Let me know that
there’s a purpose
Is there a
rock-strewn shore
That I can find
If there is light.
As I knelt in
prayer, and repeated the words of Aaron, the room was filled with light. I was startled , and frightened, but I did
not consider this as a revelation. It
did get my attention. I did not finish
the prayer, but stood up and looked out the window from which the light
came. There, I saw that the clouds had
parted momentarily, letting the reflected light of the moon into my room.
I once met a teacher
Who asked me to
pray.
Is this he way?
That faith is born?
Must I ask God to
come this day?
For I was seeking
him to be.
To make him chase
the shadows away.
My Father that I’ve
asked to stay.
As I knelt in prayer
A spirit of peace
descended
In my quiet room
Must I look for God
this way?
Conclusion: And then, the next Sunday as we
met in Sunday School the next week
2 Nephi
2: 16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for
himself.
Wherefore man
could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by
one or the other.
Assignment: Play no.
15
Title Page: THE ARK ....COVENANT
A bridge
- By-
Grandfather
Authority: Genesis
7: 20 And from that time forth, there
were wars, and bloodshed
Among them. But the Lord came
and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.
Joseph
Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677-8374
Draft No. 1 Nov. 16, 1998
Scene: Sunday
afternoon......While playing games
And before and during Dinner.
GRANDFATHER
Q: These family discussions all seem to be
based on Alma 5:?
A: Isn’t it amazing that so much is given
that we can write a book and only take part of one small chapter
Q: When you study the book of Mormon in
Sunday school. Do they dwell on it?
A: No.
They can’t dwell on a chapter only.
I can, for it is a personal experience.
Q: Could you not also find a particular
chapter that you could call your own.
A: Take it and write your own
story.....There’s plenty of other chapters in that book.
Q: Just imagine that I have cut it out, and
kept it all to myself.
A: No, it must be shared. testimony in an empty hall is like the wind
in the willows
Q: This book of marvelous work
A: And oneness with God that I have seen
A oneness that seems like a dream
From the dust of time is given..
I have a desire, of hope expressed
This day of gratitude expressed.
That the Lord has given to me
(It seems like mine alone.)
A book.....from the dust.
Q: Is not hope a dream?
A: The beginning of faith
Of things unseen
Hope brings forth the faith of
God....within.
Q: What is hope?
A: Is it a rare jewel that must be
sought?
Does hope abound?
Strewn all about on the rocky
shore?
Q: Or is it a gift that God has given?
A: A spirit that comes from God?
When all else has long departed
Carried here on wings of Angels.
Q: How is hope found?
A: Is it found when no one is looking?
Is there hope everywhere?
Or is it a small gift that God has given?
A spirit that comes from above.
Called forth by the spirit of
desire
Carried here on wings of angels
And cries...when a safe harbor’s
not found..
Q: Hope
is born in difficult times
A: It’s journey to perfection
Yet it must start in immature
minds
As longing, a child in distress
A river of tears.
To be crossed by lovers
In peril and flight
Away from loneliness and desperate
times.
Toward a dim lighted
way....unknown.
Can I love my God this way?
Assignment: Play no. 15
Title page: A
MARRIAGE made in heaven????????
Authority: (I don’t
know...all I have is hope.) I DO NEED
TO MEET THE QUESTION.
(Is there anything that is not oppressive or abusive?)
(I do not want to be
intimidating. I am very content right
now, and have guilt feelings)
(I could not support a wife now
anyhow.)and I’m not sure of the promises made in the Temple)
I NEED HELP
Joseph Eldon Toomey
58 So. 200 West
Burley, Idaho 83318
(208) 677-8374
Draft no. 1 Nov. 16, 1998