Don Lind, astronaut in my ward, Broadway II Houston

When I was in high school in Houston we were in the Broadway II Ward. I was in the 9th and 10th grades in South Houston High School [class of 69.] The ward included all of NASA and the surrounding areas. We had great families . Their parents worked for the space agency and space support groups. Also there was one astronaut then who was LDS- Don Lind. The Linds had adult kids and a little 5 year old girl. Brother Lind was almost too old to go into space and we were always praying for him because his flights were always being canceled and rescheduled. Then we we're all sad- he became to old to fly and then there was another LDS astronaut who actually beat him into space. Brother Lind would speak to us at church about reverence in space or just how in the world do you pray to our heavenly father while in space . He told of thinking how he would pray while in this sleeping bag. The bags were just hooked on the wall and would float around some. The first LDS in space went during the week and not on sunday. That was Br. Lind's problem. The sacrament in space. How do you bless the sacrament? Bending your knees caused an action in space-and you would just roll around. Now that was not reverent, was it??? To strap himself down and to be reverent he would need special permisson from NASA. There would need to be a written procedure and precedent for future flights. So Br. Lind worked with the church and NASA so we as a people would always have the right to partake of the sacrament in space. He could have just taken blessed bread and water into space and been private and taken the sacrament in private. No . All of the space ship was under cameras 24, 7... And his purpose was to be public about the whole religion motive. He was not afraid to be seen in space praying. What is the measure of a man, who walks in space the ultimate space cowboy and is still ashamed to be seen [all over the world maybe] praying? He wanted, -his goal had always been for the entire world to know, the faith of us as a people. He needed to know what was reverent in space. We all chuckled when he said that he was sure praying bottom up in space was just plain not reverent!!! Do you face the sun or the earth? Do you pass the sacrament in the first passes around the sun or later in the day? Do you need the regular trays and tiny cups? These questions were answered and many, many more. All by thinking of unknown answers and unknown questions. Some said that it was just for attention and the fact that he was too old for space that he asked "his questions." After all would he just face up to the fact - he had become too old and leave these matters to a younger generation. Let me ask you another question, while I have your attention. Ready-the question. How did we learn that the brother of Jared was the younger brother?? When the Book of Mormon was being translated for the Taiwanese people this question was asked. Who was the brother of Jared? Not his name, but was he the older brother? younger brother? twin brother? only brother? half brother? adopted brother? You see in the chinese language there were multiple words for brother and the translator needed to know the exact type of brother he was.... These thoughts had never, NEVER, been asked before. Why?? Because we as americans or north americans or old european immigrants really have never cared a damn about where you were in the birth order in a family. We cared about what you can do and who you are and where you could go. Never about were you the favored first born!!! But the Lord knew that in the rest of the world this is the most important fact about a man. Was he the oldest and there for the most treasured of all of the children? Just to say that is just plain- not an american idea, is it? So the question was asked "just who was the brother of Jared? Remember we were told his name in a child's blessing of his name by the Prophet Joseph Smith to Reynolds Cahoon's little baby boy grandchild - . The birth order of the brother of Jared was that he was the younger brother. And thus the idea of birth order being so important that the Lord used a younger son as a prophet is shown to be null and void. This question to these oriental peoples was so important that the Lord used the great prophet ,the brother of Jared ,as his example to illustrate the truth that the Lord is no respecter of persons. He used whom ever was worthy. This is a testimony also about the line of authority of the prophets of the latter days. Prophets are chosen by the Lord not in family lines only. This is one reason why Joseph Smith's only son was not to led the church into the wilderness of the american west.


Back to Br. Lind. In the end, NASA changed its mind and allowed older men and women in space. Because he understood that man has a place in space and therefore so does the gospel, but a way had to be prepared. He was a pioneer in space. His wagon train was a space shuttle. And he was just a wagon master who had a few simple questions for the Lord, about the sabbath. He came to BYU and our picture was on the first page of the Daily Universe.


I want you to know the value of asking questions. The prophet Joseph was pondering about the Brother of Jared's name. Pondering means to think on or about something. To question. And the Lord answered the question the next time Joseph asked about a name. The name of the new born baby boy of Andrew Cahoon(Reynolds Cahoon's son) is Mahonri Moriancumr. They called him Honnie for short.
There are those who would rather have kids and really anyone , to not ask questions. They say you will destroy your testimonies-they are wrong. We have the fulliness of the gospel because a boy just had to ask -GOD- a few questions.
Bulla Vinaka, love MUM