I have just returned from a visit to Martin's Cove and Rocky Ridge, two sacred resting points for Mormon Pioneers who died on their journey to Salt Lake City, Utah during the handcart treks of 1856. It is absolutely amazing the suffering they endured for their faith. We walked on clear sunny days with a cool breeze in comfortable walking shoes. They staggered along in deep snow poorly equipped but with anxious hearts to get to Salt Lake.

We walked for three days to get an impression of what it was like. They walked from August to the last day of November in freezing temperatures and horrible conditions. If rescuers had not gone out to save them they surely would have all perished.

On our third day we walked 15 miles including passing over Rocky Ridge. Even with my fine equipment I suffered some damage to my feet.




Many pioneers suffered frost bite and terrible damage to their limbs, went to bed on cold ground and then had to get up and go again until they were rescued and could ride in the back of a wagon.

I got professional health care, crawled into my tent and then the next day was "rescued" in a comfortable automobile safe from the elements for a ride home.

I did not have to get up and walk the next day. That night as I lay in my tent considering the dead flesh that had been cut off from my blood soaked feet, in my mind's eye I saw them and I wept for them as I received a visible witness for the true nature of their suffering and courage. It is now more than a heartfelt story of courageous people. It is a deep and abiding witness of their faith and determination to follow a living prophet. Were that we were so faithful in following our current and living prophet Thomas S. Monson.

Frank Herbert a fantastic author wrote several books including the Dune series. Beginning with Dune there are six books about the Atriedes family and the planet Dune or Arrakis.

A few days ago I finished reading Book Four titled "God Emperor of Dune". There are two primary messages that reach out to me from reading this book. Well, three, the third being an entertaining read.

The first is a question in the book referring to a "walking civilization" and the second is the idea that love is the key to the future of humanity.

I have reflected at length on the great advantages of a walking civilization and it's affect on individual humanity. We live in a era with wonderful advancements. One of them is the garage door opener which allows us to exit the house, get into the car without having to go outside, and from there we drive anywhere we want including back into the garage without ever having to stop and talk with anyone.

What a tragedy. We zoom around in too big a hurry for people rather than stopping and talking to them. No, I do not want to walk everywhere but think how wonderful it would be if each day we would slow down, visit with people and invest a little bit of time in each other.

At the recent April 2008 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said "Jesus Christ is our greatest example. He was surrounded by multitudes and spoke to thousands, yet He always had concern for the one."

I have wondered why Christ came to earth when He did and I am satisfied that it was because it was during a time of a walking civilization. He walked everywhere allowing Him to perform His personal ministry. And it is those little "touches" that have the most significance.

This truly is something for us to think about when considering our own personal ministry. What would it mean in our own lives, to slow down from the thousands of things we think we must do and stop and touch the lives of those around us. This personal expression of love, one to another, is exactly what humanity needs to survive.

My favorite example of this is found in the Bible, Gospel of John, Chapter 20. The resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, spends a few moments with Mary Magdalene. Even though Father in Heaven and the Hosts of Heavens are waiting for Him, Jesus takes time to comfort the one.

That is the beauty of a walking civilization and the perfect example of love. Nothing is more important. Take a walk, stop and talk, feel the love.

It doesn't matter who you are or your station in life, there is someone out there who heard you say something once and they never forgot it. You may have forgotten but that is an interesting thing about words, they live on forever.

I was reminded of something I said recently:

"In the end it is choice. We choose in the pre-mortal life, we choose now and it is determination of choice that sets us free and brings us peace."

I believe very strongly in person choice and the freedom to express my choices. To that end may the words of the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution which was established because of the Declaration be words that live on and be sustained forever.

I remember the words of the Declaration of Independence especially this particular excerpt:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

This is the choice we must all choose, first to believe and then to choose to pursue a life that is a full life, free and happy.

The wisdom of our founding fathers also reminds us that: "Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes;". Our country was founded on faith and rights and we choose to protect and validate those rights or choose to destroy them because of selfishness, greed, popular fads (like global warming) or want of power.

I believe in God, that there is a God and that He loves us and wants us to be happy and free. Whether you are Jew, Christian, Muslim or not, you have the unalienable Right of Choice. May you remember these words and fully understand that these words give you the right and entitlement to your choice and the right to pursue knowledge to aid in your choices.

Choose well, be free, enjoy peace.

The wonderful most incredible thing about the United States of America is that each and everyone of us are free to have opinions, beliefs, and practices. And whilst for the most part you can always find someone who strongly disagrees with the thoughts you may embrace we are still free to have thoughts and more importantly express them.

Thursday June 26, 2008 the Supreme Court handed down a historic ruling maintaining the 2nd Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. Regardless of "which side" you are on, we are all winners because a right granted to us at the inception of this great nation remains intact.

Amendment II - Right to bear arms. Ratified 12/15/1791.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

To me the key wording is "the right of the people"! We should all love, honor and cherish the rights given to us. Brave, courageous, God inspired men established these rights for us and for the past 217 years awe inspiring and deserving men and women of the armed forces have secured them.

Specifically I am pleased that the Supreme Court had the courage to rule appropriately to maintain our rights.

May God continue to bless and inspire us all to appreciate and cheer for those who maintain the very rights we enjoy each day.

You may have noticed lately that a new way to get together with others has emerged. It is called social media and instead of getting together in person face to face we can communicate and stay in touch by way of the internet. All you have to do is join and soon you can share moments of your life, photos, stories, feelings, books, movies, etc. The list is really to long to enumerate. Social media is fun, you should join the conversation.

Two groups I belong to are the middle class and small business owner. Yes, these two groups have been around long before some one came up with the idea of social media.

As a member of these two groups I am concerned.

My food bill keeps going up, driven mostly by the idea not the actuality but just the idea of global warming and my fuel bill keeps going up because ... well there are many reasons including greed and lobbyist of nature and other self interest groups.

And now we hear from the Democrats that the solution to this inconvenient truth is that we should raise taxes to provide relief to the poor who suffer the most from these increasing food and fuel costs.

And where the hell does that tax money come from! the middle class and businesses.

I don't like that solution. Not even when eventually the taxation will cancel my membership in the middle class and business owner groups, make me poor and I begin to receive my government relief check! Oh! just like social security I may never get it because there will not be any middle class or business owner to pay for it.

Here in the USA we are surrounded by numerous and plentiful oil fields that Congress, tree huggers and do-gooders have successfully closed off. In Utah, Wyoming and Colorado there is enough oil shale to run the world on fuel for over 100 years. Enough time and temporary relief to solve our current problem and then sincerely and truly find the solution for the future instead of what liberal congress has done to us for the last 30 years and the next. (See below)

And why is this oil and oil shale still in the ground? The same reason, same group of people.
And why is gasohol is still in the field? The same reason, same group of people.

Congress, tree huggers and ignorant do-gooders, led by Al Gore and the insane Jimmy Carter talk about the problem but then in classic hypocritical fashion pass legislation and create permits and restrictions that make it so difficult to move away from foreign oil that here 30 years after Carter claimed in 1978 that soon we would all be driving cars that did not need regular gas we are now told by the Dept of Energy, which by the way was created by Jimmy Carter, that by 2030 gasohol, or it's fancy name now, celluosic ethanol, may replace up to 30% of our fuel consumption.

What a joke.

It does not have to take that long. How about get out of the way, let any and all sources of alternative fuels to foreign oil be free of government restrictions and self interest group interference to be developed and sold and then God bless us, through the age old value of hard work and self reliance we resolve this problem.

You members in my social groups of middle class and business owner please think hard about where you will be if in November 2008 the oxyMORON of "taxes are the solution" founded "on a new hope" gets elected to office.

Happy Memorial Day to all.

On September 11, 2002 President George Bush said the following:

"The resolve of our great nation is being tested. But make no mistake: We will show the world that we will pass this test. God bless."

9/11 was a terribly sad day and for many a life shattering day as mother, father, son, brother, sister, daughter, were taken from many families. In the after math many more lives have been lost at terrible cost to their families, communities and nations.

Why, to maintain and keep secure our freedoms including freedom from terror.

Going back over 200 years our nation has passed the test again and again of choosing to be and live free. This unalienable Right, one of many which include but are not limited to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness has been gained, made available and maintained by soldiers. Soldiers that responded to their government that was instituted to secure these rights!

Somewhere in each of our individual legacy is a soldier who fought for our freedoms, our comfort, the convenience of life. Today many soldiers continue to fight. We owe them everything especially our deepest respect, love, loyalty, devotion and admiration.

To my father, brothers, sons and daughter, uncles, cousins and neighbors who serve please accept my deepest heartfelt thanks, loyalty and love. To the families that wait whilst their loved ones serve, my love and admiration for you is beyond expression.

The very air I breathe, the water I drink, the path I choose to take is there because of each of you.

May God bless and keep you always.

For some time now when anyone tells me something exciting I have usually responded with "cool". On the contrary when someone tells me something sad, bad, troubling or whatever I have for many years responded with "oh well". On the surface it would seem that I am indifferent to the surroundings and events of those around me. I assure you that that is not true. I do care passionately about a great many things especially for the people around me.

Recently, my conversation ending responses, :) have been the topic of conversation amongst my older sons. The outcome of that conversation has been the adoption of a family motto. Before I share it with you I am obligated to say that my wife does not like it, even if uttered in jest.
My sons always share a hardy laugh whenever I response as usual followed by someone then citing the motto.

The motto is "We're Hansen's we don't care."

Oh well.

A couple of days ago my 30 year old baby sister invited me to join the social networking site www.goodreads.com It is another fun way for friends, family and acquaintances to stay in touch. In this case you list the books you have read or are reading, give the book a rating and if you want you can comment on the book. So I joined and began adding my "reads". Two recent reads are Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Starship Trooper by Robert Heinlein.

In Ender's Game, Andrew Wiggin (Ender) the main character, is made to believe that no matter what, no one, no adult, is ever going to step in to help or save him.

In Starship Trooper, Heinlein, depicts the fall of a future society the result of children being over-indulged and not being held responsible for their actions.

I have read Ender's Game 5 times since I was first introduced to the book in 1998 and have gone back to it because Ender solves all of his problems and he does it in non-traditional manner. But this time I read it a week after reading Starship Trooper and with Starship's depiction of society still on my mind my thoughts strayed from strategic problem solving to societal cause and affect and to reflect on an attitude that I have observed in some of today's youth.

It seems that if they perceive that they can not win the game, be the star, be the "guy", be recognized as the smartest, whatever, then they just don't participate at all. They would rather do nothing than to participate for as simple a reason as love of the game or to just be involved. And when they do choose to participate they consider themselves "good enough" and choose not to want to excel or work at it to get better. They just assume/expect to be on top, be the best. If you push them, they just quit.

I find this to be very sad and the direct result of over-indulgence, instant gratification, no knowledge or experience of what it means to work and then of course all the toys that they have in their lives today. They would rather text than talk, hang than date, XBox than play outside. When they graduate from college they come home to live with their parents until they find the perfect job.

I have no easy resolution to what I believe is a growing problem but I do believe Card and Heinlein got it right that if children are not held accountable for their actions and do not come to understand that they are both capable and able to work through their struggles independently striving to be just little bit better today than yesterday or for the satisfaction of simply having accomplished something then society will crumble under it's own useless dead weight.

For some time now I have had the desire to start blogging and today I will finally get started.  I have been pondering how to memorialize my personal core values and mantra's and have decided that this would be a good place to start.  One the hurdles I had to overcome was how to select my user name.  Stupid, right but I wanted to pick a name that might have some meaning to me.  All the names I wanted to use are in fact already taken so I decided to check out my own name and found this old Celtic form of my name.  Dumno means world and Val means ruler. 

Whilst I do not see myself as a world ruler, nor even suggest that that is part of my character or aspiration I would like a say in some degree of controlling my own destiny.

Each day I am involved in raising my family, managing at work, coaching soccer and getting my Sunday School lesson prepared.  And it is to those activities that I will most often reflect.  Only time will tell if this turns out to be the best medium.