Scamming the Scammer

            Funny how since giving the lesson on "Divine Design" to the RS sisters almost a month ago, that I have been noticing more parallels and "divine design" examples in so many lives that I hear about.  Last week Jenna and I watched this story on Sunday Morning - a program that Roland has on almost every Sunday I have known him.  

            He was in the kitchen making breakfast for Jenna and me when the Steven Hartman shared his piece about an unlikely friendship between Ben Taylor from Ogden, Utah and Joel Willie from Liberia.  Joel was in need of money and has been using facebook to connect with strangers to invest in a business.  Ben Taylor accepted his friendship that he might keep Joel so busy that he wouldn't have time to scam anyone else.  Joel's interest was in an electronics outfit located in New Jersey, but Ben had googled the address and the location seemed suspicious as it appeared to be a dumpground for trashed or stolen cars.  He had even called the police to investigate.

            Ben changed directions to "scam the scammer" and said he was interested in purchasing photography and that perhaps Joel could send him some pictures of a Liberian sunset - I am uncertain at how the photographs were received.  They weren't great photos and no indication that the sun was setting.  Ben told Joel that they were great but needed something different and finally blamed the camera for an imperfect quality and purchased a small red digital camera for $60. and sent it to Joel.  

 Joel sent him photos of people and places in Liberia and Ben created a book and put it on the market.  The book raised $1,000 - which in Liberia is an unbelievable huge amount.  

            Ben told Joel he was sending 500 dollars for him to keep and would send another 500 if he would give it all to charity - which Joel would have probably done anyway.  He purchased school supplies and paid for transportation to distribute to five schools and sent Ben more photos of his actions.  Shocked with all that had taken place, Ben flew to Africa to meet Joel. 

CBS photo

 Was it coincidence or by divine design?      

            For more accurate story and interview with Steven Hartman, see here 

CBS

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No Such Thing as Coincidences

            Being in the primary has never been among my favorite of callings - which may be why I've been in it so long.  On Saturday there was a breakfast provided by the Relief Society for those who are visiting teachers.  While there, I was asked to teach a Relief Society lesson on this coming Sunday.  I made an impulsive decision to say yes.  I can still teach my primary class but will be missing singing/sharing time.  I'm certain that the primary leaders would much rather have me there than teaching a Relief Society lesson,  but sometimes I feel the need to be elsewhere.  On Sunday it will be in Relief Society.

            On Sunday I was given the subject of my upcoming lesson.  "By Divine Design" by Elder Ronald A. Rasband.  Hey, I remember that talk.  I had actually created a blog post (here) about it.  I obviously did not go into as much detail as I had felt at the time of the initial talk - but it was at a time when my head was full and my fingers weren't as able to work as quickly as what my mind was saying.

            I have to smile at Elder Rasband quoting Neal A Maxwell's words: "[God] does not do things by ‘coincidence’ but … by ‘divine design " and think of all the many times my brother Corey has said or written that "He doesn't believe in coincidences".  It made me think of these two pictures that he has posted more than once:

 

            Depending on how the Spirit guides me, I may or may not share this example, but if I do, I have placed the two photos side by side and have highlighted the etching above the arch to illustrate that it is indeed the same building though taken a decade apart. 

 

The family taken in 1947 are from Utah.  They were touring San Francisco and chose to have their picture in front of the church building.  The other photo is of the youth group who attended MIA (Mutual Improvement Association) and seminary at the Sunset Ward in San Francisco which met in the same building.

            The two circled heads are that of my dad and mom.  They were married in the Los Angeles Temple.  Their reception was at the building which is behind each of them in both photos.  This is one example of Divine Design.  I am looking very forward to giving this lesson.  I hope to have a lot of participation, but if not,  I have more material than I will have time.  Wish I could say the same of primary.