Audio File - Change...

Besides the fact that converting the file or finding a way to play it back is a royal pain.  After reviewing the file I am concerned to let it be played publicly since it could incriminate others and I do not want that to be done.  I will not be releasing the audio file for that reason.  As I continue to do this blog I will likely change names of those that must be referenced in order to not shed a bad light on any that have been involved with the struggles I have faced. 

I believe strongly that people change and grow and the past is the past.  I want to show the utmost respect for all that have impacted my life.  I believe strongly that people can repent or change the course they are going.  I desire not only to forgive, but hopefully to be forgiven of the wrongs I have done.

I strive in all I do to become as Jesus Christ, whom I believe to have lived a perfect life. 

June 1st 1975 - When I was born

To be honest I didn't know much about the day I was born and so I decided to do some research. 

June 1st of 1975 was a nice Sunday with a high of 81 degrees and a low of 51.1 in Kearns Utah where I was born.  At the time I was born there were 72 stakes in the Salt Lake Valley and one temple in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (The Salt Lake Temple).  There are now 172 stakes and 4 temples in the Salt Lake Valley.  These are some pretty amazing changes.

Because I knew little of this day I requested that my father Asa Josiah Allred (previously known as Owen Paul Allred) write me and let me know all he could remember about the day I was born.  The details I know are that my grandfather Rulon Clark Allred delivered me.  I don't even know if I was born in a house or a hospital.  So I will learn from this post a lot as well as those that follow me...

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I just had a cool discussion with my father about the day I was born and  some of the experiences of my early life.  I was testing an application for Roots Tech this year (part of the work I now do) and made the call and recorded the experience.  I will try to attach it, but will also document the more pertinent details in this post.

Since I am unable to get the audio file to attach I am going to try to get a gadget on the side of this post that will play back the audio file.  In the meantime if you are interested in the discussion, please contact me.

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Now for some of the details from the recording:

I was born at around 4 AM on the 1st of June in a home in Kearns Utah.  It was the home where my grandfather and his family from my mothers side lived in Kearns.  My mother and father were staying with them at the time.  My grandfather on my fathers side came by after my mothers water broke around midnight and I was born around four hours later.  My dad's father charged him 100 dollars for the delivery.

As I could only expect my father doesn't remember much of the Sunday I was born since he was with my mother who was exhausted and they were resting that day.  An interesting piece of information is that I was blessing into the church of the AUB (Apostolic United Brethren) when I was 1 week old.  This is one of the biggest polygamist groups in existence now, which broke away from the LDS church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) after the manifesto given by President Wilford Woodruff against polygamy.  This was accepted by the membership of the church as binding On October 6th 1890. 

Some other details I gained from the conversation and memory:

By the time I was around 2 and 1/2 years old I had been exposed to both physical and sexual abuse, and the sexual abuse had started at an earlier age than this.  I know this because some of the people who abused me have since come and apologized for the things they did.  I admire the strength it takes for them to have done so, because it is not easy to stand up to the mistakes of the past and change things you have dealt with throughout your lives.  However this post is a witness that through the desire to change and become better as children of God we can overcome any trial we face.

Starting a blog

I have had a few people talk to me about how to start a blog. I did research as a part of my lunches at work and here is one of the most useful items I found. Hopefully some others find it useful as well.

http://ldsmediatalk.com/2014/01/20/how-to-create-your-own-gospel-centered-blog/

Here are a few other articles that I reviewed as I got ready to start my blog.

http://ldsmediatalk.com/2014/01/17/create-your-own-gospel-centered-blog/
http://ldsmediatalk.com/2014/01/22/what-is-hastening-the-work-of-salvation/

 I hope these will be useful to some of you and once you get going it is a great tool.

My first attempt at a blog - My story preface

As I sit and think about what I can write that will be enjoyed and be a benefit to others I had the thought come to mind to share my story with others. I have had many of my friends say I need to share my story with a larger audience. This will be my first attempt at this. I am extremely blessed. I have a wonderful job I love. A wonderful family with a woman that I admire more than I could ever describe in words as a wife, and 5 wonderful children at this time. This being the case I have not lived a simple or easy life. I grew up through many struggles. These ranged from sexual and physical abuse, to homelessness and hunger, to being taken from my family, ending up in foster care and the state custody. I also have had other struggles I brought upon myself addictions to smoking and drinking, relationships that many consider common now, that I have since learned do not bring true happiness, and sorrow and loss of friends due to bad choices. The things I have lived through I would not change for the most wonderful life I can imagine though. Because of the things I have experienced I am who I am now. I have gained a relationship with God (My Heavenly Father) that is more valuable to me than any earthly possession. This has grown and been strengthened through many experiences out of my control, and some that were in my control. I have gained strength through my beliefs that has rooted the problems of my past from my heart and soul and replaced them with a love of everyone I meet. Sometimes this love causes me sorrow, but more often than not it sheds light on the amazing attributes of those around me. My hope is to create a blog that will share my past and many of the struggles I have faced, and how I was able to overcome them and replace them with the joy that I now enjoy. In the process I hope to help as many as possible to draw nearer to Christ, and those with whom they interact. As I do this I will rely heavily on those reading my blog and attempt to focus on areas that are relevant to them. I hope you enjoy!!!