Phil,

I'm praying for you and Sandy, and for Little Everett and for all of you.

I pray that Chris will leave the Mormon Church. I'm praying for all of you.

Love and Blessings,
Pat Ferguson



At 04:08 PM 7/20/04, you wrote:
>Sandy and I would appreciate your prayers concerning a very difficult
>situation that has arisen just today.  Our former son in law, Chris, who was
>married to our daughter, Gretchen, pulled a fast one on us concerning our 8
>year old grandson.  We have full and unlimited custody of little Everett.
>He was named after my youngest son so my son is big Everett and our grandson
>is little Everett.  Anyhow, Sandy was gone for awhile today because one of
>our basset hounds has an ear infection and needed to be taken to the vet.
>While she was gone, the phone rang.  It was Chris.  He informed me that he
>would be picking up Taylor, his son whom we baby sit during the day, and
>little Everett, next week so they could be fitted for their tuxedos for the
>wedding.  This was the first time I had heard little Everett was even going
>to the wedding, let alone, being in the wedding.  When Sandy came home, I
>discussed it with her and then decided I better find out more from Chris.  I
>called him at work and asked if their wedding was going to be in a Mormon
>church facility and by a Mormon minister.  He said, yes.  It wouldn't be, he
>said, in the Mormon temple itself because Chris is not a Mormon.  Not yet,
>anyhow, but it would be in one of the Mormon chapels and a Mormon Bishop
>would be performing the ceremony.  This young lady's father is a Mormon
>bishop.  I told Chris that this disturbed me a great deal because I had not
>heard anything about this until today and that I have a big problem with my
>grandson being involved.  Chris proceeded to tell me the same arguments I
>have heard from all Mormons when discussing Mormon doctrine.  Of course,
>what Chris didn't know, is all the hours of study I have put in to Mormon
>doctrine and all the articles and booklets I have on secret Mormon
>ceremonies and the like.  He insisted the only difference between what I
>believe and they believe is Joseph Smith.  I was then forced to tell him of
>some of the things Mormons believe of which he was unaware.  There was no
>argument, no yelling, or anything of the kind.  He wasn't too happy,
>however, when he said, Well, I suppose this means he won't even be allowed
>to come to the wedding.  I said, yes, that's what it meant.  I did, by the
>way, call the home where Gretchen lives and talked to her about this twice
>so she was aware of what was going on behind her back.  Please pray for all
>of us including Taylor, four years old, and little Everett.  Little Everett
>will find it hard to understand because Chris had made him an usher and I am
>sure he was looking forward to it.  I'm going to have to try and explain it
>to little Everett now and that won't be easy.  Additionally, there is little
>doubt in my mind that Chris will attempt to get back at us somehow by, for
>example, keeping Taylor from us, or any other numbers of things.  Of course,
>the people who are only hurt when such things occur are the two brothers;
>Everett and Taylor.  Chris told the boys one weekend a couple of weeks ago
>that they were now going to have two moms.  Of course, that was his way of
>saying he was going to marry Tiffany.  Both boys were very upset by this.
>Little Everett probably was upset more than Taylor because of the confusion
>it brought.  Here is something I will not, and cannot, forget.  Many months
>ago, before Gretchen went into the church rehab home, we had one of our
>Friday night prayer meetings.  Little Everett happen to be here and stayed
>with us as we all prayed.  At the end, when it seemed nobody else had
>anything to pray, little Everett spoke up and said, Father, please bring my
>dad and mom back together again so they can be married again.  Every time I
>pray for my daughter and my former son in law, I remind my Heavenly Father
>of the prayer of a little 8 year old boy crying out for his mom and step dad
>to be together.  So your prayers would be appreciated.  This situation is no
>laughing matter, if you know anything about Mormonism at all.  I personally
>know former Mormons who were born again and left the Mormon church and were
>constantly harassed by the social services by anonymous callers reporting
>them for child abuse and kept having the government trying to take their
>children.