Grandpa Jack's Book

It has been said that even as a good teacher inspires students to read, to learn, to create, to share and to act kindly, so a good parent is close enough to share devotion. I am 91 years of age. I have had a long ministry and a satisfactory retirement. I am a Grandpa, the oldest remaining member of the Williams family, and the oldest that there has been in probably four generations. And now I have a desire to help my grandchildren in every way that I possibly can, and maybe other grandchildren as well. . . It is difficult for a young person today to have any idea of the difference between life in the early and late twentieth century. The world is simply not the same as it was. Radical changes have been made in almost every aspect of our lives, fundamentally shifting how people spend their time, relate to others, and learn about morality and spiritual matters. . . Times change, truth doesn’t. . . My dad always said, “a great deal of good can be done if you don’t care who gets the credit.” He knew that the most satisfying thing in life is the joy of unselfish service. . . The price of choosing selfishness is that you give up deep satisfaction. . . Some legislators have found themselves in a great deal of trouble because they failed to recognize the general difference between the laws of God and those of society. The difference is significant. The difference primarily lies in the aspirations of the laws of God and man. The laws of God seek perfection, while the laws of man define minimal restrictions needed so we can live together. The laws of God are supposed to be the maximum. They are supposed to be the highest that there can be. . . . Great spiritual truths become apparent from within us. We also strive to teach them to one another. Our modes of communication --- of sharing the truths and everything else --- have changed with developments in science and technology. Those advances have also led to changes in our education system and our way of thinking about the world. In some unfortunate instances, these developments have set religion at odds with science, and removed it from education. This is wrong. . . Through my investigative experiences I learned that there are some questions we can’t answer. I learned that other questions have answers that change in content and significance as we age. I also came to understand that, while we can’t know everything, the act of questioning is critical to human function. . . Rather than clinging to rigid belief or disbelief, it seems to me that we might do well to recognize that our doubt is one of the things we have in common. No need to fight about it. Doubt is a characteristic of our humanity. We all share it. . .