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Who is Keith Lionel Brown?
My full name is Keith Lionel Brown. I am 50 years old and currently reside in Annapolis Maryland. As my Naval career ended here in Annapolis, I decided to stay here and make this my home. I was born on Friday, 17 October 1958, at 10:17 p.m., in what was then the little town of Salisbury Maryland, in what was at that time known as the Salisbury Hospital. Today Salisbury is a growing city and the old Salisbury Hospital is now known as the Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC). I was born of two goodly parents. My beloved mother, the late Frances Mae Harmon Brown (24 September 1937 - 12 June 1997), passed away on 12 June 1997 at the age of 59 after a battle with breast cancer, and my father, the late John Wallace Brown (23 January 1935 - 20 November 2006), passed away on 20 November 2006 at the age of 71. I miss both of them dearly. I come from a family of one older brother, Kenneth, and two younger sisters, Sharon and Patricia. I am also the proud uncle of a 10 year old nephew. My brother Kenneth (Ken) is a year older than I am and is a Computer Analyst by trade. The younger of my two sisters Patricia (Pat) runs her own printing business called the P&E Print Shack. She is also the one who has been blessed with the musical talents in our family. She can play drums, guitar, piano and organ, all by ear. My other sister Sharon is married and has a son (my nephew) and is an Administrative Assistant. I was honorably discharged from the United States Navy on 31 March 2001 after 20 years of faithful, dedicated service to this great nation of ours. It was a very interesting journey to say the least, and I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to have been able to serve for those many years. I was an Electronics Technician by trade while in the Navy, but as I am more interested in programming computers than fixing them, I decided not to pursue a career in repairing electronic equipment after I retired. I am a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Before becoming a member I was a Baptist and was actively studying to become a Baptist minister. I was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik Iceland . I was serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavic Iceland at the time. I was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood on 22 March 1998 and received my first two callings shortly thereafter. My first two callings were that of Activities Chairman and Single Adults Representative. I enjoyed both callings tremendously, especially Single Adults Representative as it gave me an opportunity to organize the weekly Family Home Evening for the single adults and to teach the lessons from time to time. I was ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood on 31 January 1999 and went to the Washington DC temple for the first time on 5 June 1999. On 10 September 2000, I was ordained to the office of High Priest and set apart as a member of the Annapolis Maryland Stake High Council where my duties included serving as a Stake Young Men's Representative, the Advisor and Coordinator for the Stake Missionary Preparation Program, an Advisor to the Broadneck Ward, an Advisor to the Relief Society and an Advisor to the Public Affairs Committee. I am a member of the Annapolis
Maryland Ward where I have served as the Sunday School teacher for
the 14 to 16 year olds and First Counselor in the Young Men's
Presidency. I have also served as both the Second Counselor and the
First Counselor in the Annapolis Ward Bishopric and I am
currently serving as the High Priest Group Leader.
Featured Website:
LDS.Net Becoming Fishers Of
Men (Mark 1:17) My name is Keith Brown. I am a member of the
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints . I was
baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik Iceland while serving
on active duty in the United States Navy. I was stationed at
Naval Air Station (NAS) Keflavik Iceland at the time. The Vicissitudes Of Life
I thank God for the days of yesteryear. It was those days that laid the very foundation upon which I have strived to build my life upon these past 50 years. I thank God for those whom He has allowed to be a part of my life to show me and to teach me the way that I should go. Some of them have gone on, but to all of them, I will forever be eternally grateful and my life richly blessed for having known them.
I do not know what tomorrow may bring, but I do know the One
who holds all tomorrows. If I am faithful and obedient and trust in
His perfect will, I know that He will never leave me nor forsake me.
He alone knows the plan that He has prepared for my life. I only
pray that I will always be willing to say "Here am I, send
me". In The Lord's Due Time:
Finding My Faith
In 1 Nephi In
Jeremiah 29:11-13 we read these words, "For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of
evil, to give you an expected end. Then
shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will
hearken unto
you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with
all your heart."
On
March 10, just a little over a month ago, I celebrated my eleven year
anniversary as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. I actually began investigating the Church in late 1980. I
had seen several television commercials about the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints and each one normally ended with how one
could obtain a free copy of the Book of Mormon. I have always had a
love for books and was always on the watch for any new book of
interest that I might be able to add to my small library of books.
Having no knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and having never heard of or seen a copy of the Book of
Mormon, I thought that this might be an interesting addition to my
library, and besides it was at the right price, free. What I later
found out is that the commercials failed to mention one minor
detail. Nothing that I can recall was ever mentioned about the fact
that two young men, riding bicycles, dressed in suits would
personally deliver the free Book of Mormon. I later learned that
these young men were missionaries for the Church. For Such A Time As This
Webster's
dictionary defines the word pioneer as "a person who plays a leading
part in the early development of something."
Therefore, in the truest sense of the definition, as the only
person in my family that is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, I am a pioneer. And so, I would like to take
just a few moments to share with you some of my thoughts about
being a pioneer member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
In the book of
Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, verse 1, we are taught "To everything there
is a season, a time to every purpose under the heaven." I strongly
believe that I am the person that has been chosen, and given the
responsibility by my Heavenly Father for such a time as this to lead
the rest of my family to the saving knowledge of the Restored Gospel
of Jesus Christ. It is a responsibility that I dare not take
lightly. I am reminded of the
words of President Lorenzo Snow: "You exert a certain degree of
influence, and be it ever so small, it affects some person or
persons, and for the results of the influence you exert you are held
accountable. You, therefore, whether you acknowledge it or not, have
assumed an importance before God and man that cannot be overlooked."
(JD, 18:299). And so,
I have a responsibility to be a positive influence on my family. |
Father's Day Message - Let Us Be Men You can read this timely message by Elder D. Todd Christofferson which appeared in the November 2006 Ensign Magazine (pages 46-48) by going to: Let Us Be Men . Joseph Smith's father made time for children: Despite limited accounts of Joseph Smith Sr., historians say the father of the Prophet left a legacy of faith, family and kindness. His days were full of hard labor in the fields, but Father Smith made a point of playing with the kids. "In one (account), he was recorded as often wrestling with his children," said Kyle Walker, author of "The Joseph Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith Family." "He was someone who worked but could play with his children as well." You can read the entire story by going to: Joseph Smith's father made time for children Brigham Young as a father: 'He healed all the hurt': Brigham Young was a great father, and not just because of the size of his family. Young, the second president of the LDS Church, did his best to have a close relationship with his sons and daughters. For one thing, there was a family routine. Each morning would open with prayer in the family parlor — 7 a.m. during the summer and an hour later in the winter. "It was a wonderful sight to see a flock of 10 or 12 children of about the same age run to his knees for the morning salute and to note how he had a kiss and a playful word for each," said a visitor to the Lion House, Young's main residence. You can read the entire story by going to: Brigham Young as a father: 'He healed all the hurt'
Feature Article : Called To Be A Father: What Is A Father?
I would like to take just a few minutes to address the sacred topic of fatherhood and the divine role of fathers in the Plan of Salvation. By virtue of the Priesthood of God and by the power of the Holy Ghost, fathers can and should be the greatest influence for good in the lives of their wives and children. Every father should rise to new levels of leadership and service in his home. Every young man that is not yet a father should prepare himself for this calling in this life and in the eternities. President Ezra Taft Benson once said, “A father’s duty is to make his home a place of happiness and joy. He cannot do this when there is bickering, quarrelling, contention, or unrighteous behavior. The powerful effect of righteous fathers in setting an example, disciplining and training, nurturing and loving is vital to the spiritual welfare of his children. . .Remember your sacred calling as a father in Israel—your most important calling in time and eternity—a calling from which you will never be released. (Ensign, November 1987, pp. 50-51.) Concerning this matter of fatherhood, President Howard W. Hunter once stated, “We encourage you brethren, to remember that priesthood is a righteous authority only. Earn the respect and confidence of your children through your loving relationship with them. A righteous father protects his children with his time and presence in their social, educational, and spiritual activities and responsibilities. Tender expressions of love and affection toward children are as much the responsibility of the father as the mother. Tell your children that you love them.” (Howard W. Hunter, “Being a Righteous Husband and Father,” General Conference, October 1994; see Ensign, November 1994, p.51.) In latter-day revelation, when the Lord spoke of the great doctrine pertaining to the redemption of little children through the atonement, He declared: “But behold, I say unto you that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; Wherefore they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me; For it is given unto them even as I will, according to mine own pleasure, that great things may be required at the hand of their fathers.”(D&C 29:46-48) From this we can clearly see that fatherhood carries with it the responsibility of ensuring that their posterity—the future generation, is prepared for the age of accountability. Read Called To Be A Father:What Is A Father? My Mother Knew It: A Portrait Of A Loving Mother
In Alma 56: 47-48 we
read, "Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and
they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did
upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that
if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed
unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our
mothers knew it." I would like to personalize the latter part of
verse 48 and use as my topic this morning "My Mother Knew It".
The Eternal Importance Of Families
It was President Joseph F. Smith who taught us that "It is important for us to cultivate in our own family a sense that we belong together eternally, that whatever changes outside our home, there are fundamental aspects of our relationship which will never change." (CR, October 1974, p.161.) Our beloved Prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley has said, "Love is the very essence of family life. Why is it that the children we love become so frequently the targets of our harsh words? Why is it that these children who love their fathers and mothers sometimes speak as if with daggers that cut to the quick? "There is beauty all around," only "when there's love at home."" (Hymns, 1985, no. 294.) (Ensign, May 1989, p. 67.)
The words of living prophets are clear regarding our sacred duty to strengthen our families spiritually. In 1995 the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles issued a proclamation to the world, declaring that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. This statement from "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" declares the responsibilities of parents to their families: Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives - mothers and fathers - will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.
Alma the Younger, when "racked with torment. .
. .[and] harrowed up by the memory of [his] many sins," remembered
hearing his father teach about the coming of "Jesus Christ, a Son of
God, to atone for the sins of the world" (Alma 36:17). His father's
words led to his conversion. In like manner parents, your teaching
and your testimony will be remembered by your children.
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