Our Christmas Miracle

By Paul Ingham Lineback

The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abounds with accounts of the miseries, privations, and triumphs, of pioneer treks across the American plains.
Fewer, however, are the narratives and accounts of the contemporary treks to and across America to the Rocky Mountain home of the Saints; those who would also dwell in the mountain tops. Responding to the call of His servants in modern times, to repent and believe the gospel; they too, would go up “to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, to be taught in His ways, and to walk in His paths.” With the advent of modern transportation—automobiles, trucks, trains, and airplanes—they would truly “come with speed, swiftly”.
This work culminates in the true, modern story, of one family’s journey to “the tops of the mountains”. Although the crossing was not the result of religious persecution, it too was filled with sadness, hardship, heartache, and ultimate victory in the realization of their hopes and dreams: to live among the servants of the Lord in the heart of the Rockies, the crossroad of the west.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728334158

Paul Ingham Lineback

Paul has run, to this date, exactly 100 marathons. In these stories about his first twelve, and runs of other distances, he finds the comical aspects to his running through social interaction; an approach in which we can all identify. A consummate storyteller, he makes the mundane not only believable, but immensely entertaining as well. Follow his frequent follies, faults, and foibles, as he fumbles and feels his way to a flawless run. Find more comical interaction at, [e-mail] and oddpaul.com.

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© 2019 Paul Ingham Lineback. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/01/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3416-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3414-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-3415-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019917490

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Scripture quotations marked Doctrine and Covenants are from The Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1931-1848

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Dedications

Introduction

Chapter 1     Old and New World Beginnings

Chapter 2     A Confederacy in the Making

Chapter 3     C.L. Rights

Chapter 4     Childhood Companions

Chapter 5     Sir Ingham

Chapter 6     Southern Roots

Chapter 7     Challenge Met

Chapter 8     Where the Yankee Shot You

Chapter 9     Georgia Boys

Chapter 10   What’s a Mormon?

Chapter 11   His Mormon Wife

Chapter 12   The Trek West

Chapter 13   Our First Christmas in the Valley

Chapter 14   So Very Lonely…

Chapter 15   Follow-up

Chapter 16   Epilogue

-Appendix A-

-Appendix B-

Dedications

To Dad, who is missed more than can be imagined,

Mom, who raised us by herself,

My siblings, who were all in this together,

My son, may he know of, and be proud of his heritage.

Introduction

The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abounds with accounts of the miseries, privations, and triumphs, of pioneer treks across the American plains. Time and again, forced out of their homes in the midst of winter by unfeeling populations, they removed, persevered, rebuilt, and rededicated themselves, to the purpose for which they had originally gathered; that of building up the kingdom of God. Surely few people in a free society have had such trials given them at the hands of their neighbors. Much suffering and many deaths occurred as they made their overland journeys during inclement seasons exposed to the harsh elements of nature.

This was especially true of their trek west to what was then Mexican territory (which later became Utah), which was an attempt to escape religious and political persecution. Initially expatriated, they came by wagons pulled by horses, mule teams, or oxen; even handcarts were utilized, wherein they employed their own strength to haul their possessions. Many walked overland across prairies and mountains. The leadership’s main interest was to get the Saints to their mountain home as quickly as possible; and is, indeed, one of the reasons they chronicled, measured, and mapped out, their first expeditions so meticulously with scientific instruments that were brought in from Europe specifically for that undertaking. They also invented the first odometer to measure distances between campsites. This was to afford future pioneers not only a guide as to what could be expected along the journey, but to document and chart the optimal locations to one day place rail lines and bridges as well.

Though they were isolated in the Great Basin, that the Saints should be cut off from the rest of the world was never their intent. They established universities, colleges, museums, exhibition centers, and encouraged the arts in their community by opening up theatres and auditoriums. Students were also dispatched to the East and to the great academies of Europe for instruction in medicine, dentistry, science, mathematics, writing, poetry, sculpture, painting, and other essential fields; all for the benefit of their society. Missionaries were sent out to all corners of the globe which converted tens of thousands; who then, in turn, organized their own pioneer processions, which also brought many of them to Utah.

In 1869, when the eastern railroad track met up with the western at Promontory Point, Utah, the trek west was made immediately and immeasurably easier. They were then able to make the trip in a matter of weeks instead of long toilsome months. All of which has been well documented in pioneer journals, histories, documentaries, and motion pictures.

Fewer, however, are the narratives and accounts of the contemporary treks to and across America to the Rocky Mountain home of the Saints; those who would also dwell in the mountain tops (which is the actual meaning of the Ute Indian word, Utah, and which was given to the territory by those in the federal government. The name the Saints had chosen for their domain and future state was Deseret). Responding to the call of His servants in modern times, to repent and believe the gospel; they too, would go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, to be taught in His ways, and to walk in His paths (Isaiah 2:2). With the advent of modern transportation—automobiles, trucks, trains, and airplanes—they would truly come with speed, swiftly (Isaiah 5:26).

This is the true, modern story, of one family’s journey to the tops of the mountains. Although the crossing was not the result of religious persecution, it too was filled with sadness, hardship, heartache, and ultimate victory, in the realization of their hopes and dreams: to live among the servants of the Lord in the heart of the Rockies, the crossroad of the west.

An overview of the book reveals that the first six chapters of the narrative are more of an ancestral history of our father’s family, their storied path and belief system, civil war chronicles, with modern-day essays and comical vignettes interspersed. Chapter seven relates a contemporary account of the beginnings of our childhood in Atlanta, Georgia, where our story that led up to the trek actually starts. A small amount of Mother’s family history, her grandmother’s faith, can be found in chapter eight. The story of Mother’s investigation into the Church opens with chapter nine. Chapter ten relates her spiritual awakening, as well as the devotion she felt to our father. The Trek and its aftermath begins with chapter eleven. The drama, tragedy, and ultimate hope, commences with chapter twelve. Feel free to embark on the journey wherever your fancy dictates.

Note: All Bible verses unless otherwise indicated are quoted from the King James Version.

1

Old and New World Beginnings

‘Write a Christmas column,’ the boss told me. Okay, this is it. But it doesn’t have an ending. You, the reader, must write the last part of it. This excerpt was from a December, 1964, article printed in the Deseret News, which at the time, was a Salt Lake City evening newspaper. It contained a concise account of our journey west.

The trek itself began in November of 1964. However, to better understand it, we must go back to an earlier period of time. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1957, at Georgia Baptist Hospital. In a representation of my birth announcement, depicted below, I was encapsulated, if you will, as a sort of antibiotic; Paul-mycin, boyotic. I was my father’s fifth child, hence the Roman numeral, ‘V’; eight pounds, eight ounces. The phrases, double ended action, with a high degree of potency, is self-explanatory. It was all quite punny (it touched my punny-bone), which, when I was old enough to understand, first sparked my interest in word-play. I have been a punster, or punny-person, ever since; for which, one day, I will surely be punished. (If I had been born in England, I would have been known as a pun-gent—stinks doesn’t it? Ooh, I’m going to be punched for that one. Yeah, yeah, I know; sometimes I am truly a punk. Enough already; to get out of all of this, there are times when you simply have to sit back and just, for lack of a better word……punt.).

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As portrayed in the announcement, there are several eights associated with my birth; which to a lot of disciplines and cultures is a symbol of something good. To the Chinese, as we saw with their Olympics (which began on 8/8/08—normally the Summer Games are held in July, these were held in August to coincide with their numerical ideology), the number eight is the most fortuitous and precious of all numbers; it represents prosperity. In a cosmic sense, in the metaphysical science of numerology, the number eight is the vibration of prosperity, vastness, balance and progression. It represents wisdom symbolically revealed in the eight-pointed Christic—or Light of Wisdom—star. The number eight also has a relationship to the letter H, which is the eighth letter in the alphabet, the meaning of which is Life. Also, the name of God in Hebrew, according to an ancient numerical system, is an eight, correlated with the meaning of the letter ‘H’ as well. Because of the significance attached to it by so many different traditions, and my association with it, if ever I had a lucky number, I always considered it would be an eight.

In addition to being a punny person, the initials from my full name, Paul Ingham Lineback spell out, somewhat, the word pill; which, like the proverbial horse tablets we have heard so much about (kind of like that portrayed in the above announcement), I am sometimes hard to take. Because of this, or, in other words, to sum things up, I was destined to live a life full of sarcasm and wry observations.

You know how someone named Poindexter made no conscious decision but to grow up wearing a suit, bow tie, round glasses, and to part his hair down the middle? Well, because I was given those initials and that birth announcement, there was no choice but to grow up and become a smart-aleck. That was, in fact, one of my goals all through my formative years; to get every one of my teachers to call me just that, or words to that effect; smart-a–… smart-aleck, smarty-pants…, it was all the same to me. I am pleased to state here and now that I was pretty successful at it. Of course, I take no responsibility for it all. It wasn’t my fault; my parents were the ones who named me—not that I would completely excuse myself.

It has been said that sarcasm is the purview of a small mind; however, I wholeheartedly disagree. Sometimes sarcasm just states things in a way nothing else can (my apologies to Miss Warburton, my high school English teacher, for that last sentence).

I was also a very serious youngster, which could be because I was a Wednesday’s child, or full of woe (when that little tidbit of information was discovered my initial reaction was, I knew it! I knew it! My life to that point now made perfect sense). I sometimes felt that the weight of the world was upon me; or, at least the weight of my family.

Mother said that I was a little funny growing up; funny strange, not ha-ha. As an infant, I was told I had a rather distinctive cry. In the hospital nursery ward, she could always tell it apart from all of the other babies. With them it was wa-a-a, when I cried, it was la-a-a. So even then, I seemed to be warming up to what I like to call, my choir voice (although, some might call it a speech impediment).

Let me explain. Someone with a choir voice, is one who has a tone that blends in well with others, having excellent potential in a group setting; however, it’s not good enough to go solo. Growing up I always wanted to sing, and to sing well. I wanted to be a crooner like the great singers of the day—Tony Bennett, Robert Goulet, Perry Como, Bing and Frank—belting out those great romantic melodies. Unfortunately, I had just a mediocre voice. So, I took voice lessons. After two years, I ended up with a fairly well-trained, mediocre voice. Let’s just say that I never would have made it to Hollywood!, unless, of course, chosen for the goofball role; where, eventually, I would have been voted off due to either declining interest, or the show’s legitimate production/entertainment value.

I ultimately accepted and actually came to embrace my choir voice. It is the old Dirty Harry legacy: A man’s just got to know his own limitations. You can improve up to a point; however, in the end, you are not going to progress much beyond the talent with which you are born. But…I digress.

As the announcement indicates, my birthplace was Atlanta, Georgia, as was my father’s before me. My paternal grandfather was born in North Carolina, as was his father before him. We have a rich Southern history on both sides of the aisle. The ancestors on the Lineback side have been on American soil since around the year 1723, when the family of Johannes Leinbach, who was born March 9th, 1674, in Langenselbold, Isenberg, Hesse, Prussia, Germany, emigrated. (I can see why they moved, the address on their packages and letters were just too long; imagine having to transcribe that over and over again as a return address; with a quill writing instrument, no less. The Christmas season would have been a nightmare.)

He was the son of Johann Heinrich Leimbach (Leinbach), a linen weaver by trade, and Anna Barbara Lerch (no relation to the Addams Family butler). Johannes and his wife Anne Elisabeth Kleis, arrived in the New World along with their seven children. Johannes was a schoolmaster in music, and the senior organist at the Lutheran Church, which he had joined after first being a member of the Congregational.

The names of their children were: Johann Frederick, Johann Henry, Johanna Elisabeth, Johannes, Jun., another child named Johanna Elisabeth (after the first died two years previous), Joanna Maria, and Maria Barbara—he was the George Foreman of his generation (who similarly named all of his children after himself). The last girl, Maria, I suppose was named such because the first two Johanna Elisabeth’s died during childhood. I’m guessing they did not want to take the chance on jinxing a third. Surely by that time his wife had put her foot down. Enough with your name, already!

So, in 1723, for reasons unknown (most likely to flee religious persecution), the forty-nine year old schoolteacher packed up his family and moved to America. Johannes had seven siblings (no others named Johannes or any variation thereof); and of those, he was the only one to have ventured abroad.

They initially settled in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania (then Philadelphia County), where they purchased a two hundred and fifty acre homestead. There the family became associated with the Moravian Church, although Johannes himself remained Lutheran, where he was director of the Oley Lutheran congregational choir. His wife and most of his children joined the Moravian parish at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1742.

The Moravian Church, or Church of the Brethren, Unitas Fratrum, as they were called, though not very well known, has quite an interesting history in both the old and the new worlds; as well within the Leinbach family itself (when I have mentioned the Moravian Church to people in the past, the most common response I have received was, Huh? Some have even thought that it was an ethnic congregation.).

The Church itself was established in about the year 1457 in Bohemia (in what became known as Czechoslovakia) at the beginning of the Reformation. Bohemia is not widely known as such by present day population; however, since the mid-nineteen hundreds, during the Christmas season, we still commend in song an eleventh century Bohemian monarch, Good King Wenceslas, who was known for his virtue and work on behalf of the wretched and poor.

One of The Brethren’s early beliefs was that they took the words of the Bible to be their only source of truth; and did so about forty years before Calvin, and eighty years before Luther; and were known by the latter as the reformers before the reformation. They also translated the Bible early on in their history into their own tongue (1565), so that all who desired to know what was in that holy work could read and understand for themselves. They completely rejected the notion that the Bible was so difficult to understand that only the dominate Church of the time—more specifically, the leadership thereof—could explain it. Today, and for some time now, that has been a given; however, then, it was a novel concept.

The brethren were accused of heresy after teaching almost everyone in their community what was described as the reading arts. In everyday society of that period, very few people could read—and then only the ruling class—which amounted to about five percent of the population. In the Moravian community, on the other hand, it was difficult to find someone who could not read.

Reading brought about light and truth. If you could read for yourself the doctrines of Christ, you would not then be dependent upon priests—who were frequently corrupt in those days—to interpret The Word for you from the Greek or Latin texts; often in any way that they chose. It was therefore said by the principal power of the time, or, in other words, the Roman Catholic Church, in an effort to highlight the Moravians’ supposed blasphemy—that they were true children of the Devil—that while the Moravians lived in their communities, they could read; but when they left, even to conduct business for a day, they lost that ability.

Reading was a dangerous commodity for a citizenry to have in its possession if the desired object was control. Consequently, having a community where all could read was described and spread abroad as a form of devil worship. Imagine that! It was a not so subtle warning to an ignorant and benighted people—one that the predominant Church of the day wanted to keep under its thumb—to steer clear of Moravian society.

When the Moravian Church was originally founded, they formed a community where they could live in a pure fashion; following Christ and Him only. He alone was to be honored as their King; His laws would be their laws. From the outset, citing scriptural justification, they knew the value of separating themselves from the world, or from Babylon as they called it, to form a community in which they could all be of one heart and of one mind. A Zion society, as it were.

Being a people of deep religious experience, it was their sole intent to throw off the corruption of the government-run Church—often at their own peril—which enforced mingling of church and state in their view brought about much of the corruption thereof. At this early date, before these concepts were even conceived or codified by the populace, they already believed in American ideals, and in the principles of the restored gospel. It is one of the reasons that the Latter-day Saint missionaries of the 1840’s were so successful among them; their ministers and members alike.

The object of The Brethren’s church was to establish again the true primitive church of the apostles. They were not driven from the Roman Church, like it was spread abroad by the officials thereof, as a warning to others not to follow their so-called pernicious path; they left of their own free will and choice. They decried such doctrines as transubstantiation, where the sacrament was said to be literally transformed into the body and blood of Christ, when the Bible clearly showed that it was to be done solely in remembrance of Him.

The Moravians criticized the teaching of the indulgences, where, instead of repentance, for a predetermined fee, sin could be wiped away, and you could start all over again with a clean slate (which was done chiefly to help finance wars in order to force others to accept their dogmas); when again, it was evident from the Bible that fruits, or works worthy of repentance, must be brought forth to outwardly demonstrate a change of heart. And then, after they were forgiven, they were to try and keep themselves free from sin, following Christ’s admonition to go and sin no more.

They also shunned the worshipping of Mary and of the saints, their images and likenesses; the adoration of pictures, and of the host, prayers to the saints, and the use of priests to provide contact with God for the community of believers. Every man, they claimed, had equal