Lawrence R Flake 1979-1982

I wrote President and Sister Flake. I asked them for an update letter from them. They were very excited to contribute to the page, here is their letter written in September 2003:

September 2003

Dear Missionaries of Zion:

We are delighted to learn of this web site for the great Missouri Independent Mission and commend those responsible for it and those who have and will contribute to its success. The web master, Elder Jerry Cox, has asked us to write an update on the Flake family. We’re happy to do so and we’re always pleased when we get updates on your lives. It seems that everywhere we go in the Church, mostly on Know Your Religion speaking assignments; we find our valiant former missionaries and their growing families. What a thrill to see the significant things you are doing in your lives. The only down side is that you sometimes make us feel like we’re getting old. Some of you have missionary sons and daughters! They are the same age you were when we first met you and labored with you in the “Land of Zion.” Has anyone had a child called to the Independence or the Omaha mission yet? The youngest of our six sons just returned from his mission one year ago. Our daughters Lorraine (Rainey) and Melinda (Mindy) both married wonderful returned missionaries and are busily engaged in raising remarkable grandchildren for us.

You may recall that our last three boys were born during the three calendar years of our mission. Jordan was born just after we received our call in 1979, and Tyler and Troy were born in ‘80 and ‘81 in the RLDS hospital in Independence. I believe the Johnsons and the Doxeys before us also had babies there. When I brought Sister Flake home after Troy was born, the nurses said, “Goodbye Mrs. Flake. See you again next year.” You may remember Tyler and Troy our “born missionaries” were blessed in zone conferences.

At the risk of sounding like a Christmas letter, here’s a rundown on our tribe:

1) Read served in the Kentucky Louisville Mission, got an MBA from Northwest University, and is an administrator for Continental Airlines in Houston. He married VaNae Beeston from Orem, Utah, a returned missionary from Korea Seoul Mission and an RN. They have four children.

2) Cannon served in the Spain Bilbao Mission and married Amanda Waterman from Snowflake, Arizona. She knows more Flakes than we do! He just finished an MBA from Oxford University in England. They have two children and another one on the way. Amanda graduated from BYU in elementary education.

3) Lorraine (Rainey) graduated in English from BYU and married David Windsor from Mesa, Arizona. He served his mission in Italy Catania, and is presently an employee of Knolls Nuclear Laboratories in Blackfoot, ID. They lived in New York for several years, but were happy to get back out west. They have three children and will have their fourth in December.

4) Melinda (Mindy) also graduated from BYU in English and married Marc McLaughlin from Bethany Beach, Delaware. He served in the Holland Amsterdam Mission and is now working on a Ph.D. in psychology at Miami University located in Oxford, Ohio. They have two little girls and are expecting in April.

5) Adam served in the Poland Warsaw Mission and married Sarah Benac from Dallas, Texas. He has been attending the University of Michigan law school and will graduate from there in December. They are presently living in Provo while he is a guest student for one semester at BYU law school. Sarah has already graduated in Sociology from BYU.

6) Jordan served in the Bolivia Cochabamba Mission and married Emily Camp from Las Vegas. He is teaching seminary part time at American Fork High School while Emily completes her degree in Early Childhood Education from BYU.

7) Tyler served in the Brazil Belem Mission and is still an undergraduate at BYU in the Business school. He works at the MTC

8) Troy served in the Australia Brisbane Mission and is also working on his BYU degree in political science.

When we left the mission field in July of 1982, we moved to Missoula in western Montana where I was the director of the Institute of Religion at the University of Montana. We lived on a beautiful ranch in a tiny mountain town. I served as the branch president until I was called as Regional Representative. I greatly enjoyed having conference assignments with the General Authorities and working with the great leaders and Saints in 17 stakes of the Northern Plains Area. Those years were a golden period in our lives with all eight of our children growing up in an ideal setting.

When they began migrating to BYU, we could see that if we were to continue to be involved in their lives, we’d have to go to where they were—“The Crossroads of the West.” Fortunately, I was invited to teach in the BYU religion department. The Lord blessed us with another beautiful ranch in Hobble Creek Canyon above Springville. We have 50 acres, horses, and abundant wildlife—deer, elk, moose, cougars, and even a bear this past spring. Best of all, our children and grand kids are nearby or can visit often. A great blessing of having Read work for the airline is that we can fly for almost nothing. We have taken full advantage of this perk—visiting Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the states extensively.

I love my assignment at BYU teaching in the Department of Church History and Doctrine.I particularly enjoy teaching the Sharing the Gospel/Missionary Preparation Class. I’ve seen thousands of choice young people receive their calls to missions all over the world. The ones that go to Missouri Independence Mission get an automatic A grade.

The other class I love to teach is called “Introduction to Mormonism.” It is for non-Latter-day Saint BYU students and is designed to help them adjust to life among the Mormons and to compete for grades with seminary graduates and returned missionaries in their other six required religion classes. They are truly remarkable young people from all over the world, who, even though they don’t know it yet, have been brought by the hand of the Lord to BYU. When they return to their homes, even if they have not become members of the Church, they are ambassadors for the kingdom for the rest of their lives wherever they go. It is such a joy to see them learn the gospel and often become members. As they learn to speak “Mormoneze,” they make some innocent errors, which amuse me, such as when I asked a young lady from Japan, “Where did Jesus suffer for the sins of the world?” She responded, “In the Garden of Yosemite.” On a quiz I asked, “Where did the Prophet Joseph Smith plan to build the City of Zion?” A boy from Pakistan answered, “Jackson Hole, Missouri.” When I asked what the Mormon health code is called, a young man from Norway, not able to think of “The Word of Wisdom,” called it “The Doctrine of Wellness.” I like that just as well! A girl from Bulgaria couldn’t remember all of the name “Urim and Thummim,” so she called it the “Urim and Somethin’.” When I asked what priesthood the young boys in the Church hold, a young lady from China responded, “The Moronic Priesthood.” What fun.

In addition to raising our children and helping with the grandchildren (soon to number fourteen), Sister Flake taught part time in the Religion Department for seven years. We even team taught an Old Testament and a New Testament course in preparation for a unforgettable experience our family enjoyed when we were assigned to the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies (the BYU center) during the winter and spring of 1999. That adventure was life changing. What a blessing to get to live and serve in the location of both the Old and the New Jerusalem.

Having graciously assisted me in writing five books over the past 30 years, Sister Flake finally got to write her own book (with minimal help or interference from me). It’s called “Your Family Reunion: A Complete Guide to Getting Together your Get-Together.” I think it’s a real contribution toward building strong families in the kingdom.

Like you, we consider it a monumental blessing in our life to have been called to labor in the Land of Zion. When we reflect on the three levels of history associated with our great mission area, our hearts are lifted and inspired—first, the time of Father Adam and his early descendants; second, the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the noble Saints who lived there; and third, the years we served with you in that sacred land. Let us never take for granted that great privilege and honor. We hope you will take advantage of this web site to let us and your fellow missionaries know about your life. It is a joy to hear from many of you at Christmastime and to see others of you as we travel around. May you receive the rich blessings of the Lord as you raise your valiant families and pursue a celestial course in your life. We have great love for you.

Very sincerely,

“President” and Sister Flake

Webmaster Note:

I served under President Flake 1979-1981. I did not appreciate his knowledge and appreciation for Church History until after my mission. Along with great motivational Zone Conferences, many times he spoke about Church history as it related to our great mission. President Flake could not have said it better; it truly was a great Honor to serve in the land of Zion.

Elder Jerry Cox