{"chapter_no":"4","chapter_title":"Mother's Piano","book_id":"2","book_name":"The Story of James","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"225","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":2,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 4<\/p>

Mother's Piano<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

Sarah Francis is<\/i> a single mother with three young children living in Clearfield<\/i>—In the aftermath
of a divorce, she finds a new apartment for her family in North Ogden—T<\/i>he family piano <\/i>brings
happiness to her<\/i> small<\/i> family<\/i>—<\/i>As they begin their new life<\/i>, they put <\/i>themselves into<\/i> the hands of the
Lord<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

In 1977 the city of Clearfield had just completed its first full century of existence. It grew
especially fast during the 1940s as military installations were established, and grew still more in
later decades as suburbs grew in popularity throughout Utah and the nation. Sarah Francis, age
twenty-eight, born and raised in Clearfield, had been part of that growth, but her situation in life
had just recently changed. She was a single mother now with three children and a diminished
income. She did well, however, with the little money she did have, always able to handle the
essential needs of the family and sometimes even have a little left over to do fun things with the
children.<\/p>

 <\/p>

In recent weeks, she had been looking for a new place, preferably a modern apartment in
a safe neighborhood. After searching the Ogden area for a while, she discovered a nice three-
bedroom apartment in the North Ogden 3rd Ward. In a brief \"this is the place\" moment, she put
down a deposit with the landlord and made preparations to move. <\/p>

 <\/p>

She handled much of the move alone, driving back and forth across town in her car,
shuttling things around in boxes she had packed with help from the children. An independent-
minded person, she often kept to herself in personal matters—which in her mind included the
moving of furniture and personal belongings. Sarah was well-organized and took pride in
everything she did, and she flawlessly executed this “moving project” of hers. Within a week, the
move to the new apartment was mostly completed.<\/p>

 <\/p>

There were a few items, however, that she couldn’t move by herself, the most important
of which was her mother’s piano. It had been her intention to use some of the family's savings to
hire a professional mover for the piano, but she had been talked out of the idea at the last
moment by a close friend of hers who lived in the new ward. \"Save your money. The elders
quorum in our ward can help you with that,\" she was told. <\/p>

 <\/p>

A gift from her mother on her wedding day, the piano was something of an antique. An
upright style built around the turn of the century, it had elegantly carved legs and moldings. In
recent years, the piano had undergone a restoration process, giving it a historically-accurate oak <\/p>

finish. Sarah was therefore very proud of the piano, it being one of the few things of monetary
value that she actually possessed in the world. It had always been a source of happiness for the
family, a support to them in the daily challenges of life. The playing of music, singing, and the
fun activities using the piano brought joy into the house on sad days. It was a shelter from the
outside world, a refuge from the lingering pains of a broken marriage, a fireside-like setting in
which all could gather around to find warmth and peace in the gospel. The piano, thus, was
priceless to Sarah’s family.<\/p>

 <\/p>

On the last day of the move, the rooms were empty and the walls bare; only the piano
remained, along with those few other items that needed to go last. Looking around the empty
house, Sarah thought of all the memories.<\/p>

 <\/p>

Eight years! <\/i>A big part of our lives has been <\/i>spent here<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

Where has all the time gone?<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

Kneeling together with her young girls, Melanie, Tina, and Shawna, she decided to have
one last family prayer in the old house. A new life awaited them in their new ward. They needed
to put their lives in the hands of the Lord and trust in Him<\/span>. <\/p>"}