Chapter 25

The Garden Swing

Mark Chandler is president of the Springville East Stake—His experiences mirror those of Bishop
Charles Myriel of the classic book Les Miserables—He and his wife Kathleen enjoy a wonderful life
together.

At the corner of 1100 East and 250 North in the city of Springville, Utah, there was an
older, rambler-style house well known to everyone in the neighborhood. In the backyard, a series
of small outdoor lanterns were positioned every so often to encircle the patio and walkways. At
dusk, these small lights transformed the garden area into a paradise of sorts. Brother Mark
Chandler, president of the Springville East Stake, and his wife Kathleen, often sat there on a
patio swing looking up at the stars at night. The gospel was the foundation of their life together,
but the wonderful evening meals, and the time spent on the swing by the garden, made their lives
sweet.

As they rocked, Kathleen squeezed Mark’s hand. Of the characteristics she admired in
Mark, it was his smile she loved most. It was rare for him to become angry. He was polite to
everyone and was very happy in life. Happiness is a result of many things: self-control, inner
peace, desire for life, humility, love of God and man, and obedience to a higher power. Mark
possessed all of these qualities.

Kathleen glanced towards the house. “Should we head in? What time is it?” she asked.

“About nine o’clock,” replied Mark, checking his watch.

They arose from the swing and walked towards the house. Once inside, Kathleen headed
to the kitchen, and Mark to his study.

A converted bedroom once belonging to his oldest boy Jeff, the study was an excellent
place for Mark to read the scriptures before bed. A fine habit of his, the study of scriptures was
something he had started at a young age. But this was true of all Mark’s goals in life––they were
started at a young age with the gospel and church in mind. Through a lifetime of good works, his
testimony of Jesus Christ had become powerful, and when he sat down to read the scriptures at
night, he did so as a man of God. Therefore, these were not nights of passive reading by someone
only vaguely interested in the material. He opened the books soberly, and searched them
carefully, like Lehi taking possession of the brass plates for the first time. Before him were the
teachings of Christ, the testimonies of prophets, the visions of seers, the histories of great

civilizations, and the words of eternal life. As he read, the words leaped off the pages at him and
took hold of his emotions.

Besides the books of scripture that sat prominently, and almost alone, on top of his desk,
a visitor to his study might have taken note of other fine books lining his bookshelves. Many of
these books he had already taken in hand to read over the years, but not all; there were still many
he could look forward to and enjoy in the future. But isn’t this true of all of us? Reading a book
is like traveling the world. We encounter local customs and cultures, cities and towns, interesting
people, the beauty of nature and the varieties of animals and species; and along the way, we
discover pathways to the treasures of the earth. We often only scratch the surface when traveling
to different places, as there is always so much we didn’t have time for. The same is true of
books. But a good book can do more than just take us on a journey. It can impart knowledge and
wisdom, teach us the important lessons of life, and provide valuable substance to fill our hearts
and minds.

Such were the warm feelings Mark had for his personal library. But while he did enjoy a
good book now and then, and also the opportunity to travel whenever possible, his main joy in
life came from reading the scriptures, spending time with his family, serving in the Church, and
growing in his knowledge and testimony of God.

A favorite book of his that sat on the shelf, one that he had read twice already, was the
classic nineteenth-century novel Les Miserables. More references to this fine book will come in
the chapters that follow, and we will be well-served in making a reference to it now.

Passages in the book describe an upright man: Charles Myriel, the Bishop of D–––. Like
the good bishop, Mark found fulfillment in the care and maintenance of his garden. He spent
time there almost every day in the spring and summer seasons of the year. It was a place he could
go to relax after work while Kathleen prepared dinner. The garden was fairly large, containing
five sections of corn, three of peas, two rows each of carrots and cucumbers, a single row of
tomatoes, and numerous patches of strawberries—homemade strawberry ice cream made from
these being a family favorite. There was also an assortment of fifteen fruit trees in a small
orchard behind the garden. These he would water, prune, and harvest in their season. Flowers
were also plentiful in the front and back yards, the majority of which ran parallel to the patio and
bushes next to the house. The grand moments of life he experienced in his garden mirrored those
of Bishop Myriel:

He thought of the grandeur and presence of God; of the future eternity, that strange
mystery; of the eternity past, a mystery still more strange; of all the infinities, which pierced their
way into all his senses, beneath his eyes; and, without seeking to comprehend the
incomprehensible, he gazed upon it.

He did not study God; he was dazzled by him.

One day he sprained his ankle in his effort to avoid stepping on an ant. Thus lived this
just man. Sometimes he fell asleep in his garden, and then there was nothing more venerable
possible.

He seated himself on a wooden bench, with his back against a decrepit vine; he gazed at
the stars, past the puny and stunted silhouettes of his fruit-trees. This quarter of an acre, so
poorly planted, so encumbered with mean buildings and sheds, was dear to him, and satisfied his
wants.

What more was needed by this old man, who divided the leisure of his life, where there
was so little leisure, between gardening in the daytime and contemplation at night? Was not this
narrow enclosure, with the heavens for a ceiling, sufficient to enable him to adore God in his
most divine works, in turn? Does not this comprehend all, in fact? and what is there left to desire
beyond it? A little garden in which to walk, and immensity in which to dream. At one's feet that
which can be cultivated and plucked; over head that which one can study and meditate upon:
some flowers on earth, and all the stars in the sky.

Mark had long since made the decision in his life to choose the right, remembering
always the gospel instruction he had received from his parents as a child. He was not wealthy,
but his mind was filled with riches. He was not the most educated, the most articulate, nor the
most accomplished in terms of career, but he was wise and humble before God.