Chapter 43

Making the Little Things Nice

Everyday events in the Hancock home are enhanced by the Spirit—Christmastime in the Book of
Mormon—James admires Nephi, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, and the great signs and wonders
witnessed during his era—James pursues excellence in gospel living and has a great impact on his ward.

In the months that followed the relaunch of his “fifty-year project,” remarkable things
began to happen in the lives of James and his family.

The atmosphere inside their home was quickened by the Spirit, calming angry emotions
when needed and enhancing the happy ones. Whispers and kind gestures were used more often to
communicate with one another—as they awoke first thing in the morning and late at night as
they went to sleep. Thus, their home was often filled with smiles, friendly grins, and quiet
laughter rather than a lot of unnecessary noise.

All the fruits of the Spirit, bountifully available, became more commonplace among
them: feelings of joy in their hearts, burnings in their bosoms, great wisdom and knowledge
filling their minds. Family-level revelations poured down upon them from heaven through
dreams and visions, through whisperings of the Spirit, through their ponderings of the scriptures,
and through family and personal prayers. Thus, their home was filled with the light and truth of
the Holy Ghost.

Music they listened to seemed more beautiful than ever—gospel-oriented music, classical
music, and even familiar pop music that they liked. Their sense of hearing and enjoyment of the
arts was enhanced by the Spirit. Thus, their home was often filled with the sound of beautiful
music.

Food they ate at home or enjoyed at local restaurants was almost always delicious, their
senses of taste and smell also being enhanced by the Spirit. Eating meals together was something
all looked forward to. Thus, their home was often filled with the smell of wonderfully-prepared
food and good times at the dinner table.

Relationships James had with customers at work seemed stronger than ever, and there
was even modest growth occurring in the company’s sales numbers from year to year. This
provided enough money to take care of the needs of the family as well as to allow them to help
others less fortunate. James and Beth did a constant review of their material possessions—what
they should keep for themselves, what they should acquire, and what they should share with the

needy in the ward, as well as that which they could give to the needy throughout the world
through the Church welfare programs and other worthwhile charities. Thus, their home was filled
with the desire to consecrate the family’s time, talents, and wealth to the building up of the
kingdom of God.

They experienced many of the normal trials of life: sicknesses, diseases, disappointments,
small fights between them, the pressure of busy schedules, and so forth. With insight from the
Spirit, however, they found ways to work through all of these problems together. In the case of
James and his foot, no miracle had been forthcoming. It continued to be a source of frustration to
him, requiring that he carefully plan out each day's activities and how much walking he could do.
He disliked doing his physical therapy exercises—not always seeing the benefit from the amount
of effort involved—but he continued to do them nonetheless. And while the progress seemed
slow to him, the overall condition of his foot had improved greatly in the years since his
accident.

The Spirit’s influence was present in almost everything they did individually and as a
family, making even the little everyday things of life nice. Playing games together was more
enjoyable for them than it had been in the past; carefully selected TV programs and movies were
more fun to watch; visits made to both of their extended families were something they looked
forward to more and planned out better. Beth became more comfortable and relaxed doing her
housework, although we must admit the new kitchen had something to do with that!

In her calling as a child of the family, Maria enjoyed playing with her dolls and other toys
more than ever, getting lost for long stretches in a dream world of her own making, and thus,
developing her mind in the process. Jason, having observed the construction work of his father at
various times, started projects of his own in the dirt outside the home using a small dump truck
and other miniature vehicles and toys. He enjoyed the time he spent outside playing during the
afternoons, but like James, was eager to come inside for dinner when the food was ready.

Going to church became more of an opportunity to learn the gospel and be around friends
rather than a stressful Sunday-morning errand where one rushes out the door and struggles to be
on time. The time spent in temple sessions seemed to pass quickly, increasing their desire to
attend there more often and to stay longer, whether that was in the temple inside or on the
beautiful grounds outside.

There seemed to be more time every day to do things. Life had slowed down somewhat,
like it was moving in slow motion. James recalled that, when he played that special game at the
basketball camp and was lifted by the Spirit, the pace of the game seemed to slow down such
that everything became easier for him to see and manage. The opposing team players became a
step slower, and he a step faster; the basket seemed larger and too big to miss; and the shots he
attempted just seemed to go in. This was what the family was experiencing now.

The Spirit shielded them not only at home, but everywhere they went as they performed
their daily tasks. All around them, there were great commotions and disturbances in the world:
wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, floods, storms, political scandals, petty crimes and heinous
crimes being committed, and great suffering among the populations of the earth. But the light of

the gospel provided them with peace and protection, allowing them to coexist with the world and
still raise their family in the gospel.

In his reading of the scriptures, James always enjoyed the story of Nephi, son of Nephi,
from the Book of Mormon. The story gave an account of Nephi and his ministry after taking
possession of the plates. His father had departed out of the land and where he went no man knew.
There were many great signs and wonders seen in the heavens during this era. It was
Christmastime in the Book of Mormon.

In his reading, James sensed the excitement in the heart of Jehovah as the time for His
coming into the world had come:

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night
shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I
will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the
children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of
the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is
at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.

Nephi went about the work of the Lord at this important time, teaching and preaching the
gospel. Great miracles were wrought by him, including the raising of his brother from the dead.
He witnessed and recorded some of the greatest events in the history of the world, including the
Savior’s descent from the heavens to minister to the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.

James greatly admired Nephi and his father, and he had a deep sense of gratitude for all
of the wonderful blessings that were poured out upon the people on the day of the Lord’s
coming. He savored these passages of scriptures, which caused him to look inward––to apply
lessons learned from the examples of these great men, and even more so, to apply lessons learned
from the example of Jesus Christ Himself.

On occasion, questions such as these passed through his mind:

Who am I?

What is my place in history?

Is it possible for me to accomplish great works like those done by these men found in the
scriptures?

But James already knew who he was. He was James Hancock, a young married man of
the Church living in North Ogden. He was a simple man, having neither a famous last name nor
a great social standing in the Church or community. Nevertheless, he had much to offer to the
Church and to the world. Since his teenage years, he had grown powerful in his testimony of
Jesus Christ and in his knowledge of the gospel, drinking deeply in the truths that had been made

known to him. He had come to recognize the marvelous power instilled within each member of
the Church, and within each leader of the Church, to do good, to establish peace, and to assist in
bringing the fulness of the gospel into the world. Thus, he became great in the eyes of God.

One Sunday evening, following a wonderful dinner cooked up on the stove by Beth,
James went into his office where he could be alone to study and ponder the scriptures. There, he
came across the story of King Benjamin and the great outpouring of joy in the Spirit that
occurred among his people.

Uplifted by what he read, James felt an urge to pray. Kneeling down beside his bed, he
offered up his prayer, saying these words:

“Our Father in Heaven,

“I am so grateful for all the blessings Thou has given us...”

Almost immediately, James stopped his prayer mid-sentence. The words had hardly left
his mind when, after hearing them, he thought they sounded lukewarm and lifeless, having
nothing at all in common with the feelings and prayers of those he had just been reading. His was
a template-like prayer, lacking passion and feeling. He realized he needed to start over and try
once more.

Before he could begin again, there was a soft knock at the door. Getting to his feet he
went to answer it. Opening it, he saw little Maria scurrying back into the family room, giggling
as she went. Racing after her, he picked her up, smiled, and gave her a warm hug. Looking
around the room, he could see everyone was gathered together there ready to watch a movie, one
with a gospel theme appropriate for a Sunday. The family had been waiting for him, wondering
why he wasn’t there already. Maria’s summoning action was a subtle pull on his heartstrings to
bring him out of his office to join with them. It was a pulling action of love; his presence was
needed to complete the family event.

James saw a spot open for him on the couch next to Beth. He moved over there and sat
down. Maria and Jason then closed ranks at their feet. The movie could begin.

Later that night, after putting the children to bed, James returned to his bedroom. This
time, however, he felt more complete inside. The movie had been uplifting, as had the time spent
with the family. Kneeling down again at the side of his bed, his heart had been quickened by the
Spirit and he was better prepared to offer up his heart in Sabbath-day prayer. His words now
seemed to have greater power, extending beyond the walls of the house and reaching high into
the heavens.

“Our Father in Heaven,

“I am SO grateful to be a member of this wonderful Church!

“I have no other desires in life than to consecrate myself fully to Thee and to this great
work. This is what I want to do, and this is what Beth wants to do.

“I love Thee. I love my family. I love the earth and all the beautiful animals and plants
that are upon it.

"I love the scriptures. I love the magnificent temples that Thou has caused to be built
throughout the world. I love the Church meetinghouses, the doctrine of the Church, the
commandments, and the blessings of eternal life Thou has prepared for us if we are faithful. I
love everything about Thy gospel and Thy work on this earth!

“I’m very grateful for the leaders of Thy Church, past and present, and all they do for us
every day. I delight in the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets. Thou knowest that I
believe all Thy words.

“I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

The Sabbath day was concluded.

James continued in his calling as the elders quorum president, performing the duties he
was called to do and always striving to do them well. He focused first on the temporal needs of
the quorum members to see what was possible to do to help them, and then afterward turned his
attention to their spiritual needs. He supervised the quorum closely every day. He counseled, he
visited, he taught lessons, he preached the gospel, he bore testimony, he did service projects, he
gave blessings, he fasted and prayed, and in all of these things he worked through the
organization of the Church, for he loved the Church and saw no need to work around it in any
way. It was all right there; the Church had everything he needed. The establishment of Zion in
the ward didn’t require him to pursue some other path in life that deviated in any way from the
mainstream of the Church.

Talking weekly with the bishop, he often had opportunity to share his dreams and long-
term goals for the ward. The bishop, a man named Greg Anderson, a longtime member of the
ward, and who had succeeded Bishop Tyler in that calling, knew James from his childhood. He
depended upon James greatly every day to help him manage the ward; the two of them were
friends and worked very closely together. On one occasion, Bishop Anderson and one of his
counselors decided to give James a special blessing in relation to his calling as elders quorum
president, asking that an extra measure of the Spirit go with him in the special work he had
undertaken for the benefit of the ward.

It was also about this time that James came to an arrangement with his father in the
business to have an adjusted work schedule. He asked if he could start leaving work an hour
early every day so he could use the extra time for gospel-related tasks––Zion building tasks. This
was not unlike what he had done before at age seventeen when he reallocated time from
basketball training to work in the ward. The difference here was that only a few hours every
week would be involved at first. His earnings from customer projects would be reduced a little
by such a change, but the two of them were able to arrange things in such a way that it didn’t

impact the business or their customers. Ashley, in complying with the request, watched his son’s
efforts with interest, gladdened to see he had not lost his enthusiasm one whit from his younger
days.

Initially, it was only these extra hours a week, plus a little more on Saturdays, that James
was able to make use of for his project. But little by little over the next decade, he was able to
increase this time and have a larger impact on the ward. During this period, he was also called,
like his father before him, to serve as bishop in the ward.

With the extra time each week, James got to know many more people in the ward better,
inviting them over as individuals or couples to dinner and, in return, sometimes he and Beth were
invited for get-togethers at their homes. He––and the priesthood companions he brought with
him––got pretty good at doing home repairs (or arranging for skilled contractors when tasks were
more difficult or specialized) for elderly members, single mothers, or persons with limited
income needing help. This generous, timely assistance was always appreciated. Taking note of
common interests, he also worked at building friendships between many of those he visited. But
more than anything, the extra things he did in the ward every day were just those things one
might normally expect to be done by a good friend or neighbor.

He served them by taking a genuine interest in their lives.

He served them by being easily accessible to them.

He served them by showing forth the love he had for them as he assisted them in small
chores in their homes or yards; for surely, James enjoyed being around them.

He served them by being a light on a hill, out walking in the streets of the ward every
day, visible as their leader.

Through his efforts, many in the area came to see the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints more clearly as a force for good. The Church was not just an attractive landmark
meetinghouse in the neighborhood that became suddenly active on Sundays. It was a Church
filled with people who wanted to do good things in the world for others.

As he visited those who were not members, or those who were not active in the Church, it
was, as stated above, more an opportunity to spend time with them and to learn about their lives
and challenges. Nothing of the gospel was forced upon them by him, but nothing was withheld
either. He was always willing to share his feelings and testimony at the drop of a hat when an
opportunity presented itself. He was not there as a political candidate running for office, needing
their vote, and all the time looking beyond them, with ambition, towards something else on the
horizon. The people could sense he was going to be there for the long term, helping them and
spending time with them because he wanted to. The tasks in the gospel he did were not of
himself. They were done as one having the power and authority of the priesthood, and in the
strength of the Lord. In his service, he brought along the same strong spirit that he and Beth had
nurtured in their home.

The amount of time James spent at work in the ward, in activities, and at home was
something he and Beth reviewed regularly together and adjusted as needs changed. It was very
much like the review they did of worldly possessions––what they should keep for themselves,
what they should acquire, and what they should share with others.

And as far as their time went, theirs was a fifty-year project anyway, so there was no
need to hurry. Time was plentiful. The slowdown and peacefulness inherent in their lifestyle
made it possible for them to get a lot done every day, and each day was like any other.

Many nonmembers in the ward, being somewhat unfamiliar with the Church and its
teachings, were often curious as to why James was willing to do so much for them and others.
Presented with this question on one occasion, James responded, “A long time ago, Beth and I
decided we wanted to live out our lives here in North Ogden and help improve our neighborhood
and the local congregation of our Church. You may know of retired couples who travel overseas
to help people improve their communities. That’s essentially what we've been doing here in our
own community. This was something we wanted to start early in life, rather than wait until we
retired. But it’s also something that, in the long run, we feel may directly benefit us and our
family the most.”