Cleon Skousen
Tracy Lee • March 26, 2020
Have you ever met someone who has changed your life? When I was a very young girl, my father was self-employed. I would spend countless hours with my dad because I loved him so dearly. After school, I would ask my mother if she needed to go to his office for anything and if she did, I would ask to tag along. I loved going to my dad’s office.
If my dad were busy and needed to go out to the job sites, I would go with him. If we remained in the office, we would have meaningful talks while he poured over his drawings and plans. My dad would give me books to read, and if he were busy with clients, I might chat with his secretary.
The books he gave me to read were amazing books. They were usually from a convention he had attended about better organizing your business, growing your business, or improving yourself as a person. I enjoyed the books and read them diligently because my dad loved me enough to share them with me.
There were three authors in particular that my dad favored, and they, along with my dad; contributed greatly to the person I am today. The person on my mind this morning is Cleon Skousen. As a young woman, I did not realize how my young mind was being sculpted through his writings, but I read his books and actively applied his theories and techniques into my life.
After my husband had retired from the military, we moved our young family to another state. My husband began his career as a professional speaker and was engaged as a surrogate speaker for a tenured politician. There was a particular holiday in this state, and we were invited to an exclusive book signing for this politician. It was an amazing evening. Everyone who was anyone within the state, was in attendance. As I was walking around the room, a very kind gentleman approached me and asked me if I had tried the lemon bars? “Have you tried the lemon bars?” he asked. I replied that I had not. “Oh, try them, they’re divine.”
Well, with an invitation like that, I immediately went over and selected a lemon bar. He was right. They were tart and had just a perfect sprinkle of sugar on top. As I sat at my table savoring the wonderful lemon bar, this gentleman came over and sat beside me. “I see you took my advice. How do you like them?” he asked. “Oh, the lemon bars are indeed divine,” I replied. He grinned from ear to ear and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Cleon Skousen.” I almost fell out of my chair. I extended my hand to him and introduced myself. I was so honored to meet a man who had contributed so much to who I was in life. We sat and talked with each other for quite some time before the evening came to an end.
As my children grew, I found that I was not satisfied with their education and began seeking out an alternative. Fortunately, there was a private school available near our home that seemed to fit very well into my criteria for their education. I enrolled my girls and was astounded when their books came home, as the curriculum had been written by none other than Cleon Skousen.
My girls flourished in this school and graduated with an education that the public school system would never have delivered. Mr. Skousen again influenced my life through the lives of my darling girls. Yet, he was not finished.
I became very involved with politics over the next few years and again, found that Cleon Skousen had played a mighty hand in inspiring my core political values. He had a brilliant mind and had been generous enough to share it through his writings.
In 2006, Mr. Skousen passed away. I read his obit this morning. He was perfectly described, “W. Cleon Skousen 1913 ~ 2006 W. Cleon Skousen, prolific supporter of God, family and country, peacefully passed away at his Salt Lake City home on January 9, 2006, of natural causes incident to age, just 11 days shy of his 93rd birthday.” Had I written his obit, I would have added, “He will forever be remembered by those who not only knew him, but by those who read his marvelous works and grew from his wondrous knowledge.”
Have you ever met someone who has changed your life? I have, and his gift of knowledge flows deeply through my soul and through the minds of my family. “Thank you, Mr. Skousen, for your gifts and inspiration in our lives.”
The past two weeks have been difficult for me. I have suffered the loss of a dear friend and have served families that have suffered great losses. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unwarranted loss, stress, and heartache to so many people this year. Not only have we lost loved ones, but we have lost our economy, our comfort, and our security as Americans. Everywhere I look, it seems that people are rude and uncaring toward each other when what we need is love. I wish we could be kind to each other, considerate to each other, and help each other through our difficulties rather than burning cities, burning businesses, and tearing apart what makes up great, our Union. Americans are the most blessed people in the world. We live in a time of convenience and wealth. Why is it then that we can’t add kindness and respect to our society? Why must there be murders and brutal attacks on innocent people walking down the street? I work with families every day who would give all that they have for just one more moment with their loved one to say, “I’m sorry” or “I love you.” Time is so precious, but even more precious is the way that we treat others. For if we treat others with contempt, we will reap the bitter reward of hatred. Hate eats a person from the inside out, and no matter how hard a hateful person tries to find happiness, it will never come to them. I know this because I see it every day. A hateful heart has no room for happiness. Happiness only comes to those who love. Love is like light. Light is the only thing that is stronger than the dark. If you have a completely dark room and you strike a match, the light from that match will push the darkness away and light up the room. Conversely, if you have a room filled with light and you cup your hands to create a spot of darkness. As soon as you open your hands, the dark is gone. Light overpowers it just as love overpowers hate. Love is the only thing that is stronger than hate. If you strike an ember of love in the heart of someone full of hate, love will grow and overtake their hatred. In my profession, love is very important. I see all too often those who have pushed love aside thinking that they were winning an argument or for some other ridiculous reason. What I see when this happens is that at the end of life, those who were foolish and let hatred get the best of them suffer the most. They remain miserable for the rest of their lives. Don’t be one of these people. Don’t let hatred get the best of you. And most assuredly, let us not allow hatred to overtake our country. I don’t want to live in a world filled with hatred and discontent. I want happiness and love for all. I especially want love in your life when you suffer loss because believe me, when the grim reaper knocks, it’s too late to cry for one more moment to say, “I’m sorry” or “I love you.” At that moment, the weight of hatred crushes every hope you ever had to make amends, to accomplish happiness, or to right any wrong you may have perpetrated. It’s too late and you are the person who will suffer the consequences of your vicious actions. You are the person who will have no friends, no love, and who will die alone; miserable because of your hatred and terrible deeds. I know because I see it in so many people who thought they could just make a statement, a judgment, or an action and not suffer the consequences. In the end, it’s the hateful people who suffer the consequences. They die alone without love or support. Their needs are not met and they writhe in misery. I lost a dear friend this past week. He was kind, loving, and good. He made the world a better place, and he made my life happier through his actions of kindness toward me. I wish everyone alive could have known my friend. Christ died to make man holy, and my friend John took up his offer. John was a holy man. He lived his life serving others, teaching others, and helping anyone who needed help. He was filled with love and he shared his love with those who needed it. If we could all be like John, the world would be an amazingly happy and beautiful place. John is gone and I feel the weight of his loss deeply in my soul. He leaves a legacy of service to our nation, service to Christ, and service to anyone who needed it. He was a good man, a great man, and now he is gone. I will have the honor of directing his memorial service in a few days. The church will be bursting as those who John served make their way there to express their sorrow and love for him. I will be one of those people. John’s legacy will continue in his absence because he ignited goodness, love, and service in the hearts of those about him. May we all understand and embrace John’s mission in life to serve and love our fellow beings. Doing so will bring us the greatest rewards. It will fill our lives with the greatest gifts on earth; joy, happiness, and love. This is my prayer for you, for our nation, and for the world during this time of uncertainty and discontent. Thank you, John, for being my friend, and my God bless you as you arrive home, never to suffer more, the pains of the world nor heartaches of men. Godspeed.
I received a first call late last night and was therefore at the hospital when I ran into an acquaintance of mine. As we spoke, she told me that her father had recently died. She began to cry and I offered to send over a set of my grief books (Mourning Light I, II, & III) to her office the following morning. I wrote her a sympathy card and delivered the books about 15 minutes ago. She had not yet arrived at her office, so I left the books and card with her secretary. The following is the note I wrote in the sympathy card. I thought I would share it, in hopes that it might help others who mourn as well. Dear Friend, February will be the 2nd anniversary of my grandson’s death. It is said that “Death is Final”; that is untrue. The pain and loneliness remain in my soul, and it feels as though I held his lifeless body, yesterday, in my arms. That day broke me; it almost killed me. Had I not had the love and support of my husband and children, I don’t think my sanity would have remained with me. The pain continues to crush my soul with anguish. There are 4 things that have helped me survive the debilitating pain of losing my grandson, and I wanted to share them with you in hopes that you might find peace in them as well. Prayer Prayer was, and continues to be, my saving grace. Without the love and promise of Christ’s redeeming grace, peace would remain unobtainable. Recounting my Experience Sharing my story out loud made it real. It took away my fear. It gave me power over the chaos of pain. Information As a certified grief counselor, knowing what to expect and whether it was normal or abnormal helped keep my worries at bay. The books that I have sent over are filled with information, plainly and simply written, to help you understand and identify the symptoms of grief, as well as recovery’s signs and secrets. Journaling Writing down my anguishes, thoughts, pains, worries, and fears helped me to let them go. I was able to organize myself, and it gave me hope for my future. I am sorry for the dreadful sorrow in your heart, and the pain that infiltrates your daily existence. I understand that breathing feels unnatural, it takes effort to continue on, and that peace eludes you. I wish that death did not exist, but it is a reality that the both of us know all too well; one that we must endure. I believe that families are forever, that we are all God’s children, and that we will reunite with our loved ones across the veil as we too, one day, experience death. Until that day arrives, however, I pray that you and I will live our lives as emissaries of Christ, basking in his grace, and recipients of his glory. I hope that as you suffer the loss of your daddy that you will feel comfortable in reaching out to others, and that you might call me should you need assistance. The pain of grief should never be carried nor suffered in silence, nor alone. Reach out and allow those who love and care for you to lighten your burdens. Life will never be as it once was, but it will improve as you share priceless moments of peace with those who remain by your side. I hold you in high esteem, and pray that Christ’s promise will grace your soul. With Deepest Regards, Tracy Lee My name is Tracy Renee Lee. I am a Certified Grief Counselor (GC-C), Funeral Director (FDIC), published author, syndicated columnist, and co-founder of the “Mikey Joe Children’s Memorial” and Heaven Sent, Corp. I write books, weekly bereavement articles, and Grief BRIEFs related to understanding and coping with grief. I am the American Funeral Director of the Year Runner-Up and recipient of the BBB’s Integrity Award. It is my life's work to comfort the bereaved and help them live on, as well as educate adults in the needs of surviving children.