Dive into the Legacy of Ray Engebretsen

“America is a beautiful and blessed land. Many different peoples have been guided to its shores by the Lord, throughout its history. I believe as the Book of Mormon says, “It is a choice land above all other lands”. I firmly believe that the Lord guided me to America and that as stated in my Patriarchal blessing, “Thou are numbered with the Saints of the Most High, and thou hast left thy native country and they friends, and thy relatives, and all that were near and dear to theee, and have accepted the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation, and thou are in the midst of Israel …. the Lord has a work for thee to do in the midst of the earth….”. 

I know and accept the Scriptures which states in Jeremiah 314 “turn, O backsliding children, say the Lord; for I am married and you and I will take you one of the city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion;…” 

I firmly believe and except the scripture is found in Malachi 4:6″ And he speaking of Elijah she’ll turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to the fathers least I comments made the Earth with a curse”.

I also believe in except the teachings of the doctrine and covenants, a latter-day scripture, and believe in a vicarious work for the dead as outlined in doctrine and covenants 128, and I will “just a little of the 23rd verse… 

“Let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations to clear his name forever and ever. And again I say, how glorious is the boys we hear from heaven, climbing in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality and eternal life; kingdoms principalities and power! I accept the scripture as being for the living and the dead. I also believe the president of The Church of Jesus Christ Hazard Seiling power of God and that he can delegate that power to others and he alone can delegate that power. 

I know the holy ordinances for the living and the dead are being done in the temples of God directed specifically for that holy purpose. I know as Latter Day Saints we are responsible for the living and for the dead especially our progenitors. 

I believe in except the responsibilities that rest upon everyone to seek out our progenitors and submit them to the temple so they may be judged according to men in the flesh. I also accept the council of the prophet Joseph Smith, “let us therefore as a church and a people and as latter-day Saints, offer onto the Lord and offering and righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation” 

With the assistance of my good and beautiful wife we have gathered or have had gathered many of those of my ancestors and I presented them to the temple and the vicarious work which has been done for them. The work was most gratifying and soul satisfying. Until more records are found I have been assured all of the direct lines have been gathered. 

Some records are burned, but I am looking to the fulfilling the promise in my patriarchal blessing which says,… “And through the humility thou shout converse with the power behind the veil,” 

Maybe those names we cannot now find will be revealed by that method. If not, we must wait for the great era of salvation for the dead, during the millennium. I sincerely hope the book containing the records of our dad will be excepted by the Lord. I have always felt the greatest reason for the Lord lead me out of Norway and to the America was because of the LDS church and I was to seek out my progenitors. 

I seem to be the only one in my father’s family to be able to do this work. Uncle Inga Brett was a fine man but had no interest in Mormonism and his family were all daughters. Father other brother, Gulbrand, didn’t have any children. My brother, Hans, had no interest in Mormonism; he had two sons who died without marrying. I am sure my conversion was planned so that I could be an instrument to assist in bringing salvation to my progenitors and many others. 

When I was called, along with my loving wife, Zaina, to preside over the Norwegian mission, I knew it was partly fulfilling my patriarchal blessing; “the Lord has designed to make the powerful and mighty in the midst of the countrymen…… “” Etc. I thought it was the most rewarding and sole satisfying thing I could ever be called to do. All those fine young missionaries being back in my homeland, seeing old friends, being with my father and and sisters and brother, Hans, again, seem to be all anyone could want or desire. It was a great blessing and a great development for me and my family, but sweeter and more rewarding blessings were yet to come to me. 

On March 1, 1965 President Howard S McDonald set Zaina and me apart as ordinance workers in Salt Lake Temple. We were happy at the great honor and privilege it was to be with such a lovely Group of people and to do such a wonderful and selfless work. For two years I delighted in this work. And President McDonald phoned me to meet him on Main Street in North Temple at 11 o’clock. We walk together to the office of President Joseph Fielding Smith. President McDonald did not give me the slightest hint as to what we were going to do there. After the regular greetings, President Smith assisted by President McDonald laid their hands up on my head and sent me a part as a sealer in the Salt Lake Temple.

This was on 14 August 1967, I was almost over, surprise and joy once again I thought of my blessing where it said, “therefore dear brother paradise Hills for this great and mighty work and now shall become a savior on Mount Zion, and shall be blessed with the helpmate that shall uphold and sustain thee,…” And another quote, “ and the priesthood, and the blessings pertaining there too shall be with the, and through the Holy Spirit – a commune with the heavens, and many great and precious truth shall be made known unto thee, and the plan of salvation shall be clear today and understanding; and I tongue shall be loosened and now she’ll be in an enabled to proclaim the gospel to the understanding of the people of the world…” How better could I be a savior on Mount Zion?