Documentary Review: WWI: They Shall Not Grow Old (2019)

****^ They Shall Not Grow Old  This is a Peter Jackson work.  He was asked by British Film Archives to take their collection of movies and make a documentary.  He did this by doing two things.  He colorized much of the film and he also added sound.  Peter Jackson, who has ancestors who served in the war, is a collector of things WWI.  He used actual uniforms to make sure the colors were accurate.  Lip readers were brought in to catch the talk.  In one case he actually found through research the script that an officer was giving before his men went over the wall to attack the Germans.  What this film does very well is show conditions in the tranches.  The filth is incredible, and it really comes to life.  It also is very good at showing the daily life of the soldiers.  What it lacks, and this is a lack of filming sophistication during the time of the war, is footage of actual battle.  Jackson had a collection of WWI magazines, and these magazines were used to show battle scenes.  This movie does not have actors reenacting, and this makes the film much more effective.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  And the Peter Jackson talk of the making the movie were also fantastic.  A last limitation of this film is it shows the life of only a small group of soldiers, focusing on the British.  The experience of the Americans, who joined the war late, was not included.

Box B As It Relates to Mormon Missions; Boyd K. Packer

P.O. Box B as it Relates to Isaac's Mission

I just read a book of short vignettes by President Boyd K. Packer, "Memorable Stories with a Message."  One of the stories, P.O. Box B talked about receiving a mission call.  The receipt  of a missionary call gave a sense of pride.  My Great Great Grandfather was on of these men, and felt honored at he was deemed worthy to serve a mission.  This was a time when fathers were called, who left their families to serve.

"I have a letter signed by President John Taylor, written on April 12, 1884.  It has an interesting letterhead:
The President’s Office
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
P.O. Box B
Salt Lake City, UtahP.O. Box B” became the symbol of the mission call for generations of Latter-day Saints.  A letter from Box B was a call to the mission field.  Those letters cam unannounced: no interviews, no asking whether it was convenient—just a letter from Box B, a call to serve.  
Here is a response addressed to Box B, datelined Beaver, Utah, August 30, 1879,
'President John Taylor
Dear Brother,
Yours of the 27 instance notifying myself to make my arrangements to go on a mission to the United States is to hand.  You ask an answer of me.  My answer is, I am glad that I am counted worth by my brethren to go on a mission or fill any place of trust and I hope that I shall never do anything to forfeit the confidence reposed.
I know of nothing now to prevent my going as desired although plenty to do at home.'
That simple phrase although plenty to do at home no doubt referred to a wife and family to feed and clothe, children to teach, a farm to keep, cows to milk, a garden to tend, a home to complete.  All were set aside because a letter had come from Box B.
…Wiliam W. Phelps wrote:

I go devoted to His cause,
And to His will resigned;
His presence will supply the loss
Of all I leave behind.

I go because the Master calls;
He’s made my duty plain—
No danger can the heart appall
When Jesus stoops to reign.

Perhaps a few refused the call from Box B, but we have no record of them.
Much has changed since those Box B days, but one thing must not change.  We must not—we cannot—lose the spirit of the call, for it is a demonstration of the power of revelation."