It is time to write once again. Many significant events have occurred throughout this year, events which have brought blessings or remembrances of blessings past.

In April Conference this year, Elder Christofferson shared the story of William Tyndale (1494-1536) who has been named the Father of the English Bible. It is he who translated the entire New Testament and certain books of the Old into the English, or vulgar, language. His prophetic voice declared to a religious critic, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou dost". He gave his life for that testimony and how truly he prophesied for within two years after his martyrdom the King of England (Good ole Henry The Vlll) allowed the up until then contraband copies of Tyndale's Bible to be published and read abroad throughout England.

My curiosity peaked for this man and I checked the footnotes of Elder Christofferson's talk and it turns out that S. Michael Wilcox had written a Tyndale Biography titled "Fire In The Bones" published in 2004. I acquired the book from Deseret Book Company and have just completed the reading. Of great significance is Brother Wilcox's reflection that three centuries after Tyndale's prophecy, "A fourteen year-old ploughboy in New York knelt in prayer after reflecting on the testimony of James----a testimony translated from Greek to English by William Tyndale". Brother Wilcox draws several other Tyndale parallels to Joseph Smith which makes for a very 'good read'. He states that Tyndale is virtually unknown and under appreciated in the Latter Day Saint world. I certainly was among those ignorant, but I now have a deep admiration for this learned man who was inspired of God to do what he did under the most perilous of circumstances. What a consummate blessing to the entire 'Family of Man' to have the Word of God in a toungue understood by so many. Just as the Testimony of the Restoration "cost the best blood of the 19th century", so too did the Reforming Testimony of William Tyndale and others cost the best blood of the 16th century.