Saturday, March 28th, 2020

Ariquipa, Peru

167th operating temple

Dedicated: 15 Dec 2019

By: Elder Ulisses Soares

Jesus Christ, Judge

D&C 135:5

And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father. And now I ... bid farewell unto the Gentiles; yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood. The testators are no dead, and their testament is in force.

Book of Mormon/"Come Follow Me"

Words of Mormon

Mormon abridges the large plates of Nephi - He puts the small plates with the other plates - King Benjamin establishes peace in the land. About A.D. 385.

October 2019 Gen Con

"Giving Our Spirits Control Over Our Bodies"

President M. Russell Ballard

"Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to slow down a bit and think about where you are now in subjugating your carnal nature and empowering your divine, spiritual nature so when the time comes, you may pass into the spirit world to a joyful reunion with your loved ones - for which I testify and humbly pray in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen."

"Finding Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ"

Elder Robert D. Hales

October 2004

I woke up James with some Citrus Sunshine tea this morning. My three favorite teas are: Chamomile, Peach, and Citrus Sunshine, all Celestial Seasonings brand.

When he saw Sister Halcomb at the store on Tuesday James promised her he would grind her some flour so that's what he did this morning. 

He ground a little too much and got flour all over the counters and floor. What a mess, but it was worth it. This is the first time we have used this grinder I bought about ten years ago for $100 and we were pleased with the results.

I had a ministering interview with Sister A. Miller today. She has become good friends with Candi and so I told her about how Jasmine said her mother, Candi, won't let her do baptisms for the dead because she doesn't think we should force people to join our church. I tried to explain to her that we aren't forcing anyone but it won't do any good unless someone convinces Candi. I told Anne so she would look for an opportunity to bring the subject up sometime when she is with Candi.

We got an email from Bishop Hunsaker today about the special fast President Nelson has asked us to do this weekend to stop the Corona virus. Basically if you are not paying your fast offerings online but in an envelope he said the bishopric would be at the church from 10:30 to 11:00 on Sunday. You just drive by and hand them your envelope.

I did some cleaning upstairs today. While I was in Darrel and Trina's bedroom James told me to look out the window. There was a herd of elk out in the field. We took some pictures.

Upstairs is really the best place to take pictures. I texted them to Addy and said, "Outside your bedroom window."

We started our fast after lunch. 

I called my Aunt Gene this afternoon. Today is her 92nd birthday. We had a nice visit until her son Arlee and his wife Carol came bringing her flowers. I told her I was selling books online and she told me she had lots of books that I could have. When this whole Corona virus is over I will pay her a visit.

It took me most of the day, with a few interruptions, to do two blog posts. I am determined I am going to get caught up!

This evening as we were watching the newest Spring Fling movie on Hallmark, I got a call from my friend Jean. They have lots of unexpected company and she was wondering if she could borrow some toilet paper. I told her yes and she said Tom would come over in the morning to pick it up. When I told James he suggested we deliver it tonight. We stopped our movies, made the delivery, and came back and finished. It was a good one called "Just My Type."

Megan Wanlass got married at home today.

Happy 92nd Birthday!

 Why???

 Trina talking about Addy

Missionaries on a plane coming home from

Africa singing, "Called To Serve"

 Since she didn't have any customers, the

owner of Carefreetea served her pets

 Digging post holes for a corral

Saturday night at the Trezise's

That's me

 Grand Canyon

Saturday, July 28th, 2018

Bountiful, Utah

47th operating temple

Dedicated: 8 Jan 1995

By: Howard W. Hunter

Jesus Christ, Creator

Hebrews 11:3

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Book of Mormon

Alma 41:1-15

* Why is it requisite for all things to be restored in the last days?

- How could the Atonement of Jesus Christ be effective it it was not requisite for all things to be restored. The plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God. Men are judged according to their works. Wickedness never was happiness. Give mercy to receive mercy. That which you send out shall be returned unto you. Restoration condemneth the sinner.

Old Testament

Esther 6-8

6 Mordecai receives great honors - Haman mourns and is counseled by his wife.

7 Esther reveals Haman's plot to destroy the Jews - He is hanged on his own gallows.

8 Mordecai is honored and placed over the house of Haman - Ahasuerus issues a decree to preserve the Jews.

General Conference

Behold the Man!

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Because of Jesus Christ, we will rise from the despair of death and embrace those we love, shedding tears of overwhelming joy and overflowing gratitude. Because of Jesus Christ, we will exist as eternal beings, worlds without end. Because of Jesus the Christ, our sins can not only be erased; they can be forgotten. We can become purified and exalted. Holy. Because of our beloved Savior, we can forever drink from the fountain of water that springs up into eternal life. We can dwell forever in the mansions of our eternal King, in unimaginable glory and perfect happiness."

We left for the temple this morning at 5:40. On the way we listened to our scriptures from the Old Testament, I read from the Book of Mormon, and we listened to Elder Uchtdorf's conference address, Behold the Man! We already had family prayer before we left the house. It's a beautiful morning and we are always anxious to get to the temple in time to get dressed and be to preparation meeting by 6:55. 

President Palmer and his wife did the training in preparation meeting. We watched three films about patrons having a good experience in the temple. 

My first assignment was locker room at 730. Sisters started pouring in for the 8 a.m. session. We willed up the ten lockers quickly and I started over. Some lockers had three people assigned. 

After locker room I went downstairs to be greeter 2. There are three greeters, one stands and asks the people as they come in if they are going to a session. Two helps new people and runs errands as needed and three is for the baptistry. The baptistry greeter wasn't there so I showed people to the chapel and told the baptistry director. 

Sister Johnson, the wife of one of the sealers asked me if I wanted to do sealings with my husband who was already in the sealing room. I said yes and she said she would take my next assignment at the sealers desk downstairs. 

When I got to the sealing room, Brother Flake was the sealer and the other sealer, Brother Johnson, was a witness. James and I were able to do sealings for some of my Strickland and Rutledge relatives. I thanked Sister Johnson when I saw her again.

I was only there for 30 minutes and then I had to go back down to the sealing desk under the stairs just off the entry to the temple.

Sister Higgins, a sweet hispanic sister who works on our shift asked me if I would help her organize her stack of sealing cards.  That is part of my job and I said I would be happy to help her. There were some cards already done, some that needed more information, and there were 3 couples to be sealed, 16 sons to parents, and 18 daughters to parents. She is going to take them up and do them at 10. I told her everything she needed to do. Glad I could be of service to her.  Oh yes, something interesting about her cards. The submitters name was Beatrice Lambson. I pointed that out to her and I assume it was her name because she said, oh yes, that was a long time ago.  I need to find out who she was married to.

During my break I visited with Sister Flake whose husband is the sealer. I told her what a good sealer I thought he was and she said yes, she agreed. She told me what a blessing it has been to him in his life. He says, "can you imagine me, an old cowboy, being a sealer in the temple." She said it is very easy for him to memorize things. He loves to recite poetry and he entertained family members at her family reunion with both inspirational poems and cowboy poems. Sister Flake is from Alpine and I told her my grandpa was born in Nutrioso. It's a small world. She told me about her dad dying from an infection in his leg, the same kind Joseph Smith had. He would not let the doctor amputate and he ended up dying of the infection. I feel like I made a new friend in her.

This afternoon I worked in the Celestial room and saw Sandy's sister Connie again. I guess she and her husband were the witness couple in the session that James was the follower in. 

I got off an hour early today because there was nothing for me to do. I went downstairs and waited in the car for James.

Before going home we went in to Show Low and got orange chicken, beef and broccoli, rice and noddles at Panda Express, enough to feed four people. We also stopped by and picked up two Oreo Blizzards at Dairy Queen. We are feeding the missionaries.

We got home and while I rested James had an unexpected visit from Brother Valentic who is up here from Chandler. He is in Sheri's ward and when James told him that Ben had received his mission call he was very happy. He said, "You know, I watch him bless the sacrament and he has a glow about him." Brother Valentic use to have Alex as a home teaching companion and really likes him too. He hopes because of Ben's example he might want to serve a mission. 

Elder Bernecker and Elder Bingham were right on time. We enjoyed our dinner and then visiting afterwards. Elder Bingham is from Idaho and I asked him how cold it gets in Idaho Falls. He said it can get 40 below. Sheri took Ben shopping today and he said he didn't need a hat or a scarf. He may change his mind when he gets there.

The elders' left before 7. James went out to work on his rabbit hutch and walk, and finish a sling he is making for his David and Goliath Primary lesson. I cleaned the kitchen, walked, and finished a Christmas movie I started yesterday.

I love that smile!

 How fun!

Beautiful!

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Frieberg, Germany
33rd operating temple

Jarom 1:1-15

1-4, To have faith is to have revelation (vs. 4); 5-9, obedience brings prosperity (vs. 5,8), a quote regarding the Sabbath: "The Sabbath is a sign used by the Lord to identify His Covenant people"; 10-15, The righteous have claim on the protection of Heaven.

* When has the Lord blessed, or prospered me for keeping His commandments?

* From my experience, what testimony can I share about the Lord and His promises?

Alma 56-57

56 Helaman sends an epistle to Moroni, recounting the state of the war with the Lamanites - Antipus and Helaman gain a great victory over the Lamanites - Helaman's two thousand stripling sons fight with miraculous power, and none of them are slain.

57 Helaman recounts the taking of Antiparah and the surrender and later the defense of Cumeni - His Ammonite striplings fight valiantly; all are wounded, but none are slain - Gid reports the slaying and the escape of the Lamanite prisoners. About 63 B.C.

DC 49:15-28
15-16, Marriage is ordained of God; 17-21, The eating of meat is approved; 22-28, Zion will flourish and the Lamanites blossom as the rose before the Second Coming.
*What is prophetic about these verses?
- 1.  Jacob, meaning modern Israel, shall flourish in the wilderness and...Zion shall flourish upon the hills (24-25).  Fulfilled when Saints settle in the Rocky Mountains.
- 2. The Lamanites "shall blossom as the rose." (v. 24.) Lamanite descendants are joining the Church in ever increasing numbers.
General Conference

No Greater Joy Than to Know That They Know

Elder K. Brett Nattress

"Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can live with the promise that no matter what our struggles may be, we can always have hope in Him 'who is mighty to save' (2 Nephi 31:19.)

Because of His Atonement, we can have joy, peace, happiness, and eternal life.  Pres. Boyd K. Packer stated:

'Save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no havit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness.  That is the promise of the 

Atonement of Jesus Christ."

James is trying to dig a trench to connect Sal's sewer to the city line, but he can't seem to find it.  I told him I would pray for him every 30 minutes, which I did for a couple of hours.   This is something a friend recommended when Terry had his heart attack.  As I was praying I kept wondering if this was something the Lord wanted done.  And in the back of my mind was the thought that they were doing it without notifying the city because of their exorbitant fees.  Anyway, the final result of all of this was that he broke another irrigation line, which created a huge flood of water and he was unable to finish.  He decided to come home instead.

Ah, the beauty of Arizona! 

I ask Alex today if he wanted to be a part of our scripture study group, and he said yes.  I am happy about this.

The squirrels and bunnies are out to play because of the sunny weather.  They are also eating our grass.  James doesn't seem to mind.

I spoke to Jared today about his situation and told him I would continue to pray for him and his family and the sale of his practice.

This is the visiting teaching handout I gave to my

sisters this month.

I watched two movies today while blogging, "Murder She Baked: Just Desserts," and the latest Auroa Teagarden which I had already seen.  Blogging takes me around two hours or more because I have been behind since December and do two posts a day.  I am catching up though.

James got home this afternoon and of course he brought me two green chili burros.  I don't even have to ask anymore.  I cleaned in the kitchen, worked on my marriage talk and read to James from "A Fine Gentleman."  We went to bed around 9.  I am always so grateful when he makes it home safely.

Fun Photos:

Max's birthday date, 2016.

These boys are so fun!

Eating is always part of the date.

2016 Salt Creek Beach, California

Scripture Study Luncheon

with Michael and Alex

Addy, a few years back

If you look hard you can see Ruby too.

Kim posted this back in June

What a great idea,

a concert in the backyard.

Sorry I couldn't be there.

It's always a great day when the missionaries

come for dinner.