Monday, December 3rd, 2018

Provo, Utah

15th operating temple

Dedicated: 9 Feb 1972

By: Joseph Fielding Smith

Jesus Christ, Death of

John 12:33
This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Book of Mormon #1

Ether 2:13-25
*The lord wants us to grow and learn as we make our own decisions. He also wants us to take our conclusions to Him frequently for His confirmation. When the brother of Jared asked the Lord about the matter of light for the vessels, the Lord answered with a question of His own: "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels"? According to President Harold B. Lee, the Lord's question was similar to saying the following: 'Well, have you any good ideas? What would you suggest that we should do in order to have light? Then the Lord went away and left him alone. It was as though the Lord were saying to him, 'Look, I gave you a mind to think with, and I gave you agency to use it. Now you do all you can to help yourself with this problem; and then, after you've done all you can, I'll step in to help you.'" After considering the possibilities, the brother of Jared demonstrated his great faith by asking the Lord to touch 16 stones and supply lights. The Lord answered this plea and not only provided light for the vessels but gave this faithful man a vision unlike any other. President Lee concluded: "This is the principle in action. If you want the blessing, don't just kneel down and pray about it. Prepare yourselves in every conceivable way you can in order to make yourselves worthy to receive the blessing you seek." 

Book of Mormon #2

Helaman 3-4
Old Testament
Jonah 3-4

General Conference

Lift Up Your Head and Rejoice

M. Joseph Brough

"I was forever changed upon hearing these words from Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve, spoken in the midst of his struggle with leukemia. He said, 'I was doing some pensive pondering and these 13 instructive and reassuring words came into my mind: 'I have given you leukemia that you might teach my people with authenticity.' He then went on to express how this experience had blessed him with 'perspective about the great realities of eternity. ...Such glimpses of eternity can help us to travel the next 100 yards, which may be very difficult."

I was up at five this morning. James got up around six. We had scriptures and prayers before we started getting ready for our trip to the valley. James made a trip to town in my car to get gas for his truck because his truck would have never made it. 

I have two more packages to mail today. I forgot to send Lois's Christmas stockings to the kids in Texas so I will need to send them today. I also have Ben's Christmas package. 

We are taking both the car and the truck. James is leaving the truck and the Bobcat in the valley for the Mesa job which Armando will be running when and if they get the permits. 

I was ready to leave a little before 11. James was still doing something with the trailer. I told him I had to stop at the church to leave my roaster and then I was going to the post office. He actually ended up passing me up while I was at the post office and I never caught him because I stopped in Show Low to wash Lexy. I never caught up to him. I went the Salt River way in case something happened to James's rig I would be there to help.

I had wanted to stop at Deseret Book when I got in to town but there was no time. I drove directly to my appointment with Dr. Shah. The appointment was a consultation about putting in an implant. James had a meeting with Armando then he dropped his truck and the Bobcat off at Bill V.'s yard and then walked over to Sheri's to wait for me to pick him up. 

I am set for an implant on Tuesday, January 8th and thanks to Care Credit I will pay $250 a month for the next year interest free. Whoopee....$3,000 is still a lot of money. Am I sure I want to do this? Why is everything so expensive?

I picked up James and we went to Olive Garden for dinner. I had Zuppa Toscana soup and salad and of course breadsticks. James had salmon. 

After dinner we went across the street to Target to finish shopping for Ben's Christmas package. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't find cozy socks. 

We finally ended up at Darrel and Trina's for the night. Lola was certainly "wound up" this evening. She had a rope around her stuffed dog Tommy and was dragging him all over the place. She, Ruby, and I also played hide the ball in the Christmas tree. I was afraid we were going to knock the tree over so we changed the rules a little. 

Trina was telling me about her dad's childhood this evening. She said his mother was killed by a drunk driver when he was 18 months old. He used to stand and wait at the door for her to come home. His mom was pregnant when she was killed. They story gets worse. His first stepmom was a little crazy and did some bizarre things including trying to kidnap Trina's dad. 

His second step mom was very jealous of anything his dad did for him and demanded he do the same for her kids. Finally one of his older sisters came and got him and took him home to live with her family. Elder Bernecker's grandmother wanted to adopt him and have him come and live with them. Bob, Trina's dad is one of the nicest, kindest, unselfish people I have ever met and I never knew he had such a difficult childhood. 

When Darrel got home from work at 9:30 He went upstairs and changed into a white shirt and tie so he could give James a blessing.  The kids were in bed and Trina was upstairs so it was just the three of us. The blessing was a great comfort and Darrel emphasized the importance of healing and being patient after surgery.

I did some walking before going to bed. 

President Nelson's talk at last night's devotional was wonderful.

 The Long Road ahead

Love these two!

 Our friends the Umphress family

 Dec 3, 2012

Sunday, December 2nd, 2018

Ogden, Utah

14th operating temple 

Dedicated: 18-20 Jan 1972

By: Joseph Fielding Smith

Jesus Christ, Death of

Luke 9:31
Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
Book of Mormon #1
Ether 2:1-12
*Ether 2:8-11 states what Moroni called "the everlasting decree of God." (v.10) concerning this land of promise. Stated three or four times, this decree is that "whatsoever nation shall possess this land shall serve God, or they shall be swept off" (v.9). President Gordon B. Hinckley taught that obedience is essential if the promised land is to keep its promised blessings: "Great are the promises concerning this land of America. We are told unequivocally that it is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ" (Ether 2:12). This is the crux of the entire matter - obedience to the commandments of God." (Oct 2001, GC). Compare Ether 2:7-12 with Nephi 1:6-10. List the promises and the warnings given to the inhabitants of America.
Book of Mormon #2
Alma 63 - Helaman 2
Old Testament
Jonah 1-2
General Conference

Deep and Lasting Conversion to Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Elder Quentin L. Cook
"This Sunday schedule allows more time for a home evening and to study the gospel at home on Sunday or at other times as individuals and families may choose. A family activity night could be held on Monday or at other times. To this end, leaders should continue to keep Monday evenings free from Church meetings and activities. However, time spent in home evening, gospel study, and activities for individuals and families may be scheduled according to their individual circumstances."

Bishop Miller conducted our fast and testimony meeting today and told of an experience of going to the temple in Mexico and how different it was because they really aren't worried about starting on time. He also bore testimony that the Church is true and is led by Jesus Christ and His prophet.

Others who bore their testimonies: 

Sister Vaught, Brother Greer who will be serving a mission soon. He is going to be a secretary to someone in an area authority presidency. Brother Greer said that President Nelson has been "renewed," and is preparing us for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Sister Hahn, and Sister Van Haren who are both new bore their testimonies about gratitude and the importance of the scriptures. Dave Westbrook who was the keynote speaker at an agricultural convention in Nigeria, bore his testimony about how grateful he is for the gospel. Brother Price said he made a commitment in 1989 to bear his testimony at least once a quarter and he has been able to do that on a consistent basis. 

We had a sister visit from Mesa and she bore a pure and simple five point testimony including Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith as a prophet and President Nelson as the prophet today. Jackson, who is waiting to go back on his mission after being treated for six months for ADHD bore his testimony about Heavenly Father and how he knows us and loves us and knows our needs. Dear sweet Ellen bore her testimony about her baptism and her husbands this coming Saturday. She said when she was a little Jewish girl she felt like something was missing when she went to temple. She said she has figured out that what was missing was Jesus. She and Dave will both be baptized. They having been investigating the Church for over 12 years so this is pretty exciting!

James bore his testimony about how he is "changed" because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Kathy Crane admonished us to pray for those that we don't see here. Ty Applegate, a priest, said that the reason we are here is so that we can learn to become like Christ. 

It was snowy and cold today. I think we probably got at least 4 inches of snow. A good day to stay inside and study the gospel.

I learned some things about the prophet Jonah:

Both Jonah and Jess were from the Galilee area. That Jonah's story is a true one is evidenced by 2 Kings 14:25 and 3 New Testament references. The story of Jonah was referred to by our Lord on two occasions when he was asked for a sign from heaven. In each case he gave 'the sign of the prophet Jonah,' the event in that prophet's life being a foreshadowing of Jesus' own death and resurrection (Matt 12:39-41; Luke 11:29-30).

James and I came home after the block, ate some lunch and took a nap on the couch. I cut my nap short and went in to prepare for tithing settlement. James said we were signed up for 2:15 today. I got everything ready, woke James up and shot out the door after 2. We got to the Church at 2:17 to find the door locked. There were a couple of cars in the parking lot so James found another door and got in. None of the bishopric were there. We looked at the signup sheet and discovered that we were signed up for next Sunday at 2:15. Oh well, at least now we are ready.

Christmas quote from the movie, "A Twist on Christmas":

"Amidst all the hubbub, don't forget to look up and

see the lights." 

This evening James and I watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. Afterwards I sent out group texts to the family about James's surgery on Tuesday. 

I realized tonight that I forgot to send some of Lois's Christmas stockings to the family in Texas and Arkansas. I will have to do that tomorrow when I mail Ben's Christmas package.

These are a few of my favorite people:

 Chandler State Champs in football again!

 Time flies!

So precious!

So many gorgeous pictures of the

Idaho Falls temple.

On our way home from Church.

Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona

is Winslow the pig.

Saturday, December 1st, 2018

Oakland, California

13th operating temple

Dedicated: 17-19 Nov 1964

By: David O. McKay

Jesus Christ, Death of

Mark 14:55

And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.

Book of Mormon #1

Ether 1:1-43

*The Lord explained to the brother of Jared that blessings had come to his people as a result of prayers offered over a long time. President Spencer W. Kimball taught that we must put great effort into our prayers and that we must pray frequently: "Do you get answers to your prayers? If not, perhaps you did not pay the price. Do you offer a few trite words and worn-out phrases, or do you talk intimately to the Lord? Do you pray occasionally when you should be praying regularly, often, constantly? Do you offer pennies to pay heavy debts when you should give dollars to erase that obligation? When you pray, do you just speak, or do you also listen? Your Savior said, 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.' (Rev 3:20) Should we ever fail to get an answer to our prayers, we must look into our own lives for a reason."

Book of Mormon #2

Alma 60-62

Old Testament

Obadiah 1

General Conference

Opening Remarks

President Russell M. Nelson

"For many years, Church leaders have been working on an integrated curriculum to strengthen families and individuals through a home-centered and Church-supported plan to learn doctrine, strengthen faith, and foster greater personal worship. Our efforts over these recent years to hallow the Sabbath - to make it a delight and a personal sign to God of our love for Him - will be augmented by the adjustments we will now introduce."

"Christmas Spirit is more powerful than you could ever imagine. People need Christmas to remind themselves of how good they can be." - St. Nicholas from "The Christmas Chronicles"

James was a man afire today. He went to the dump, got firewood and started a fire and worked on Christmas lights and decorating.

We drove up to the UPS in Show Low to mail our Arkansas and Texas packages at 4:50. I had checked online for store hours and thought they were open until 6 but that was not the case. The woman said they normally close at 4 on Saturday but because it is the holidays she is staying open until 5. It took us awhile to pack the two packages so she ended up locking us in. We got our packages ready and sent early this year!

We went to Walmart and bought some gifts for Curtis Wilhelm. We actually shopped together. James picked out the jacket and I did the rest.

Hat, gloves, Christmas blanket,

football and jacket.

Curtis's birthday is not until the 7th but since we will be gone

next week we gave his gifts to him early.

Curtis is a survivor of leukemia. He was in the Phoenix Children's Hospital when we first moved into the ward here in Vernon.

He has been in remission the past few years. He is also in James's Primary lesson and I taught him for two years.

We had a difficult time getting out of Show Low because of the Christmas light parade. We took all the back roads and finally found our way. James was a little frustrated but I thought it was fun and we got to see part of the parade. I saw little native American boys in costume covered in Christmas lights and a float. 

When we got home from town James went over to the Howard's to load up his Bobcat. He is taking it to the valley for the job he has in Mesa and didn't want to wait until Monday morning. He waited until after dark and I think he hurt his back. He also forgot to get gas in his truck and can't even make it into Stanford. We will worry about that on Monday.

 Christmas movies: "Christmas Perfection," "Mingle All the Way," "A Twist of Christmas," and "Christmas Wonderland."

Charlie and her giraffe.

I wonder if he has a name?

Making one for someone else.

Friday, November 30th, 2018

London, England

12th operating temple

Dedicated: 7-9 Sept 1958

By: David O. McKay

Jesus Christ, Death of

Matthew 26:66

What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

Book of Mormon #1

Mormon 9:22-37

*Mormon knew that Moroni faced overwhelming challenges due to the wickedness of the Nephites. Nevertheless, Mormon also knew that Moroni could endure with the assistance of divine grace. The book 'True to the Faith' explains that grace provides strength to persevere in the daily struggles of life: 'The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to the divine help and strength we receive through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to needing grace for your ultimate salvation, you need this enabling power every day of your life. As you draw near to your Heavenly Father in diligence, humility, and meekness, He will uplift and strengthen you through His grace.'
Book of Mormon #2
Alma 58-60
Old Testament
Amos 7-9
General Conference

Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints

President Russell M. Nelson

"This has been an inspirational and historic conference. We look to the future with enthusiasm. We have been motivated to do better and to be better. The marvelous messages delivered from this pulpit...and the music have been sublime! I urge you to study these messages, commencing this week. They express the mind and the will of the Lord for His people, today."

I had an interesting gospel study session this morning studying the visions of Amos as found in Amos 7-9. I wrote them down along with their meanings as described in the Old Testament Student Manual, in my gospel study journal under Amos, and prophets.
He saw the second coming of the Savior.

At 9:00 this morning I went to the church and helped decorate for Christmas. Kathy Crane is always in charge of this activity. Kerri, Amy, and Barbara Goodman and Kathy and Chuck Crane were also there. We were finished in a couple of hours because there was only one tree to put up instead of two. The other one is being used at the Christmas party next Friday and the Primary will put it up. Amy and Kerri and I decorated the Relief Society room. We need six candles and a nativity set and I said I would bring both on Sunday.

We had snow today and it was "snowy" when I drove into town after decorating. I bought several more blankets at Walmart and some more needed items. I stopped at the Dollar Store and picked up some candles and some frames for the RS Christmas gift to the sisters. We want to give them a framed copy of the RS Declaration and the Purpose. I also stopped at the China Wok Buffet and got two quarts of Hot and Sour soup. So yummy on a cold and snowy day. 

James and Anthony picked up log railings in Springerville for the Howard's, in the snow storm. They also delivered them to the Howard's house, which means they had to load and unload them.  
James was exhausted by the end of the day and his back hurt more than usual. Hopefully his back surgery will keep him from abusing his back at least for awhile.

We had a fire this evening, and watched Christmas movies while I wrapped Christmas presents.

Love these babies...Charlie is actually

Scarlett's aunt!