We went with Tim and Queenie to Temple Square on Saturday. I was excited to see the new First Vision statue. I like the depiction of movement and life in this rendition, and that heaven and earth are reaching for one another.
I think people spend a lot of time decorating and seeking musical and artistic experiences at Christmas time because we are all in search of that feeling of connection with heaven.
Here are my preparations for a Relief Society dinner tonight. I chose to host a table so I wouldn’t spend the day pacing.
Mark is traveling today to Denmark. I know he is going to be okay, but my heart is being stretched to a new continent, and I feel it.
A mother of very young children asked me in church on Sunday, “So, what do you do all day [now all your kids are gone]?”
Lately, this is a difficult question to answer without some emotion, but I wanted to convey to her that I love my life. I have always been able to do the things that match my temperament, family, and interests. So I chose to say this about my new phase of life, “I am a writer, and solitude is good for that.”
A couple weeks ago, I compiled the talks that I’ve given in sacrament meetings and stake conferences for the last 9 years serving as a church organization president of a Relief Society and then stake Primary. Friends, I have written a book of religious thought without realizing it. 😂
I’m pretty sure that the words this Apostle spoke to us won’t live in memory as long as what he did after the meeting.
He invited every person who wanted to shake his hand to come forward. A long line formed as most people in the audience joined the line. He asked their names and showed genuine interest. We watched him do this for about an hour and a half as he stood at the end of our row in the chapel. One by one, he ministered to all.
I am not the type to stand in line to meet important people. It could be shyness or ingrained patterns of trying to be invisible. Heavenly Father knows this about me, and He also knew I needed some encouragement. So, we had front row seats to observe a Special Witness of Christ express love in the pattern that Christ has shown. When the crowd was gone, I didn’t need to do anything but stand up in order to meet Elder Gong because he was right there waiting at the end of our bench. This is the grace of God.
This note, written by a young deacon (age 11 or 12), is making the cut for what to pack today in the mission luggage. He is unabashedly accurate about Mark. And he has done his research. Legos come from Denmark!
Before Mark was set apart as a missionary, he wanted one last gathering with his Sanchez cousins who are his age, so we invited them to spend part of conference weekend here. MMSK is pronounced “misk,” and it’s an acronym of their names. Mostly, there was a lot of nonsense going on as they “watched conference”, but I think that the time together was important.
Mark and Richard attended a session of General Conference on Sunday. They brought the binoculars, which was a great idea.
When Mark sent in his mission papers last spring, I assumed he would be on a mission long before now. We’ve had a long preparation period, which was good in many ways and challenging in others.
We had time for more spiritual preparation and temple worship. Mark received mentoring in Preach My Gospel and got some work experience from his Sanchez grandparents. We had time to travel this summer.
The long wait means that the bandaid is being removed very slowly. I am pretty fragile lately.
Now that Mark has had a few days of home MTC, he is excited to go to the Provo MTC next week. Everything is as it should be: the wait, the anticipation, the emotions accompanying a goodbye, the excitement, his assignment. Everything.
Richard and Mark were the advance party for a trip to Goblin Valley for the Young Men, traveling there a day early to claim a good campsite. Because they did this, there was an established camp ready when the young men arrived, making it possible to do a long hike before dark.
Mark and Richard spent a night beneath the bright stars together before the others arrived. It sounds pretty ideal.
Richard introduced the group to the hike through Ding and Dang Canyon. It was a challenging hike, and the boys had a wonderful time. It sounds like a successful campout. Well done, Richard and Mark!
Mark cleaned out his closet this week and found this gift from a beloved Primary teacher, Sister Dahlquist, given to him 9 or 10 years ago. It is a crisp one dollar bill for his missionary fund. 🙂
I drove through a heavy rainstorm on Saturday to attend a niece’s temple endowment. I was flustered by my commute and ran from my car to the unfamiliar temple in the rain.
I was greeted in the usual way by young and old temple workers, ushered through new halls, and given spiritual assurances that my visit was important.
You’d think that after years of temple attendance that these things wouldn’t surprise me, but that is the way with joyful things.
“Surprise!” Joy cries, as it jumps out from a hiding place such as a rainy day or a challenging relationship.
There was a time when I didn’t think I would ever see this niece again because of family difficulties, but I was invited to be with her on her important day. Poised and happy, she greeted me in the celestial room with a hug.
Later, when I walked outside, the clouds were gone and the brilliant afternoon sunlight descended like a confirmation.
Surprise!
I asked Paige to illustrate each member of my stake Primary presidency. The upper collage shows the most recent group and the lower collage shows all of the women who served with me during my five+ years as president.
We were released last weekend. The keepsakes from this calling are this little portrait collage and hundreds of lessons of the heart.
