Monumental Day

One hundred eighty two years ago today, Joseph Smith received the plates (which were translated to give us the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ) from Angel Moroni.

Great grandpa Torleif planned and sculpted the Angel Moroni statue on Hill Cumorah in New York. It is a beautiful place. He also completed a statue that now sits on someone's property in Bountiful, of Jospeh receiving the plates.


Here is a good read about the Hill Cumorah Monument.

Fall is favorite

So, fall is my favorite time of year... I came to earth in the fall, the fall migration, the colors of the leaves, the cooler temps at night, the crisp air, and leaves to play in.

The fall migration... I try to get up to the Goshutes every year (for about 12-13 years now) for atleast 1 day of the season. This year we will be taking the scouts, on my birthday. Here are some shots from previous years (I spent a week up there just before I got married in Oct 2000)
Love the raptors.





So, Hawkwatch does a great job up there year after year, director after director.

Living Room and Images

So we moved things around in the front room, including moving the piano into Camille's current / study to be room. That's been nice to be able to teach the kids piano with a closed door for better attention.


Here are the pictures that made the wall.





And here are some of the images that didn't make the cut.

general conference

I am so excited for General Conference, even though it's still a couple of weeks away. I guess part of it was being in the Tabernacle again on Sunday. It probably sounds strange... but I get a little giddy inside to think that I will have the chance to feel the Spirit for so long for a few days. It's interesting though. It comes with a challenge. The challenge to strive more, to be better, to serve more and serve better than I have in the past: to be more kind, more patient, more tolerant, and more devoted.

The two words that come to mind when I hear the brethren and sisters at conference speak is "quiet dignity". I was listening to Elder Hales from April 2009 on the drive to work today. His talk is entitled Christian Courage. His voice and message epitomize quiet dignity. That is how we worship (even though it may not always seem that way in our sacrament meeting on Sunday). But kids learn to respect Divinity through reverence. And that is how we learn. The Spirit seems loudest when we make the effort to listen: the Spirit shakes our soul with His whisper.

Conference is not a series of dynamic motivational speakers whose inflections sometimes cause small children to hold their ears... no... it is apostles, prophets, and other leaders, called of God, teaching doctrine and allowing us to learn by the promptings of the Spirit.

Now the key is to be able to hear that Spirit above the rushings of our children. But really, there have been times when the youngest are sleeping and the older ones are listening for keywords for conference bingo game. Maybe this year we will have to go to the stake center to listen to conference on Sunday.

a big deal

Last night we attended a meeting at the Tabernacle on Temple Square that was a worship service for the Baptist church. The music was very well done and the speaker was enthralling.

Nick Vujicic spoke. He has no arms and no legs. His attitude is wonderful and he had a way of making his worship of Christ a big deal. I think that is inherent in the Baptist faith.

The baptists are very passionate about their worship. They make it a big deal. They make prayer a big deal. Coming unto Christ is important to them.

So what can I learn about my religious devotion from them. Well, I can rely on the Lord more. I can pay more attention to what God wants me to do and when and where He would like me to be.

Secondly, I can pray with more devotion. I often need a reminder to make my prayers more sincere and with real intent.

Thirdly, I can make my religion a big deal in my life. Living in Utah where so many people are LDS, I find myself giving more attention to my social religious experience and less to my personal religion. I am probably not alone in that one. I also know that Christ loves us personally as well as collectively. And my personal worship needs to be a bigger deal to me. My scripture study, temple attendance, personal service I give to others are all ways I can make my personal conviction a bigger deal. My lesson on Sunday to the 12-13 year old boys was on tithing. And it occurred to me during that lesson that we are in a partnership with the Lord (idea by Elder Robert D. Hales) when we pay our tithing. Well, also we are his stewards in service. So, as a partner and as a steward, it is a big deal... NOT I am a big deal... but the work I am involved with is a big deal... this much is true.

I am grateful I was invited to attend this worship service. It was a nice reminder of some of the promises I have made to my Father in Heaven in my life.

And one more thing... I liked what Nick said about what will happen when he meets the Lord after he dies... The Lord might say something to the effect of “Well done thou good and faithful... now who did you bring with you?” Because certainly we are to proclaim the saving power of Christ to all. We all need it. And we all need to enter into a covenant through the priesthood authority given to His servants in order to enjoy the fulness of His plan for us.

I want to take just a minute and bear my solemn witness that the Bible is the word of God and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. The Lord has given us a living prophet on the earth, even Thomas S. Monson, who holds the keys of the kingdom. Therein, he holds the keys of the sealing power, whereby we can be sealed by the priesthood (power) of God to those we love and to God himself. There is no other way than through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we can live with God and like God with those we love (our families) for eternity.

And as the Baptists say, Praise Jesus.

Mountain of the Lord

This was taken first thing when we arrived at the temple grounds with the sun at my back. How lovely was the morning.
And one more... this one was a crop of one with the kids in it.

part of Labor Day

So, Labor Day was full of fun! We started really early at Temple Square in Salt Lake (hence the slideshow here). We then went to G and G Gerritsen's for a superb breakfast on the deck. Next Spence, Camille, and I (with Paul) went up AF canyon rock climbing (maybe video will follow). And then ended with a lovely dinner and changed another light fixture in our house (pictures to follow as well). By the way, does anyone need a white 5 sconce light that faces up?

These are some of our favorites. We have some big plans for these pictures (like five 16x20s). now we just have to decide which 5... ahHH!

Spencer said I couldn't take any pictures of him for 3 weeks now.

Surprise!

Here are some pictures of Amber's hair now... or what's left of it ;) Actually it really does look nice... it was just a shock to Tyler at first.





Interested in the photo specs?
Subject has light from window on camera right and a flash at 1/8 power shot through a lumiquest snoot on camera left. For the shot with Scott, the snoot was taken off and the flash was set down to 1/32 power. Shot at 1/30th at f3.5 ISO 100 on Manual at WB 4000K