Solemnities of Eternity

"Hearken ye to these words. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Treasure these things up in your hearts, and let the solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds." Doctrine and Covenants 43: 34

The "solemnities of eternity" are on our minds as we anticipate hearing counsel from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, delivered through their servants this weekend. There are abundant blessings associated with making Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost integral parts of our lives. One of them is knowing they have counsel for the world collectively and for us individually.

During general conference we have an opportunity, many hours of opportunity, to be reminded of and to reflect on the solemnities of eternity and what they mean in our lives while here on earth.

Click here to read more about why we need prophets.

See another post here about general conference.

If We Knew ...

Aftergrove

Had you known, would you’ve stayed there,

Light still beading on your skin?

Your Grove now templed, a nave, your forever green April sanctus—

to leave is to begin.

    Barely a boy, bruises yet to form, how slow you must have stepped, dew still

clotted to your shoes.

They were so Beautiful, so . . .

. . . yet first there was the dark,

it too spoke your name.

Your tongue to stone, petrified.

Only your mind could cry “Father.”

Beyond these trees, child, past the fence there, through town and to the west:

Untold fires, hours and years of hard . . .

. . . your heart of glass to sliver and crack and shatter,

            somehow still to shimmer.

’til June of Forty-four, when again, at last, a pillar . . .

            - Scott Livingston

 BYU Studies, Vol. 49, No. 4, 2010, p 155

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If we knew all the details of our lives before they unfolded, would we "stay" and go through with it? In pondering this I think about the wonderful gift of the gospel, of Heavenly Father, Christ, and the Holy Ghost who help us with the journey. 

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The poet is referring to Joseph Smith and the experience he had with the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove. If Joseph Smith had known about the persecutions and martyrdom to come, would he have stayed in that grove and accepted the mission given to him? I am thankful he stayed and did what he was asked to do. 






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Prophets - Then and Now

The Old Testament prophet Amos reminds us - "Surely The Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret* unto his servants the prophets." Amos 3:7

When the missionaries taught us about prophets, it all made sense to us. If God had prophets in Old and New Testament times, why wouldn't he have prophets now? Has the world become so much better and the people so much more righteous, that we, and God, don't need God's guidance in these days?

God set the pattern to use prophets. People seem to readily accept Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, and others as prophets. Why is it so difficult to accept the reality of modern-day prophets?

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Twice a year members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints look forward to general conference. Thomas Monson, the two counselors in his presidency, and twelve apostles have been called and set apart as prophets. 

They testify of Christ, encourage, and deliver counsel during sessions which are broadcast throughout the world. These are opportunities to learn from people who have messages from God to share with the world. The messages are for everyone. 

Thomas Monson, center, with counselors
Henry Eyring, left, & Dieter Uchtdorf

Why does general conference matter? Click here to listen to a video clip, "Hark All Ye Nations."

Click here Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1 to watch conference live - 10 and 2 Mountain Time both days.

                    

*Hebrew word = counsel

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Past Commitment & Future Promise - and Now

A young man emerged from a college final exam, a bit dazed from the three-hour ordeal. Waiting for him were his wife and young daughter. “In a voice edged with ecstasy,” the little girl called out, “There’s my Daddy!” The young man held his daughter tightly and “glanced over her head to the loving, encouraging look in the face of his wife … He would recover from what had happened to him in that examination—and quickly—for his present was rich with past commitment and future promise.” 

Past commitment and future promise, especially when we take an eternal perspective, are what get us through the rough spots of our daily lives. These commitments and promises can indeed make our present rich no matter the challenges. 

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“Strangers and Pilgrims”: The Challenge of the Real, p 41, Robert K. Thomas; in BYU Studies, Vol. 49 • No. 4 • 2010

More About Roads Et Al

Most of the parking spaces in this area are much narrower than in Ohio. Many of them are labeled "compact." Vehicles like this consider themselves "compact." It's often very difficult to squeeze your car into a spot - and even more difficult to get in and out of the car.

These pesky lane dividers are downright dangerous. They are perhaps 6 inches high and can easily be overlooked in the dark or when it is raining. Depending on the placement, they are painted white or yellow. Often the dividers appear on both sides of a lane, thus channeling the car into the lane - no changing your mind at the last minute to make a lane change. 

In our travels around the country we are convinced Ohio has the best road signage system. We miss the signs that give clear directions and plenty of warning - especially for freeway entrances. 

We've used our GPS navigator, Joe named her Eloise, quite a bit out here. She often takes a while to find herself and she's not much use in downtown Seattle. She spends a lot of time "recalculating." We think she gets confused by all the different levels of roads crisscrossing on top of each other. 

See this post for more comments on finding our way around. 

Road Work

Road work seems to follow a different pattern here. We notice that projects go on and on and on. 

Back in December work started on our street. It's all part of a sewer upgrade project. We received printed notices to let us know what was happening, when our access to the street might temporarily be blocked - and that if that happened they'd have a steel plate to put over the hole - but it might take time to put it in place. 

Our street was full of all sorts of equipment and workers. The workers were extremely polite. One day a neighbor couldn't get into her driveway. She parked in an office parking lot across the street and the workers helped carry the groceries. 

Now it's March and they are digging up the same strip all up and down the street and putting down asphalt - more noise and disruption. But these guys are tidy. 

Throughout the whole project, at the end of each day, everything is neatly stacked or parked and it looks like someone went through with a broom cleaning things up. 

This week when they were digging the trench again, a worker was out with a blower making sure nothing was left on the sidewalks or driveways.

The workers have been exceedingly polite and even apologetic when we've had to weave our way through the work zone. 

 

Excellence, Doing Your Best & Sharing

"The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it. "   Pearl S. Buck

Doing something "excellently" is indeed a joy. It's wonderful when each of us can find something at which we are excellent - and to find joy in work. I would add to Buck's quote something about finding joy in doing the best we can at something. When we're doing our best, whether or not someone else would call our effort "excellent," we can bring happiness to ourselves and others. I think there is excellence, and joy, in our best efforts. 

Mom and Dad taught us about work, to work hard, and to always do our best - that's what Holtons did. When they taught us to do something, no matter the task, we were shown how to do it well. We were expected to try hard and to do our best. 

This expectation was reinforced in high school when Virginia Freid, English teacher, handed back a paper with a grade of "B." I vividly remember her telling me that someone else might have gotten an "A" with that effort. But because I was a Holton, she knew I could do better and she expected me to do better.  Bob Smith taught biology in high school. He took me aside one day and gently but firmly told me I was coasting and could do much better if I applied myself more. I was getting "A's" but he knew and expected me to get even "better A's."

Dad was a wonderful example of sharing a talent that might not have been judged "excellent" by others - but it was his best effort. Dad enjoyed playing the piano. He was an OK pianist but not a great one. His feeling was that many people needed a "middling" pianist and he was glad to offer his services. There were lots of places that needed a best effort pianist and not a concert pianist. So he played for Rotary, Faith Mission, and other such organizations. He felt it was his responsibility to share the talent he had and not to hold it back because it wasn't "good enough." That has been a wonderful lesson and example to me. 

Mom and Dad taught by example the importance of sharing your efforts and talents. Both of them were actively involved in the community throughout their lives in London. Many individuals and groups benefitted from their involvement and best efforts. 

I am thankful to my parents for their teaching and example. I do find joy in working hard and doing my best - and perhaps even achieving excellence in some things. 

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PS - Miss Freid taught Dad and his brothers at the beginning of her teaching career. She taught a second generation of Holtons at the end of her career. 

Salt Lake City - More Pictures

Scenes around Salt Lake City

More pictures from my January visit

Notice the rooflines

Assembly Hall in front, several temple spires including one with Moroni, LDS Church office building

More rooflines to note - from the left - Tabernacle, Salt Lake Temple, LDS Church Office Building, Assembly Hall, Office and Condominium structures

Salt Lake Temple - more pictures here

The TRAX is an easy way to get around town

Sea gulls hold a special place in Utah lore.

These metal sea gulls are often joined by real seagulls. 

The end of January - these flowers were in a hurry to bloom. 

Mountains - beautiful vistas - all times of the day and night. The bottom image is taken from my hotel room. 

Music and the Spoken Word was even better than usual since the Orchestra at Temple Square was also playing. The message was "Generosity of the Spirit." It focused on a quote President Hinckley frequently used - about marriage and how generosity of spirit is what leads to a happy marriage. When you have generosity of spirit you likely have a heart like Heavenly Father’s and Jesus Christ’s. I walked into the Tabernacle in the middle of the rehearsal the choir does prior to the broadcast. They were singing “The Morning Breaks” - the orchestra was there, the organ was cranked up, and the choir was in full voice - gloriously celebrating  the fullness of the gospel and its truth! As I sat down I was totally encompassed by the Spirit and a feeling so full that tears came to my eyes. It was one of those moments that totally confirms the truthfulness and reality of all this. 

After the broadcast, the choir sings "God Be With You Til We Meet Again." This hymn always brings tears to my eyes and an ache to my heart. Even more so now with so many beloved ones on the other side - awaiting our return. Then the choir has a short rehearsal. It's interesting to watch the director work with this group of 360 people. He uses a keyboard and various sections practice their parts - sometimes a word or phrase is done over and over until it's right. 

The Christus statue is in a beautiful space that invites contemplation of Jesus Christ, His gospel, and His love for each one of us.

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Other posts about this trip are here and here.

sea gull image

Pictures of Spring

This flowering shrub was blooming near our place when we moved to Kirkland last year. This year's blooms are a reminder that a whole year has passed. 

Beginner's Luck - sculpture at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland

There are many flowers that are new to me - many of them are very intricate in design. Both of these plants have tiny, tiny blossoms. 

The temperature hit 50 Friday - and it was sunny.  Restaurants all over Kirkland set up their outdoor seating. We were surprised how many people were eating outside - you'd think it was the middle of summer. 

Pain, Scars & Healing

"Scars prove that we’ve been wounded. They reveal our weaknesses, our follies, our humanity, and they stand as a testament of the chance encounters we’ve had with pain. Second, scars prove that we’ve healed. Whatever wounds we have borne, as we look at our bodies each day, those scars are evidence that time does heal."*

My body bears quite a few scars. I inherited the tendency to form keliods (excessive scar tissue) from Mom. Most injuries that pierce my skin leave their mark. The big ones leave big marks. Over one eyebrow is the scar from the time I cracked my forehead on Gram and Poppie's table in Arlington Heights. As an adult I bent over quickly to dust something, hit my forehead on the corner of a table, and opened a gash between my eyebrows. Then there are the huge scars from my burn; those cover several areas of my body - still as vivid, to me, as they were back in 1953 when I was burned. My fingers show scars from various mishaps over the years. 

Life's experiences have left other scars, not all of them visible. Whenever one of those experiences comes to my mind, I am now going to check out one of my visible scars to help me remember the wonderful healing that has taken place in my life. 

Pain, scars, and healing bring to mind what Jesus Christ suffered for us. He is often portrayed with pierced hands, feet, and side. Those wounds came from His suffering for us - for our weaknesses, follies, and humanity. If we accept Him, the atonement, and His gospel into our lives, we will be healed. 

*Josh Allen

Recording Our Lives - Things Most Precious

Letters, journals, and now a blog - I have been recording experiences for years. This scripture reminds me what kinds of experiences and impressions to record.

"And he gave me, Jacob, a commandment that I should write ... a few of the things which I considered to be most precious."   Jacob 1:2

Most precious - wouldn't it be wonderful to know what our parents, grandparents, and other ancestors considered "most precious?" Records of any sort from our ancestors are treasures. Even more meaningful are records that give us insights into the kind of people they were and what and who were precious to them.

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Names In Joe Todd's Life

Maude – Why did the whole town of Urbana, OH call Mary Elizabeth Neely Todd Pepper – Maude or sometimes Maudie Peppers?  My mother married Ray Pepper in August of 1951 and moved to Urbana, OH. I chose to go with them rather than with my father in Auburn, IN. For some reason or other my mother began wanting to hug me tightly in front of my friends – she had not done this before. I asked her to please stop doing this, but she continued.  I had just seen a movie with a stubborn mule in it named “Maude” so I started calling her Maude or sometimes Maudie all the time. Up until that time I had called her Mommie when I was very young and later simply Mom.  Since we were new in town, one fellow asked me what my mother’s name was – I said “Maude Peppers” but my name is Joe Todd. Once when I stopped by the Rock Shop the place where she worked as an interior decorator, a clerk asked me why I called her Maude and I said that’s because that is her real name. Soon everyone in town (Urbana being a relatively small town) started calling her “Maude Peppers” including her husband and my friend and stepfather Ray Pepper. And, she remained that ever since.  She several times asked me why I called her Maude or Maudie and I said because you are as stubborn as that mule in the movie I saw. I never could figure out how it caught on so universally, but it did.

Trapper - This is what I called my maternal Grandfather Alonzo Solon Neely, MD. I was told that at a very young age my Grandfather and I were listening to some radio series that had some hero in it who was a fur trapper and apparently was simply referred to as Trapper – and for what ever reason I started calling him Trapper for then and all eternity. My mother called him Father – but Trapper came out of my mouth. Trapper had a number of names for me such as Piss Pot, Piss Ant, Hoss and Hoss Pistol – Mamaw also use to say to me (Don’t be a piss ant.”  in high school Trapper sometime called me “Skip” which was an early nickname name (Skipper) my parents always called me and friends called me in grade school – Julie uses this name on occasion.  

Mamaw – I called Trapper’s wife and my grandmother Elizabeth Gilmore Neely – Mamaw  - because Maude called her Mom and Mamaw came out of my mouth at an early age.

Far – my father called his father and my paternal grandfather Joseph Clinton Todd – “Father” and it came out of my mouth as “Far”

Lala – my father called his mother “mother” (Emily Robertson Todd). I have no idea where Lala came from!

Skipper -How did I get the name “Skipper” to begin with? I have no idea! But, I thought that was my name from the beginning of my memory – that is the name I learned how to spell in Hibbing preschool and all the way to half way through the 5th grade – I was sliding on a patch of ice during lunch time when a lady came up to me and said “what is your name?” and I said “Skipper Todd” and she said, “No it isn’t – it’s Joseph Todd, only she pronounced it “Jozeeph” – turns out she was to be my teacher for the second half of the 5th grade. The next two years I was at Howe Military School and my name was simply “Todd”. At the end of the 2nd year after I made up my mind that I was not going back to Howe, I just for fun signed my name “Captin Todd” in the year book of some kid and some teacher caught it and told me that “self promotion was not allowed” and besides I should learn how to spell it!

Another name that I was called in Urbana High School by my close friends was – “The Old Jew”. That name came about late one evening in the Paradise coffee shop when a news boy came in trying to get rid of his left over afternoon papers and I tried to talk him down to half price – the name stuck among the friends sitting as the table for the school year and with my close friend Courtney Lilley still to this day. Then there is another side to this name – when in college after the Navy and early in my career I had several other people come up to me and say things like “You’re a Jew aren’t you?”  One such incidence was in college when some girl in a class asked me to help her with her homework assignment. I was helping her in a coffee shop when her boyfriend came by and said “That’s my girl– you’re a Jew aren’t you?”  I responded with something like, “Why don’t you help her with her assignment” He got mad and “supervised” the rest of the session. On another occasion I was sitting with some friends in a public establishment and some stranger came from across the room and said “I don’t like you – you’re a Jew!” I had several other situations like that and they always have mystified me – people are strange. 

My Father also had some names for me early in my life who sort of became my imaginary companions for a few years. “Poopy Doop” whose origin is self-evident and “Big Boy” which was the hoped for direction of my development. I use to have dreams about them. After a while Poopy Doop dropped out of the picture, but Big Boy hung around me for a while longer. My Father also on occasion would call me “Abner Diddlewits” – I thought he told me once it was a comic strip charater, but Google finds no reference to it – but the inference of the name was clear.  I always enjoyed the name.  

Sister Todd – I started calling Julie (Julia Holton King Todd) Sister Todd on our mission to The Bahamas. At the time I told her to always remember when I called her Sister Todd in public that it was a secret code word for several other intimate names – I always had a big smile on my face and in my voice when I called her Sister Todd - Since that time I frequently call her Sister Todd  – also with a big smile on my face and in my voice.

St. Patrick's Day

The Cow and The Coyote watch over downtown Kirkland. They get decorated for each holiday. Click here to see their various costumes. 

Salt Lake City Visit - Temple Pictures

In January I spent several weeks in Salt Lake City visiting family, friends, and attending two genealogy conferences. I like taking pictures of the temple. I wish there were a way to capture the significance of the work and service that take place in temples, Houses of the Lord. 

Temple Square is comprised of 35 acres in the center of Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake Temple was constructed over a period of 40 years. It is one of 136 operating temples throughout the world. 15 more are under construction and 15 more have been announced. 

Holiness to the Lord

The House of the Lord

"Throughout history, the Lord has commanded His people to build temples. Temples are literally houses of the Lord. They are holy places of worship." In temples we learn about who we are, where we came from, and why we are here on earth - and what comes next. In temples individuals make sacred promises with God. See more here. 

Moroni is atop most LDS temples. Moroni is the prophet who compiled the ancient records which were translated and called the Book of Mormon. Moroni is shown with a trumpet to symbolize announcing "the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." (Revelation 14: 6)

Looking into reflecting pond in front of temple

These next photos are taken from the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I like the way the appearance of the temple changes as the light dwindles at the end of the day.

The temple looks massive, solid, otherworldly, grounded - a reminder of reaching heavenward and of making covenants with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ - and a whole host of feelings that are difficult to articulate. A temple and all that occurs within are reminders of and links to the other side. 

This night was clear and we could see the mountains distant in the valley.

Interesting variety of rooftops in these scenes  

I am thankful there are places where we can step out of the hustle and bustle of the world and focus on who we are, why we're here, and where we are going. This life is a time to learn and prepare for all that comes next. With the busyness of earth life, it is easy to lose track of the spiritual part of our being - our divine heritage and purpose.