Happy New Year to all!

May 2005 bring you and yours a happy, healthy, and prosperous year!

A thought

Mira and I were reading our scriptures this morning, and an interesting thought popped up.
First off, my BIL the bishop gave us a copy of The Book of Mormon for Latter-day Saint Families for our wedding almost two years ago. We've been re-reading the BofM since we've been married, and we decided to read from this particular book this time because it had interesting quotes and footnotes. Today we read 23 Alma, and there was a note about verse 17 where the converted Lamanites changed their name to the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. Now, growing up, I had always heard the term "anti" and was told that it was something that was against something else. Imagine my surprise when I read the footnote at the bottom of the page:

The Book of Mormon does not tell us why these converted Lamanites chose the name Anti-Nephi-Lehies. One meaning of the word anti at the time of Joseph Smith was "mirror image of." Perhaps these new believers wanted to be just like Lehi and Nephi, their righteous ancestors (see Joseph Fielding McConkie and others, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon 3:165)(p 333).

So could the anti-Christ be a mirror image of Christ, but not? You know what I mean? Like in the musical Cats. Near the end, the evil cat Macavity kidnaps the leader of the cats, Old Deuteronomy. Later, it appears that Old Deuteronomy has returned, but one of the female cats jumps on him, and it turns out to be Macavity in disguise.
Anyway, it's something to think about.

It's about time!

I got news at my mom's tonight at dinner that a couple I knew in my home ward is finally getting married.
As youth, we all assumed that "Harold" and "Sara" would tie the knot one day. He picked her up for seminary and they went to school together. They hung out at the youth functions together and were always friendly towards each other. I don't think they were ever officially a couple, but it was understood, if you follow me, that those two would get married. Harold went to BYU, then left on a mission to Argentina (?), got back this summer, and I assume went back to BYU. Sara went to another Utah college when she graduated, and that's the last I had ever heard of her.
It was a big shock to hear the news, but at the same time, I'd been expecting it. From what I understand, they're getting married in July, but that's all I know. I don't know what temple, what day, anything like that. Hopefully my family can keep me posted, since they live in the same ward as Harold's parents. His folks will finally have all of their kids married off. ^_^
Good luck Harold and Sara!

Merry Christmas to all!

"It's Christmas Adam!"

Said my nephew last night. "Because tomorrow's Christmas Eve!"
Hahaha! ^_^ (Well, I thought it was cute, anyway.)

Pop Holiday music on Launch

Recently, I started listening to pop versions of holiday songs on Launchcast, like Jewel's version of Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Adam Sandler's famous Chanukah Song (actually, I'm still waiting to hear it). But for the moment I've been paying more attention to the Christmas carols by pop acts. Currently, I've got Clay Aiken's version of The First Noel. It's kinda nice to hear songs about the Savior sung by popular voices. The only downside is that you can only listen to a Christmas carol so many times, as with many other songs.
The station doesn't focus on just Christmas, but it also has a couple dealing with Chanukah, your generic Happy Holidays songs, and even one about Kwanzaa! Now they need some about Yule/Solstice, and Saturnalia, andthey'll be all set! (A side note: I've posted on the Learn About (Neo)Paganism board at Beliefnet and asked them about those three holidays. When I get some answers, I'll post them, even if only for my own benefit.)

Hey, cool...

I've seen this on a couple other sites and thought it would be a good tool to keep track of others that might just possibly link to me. For the past few days, all I've had is me posting from Blogger and technical junk like that.
Well, imagine my surprise to see an actual link from an actual blog! Woohoo! Thank you to Ebenezer Orthodoxy for noticing that I'm alive and blogging. Well, as much as I can, that is. ^_^

Praying for Grandpa

My folks and my brothers went out to Utah Friday through Sunday to visit my grandpa (dad's dad) in Tooele. He's been in and out of the hospital with pneumonia for a while and currently resides in a nursing home near his daughter and her family (my aunt, dad's sister). He's losing track of time now; he thinks grandma died three weeks ago, and it's been five years (this from the man who fixed watches and clocks for a living).
My dad tells me he joined the military 63 years ago on the 3rd (3 December 1941). He'll be 91 on Christmas Day. After the first of the year, we're going to have a family fast and pray that he will soon be out of pain and released from mortality. This is hard, but it's really for the best; then he can be with his wife again. That'll be good for him.
In other news, we're still waiting for a time to go to the temple to seal Nana and Papa to their girls. I hope it's soon.

Making his mark on the world

My brother-in-law the bishop dropped by today with a cd. The performer currently goes by the name on his tag: Elder Dent. But when he goes back home, he'll go by his first name: Leland*.
Elder Dent was serving as a missionary in our ward until a couple months back; I think this was his first area. He would play piano prelude for my hubby when he was unable to play on the the organ, and when Mira was released because of health problems, he would play when the new organist couldn't get there in time to play prelude. His talent lies in the fact that he plays by ear and does wonderful improvs on the hymns. He's even written his own music. There's just no stopping this guy!
Even though he serves the Lord and his fellow man by preaching the Gospel, he also serves by performing his music. My family had the opportunity, when he and his companion would come to dinner, to hear him play, and they always left our home with the Spirit.
I wish good luck to Elder Dent on his mission and in all his life after he returns with honor.

*The website is a bit sparse at the moment, but I expect it will bloom further after his mission.

I hope they call me on a mission...

Well, we went to see our nephew's farewell talk today, then had our monthly family home evening, but left before his open house. He's due at the MTC on 15 December, and will be going to Las Vegas West for two years! Congratulations!
Then we also got word that another nephew will be going to San Fernando, California and will be in a Spanish-speaking area. He's due at the MTC in January. Great news! Another Spanish-speaking missionary in the family, besides my husband.
I'm so excited for all my missionary nephews: one in Russia (he'll be home next year!), one waiting to go to Taiwan (long story), and our two that are headed out within a month of each other. I wish them all the best of luck and pray that they'll be safe.

Happy Thanksgiving to all! ^_^

With love,
Sister T

Happy (Early) Thanksgiving!

I don't know if I'll be on tomorrow, since I've got family coming over at one for dinner (more like lunch), then I'm going to my mom's later in the afternoon for an early dinner, so I figured I'd better post a Thanksgiving post today, just in case.
With that in mind, what am I thankful for?
First and foremost, I'm thankful that Christ lived, died for my sins, and was resurrected. I'm also thankful that Joseph Smith, pondering over which church to join, prayed in the Sacred Grove and saw God the Father and Jesus Christ, who helped him bring the fullness of the Gospel to the earth once again. To my Father, I owe everything: my wonderful parents, who raised me in a righteous home, my terrific siblings who continue to grow in the Gospel, and my many wonderful relatives, both past and present.
He has also given me the best husband a woman could ask for (and subsequently, amazing in-laws). I'm thankful that I was able to go with him to the temple a year and eight months ago and be sealed as his wife (and future mother of his children), not just in this life, but in the eternities to come. I'm thankful to know that I can be with my family forever, and that I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. They are companions, and written proof that God loves us and that we are His children.
There are many hymns that can express the gratutide I feel, but I think the best one would have to be Because I Have Been Given Much. Unfortunately, it's copyrighted, so I can't post it, but in a nutshell, I've been blessed with a lot in my life, so I need to be grateful and pass my blessings on to others.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody!
Sister T

Talkin' 'bout my generation

We went to a reception for our SP's oldest son this evening, who was sealed to his wife in Chicago early last month. I've been thinking about all the people I knew as youth who are now getting married, and it's interesting how many have been married, or will soon take the plunge, since I've been married. As far as I can tell, it all started with Mira and me. After that came a friend of Mira's, then my sister, then my nephew, then I hear a couple people I knew from my home ward are getting married, then a couple in my current ward (he finally proposed a month or so ago!), then the SP's son, and a guy that Mira knew is getting married next month. We're all growing up so fast!

The day is almost here!

The St. Louis Missouri temple
On the 20th, my mom's mom will have been gone a year, and on that day, my mom wants her work done, and she will be sealed to her sister and parents as an eternal family!
Nana and Papa (her folks) had a stillborn daughter, whom I was named after, and they adopted my mom four years later. She grew up Episcopalian and converted when she was a teenager. Her parents never joined.
Papa passed away last March, and his work has already been done. My mom cried when my dad, who works at the temple on Wednesday nights, announced that her dad was given the priesthood by proxy that night. (As a matter of fact, I think he was the one who bestowed it on him. I'd have to ask him.)
In two and a half weeks, Nana will be able to have her work done. I think my mom is going to stand as proxy for her. What's even cooler is that Mira and I will be able to stand as proxy for her parents when the sealing is done. (I find that slightly amusing: a daughter and son-in-law standing in as parents for the daughter's mother.)
With that in mind, I've asked for some prayers at Beliefnet in the LDS section that my husband be given the strength to go to the temple when we do the sealing. It worked a while back when my nephew went through for the first time, and I have faith that he will be able to endure this as well.

Don't forget to vote!

And may God bless whomever we elect as President, that he will be able to lead our country effectively and wisely.

Halloween and beyond

I love Halloween. It's a time to dress up and have fun with family and friends. This year, I had two costumes; they consisted of the same clothes, but different accessories. On Friday night, our ward had it's annual trunk-or-treat, and I was all dressed in black. Mira decided to dress all in blue, so we went as a bruise. ^_^ The bishop (my brother-in-law) and his wife went as Jack and Jill. She held a pail and he wore a Burger King crown with a rip in it.
Then Saturday I went to my home ward for their annual chili cook-off and trunk-or-treat. I was going to dress all in black again, but my mom suggested I go as a cat. As I was looking for the tail, ears, and muzzle, I found my dad's black cowboy hat. Inspiration struck, and I had my costume. I went as "Cat" Ballou (from the movie of the same name). Dad won the Spiciest Chili Award, yet again. When he went up to accept his award, he wore a Grim Reaper costume, complete with real scythe! My neice was dressed as a biker baby, complete with leather skirt and jacket. She was so cute! And there were quite a few cats; even had a "kitten". ^_^
At both events, the cultural hall was packed! We had quite a few people attend, and some even brought friends. I was helping my mom pass out candy, and we quickly ran out, there were so many kids! And we made 60-70 bags of candy!
I was going to go to a party last night, but my conscience quickly caught up with me, so I didn't go. Sorry Lar! So that's my Halloween adventure, such as it is.
I don't know why people make such a big deal over Halloween. The biggest complaint I have is with people who demonize it. "Don't you know it's Satan's birthday?" That's quite a feat, since Satan was never born. He was cast out of heaven, and has been denied his own body. There are many more complaints, but they have totally skipped my mind.
Now that Halloween is over, I can look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'll be involved in another stake Christmas cantata this year. It's a few of us that were in the flute group last year, plus some others that I haven't met yet. We're practicing Infant Holy, Infant Lowly. It's basically the same tune of Stars Were Gleaming in the children's songbook. It's very pretty.

Ah, to go back...

Last night, my husband and I attended the temple to support our nephew who is due at the MTC in December. He'll be going to the Las Vegas West mission.
With Mira's back being the way it is, we haven't been able to attend as much as we would like to. This week, I'd been praying that he would be able to attend, even fasted the day of for him. Sure enough, he was able to go! He had some pain and was uncomfortable, but he was able to do all the things he needed to do (except stand up, but it was ok). It's been so long since we've been there, and I was thrilled to be able to go back.
Since I really wanted him to be there (I've been without him, and it's just not the same), I even did my best to watch what I did, just to make sure. I was careful with what I read, watched, listened to, etc. That may have helped, I think. Who knows? All I know is that my hubby and I were able to visit the Lord's house, and it was good to be there.

Conference Today!

Today was the conclusion of the 174th General Conference. The "Motabs" sang at both sessions, and I saw my uncle in the choir (well, about 3/4 of his face, at any rate). We also had the two vacancies in the Quorum of the 12 filled. The men were Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf and Elder David A. Bednar. Good luck, guys!

Some bring their babies...

And some bring their puppies. The Relief Society General Broadcast was tonight, and we usually have a dinner beforehand. Tonight we had a taco salad/nacho buffet and the Stake Presidency served while some other brethren bussed tables and refilled water glasses.
Even though there was a nursery, there were still quite a few babies that needed maternal attention. At our table (my MIL and I sat with some sisters from our ward) there was a grandmother with a baby and her (step?)daughter sat with us with a little one of her own: a cocker spaniel/black lab/possible rottweiler puppy, whose eyes had only opened a day or two beforehand. He was so cute! I got to hold him after dinner, and he fell asleep in my arms. Aw, what a sweet thing!

Well, the broadcast was excellent. Thomas S. Monson was funny. He says he realized that he was the minority, and that he should be careful with what he says. Bonnie Parkin, the General RS prez made a comment about thanking the sisters for all the casseroles they've made. I got to play the "Look for your relative" game when the Choir sang. One of my aunts used to be in it a number of years ago, and since she left, one of my uncles has been in it. Well, the choir this evening was composed of current and former female Motab members, so I looked for my aunt. And there she was. She was in front of a woman kinda in the middle with short white hair. And since she was kinda in the middle, I was able to look at her when the choir sang with the congregations. That was kinda cool.

All in all, it was a good evening. I went back for seconds and we had apple crisp with ice cream for dessert. Woohoo.

I've been proselytized!

Just as I was getting ready to use my father-in-law's weights to build up my arms, I heard the doorbell ring. "Well, what if it's important?"
So I came up the steps and saw through the window some people holding what looked like they might have been suitcases. Well, we're expecting some family from Mississippi who are coming to stay with us because they were told to evacuate because of the impending hurricane (so it's gonna hit part of Mississippi, too?). Nope. I opened up the door and it was two elderly gentlemen wearing rather nice church-looking clothes holding briefcases. They were Jehovah's Witnesses. I told them I was busy, but would accept the mini-magazines that they were handing out (just to be nice). I wasn't necessarily lying, I did have to work out. Then I had to make breakfast, vacuum the floors, do some homework, etc.
I've seen these magazine things they give out before. They usually have at least one picture of what it'll be like during the Millenium: everybody will grin like Cheshire cats. It wasn't until I was benching 50 lbs. (I'm a weakling) that I came up with different things I could have said, like, "I see your church everytime I go to my church. Have you ever heard of the Latter-day Saints?" Or maybe even throw in, "I read the Bible, but I also read a few other scriptures. Have you ever read the Book of Mormon?" But instead, I just said, "Well, God bless you both."
I remember standing at the busstop one cold morning waiting to catch my bus to take me to class, when a car pulled up by me and a guy got out and gave me some of the magazines. I'm thinking, "Ok, as a witness of Christ, could you show some Christian compassion and give me a ride?" But I can't really say anything. I try not to pick up folks on the side of the road. You never know when they'll turn out to be a Jack the Ripper character. But I'm not like one of those. Usually. ^_^

On John 3:5

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God".
This verse means that in order to "enter into the kingdom of God", we must be baptized and given the Spirit, or the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Now, I don't know a whole lot about being "born again" and "saved", as it relates to different denominations. As far as I know, Latter-Day Saints, Catholics, Baptists, and some other mainline Christian denominations believe that you need to be baptized. The methods are different (sprinkling as opposed to immersion), but the idea is still the same: being born of water.
So, how are some considered "saved" and "born again" by simply proclaiming belief in Christ? "I prayed to God, told Him I was a sinner, and that I wanted to be saved. So I invited Him into my life and I've been saved ever since." How is that justified if the Bible states that you need to be baptized in order to be accepted into the kingdom of God?
Please, don't point out other doctrines and ask me about them, especially in regards to LDS doctrine. That is not the point. Please stick to the question at hand.

"For the temple is a holy place where we [were] sealed together"

I started thinking today, out of nowhere, about when I announced that I was getting married. All my friends are non-members, so since I was having a temple wedding, they wouldn't be able to actually see the happy event. I didn't think until after the fact about having a ring ceremony for them to have a sense of participation in the whole thing, outside of the reception. If I could do it all over again, I would have added that to the list of events. I apologize now for not doing so.
I made up my mind as a young woman that I wanted to be married in the temple. And when we finally had one in St. Louis, I had it set in stone. True, I could have had a regular wedding first, but I would have had to wait a year until we could go to the temple and be sealed.
I wish that I could have had my friends there to see the tear that rolled down my cheek when I said that I would be taken as Mira's wife (not his real name). I wish that they could have heard the promises we made to each other in that sacred place. It would have been nice to have the rest of my family there as well. One day, I hope to see my siblings do the same.
I hope that if my non-member friends have any questions, they'll get in touch with me and I will try and explain to the best of my abilities. There's a lot I can't say because of it's sacred nature, but I'll do what I can.

I'm confuzzled...

I was on my way to see my father-in-law, a dentist, about a wisdom tooth I have that's bugging me. My gums are infected, so I'm on amoxicillin to get rid of the bacteria and I'm taking aspirin for the pain. It turns out my tooth is coming up straight like it should and has just barely enough room, but I can keep it.
Anyway, back to the point. In order to get there, we had to pass into my old neighborhood. In my old neighborhood, there is a church, and that church usually has cute signs out front, like, "Sign broken. Hear message inside". Today's message really made me think. But not in the deep religious, philosophical way, mind you. I wondered about the message that they were trying to send across:

"God grades on the cross, not on the curve."

Excuse me? The first thing that I thought was that today was the 3rd anniversary of the bombing of the World Trade Center towers. 11 September. Are they saying what I think they're saying? Or am I making something out of nothing?

The book's better than the movie

My husband and I have a temporary movie pass at the local Blockbuster store to rent as many movies as we want in one month (two at a time) for $15 or so. So we've been renting some movies that we've wanted to see or that looked halfway interesting that we didn't see in theatres because we can. ^_^ He went the other day and rented the Book of Mormon movie. My recently married nephew said he didn't like it, but we decided we'd make up our own minds about it.
We didn't watch the whole thing. We saw the first twenty minutes or so, then fast forwarded to see a few scenes, but all in all, we weren't impressed. It was too theatrical. The actors in this movie were like actors on stage, speaking a bit louder and kinda unnatural in order to be heard.
I've seen some of the cartoons about it, and I think I like them better. As far as non-members go, I think it's a good way for them to be introduced to the church. But as for me and my husband, the book is better.

"The eternal 'Why?' of a child!"

I thought it would be years, at least until I had my own kids, before I'd see the inquisitive eyes and hear the age-old question of "Why?". But it happened yesterday. Twice.
The first kid, I'll call him "Buttons", asked me the first time. I had commented on one rather thirsty kid during snack time, and had said something about water being good. "Why teacher?"
"Well, because it's good for your body. It keeps your insides working."
"But why teacher?" So I came up with a couple more explanations as to why water was good for us. Still he persisted. So I told him that it's because how Heavenly Father made us. "But why, teacher?"
"You'd have to ask Him." That got him.
Later, another kid, "Sparky", asked me the question a few times, but I can't remember what he asked me for. He wasn't as persistent as Buttons was. *whew*

"Why? Why? Why? The eternal 'Why?' of a child!"

"The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom

My mother-in-law loaned it to me earlier this week, and I just finished reading it. It's a very good book! Despite the title, the book does not deal with five types of people one will meet in Heaven. Rather, it tells the story of a man named Eddie who dies while trying to save a little girl's life at the amusement park he's worked at for practically his entire life. Upon arriving on the other side, he meets five different people in succession, who have had something to do with his life and how he lived it. Each of these people have also gone through the exact same thing that he has, and are waiting for him so that they may tell him how their lives have also affected him, and impart knowledge on him. A very good read, in my book (no pun intended).

An interesting article on another's view

I came across this article on Beliefnet (see link sidebar) today and thought it might be interesting to others.
It's a Hindu's view of Christ and his divine gift of healing. Very cool.

After the "I do"'s...

We just came back from the reception. It was very nice. My new neice (who's three years older than I) is so cute, and she looks good with my nephew.
The décor was beautiful. There was a real working fountain in the church cultural hall (the gym), and a "tree-lined path" where the receiving line was. There were lights strung up all around, bigger than Christmas tree bulbs, but with softer light, and the tables had little satchels, one with a lavendar scent, and the other one with Jordan almonds. The food was delicious, and the cake was amazing (buttercream icing!). There were two kinds: chocolate and lemon. I was full and didn't feel like having cake, but we were sent home with a slice of each. I ended up having a bite of both when I got home. I wanted to eat the whole slice of chocolate! But I'll save it for later.
Anyway, fun to be had by all: love in the air, friends to see, cameras to smile at... and cake!

I do...

My oldest nephew and his sweetheart were sealed today. I didn't go because I opted to stay with my husband, who wasn't feeling too well (his back was acting up again). They're having a ring ceremony because her family members are not LDS, then the reception is after that. Good luck to the happy couple!

We have values after all!

The amendment banning gay marriage passed and the casino has been rejected! I just read it about ten minutes ago. ^_^ Turns out that this state knows what it's doing...

You know something's wrong with the world...

...when you have to define marriage as between one man and one woman. That was on our local ballot today, along with a proposition to build another casino in one area. I was asked to work the election for today, but I declined. I didn't feel very comfortable thinking about it. Of course, since I stayed home, nothing bad probably even happened. Oh well; that's just the way things work, I guess.
I'm hoping that the marriage amendment passes. Now don't get me wrong, I know people who are gay, and we are all brothers and sisters in God's eyes. But He's also said that marriage is ordained by Him, and it's strictly between one male and one female. The way I see it, if the amendment doesn't pass, it will only be a temporary "victory" for those for gay marriages (Divorce lawyers would love it, I think... more divorces = more money), but it will not be eternal.

Can't Think of a Place I'd Rather Be...

The bend of the river will be very lonely each summer without over six hundred performers, hundreds of stagehands, tech workers, etc., and thousands of spectators to keep it company. Since 1976, The City of Joseph pageant has been performed in Nauvoo, Illinois, and after 28 years and 196 performances, it will be no more. My parents were there to see the first run, and my family was there to see the final one. The man who originated it was my mom's bishop.
We would always go up and see the dress rehearsal. It was less crowded and just as good. It would have been nice if they would have waited two more years. It could have been given a 30-year run. Oh well, such is life.
I had always thought it would be neat to be in it. As a matter of fact, my sister and I thought it would be neat to be in it, but found that they take families first, and our folks probably couldn't get the (at least) month or so off to practice, so we never did. But it still would have been neat. I did get to meet one of the original cast members, though. In one scene, there's a girl named Amy and at my very first Enrichment meeting, she came to speak on the life of Emma Smith. That was neat. Almost as neat as having an LDS author as a seminary teacher (Becky Paget, author of The Belle of Nauvoo and Romancing the Nephites). ^_^

On another note, a sad one, we've lost another Apostle. David B. Haight died early this morning. My condolences go out to the family of the once oldest living apostle (97!).

Called Home

Elder Neal A. Maxwell passed away after a battle with leukemia. Here's some information from the  church website:
http://www.lds.org/newsroom/showrelease/0,15503,3881-1-19712,00.html

Apologetics: So there!

It's not often that I read apologetics, but recently, I have found some good ones.
What? You've never heard of apologetics? Well, neither had I until a month or so ago. Let me put it this way: It's a way of saying, "So there!" Basically, people do research on topics that people may have questions on, like where we get the idea of baptism for the dead, and answer them. FAIRLDS is a good place to start. Jeff Lindsay posts ap's on his blog, but also has a website for them as well.
Yes, LDS.org and Mormon.org (see links) are good places for beginning investigators to see what we believe, but for those who are hard core enthiusiasts, these sites are probably good places to search as well.

Called Home

My mom's friend's mother passed away about 3:15 Saturday morning. My siblings and I called her Auntie Ree. Her daughter was like another sister to my mother, and we consider her our aunt.
I thought her funeral was tomorrow, but it turned out that it was today! I thought only the viewing was today. I called my mom and left a message on her machine apologizing for not making it. I was sure she told me that the funeral was tomorrow... I wasn't able to get a hold of her (her cell was off), so I checked the obits of the local newspaper online, and there it was. Drat!
She was married to her husband for almost 50 years. Here's an excerpt from her obit: "...loving sister-in-law, 'Auntie Ree' to her nieces and nephews and all who adopted her; a mother to Madeline N. of C*********, Sandra P. of St. J***** and Colleen B. of St. L**** C*****.
She worked many years as an election judge and gave joy and happiness to all who have known her. She lived fully and bravely through overwhelming trials and seven decades. Her humor, love and friendship will be missed by all."
God be with you 'til we meet again, Auntie Ree.

I've been linked!

I have a new link in the sidebar to a website that started a week or so
ago. And guess who has their link on the site. Yep, me!

The webmaster posted in the LDS section of Beliefnet looking for
pro-LDS stories and testimonies. Just on a lark, I posted a bit about
me and a few experiences I have had in my life. It's neat to see your
name and story on a website other than your own or a friends' or family
members'. He put up a link to my blog, along with that of another guy
that I frequently read. (He's in my links, too.) I'm pretty excited.

A Little LDS Humor

I figured it was about time to put a bit o'humor into this blog o'mine. Here's some for ya:

How many Mormons does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Would you believe, at least ten? One to conduct, one to play the piano, one to lead the singing, one to give the opening prayer, one to bring the lightbulb, one to bring the chair, one to give a thought on changing lightbulbs, one to do the job, one to give the closing prayer, and one to bring refreshments.

If you've ever been to a party and spiked the punch with Mountain Dew, you might be LDS.
If at a wedding, the bride's not pregnant, but her mother is, you might be LDS.
If most of your tupperware has your last name written on it on a piece of tape, you might be LDS.

Some more humor can be found at this website. Have fun!

160 years...

Today is the sexticentennial (is this a real word?) of the deaths of Joseph Smith and his Brother Hyrum. One hundred and sixty years ago today was the day that Hyrum, being shot first, exclaimed, "I am a dead man!" and Joseph, jumping out of the window to lead the mob away from the others, said simply, "O Lord, my God!".
I have always been grateful for what he has done in bringing back to earth the greatest gift known to man, second only to the life of Christ and His death and resurrection so that all may live again. I am grateful to Joseph Smith for being curious enough to ask sincerely what he should do in that grove of trees so long ago.
Our stake youth went to youth conference in Nauvoo this year to do baptisms in the temple that has been restored there. I have been to Nauvoo many times myself over the years. As a matter of fact, I am going again with my family to see the last City of Joseph pageant this year. My parents were there the first year that the pageant started, and they intend to be there for the last. But it will most certainly not be the last time I go to Nauvoo. I hope to be able to go again and do sacred work in the Lord's house that has been restored there.
To read more about the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum, go to Section 135.
"My God, how great Thou art!"

Called Home

A sister in our ward, who had been battling melanoma, passed away yesterday. She was slightly excited to be leaving this earth and going home, as she would be out of pain. I don't know how old she was, just that she and her husband have a young teenage son with Down's syndrome(?).
My Relief Society prez called to see if I would bring a dinner over to them this evening. My mom was compassionate service director for a number of years, so I know what I'm doing. After all, guess who helped her take the food? ^_^ So we're taking the family some lasagna, salad, and some mac & cheese later this evening. It's probably not much, but it's something.
The man who informed me was our former stake patriarch, and is the unofficial funeral director of the church in the area. He did my grandmother and dedicated the graves of my mom's parents. He'll do my grandpa when he goes as well. I don't know what we'll do when he finally passes; he's up there in age, but still going strong.
In other news, President Hinckley is still going strong, even though he turned ninety-four on Wednesday. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, along with twelve others. Way to go!

An Increase

I figured that I needed to start practicing my flute again. Increasing your talents, you know? I hadn't touched it in a while, so I thought I'd bring it out while my husband's friend was here. After setting up, I found the music to I Heard Him Come, and I played right through it almost perfectly. I was so surprised! Well, the tune may not have been totally right, but I got it close enough. ^_^ I guess I'm better than I thought... Or maybe it was a fluke. Who knows?
Anyway, I don't know why I decided to share this knowledge, but I did.

What's on my mind tonight?

I have been released as a Valiant 10 teacher and have been called to be in the nursery. Nineteen kids under the age of three, thirteen boys and six girls; three of the boys and one of the girls I have not met yet. It's familiar territory, as this was my very first official calling in my home ward. They can be a bit hectic at times, but they're so cute. Some of them warm up to you kinda quickly, but then there's some you still have to work at. People used to ask me if having to be in the nursery is good birth control. Not exactly. I still want kids one of these days, just not now. I figure though, that if I'm not blessed with children, at least I'll have had spent some time with other children. That and I'll be the cool aunt. Hey, it could happen!
Just for grins, I went to the church website and looked at my picture on the membership page for my ward, and was surprised at how short I really am and how tall my husband really is! I barely come up to his shoulder in this picture, I'm tiny in stature, and he's very broad shouldered. I look like his teenage daughter! It's very scary...
I went a family reunion this weekend. One of my great-uncles is a minister, and he usually gives a prayer over the meal. I found myself interjecting "Thee"'s, "Thou"'s, and "Thine"'s in my mind in place of the "You"'s and "Your"'s that he used. I'm used to using the flowery language found in scriptures in my prayers, and have this habit of interjecting what I feel to be more appropriate language into the prayers of others.
I read an article on Beliefnet that I found to be rather interesting on father's rights in cases of abortion. It talked about how the fathers of aborted babies more often than not have no say in whether or not the fetus is aborted. In the case of one man, he and his girlfriend were going to have a baby and had everything planned, but she decided to get rid of it without telling him. Even though he would have had responsibility to raise the baby and pay child support anyway, she went ahead. I still don't see why some women don't just go through with it anyway and give the baby up for adoption. There are hundreds of infertile couples in America. Why deprive them of the possibility of adopting? Give the baby to somebody who wants it. But anyway, that's kinda off topic. I don't want to stir up controversy...


A thought: "The power of your prayer depends on you."

A loophole... or not.

I read a story in The New Era about a girl who had to practice a dialogue with a friend in drama class that had some profanity in it. Of course, she didn't use any of the curses and modified her part so she wouldn't have to swear.
Until I read that story (Annette Antonelli, “Example Speaks Loudest,” New Era, Mar. 1994, 49), I thought it would be great to be an actor, because since profanity was in the script, I had to say it. This was a loophole for a kid who was always told not to swear and thought it would be cool to do so. *cue Seminary video music* But when I read that story, I thought that it was a good idea, that she was smart to stand up for what she believed in, and I could do the same.
Don't ask why I brought this up. I guess it was because I was thinking about it today. Come on, I need something to talk about here! Give me some credit. ^_^ After all, it is Thoughts by Sister T.

Why "The Movie"?

Oh my goodness! I was just at IMDb and, on a lark, I typed in Saturday's Warrior. Ever since I've been on that website, they've never had it. So I was expecting to see a list of movies that had the words saturday and warrior, as usual. But imagine my surprise to see a page for the movie! It's very scarce at the moment, but as time progresses, I know there will be more.
But with any good movie, there looms a remake. And this beloved movie is to become one of them. Yes, dear friends, Saturday's Warrior is being remade. There's even an official website, which as of now consists of a picture and nothing else. My question is, why?! It was perfectly fine as a video. Why does it need to be remade? Reading the synopsis made me slap my forehead in disbelief.
You know, I have seen the movie so many times, and listened to the stage libretto on tape countless times, I practically know the entire movie by heart. Yes, I know that's sad. But hey, it's a great movie. I still cry at the end.

I suppose an explanation is in order...

Imagine my surprise to find a comment this evening! Turns out it's from a friend of mine, who found this on my profile. But that's ok. Guess I forgot to mention why I want to keep this blog separated from my others.
Mainly, I want this one to be religiously themed. I've been thinking recently about having a blog that has more of a focus on my beliefs and anything else that deals with religion. It wasn't until I was at my parents' home and I couldn't sleep that I decided to go through with it. I read others on the "bloggernacle", and they have motivated me to write about the things I believe, think, ponder, and speculate upon. (Thanks guys and gals!)
Well, I guess this would make a good first topic. My dad is a heretic, and he'll admit it. He has quite a few specualtions; he could probably write a book about them. ^_^ For instance, he says that Christ will return on 6 April 2042. He gave a good reasoning, but I can't remember the facts, unfortunately. Suffice it to say, he had what he sees as convincing evidence. I myself once thought it'd be in 2033 because He was 33 when He died. Besides, He didn't return on 2000 or 2001, and practically everybody was convinced that was when the Millenium was going to start. Yes, a millenium has started, but not the Millenium.
Well, I guess this is enough for now. Hopefully my well of thoughts doesn't dry out too soon. After all, I'm only on my third post!

Just a little note...

As I'm still in the early stages of this blog, I will probably not advertise it much until I have a few more posts. If you somehow stumble upon this blog and, for some reason, want to link to it, that's fine by me. Just please let me know before you do so. I'm doing the same for other blogs I read. That way, it doesn't come as a surprise to the blogger to see that somebody they didn't know linked to them.
Anyway, I'll try and post as soon as I find something to ramble on about. ^_^ Have a good night!

Sister T's Thought for the Day: I don't know about in other states, but in Missouri at any rate, we have signs in the grassy areas by the highways that say Prairie Rehab. Do you think that it's just an excuse to not have to cut the grass?

Testing, one, two three...

Is this thing on? Ok, here goes...
Hello, I'm Sister T, and I'm a young, married LDS woman, as you can see by my blog header. I have a couple other blogs, but I'd like to keep them separate from this one.
Anyway, I've been married for over a year. My husband, Brother M, and I were sealed in the St. Louis temple and we've never been happier. We're both in school and we're not ready to have kids yet, but we do have some fish and that keeps us busy enough.
I suppose you're wondering why I've chosen this name. Well, I like to keep my real name off-line as best as possible, and I do the same with my friends and family members as best I can. My name starts with a "T", and we use the terms "brother" and "sister" in our church. Hence why my name is Sister T and my husband is reffered to as Brother M.
A little more background on me: I have just been called to be in the Nursery, after teaching the Sunbeams (three to four year-olds) for nine months or so, and the Valiant 10's (nine to ten year-olds) for five. My husband accompanied me in those callings, along with being ward organist, which he's done practically since he's been home from his mission. I was in the Nursery for about a year or so in my home ward before I got married, so this will be familiar territory for me.
Anyway, this is me so far. I'll try to post as often as I can.
Sister T