Thoughts and stories, by Pal

These are fun photos to see --  Apostles at Their Weddings: Photo Gallery COMPILED BY KELSEY BERTEAUX & CARLY SPRINGER - JUNE 17, 2014 Summertime is wedding season, but even if you're not a "June Bride," you'll love these vintage pictures of the general authorities at their weddings. Summer is a popular time to tie the knot--even among the apostles! June, July, and August are the months with the most apostle marriages, each with three anniversaries apiece.  Celebrate the wedding "season" with this gallery of fun photos!  Not pictured: Elder Holland, Elder Scott, Elder Bednar, and Elder Cook Thomas S. Monson Married Frances Beverly Johnson on October 7, 1948 in the Salt Lake Temple.  Photo found in  To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson Henry B. Eyring Married Kathleen Johnson in July 1962.  Photo found in  I Will Lead You Along: The Life of Henry B. Eyring See also,  "7 Marriage Les...

I saw this recently on Seth Adam Smith's blog.  It really fascinated me, and I am so impressed with the courage and hope of this lovely LDS lady. Tomorrow, July 17th, 2014, I will be having a rotator cuff operation on my right shoulder, due to a full thickness tear where a tendon is supposed to be attached to the shoulder.  For awhile I will post inspirational messages I have kept, "for such a time as this".   I notice several of you are reading this blog from foreign countries, as well as the United States.  I would love to hear from any of you, or have you make a comment at the end of one of my entries if you'd like.   I'll answer any e mail I receive.  My e mail is:  paralee.eckman@gmail.com If you translate into your own language, I'm sure I can use Google translate to translate any of your messages.  I would love to make friends with any of you wherever you are.  I will update you on my recovery from time to time.  I use my ri...

I have written before about Haden Wells Church, and his wife Sarah Ann Arterbury Church in previous blogs.  If you want to read more, check under Church Haden Wells, and Church Sarah Ann Arterbury, and Arterbury Sarah Ann in the list of "Labels" on the left side.   They are especially mentioned in blogs # 164 and # 165.  There are many interesting stories about them. But they mostly have been about Haden, and his many missions, settling St. George, Utah, etc.  Today I'll tell about Sarah Ann's life, and some inspiring incidents in her brave, faithful, pioneer life.  This was written by my father's sister, Sarah Miles Wallace, my aunt, and is in her words.                   SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF SARAH ARTERBURY CHURCH                         BY GRANDDAUGHTER, SARAH M. WALLACE Sarah Ann Arterbury was born May 4, 1824 at Dallas County, Alabama. ...

With summer in full swing, I believe this article which was first printed in 2009 is very appropriate.  We raised our children in a very different era, the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's.  Even then, there were probably things that went on in sleep overs which we would have been appalled about.   It is especially pertinent the idea that even sleepovers with cousins can turn out bad.  Use your own judgement, but hopefully this article will provide you with good ammunition when your children request sleepovers.  I have condensed it somewhat, as it was quite long, but good.  I personally am aware of at least 3 situations in which a child was  exposed to bad sexual encounters at a sleepover. Reconsidering Sleepovers WENDY GREEN - FEBRUARY 20, 2009 I remember sleepovers from my childhood. I was a less-active youth and didn't always have solid "do not's" from my single-parent father, which often left the door open to participate in sleepover ac...

I like to read several inspirational things each day -- I subscribe to LDS Living, Meridian Magazine, and Latter Day Light Devotion, which come free to my e mail each day.  I also receive some blogs when their authors write one.  Today I want to put together some small parts which I have saved, thinking we all would enjoy reading them -- So here are a few various thoughts --  On June 2, 2014, I took this from Latter Day Light Devotion, which was an incident during "Zion's Camp" in Church history -- I find this very interesting! To subscribe to this newsletter   visit  www.latterdaylight.com 1834  - Zion's Camp ferried across the Illinois River. They had been threatened by their enemies, but there were no problems. They encamped on the bank of the river. They visited several of the ancient burial mounds built by the ancestors of the Native Americans in the area. On top of one mound, the brethren dug the "depth of about one foot, discovered the skeleton...