Thoughts and stories, by Pal

   AREN'T WE GRATEFUL FOR THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD? !  Today we are going to spend the day with the newest Melchizedek Priesthood holder in our family -- our grandson whose farewell today precedes his going into the MTC Wednesday to go to Indonesia, Jakarta.  (See the previous blog telling about him.)   Having a Priesthood blessing is often the main thing that helps us get through the challenges, health problems, etc. that we all have.  I am so grateful for the blessings I have had, and I'm sure I will need, and appreciate receiving them in the future.  Who knows what each of us will face in life?  But with Priesthood blessings, we can face and learn from them. This was from Meridian Magazine today, and is an interesting example --- Finding a Melchizedek Priesthood Holder in the Galilee By  Scot Facer Proctor  Aug 09, 2014 We are currently in Israel for our last photographic shoot for the 100 th  Anniversary ...

Today, I decided to write a few personal things, about my life, and lives of close family members.   I truly respect and admire all you converts who have had the faith and courage to accept the Gospel and be the pioneer in your own family.  I happen to come from early LDS pioneers, and 19 of either my or my husband's ancestors personally knew the Prophet Joseph Smith.  They gave up family wealth, and much more to follow the truth.   I am eternally grateful to each of them, and your posterity (new converts) will be to you.  Yes, there are some other descendants of the same ancestors who don't value the heritage they were born with, and that makes me very sad.  I continue to pray that my own posterity will value the testimonies which have come down from their grand fathers and mothers.  The top picture is of my paternal grandmother whom I was named after, and the one below is of my great grandfather who was in the Zion's Camp group.   ...

This "election day fight" was on August 6th, 1838.  Brother John Butler mentioned was my 2nd great grandfather.  The story below was written in the History of the Church.  At the end, I'll include some of his own writing about the event.  ( See January 10, 2014, Blog # 66 for more about his life. ) August 6, 1838 - The citizens of Far West met in the afternoon at the schoolhouse for the purpose of organizing a weekly newspaper with Sidney Rigdon as editor. It was also voted that a petition be circulated to locate the county seat at Far West. The Prophet Joseph spoke and encouraged their efforts and also encouraged the farmers to come into the city to live while continuing to work their farms outside the city "according to the order of God."  Meanwhile, to the north of Far West, in Daviess County, fifty to one hundred Missourians refuse to let approximately thirty Latter-day Saints vote in the state and county elections at Gallatin, Missouri. There was a fi...

This is an excellent article that first was published in LDS Living in 2011.  It gives sound counsel about when a missionary comes home early, and how to be a help and support to them. When a Missionary Returns Early AARON OLSEN - 7 HOURS AGO A missionary’s return is meant to be a joyous occasion. But it doesn't always happen that way. It is the mark of a job well done, of two years of sacrifice devoted to God and others. Homecoming for a returned missionary should be a time for family gathering, congratulations, and reflection. For me, it was quite different—depression and bipolar disorder sent me home before my 10th month was up.  That doesn’t stop others from treating me like I am somehow less than I should be. For thousands of missionaries who come home early—whether due to rule infractions, health issues, or emotional struggles—much of the trauma lies in the treatment given by well-intentioned friends and neighbors. Conclusion and Consequence After r...

Just some thoughts about keeping ourselves unspotted from the world!  Happy Sunday to all! Latter Day Light DAILY DEVOTION _________________________ Sabbath Day Nauvoo, Illinois August 3, 2014 SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY: Doctrine & Covenants 59:9-10   "And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; for verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High ."   QUOTE OF THE DAY:   John Taylor    "We meet together, as intelligent beings, desirous of understanding something of our common origin, our present existence, and our future destiny. We meet to find out something in relation to our Heavenly Father, in relation to his providential dealings with the human family, in relation to his policy and designs pertaining to us, and in relation to the object of ...

Two days ago, I noticed a great article on ideas of what to write about in your journal, a blog, or whatever.  I'll probably use some of these ideas now and then when I run out of ideas or other things to share.   I encourage any of you to write a journal, write your life story, etc., and especially to write about your ancestors, and collect their histories .  The longer you wait, the older generation will no longer be with us to give us their insights and memories of the past. 100 LDS Journal Starters For When You Don't Feel Like Writing KELSEY BERTEAUX & CARLY M. SPRINGER So you want to write about your faith—maybe you have an LDS blog, maybe you’re keeping a journal, or maybe it’s something else entirely. If you're struggling with what to write about and want to keep it faith-focused, start with these 100 ideas! President Wilford Woodruff is well known for his meticulous journaling habits, and he often taught that it's something we all should do...

This is to follow yesterday's entry about my 2nd great grandmother, and her experiences as a true pioneer.  ----------- (was blog # 72, in January, 2014) I wrote about my 2nd great grandmother, Caroline Farozine Skeen yesterday.  I decided the rest of her story would be good to include now, so you can get a fuller picture of her life.  This entry may be a bit longer than others --  She was born April 15, 1812, in  Tennessee,  the seventh child in a family of ten children.  On February 3, 1831, at the age of 19 she was married to John Lowe Butler.  To them 12 children were born.   Most of their leisure time was spent in reading the Bible, but the religions of the day did not satisfy them.  According to John's diary, he was literally thirsting of a knowledge of his Creator.  He had prayed many times, very earnestly for light, until he became rather discouraged.  (I'll tell more of him later.)  A s an answer to their pray...