Thoughts and stories, by Pal

To all families with missionaries out, this is really amazing, and exciting!  As we all know, some missionaries are not as fluent in telling their experiences, and short missionary e mails are sometimes disappointing.  So to you dear friends with missionaries out, this is something you may want to try out! Beyond email: New service helps parents listen to their LDS missionary’s experiences (Photo courtesy Mormon Newsroom) The idea is simple: On P-days, a missionary calls a toll-free number, talks to a machine for five minutes, then hangs up. A link to the recording is then emailed to the missionary’s friends and family. The implications are exciting: Families can hear their missionary’s voice, the missionary doesn’t have to spend as much time on email, and the process is well within LDS mission rules (the missionary never speaks to a live person, and calls are toll-free). The family can download the message...

I am now moved in with my son and his wife in Bountiful, Utah!  I still need to unpack many things, but I feel so much at home here, and look forward to meeting many new friends, and having great experiences, along with keeping in touch with dear friends from my home town, St. George, Utah.

I'm thick in the work of moving, including packing and cleaning!  I am leaving the home we lived in 14 years before my dear husband Wayne passed away a year ago February.  I have lived here over a year and I have realized I don't enjoy living alone! I am in front of my computer, on the right.  These were precious days, when we each had a computer, and did indexing, etc.  together.  We had such a great companionship, and I really miss him!  I will be living with my oldest son Wayne and his wife Julie.  It is really different for me, this move, as I am not taking anything but necessities for my bedroom.  I have given away most of our life's momentos, including furniture, and will start a new life in Bountiful, Utah, this coming Saturday, in 3 days!  I won't have time to do any more blogs until I get established up there.  I hope all is good with you dear friends!  I'll be back to stay in St. George in a few years -- my burial ...

Defending the Faith: Remembering the First Vision By  Daniel Peterson Published: March 23, 2017 7:00 a.m. Updated: yesterday   View 2 Items Provided by Brigham Young University Museum of Art LDS artist Minerva Teichert's "The First Vision" (1934) depicts key moment of the Restoration. Some years ago, two Latter-day Saint writers arrived separately at the conclusion that Joseph Smith’s First Vision probably occurred on Sunday, March 26, 1820. (See “ Oh, How Lovely Was the Morning: Sun 26 Mar 1820 ?”  )  In other words, this coming Sunday may mark the 197th anniversary of the commencement of the Restoration. Of course, we can’t be certain of the date. Unlike most of Joseph’s fundamental visions, it was received alone. (See " Many of Prophet's revelations were shared experiences ," Feb. 24, 2011.) Nonetheless, the anniversary must be near at hand, and this seems a good time to reflect on that pivotal even...

We all are still high from the wonderful conference we had this last weekend! I have read most of these, and still own some of them.  Great books! The Ultimate List of LDS Classics Every Mormon Should Read by Christiana Pinborough Mormon Life It isn't an easy task to narrow down the list of books written by Prophets, Apostles, and historians about the Church. The topics are varied and the viewpoints are many. However, there are certain books that have risen to the top and have stayed extremely relevant to readers over the years. We'd like to introduce our ultimate list of must-read LDS classics: The Infinite Atonement |By Tad R. Callister “The Atonement is the central act of human history, the pivotal point in all time, the doctrine of doctrines," writes Robert L. Millet in his foreword to this landmark book. Tad R. Callister’s  The Infinite Atonement  offers us one of the most comprehensive, yet understandable, discourses ...