The exalted view of marriage as held by the church is given in five words, found in the 49th section of the D&C, "Marriage is ordained of God."D&C 49:15) Marriage in the light of revelation is an institution with the stamp of divinity upon it. "What God hath joined together, let no man put assunder." (Matthew 19:6)
If I could leave one message for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren it would be this: "Never make a choice in life that leaves you waiting outside the House of God." For if you do, it may be you will find yourself and those you love outside throughout eternity. I leave my testimony with you that nothing, no nothing in this world could compensate for the loss of this, the greatest of all blessings, for marriage is ordained of God.
Dawn and Reed have moved to California to live.
We welcomed into our family on the 23rd of June a new great-grandson. His parents are Julie and Mike, and he is our 18th great grandchild. He will be named Michael D.
The birthdays for the month of June are: Joel on the 4th, and he was five; Peggy Lee on the 21st, and she was 42, Kirsten on the 28th, she was 2 years old, and the new baby on the 23rd of June.
Here it is July already and the weather has been real warm. Moroni had a big 4th of July celebration. We had our family reunion, we held it at the Senior Citizen Center. We had a great time. We had plenty of food, also. We set up a place to do geneology, which we need, so that we can do the work for those who cannot do it for themselves. All of our five children were there. Carol, Bob, Kirk, Laura Lee and their five children: Bremda Lee, Miriam, Robert Kirk, Ryan and Beth. Janet and Ned and their son Travis Jacob and Shauna. Ray, Billie, Scott, Cindy, Julie, Mike, Brittany and the new baby Micael D. Glade, Carol Dee, Virginia, Todd and Bryan Dee, Derek and Jan, Heidie and Kirsten. Ronald and Peggy and Heidie, Allen, Kellie and son Michael. Chad and Shelli, oh, yes and their dog. Newell and Zella, Amy, Paula, Peggy Lyn and Karen.
Mrs. Anderson, Bob's mother, spend the day with us also. We had a great time and we have a great family. We are proud of each one and love them and our wish is that they will live close to the Lord and keep his commandments.
The ones who could not be with us on the 4th were Ruth and Isi and their children. They are living in Tonga.
Reid and Dawn who are in California and Jennifer and Sally, Steven, who was working. Hollie was in Idaho with her grandmother and Troy, who is on a mission in Rapid City, Iowa.
I wonder sometimes if I did all I could to set the proper example for my children. I have always wanted the best for all of my children. A mother cares about everything, gardens, pets, the hungry people, most of all, Father and her children. She will do everything necessary for their happiness. Mother's are not always angels, she will often disagree with you, expect too much of you, criticize your choice of friends, bring up the subject of work when you feel the least energetic. But she is always willing to help when you need her.
I wonder, does Heaven give Mother's a seperate place, with clothing to mend, and tears on a very small face. And do you suppose there are kitchens with boys seeking something to eat, and pies, cakes, jellies and heavenly smiles, sought out by small pattering feet. There must be, for how else would Mother find joy that is promised above. When all their days are spent finding ways of serving the children they love. I hope that my Heavenly Mother will say that I have been a good mother to the spirits that were entrusted to my care.
July is the month we celebrate our Independence and the coming of the pioneers into the Salt Lake valley. I am proud to be an American because I firmly believe that the constitution was inspired by our Heavenly Father.
I am an American who gets a lump in my throat when I hear The Star Spangled Banner and hold back tears when the high notes of the trumpet when old glory reaches the top of the flag pole. "I am an American who thanks a merciful Lord that I was so lucky to be born an American citizen, a nation unto God with justice and mercy for all." Show me a country greater than my country, a people happier than my people. Calling anybody a real American is still one of the highest compliments you can pay.
The Mormon Miracle Pageant was held this year July, 14,15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23, and 23rd. They had a good attendance, not quite as big as last year. We went the last night. It was a beautiful night with a full moon and blue sky with white clouds. The Temple looked like it was standing in the air, it made you feel like you were in heaven. They have not been rained on for seventeen years. We will be happy when our Manti Temple will be opened again.
The Samoan and Tonga Temples will soon be dedicated. Dedicatory services for the Samoan Temple August 5th through the seventh, in seven separate sessions, and the Tonga Temple will be dedicated August ninth to the tenth, also in seven separate sessions. Both Temples were opened to the public open house held July ninth through the 30th. The Samoan Temple will serve 28,600 members and the Tongan Temple 20,600 members.
These temples will be the twenty second and twenty third temples in operation in the world. Other temples under construction are Idaho, Texas, Mexico, Quatemala, South Africa, Taiwan, Phillippines, Peru and Australia. Ground was broken on the 9th of May, 1093 for the Church's thirty seventh temple, the Korean Seoul Temple. Elder Marvin J. Ashton turned the first shovelful of dirt and spoke at the ground breaking ceremony. There are thirteen states and three missions and about 40,000 members in Korea.
Elder Thomas S. Morrision of the Quorum of the Twelve, recently visited the Caribbean to dedicate Haiti for the preaching of the Gospel. He also dedicated the site for the first meeting house to be be build on the Island. The ceremony was held April 17, 1983. Elder Monson's trip represents the first visit to the island by a member of the Quroum of the Twelve.
We can see that our church is growing. God is weaving his tapestry according to his own grand design. We have no need to fear. We have no need to worry; our imperative need is to be found doing our duty. We must be more diligent and effective as we pursue a steady course in instructing and perfecting the lives of our own people. We have a gospel of bright realistic hope. We should reflect on our own week-day conduct, the spiritual renewal and committments we make each Sunday. The partaking of the sacrament is the Lord's supper, is one of the most sacred ordiances of the church.
The birthdays for July are Michael, he was one year old on the 2nd, Ronald on the 9th, he was 42, Dawn on the 16th, she was 24, Cody on the 24th, he was five, Liana on the 29th, she was 10, and my birthday on the 20th and I was 74.
The month of August has been a pretty month. With all the storms, things are still beautiful and green. The gardens have been good. The hay was rained on so it was spoiled.
We should be so thankful for all of our blessings. We would have a hard time counting all of them.
We are enjoying our work at the Provo Temple. I never enter but I feel the sweet peaceful spirit that is there.
On Saturday the 27th of August, we went to Aurora to the Golden Wedding of Anthony and Sadie Christensen. We worked with them in the Manti Temple. It was a beautiful occasion. We got to visit with so many that worked at the temple. It was just like a family get together. They are special people and we learn to love them as our sisters and brothers. We will all be happy and thankful when the Manti Temple will be ready for us again.
Temples are bastions of righteousness in the world today. The nearer we draw to our Heavenly Father, the more his spirit will be with us, and the more effective our work will be to inspire us and the patrons that attend the temple each day. Here in the temple we not only lay aside the clothing of the street, but the thoughts of the street, and try not only to clothe our bodies in clean white linen, but our minds in purity of thought.
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord, or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifed up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." (Psalm 24:3-4)
I tremble sometimes, wondering if I am worthy to work in the Temple. I have many faults, but I do want to live so that I am worthy of this great calling.
The birthdays in August, 1983, are our daughter Carol on the 8th, we was 54, Carol Dee our daughter-in-law on the 25th, and she was 47, and beautiful little granddaughter Ann, who would have been 8 years old if she had lived.
On August 14, 1983, the annual workers meeting of the Provo Temple was held, and President Ezra Taft Benson gave the message to the workers. He said no place on earth has the peace of the Savior as they do in the temple. It is a holy place. There the spirit of peace and love of the Savior abound. He told us that we have the most favored calling in the church. "You are as involved in the saving of souls as any missionary in the church. Missionaries work to redeem the living, you work to redeem the living as well as those who have passed byond the veil."
"The temple work which you are engaged in is the greatest, in terms of it's magnitude of any in eternity. Millions await the ordinances of the gospel. For them, the work of the temple is the key that unlocks the door of the prison. The veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin. Those who are on the other side are not far from us." He told us that we should study the scriptures and ponder the meaning of the temple work. We live in a day of great wickedness, almost everything that is wholesome, good, pure, uplifting and strengthening, is being challenged as never before.
One of the truths learned in the temple is that we are on this earth to discern between truth and error. This comes by the Holy Ghost. The devil is working hard to tear down the work of the Lord. He will not succeed. Individuals may fall, buth the kingdon of God will roll on until it fills the whole earth.
President Benson is a great man with a great spirit. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus in the Christ. I know that temple work is the work of the Lord. The Gospel is true, we are guided by inspired prophets.
September has been a wet month. We have had some terrible storms. The boys up in Taylorsville and West Valley had a storm where the hail was as big as a baseball. It broke windows and took the leaves off the trees and ruined their gardens. They said the noise was so loud they had to shout to hear one another. They said they wondered if it was the end of the world. I guess the Lord is beginning to preach his own sermon and we do not listen.
We have all the things that grew in the garden put away for the winter.
We are enjoying our work at the temple. We'll be happy when Manti will be in use again. We have been taking a name through every week after our work is finished, and we have enjoyed this. Now that winter is coming we never know what kind of weather we will have to come home in. We hate to drive when the roads are bad.
Our birthdays in September, 1983 are: Paula, she was 13 on the 6th, Jacob K. was 3 on the 13t, Julie was 25 on the 19th, Brittany was 3 on the 24th, Kirk was 34 on the 26th, Heidie was 14 on the 27th, Robert Kirk was 7 on the 28th, and Heidi was 1 on the 30th, so that takes the whole month.
The month of October was a beautiful one. We had only a few days of rain.
We had Paul And Esther for the deer hunt. Esther is getting better, but she still has a long way to go. She walks with the help of a brace on her right leg, and a cane. her right hand and arm she cannot use so far, her speech is coming, but very slow.
Ray and Steven got a deer this year. Steven was hurt on the three-wheeler, but nothing serious.
We found out that Ruth Elayne has infectious hepatitis. She will need complete bed rest and a good diet. The whole family will need gamma globulin shots. We wish we could help her. We will have to give our help to her through our faith and prayers.
Our birthdays for October, 1983 are: Robert James, October 2, he was 9, Douglas 8 October, he was 3, Virginia, Octoaber 19, she was 12, Isi, October 20, he was 34, Ruth Elayne October 21, she was 32, Ryan October 24, he was 5, and Bob, October 26, who was 57.
November has started out with beautiful sunshine in the daytime, but getting a little colder at night.
We had a dear friend and temple worker die on the 8th of November. Her name was Mildred Ingram, she was 73. She had been ill for a long time. We attended her funeral Saturday,11th of November in Nephi. It was a beautiful service and she was a talented woman.
We enjoyed visiting with some of the Manti Temple workers. They were Glen and Ruth Stubbs, Lester and Alice Hansen, Ruth and Harold Christiansen (Udell's wife), Una Christensen, Harold and Ruth Christiansen, LaMar and Sonoma Bosshard, Kenneth and May Nyman, Marvin and Ernest Jensen, and Harold and I.
Saturday night we had a thunder and lightning storn and it rained real hard. It was bad while it lasted. I am sure that nearly everyone in town was awakened by it. We have had some unusual weather this year.
Today is Sunday, and the sun is shining and it is more like fall than winter. I hope the weather will be good until Thanksgiving is over.
We had a new great granddaughter join our family on November 11, 1983 to Laura Lee and Kirk. She is our 19th great grandchild.
The weather has been storm and cold. We have snow and everything looks beautiful.
On the 15th when we went to the temple, the roads were bad, but when we came home they were dry. The Lord does take care of you when you are serving Him.
We went to Carol and Bob's home for Thanksgiving dinner. We had a good dinner and a good visit. We saw our new greatgrandchild, she is a beautiful baby. They are going to give her the name of Katie.
Friday and Saturday it snowed nearly all day long. At this time of the year, whether we think we have much or little, we have cause to give thanks for everything that is our. For our food, friends and freedom, for the warmth of the sun, for the leaves that fall and again come forth, for the rain, the snow, for the beauty of the earth, for the very air we breathe, for the very life we live. As we look out each day we should be thankful for the knowledge of living another day.
Thank God for what he has given us, For all the goodness that is ours. Thank God for gratitude, which in part repays the gift and helps us to hallow every service that is given.
We thank Thee for our daily bread.
For Faith, by which the soul is fed.
For burdens given us to bear,
For hope that life's the heart's desire,
We thank thee Lord, for eyes to see
For truth that makes and keeps men free,
For faith, and for the strength to mend them,
For dreams, and courage to defend them,
We have so much to thank Thee for,
Dear Lord, we beg one thing more,
Peace in the hearts of all men living,
Peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving.
Our birthdays for November are: Katie, she is our newest great granddaughter, she was born on the 11th of November, 1983, Zella on the 6th, she was 37, Brenda Lee on the 14th, she was 11, Karen on the 18th, she was 7, Bryan Dee on the 28th, he was 23, Ray on the 29th, he was 52, Jennifer and she was 19.
November was a very stormy month.
December started out with a storm and it stormed every day after that.
We had a family get together on the 12th of December. We had a good time, we were at Carol and Glade's home.
The Temple closed on the 17th and will open again on the 3rd of January.
Last Sunday on the 18th the choir put on a program, and we sang a Christmas Cantata. We did it without a conductor, but it went real well.
Sunday, Christmas day, we will just have Sacrament meeting. The children of the ward will put on the program.
The month so far has been cold and wet. Friday the 23rd, it snowed all day and nearly all night and this morning we have fourteen inches of snow on the ground.