Fall decorations

FAll is in the Air and I am always excited to decorate.

September

The month of September was back to school for Jordan to BYU and Tyler and Jenessa to High School!

Jenessa went to her first school dance with her friend Brad,  and she was so excited to find a cute dress.  She looks stunning!

 I love this picture of "Sisters".  Kaitlyn did Jenessa's hair for the dance.
see...they can get along when they want to.  Kaitlyn is becoming quite the "fashionista"

Tyler also asked a cute girl named Megan to Homecoming
He's a handsome boy!

 

I am always sad to see summer end.  Here is the last of the summer corn....

Jenessa served on the South Jordan Youth Council again for the coming school year.  It's such a great
group of kids and they do so many great service projects and learn about government.

September was also a full month of cross country

 You have to really study this picture to get a grasp of how steep that hill is Jenessa ran up in her race. (that's me in the pink jacket only half way up)  She can do hard things!

I love the fact that they pray together before each meet! :)

Feast of Trumpets - Hasten the Work - Chris' ward conference talk message

As you all  know, today is September 22.

What you may not know is that today marks a wonderful anniversary. It was 186 years ago today, on September 22, 1827, that the golden plates were delivered by the Angel Moroni to the young prophet Joseph Smith.  It was early in that morning of  September 22nd when a prophecy contained in Revelation 14, was fulfilled.

And what was that prophecy?  It was the prophesy declaring that the gospel would be trumpeted in the latter days by angelic ministry.

John prophesied :

"6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come:"

In the book of Leviticus 23:24, we read this directive from The Lord:  “In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, ye shall have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets.

You may know that each year, the Jews keep that commandment as given in Leviticus and call that holy day Rosh Hashana or Feast of Trumpets.

However, you may not know that to the Jews, this feast commemorates the fact that God remembered the covenenants he made with his people Israel.

It may be a coincidence that our ward conference falls on the anniversary of the golden plates being delivered to Joseph, but it was no coincidence at all that the golden plates came forth from Moroni to The Prophet Joseph on that 22nd day of September back in 1827, on the very same day that the Jews around the world at that time were celebrating the “Feast of Trumpets”.  

To me this is very significant because those very covenants that the Jews are commanded to remember during this Feast of Trumpets were, in fact, contained on the golden plates.

This is also wonderful evidence that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration, as I doubt very much that the young boy prophet knew much, if anything at all, about the Feast of Trumpets.

I love how the statue of the angel Moroni stands stoically on the spires of our temples with his trumpet to his mouth proclaiming all that the Feast of Trumpets signifies:  A day of remembrance and that God remembers his covenant to gather his people.

As evidence of this, if one reads the title page of the Book of Mormon, which was written by the hand of Moroni, one will discover that he states that one of the two main purposes of the record was "to show unto the remnant of the House of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever."

Brothers and sisters, we are latter-day Israel.  We are a covenant people.  The Book of Mormon contains the doctrines of Christ and the covenants that we are commanded to obey and to follow. The Book of Mormon has been referred to in scripture as "the covenant sent forth to recover my people in these the last days" (D&C 39:3).  I testify that if we remember these doctrines and covenants, then the Lord will remember us.

Furthermore, the Feast of trumpets was set to coincide with the beginning of Israel’s final agricultural harvest.

For us, the coming forth of the golden plates and the restoration of the gospel signifies the beginning of Christ’s final harvest of souls.  

The Book of Mormon has been called the great “sifting tool."

It separates right from wrong, truth from error, the believers from the non-believers; the wheat from the tares.  

For Latter-day Saints, knowing that this is the final harvest with an ever-shortening time to labor should further motivate us to thrust in our sickles with our might. In that spirit, as we feel joy in that harvest we should make known the marvelous work that the Lord has brought forth in these latter days (see D&C 65:4).

From the lowering of the mission age, to the aggressive building of temples, and the focus on rescuing our neighbors...unless you've been living under a rock the last few months...you know that The Lord is hastening his work.

It is important that we are finding people for our missionaries to teach. I challenge and invite each of us to more fully engage in this great rescue effort by (1) actively praying as a family for those friends and neighbors who live among us that their hearts would soften and be receptive to the Book of Mormon, (2) Memorize the missionaries phone number.  It is , (801) 918-0098.  Kids, take your parents cell phones right now and add the missionaries to their contact books.  And add it to your phones, too. By the way, for you texting-challenged folks, they will answer the phone.  To you younger crowd, they will happily text back and forth with you. We should be filling up the appointment books of our missionaries so that they can teach and invite people to come unto Christ.  Remember the words of Elder Nelson, "Ask the missionaries.  They can help you."  

Our family took the challenge to pray for our neighbors, and I testify that it works.

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared that in all ages the divine purpose of gathering the people of God is to build temples so His children can receive the highest ordinances and thereby gain eternal life. This essential relationship between the principle of gathering and the building of temples is highlighted in the Book of Mormon:

“Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted” (Alma 26:5).

Elder Bednar has told us that “the sheaves in this analogy represent newly baptized members of the Church. The garners are the holy temples.   And again, Neal A. Maxwell explained: “Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple. The great garner into which the sheaves should be gathered is the holy temple”. This instruction clarifies and emphasizes the importance of sacred temple ordinances and covenants—that the sheaves may not be wasted”.

The promise to those who gather to the temple garners is great:

“Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them” (Alma 26:6).

I testify that this is true.  Elder L. Whitney Clayton so testified last Sunday at our regional conference.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks has explained that in renewing our baptismal covenants by partaking of the emblems of the sacrament, “we do not witness that we take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. [Rather], we witness that we are willing to do so. (See D&C 20:77.) The fact that we only witness to our willingness suggests that something else must happen before we actually take that sacred name upon us in the [ultimate and] most important sense”.  The baptismal covenant clearly contemplates a future event or events and looks forward to the temple.

The Lord declared, “I must gather together my people, … that the wheat may be secured in the garners to possess eternal life, and be crowned with celestial glory” (D&C 101:65).

Brothers and Sisters, I am grateful for

my Heavenly Father, my Savior, His sacrifice, The Prophet Joseph, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine of Christ, the gifts of the Spirit, the plan of happiness, a living prophet to guide us today.

May I also sound the warning trumpet that we are living in the days of the final gathering.  May we all live our lives according to the covenants and saving ordinances of the temple, that we may be sealed as families and enjoy eternal life together.

In the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Makes me smile

Just had to post this picture of Tyler giving Joe a haircut.

Chocolate zucchini bread

Our dear neighbor Bro. Westerman loves to speak of the "Noxious Weed" known as Zucchini.  He really makes me laugh.
I just had to send him a loaf of my Chocolate Zucchini bread :)

The recipe is from the girls at Our Best Bites here:

Chocolate Zucchini Bread {makes 2 loaves}
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
3/4 C mini chocolate chips
optional: zest from one orange

Topping:
2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside. I actually used one 8″ disposable pan to give away and a larger 9″ one for me and the batter divided perfectly. So you should get 2 very full 8″ pans or slightly less full 9″. Do one of each like I did!