Fatigue

 

Holy Ghost is our Houseguest

" The Holy Ghost is the perfect houseguest.  He always comes when He is invited and He never stays when he is not."  Henry B. Eyering

Our visiting authority for our stake conference quoted this.  I hope we always invite His presence in our home.  

Comforting

 This is so comforting to me.

Prayer (Hinckley)

 

President Russell M. Nelson later quoted this in his "Hear Him" talk.  

Easter Program 2026

 WHEW!

Did you hear that great sigh of relief on Palm Sunday?  I'm pretty sure it was heard around the world!

As Choir director, I am in charge of the Easter and Christmas programs in our ward.  It is a lot of work, taking many, many hours.  From writing or deciding the script, listening and looking at a lot of music, choosing the music, deciding solos and special musical numbers, asking them and getting them the music, asking narrators, scheduling the final Saturday rehearsal, setting up the mics, etc, etc.  It is such a beautiful relief when it's all over and feels a success.  This year, I used "The Living Christ" as the script, inserting music between sections of the document.  Choir members served as narrators.

We have such a great choir.  We had 7 basses, 5 tenors, 7 sopranos, and 6 altos sing in this program. They are such wonderful people.  We all felt such a unity as we joined our testimonies of Jesus Christ in song and word.  I love Him.  I know that He lives.  Happy Easter!

Five Elect Women

One Sunday I came into Sunday school class and sat on the back row.  I looked up and saw who was sitting in front of me.  I realized I was in the presence of greatness.  Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought about each one of these five elect women in front of me.  I had to take a picture.  These are five of my very favorite people.

 

Sadie- beautiful Sadie and her family moved into this ward when she was a youth.  After serving a mission, she married and lived elsewhere for awhile, But later, she and her husband and family moved here and bought a home in this ward.  She is a faithful, wonderful person.  She and her family feel like family.

Sherrie- dear, dear Sherrie.  Sherrie is one of the oldest members of our ward and is such a loving, cheerful person. For many, many years, she has sent me a birthday card every June.  Last year it was a beautiful paper flower bouquet.  She is thoughtful and kind. When she gets to church each Sunday, she finds me and gives me a big hug. How I love dear Sherrie.

Ginny- I think Ginny is the second oldest person in our ward.  She and Sherrie are good friends.  Oh how we love Ginny.  I think she is 92.  She is strong, happy and faithful.  We are her ministers.  A couple of months ago she fell and broke her pelvis.  Remarkably, she has recovered.  We have prayed earnestly for this dear sister.  How I love her!

Terri- Terri is a pillar in the community and in our ward and stake.  When I need a substitute for any calling I have had - Any calling - Terri is the first person I think of: teaching, playing the piano, leading the choir, etc. She can do everything (way better than I can) and she always responds so cheerfully and willingly.  She has served in every leadership calling: ward RS president, ward YW president, ward Primary president, and on boards of all of the stake auxiliaries and currently is stake Primary president.  She is amazing.  I love Terri.

Meredith- Meredith will do anything for anybody.  She is so service oriented.  I admire her love for others.  When we're asked to donate a bag of groceries for the food bank, she donates five bags.  When her neighbor needs help, the first person they call is Meredith. She is the first to sign up to take in a meal when someone is in need. She serves so faithfully and is so kind.  She was a stellar YW president for many years. She was my minister for a while.  I got to know her well then.  I love Meredith.

I am so grateful for the examples of these five elect women. There are many others that could have been on that all-star row about which I feel the same way.  We are so blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people. 💓

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

 Just as in ancient times, Christ has 12 apostles on this earth.  There are also three apostles that serve in the first presidency, making a total of 15 apostles on the earth.  Here is a picture of the current 15 apostles, including the latest addition: Elder Clark Gilbert.

My Favorite Scripture

 

This is my favorite scripture and I found this picture to go with it:

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left,and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels, round about you, to bear you up."

                                                                      D&C 84:66

Hollands' Scrirptures

 I was so toucned by this post from the Holland family after the funeral of Elder Jeffrey R Holland.  As they were cleaning out the house, they thought it would be nice if they could each have a copy of scriptures their parents had owned and marked.  As they cleaned things out, this is how many copies of scriptures they found.  Scripture study was a high priority to the Hollands.

A New Apostle

 Elder Clark G Gilbert has been called to be the new apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

We have a connection.  His younger sister, Emily is married to our nephew, Ryan Stratford.

Pray More

 

Promise From a Prophet

 

"I promise that as you will daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions."

President Russell M. Nelson

Gender/Chastity

 I was listening to this Face to Face.  I heard this.  A young adult asked Elder Holland about the gender confusion issue.  This was his answer.  I had chills all over when I heard this.  This is truth!

A New Acting President

 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf has been called to be the new Acting President of the Quorum of the  12 Apostles.

An Historic Photo

 For only about one month, this was the quorum of the 12 apostles.  Because of the short time before Elder Holland passed away, this becomes a very historic photo.  I wanted to include it on our blog.

Can you name them?

Jeffrey R. Holland Passes Away

 President Jeffrey R. Holland passed away on Dec. 27, 2025.  Oh how we will miss him.  His funeral was so inspiring.  All three of his children gave beautiful, inspiring talks.

I loved this story his son Matthew told at the funeral:

" As many know, two and a half years ago, my father was in a month-long fight for his life and in an intensive care unit.  One morning we awoke at 4:00 am because of thirst and asked for some juice.  A young nurse on duty responded with promptness.  My father took the juice and then, there in the darkness before dawn and barely conscious and burdened by pain and weakness, began to ask the nurse about his origin and his life.  After a few minutes, I felt something important and personal was developing so I excused myself from the room.  A time later, the nurse came out of the room, crying.  I asked him if everything was okay.  He looked me in the eyes and said, "I have to get back to church.  After an experience like that, how could I not?"

President Holland came from St. George and was buried here the day after the funeral.  The members of the 1st presidency and the quorum of the 12 apostles came to pay their respects.  Many St. George and Washington county residents lined the streets to do the same.  I copied many pictures from the internet to post here.  

The procession traveled by places near and dear to President Holland.  They started at the historic St. George Tabernacle, where President Holland rededicated the building after a major renovation.  They drove in front of the St. George Temple where over 200 missionaries serving in the Utah/St. George Mission were gathered to sing, "The Spirit of God", for the Holland family, the first presidency and apostles to hear.  President Holland also rededicated the St. George temple after its recent renovation.  The procession drove east on Tabernacle to 500 east where they turned north to drive by Holland's childhood home.  They drove by the building that bears his name at the school he loves, Dixie State University.  He was buried by his wife, Patricia, who was by his side until the summer of 2023.  The plan of salvation teaches that families can be together forever.  He is now reunited with his recently departed sister, family, and friends, and of course his eternal mate, Patricia.

Until We Meet Again, President Holland.

New 1st Presidency

 A new first presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints was announced.

Dallin H Oaks, prophet, seer, and revelator, with Henry B Eyering, 1st counselor, and D. Todd Christofferson, 2nd counselor

At the announcement meeting

President Oaks is 93, President Eyering is 92, and President Christofferson is 80.

There is now a vacancy in the quorum of the 12 Apostles

President Russell M. Nelson Passes Away

 Our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson passed away shortly after his 101st birthday.  We will miss his cheery, positive disposition and his mantras that give us words to live by.   On our family text, Kristen asked us to share which teaching of President Nelson had most affected our lives.  Many were shared:

• Specific instructions on how to pray
• Teachings about the temple and how to find Jesus Christ there
• Teachings on how to receive revelation
• One child wrote: he taught me to pray in the name of Christ and to pray sincerely.
• So much about temples
• Be kind and serve others (our youngest grandchild's response.  And she does it!)
• Temples are a refuge.
• From one of our teenagers: Think Celestial
• Be a peacemaker
• Prepare for the 2nd coming

And there are so many more. We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet!

Back in the Saddle Again

 I have served as the Primary pianist for nearly two years.  It has been fun.  It's been a challenge for me as I worked hard to learn the songs.  

Recently though, I was called to be the choir director.  In my lifetime I have served there many years.  I really should try to count it up.  I'm sure it's over twenty. Maybe even thirty years. I substituted there for four months while our director recovered from a very bad bout with COVID in 2024, but before that it had been a long time since I had that calling.

For most of those over 20 years, I have served with Marsha Burdick as the accompanist.  She is fabulous and a music lover like me.  We have been friends for many years.  Our husbands were business partners at Hinton-Burdick CPA's.  She and her husband have served four missions together and are planning a fifth.  But not for awhile.  She has been called to be the accompanist.  So I guess we are both back in the saddle.

The released director's husband drove his truck over with boxes of beautifully organized music (most of which I chose when I had the job before.)  

They also donated this cabinet to store it all in.

This may be the only calling in the church that you almost need a spare room in which to store the supplies!

I am busy arranging and planning what songs we will sing for the next few months and writing the Christmas program.  I am grateful I spent the summer preparing for the Keynote Christmas program and had the music and folders all ready when I was given this new calling.  I am feeling a bit overwhelmed but I will get it done.  

I enjoy serving in church music.  I am back in the saddle again!