Around Salt Lake

 

There are so many pretty flowers still in bloom around Salt Lake ... We walk in the morning and enjoy them!

Holly Hocks at the end of October!  We have enjoyed reading the Historical Plaques about buildings also near the sidewalks downtown.

We met Polly and Chris for dinner at a fun Mexican Seafood place in American Fork - always delightful to spend time with family.

Great picture from the Church Museum - also the one below.  It has been nice to have time to play tourist in the big city!!

From the Church Library - Joseph Smith's License  to Preach - below both of ours for this mission!!

Hike to Ensign Peak October 21

 

Thursday morning we hiked up to Ensign Peak. This is our lame attempt at a selfie!

It is a pretty short hike - about a mile round trip - but 400 feet up!  Pretty steep in places.  Nice marked trail and lots of still blooming wild flowers.  It was around 60 degrees and sunny - beautiful fall day.

Me, pointing to George A. Smith's name on the plaque - famous great - great grandfather!

The Salt Lake Valley - see what a pretty day?

Harold looking toward the west - Great Salt Lake is really low, can hardly be seen from the top of the Peak.

Monument built in 1934, several flag poles have been vandalized so now there isn't one - sad.

More Church History

 

We visited the Church Library and they had a display called Foundations of Faith - amazing articles from the earliest times of the restored Church.  Quote inside the front cover: "Behold,  there shall be a record kept among you."  Doc. & Cov. 21:1

The account of the First Vision in Joseph's own handwriting - 1832.

A page from Joseph Smith's journal - he began in 1832  after some interruptions, he eventually produced 10 journals with over 1,500 manuscript pages, about 2% in his own handwriting.

Pearl of Great Price First Edition - 1851.

Orson Pratt Pamphlet  1840 - titled: An Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Visions - 

Orson Hyde Pamphlet - 1842 - published in Frankfort Germany,  "A Cry out of the Wilderness".

Book of Mormon Printer's Manuscript - 1829

Book of Mormon - First Edition. There were 5,000 printed and about 700 survive now. 

Church Library Visit

The Church Library has some remarkable items!  We visited there on Wednesday and the good senior Elder gave us a tour.  These are in the wrong order but that is how the blog posts them - sorry!  President Hinckley's design for the smaller temples!

Page from Wilford Woodruff's Journal - 1893.  John Henry Smith offered a prayer in a meeting!

The Relief Society began storing wheat in response to Brigham Young's assignment - great project!  They sold to the US Gov, China, etc.

First Hymnal complied by Emma Smith, wife of the Prophet.  The Articles of the Young Ladies' Retrenchment Association, now YW.

After three and a half months of unjust imprisonment in Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith wrote this letter to Emma. This is one of about 2 dozen letters surviving in Joseph's handwriting.

First Book of Commandments  1833 and Doctrine and Covenants First Edition - 1835

 Book of Mormon - Liverpool Edition - 1841.  They saints and missionaries in England could not get enough Books from the states so they printed their own!!

Last of the MTC and our first transfer!

 

We did not receive our South African visas in time to fly out on the 18th as originally planned.  We were transferred to the Utah Salt Lake Headquarters Mission - to wait for our travel papers. Here are our suitcases in the Provo MTC senior living residents hall - a couple of young elders helped us get them to Polly's car in the parking lot.

This awesome stone and story from President David O. McKay is also in that lobby - love it!

Our senior housing is in the Garden Apartments - across the street and down a half block from my Smith Grandparents house!!  See the small black car in the middle of the picture - Nana and Grandpappy's house is right behind it - leaves on the trees hiding the house. 

I walked down the half block to take a better picture - we came here to visit my whole childhood.  

The Church has ten buildings in the whole complex - uses a Management Company to run them.  We were in Building 149 Apartment 3. 

Sister Clifford from the Mission brought these cute decorations for our door, plus a care package of TP, dish soap and chocolate!  Nice to be noticed - even if we aren't going to be here long!

Inside our living room - very nice apartment - we will be here from Oct. 18 - 28 - ten days.  We are very grateful to have a place to be!  

More Family Fun

 

After the family party around three - we just hadn't seen enough of Sam, Allie and Lilly.  We made arrangements to meet them for dinner at La Casita in Springville at six.  Here is Miss Lilly holding Grandpa's finger at the table.  Sam turned the wooden high chair over and it fit the car seat perfect!  Lilly started fussing a little bit as we ended and Sam took her outside to cool off!  She is an Alaskan baby!! She was good for another 20 minutes or so - until we were finished and left.

Luis was delighted to see Sam and meet Allie and Lilly - he saw Kurt earlier in the fall when he and Clark ate with us, just would love to see Stan and Julie and kids!!   The food was delicious and lots of it - Dad and I always share the servings are so big!

Allie, Lilly and Sam - they thought it was pretty warm - all the rest of us thought it was pretty cool!  The temp was almost 60 and sunny - so we stood in the sun to chat!

So wonderful to have six our the ten in one place at one time!!  

Lilly took a nap and it was thrilling to hold her some more.  

Beautiful Jennie and her beautiful daughters,  Sophie and Grace.  They are flying back to NC for their high schools homecoming!  They should win the prize for coming the furthest!! 

Great day and fun times - missing Heidi, Stan, Kurt and Emilee!!!