Sunday Sentiments - Questions for Latter-Day Saints

When were you baptized?

January 4, 1992 when I was 8 years old. My cousin, Jess, and I were baptized together (we also share a New Year's Day birthday and were blessed together as babies). 

Have you served a mission? 

Not officially, but we consider our family "honorary missionaries" of the Wallsburg Camp.

What’s your favorite temple and why?

I don't really have a favorite temple, but here are some of my thoughts on a few temples:

Jordan River is the most "comfortable" temple to me - the one I'm most familiar with. We are no longer in the Jordan River Temple district (we are in Taylorsville now), but I still consider Jordan River to be "my" temple. 

I've always liked the look of the San Diego Temple, and I think it's cool that you're just driving down the freeway, and BAM! There's this big, beautiful building.

Salt Lake is so cool historically and structurally. It's classic. 

I like how the Logan temple looks sitting atop a hill. I think it's really pretty. 

Provo City Center has an amazing story - it was originally a tabernacle built in the 1800's. Then it was destroyed by fire and rebuilt as a temple. 

Jordan River Temple

What is your favorite primary song?

"I Know that my Savior Loves Me"

What is your favorite hymn?

I love so many of them, but you can read about three of my favorites here. I can't pick one favorite because there are probably at least 30 hymns that are equal to me. 

Do you have a favorite apostle?

I think Uchtdorf, Bednar, and Kearon are top notch. 

Do you have a favorite female leader in the Church?

Sheri Dew, Julie Beck, Sharon Eubank, and Kristin Yee are some of my favorites. 

Who was the prophet when you were born?

Apparently it was Spencer W. Kimball (I had no idea - I always thought it was Ezra Taft Benson, but I googled it just now to confirm, and whatdoyaknow!)

How many prophets have passed away in your lifetime?

Six

If you are endowed, in which temple did you receive your endowment?

Jordan River

If you have been sealed, in which temple were you sealed?

Salt Lake

May 9, 2003

Have you ever attended General Conference in person?

No

Have you ever participated in a trek?

Yes, but not as a youth. 

Do you have a favorite story about Jesus?

Honestly, not really. Does that make me a bad Christian? I don't think it does. I don't think you have to have a favorite. 

What is your favorite story from the scriptures?

For all the wrong reasons - I have always loved the story of the conversion of King Lamoni. Mostly because he falls over as if he were dead and there is a discussion about whether he "stinketh." 

What has been your favorite calling?

Relief Society teacher. I also loved being the primary music leader, but I would be okay to not do it again. It was a lot of work, and I had to "fake happy" a lot, and I didn't like doing the primary program. I had some good moments as a youth Sunday school teacher (which I have done twice), but the kids didn't have cell phones either of those times, and I wasn't scared of teenagers back then. They terrify me now, and I don't know what to do with them. 

My Sunday school boys ten years ago

(which means they are 25-28 now)

What has been your most challenging calling?

Anything in Young Women. I have PTSD from every single time I have served in YW.

Are you comfortable speaking in sacrament meeting?

Most of the time (it depends a little bit on the topic). 

Have you read all the standard works?

Bible - no

Book of Mormon - yes

Doctrine and Covenants - yes

Pearl of Great Price - probably not

What is the best part of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?

I feel like my life has meaning and purpose. I have a sense of identity and a feeling that there is something more than my current state of existence.  Gospel teachings offer established values to help me make decisions in my life. I don't know all the answers, and not everything sits well with me, but overall, I feel a connection to something greater. 

There's a line in the hymn "O My Father" that says, "Yet oftimes a secret something whispered 'You're a stranger here!' And I felt that I had wandered from a more exalted sphere." I relate heavily to that sentiment, and being a member of the Church helps me understand it. 

A Hike and a Soak

For our trip to Glenwood Springs, Scotty wanted to hike to Hanging Lake. We were able to snag some permits for 8:00 a.m. We froze (38 degrees) for about an hour, but after that, it was really nice weather. I prefer hiking on the cooler side, so I’ll take that over summer heat any day. I would have died in anything hotter than 55 (let it be known that I will refer to near death many times in this post because this hike about killed me). 

The hike was pretty much 1.25 miles of stairs ascending 1,200 feet (and then 1.25 miles going back down - which is also rough), and for those who don’t know, I am overweight, out of shape, and have neuropathy. I planned on dying on the trail and even told two of my best friends some of my last wishes before I left town (including a charge to delete all of the voice memos I’ve sent them - they die with me!)

We knew this hike would be a beast with our girls, so we took it nice and slow with lots of breaks and tried to keep it peaceful. I was alright until halfway up, and then I started to suffer a bit. My feet hurt terribly, and have I mentioned that I’m overweight and out of shape? My hips were getting really sore (I didn’t anticipate this) I also wanted to drink a ton of water but didn’t want to have to pee on the trail, and that’s always a rough battle. 

Oh, hi, stairs. 

Fortunately we took two sets of trekking poles to share because I would have died without them. After going up and down all of those stairs I have no doubt that if I’d done it without the poles, I’d be on my path to knee surgery now. 

Me faking mountain joy at the bottom of the final staircase

Stairs

Stairs

More stairs

The final stretch of the hike was the steepest portion, and when I saw it, contemplated how I could have a helicopter come get me without attracting unwanted attention.

I hadn’t looked at any photos of the lake, so I had no idea what we were heading to, and then I saw it…

It was beautiful and worth it!

The lake and the waterfall renewed my energy, and I was so happy to be there.

If you go up more stairs, you can go behind the waterfall

The eighth wonder of the world...

the backside of water!

(O2H! O2H!)

IYKYK

But then we had to come back down, and it was the same pattern. I was okay for the first half of the descent, and then I just needed to get the heck off that trail. Everything hurt, and it was time to pee.

In the end, I’m glad I did it, but now that I know what it’s like, no one’s getting me up there again in this lifetime unless I lose a hundred pounds and find a cure for my neuropathy. Also, I will take a sandwich to eat at the top, but it will probably be a stupid sandwich wrapped in lettuce due to my immense weight loss. 

After the hike we had lunch at a place called Fatbelly’s. We went wild with the sides - we had fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, and fried okra. We thought we ordered too much food, but we were starving, and we managed just fine!

Then Scotty, Daisy, and Zoe hiked to Doc Holliday’s grave. Eva didn’t want to go, and my legs were jello, so I was happy to stay at the trail head with her. 

I don't know anything about Doc Holliday, and they don't even know where he is actually buried

That evening we also went to a fish hatchery and fed the fish. 

The following day we went to the Glenwood Hot Springs Resort and soaked in the hot pools all day, which our sore muscles appreciated. 

(Eva is going through a years'-long phase of sabotaging all of our photos). 

We enjoyed the hot springs, but if I ever go again, I will remember to take robes (didn't even cross my mind, but with the cool weather, robes were genius, and everyone there had them) and lots of water (no outside food or drink is allowed, but people had water bottles, and you dry out quickly in that hot mineral water). 

Gratitude #2: Words

I’ve always enjoyed writing, and with that comes my love of words. I love finding the right words. I love when I learn that there’s a “word for that.” I love exploring alternate word choices (like right now I should probably consider using some synonyms for “love,” but I love to overuse the word “love”).

I could read a dictionary and have a real good time highlighting words and saying, "Ooooo! That's a good one!" 

I love to compare definitions to see which one I like better.

I love word games. I could play Scrabble and Boggle every day! 

(Actually, I kind of do). 

I love that in the Kindle app I can long press a word, and it will bring up the definition. 

I keep a list of new words I hear and like in my notes app.

Have you ever heard of a portmanteau? That’s when you combine two words to make a new word - like spork, brunch, or hangry. 

So today I’m thankful for words, and with that, I am also thankful for dictionaries, thesauruses, books, and Wheel of Fortune. 

To Colorado We Go

For the last two school years, Scotty and I have been trying to be more intentional about making plans for school breaks. Our kids’ fall break was this past week, and as it grew closer, I started bugging Scotty to go out of town. I didn’t know where to go, but we did some searching and decided to hit Glenwood Springs, Colorado. 

Scotty is really great at planning road trips. He loves maps, and he always finds great places to go. In our martial teamwork, he does the navigating and plans all the stops, and I do the packing. Then I just climb in the car and let him whisk me away on an adventure.

We took our time getting to Glenwood Springs and made a lot of stops on the way. Here are some of the places we visited en route:

Stop 1: Historic Coke Ovens, Carbon County, Utah

Nope, not that kind of Coke.

And not that kind of coke, either.

Coking is a process of burning impurities out of coal to make a more efficient fuel. 

This old coke oven facility is cool and creepy. There are kilns as far as the eye can see, and a few old buildings that are, sadly, quite vandalized. I really hate to see the vandalism - it just makes me feel yucky. 

Sometimes when I visit places like this, I feel inspired for the setting of the horror novel I will someday write. 

It's a cool place to see, though, and there is a restroom and a little playground there.

Stop #2: Jackass Joe’s, Thompson Springs, Utah

This is one of those alien beef jerky shops in the middle of nowhere. It has some fun photo ops. It’s not a must-see, but our kids liked stopping in, and it’s right off the freeway.

We had some good laughs in the shop

Stop #3: Sego Canyon Petroglyphs, Thompson Springs, Utah

Petroglyphs are another thing I hate to see vandalized. Don’t vandalize the historic vandalism, folks! But one set of the petroglyphs in this canyon are pretty well preserved. 

This set has a little bit of vandalism where people have carved things in the rocks

This set is well-preserved (probably because the petroglyphs are higher up, but that doesn't always stop people)

Stop #4: Colorado National Monument, Mesa County, Colorado

First, let’s address what a National Monument is. I used to think the word “monument” just meant a plaque or statue, so if I were to visit a National Monument, it would be to read a single sign or look at a single structure or shrine, but that’s not always the case. A lot of National Monuments are large parks or canyons, so don’t let the word Monument deter you. 

Also, note that National Monuments are included on National Parks passes and in the passport books. 

Colorado National Monument has a lot of easy viewpoints, so if your kids, like mine, don’t want to hike or even really get out of the car (lazy turds), this is a good option to get them out into nature.

(I, too, appreciate an easy viewing location).

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The journey from home to our hotel in Glenwood Springs with these stops took about 12 hours. Otherwise it's about a 5.5 hour drive from Salt Lake, so it's a great road trip option if you need to get out of town. I'll tell you more about how we spent our time in Glenwood Springs in some future posts (whether you like it or not). 

Books, McDonald’s, and Death (in ten random facts)

Fact #1: As a post-pandemic reader, it weirded me out the first time COVID was included in a novel. I felt like it didn’t belong there, and we needed more time. Now it’s just a normal historical event that regularly gets worked into stories, and it doesn’t faze me.

Most recent book I read that includes COVID

(I liked this one, by the way)

Fact #2: Speaking of books, I keep reading about characters who are 42. It’s happening in TV shows, too! Everyone is 42! Is there something special about being 42? Because if there is, I’m missing it, and I only have two months left til 43. 

Fact #3: The other day I was reading about what happened to Ted Bundy’s body after he died (he was cremated, and his ashes were released to his attorney who was supposed to scatter his remains in the Cascade Mountains, which is kind of icky because that’s where some of his victims were found). Guess how old he was when he died? 42. 

Fact #4: I feel like McDonald’s Monopoly is playing dirty this year. Last year I got so much awesome free stuff, and this year I’ve been hit repeatedly with “no prize this time.” Oh! Except for the three times I earned two free months of Peacock (eye roll). Can’t they just throw me an egg McMuffin? Just one? Please? 

Fact #5: And just to show how dirty they are, they cut me off the other day! McDonald’s told me they’d had enough of me! I don’t handle rejection well, so it stung a bit. 

My rejection notice

Fact #6: The pain of the rejection must’ve really seeped into my subconscious because a few nights ago I dreamt that I was overwhelmed with Monopoly pieces that I needed to enter into my app, and I didn’t know how many I could enter before McDonald’s shut me down, so I was trying to organize them into piles that I would enter today and tomorrow. 

Fact #7: Speaking of Peacock, I am logged into Amber’s account. Is it immoral to watch TV via your deceased sister-in-law’s profile? 

Fact #8: On that note, what I miss most about those who have passed away is laughing with them, and I feel this especially with Amber. She was one of my best friends, and there are a million things I would have sent her on instagram and a million things I would have texted her in the time she’s been gone. 

Fact #9: There were a few topics that Amber was my go-to person for. There is something going on right now that I am aching to talk to her about. Fortunately, I know exactly what she would say, so I can just send my side of the conversation heavenward, and I know what she would send back if she could. 

Fact #10: I haven’t been able to upload photos from my phone to my blog for about a year, and this morning, I fixed the problem! I can’t tell you what the problem was, but in an effort to fix and entirely different problem, the photo issue seems to be repaired! I am so happy I could cry!

Sigh… never mind…

Gratitude #1: To the Left

I can't believe that we are already approaching the holidays. The movement of time has become quite the scandal as I've gotten older. A school year felt like forever when I was a kid - so long and life-shaping. Look at how we commemorated it with yearbooks and fancy photos! It was nine months! With the exception of pregnancy, nine months ain't no thing!

So we find ourselves, once again, in the last months of a calendar year, and it happens so fast!

Anyway, with the approach of Thanksgiving, I want to try and do ten gratitude posts before I stuff myself full of turkey and yams, so for the next few weeks, I'll be getting my thankful on. I've been trying to notice things I've taken for granted and make note of them so I can be a little less self-absorbed. (Who, me?)

The first thing I'll express gratitude for is being able to use both sides of my body. 

That may sound like a weird thing, but I recently read the book Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. I had no idea what it was about, but I've read many books by Lisa Genova, and she always writes about neurological disorders, so I knew it would involved something of that nature. It turns out it's about a condition called "left neglect" (which I'd never heard of and therefore, didn't catch from the title of the book until it was introduced in the story). 

Left neglect is a neurological problem (resulting from stroke or other injury) where the brain can't process anything to the left. You don't know there's food on the left side of your plate or text on the left side of the page or a person standing to your left. You don't use the left side of your body and might even think you're deaf in your left ear or lose track of where your left limbs are. 

I can't even imagine what that's like because I so easily have access to "the left." So today I'm expressing gratitude for something I haven't given enough credit to - the easy, symmetrical use of my body. I can do the hokey pokey without second thought - right arm, left arm. Right leg, left leg. I can do the Tootsee Roll (to the left, to the left), and unlike Zoolander, I can turn left. 

Sunday Sentiments - The Path to Scholar

When it comes to gospel study, I don't follow the same routine everyday, but it usually goes something like this - an actual scenario from last week:

I have 12 tabs open in my gospel library app that I move back and forth between.

I decide I want to jot down some notes about Isaac and Rebekah. 

I grab a notebook from the bookshelf, drop it on the couch, then go into the kitchen to fetch a pen. The pen is purple. 

I go downstairs and get the freshly laundered sheets out of the dryer. I take them upstairs and put them on my bed.

I decide I should wash our pillows, and in prepping them for the laundry, I start to wonder whether I should replace two of them. I do a few online searches to see if the store still carries the pillows I like.

I remember that we have Halloween pillow cases for our kids, so I get those out and give them a little douse of Febreze so they don't smell like stuffy, old linen closet (not that I even have a linen closet - it's one of my house's biggest flaws).

I haul the pillows down to the basement for a wash. 

I go up to the kitchen and decide I want to listen to a Janet Jackson song. 

I tell Alexa to play the song. 

I jam to the song as I walk in the living room, where I see my notebook sitting on the couch and remember that I was going to write down some notes about Isaac and Rebekah. 

I can't find my purple pen. I get a different pen.

I jot down two bullet points before it's time to go pick up my girls from school.

Three hours later I find my purple pen sitting on the dryer. 

I'm pretty sure this is how gospel scholars are made.