Here is a photo of the brick and the house.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Inside the Draper Temple
Melanie wrote: I don't know if you have seen pictures of the inside of the temple. It is absolutely beautiful! The sego lily glass is exquisite. http://www.ldsmag.com/churchupdate/090114tour.html Mel
Monday, January 12, 2009
Who Does He Look Like Or Who Looks Like Him?
Leonard's Baby Photo
Myrna wrote: Who does he look like? (Or who looks like him?)
Kimberly wrote: JACOB WAITE AND TYLER TRAUNTVEIN
Kirsten wrote: Amen!
Amy G wrote: He looks like Jacob, but definitely not Tyler!
Kimberly wrote: I see Tyler, when he was younger.
Kirsten: Ok, so I held jake up next to the computer and the consensus was that
he looked just like grandpa except the mouth and ears. But face shape
and all else...
hmmm..
Sounds like Jake is going to be a great looking guy!!!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Braden's Eagle
We went to Boston, more specifically Milford, for Braden's Eagle Court of Honor on January 3rd. Here are some of the pictures we took. It was a really nice event. There was a gentleman, a scouter, who plans Courts of Honor for a past time. He didn't charge very much, I think it mostly covers his costs.
On the way home, we stopped through Manhattan and let the kids see Times Square, the Empire State Building, Broadway, and a few other sites. Then we made the 12 hour trek back to the house, arriving home at 11pm Sunday night. It was a fast trip, but it was nice to spend time with family. Melanie and Howard are the best hosts.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Happy Birthday Eldred G. (Gee) Smith--102 and counting
Just thought I'd observe that today (9 January 2009) marks the 102nd birthday of Eldred G. Smith, presiding patriarch emeritus of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A Salt Lake Tribune article shortly before his 100th birthday (Peggy Fletcher Stack, "Century Mark: Church leader with historic position nears 100th birthday," Salt Lake Tribune, 2006), indicated that he was still active, regularly going to his office.
In less than four months, he will have outlived Elder Joseph Anderson (1889-1992), the only other General Authority to have become a centenarian. One auxiliary leader, Ruth May Fox, president of the organization now known as the Young Women from 1929-1937, lived to be 104 (1853-1958).
He was called to his position on April 10, 1947, nearly 62 years ago.
Other well-known individuals who have lived to be over 100 (taken from a larger list at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_centenarians) include:
Rose Kennedy, 104 (1890-1995)
Grandma Moses, 101 (1860-1961)
Irving Berlin, 101 (1888-1989)
The Queen Mother, 101 (1900-2002)
George Burns, 100 (1896-1996)
Bob Hope, 100 (1903-2003)
Alf Landon, 100 (1887-1987)
Strom Thurmond, 100 (1902-2003)
Born 1907 and still living
- Born 1907 Lehi, Utah
- Baptized as a child; Aaronic Priesthood as a youth; Melchizedek Priesthood as a young man
- Served Mission to Switzerland and Germany 1926-1926
- Married Jeanne Ness; five children
- Ordained High Priest 1938
- Named Patriarch to the Church 1947
- Named General Authority Emeritus 1979
Eldred Gee Smith is the son of Hyrum Gibbs Smith and Martha Electa Gee. He was born January 9, 1907 in Lehi, Utah the third great grandson of Joseph Smith, Senior, the first Patriarch to the Church in this dispensation. He served in the Swiss-German mission from 1926 to 1929, then in various local leadership positions prior to his call as a General Authority.
He married Jeanne Ness by whom he fathered five children. Following her death in 1977, he married Hortense Child.
He was ordained a High Priest May 23, 1938 by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. before being set apart as Patriarch to the Church by President George Albert Smith in 1947.
Elder Smith was granted Emeritus status October 4, 1979 for reasons of health and age. The position of Patriarch to the Church was retired and no one has since been so named.
Elder Smith's most recent major public appearance of which Grampa Bill is aware was on April 6, 2000 when he accompanied President Gordon B. Hinckley to upstate New York for the dedication of the Palmyra New York Temple.
On the occasion of his 100th birthday, Elder Eldred G. Smith, patriarch emeritus, is remarkable not just for being only the second former General Authority in history to attain the century mark (Elder Joseph Anderson, an emeritus General Authority, died in 1992 at age 102), but because he is a living, breathing — and healthy — vestige of a chapter in Church history.
Elder Smith, who turned 100 on Jan. 9, is the last person to have held the position of Patriarch to the Church, one that originated in 1833 with the calling of Joseph Smith Sr., the father of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Eldred Smith is the eldest son of Hyrum Gibbs Smith, who served as Patriarch to the Church from 1912 until his death in 1932. As such, he is a great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith.
And so it was that in 1947, when he had just recently returned home from Oak Ridge, Tenn., where he had been involved with the atomic energy project during World War II, he was called in to meet with Church President George Albert Smith. The man who had been serving as Patriarch to the Church, Joseph Fielding Smith (not to be confused with the Church president of the early 1970s) had been released due to ill health; Eldred Smith was being called to fill the position.
He immediately went to work.
Elder Smith also had the responsibility of a General Authority to travel to stake conferences with individual members of the Quorum of the Twelve.
At a Jan. 4, 2007 celebration in Salt Lake City, Elder Smith was honored by the Salt Lake Chapter of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, of which he is a member and former chapter president. President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, also an honorary member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers, was the featured speaker and paid a birthday tribute to Elder Smith.
As Patriarch to the Church, Elder Smith was a frequent speaker at Church general conferences. Typical of his sermons is this excerpt from a talk he gave in April 1978:
"I have come to believe that the Lord is not so concerned about what we study or what profession we follow as long as it is an honest living. He is concerned about our immortality and eternal life — or exaltation.
"Everyone has inherent talents. From a study of your genealogy, find the talents you have inherited by the things you like to do, and do easily, that some of your ancestors have done. Then become an expert or specialist in some phase of that field. The Lord will bless your efforts in your studies and in your daily work."
At general conference on Oct. 6, 1979, President N. Eldon Tanner, first counselor in the First Presidency, read a statement announcing a significant change in Church administration:
"Because of the large increase in the number of stake patriarchs and the availability of patriarchal service throughout the world, we now designate Elder Eldred G. Smith as a Patriarch Emeritus."
At the recent reception held in his honor in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on the evening of his birthday, his key to longevity was displayed: "Keep breathing."
As a Hyrum Smith descendant, he has inherited several artifacts he displays at firesides and other occasions.
Elder Smith married Jeanne Audrey Ness in 1932 with whom he had five children. Following her death, he married Hortense Child in 1977, who was then serving as a counselor in the Young Women general presidency.
On the occasion of his birthday, Elder and Sister Smith were received at the Church Administration Building by President Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselors, President Thomas S. Monson and President James E. Faust. The First Presidency wrote in a letter to him:
"We are sincerely grateful for your long life and dedicated service and devotion to the Lord's Church and to His children, who have greatly benefited from your sacred ministry. We acknowledge with deep appreciation your noble heritage and the honor that has been yours to pronounce patriarchal blessings on thousands of members of the Church. Likewise, it has been your privilege to be the instrument through whom the Lord has revealed the sacred lineage of the individuals, entitling them to all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
"Over the years, you have shared your knowledge, testimony and historical artifacts of the Joseph Smith Sr. family in many settings. These meetings have been faith-promoting to those who have heard you bear witness of the Restoration."
On a personal note, Grampa Bill recalls meeting Eldred G. Smith on the occasion of Grampa Bill's parents receiving their patriarchal blessings from the Patriarch to the Church, they living at that time in a mission district and not having access to a Stake Patriarch.
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.4, Appendix 1
“The Sustaining of Church Officers,” Ensign, Nov. 1979, p.18
2005 Church Almanac, p.69
Al: M, Thanks for this insight. I was wondering where you had been just yesterday. Very glad to hear form you.
Konnie and I are planning to be at the High school reunion, carbon High 1959 on Saturday the 18th. Might you be in the vicinity, we could visit.
Love you
al
Manufacturing Engineering
Affordability Task Force
Ph. (206) 544-3098
alan.r.pitts@boeing.com
M/S 4E-11
Myrna: I would love to see you. Both of you are very dear to me but, I won't be here. I will be on a church tour with my daughter AnnMarie and her family. I am so sorry. I am so very sad to miss you. Love, M
Keeping Track of Stuff
Myrna wrote: Kimberly, I cannot remember what I did with the family file cards you gave me. Please, if you remember, let me know. Love, M
Kimberly wrote: I had them in the Hinckley DVD outer case.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Happy Birthday, Gramps!
We had roast duck (courtsey of Jim's friend), the favorite green Jell-O salad (whipping cream, cottage cheese, pineapple, pistachio pudding) birthday pie and a party!
Let's blow out the candles--one, two, three, four! What, LHT is not four? Are you certain? Well, he had four candles.
New insulated snow boots from MRT. The flashlights are from Shawn and family.
Thanks for the ladder, family! Dad will now not kill himself by falling from an 8-foot tall wobbly ladder with three broken legs. Now he can fall from a sturdy, 10-foot tall ladder. Hehehe ;) (Knock on wood that doesn't ever happen.) I want to thank each of you beginning at the top with Shawn and Kimberly and kids, Melanie and Howard and kids, Todd and Amy and kids, Eric and Amy and kids, AnnMarie and Brandon and kids, Julie and Jim and kids, Kirsten and Jared and kids and David and Arbree and kids. Julie said she spearheaded the purchase because she thought Dad was going to fall building his shed or picking apples. Thanks for the money and for the agreement. He did fall off the ladder last year trying to cover the air conditioner outside the great room. The old ladder is one he found in the garbage after the builders had finished working on the roof at the middle school many years ago. What is that Grandpa Pitts always said? "One man's junk is another man's treasure."
Monday, January 5, 2009
A remider to go to the temple
Kirsten wrote: Too good not to pass on...
Eric wrote: Who are they Sylvester Stallone and Dustin Hoffman?
E
Myrna wrote: They are Mormon actors.
Todd wrote: Just a couple of cute little devils, I guess.
Eric wrote: Who are they Sylvester Stallone and Dustin Hoffman?
E
Myrna wrote: They are Mormon actors.
Todd wrote: Just a couple of cute little devils, I guess.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Helen: A gorgeous Sabbath and Thomas Kinkade inter picture
My beloved Hon and Sister:
Thank you for your e-mail dear, dear Sister.
To both of you- I have been praying and one goal in my fasting this week-end has been to put in words to each of you the sorrow felt for my not approached the situation after Don called differently than I did.
Would it be possible to recover time and instances myreponse to sending any information to Don right now would be to let me check with him and see if he would want any.
Also after he called me I would call you and let you know he didn't want to receive any information on e-mail- for though Thelma doesn't use the computer she does check e-mails as a number of her family and friends use it to correspond with them. (This I did not know before his last call.)
My heavy heart and soul since he called and I spoke with you, dear Sister, has not been the information you sent, as Thelma saw none of it, has been my deep sorrow in not having let you know he didn't want any more information right now, and not even indicating his grief. I could have handled it so peaceful that there would be no wounds.
I have reread several times the experience of th Saviour and Peter--Luke 22: 54-62.
As President Kimball has indicated in an article he wrote about His Friend Peter, he indicated Peter did not deny the Saviour- he denied knowing Him. Then he went out and wept for having done so.
Hon and Sister, please know the pain of how I handled the situation with you is deep because I love you both and Don and Thelma so dearly and want to do nothing to harm in anyway. I almost feel like I betrayed all four of you in not being more tactful. Can't imagine how beloved Peter felt.
Truly enough shared, and no more to be said. Right ?? As from Fiddler on the Roof "Of course Right."
Last night I sat with tearfilled eyes and deep gratitude for the sure knowledge of a Prohpet of God on the earth as I watched my copy of On The Lords' Errand. All I can say about this man is OH MY. How grateful to traverse this part of eternal sojourns with such a Man as This. He to me is like Ester- sent for such a time as this.
Your 14 copies are in the mail as of 8:30 in the A.M.
Hope everyone enjoys.
I spent the day this past Friday with Eva getting all her Christmas decor put away and cleaning, what seemed to be truck loads of huge leaves, from her front porch and patio. While I finishing the work she made apple dumplings, with a very good sauce poured over, from a can of crescent rolls, chopped pecons and pieces of granny smith apples. Was most nummy.I told her we should get this receipe to Myrna, if you don't have it, that your family would really enjoy.
Well dear ones I will close now- work on my Ward History for today, am the Ward Historian, and try to keep it currect with each event- my yearly report for the past year is due on the 15th January to the Bishop and Stake Executive Secretary.
I didn't remember to let you know- if you read in the paper about the two snowmobilers who were killed in an avalance around Logan on Christmas eve day- one was a recently returned missionary and the other had been married only a short while. They had been best of friends since grade school. The recently returned missionary is a family member of Jens' Carolyn- either her nephew or cousin don't remember which Don told me. They were out with several other friends who saw is happen, but were able to get out of the way. What heartache comes in this life- aren't we glad our Father and Saviour know, understand and help in every way they can. Grateful for the Gospel, for life and for you.
Have a very special New Year- Tim, my garage is yours when you go to Colorado the end of this month- just let me know your plans on flights our and in.
Love you both much. Your Eternal Sister--Just Me. H.T.
Am so pleased Shawn is enjoying his new opportunity at B.Y.U but then what is there to not enjoying it.
I only watched the U of U game periodically Friday night- but what a game--so glad they won.
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