Moroni Painting

Myrna wrote: Brother Justensen, the assistant recorder, went upstairs, as he does to check on "things" as part of his job, into a storage area by the Priesthood Room and said that he had seen the painting was still in the temple.

Sister Grimshaw said that she understood that it had been commissioned for the temple. Do you know if that is true? Your relative, the sealer (whose name escapes me at the moment), might have been the one she mentioned. Is it Christopherson? I said that the painting had been in the temple since I first attended in 1960 to receive my own endowments.

I was worried about where it might have gone to as Sister Grimshaw said she did not know.

At any rate, Brother Justensen said that the painting, by Harold I Hopkinson (the same painter who painted the one that hangs in the St. George Temple featuring the signers of the Declaration), was based on a statement by Warren S. Snow. Was Snow the man who was with President Brigham Young at the site dedication? Hopkinson, whose son, Glen, is also a painter, was born in 1918 and died in 2000 according to a web bio.

Can you remember that the painting was taken down once before? Someone reported the painting missing to President Hinckley (story one) and he called and told them to put it back. Or he was visiting and saw that it was missing (story two) and said he wanted the painting hung back up again.

Brother Justensen also said that when the park at the foot of the temple was dedicated and the Mormon Tab came to sing that one of the speakers was also a church historian. The church historian did not believe the story about Moroni and the temple site dedication was true and thought that it was legend. He said that there had been a problem with a statue of Moroni also and that it had been removed.

Also, he said, that at a recent stake conference in Manti (Is there more than one stake?), the president of the stake went into some detail about the history of Moroni and the story by Snow. Brother Justensen was a busy man and Brother Hagemeister (sp) was waiting to record some information so that was all the time we had.

President and Sister Grimshaw came into the office about then and I said that Brother Justensen could tell them about the painting. He replied, "Yes, I know who painted it." He then told them the name of the painter and they left and so did I.

One of the sisters at the clothing desk, from the Saturday evening shift, told me when I went to return my Eve vest, that she knew the President had received a letter from the First Presidency telling him to take the painting down. However, in pre-preparation meeting, Sister Grimshaw said that it was done while they were not at the temple. Rumors abound, do they not?


Merilyn Jorgensen wrote: Yep—rumors are wonderful.  Many problems for many years about this—and many of us are VERY upset about the Mortal Moroni statue not being put back up.  And the MM Pageant has had ‘grief’ for eons about the ‘tradition’ mentioned in the Pageant—and that part may be removed this year, if the ‘powers that be’ have their way.  My son, Michael is pageant pres. And is looking for documentation to prove the story, but so far all we have is a quote in “The Life of Heber C. Kimball”, about Warren Snow, etc. But that book is well documented, and claims to have had some general authorities double-checking for authenticity of the book’s contents.  Plus, Pres. SW Kimball was the editor of the 2nd printing in 1945.  He reportedly removed the things at that time that he did not think were authentic.

The book was originally printed in 1888, so only eleven years after the Moroni ‘story’ had been first told.

I really do not know, of myself, the story of the painting—only what I’ve ‘heard’ J  The sealer who is related to me is Elder Gillespie.  I’ll speak to him about it, but I do know his wife (who is my cousin) has said she had a dream/vision about it, and claims the story is true.  Since she died last fall, I’ll need to ask her husband for confirmation when he gets back in town.

Bureaucracy in government is deplorable, but I’m sorry to say that I don’t care for it in the Church either.  ‘Committee’ is somewhat of a ‘nasty’ word in my book.

Merilyn


Myrna wrote: I just hope the painting stays put in the storage area until the "committees," "boards," "departments," and "others" make certain that the painting has a right to hang somewhere important. The painter's son, an artist in his own right, is the person that I contacted.

Let me tell you about the "Ghost of Crede," painted by Dean Fausett. It hung, proudly, at Juab High School until it "disappeared" and an investigation has not uncovered it in the past six or so years. His family, after his death, wanted to buy it back at a rather nice sum. The school board said they wanted to keep it. Someone knows where it is but not anyone in the family or in the school district (who will admit it).

Glen Hopkinson About Moroni Painting That Once Hung in the Main Hallway

Myrna wrote: Harold I Hopkinson, another painter, painted an oil of Moroni dedicating the still-future Manti Temple site. Are you related to this painter.

Glen Hopkinson wrote: Yes.  Harold is my father.  Dad passed away December of 2000. Should you have any questions, please let me know.  Thanks, Glen

Myrna wrote: There has been some controversy surrounding your father's (Harold I. Hopkinson) painting of Moroni dedicating the temple site for Manti Temple recently. (It has nothing to do with its beauty but, rather, with the story that surrounds it.) It has been removed from the hallway wall (whether permanently or just until the facts can be verified, I do not know). The painting is so very beautiful that I thought you may be interested in contacting the Manti Temple president, or the temple recorder, and discussing it. It may even be  wise to contact the temple committee, located in Salt Lake City. I do not know if the painting was commissioned or not so I do not know who the rightful owner is. I am, quite literally, sticking my nose in where it does not belong. All I am is a worker at the temple and I have no authority whatsoever. There is a controversy swirling around the story of Moroni and his dedication of the temple site while Moroni was still on the earth. All there seems to be to authenticate the story is a quote in the book, "The Life of Heber C. Kimball." The Manti Mormon Miracle Pageant people are also working to authenticate the story because it is included in the pageant. 

Artist Glen Hopkinson wrote: I think that is all my Father had to go on when he created the painting of the Manti Temple.  Just a statement somewhere that when Brigham Young dedicated the Temple he indicated that Moroni had already been there and dedicated the spot.  I don't know much more than that.  I believe a lady  commissioned him to do the painting based on that comment and a dream that she had where she saw Moroni but he was accompanied by others thereby explaining the other figures in the painting.  It's been a long while since I've seen it.  I do remember posing for Dad when he was doing the painting back in 1989.  Let me know if there is any other info on the painting and the controversy surrounding Moroni's visit to Manti.  Glen 

Glen Hopkinson

P.O. Box 45

19 West Shoshone

Byron, Wyoming  82412     ph. 307-548-2471   cell 602-509-5513

visit glenhopkinson.com

Myrna wrote: Thank you for your response and for your time. Thank you for answering. I know that you are a very busy man. 

I am a fan of the painting.

Which Seed?

Myrna wrote: Was it quinoa or chia seeds that was in the drink that your friend made? I was going to order myself some and could not remember. 

Dad has a good shoulder again and the doctor was quite pleased. 

I will, someday, have a good stomach/digestive system again; I'm thinking after the resurrection.

We hope that you are all doing well. Literally, you have been the falling-apart family.

Kirsten wrote: It's the GST mom. The July is a grain that you use in place of rice or pasta.

I'm glad you and dad are feeling close to your old self again. You been in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you're both out of pain soon. One good thing with your stomach bug, is that you probably lost those other 2 pounds that you had wanted to lose. :-)

Saw my doctor yesterday. Everything is looking good. He's not too worried about the drainage from my nose. Says it will get better on its own. I am supposed to start chewing now. It's still a little tender to chew – kind of like when you first get your braces and your teeth first start moving that's what it feels like. But I'm starting to feel more human. So that's a good thing :-) still have a number lower lip. But things are looking up.

Thanks again for coming for so long and taking care of me. Hope you both start feeling better very better very soon. 

Sorry.  My phone didn't understand what I was saying.  Chia seed.  Quinoa is a grain you use in place of rice/pasta.

Myrna wrote: Three cheers! You can even live a a numb lower lip because, at least, it isn't a throbbing and/or swollen lower lip. It has been a L-O-N-G trip. I am glad we could be there, though, looking back, I wonder that we didn't drive you nuts.  We love you.

We were Adam and Eve again today. The coordinators on Saturday said they are going to miss us when we are in Payson. I guess that will be within a year. They may not want us at Payson with all the other people from that area to choose from.

 I love you!

 Kirsten wrote: So you're for sure part of Payson, huh?! Love you lots! Kirsten

Myrna wrote: My fingers don't understand what I am trying to say. 

Yes, we are, most likely, part of Payson. We may or may not work there but our temple will be the Payson Temple. We would work there, IF they want the Manti Temple workers as Payson Temple workers, because they may have a glut of workers in that area and we may not be wanted or needed. As tired as I am of church politics, I may or may not care. I need to learn patience. I wonder if I ever will.

Helen Yarrow

I remember a Helen Yarrow from junior high. She was a pretty blond, blue-eyed girl who wore her hair like what I thought a Swedish princess might wear hers: in heavy thick braids wrapped around her head. 

I enjoyed her friendship during the seventh grade but she moved during the summer. She played the cello and was quite good at it. 

For years, I have thought I owed her an apology for one of those childhood quarrels at the end of the school year. I might not have worried about it, off and on, over the years if I had had a chance to make it up to her the next year. However, by then she had moved on. I think her parents were divorced and that she and her mother came to Price because that was where her mother found a job. She told me that she had once had more money and was able to take private lessons. 

At any rate, I just wondered if I was the only person who remembered her. It was sad, because I think I may have been her only friend and then I lost my temper, easy for me to do back then. It was all boy-related and stupid. She thought that the boy she really liked at school, who probably didn't even know she was alive, paid attention to me because we were in the same ward. Big deal. He acknowledged that I was alive but barely. (I don't know what happened to him either.) My grandmother would have had my hide if I really had a boyfriend because I was way younger than age 16. At any rate, I told her that I did not want to be friends with someone who would think so badly of me and we all went home for the summer only she did not come back. 

I would like to know what happened to her and if she has had a happy life. I would write and tell her that I was sorry that I was a dumb kid but I have no idea how to go about that.

Myrna wrote to Saundra: I thought, after I had asked if you remembered Helen Yarroll from Jr. High, what I nut I was being. You didn't go to Price Jr. High. :) 

Saundra wrote: In the book from the last reunion, there are e-mail addresses for some of the girls who attended Price Jr. High. Some of them might remember Helen Yarroll

Re: Group Letter

Melanie wrote: This was a very nice email Mom: "Group Letter." 

Braden called Howard last night and said that you and Dad were going to take Braden out for dinner on Wednesday. That is so kind of you. He was feeling a little homesick the past few days, and I think this will be nice for him. He was wanting to spend time with his family, as this will be the fourth birthday he has celebrated away from his immediate family. 

I am glad that Dad is doing well. It sounds like the latex allergy must be a Trauntvein gene, with Auntie Eva suffering so badly from the adhesives as well. When they take a latex bandage off of me, it removes the top layer of skin, and then leaves a huge, welting, red rash that feels like a burn. Don't know if that is what Dad experienced, but if it is, I am very sorry for him.

I love you.
Mel


Myrna wrote: We are so looking forward to helping Braden celebrate. AnnMarie has planned a co-party for Matthew and Braden the day that Matthew is ordained. It is also Matthew's birthday this month.

David and I also have the adhesive rash. We both end up with welts and no skin. Dad's skin came off, left welts, and, in addition, he got hives. That is why the doctor was not certain if it was all caused by the tape or if it came from the Percocet as well. On Dad's side, apparently, the latex allergy comes from the Rostons. Dad's cousins have all told us that they are allergic to adhesives. When we were at the funeral, they started talking about the "shakes" that each one of them has. They moved on to allergies and they all have problems. Very interesting, is it not? Some of them have Factor V. 

These Great Americans Are Soon To Be Gone

LuWayne Walker wrote: From A Military Doctor--This should be required reading in every school and college in our country. This Captain, an Army doctor, deserves a medal himself for putting this together. If you choose not to pass it on, fine, but I think you will want to, after you read it. Myrna, this one is very touching I thought you would like to read it. Lu

Myrna wrote: I cried. My Dad was a WWII vet as were three of my uncles, his brothers and one of his uncles, nearly his age. My mother's father was a WWI vet. My youngest uncle was in Korea. My cousins made it through Viet Nam, Desert Storm, and some have been deployed to these other horror spots that we keep on fighting. My hat is off to all of you for your dedicated service in so many ways. I lived with heros on a daily basis. Some of them were women. My step-mom was a "Rosy the Riveter," an aunt drove a dump truck when there were no men to do the job, and all of my family, along with countless others, shared in the war effort. I am certain that there is a special place in the Hereafter for each man and woman who gave their all.

Guess what your email address comes up as on my spell-checker? Lawmaker. 

To Benders

Colleen Bender wrote: Hi There,

    I heard Leonard had shoulder surgery and a muscle repair?

    How is he doing?  So many things happen and we hardly hear about them.

    We talked to Bert Paxman yesterday.  His chemo and radiation seem to be working.  That's good news.

    Vard White is not doing well at all.

    Anytime we go to the Dr. it seems to be the same, "Hate to tell you this, but it's age related."

    We sure hope Kirsten continues to heal.  Wow!  that was major.

    Tell Leonard we hope to see him soon, good as new.

    Are you still maintaining?

Love you,
Colleen


Myrna wrote: I prayed last night that I would have the needed energy to keep on keeping on.

Leonard had a rotator cuff repair (minor) and a ruptured biceps repair (major). The surgery went well and Dr. Robert Jackson was proud of the work he did. However, LHT ended up being allergic to tape and codeine (like Kirsten) so he ended up with hives all over the shoulder area. I thought that he had had percocet before but he may have built up an allergy. That can happen with anything.

It is good to hear that Bert is doing well. I wondered when he bore his testimony if that might be the case.

Whenever I scold LHT about not taking care of himself, he tells me that it would be a shame to put a healthy body in the grave.

Kirsten is healing but it will take quite a few more weeks. The doctor tells her that she should be a new and improved model of her former self by the end of June or the first of July. Meanwhile, her kids are falling apart. Emma takes gymnastics, fell and got a minor concussion. In a second fall, she broke her toe. She thinks she might give up the sport. (I wonder why?)

Thanks for your concern and for your continued love.

LHT It Sounds Familiar Said Eva

Hon, Sorry you are having to go through that.  When I was in he care center after my 2nd back surgery, they changed the huge dressing on my back, what a nightmare.  I was so totally allergic to the adhesive tape they used I thought I was going to die from the terrible itching. Now I have to tell everyone to use paper tape on me.   I hope you are beginning to heal after all that surgery. God bless you  Love you always.  Eva  

Helen About Funeral Photos

Myrna wrote: I posted all of the photos of Ila's funeral that I took on Facebook. Just go to my site and there they are. I can send them via email but you will be sorry. My kids hate when I do that because it bogs down the world. If you would email me the addresses for Jimmy, Neldon, Loy Beth, and Tammy, I would be happy to pass on the information or to share any way that I can. I uploaded them in the highest quality setting so they should download in a usable form for printing or sharing.

I also plan to upload to photobucket. When I get that done, I will send the link. It is password protected so I will send that as well. I love you all.


Helen wrote: Hi,  hope all is well- thanks again for your care for Tim- I do not have e-mail addresses you requested but am giving mailing addresses-
Jim- 1007 North 840 East--Orem, Ut  84097
Neldon- 899 North 75 East- Orem, Utah 84057
Tammy- and Loy beth I do not have addresses for- Claire told me she thinks Loy Beth might be living with Tammy at present- she has not been able to keep her own living accomodations- just spoke with Claire- she doesn't have their addresses either- Have a good week. Love Helen

Group Letter

How am I doing? I prayed last night that I would have the needed energy to keep on keeping on. ;) For a 72-year old woman, I am doing well. Grandma Smith, Aunt Renee, and Grandma Edna all died at about age 72. I guess I am just walking on the edge. Let's hope that I keep walking the narrow line and don't fall off. I have never been graceful when walking. Hehehe. I like being alive. I go to see the endocrinologist this week for thyroid and diabetes. Hopefully, the fact that I now weigh 122 pounds and am physically active will make a difference. 

Whenever I scold LHT about not taking care of himself, he tells me that it would be a shame to put a healthy body in the grave. I wonder about LHT's doctor. His A1C is as high as mine and his doctor did not declare him a diabetic. His bad cholesterol reading is a lot worse than mine and he did not get bent out of shape. He just tells him that his problems are age-related. I don't think that is comforting to me. I have a husband who has Factor V and had a heart attack. I worry about him. I think he should change doctors but Dr. James Besendorfer is the doctor who saved his life when he had the heart attack.

We had our young about-to-leave missionary/home teacher, Ben Horrocks (he is going to Italy), and his grandpa, come to our house and give LHT a blessing before he went in for his surgery. He was promised that he would heal quickly and would not have much pain. That certainly was the case. So we are thankful for that. He and Clifton Taylor, who is submitting his papers and who has been in our temple prep class, decided to bring the sacrament to LHT because they love him and they were doing the service for the shut-ins.  

Kirsten is healing but it will take quite a few more weeks. The doctor tells her that she should be a new and improved model of her former self by June. Meanwhile, her kids are falling apart. Emma takes gymnastics, fell and got a minor concussion. In a second fall, she broke her toe. She thinks she might give up the sport. (I wonder why?) The rest have had ear infections and etc.

Julie and family and AnnMarie and family all went to Disneyland this past month. Jim took a load of bees to California, came back and they left. Kyle and Megan were with the orchestra/choir from TimpView who performed there. So the whole family, including Alyssa, were able to go. They all had fun but Rachel got sick and Julie and kids all got ill. (Jim escaped.) 

Uncle David has damaged ribs. He said that he did not break the ribs but did injure the ligaments that cross over the ribs. He said he ended up paying for the doctor visit himself because his work has a policy that you have to report the work-related injury when it happens. He waited two days because it just kept getting worse so that he finally had to go to the doctor. They really don't do much for you when you do that kind of damage. They tell you to take ibuprofen and to be careful. 

We have our sixth, seventh and eighth missionaries from the ward leaving in the next month. We have two more who are submitting their papers. We have been teaching them in temple prep and it has been really great. We love these young and devoted men. It makes us think of our family missionaries whom we love and are so proud of. 

We had an especially spiritual testimony meeting. It was a touching meeting. One of the brothers, Bert Paxman, has been being treated for cancer and was thankful for his healing. Others were thankful for the temple, for family, for ward members who sustained them, for trials they had overcome, for the Spirit of the Holy Ghost which testified to them of various truths. All were thankful for the Savior and for our Father in Heaven. I suppose, on the face of it, it sounds just like most testimony meetings. However, my heart was touched over and over again. One 30-year old man, who is just going to be living in our ward with his family for a few months while their house is built, was just released as a bishop of his former ward one week ago. He and his wife put their house up for sale following that event and it sold for the asking price in five days. They put everything in storage and moved in with her parents, Norm and Carla Wood, until the house is completed. He was so grateful for the love he had felt through all of the upheaval that he could not stop crying. One of those who took the stand, on a lighter note, said he had just decided to take the stand to bear his testimony so that he could bet a tissue because he needed one. At any rate, I was happy that I was there and sad that LHT was not.

When I was a girl, after I was baptized at age 12,  I decided to attend church. I went alone, at first, and was a bit confused by how things proceeded but I stuck with it. (In those days, we met for Sunday School in the morning. We then went home and came back later for Sacrament meeting and, at the morning meeting, we left the chapel in class groups. I wasn't certain where I belonged but I was taken in hand and got where I was supposed to be.) It was not too long before Grandma Smith started going with me and then there were the two of us together and that was good. She had had her feelings hurt by a bishop and had stopped going but when I started going again she decided to bury her hurt and return to the fold where she had always belonged. I so wanted to be one of those families where the father, mother and children all gathered together at meetings each week and where the church was the center of activity. I chose that for myself. I assumed that my children would all want to attend meeting with me so that we could be a happy group together enjoying time spent worshiping as a unit. Now I know that the most important person a missionary can convert is himself. The most important person anyone can convert is himself.  And though I became converted myself, I cannot convert anyone else. Each person must do that job, with the help of the Spirit, by himself. Having said that, I am grateful for the missionaries in my life who introduced me to truth--line upon line--so that I could be converted. There is no greater job on earth. There is no greater calling than serving as missionaries for the living and as surrogates for the dead. I am grateful for the missionaries in our family. They make my heart happy.

How I love my family! I pray for each person. I think of each person each day. I care about what is happening in each life. I like to hear the goings-on. I like to see the photos and receive the contacts on Facebook, in email, on the telephone, by snail-mail. You are so important to me. I get teary-eyed thinking of how wonderful my life is because of each of you. I know that sometimes I am a bit grumpy and out-of-sorts but I do not mean to be that way. I have no idea why I am. LHT tells me that I get tired and should just go to bed. That is, of course, easier said than done. And, even though I am 72 and slower than I used to be, I still think I can get everything done instantly. Bear with me, I have never been old before. Nevertheless, I still like to go to programs (we missed Matthew's because LHT was in pain after surgery), I sill like to have you all around me, I sill like to go places with you and do things with and for you.

Thanks for your love. Thanks for letting me be part of your life. I love you to infinity and beyond.