First Snow

Halloween was a beautiful day. Clear and crisp. We began the week with our regular Monday Mission Devotional with all the missionaries in our mission. It was announced that the name of our mission had been changed to simply "Headquarters Mission" and we are now the same as other missions in the Church. (I didn't know we weren't before, but that is what was announced. Apparently the name of the mission as proposed was "Family and Church History Headquarters Mission" but when it reached the two apostles who need to approve such things they both said it was too long and the name would be shortened to "Headquarters Mission". I'm so glad that is taken care of. We came to one mission and will leave from another, at least in name!

At the Monday Devotional a new sister gave her 3 minute talk introducing herself to the mission and she told a cute story I would like to share. She told that in 1980 she worked for the Hotel Utah when it was a hotel and was in accounting on the 3rd floor down the hall from Pres. Kimball's apartment. She remembers receiving a bill for payment for two ashtrays at $75 each for the Kimball apartment. She remember wondering at the time who would have the audacity to smoke in the prophet's home? Then she said, maybe they used them for candy dishes!

The same Sister told about the experience she had, as friends of Joseph Freeman and his wife, to attend the endowment session where Brother Freeman was the first black man to receive the priesthood and be sealed to his wife. She told of the outpouring of the Spirit that day as everyone on the session warmly greeted the Freeman's in the Celestial Room of the Salt Lake Temple with handshakes of love and gratitude.

The rest of the devotional was a real treat. We listened to testimonies from two missionary couples who are assigned to work in the Translation Department Zone. It was fascinating to hear about the development of the Church Translation Department. It is hard for me to realize that the first General Conference of the Church translated live was in 1961 in a makeshift room under the choir seats in the Tabernacle. Next, interpreters were put in a room underneath the Assembly Hall with a dirt floor and sheets hung to muffle the noise from all the live translations. Now, particularly because of the building of the Conference Center, the Church Translation Department translates conference live in 93 languages using 6 international satellites. There are 700 international volunteers who give their time each year for General Conference. There are miracles that happen very often in this process. My nephew's wife Anepo is from Chuuk (an island in the Pacific) and she translates at least one talk at each conference time. She worries about it each time. It is a great responsibility but what a miracle of technology.

A quick story that was shared...
An Italian man who had been the interpreter for many years visited a Church event in Italy and was standing next to a young man at a youth event. He had been talking and the young man just kept looking at him and finally said, "But, but, you are the prophet!" It was then that the interpreter realized that for this young man his was the voice he had come to know as the prophet's voice. When the youth asked to shake his hand he realized then what a responsibility it was to be the voice of the prophet.

The rains came on Tuesday morning and then mid morning the first snow came for about 1 1/2 hours then it was gone. It was, however, just a tease for the storm that came Friday night. We watched the weather and decided on Friday that we would take a hike up to Ensign Peak. We hadn't made it up there yet and we knew that a storm was coming so we hiked it Friday afternoon in the wind. The weather was clear but we watched the clouds rolling in from up on the peak.

Anyone know what the blue and white flag is for? There was nothing at the Ensign Peak site that told us about the flags.
Ed looks like such the mountain man! ^_^

The view from the top of Ensign Peak. We were amazed at the beautiful mansions up on the hill right below the peak. These are some large homes! It was a steep climb but didn't take us very long. I couldn't have even huffed and puffed my way up this time last year. I feel pretty good about myself.

Friday night the rain started and then the snow came. During the night I love to listen when the snow falls because it changes the sound of everything outside. It is so still.
Yep, those little white flecks are snowflakes just before sunrise.

Saturday morning Ed and I walked around the Square for a little while in the snow so I could get some pictures and then went to the temple.
After our time in the temple Ed went to do his own family history and I went home to sort out more of mine with photos of my mom and her family as she was growing up. We spent the entire day working on our own families. It was glorious....tiring, but glorious just the same.

I will end with a few more of my favorite pictures.

The area next to the Tabernacle (above) will have the nativity display soon. The decorations are going up steadily now. Lights are being tested every morning it seems to make sure they are working. My favorite chestnut tree is getting a rest so there are no lights in it this year.


Although most of the snow was gone by this morning it has remained cold and is a reminder of things to come. It is a beautiful, magical, special and sacred place here on Temple Square. I am so blessed to be able to feel it.