Beneath the Wraps

             The last ward we attended in Utah was called Granger 14 th .   Boundaries were exceptionally weird, but we did have enough activity that there were two adult Sunday Schools. I don’t recall anyone having multiple callings.   It was a good ward.           We had only been here for a couple of years when we returned to Utah for my late daughter-in-law’s funeral.   We had been invited to stay for a linger longer at the Granger 14 th .   A lot of people had moved out of the ward in that two years time.   A LOT.   I asked someone if a lot of members were on vacation.   Looking around she claimed that most of the ward was in attendance.   The ward had shrunk.           When Jaime and I had gone back for a visit last year we were told that the Granger 14 th had dissolved. That's too bad.  Understandable, but s...

                Scouting is no longer a calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but there was a time when it was – which is still a sore subject for some.  I remember when Richard had been called to be a scout leader for the primary youth.  He was told that it would be a five year calling.  I don’t think he was in for even a year before he called to be first counselor in the Elder’s quorum.          I think it was just April of this year that Richard had been called as a Sunday School teacher for the 11-14 year-olds.   In July he was called to be the Sunday School president.   Just now he was called as first Counselor in the priesthood quorum.   Wow.   I wonder who the new Sunday School president will be?          It’s funny how it seems there are some people stuck in callings as though it is a lifetime positio...

             I think it was Friday night when our bishop posted that the COVID cases are high in the ward and advised members who had/have symptoms to stay home.   I thought that church was cancelled but learned that I had misread.   Still, I wondered why it hadn’t been cancelled all together.   Our numbers were few.           I counted 36 people in the chapel and perhaps 20 more in the overflow – I don’t know why the accordion doors hadn’t been closed so that those who chose to sit that far back wouldn’t have the option.   It isn’t as though there were any screaming youth to take out.   In fact, there were only six youth in total.   Only two of them were primary age.           Roland had been called to teach Sunday School for the youth ages 12-14 but ended up with both classes making his class total a grand total of all four yout...

            I went to Church by myself last week.   Jenna had opted to go with Roland to pick up Randy and his family at the airport.   Roland and I had picked up a van the day before.   We had also borrowed a playpen for the baby to sleep in.   I am happy I was there for sacrament meeting.   Bonnie’s doctor and his wife were the speakers.   We hadn’t seen Dr. Nay at Church since COVID began.   He still had a mask on his face which made me feel guilty that I wasn’t wearing mine (as masks are now optional at Church) Sister Nay talked about taking upon His name and comparing simple reminders to power bars or power bites.   Reading the scriptures would be a power bar, performing service, being kind . . . Though I have put Sister Nay on possibly a higher pedestal than perhaps she would place herself, it made me realize that even those that seem to be natural at taking upon His name and wouldn’t need power bars do...

            The first meeting we had attended in our current ward happened to land on Fathers’ Day -  though I don’t recall any mention of Father’s Day whatsoever.  The two talks given seemed to focus on Social Media which I thought was a strange topic to be delivering over the pulpit on a Sunday morning. I didn’t realize that only five years later it would become a necessary tool for the missionaries. We didn’t have social media when I was on my mission.   Facebook was out when my three boys had served their missions, but it certainly wasn’t encouraged and now the missionaries are required to have facebook accounts. We had two elders over on Saturday night and they asked if they could leave a thought before they drove away.   Their thought was on contacting others through facebook – which is what triggered the memory of our first meeting which one elder said must have been an inspired theme. Though many churches have met as a congre...

          It was the third week of Church for the ward I ’ m in.  My sister Kayla said her ward had returned last month – or possibly in July.  She said that the members will attend every other week in order to allow social distancing.  I think that ’ s great that there are that many in attendance as the last time I had gone to her ward the attendance seemed even less than what this ward has been – a lot of empty pews and much social distancing – even before it was a thing.           Wearing a mask can be bothersome, but it ’ s not a tremendous sacrifice on my part nor am I too proud to wear one.  I appreciate surgeons and dentists wearing masks, all the frontline workers required to wear a mask all day.  Surely if they can do it for 4 – 10 hour shifts, a few minutes to a few hours shouldn ’ t be a big deal for me.  The mask is not the problem.  It ’ s not being able to connect in the way that we ...

When the “Come Follow Me” program was introduced at the same time as two hour meetings, we were told to use the third hour to study at home.   We were also told that we wanted to develop the habit for one day when we were unable to attend church meetings for whatever reason.   None of us had predicted this soon however. We had cancelled our last RS activity due to the weather and decided to cancel our upcoming as well.   We had made the decision before the church announced NO MORE MEETINGS until further notice ( here ). Only seminary will be held unless the schools shut.   But as of now only seminary is the only meeting that will be held at the ward house.   No others.   Not even sacrament meeting.   Why do people panic instead of remaining calm?   Why do so many always expect the worse.   Instead of viewing the police car at the high school as “Oh, good.   They are keeping my child safe” a parent may panic and demand, “What...

            The RS Pres. asked if I would pick up a food order in Winston.   I Googled the address but I did not like the option it showed on how to get there.   I DON’T wish to stay on the freeway so I can exit at 119 just so I can return back down.   There had to be another way.   I blew up the map and paid attention to the landmarks that were near the dentist office that I go to.   The addresses are on the same street!   I’m not going to get off 119 when I can get off 112 and work my way up.   That’s what I’ll do.             Yesterday morning – before I was even out of bed – I thought about two streets in Myrtle Creek that don’t go through.   One cannot get from the post office on Broadway to a resident who lives towards Chestnut or Neal.   It ends at Spruce on one side and dead ends on the other.   ...

          I remember when I was on my mission, and even now, we were (or are) told to stay clear of using abbreviations  or initials to describe something that unless you are a member of the Church and are already familiar with the lingo, most non-members are not going to get that RS stands for Relief Society, YW stands for young women, etc.                      I know I have been guilty of this in my blog - abbreviating.  Occasionally I do try to explain myself or refer to sites that will.  Back then (on my mission) the top initials used were D&C meaning Doctrine and Covenants (which is not what the majority of the population will think D&C means;  even many active church members I had met would first think of Dilation and curettage ) and GA for General Authority.        ...

            When there are not enough active members attending church, wards may combine as others are done away with.   When there is growth in the church, new wards and stakes are created. I have lived in such areas that affected ward boundaries.             I am too young to remember when my mom and neighbors were a part of the third ward.   I had always known us as the forth.   Just after or right before I had graduated high school, it was announced that our ward boundaries would be changing as our stake would include members on the west side of state street.   One and a half streets were made a part of the seventh ward.   I remember there wasn't much support in the "sustaining vote" - nevertheless, it was carried out.                It wasn't too many years later when I was o...

            When I'm teaching primary, I'm sitting down.   When I taught RS, I was standing up.   The sisters have decided to put themselves in a circle, which has its benefits.   I thought I might try walking around and pace myself back and forth as I've seen another instructor do - but my voice doesn't seem to carry as loud as hers nor did I have much of a voice on Sunday and so had to stand behind the microphone.             NONE of the shoes that I wear on Sunday are very comfortable and so my feet hurt as I neared the end of my lesson and later on that night I was experiencing back pain.   I blame the shoes.   I think Roland would blame my weight.   Probably a combination of the two.             There are posts on either my own or my brother's blog which provide several reference...

            I was on my mission when Howard Jones released "No One is to Blame" found here . Whenever I heard the song I would visualize a lower to middle class young man who had taken a job at a country club.   He has his eyes on one of the members - a girl from a prestige family background.   He would like a relationship with her and she with him, but as they are labeled into upper class and lowly servant, there is no relationship other than "client and worker"                       I now hear this song expressed in some talks given by various leaders - particularly when the talk is geared toward the family.   How many others can hear these words (symbolically of course)?             I am grateful for the ward members that I think of as family as Roland and Jenna are my only biological family in this state.  Un...

          Though I have had a small hand and say in making funeral arrangements, I have not had the opportunity of having to find a mortuary nor have considered every financial expect.   Before either of my parents had passed, there needed to be a record of what funeral home to contact should they expire.   My dad lived out his final days at Cottonwood Hospital in Murray, Utah.   Ironically, he had also been born there (or so I was told) but at that time it had been called Cottonwood Maternity Ward and wasn't the full blown hospital where he had died.                Mom had used a local mortuary as a contact I’m guessing because it was familiar territory as it had been used by other members of our ward.   Before mom passed, Corey had made arrangements for Premier Funeral – though none of us had heard of it before, it really does seem the most economical way to go.     ...