Salt Lake City

June 29, 2015 by shelley

Salt Lake Mormon Temple, Utah

My niece Courney got married in the Salt Lake Temple June 13, 2015

Everyone gathered in Salt Lake City.

Caroline

Grandpa, Emily, Grandma, Collins

Becca

Henry

Becca and Henry

Jen and B.J.

Jen and Emily

Aalia and Jack

Collins

The Wedding and reception was beautiful

Courtney and Jim

Craig and Courtney, dad and daughter dance

Hollyhocks in front of Lion House

Lion House

Jack

Adam

Caroline

Jennifer, Emily and Vicki Iba

Henry and Becca

Caroline and Grandpa

Aalia, Jack and Zain

Craig and Anneli’s sister Miriam’s husband

Ethan and cousin

Collins, Carl and Becca

And baby Emily’s blessing

Emily’s baby blessing

BYU Women’s Conference 2015

May 26, 2015 by shelley

Landing at the Salt Lake Airport and gazing at the mountains in Utah I feel such a sense of homecoming. Living in Kansas I miss the mountains, oh how I how miss the mountains.

My favorite mountain is perhaps Mount Timpanogos…the backdrop for the BYU campus.

Mount Timpanogos, Wasatch Mountain range, Utah

Mount Timpanogos not only is beautiful but has its own legend. There are multiple versions of the legend. If you look hard at Mount Timpanogos you can imagine a young Indian Maiden Princess lying on her back with her hair flowing down. And just as most legends go, the legend of Mount Timpanogos involves two young lovers. (You can read the legend of the beautiful Indian Princess here.)

Women’s Conference is held on the BYU campus between BYU’S graduation (after Winter semester) and the beginning of spring term. The annual two-day event attracts an estimated 15,000 women who come to hear leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attend classes featuring more than 200 presenters on topics such as marriage, family and gospel principles.

Women’s Conference gives me a chance to catch up with two close friends, Ellen Riley and Linda Esplin. Ellen lives outside of Boston and Linda lives in Phoenix. Linda and I became friends when I was in graduate school and she was an undergraduate. We met in the student ward but we bonded over running. I married Bob and moved to Boston for Bob’s internship and residency. Linda married Cordell, (attended law school), moved to Hawaii for Cordell’s internship. Then they moved to Boston for Cordell’s residency. Here we met Ellen. We all became fast friends. Thankfully, we get to meet once a year in Utah for Women’s Conference. It is a time to renew friendship, catch up on news and bask in the learning opportunities afforded at Women’s Conference.

BYU campus is a beautiful campus.

BYU campus

The theme for BYU Women’s Conference this year was: “My soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord.” 2 Nephi 11:5

BYU Women’s Conference Theme

BYU Women’s Conference is the largest two-day gathering of LDS women anywhere in the world. Over 200 presenters share their perspectives and insights on a variety of topics including womanhood and sisterhood, gospel principles, marriage, family, and practical and timely topics of interest and concern to women of all ages.

One of the memorable classes for me was “A Time for a Woman’s Voice” given by Ally Isom and Michael R. Otterson. Michael Otterson is head of public affairs for the church and he talked about the church and social media today. It really opened my eyes to the need that we need to make a presence on the internet.

I also enjoyed Elder Ballard’s presentation.

Elder M. Russuell Ballard and Sister Barbara Ballard at the Marriott Center.

BYU Women’s Conference

General session speakers in the Marriott Center included Sister Wendy Watson Nelson, wife of Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson, Young Women general president; Kevin J. Worthen, BYU president, and his wife, Peggy; and Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

I also enjoyed a special presentation at the Fine Arts Museum on the BYU campus. Artist Brian Krishisnek

spoke on “Nativity and Other Paintings of Women”.

Nativity by Kershisnek

also on view through 2016 is a breathtaking display of color:

Gabriel Dawe’s stunning Plexus no. 29 at BYU Museum of art

The two translucent structures filtering through the Museum’s skylight appear to be luminous rays of light refracted through a giant prism. Gabriel Dawe’s stunning Plexus no. 29 is a corporeal installation of colored filament meticulously threaded between the Museum’s mezzanine walls and oculus.

I also got to spend time with my daughter Jen and my grandchildren Becca, Henry, Caroline and Emily!

Eating at the Lion House Pantry

Enjoying yogurt

Henry and Becca checking out the fish at City Creek

And the beautiful flowers at temple square…

Flowers at temple square

BYU Women’s Conference and LDS Church History Museum

May 9, 2014 by shelley

BYU Women’s Conference

and

LDS Church History Museum

Ellen Riley flew in to meet me to attend Brigham Young University Women’s Conference. Our first stop was to eat lunch in the Nauvoo Cafe, and then a visit to Temple Square and the Church History Museum.

The Nauvoo Cafe is located on the corner of South Temple and Main Street in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, in Downtown Salt Lake City.

Nauvoo Cafe In Joseph Smith Memorial Building

goodies at the Nauvoo Cafe

Visiting Temple Square and the flowers of Temple Square

Salt Lake City Temple

Reflecting pool in front of Salt Lake City Temple.

Assembly Hall at Temple Square, Salt Lake City

The Salt Lake Assembly Hall is one of the buildings owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the southwest corner of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. It has seating capacity for an audience of approximately 1,400 people.

The Salt Lake Assembly Hall is a Victorian Gothic congregation hall. Rough granite walls are laid out in cruciform style making the hall’s exterior look like a small gothic cathedral.

Flowers Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah

Our timing was just a little late to see all the tulips in their prime, but Temple Square was still gorgeous!

Flowers Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah

The L.D.S. Church History Museum

L.D.S. Church History Museum

The museum is located west of Temple Square and north of the Family History Library.

I was excited to see a set this set of coins in the museum.

Old Set of Mormon Coins

I had heard about a set like this one in the news recently. ABC had a story about them, as did KSL in Salt Lake City and LDS Living.

They were the rarest of a seven-piece collection of Mormon coins made in 1849 that brought in nearly $2 million at an auction staged by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.

A $10 Mormon gold coin fetched $705,000, and a $20 Mormon gold coin sold for $558,000 at auction this week.

The territorial coins, put up for sale by a collector, went to an undisclosed buyer. Bidding ended Thursday night.

Tyson Emery, a coin expert at All About Coins in Salt Lake City, said coins and currency were scare when Mormon pioneers arrived in Utah in 1847, and the settlers began making their own coins primarily to buy goods from the East.

“The gold that they used to make these Mormon gold coins came from the original California gold strike, probably right from the American River at Sutter’s Mill,” he told the Deseret News (http://bit.ly/1h1t3cv ).

Only 46 of the $10 gold coins were made, and just a few are still around.

I was also excited to see the “originals” of Missouri Church history. This picture by C. C. A. Christensen showing the persecution of the Saints in Jackson County, Missouri is the “one” always used showing the Saints being expelled from Jackson County Missouri.

Painting of Persecution of the Saints in Jackson County, Missouri

Another “original” is Joseph Smith’s letter written in Liberty Jail to the people in Quincy, Illinois after being expelled from Missouri. Parts of this letter would latter become scripture D&C sections 121-123:

Joseph Smith letter written in Liberty Jail

Displayed with the letter were original bars from Liberty Jail.

And lastly, the original cast iron face wheel from Haun’s Mill on display at the Church History Museum. (Article about Haun’s Mill)

Cast Iron Face Wheel from Hauns Mill

Then we were off to Women’s Conference 2014 at Brigham Young University.

BYU’s beautiful campus!

The Theme this year is found in Psalm, 84:11 which reads, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” In this verse we are reminded of the blessing and power of divine grace.

Women’s Conference 2014

Marriott Center Brigham Young University

Thursday Morning Opening Session was a real treat!

Thursday Morning Opening Session was Sheri Dew.

Sheri Dew

Her theme was: “For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield: the Lord will give Grace and Glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
—Psalm 84:11

Thursday Afternoon General Session was Elder Bruce C. Hafen and his wife, Marie.

Elder Bruce C. Hafen and Marie K. Hafen

They spoke on the Redeeming and Strengthening Powers of the Atonement.

Friday Morning General Session

Linda K. Burton, Bonnie L. Oscarson, Rosemary M. Wixom

Linda K. Burton, Bonnie L. Oscarson, Rosemary M. Wixom spoke on the Atonement Heals, Comforts, Consoles, and Enables Us to Show Mercy and Grace Unto Ourselves

Friday Afternoon Closing Session was Elder Quentin L. Cook and his wife Mary.

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve and Mary G. Cook

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve and Mary G. Cook spoke on

The Rewards of Righteousness

We stayed for the evening performance which included; Mercy River, Hilary Weeks, Hudson Lights, Sandra Turley (broadway star), and Jenny Oaks Baker (Emmy nominated). All incredible, but the climax of the evening was a video “Evil Did Not Win” about one of the victims of the Sandy Hook Massacre Emilie Parker and a talk by her mother Alissa. I noticed as we left many red, rimmed eyes.

Sandra Turley

(I had to take this picture of Sandra Turley and send it to Becca. Becca is good friends with Sandra’s sister and brother-in-law [also a Duke graduate with Carl]. We sat by Sandra’s mother at graduation.)

Side note: May 1st was the first day of BYU’s new President Kevin Worthen. Kevin grew up in Price and was one of the best friends of my brother Craig. Really exciting to see a kid from Price do so well. The Deseret News and BYU today called Craig to interview him to find out what Kevin was like as a kid. Craig told a couple of “Kevin Stories”.

“Craig Smith became Worthen’s friend in the third grade, the same year Smith remembers running into Worthen one day in the library in Price. Worthen lived in Dragerton, a small town owned by a coal mine several miles away.

Smith was working his way through the Hardy Boys books. Worthen was carrying a stack of novels that included “Advise and Consent,” the 1959 Pulitzer Prize-winning political novel by Allen Drury.

“He was reading as an adult already in those days,” Smith said.”

AND

“Kevin is a very smart guy, but he’s also a very humble guy,” Smith said. “He’s usually the smartest guy in the room, but he doesn’t advertise that and doesn’t care if people know that or don’t know that. Lawyers usually want to let you know.”

His fellow BYU law students figured it out, Smith said. Their nickname for Worthen, who would graduate first in their class, was Zeus.

“Of course,” Smith said, “Zeus was the smartest and strongest of all.”

Congratulations to Kevin…13th President of Brigham Young University.

Temple Square and the beautiful springtime tulips!!! Glorious!!!

June 20, 2013 by shelley

The Salt Lake Temple is surrounded by spring blooms.

Temple Square in the springtime! No words can describe the beauty of temple square and it’s glorious landscaping and colorful flowers. But it took my breath away with all the blooming flowers; tulips, daffodils, and crocus’. I was absolutely mesmerized by some of the tulips and daffodils…they had 5-6 blooms on one stem. Each stem was like a bouquet of tulips or daffodils…gorgeous!!! Say no more a picture is worth a thousand words…

: Springtime glory blooms around the Salt Lake City Temple!

We also visited the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, near the Salt Lake temple.

Reception room Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Magnificent Centerpiece Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Chandelier in Joseph Smith Building

Magnificent Centerpiece Joseph Smith Memorial Building

and a few pictures of the Salt Lake Temple…

Salt Lake City Temple

Women’s Conference at Brigham Young University

June 19, 2013 by shelley

I attended BYU Women’s Conference again this year with my good friend Ellen Riley from Boston.

2013 BYU Women’s Conference

We joined about 17,000 other women for two days of guest speakers, great entertainment, service projects, and great companionship.

Session in Marriott Center

Thousands of Women in the Marriott Center for Women’s Conference.

Women’s Conference is a happening and this car seemed to say it all:

Car in parking lot of Women’s Conference.

Women’s Conference is a yearly happening for many women.

Program from Women’s Conference:

It seemed this year I connected with lots of people; i.e. a general session speaker Kevin Worthen (friend of my brother growing up) from Price, Utah- we grabbed good seats for this session and went up after to say “hello”;

Best Seats in the house for this session.

Or a presenter in one class Carol Mikita, mother of my daughter Becca’s good friend Jen Bennion:

Class: “It Is for You . . . to Lead the World and toLead Especially the Women of the World”(President Joseph F. Smith)

President Joseph F. Smith encouraged sisters in Relief Society to lead the “women of the world, in everything thatis praise-worthy, everything that is God-like, everythingthat is uplifting and that is purifying to the children of men.” As women of God, we can lead by lifting in our spheres of infuence in our homes, the Church, ourcommunities, and work. What qualities and attributeshelp us to be effective leaders? How can we maintain ourdivinely given female natures, be distinct and different inhappy ways, and also be infuential and effective?

Carole Mikita —Wife, mother; senior reporter for religionand the arts, KSL-TV; writes and produces documentariesthat air between general conference sessions

The weather was beautiful this year and the campus was beautiful as usual and of course the mountains-the glorious mountains.

Spring blooms.

Trees in bloom on BYU campus.

A later spring this year created beautiful color on the BYU campus.

The clean beautiful BYU campus.

Scenic view of BYU campus.

A view of my favorite mountain, Mount Timpanogos.

The mountains, the glorious mountains of Utah.

This year we stayed late to catch the evening entertainment:

Evening entertainment in the Marriott Center.

This year in addition to Women’s Conference we also visited

This is the Place Heritage Park

Step back in time and see the West as it was in the early settlement of Utah. Ride one of three trains, the Jupiter, Blackhawk or the 119, as they tour around the Park. Or enjoy a ride around the pond on the mini train. City kids will love riding ponies, meeting and petting farm animals and don’t forget to try your skill at milking Clara Bell the Cow.

Guests love panning for gold. There is no excitement quite like finding a shiny nugget hiding amongst the silt and sand. “Set sail” on the Ship Brooklyn, a one-sixth replica of the original that tells the story of the expedition of pioneers who sailed from New York Harbor over 24,000 miles in search of a new home in the West.

Visit the Native American Village, which celebrates Utah’s heritage before the arrival of the settlers. Authentic Navajo Hogan’s and Shoshone teepees stand in a quiet circle on the hillside. Grind corn and make arrowhead necklaces.

Interact with a blacksmith, tinsmith, and saddle maker and don’t forget to purchase some snake oil from Dr. Quackenbush! Try your hand at some old-fashioned pioneer chores, or at spinning and carding wool. And there’s endless old-fashioned fun from the bucket brigade to the Candy Cannon that shoots salt-water taffy during special events. The streets are alive with a variety of musical performers, and be on the lookout for a train robbery!

Brand new Summer 2013 is Irrigation Station splash pad! Cool off and learn why the Salt Lake Valley “blossomed as a rose!”

The Gift Shop at the Visitor Center is one of the premier destination shopping experiences in Salt Lake City. And theZCMI Mercantile is filled with sweets from yesteryear and loads of goodies. Huntsman Hotel is home to Hires Big H products, there’s an old fashioned ice cream shop with soft serve and flavor burst cones, and Brigham’s Donuts are cooked fresh everyday! A little bit of sugary heaven!

Visit the Mormon Battalion Museum, The Stoddard Gallery and see the iconic Monument that was erected under the supervision of a committee composed of Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Latter-day Saint representatives. Visit the Walk of Pioneer Faiths honoring early religious groups and leaders who contributed to the religious diversity of our great community.

I think we visited just about every building in the park: