Come Listen to a Prophet's Voice

Never having had the opportunity to be in attendance at General Conference since the Conference Center was built in 2000, enjoying the Tabernacle (built in 1868 by the pioneers) with my family in my youth and with my children, and now living on the western side of the Continental Divide, we thought it was time to experience Salt Lake City during General Conference weekend -- and what an experience we enjoyed!

With many thanks to my wonderful son John and his beautiful wife Dana for giving us their tickets to the Saturday morning session, and after driving all evening and finally getting to sleep in our Salt Lake City hotel around 4:00am, we gladly awoke at 7:00am to get dressed, hop onto the rail and walk into the Conference Center in plenty of time to be able to find our seats and feel the experience unfold! John is invited each year during October Conference to attend with all the other LDS Chaplains, where they are taught and fed, both physically and spiritually, to fill and prepare them to return to their various assignments and continue the great work in which they are passionately and lovingly serving.
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As we sat on the floor level in the second section back from the podium and watched as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir warmed up, and people began streaming in and drinking up the spirit that was definitely present, we marveled at the opportunity to actually be there, not just watching it on TV.  We thought we had prepared ourselves for this experience, but we had only prepared ourselves to begin to understand the feelings that were flooding into our hearts.

We kept watching for the Prophet to arrive...and we waited, and we waited, but when Conference began he had not yet arrived! Nothing was said, not a beat was missed, but HE was missed! We had come so far to be in his presence -- a true and living Prophet of God! President Eyring and President Uchtdorf were there along with most of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but President Thomas S. Monson was not in attendance! The talks began, the music was beautiful, and by the time we stood to sing the congregational hymn (or "half time song") -- in he came -- as if there was no reason to be alarmed. He was announced as the next speaker, and when he arrived at the podium the sound of his "hello" was like music to  my ears, and my final arrival with my whole heart!

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Every talk was directed to our hearts and minds, and we felt such an honor to be in the presence of the Lord's servants who had received the inspiration to share those things that we needed to hear -- in person.

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We were particularly touched as President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, arrived in a wheelchair. We watched as his brothers, the other members of the Twelve Apostles, cared for his every need and comfort as he sat in his place of honor.  How grateful we were to be in attendance at this session -- to watch those who love and serve with him, and then to hear his message filled with such love, counsel and inspiration -- particularly for me and my soon to be 19 grandchildren:
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"Sometimes you might be tempted to think as I did from time to time in my youth: “The way things are going, the world’s going to be over with. The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be.” Not so! You can look forward to doing it right—getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren.  If you will follow these principles, you will be watched over and protected and you yourself will know by the promptings of the Holy Ghost which way to go, for “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” I promise you that it will be so and invoke a blessing upon you, our precious youth."
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We were so filled and moved that we didn't want to leave this holy place!

We lingered, continued to drink in and Spirit, and filled our eyes, ears and hearts with everything we could see, hear and feel. We came, we heard, and our hearts were filled to overflowing. What a way to begin the weekend!

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The skies were just a little cloudy, keeping the warm autumn sun from smoldering each person who ventured out on such a beautiful day to be a part of this experience. But the contrasts were real, and impossible to explain without having been there ourselves. As we arrived on Temple Square, we were immediately accosted by those who did not believe as we did, and the negativity and darkness that surrounded them and the words they spoke were like knives piercing our hearts that were so filled with anticipation. But as soon as we crossed the street and entered the doors of the Conference Center, that darkness dissipated and peace replaced the confusion. But as we left the Conference Center and crossed the street again, we notice that walking past those same people with different opinions and beliefs was not the same, because this time we were walking toward those young college age students who were singing hymns right next to them -- the spirit of these clean young men and women far surpassed the darkness of the adversary, and we again felt the hand of the Lord guiding us towards the light of faith.

Surrounding every inch of Temple Square were people who had brought their families to basque in the Spirit of Conference -- some had been able to go inside the Conference Center, some inside the Tabernacle, and some just enjoyed the beautiful grounds. Never having seen Temple Square before quite like this, Stephan could hardly believe his eyes!

All we had to do was look up to see Moroni proclaiming that on these sacred grounds we would feel the presence of the Lord -- and we did!

Stephan met his friend Joseph Smith -- again -- and had a chat with him.  They had become good friends since first meeting at the Nauvoo Pageant, then learning more about Joseph as we watched "The Work and the Glory" DVD series that Stephan received for his birthday.

He also got to see Joseph and Emma together, and the gentle looks of kindness and love in their expressions towards each other. What majestic and artistic beauty we found at every turn.  We can hardly wait for the movie "The Plates of Gold" which is coming soon to Boise.  He loves to learn about those who were so instrumental in bring about the restoration of the Gospel he is learning to love.

And of course, no first trip to Conference would be complete without having lunch at the Lion House, the restored residence of Brigham Young and his family, and the home of some of the most delicious homestyle food in the area! Although waiting in line to get inside took a little more time than we thought, realizing that we would not need to rush back for the afternoon session made the wait worthwhile, and we enjoyed every mouth watering bite!

The gardens were absolutely immaculate, both along the front of the Beehive House next door and the Lion House.

Then Stephan asked what this strange bird represented at the Seagull Monument. I had not realized he had never heard the story of the Seagulls and the Crickets! What fun it was to recite that story that I had known since childhood. We call it the "Miracle of the Seagulls" and the complete story can be found by typing in that story at http://lds.org.  He would never look at a seagull the same way again!

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From there we walked just a few short blocks to Terry and Gloria's condo, where we enjoyed watching the rest of the Saturday afternoon session of Conference, before the boys were soon to leave for the Priesthood Session, where Terry had tickets for he and Stephan to again sit inside the Conference Center and to be in the presence of the Lord's anointed.

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While they were gone, it was the girls' turn to have a little fun, so we found the nearest DSW Warehouse and did a little shoe shopping (thanks Gloria!), returning in time to meet the pizza delivery man before the men returned home. Sitting together as a family while my oldest brother, husband, and the others (including my niece's sons who are preparing for their missions) shared what they had learned during Priesthood Session, was very humbling and I looked around at those faced I love so very much and felt such gratitude for having family that shared such love for our Father in Heaven and his beloved Son Jesus Christ, and listened and learned from His inspired servants.

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But the long day had caught up with us and we were so glad to be in our beautiful room at Little America, that I don't think either of us remember our heads hitting that pillow! So, enjoying Sunday morning Conference in bed (Church in our jammies) at that beautiful place was indeed a treat! I think we've found a tradition -- just like Uncle Vern and Aunt Bonnie, I love Little America at Conference time!  It is far enough from the masses, yet close enough to hop the transit and be dropped off close to everything!

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But we had tickets again for the afternoon session, thanks to John, and we were not going to miss a moment of it! However, our feet were tired from the previous day, so after checking out of our hotel and packing the car, we found a lovely Egyptian taxi driver who could get us to the Conference Center in record time -- if only he knew were it was...NOT the Salt Palace where he first pulled up, the Conference Center!! Flipping back across the street he hit the traffic on their way into the parking area and had a few words to say about some of the unkind things these supposedly kind people were doing with their cars on the way to a meeting that teaches kindness and tolerance!  After a few responses bringing better understanding between us, we made it in plenty of time, walked to our door, and just having expressed our desire to see someone from "home" we run into Will Smith from St. Louis! See, every little prayer is heard and answered! In fact, following that afternoon session of Conference we ran into Lonnie and Debbie McCleve from Gilbert -- a true miracle that I needed...to renew my connection with those whom I love so much, and who had been and continue to be some of my dearest friends.

Once again, our hearts and Spirits drank every word of that concluding session of Conference that we could hardly find the exit doors -- the sweet ushers of the Conference Center had to find the exit doors for us! We were so moved by the beauty of the art work in the Conference Center, particularly this piece entitled, "Jesus Christ Visits the Americas" painted by John Scott, depicting His visit to the Nephites following his resurrection (as recorded in 3 Nephi of the Book of Mormon) -- what a powerful feeling that was to imagine being among those who were there at His feet.

One last walk around Temple Square, viewing the beautiful bronze sculptures and remembering our great love for Nauvoo, we felt the connection between what now had become our two favorite places to visit.

"When you're here, we're here" continued to be true as we were drawn to these familiar friends and recognizing them as being a part of the reason why we were able to be where we were, and feel what we had just felt, and would continue to learn as they were so instrumental in bringing about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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How very grateful I am for a the opportunity to experience these childhood memories once again, and see them fresh and new through the eyes of my dear husband. His new and pure love of what I have loved all my life brings a renewed strength to my testimony of the truthfulness of this work. We are not alone here in this life to meander aimlessly without direction or leadership. We have a living Prophet -- President Thomas S. Monson, who arrived as a direct result of my personal prayer (I'm sure!), that we might be taught at his feet and listen to what the Lord would have us hear and feel.

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I know that Conference has never been so sweet, and having someone to share this feast of the Spirit was such a joy to my heart and another confirmation the the Lord truly hears and answers our every prayer. As we continue to prepare for one day becoming sealed as a forever family, we are grateful for these tender mercies that continue to confirm the rightness and surety of the direction our lives have taken -- I know He lives, and that He loves us. Why do I know that? Because I sat at the feet of His Prophet who told me that He loved me -- and I felt it through every fiber of my being -- and I love Him too!

 

Family Traditions Continue at Fish Lake

This year marked the 20th year anniversary that our family has been visiting Fish Lake, one of the most beautiful places on earth!  For the 30 years before that since my early childhood, we had been making our annual family pilgrimage to the high sierras at Hilton Lakes.  But when my mother's health kept her from riding a horse, she and dad found this beautiful place where we could drive directly to the cabins walk right down to the fishing marina, rent boats large enough to fit a crew, and occasionally find a fish or two!  These road signs became the mark of the turnoff to this very special new place for our family!

We began in this 2-story cabin, the Mackinaw, which sleeps over 20 people -- 20 years ago my entire family with siblings and their children stayed in this one cabin.  Now with numbers exceeding 100 among all the descendants of Robert and Jessie Seamons, my family alone exceeds the limit of people allowed to sleep in this one cabin!  So, that has resulted in our renting almost every cabin at Fish Lakes in order to accommodate all my siblings and their children and grandchildren that choose to join us for a week of food, fishing, family and fun -- and in no particular order!  John and Dana could only join us for a couple of days this year, and as usual, John gathers the little ones together for a rousing game of "Go Fish!"

Well, then again, maybe food is one of the first big events, since we arrive on a Sunday and wait until Monday to begin fishing.  So what do you do on a Sunday night?  Well, it's ice cream time!  Dave and Ann bring their "sundae trough" which is reserved for this very treat, and boy is it a treat for the eyes as well as every little child's dream!

And as they dig in, the adults either try to find a place without any backwash, or get a dish of their own and scoop up their own concoction!

Everyone love the first night -- the ice cream trough, the hugs, the family seen sometimes for the first time...like Jacob and his first year at Fish Lake!

The first day begins on a very serious note, as all my brothers gather with their gas griddles, aprons, and chef's tools, and cook up a feast for everyone for breakfast!  First day is pancakes, second is McGree Creek eggs, and third is Jolly French Toast, each with special stories and meaning to our family -- but each a delicious and well executed meal!

Fishing takes a lot of energy, so breakfast is really the most important meal of the day -- besides, it's the first time we're all together in the Pavilion -- all 100 or so of us!  Young cousins have grown another 2 years older, and have been looking forward to seeing each other again!  Older cousins catch up on the challenges of parenthood and life changes, but all find connections that they will enjoy for those few short days.

And here are my oldest granddaughters -- Maddie (Brian's), Ashleigh (Jana's) and Brooklynn (Steve's) who have been waiting and waiting to be together again!  These gorgeous granddaughters come with Primary graduation certificates, new braces, new houses and moving experiences, but they have a common bond of family that is strengthened every time they get together!

One of the fun traditions we started a couple of years ago was making and decorating cupcakes.  But the number of grandchildren has increased to the point that we begin with the younger crew in order to allow everyone access to all the goodies... 

Then come the older grandchildren, and they amaze us with their creativity, art, and sheer joy of the fun in creating their magnificent masterpieces.

We had everything from Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy to gummy fish on Fish Lake, and everything in between -- but all were yummy and so fun to share at our dessert buffet bar that night with the rest of the families.

Well, now that Stephan sees how much fun all my brothers have in cooking breakfast together, he jumps into the "fire" and grabs a spatula to join in the fun!  McGree Creek eggs have never tasted better!

Then, it's off for fishing -- two families take a boat, while others find fun things to do on shore, and it's time for all the siblings and their spouses to take the third boat out for an afternoon of catching up, getting to know Stephan, and an occasional fish nibbling on our inattentive fishing poles!

Terry started as the captain, with Scott and Sue in front with Jeff and Sherri -- the latter who had come without their spouses -- while Dave and Ann, Gloria and I were seated out of the sun and under the canopy -- smart!

Except of course Stephan would find the sun somehow -- so he stretched out on the back of the boat and enjoyed the gorgeous lake that would become his new favorite place to be!

"It's been a while since I've been fishing," he states, but holds that fishing pole like he's dangerous!  At least he looks good!  We returned fishless, but with a greater appreciation of family and the blessings each of our individual families had enjoyed.

Since Stephan never goes anywhere without his guitar, he celebrates the beauty of this gorgeous view (and a little more sun) by serenading us with his tunes.  Then Jeff pulled out his guitar, and we thought we were in Nashville!  Next time we're going to put you two on the stage of the Amphitheater and DEMAND a show!

With such creative daughters whose children need something to do when they aren't on a boat fishing, Cortney had prepared this darling scavenger hunt, including binoculars and a list of things to look for to fill their bags.

When they returned, each had found the most beautiful smooth rock, or the most amazing flower, or pine cone, or other fun and beautiful work of our Father in Heaven that surrounded us in this heavenly place.

Almost like at Easter time,  they spread out their "loot" and share their excitement with each other.

Cousins come to visit from their cabins (or escape to our fun-filled cabin) and out come the cards.  If these tables could talk, they would give quite a history of this family's game antics and the conversations that surround them!

How quickly the week had gone by, and this being our last outing on the boat we decided to take some pictures to remember (or at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!).  My favorite memories include my children passing on these traditions to their children -- whether it's a new fishing hole, how to hold their poles, or just enjoying a gorgeous evening and knowing it will be another 2 years before we return to this place filled with such memories.

Now the captain, Stephan proudly navigates our family around the lake while the boys play with their boys, and we cherish each and every one of those moments together.

Joe and Kingston take to the poles and these dads show their boys how it's done.

But the last day before everyone leaves, we have to have one last family picture of each family so we can remember that year -- what each grandchild looked like at that age, and to hold onto those cherished memories.   Here Brian and Angie, with their children Maddie, Hannah, Chloe and Abby pose in front of the beautiful stream that ran along side our cabin.  This stream was the place where every kid in camp wanted to play all day -- whether in their rubber boots, flip flops, bare feet, or whatever they could -- water and kids go together!

Steve and Cortney pose on the steps of the Mackinaw with Brooklynn, Braden and Brinley after a fun week of being together.  These steps have been the official "picture taking steps" since Steve was Braden's age -- and what fun memories we have of those years!

Then Jana and Scott pose in that same spot with Ashleigh, Emily, Natalie and Charlee -- with baby girl #4 on the way and ready for her first trip to Fish Lake in 2 years.  Good thing she has older sisters who can show her the ropes, all the cool spots to visit, and all the fun cousins that are so much a part of Fish Lake.

Another first year for Joe and Stephanie with all three boys together -- Van, Kingston and Jax, since the last time Stephanie was here she was still carrying Kingston.  This time without being pregnant, she could enjoy the beauty of this place, and we all had such fun with the boys...they never stopped!

The older generation gets their last pose in -- Stephan's first time now a successful memory -- at least the boys brought him back from the "all boys" fishing trip alive!  He made it through meeting most of my family for the first time, and even having a little fun!

The last to leave the Mackinaw, Stephan poses for a parting shot -- now a wonderful memory.

And now wearing his new Fish Lake jacket, he bids farewell to this place where he now understands why is so very important to me.  Missing the last Fish Lake while I was serving my Mission in St. Louis was very difficult, and while I was teaching people like Stephan at the time, I would never trade that opportunity to serve and teach the Gospel that I love so much.  I just never anticipated that I would return to Fish Lake with one of those I had been teaching!

But here we came, and here we'll come again -- now a place where we can share these memories of family, beauty, and lots of fun.  Why are family traditions so important?  Well, those are the relationships we can take with us through the eternities -- and for me and my family, I can hardly wait!  I am so grateful to have a family that I love so much and really WANT to be with forever, so until next time -- we grab those quick visits when we can, and keep the love alive!

Forever Families Now Complete

There is nothing more sweet than to be in the Temple of the Lord with your family, other than possibly to witness the sealing of this sweet family, now together forever!

As a mother, my heart swells within me as I have watched Joe, this amazing son of mine grow in his gifts and abilities, select his beautiful bride Stephanie, and together give birth to and raise these three precious sons. But to be the gramma in the car with them as we turn into the parking lot of the Temple and hear 3-year old Kingston exclaim with such excitement, "It's the Temple, Mom" and his mother reply, "and today we get to go inside as a family," the tears began to flow with a sense of completeness and wonder. Just the Sunday before, Kingston had learned again that Jesus was Heavenly Father's Son, and he was so excited to go into Jesus' house, the House of the Lord, with his family on this beautiful day.

It's not so much a matter of when a family chooses to become a forever family, but THAT the family choose when their lives have been prepared for such a special event. Joe and Stephanie have grown in their love for each other and for their Father in Heaven, since their romantic wedding on the first day of our family cruise. Then these sweet boys started coming so fast and they knew that there could be no greater love than what they felt for these precious sons, and making an eternal commitment to each other and their children was the greatest gift they could imagine.

As a few of us were able to share this special day with them, it will be forever etched in our hearts the feelings we had as we witnessed the blessings given to this family, and the way the boys' eyes were wide with wonder that they hardly could leave that special place.

But we did (and Jax kept trying to build the Temple with his blocks), and we spent the next couple of days playing with cousins, friends, and feeling the bonds of family -- whether present in mind and spirit or in person. Each of these beautiful 18 grandchildren is now a part of our forever family, and as their grandmother I feel such an honor to watch them grow in love for their families and their Father in Heaven...to teach them about their special heritage, their sacred roles within that heritage, and to be a part of their lives as often as I can.

With modern technology racing their quickened minds, they teach each other the games and activities that keep their minds sharp and capable of soaking up all the knowledge and wisdom that they will need to fulfill their respective missions here on earth.

Their faces shine and their eyes dance with clarity and joy, and these feelings just continue to be amplified as they spend this precious time together.

But all too soon Steve, Cortney, Brooklynn, Braden and Brinley must return to their home in Utah, having enjoyed these few days with us to share in this special event.

So, we'll say a "goodbye for now" until the next time when any or all of our forever family can get together and share the eternal bonds of love that continue to grow.

P.S. "Yes, Mom, I know I have precious cargo and will drive carefully!"