And angels are coming to visit the earth . . .

Sunday morning Karl and Willie and I went to the seventh session of the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was very good . . .

• I have watched the building of this particular temple since the announcement by President Hinckley in General Conference, October 2005, that it would be built to its dedication this monring.
  
• This is a special temple because it is named after the mountains of the west side of Salt Lake County -- our mountains. I grew up in the Magna area at the foothills of the Oquirrhs and lived in what was called the Oquirrh Stake (later named Magna Utah Stake).
  
• My oldest daughter and her family live in Day Break, the Kennecott Land Development in South Jordan (Kennecott Land donated the gound for the temple). We can see the temple from her home and as we drive to and from her neighborhood.
  
• Our family participated in the temple open house on the last Saturday of June. I was inspired and impressed by the decor -- especially its collection of art that celebrated Utah artists and annonymous pieces done just for the temple.
  
• I drove by the temple at least once a month (if not once a week) during its construction. I can't find words to describe my feelings each time it came into view -- just a beautiful monument to behold.
  
• With Shavy Jones in operation this summer and so close to the temple, I saw a glimpse of the ongoing parade of families and others going the temple and the countless volunteers who directed the whole open house operation. It's amazing to me that things of that magnitude actually come to pass.
  

At the dedication session Sunday morning, I was pretty content to sit with my eyes closed as speakers and choir numbers followed a well-outlined script. But, as the dedication concluded and the choir and congregation began to sing "The Spirit of God like a fire is burning," I felt a certain sureness that what we had just experienced was from God. When the words of the song moved to " . . . the visions and blessings of old are returning, and angels are coming to visit the earth," my eyes welled up and the spirit of the Lord was in my heart, and it felt good.

I hope the angels in heaven will be with me and my family -- when they come to visit the earth.

Football Practice

Little league football practice began July 25th. It's been 3 weeks of practice -- every week night from 5:30-8:30 p.m. I don't know of any other sport in the universe that requires so much practicing. I am not sure why it's takes so much time to master the football techniques of crouching down, holding still until the ball moves, and then crashing into other players to knock them down, and pile up until the whistle blows. I guess it's fun -- Willie never complains. He's moving faster and stronger this year than in any other year. I just don't know why it requires so much practicing. If all the kids on the team spent as much time doing homework and studying, we have the most educated, intelligent kids around.

Summer Countdown

My brother and his wife are very involved in church callings -- John is in the stake presidency and Lori is the young women's president. They have had a girls camp assignment and a trek assignment this summer, so their girls have spent some time at the grandparents (2 nights and 3 nights). That means that everyone who can (my girls, Willie, my sisters, and my nieces and nephew Parker) helps out with their care. it's not that they need extra care -- it's that the grandparents are 80-ish and don't have near the energy they need to keep up with an 11 year-old and a 6 year-old. It's been fun for me and my family to have a chance to get to know the girls without their parents around. They are very nice young girls and they are growing to be great kids. The picture above was taken at Willie's football scrimmage on Thursday night. Their faces show evidence of face painting fun at the grandparents. They have been introduced to video games and text messaging and eating a lot of fast food treats (Shavy Jones shaved ice and shakes from the Arctic Circle) in our care. I guess that's okay . . .