BYU Volleyball

Heather may not have been at Prom but she did enjoy some BYU Men's Volleyball.  She went with us both Friday and Saturday nights.  TJ joined us on Saturday as did my Provo sister.

Number one Long Beach was playing against third place BYU.  On Friday night BYU won over Long Beach in a nail biting five sets.  Saturday was a bit shorter as Long Beach won in three sets.  All of it was exciting with over 5000 BYU fans in the Smith Fieldhouse making noise.  Goodtimes!

February grandchildren time

I was able to spend time with every grandchild during February, some in Arizona and some in Utah.  Ruby rode to Utah with her dad so I was able to take her the Young Ambassadors program at BYU.  We also talked, made ebelskivers and sugar cookies, visited the BYU bookstore and art museum, and went out to lunch.  It was so fun to have one on one time with her.

Right now the highlight of any Arizona trip is to mug on and play with this sweet little girl.

My oldest grandchild, TJ is now 18 and willing to be a perch for his uncle's birds.  He came over to watch the Super Bowl and eat pizza with us while we were in AZ.

Ceci has spent some time with me this month while her dad and brother ski and do other things.  Those pacifiers are a Grandpa Glen staple.  She found this one but insisted that I wash it before she popped it into her mouth.

The Utah grandsons joined us for a BYU volleyball game at the Fieldhouse.  Grandpa likes to be early and we were.  Do you see Raymond sitting at the top all by himself?  That will become my seat.  When you buy four tickets you will always need more.

Aren't they handsome boys?  Henry and Oscar came up to join Raymond.  I sent them all back to Glen when it got crowded.  I sat next to the parents of former club and high school volleyball players.  Once we watch our kids play this sport, it seems to get in our blood.  Yes, BYU Men won in three sets.

BYU Football in the desert

The beginning of September found us in the hot deserts of Arizona to watch our hometown team.  The BYU football team was playing the University of Arizona in the NFL Stadium in Glendale, AZ.  Both teams had to travel some as BYU is in Provo, Utah and the UofA is in Tucson, Arizona.  This was my first time inside this immense football stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals and location of a couple of Super Bowls. Thankfully it was air conditioned.  The outside temperature was 106 degrees Fahrenheit.

We arrived early and it was fun to see the stadium fill up with fans wearing blue or red.  There was a bit of a contest to see which team would draw the most fans.  There was more blue!

This was the first "Cactus Kickoff" with more planned in the future.

As you can see, all those seats filled in.  This is our row of family as we invited all of our Arizona sons and their wives to join us.  Our sons are BYU alums as are my husband and I.  It was a nail biting game and BYU won with a field goal in the last six seconds.  The kicker was a true 18 year old freshman who had been a walk on.  Football doesn't get much more exciting than that!!!

TJ's birthday quilt

Glen was a good sport and agreed to model my oldest grandson's birthday quilt.  He turned 15!!! I know, I can't believe it either.  How does time go that fast?

It is a BYU quilt and it is taller than Glen.  That is because TJ is taller than grandpa and most of his uncles.  I wanted to make sure that he could stretch and still have his toes covered.

When in Provo, we live in the shadow of the "Y".  The grandkids come and go to summer camps and events on the BYU campus during the summer so I am passing on my love of BYU to them as my mother did to me.  Thus the quilt and I had to include this picture because of the blue, blue sky which is mirrored in TJ's quilt.

When I designed the label on the back, I included some BYU letters and words.

I bought enough of that navy with leaf fabric for the back as well AND then I came across the "Y" flannel when I went to purchase batting.  It is a scrumptious feeling flannel and I knew it would make it cozy.

I quilted it on my machine and used a wavy decorative stitch and simply sewed straight across the quilt and formed 3 inch squares all over the quilt.

Because I had so much of that navy leaf fabric, I also made TJ a new matching pillow case.

I decided to include the brighter blue as well when I found the fabric printed with the words "blue and white."  I'm happy I went with the other blues because I think it makes it more interesting.

Once again I went to the pattern "Yellow Brick Road"  for this quilt.  It is a fat quarter quilt but for this quilt I bought 1/2 yard cuts of fabric and I made sure that the patterned "Y" fabric was directional and all going the right way.

The  binding is scrappy and made up of all the left over pieces of fabric.

Of course, I didn't plan on buying flannel when I went for batting, so didn't have the correct measurements.  I bought what I thought would work and was wrong, once again because it was directional.  My solution was to use a 6 inch strip of the original backing fabric and use it 2/3 down the back with the label sandwiched in between.  Maybe this quilt will travel with him back and forth from Arizona when he comes to EFY this summer.

Oscar does the BYU Homecoming Parade

After a lively walk of trying to catch Oscar's shadow, we found a great place to sit and watch the annual BYU Homecoming Parade on the corner of 900 East and 800 North.

We were right where the sun was in your eyes as the parade turned the corner.  Remember, we did find a place to sit.  Oscar, however,  kept standing.

There were things to see and candy to catch.

Seriously, this is such a great marching band.

We are true blue fans of BYU Glen and I.  We met here as students, one of our first dates was a BYU football game,  and the campus still feels like home, even with all the new construction.

Hooray for the dancers!

So much energy.

There was a variety of conveyances.

A few floats.

All kinds of cars.

And of course, fire trucks.

This shot is for my daughter, a former RA.  Residence hall advisers really are a part of the college experience.

Brigham Young was almost there in person.  Brigham Young University started as a smaller academy started by Brigham Young in the mid-1800's.  I've been reading about Brigham Young this month.  More on that in a later post.

It was a glorious autumn day in Provo, Utah.  Honestly, the month of October in Utah defies description.

Religion Class

Yesterday I wrote about taking steps towards being more involved and engaged in the Provo Community.  Today I'm sharing my newest educational experience.  I signed up for an Adult Religion Class offered through BYU Continuing Education.  One of the things that I most enjoyed upon retiring was the weekly Institute Class held at the Mesa Stake Center each Thursday morning.  I have really missed it this last year as my Utah time became more and more and my Arizona time less.  It was time to find a substitute and what a great substitute have I found.

I am enrolled in The Nauvoo Teachings of the Prophet: A Year-by-Year Examination taught by Richard Holzapfel, Professor of Religion and History at BYU.  The class meets on Tuesday evenings for an hour and a half in the BYU Conference Center.  I will be in town for most of the lectures.  The lecture last night on primary sources verses "The Cult of the Amateur" which now exists on the Internet was enlightening.  He talked about the process involved in good research and publishing vs. searching on the Internet and accepting whatever is found as truthful and correct.

He went on the explain how amazing the current Joseph Smith Papers project is and how it will enable us to understand and know the Prophet Joseph Smith in more depth and with subsequent insight and admiration.  This is a years long project with a goal to publish all documents, minutes, lectures, sermons, diaries, etc. of Joseph Smith.

He explained how fortunate we are to be living at a time when more and more information is available.  During the Depression Years, the Huntington Library in California sent representatives to Utah to offer money for old pioneer diaries.  Those are now becoming available.  More and more families are sharing their written dairies.  There is also improved relations between The Church of Jesus Christ and the Church of Christ (former RDLS) with regards to the documents, manuscripts, and papers that they have, many of which Emma Smith had possession of at the time church members left for the West.

Professor Holzapfel related the tradition of testimony meeting years ago.  The "old Nauvooers" or those who knew the Prophet Joseph Smith personally were asked to speak first and bear their testimonies so that those in attendance would know more about the Prophet.  Oh, to have been at one of those meetings!  However, we do have primary sources to help us learn about and know as well as personal revelation to fortify our testimonies.

New editions of the Scriptures were released on August 1, 2013.  The headings for different sections of the Doctrine and Covenants will be changed.  There is an elimination of the History of the Church in headings which was put together by Willard Richards, George A. Smith, and Wilford Woodruff.  They did the best they could with what they had available.  As documents are now being studied with the ability to digitize and magnify, mistakes are being found.  Professor Holzapfel shared some examples last night.  For instance, Willard Richards had pretty awful handwriting which is hard to decipher resulting in inaccurate wording.  Insertions made later to some sources are now known to be later because of the different handwriting used which is now easy to recognize.

I was grateful for the insights provided in last night's lecture.  During this year's Education Week, I heard John W. Welch say that if church members would spend as much time reading LDS research, history, and scriptures as they do pursuing what they find on the Internet; they could avoid a crisis of faith.

Family Sunday

After Sunday dinner of good things from the farmers market last weekend, we found ourselves once again at the duck pond.

Just like our last visit, Oscar took his turn eating the bread.  He is trying NOT to show me what is in his mouth.

This is Ray's duck picture.

And Henry's "I am a very handsome soon to be kindergartner picture."

I had some oats, which take forever to cook so were just sitting in the cupboard, to add to the duck menu.

At first there wasn't much interest, but we finally left the oats in a pile away from the action and the ducks soon found it.

Little miss Opal stayed behind to take a nap.

 She was awake when we returned, but slow with her smiles.

Oh, there we go.  A sort of smile.  She not only stands up at the furniture now but also crawls like crazy.  I think there is nothing cuter than a crawling baby.  Nothing!

BYU Education Week 2013

We had a great start to Education week on Monday.  Then this sweet man began passing kidney stones and sand, his own personal gravel pit.  This made him uncomfortable and miserable and nauseous and sick.  I felt so bad for him.

By Friday noon, he felt well enough to take me to the Skyroom on the 6th floor of the Wilkinson Center for lunch.  A couple of hours later I had to take him home as another stone had decided to make an exit.  By Saturday morning all was well again and I had the real and energized hubby back.

It did mean that our time on campus was curtailed.  I started going at noon and staying until early evening.  That worked best as neither of us was sleeping well at night and it was easier to get parking later in the day close by in case I needed to dash home and take care of him.

I am always so happy to be back on my home campus that I know and love so well.  Did you know that one of my jobs when a student was to give tours of the BYU Campus?  I had to smile when I saw little golf carts go by driven by a guide with first timers.  Wish I had had access to a cart.  Mine were walking tours but the campus has grown since my tour guide days.

It was on this campus that I first met the man of my life in his very first BYU class 39 years ago next week.  I came to a realization that this was whom I would marry in a study carrel in the basement of this library building.

We have walked this campus together many times, Glen and I.

The buildings may have expanded and other changes have occurred over those 39 years, but the feeling I've always felt of being at "home" when on this campus has not.

I feel so blessed that once a year I can still come here and learn and experience new things.

I took these pictures on Friday, a cloudy overcast day.  So uncharacteristic of Education Week as it is usually blue skies and lots of sunshine with temperatures in the 90's.  Friday was a gift.

I loved the Victorian Illustrated Book exhibit on the bottom floor of the library by the Special Collections Library.  It was so interesting to learn how illustrations were done as well as about the lives and styles of those artists working in the 19th century.  It was a joy for a retired elementary librarian like me who hawked picture books to students for years.

So now for a wrap up of interesting things that I now know after this year's Education Week.

From "The World of Spirits" by Richard G. Moore.  To help us understand what our scriptures say he gave the analogy of attending the opera as to how we will intermingle after death.  For those who love opera, attending is heaven; for those who attend under duress, it feels like prison; and for those who hate opera (such as the presenter) it is hell.

Carl Bloch is coming back to the BYU Museum of Art in November!  And he is bringing some new friends, Heinrich Hofmann and Franz Schwartz who also specialized in religious art during the 19th century.  The exhibit will be entitled "Sacred Gifts" and I was able to go to a two hour presentation of how this exhibit came about with lots of fun details and information.  There will be new alter pieces from churches as well as art work being loaned by the Frederiksborg Castle.  It opens on November 15, 2013 and ends on May 10, 2014.  More information here.

I loved the presentations given by authors of articles presented in BYU Studies.  I heard Ron Esplin speak about the formation of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and their eventual position in the church.  He is considered the expert on Brigham Young and especially the preparations for the apostleship in Kirtland.

Steve Harper spoke about First Vision Accounts.  The Spring 1969 issue of BYU Studies first published accounts of the First Vision and can be found online at byustudies.byu.edu.  It is also possible to download past issues to your Kindle, etc.  Interestingly, Steve Harper was born after this issue was published. There are 4 or 5 written accounts of the First Vision, 5 if one counts the inclusion of the account included in the Wentworth Letter of 1842.  The other four are:

1832 -  Joseph Smith Letterbook (Summer - late Fall)
1835 -  Joseph Smith Journal (November 9 and mentioned in November 14)  Later reproduced in 1834-1836 History.
1838 - 1839 in the Pearl of Great Price

Jeffrey N. Walker, a lawyer from Salt Lake City and instructor at the BYU Law School, presented "Habeas Corpus in Early Nineteenth Century Mormonism:  Joseph Smith's Legal Bulwark for Personal Freedom."  He explained that early 19th Century law was very different from law now or even after 1848 when big changes occurred in the United States on how to practice law.  He explained about the use of habeas corpus which is a fundamental safeguard of the right of personal liberty.  He explained that Joseph never represented himself after doing so in the first case in 1826.  He was represented by some of the best lawyers in the United States who later went on to high courts or national positions.

Mr. Walker had just been on the phone with a Supreme Court justice from Illinois.  He explained why.  Illinois has something called the Illinois Project where the Supreme Court retries a famous case each year after which it becomes a Senior High School Civics project.  Former cases have been the trial of Mary Suratt for participating in the plot to kill President Lincoln and the appeal of Mary Todd Lincoln after being committed by her son to a mental institution.  This year they called Dallin Oaks requesting the opportunity to do the extradition hearings of Joseph Smith in Illinois by the state of Missouri.  Mr. Walker helped with the writing of the scripts and asked that they treat Joseph Smith with the respect due a great religious leader which has happened.  The recreation of this event will occur September 23 - 24, 2013 in Nauvoo.  Many scholars have been invited and Elder Dallin Oaks will be the evening speaker for all those in attendance.  Forget about going if you are just finding out about this, it is sold out!  Hopefully there will be published reports about this event.

Richard Bennett spoke about "The Rise of Temple Consciousness among the Latter-day Saints in the 19th Century."  His presentation began with Moroni's visits in 1823, included temples built and planned, the endowments houses, and the great work done and new vision of work for the dead in the first temple in the west, St. George in 1877.  It was soon followed by the Logan Temple in 1884, Manti Temple in 1888, and the Salt Lake Temple in 1893.

One of my favorite presenters is David LaFevre.  His presentations are well organized, full of great information, and given with the passion he has for the scriptures.  This year he presented the "Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible."  He gave a great history and background of this work as well as a presentation of his favorite scriptures and their changes.  I found most fascinating his presentation of several verses taken from the Four Gospels where he felt that the changes were more fully representative of the writers and their personalities.

The original manuscripts of Joseph Smith have now been digitalized and are available on DVD.  BYU now has those manuscripts of the Joseph Smith Translation because the Church of Christ or RLDS requested they preserve them as they have the a better ability to do so.  They have also given full publication rights to the LDS Church.  The new 2013 scriptures released on August 1, 2013 have many more of the JST verses than the previous version.

I also attended Jared Ludlow's presentations on the history of Jerusalem and World Religions.  He has recently returned from teaching at the Jerusalem Student Center and his presentation was fascinating and included very current photographs of the archaeological work being done in Jerusalem, especially along the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.

He covered Hinduism, Buddism, Christianity, and Islam in his World Religion series.  Christianity is the largest religion in the world, but the numbers include all Christians from Catholics to Protestants and Evangelicals.  There are over 2 billion Christians or 32% of the world population.  I found these presentations to be most interesting and helpful in understanding events in our current world.  An interesting note:  The number of Jews and Mormons in the world is about equal at 14,000,000 each.

So there you have it for 2013.  Keep in mind that the classes I attended are just a small number of those available and that around 25,000 people from around the world come to BYU Education Week.

Next up is the Sidney B. Sperry Symposium in October and it is free!  Find out more here.

Note:  Last photos are of the Joseph Fielding Smith Building.  I find it beautiful.  It was not around when I gave tours a long, long time ago.