What a marvelous weekend. David Haws and his mother, Carol, came to visit us for a few days. They are from Thousand Oaks, & Fresno,CA. We had a wonderful time seeing the sites here in Palmyra with them. David is a great Church history enthusiast and we learned a lot from his many questions. We were in the Sacred Grove this afternoon after Sacrament meeting and our other meetings. We were virtually alone and wondered around finding the "witness trees". This is one of them. It would be over 200 years old. We had fun measuring them and most were 9' or more in circumference.

We always love to see the "Apostle tree". It is an ironwood tree and is dead but still stands strong. It gets its name from all the branches it has. It is deep in the forest and protected from the wind and elements and so may stand for many years to come.

Saturday I worked in the temple office in the morning and Paul spent the morning with the Haws seeing some of the sites and then we were all in the temple in the afternoon. Paul and I helped with abaptismal group. I think we had about 25 people and they were made up of four families and a branch. We did family file names and did about 270 baptisms and 290 confirmations. It was a great afternoon. That evening the four of us went to the Hill Cumorah for a VIP open house for the Dead Sea Scrolls. Tomorrow the exhibit will be taken down. It has been a wonderful draw for people in the area to come to the visitor center.

This has been a beautiful week. You see us lounging on the porch waiting for the Crookstons to pick us up to go to Wards for a cheesburger (buy one get one free). Good thing we took a moment to sit down because we found a wasp's nest there on the porch.

Whose having the most fun?

Last Sunday we had a quick get-together at Zions Camp. The Single Adult conference had some food left over and gave it to us so we all came for Sunday dinner.

We checked out the fence mending project and decided it looked pretty straight.

This is the crooked stream which runs behind the Smith log house and frame house. It was along here that they dammed up the water and had a baptismal font for some of the Willard Bean family.

For our FHE President Siebach presented his "Come To The Temple and Claim Your Blessings" presentation which he gives to all the Church units in the temple District. In summary:

Pres. Hinckley says; "every time you come you will be better"

Pres. Kimball says: you need to schedule and plan or calendar coming to the temple

Pres. Benson says: come frequently; stay close

Pres. Hunter says: Temple covenants are essential. We cannot return to presence of Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ without them

Temple Blessings: Initiatory--great promises, Endowment--knowledge, sealings--power & glory.

Have a great week and get yourself to the temple and take someone with you. Love you