November 26th - December 2nd

December 04, 2018

A winter week at Winter Quarters. Snow has arrived and all the ground is covered in white. It has been interesting getting around and navigating roads.

We had a wonderful Baptism of a blind Karen woman who’s name is Myi Kyi. She became a member of the Church on Friday November 30th. Sister White gave the talk on Baptism. It was a wonderful experience to see how the Lord works through others to bring about change. Her friend Naw Htoo was baptised a few weeks ago and Myi Kyi could tell how happy she was, and wanted the same feeling. Naw Htoo is the Karen person who gave Sister White and I Karen Names, Pe Wa (Sister White) and Pu Wa (Elder White) they mean Grandma White and Grandpa White.

Saturday our ward celebrated what they called a “White Christmas”. We were to each find an family name and do the work for them. and meet in a temple session, thus creating a new ward on the other side of the veil. It was great! In the evening we took Naw Htoo and Myi Kyi to the ward party. It was so fun. It was called How the Grinch Found Christmas with the appearance of the Grinch himself. He terrified all the little Children in the ward!!

Sunday was an interesting day. We live 10 minutes from church, be because of getting stuck in 3 snow drifts and sliding off the road it took an hour to get there. Church started at 9:00, but there was only 6 people to start so they held off until 9:30. We had the Sacrament and confirmed Myi Kyi, dismissed at 10:10 and they canceled church for the rest of the day, and then didn't open the Tabernacle until 12:30pm. Quite a trip to work and home.

A story told by President Monson

A story written by Karen Nolen, which appeared in the New Era in 1974, tells a pioneer story of a Benjamin Landart who, in 1888, was 15 years old and an accomplished violinist. Living on a farm in northern Utah with his mother and seven brothers and sisters was sometimes a challenge to Benjamin, as he had less time than he would have liked to play his violin. Occasionally his mother would lock up the violin until he had his farm chores done, so great was the temptation for Benjamin to play it.

In late 1892 Benjamin was asked to travel to Salt Lake to audition for a place with the territorial

orchestra. For him, this was a dream come true. After several weeks of practicing and prayers, he went to Salt Lake in March of 1893 for the much anticipated audition. When he heard Benjamin play, the conductor, a Mr. Dean, told Benjamin he was the most accomplished violinist he had heard west of Denver. He was told to report to Denver for rehearsals in the fall and learned that he would be earning enough to keep himself, with some left over to send home.

A week after Benjamin received the good news, however, his bishop called him into his office and asked if he couldn’t put off playing with the orchestra for a couple of years. He told Benjamin that before he started earning money there was something he owed the Lord. He then asked Benjamin to accept a mission call.

Benjamin felt that giving up his chance to play in the territorial orchestra would be almost more than he could bear, but he also knew what his decision should be. He promised the bishop that if there were any way to raise the money for him to serve, he would accept the call.

When Benjamin told his mother about the call, she was overjoyed. She told him that his father had always wanted to serve a mission but had been killed before that opportunity had come to him. However, when they discussed the financing of the mission, her face clouded over. Benjamin told her he would not allow her to sell any more of their land. She studied his face for a moment and then said, “Ben, there is a way we can raise the money. This family [has] one thing that is of great enough value to send you on your mission. You will have to sell your violin.”

Ten days later, on March 23, 1893, Benjamin wrote in his journal: “I awoke this morning and took my violin from its case. All day long I played the music I love. In the evening when the light grew dim and I could see to play no longer, I placed the instrument in its case. It will be enough. Tomorrow I leave [for my mission].”

Forty-five years later, on June 23, 1938, Benjamin wrote in his journal: “The greatest decision I ever made in my life was to give up something I dearly loved to the God I loved even more. He has never forgotten me for it.”

(From "In Search of Treasure," April 2003)Nephi