Amazing Documents

On the 26th of September I went to an early morning devotional at Assembly Hall on Temple Square for the Human Resource Department of the Church. Elder Marlin K. Jensen, who heads up the Church and Family History Department, was the speaker. After giving a great talk he let us see precious documents from the Church History Museum. I asked if I could take pictures and they were happy for me to do so.

I love this little book. It is about 4"x6".  It is the 1832 journal of Joseph Smith's, the only journal written by Joseph Smith. In his new little book he recorded, I have been commanded to record the important things that happen with the Church, so I bought this little journal to do so." Then six months went by before he wrote again. So human. Somehow that makes me love Joseph even more. After what he wrote in this journal, he had scribes for the subsequent entries.

This, Hyrum Smith's 1841 Book of Mormon, was the very book from which he read to Joseph just before the martyrdom and from which Elder Holland read at General Conference, October 2009.

I was amazed at Wilford Woodruff's penmanship. He started his journals writing in cursive but someone told him it wasn't very legible, so he changed and printed his journal. It is so beautifully done that it almost looks like it is typewritten.  

This manuscript page contains 1 Nephi 3:7. So appropriate.

Sorry this is sideways.

Seeing these documents was a rare privilege for me.

The Best Autumn Ever

By all these lovely tokens September days are here,

With summer’s best of weather And autumn’s best of cheer.

~Helen Hunt Jackson

It has been a beautiful fall this year, but even so, autumn always makes me a bit sad. However, if all autumns were like this one, it could easily become a favorite season. Cherie and I have been bottling fruit, making frozen jams, and enjoying the fresh fruit of this season.  Every spring I want to move, but when autumn comes the nesting instinct kicks in and I enjoy domestic pursuits. I have even been happy for the return of football. Go BYU!It was fun to see Katelyn as she prepared for the big dance. She is so much fun, so beautiful, and full of the Spirit of goodness and joy.