On Sunday 13 July we watched "Music and the Spoken Word" on BYU-TV.  Then Eileen and Sue watched the roundtable discussion on the Book of Mormon that followed.

I finished working on my blog entry for the week of 6 July and published it.

I read the April 2014 General Conference talk “If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments” by Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder Robert D. Hales

We enjoyed the Plantation Ward sacrament service.  The opening hymn was #307, "In Our Lovely Deseret," written by Sister Eliza R. Snow.

Eliza R. Snow (1804-1887)

The sacrament hymn was #175, "O God the Eternal Father," written by Brother William W. Phelps.  It was in the original LDS hymnbook in 1835.  The music was by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), so the music may have been what was in the original hymnbook.

William W. Phelps (1792-1872)

The first speaker was Brother Jacob Nunez.  He spoke about keeping and renewing our covenants, about being a good example at school.  Mosiah 5:5.  "And we are willing to enter into a covenant with our God to do his will, and to be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days, that we may not bring upon ourselves a never-ending torment, as has been spoken by the angel, that we may not drink out of the cup of the wrath of God."  He spoke of preparing and passing the sacrament each week.  He spoke of the covenants we make at baptism.  He referenced Elder Dennis Neunschwander's talk about the sacrament.  

Elder Dennis B. Neunschwander

The next two speakers were Sister Portia S. Boggess and President Jerry R. Boggess.  He is the president and she is matron of the Fort Lauderdale Temple.  Sister Boggess loves the temple and it is great to be there.  All that we do points to the Savior and to the temple.  We partake in saving ordinances at the temple.  She quoted President Dieter F. Uchtdorf when the temple was recently dedicated.  She spoke of the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and the introduction of the doctrine of baptism for the dead.  She spoke of her ancestor Celia and her experiences with the Prophet Joseph Smith and Indians.  She spoke of the prophet receiving D&C 127 in 1842 and her ancestor Marianne Boggess doing baptisms in the yet-to-be-completed Nauvoo Temple only days later.  She spoke of Elder Neil L. Andersen's invitation to the youth to research their ancestors and do baptisms for them in the temple.  The veil is thin and you will have spiritual experiences and receive revelation for you and your family in the temple.  She quoted again from President Uchtdorf's dedicatory prayer of the temple.

Sister Portia and President Jerry Boggess

President Boggess spoke of the spirit of the temple and how special it is to serve there, to have it so close.  He spoke of special experiences with some of the temple workers.  What great enthusiasm they have!  He spoke of a family that was sealed in the temple.  She had been less active and he had been a nonmember.  They had children ages 4 and 2.  He thought that they should attend a church and he told his wife that he liked her church.  He got his own copy of the scriptures.  He was a commander in the military and was sent to Afghanistan.  One of the units that he commanded was from Salt Lake City and they held sacrament meeting each week.  He was baptized upon his return home and a year later they were sealed as a family in the temple.  He spoke of a less active sister who brought her nonmember husband to the open house, tattoos and all.  He encouraged her to be endowed and become a temple worker.  President Boggess enjoyed seeing young folks, who are preparing for their missions, come to the temple for their endowments.  He spoke of receiving one's endowments and being sealed in the temple.  He spoke of faith in Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins.  We need to humble ourselves and be baptized, then receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Then go to the temple and be sealed for time and all eternity, then endure to the end.  He spoke of the sacrifices of a member of the ward who lives here and in Orlando.  She had served in the Orlando Temple and now serves in the Fort Lauderdale Temple.

I taught the Gospel Doctrine class in the chapel.  Today's class was lesson 24, “Create in Me a Clean Heart” using 2 Samuel 11-12 and Psalm 51.  The purpose of the lesson was to encourage class members to be chaste in thought and action and to repent of their sins.  It was hard to teach the lesson in the chapel.  I invited everyone to move forward but they only did to a small degree.  I could barely hear those that contributed or that read the readings that I passed out.

The lesson revolved around King David's adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah.  President Marion G. Romney stated, "David, … though highly favored of the Lord (he was, in fact, referred to as a man after God’s own heart), yielded to temptation. His unchastity led to murder, and as a consequence, he lost his families and his exaltation” (in General Conference, Apr. 1979).

President Marion G. Romney (1897-1988)

The priesthood lesson today was from the "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Fielding Smith" lesson 13 on "Baptism."  "Baptism is by immersion in water.  Baptism cannot be by any other means than immersion of the entire body in water, for the following reasons: 

(1) It is in the similitude of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of all others who received the resurrection. 

(2) Baptism is also a birth and in the similitude of the birth of a child into this world. 

(3) Baptism is literally, as well as a figure of the resurrection, a transplanting, or resurrection from one life to another—the life of sin to the life of spiritual life."

“There is no more important counsel that can be given to any member of the Church than to keep the commandments after baptism. The Lord offers us salvation on condition of repentance and faithfulness to his laws.” 

President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972)

I finished reading chapter 16 of "Miracle of Forgiveness" by President Spencer W. Kimball entitled "Avoiding Pitfalls."  In it was "The Story of the Lark."

"Sin, like a journey, begins with the first step; and wisdom and experience teach that it is easier to resist the first temptation than later ones, when a pattern of transgression has begun to develop. This is demonstrated in the story of the lark. Sitting in the high branches of a tree safe from harm, he saw a traveler walking through the forest carrying a mysterious little black box. The lark flew down and perched on the traveler's shoulder. "What do you have in the little black box?" he asked.

"'Worms,' the traveler replied.

"'Are they for sale?'

"'Yes, and very cheaply, too. The price is only one feather for a worm.'

"The lark thought for a moment. 'I must have a million feathers. Surely, I'll never miss one of them. Here is an opportunity to get a good dinner for no work at all.' So he told the man he would buy one. He searched carefully under his wing for a tiny feather. He winced a bit as he pulled it out, but the size and quality of the worm made him quickly forget the pain. High up in the tree again he began to sing as beautifully as before.

"The next day he saw the same man and once again he exchanged a feather for a worm. What a wonderful, effortless way to get dinner!

"Each day thereafter the lark surrendered a feather, and each loss seemed to hurt less and less. In the beginning he had many feathers, but as the days passed he found it more difficult to fly. Finally, after the loss of one of his primary feathers, he could no longer reach the top of the tree, let alone fly up into the sky. In fact he could do no more than flutter a few feet in the air, and was forced to seek his food with the quarrelsome, bickering sparrows.

"The man with the worms came no more, for there were no feathers to pay for the meals. The lark no longer sang because he was so ashamed of his fallen state.

"This is how unworthy habits possess us first painfully, then more easily, until at last we find ourselves stripped of all that lets us sing and soar. This is how freedom is lost. This is how we become enmeshed in sin."

And the following from Alexander Pope:

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace."

President Spencer W. Kimball (1895-1985)

Colleen texted me that they had arrived safely in Ellijay about 6:40 pm.

Sue and David had visits from Kristen and Cooper and Ron and Melanie.  Ron and Melanie have been friends for at least 25 years.  Ron went to school with David and Sue met them at David's 10-year high school reunion.

 On Monday 14 July I finished chapter three of "Gospel Doctrine" by President Joseph F. Smith entitled "Revelation."

Our hotel and cruise package with RCI expires on 23 July, so I had to get our two cruises booked.  I set up a 7-day cruise on 4-11 January 2015 with Holland America out of Ft. Lauderdale to Half Moon Cay, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Key West.  The second one was a 5-day cruise on 19-24 January 2015 with Carnival out of Miami to Half Moon Cay, Nassau, and Grand Turk.

We took Sue to the ER at Broward Health at Imperial Point to try and get her procedure done.  Hospice by the Sea has been messing up each time Sue has needed the procedure, so we are switching hospices to Vitas Innovative Hospice Care.

Eileen, Sue, and David

Broward Health at Imperial Point

Broward heliport

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We enjoyed the pictures of our garden in Ellijay and the boys' activities there.  Two HUGE zucchini!

Tanner, Ashton, and Spencer

Eileen and I returned to Sue and David's the rest of the day.  Eileen called Nora Moulder and chatted with her now that she and Ed have returned from their LDS mission to Borneo.  Nora said that Ed never wanted to eat rice again!

I was glad that the "Verse by Verse Old Testament" on my Deseret Bookshelf finally appears to be working.  It has been a couple of months since Eileen and I ordered it and it worked fine for her.  Mine did not however and I was reimbursed.  They had even given me the second volume for free!  When I am sure that it is working completely, I will e-mail them so I can pay for it.

On Tuesday 15 July we returned to the hospital.  Sue had gotten a bed in room 514.  Her paracentesis procedure is to be done today.

I called the USPS in Ellijay to see if Colleen could pick up my mail on hold.  I talked to Don and he explained why she could not.  But if she orders something for herself, she could go by the post office in a few days and get it from our mail.  The hold on the mail is only for Eileen and me.

The paracentesis removed 5.6 liters of fluid!

I enjoyed reading "Verse by Verse Old Testament."  Of course, now that it works, I didn't begin with Genesis. I read the comments about the scriptures associated with the Gospel Doctrine lesson that I taught last Sunday, i.e., 1 Samuel 25 to 2 Samuel 12 and Psalm 51.

I went to the cafeteria to return some things for Eileen (I had lunch there and Eileen brought hers back up to Sue's room) and enjoyed a large slice of the best meatza pizza I ever had!

I read about Jonah in "Verse by Verse Old Testament" but the feasibility of being in the belly of a fish for three days was not addressed.

The switch from Hospice by the Sea to Vitas Innovative Hospice Care seems to be done.  The former has picked up all of their equipment except the oxygen machine and the latter delivered all of their stuff after Eileen and I got home from the hospital.

Later the hospital folks brought Sue home on a stretcher as they wanted her to have oxygen.  She was placed in her recliner as Eileen and I made her hospital bed.

On Wednesday 16 July the nurse from Vitas came for a visit.  I went to the post office to mail Tyler Mullen's graduation card and then to Walmart.  I bought two $50 Visa gift cards to send with the wedding cards to Sarah Waite and Scott Roberts who were wed recently.  We knew them for many years when we lived in Maryland.

Bill Kazy called from Georgia and we talked about 15 minutes.  We home/visit teach him, his wife Kimberley, and daughter Jessica.

We had a quiet afternoon and I finished reading the 30 March Church News.  I will check out the Mormon Tabernacle Choir blog at mormontabernaclechoir.org/blog.  There is a new Church video that aired between General Conference sessions in April called "Scriptures Legacy" which can be seen at https://www.lds.org/church/news/new-video-honoring-scriptures-legacy-now-on-ldsorg?lang=eng

New stakes listed were exciting!  There were new ones in Texas and Utah.  Even more exciting were stakes created from districts in Ghana and Albania!

Late in the afternoon Dr. Edward Wolek from Vitas came for a nice visit with Sue.

Eileen pan-fried bratwurst for me for supper and I went to Taco Bell for burritos and nachos for Eileen, Sue, and Megan.  We also nibbled some leftovers that Megan had brought from her place.

Taco Bell

On Thursday 17 July I went out in the early afternoon to the Kingshead Pub nearby for an order of sticky toffee pudding for Sue.  I told the waitress Kara of Sue's situation.  She has waited on us whenever we gave gone there.  We had been there in March with Sue and just Eileen and I in June.

I went to Winn-Dixie, Publix, and the ABC Indian store on Sunset Strip.  The latest palindrome on our Avalon's odometer was 77277.

I finished reading "The Amazing Quest of Doctor Syn" by Russell Thorndyke which I began on 14 June.  It was excellent as are all the Doctor Syn stories!

Russell Thorndyke (1885-1972)

I checked out the Mormon Tabernacle Choir blog at mormontabernaclechoir.org/blog.  The first thing I watched was a video of composer Janice Kapp Perry and the Choir about the poem "What is This Thing that Men Call Death?" by President Gordon B. Hinckley that Sister Perry set to music.  I printed the poem from the February 2010 Ensign and watched the Choir again. Then Eileen watched it.

On Friday 18 July Sue fell twice as she is getting pretty weak.  Eileen found her lying on the floor next to her bed this morning.  We got her back in bed.  A little while later she was walking to the bathroom with Eileen right with her and down she went!

When Sue was in her recliner, I went to a Super Walmart to get some of our Russell Stover sugar-free candies that weren't available elsewhere and to Publix for some groceries.

The social worker came for a visit and later the nurse, both from the new hospice.  As Sue was saying that she hurt from her falls, the nurse arranged for an ambulance to take her to Memorial Hospital south of here in Pembroke Pines to have her checked out.  Megan came as Eileen notified her and David.  Then David arrived.

Memorial Hospital in Pembroke Pines

I finished "German Roots Finding the Moschels" by Theresa M. Ripley, Markus Klein & Greg Rittenhouse which I had begun on 12 April.

The ambulance came about 3:45 and took Sue to Memorial Hospital.  The 3rd floor was for Vitas Hospice and Sue was in room 340.  The nurse Kelly Bresnahan welcomed us and was very nice, getting everyone situated.

We had supper in the cafeteria and Eileen and I came back to Sue and David's about 7:45.  David and Megan stayed with Sue.

Eileen was excited to receive a box from Heather.  Heather had told her that she had found her black shoes in the closet of the bedroom we sleep in when we're visiting there.  Over the last year or so Eileen has been upset because of the number of items of hers that have gone missing!  The box arrived with the shoes, items of clothing, hosiery, and her missionary badge with Union Jack pin attached.  Heather found it all in a bag stuck way back in that closet.  Eileen was thrilled to get it all back and to learn that the mystery was solved as to where all those things had gone!

We enjoyed watching the St. Louis Cardinals - Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game played in St. Louis.  We could see the Gateway Arch beyond the center field fence.  We hit the hay as the Cardinals were ahead, 3-0, in the bottom of the 6th inning.  They won, 3-2.

On Saturday 19 July we returned to the hospital in the morning.  David's text had said about Sue, "She got up at 5, had some morphine at 6:10, dr came in a little after 7:00, doesn't think she needs X-rays, still making rounds will stop back and see me."  Later he texted Gail, Eileen, and me, "They are going to keep her here today and watch her, they may send her home tomorrow with a nurse. The social worker will come in to talk to me about it. They are not going to take x rays."

The social worker came by and said that Sue would need an LPN around the clock at home.  Unlike previous days Sue is in a lot of pain now, so she'll need constant care for that.

Eileen and Megan went to lunch.  I had a nice phone call from Caroline Echard in Ellijay.  I knew from an e-mail from branch member Jan Pardee that the branch Primary president had been changed, so I knew that Eileen had been released as the counselors are released when the president is released.

When they returned, I went to the cafeteria for lunch and finished reading "Hospital Sketches: An Army Nurse’s True Account of her Experiences during the Civil War" by Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) which I had begun on 14 April.

We left about 4:30 and returned to Sue and David's to let the dogs out and feed them.  Then we met Russ and Gail at the Bonefish Grill in Plantation.  It was quite good and we went to Russ and Gail's afterwards.

We left Russ and Gail's at almost 9:30 and returned to Sue and David's.  At 10 pm we enjoyed the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Pioneer Day Concert on BYU-TV.  Appearing with the Choir was the Orchestra at Temple Square and guest artist Santino Fontana.  Brother Lloyd D. Newell conducted the program.

The opening number was “They, the Builders of the Nation.”  After the introduction by Brother Newell and the invocation we heard the Choir sing "Faith in Every Footstep” by Brother K. Newell Dayley whom we met with his wife on our LDS tour to the U. K. last August.

Brother Lloyd D. Newell

Songs from "West Side Story" followed.  The Choir sang "Tonight" and "Somewhere."  "Something's Coming" was sung by Santino Fontana accompanied by the Orchestra at Temple Square.  He and the Choir then sang "Prologue" and "Ten Minutes Ago," both from "Cinderella" by Rodgers & Hammerstein.  "Whistle While You Work" and "Heigh Ho!" from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" were sung by the Choir.

Santino Fontana

The Choir sang "When You Wish Upon A Star" from "Pinocchio."  Santino Fontana returned to sing "How to Handle a Woman" from "Camelot" and "She Likes Basketball" from "Promises, Promises" by Burt Bacharach. "Hot Pipes" (Movement no. 4 - Jazz Concerto for Organ and Orchestra) by Victor Davies was played by the Orchestra and featured organist Richard Elliott.  The Salt Lake Tribune said "Elliott brought down the house, as he does every year."  This can be viewed at http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/articles/hot-pipes-richard-elliott-orchestra?lang=eng

Richard Elliott

Santino Fontana sang "Never Never Land" from "Peter Pan."  The "Happy Medley" of songs about happiness concluded the show with Fontana, the Choir, and Orchestra.

Santino Fontana

Our bedtime routine has changed somewhat.  We finished using the old Book of Mormon seminary manual and I finished reading the last Mitford book "Light From Heaven."  We've begun the Book of Mormon institute manual on my iPhone and I am reading the July Ensign to Eileen.  And, of course, we continue with the Sunday School and priesthood/Relief Society lesson.