On Sunday 15 March Eileen enjoyed the Book of Mormon discussion in the book of Alma chapters 39 with Brother Robert Millet on BYU-TV and we enjoyed attending our Ellijay Branch. Our odometer reached 97979.

Opening hymn was #67 "Glory to God on High" text by James Allen and music, an Italian hymn, by Felice de Giardini.  Allen was born at Gayle, Wensleydale, Yorkshire, June 24, 1734, and educated with a view to taking Holy Orders, first with two clergymen at different times, and then for one year at St. John's Coll., Cambridge. Leaving the University in 1752 ho became a follower of Benjamin Ingham, the founder of the sect of the Inghamites, but subsequently joined himself to the Sandemanians; and finally built a chapel on his estate at Gayle, and ministered therein to the time of his death; died 31st Oct., 1804. He published a small volume, Christian Songs, containing 17 hymns, and was the editor and a principal contributor to the Kendal Hymn Book, 1757, and Appendix to the 2nd edition, 1761. Hymnary.org

Felice de Giardini (1716-1796)

Sister Michelle Ramick was released as Relief Society secretary and Sister Linda Combs was sustained to that calling.  Sister Ramick was sustained as a teacher in the Primary.

Sacrament hymn was #194 "There Is a Green Hill Far Away" text by Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) and music by John H. Gower (1855-1922).  See blog entries for 21 September 2014 and 28 December 2014 about Alexander.  Starting at age 12, Gow­er was as­sist­ant or­gan­ist of St. George’s Cha­pel, Wind­sor Cas­tle. He grad­u­at­ed from Bal­li­ol Coll­ege, Ox­ford Un­i­ver­si­ty (BMus 1876, DMus 1883), and in 1874 be­came or­gan­ist and choir­mas­ter at St. Paul’s Church, Tun­bridge Wells, Kent. From 1876 to 1887, he served as mas­ter of mu­sic for Trent Coll­ege, Not­ting­ham, con­duct­ed a lo­cal phil­har­mon­ic so­ci­e­ty, and gave or­gan re­ci­tals. As a vol­un­teer in the 1st Der­by­shire Re­gi­ment, he rose to the rank of cap­tain. He em­i­grat­ed to Amer­i­ca in 1887, set­tling in Den­ver, Co­lo­ra­do. He was or­gan­ist and choir­mas­ter at St. John’s Ca­thed­ral and the Cent­ral Pres­by­ter­i­an Church in Den­ver, and (start­ing in 1893) at the Church of the Epi­pha­ny, Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois. 

The first speaker was Sister Bailey Hanks. Good friends and righteous goals. Good friends should help you achieve righteous goals. She quoted President Monson on heartfelt goals.

The second speaker was Sister Robin Hanks. She spoke about modesty. Is it only about what we wear? Characteristics of modesty were seen in the Savior.  "Courage to choose modesty" by Carol McConkie. Principles of modesty apply to young men and adults as well as young women. 1 Nephi 2:16-17. Witness by our physical appearance that we are disciples of Christ. Quoted from Elder Robert D. Hales. We step out of the world into the Kingdom of God when we are baptized. Modesty invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost.  Choosing modesty protects us from the destructive influences of the world.  Modesty helps us stand as witnesses of God at all times. Our outward appearance and behavior send a message. Be modest in language and behavior. Attributes of modest language. Modesty is a state of mind. Understand our divine nature. Let our relationship with God define us, not the world. Wearing of our temple garments. 

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Intermediate hymn was #266 "The Time Is Far Spent" text by Eliza R. Snow and the music is a German folk song from the 18th century.  Eliza Roxcy Snow (1804–1887) was one of the most celebrated Mormon women of the nineteenth century. A renowned poet, she chronicled history, celebrated nature and relationships, and expounded scripture and doctrine. Snow was married to Joseph Smith as a plural wife and was openly a plural wife of Brigham Young after Joseph Smith's death. She was the second general president of the Relief Society from 1866 until her death and was the sister of Lorenzo Snow, the Church's fifth president.  Wikipedia.

Eliza Roxcy Snow (1804–1887)

The concluding speaker was Brother Jay Hanks. He spoke of the black plague which spread from the Silk Road to Crimea to Italy to England and onward in the 14th century.  It killed 30-60 per cent of the population, 75-200 million people. Just as devastating is debt which we should avoid like the plague. Quoted Brigham Young about getting rich and leaving the kingdom.  Quoted many prophets. Live within our means.  Teach men to get out of debt and stay out of debt. Be modest in your expenditures.  Free yourselves from bondage.  J. Reuben Clark on interest. Beware of covetousness said Elder Wirthlin. Debt is a form of bondage. Our things own us. Each of our choices come with consequences. Analogy from Sister Isaacson. We already know what the outcome will be, so why are we trying to decide which team to be on. "Maketh the flesh his arm." "So far today I have done alright." From Elder Joe J. Christensen.  "Guide to family finance" or "One for the Money" by Elder Marvin J. Ashton. 75-89% of divorces can be traced to money.  "We all want what we ain't got." Fix it up, wear it out, etc. Get the whole family on board. Budget our money. "Climb of Debt" by President Hinckley. Pay an honest and true tithing. Malachi. The Lord will rebuke the devourer. Pay a generous fast offering. Questions of a bride-to-be about her beau. Learn self-discipline and self-restraint. Youngsters on House Hunters. Give time, talent, and energy in building the kingdom of God. Avoid spoiling children by giving them too much. Plan for the rainy day. Elder Wirthlin. Treat debt like the plague.

President Brigham Young (1801-1877)

Closing hymn was #225 "We Are Marching On to Glory" text and music by John M. Chamberlain (1844-1928).  He was an English-born composer of Latter-day Saint hymns, a pianist and music store owner. His most widely sung hymn is "We Are Marching On to Glory".

Chamberlain was born in Leicester, England. His parents were Latter-day Saints and in 1852 they left England to immigrate to Utah Territory. They sailed to New Orleans, then went up-river to Florence, Nebraska, and then crossed the plains to Salt Lake City.

Chamberlain was a carpenter early in life but later became a musician. He was a partner in various music firms before founding Chamberlain Music Company. Chamberlain married Louise M. E. Rawlings in the Manti Temple. They were both members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for many years. He had also served as an organist in the "Old" Tabernacle before the current one was built in the 1860s. Wikipedia.

Gospel Doctrine with Darlene Burgess was lesson #10, “Take My Yoke upon You, and Learn of Me” using Matthew 11:28–30; 12:1–13; Luke 7:36–50; 13:10–17.

The purpose of the lesson is to help class members understand that as we take the Savior’s yoke upon us and do his will, we will find the peace and joy that he has promised.

Sister Burgess had Brother Spooner divide us into three groups, one for each of the three parts of the lesson below.  We discussed our part in our group.

1. Jesus invites us to take his yoke upon us and learn of him.

A yoke is a frame or bar that can be placed on one or two people or animals pulling or carrying a heavy load. The yoke balances the burden and makes it easier to manage. In addition to its literal meaning, the concept of a yoke also appears in many scriptures as a metaphor for bondage or servitude.

2. Jesus declares that he is Lord of the Sabbath.

3. Jesus forgives a woman in the house of Simon the Pharisee.

Elder James E. Talmage taught: “It was a custom of the times to treat a distinguished guest with marked attention; to receive him with a kiss of welcome, to provide water for washing the dust from his feet, and oil for anointing the hair of the head and the beard. All these courteous attentions were omitted by Simon."

Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1862-1933)

We can choose to take upon ourselves the burdens of the world or the yoke of Jesus. Christ’s teachings are true and we will find rest when we follow him. We are encouraged to learn of Christ and obey his teachings so we can find rest and peace.

The hymn in priesthood was #322 "Come, All Ye Sons of God" text by Thomas Davenport (1815-1888) and music by Orson Pratt Huish (1851-1932).  In 1852, Brother Davenport fired up a kiln in southern Utah's first pioneer settlement and started making pottery and crockery that slowly spread through the West along with his reputation as a craftsman.  Davenport was known best for the crockery he produced. The crockery pieces were in demand for preserving food and in separating milk from cream once a cow had been milked.  Besides making pottery, he was a poet who wrote the hymn 'O Come You Sons of God.' Salt Lake Tribune.

Brother Huish was a Latter-day Saint hymnwriter. He wrote the words and music to "Come Unto Jesus", as well as a few other hymns found in the 1985 English edition of the hymnal of the Church. His hymns have been widely sung by many choirs in many locations.  He was born at Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, England, to James W. Huish and Helen Niblet. He was named after Orson Pratt who was then the president of the British Mission of the LDS Church. Wikipedia.

Brother Jay Hanks, who is now the branch Young Men president, was released as 1st assistant in the high priests group and Don Bivens was sustained and set apart to that calling.

The priesthood lesson is #5 from "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson" entitled "Principles of True Repentance."

“For those who pay the price required by true repentance, the promise is sure. You can be clean again. The despair can be lifted. The sweet peace of forgiveness will flow into your lives.”

1. To truly repent, we must first realize that the gospel plan is the plan of happiness.

2. Faith in Jesus Christ precedes true repentance.

3. Repentance involves a mighty change of heart.

4. Godly sorrow leads to true repentance.

5. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are anxious to see us change our lives, and They will help us.

6. We must not lose hope as we seek to become Christlike.

"Let us remember these six principles. First, the gospel is the Lord’s plan of happiness, and repentance is designed to bring us joy. Second, true repentance is based on and flows from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Third, true repentance involves a change of heart and not just a change of behavior. Fourth, part of this mighty change of heart is to feel godly sorrow for our sins. This is what is meant by a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Fifth, God’s gifts are sufficient to help us overcome every sin and weakness if we will but turn to Him for help. Finally, we must remember that most repentance does not involve sensational or dramatic changes, but rather is a step-by-step, steady, and consistent movement toward godliness."

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994)

Brother Echard asked us to share this message with our home teaching families.

I met with Richard Callahan and got Mark Usry's membership number and baptismal date so he can register on FamilySearch the next time we get together.

We met with Teri Grace after church and showed her how to print her Family Ordinance Request form (FOR) at home.  And we told her she could give the FOR to Jay Hanks or Charmet Chester for the youth temple trip.

At home I finished the 28 September issue of the Church News.  I read about "Access to family history websites" which allows LDS Church members to access other family history websites such as Ancestry, Findmypast, MyHeritage, etc., for free.  Of course, that is common knowledge now five months later. 

I enjoyed "President Monson rededicates 14th temple" about the Ogden Utah Temple,  

President Thomas S. Monson and Elder Kent F. Richards of the Seventy and director of the Church's temple department pause for a moment prior to entering the temple as they rededicate the Ogden Temple.

The rededicated Ogden Utah Temple

The rededicated Ogden Utah Temple

"Apostles visit Europe Area,"

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife Barbara Ballard

Elder David A Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

"Scandinavia remains a home for faithful Saints," "'Quest for happiness' Elder Holland speaks at BYU-Idaho devotional" (I had put part of this on Facebook),

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

"A 'magnificent difference' Apostle speaks to Arizona young single adults,"

Dr. Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, and
Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
enter chapel for devotional at the Tempe Institute of Religion.

"Church History Museum to close for year-long renovation,"

Church History Museum

"'There is an energy' Women leaders talk about importance of upcoming meeting,"  the Church News Viewpoint "Why is there suffering?", and the Family History Moment "Finding Blessings" in the Utica New York Ward.  I sent that article to our branch presidency in case they might like to implement it for our branch. 

The article about the Church History Museum was of particular interest as we were right next door in the Family History Library on our mission and visited it a number of times. 

Of note was the organization of a new stake in Pittsburgh on 7 September.

I finished reading chapter 13 of "Gospel Doctrine" on "Tithing; the Poor; Industry."

Eileen and I began working on our latest Church Service Mission assignment researching English census collections in FamilySearch.  

At 5:30 we enjoyed "Music & the Spoken Word" on BYU-TV on my laptop.

David and Caroline Echard came to visit us as our home/visiting teachers. We enjoyed their visit.

I worked on my family history and produced another FOR. Eileen worked on her talk for the 29th.  The Hanks's spoke today rather than next Sunday, and no one said anything to us about moving up one week, so we assume the stake high councilor will speak next Sunday.

On Monday 16 March we went to Bryant Physical Therapy.

Then to Food Lion for the Diet Mountain Dew and Caffeine-free Diet Mountain Dew that were buy one get one free.

We went to Ellijay Tool Rental where we rented a pressure washer to clean our front porch.  I did about half and had to take a break. 

Eileen napped, so I waited for her to wake up before I began again. I finished reading "Written in My Own Heart's Blood" by Diana Gabaldon which I had begun on 7 December.  It is the latest in the series of "Outlander" books.  Excellent as always although I would rate it "R" primarily due to the loving of Jamie and Claire and some of the language.  A bit of violence now and then in the 18th century.

Diana Gabaldon

Eileen woke and I finished the front porch.  I didn't know how long the gas would last.  Tomorrow we need to work on sealing the porch.

After supper we watched "Who Do You Think You Are?" featuring Josh Groban. I googled him and am amazed that we never heard of him!

In our bedtime reading I finished reading "Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good," the latest Mitford novel by Jan Karon.  I didn't notate when I started it but it was several months ago.

Jan Karon

On Tuesday 17 March we returned the pressure washer to the rental place and got gas at Walmart for $2.149.  Prices are going down again, dropping five cents recently.

We headed for Jasper to help Terry Dorsey with his family history.

We returned to Ellijay to mail some things at the post office and Holly Hughes called.  We agreed to meet her and Ralph at Fatz Cafe back in Jasper for lunch!

Back in Ellijay we shopped for supper at Walmart as the sister missionaries are coming tonight.  We went to Lowe's for the items we needed for me to apply Thompson's Water Sealer to our front porch and when we got home, Eileen worked on supper which is basically hamburgers, hot dogs, and salad while I did the front porch.

We enjoyed having Sisters Burge and Nettleton for supper.

Sisters Burge and Nettleton

I made arrangements online with USAA to finance the purchase of a new truck for our son Geoff in Maryland.

I finished reading "The Mystery of the Blue Train" by Agatha Christie, another Hercule Poirot novel, that I began three days ago.

On Wednesday 18 March we were up at 5am to meet Darlene Burgess at Ingles at 6 to take her to her doctor's appointment in Decatur which is just east of Atlanta.  We got to the VA Medical Center at 8, traffic being heavy.

We left about noon and headed north.  On I-575 we hit something on the road and in a couple of miles we had a destroyed right rear tire! I called USAA for roadside assistance as I did not have a proper lug wrench.  But a Good Samaritan pulled over and changed my tire as he had a proper lug wrench.  I canceled the roadside assistance and we were in Ellijay by 3:30 pm.  We dropped Darlene off at Ingles and drove to Absolute Best Tires on Yukon Rd.  I left my flat tire and will pick up the new one tomorrow.

Back at home I invited many of our non-member friends and neighbors via e-mail to hear us speak on 29 March.

We had supper and were at the Family History Center at 6 pm.  There was a fireside in Roswell with Elder Zwick of the Seventy so no one was at church except us.  We wanted to be there in case someone came to work on their family history as it should be common knowledge that we'll be there Wednesday evenings.

On Thursday 19 March we slept late. How nice! Actually I read after waking as Eileen slept.  I am reading "Ten Years Later," the second sequel to "The Three Musketeers."

At noon we went to Absolute Best Tires to get the new tire and put the spare back in the trunk.  Rainy and cool today. We stopped at Walmart, then went to AT&T where Adam upgraded our cell phone plan.

I ran in to Lowe's as I thought our front porch needed one more application of sealer.

We went to Bryant Physical Therapy to work out for an hour.  When we left I backed into a Nissan parked behind me, my right rear into her left front. She had just pulled up, so she hadn't been there when I looked at my rear camera view. Her car had little damage, but my right rear bumper was bashed on.

We stopped at the bank's ATM and headed home, stopping at R&A Orchards for some apples.

When we got home I called USAA to report the accident and make arrangements for the car's repair and a rental car while in the shop which is in Jasper.  Our odometer reached 98389.

After supper I took Eileen to the art class at the Gilmer Arts location that Judy Harvey is teaching for three Thursdays.  It is from 6-8:30 so I went to the Corner Cafe at Ingles to hang out and read for a couple of hours.  She enjoyed the class very much!

Gilmer Arts

Corner Cafe at Ingles

On Friday 20 March we attended the full Kids Ferst committee meeting at the Head Start building.

Eileen, Joan Blomquist, and Eileen Below

Ashworth's and Harvey's

Afterwards we went to Bryant Physical Therapy to work out for an hour.  

We shopped at Lowe's for a new light switch for our master bathroom.  The old one is not working well anymore.

At home Eileen and I began working on our latest Church Service Mission assignment researching English birth, marriage, and death collections in Ancestry. We spent one hour each.

After supper I worked some more on my 8 February blog.

I finished reading "The Ordeal of Richard Feverel" by George Meredith which I began on 19 April last year.

George Meredith (1828-1909)

We watched "Top Ten Burgers" on "Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives" as I am a burger fan.  The owner of the #1 Hodad's in San Diego is so gross to look at, however, that as soon as I got the information to write down about the name and location I fast-forwarded to the end (I had recorded it).  He was so awful with his tattoos, ear decorations, and haircut that he made Guy Fieri look like a clean cut, wholesome fellow!

Guy Fieri

On Saturday 21 March we enjoyed the first day of Spring by going to the temple! When we reached I-75 our odometer reached 98489. We did 27 sealings of sons and daughters to their parents.

Atlanta Georgia Temple

Temple grounds

Temple grounds

Sad news from our son-in-law David in Florida.  He had to put one of his dogs, Sasha, to sleep :(  We will miss her the next time we go down there.

Sasha and Jackson

After the temple we went to d'Lites Emporium and enjoyed white cake batter and German chocolate cake ice cream.  It does have some sugar and carbs, so we'll see how our blood sugar is tomorrow morning.

 We saw a Dress Barn on GA 120 in Marietta and Eileen went in and found a nice top there.

We got home about 4 pm with three miles to go for our next palindrome.

During supper, which featured the fish David caught in Florida and delicious deviled eggs Eileen made, we had the "Murder, She Wrote" marathon on the Hallmark Channel.

David's catch

Angela Lansbury

I worked on entering the temple sealings into PAF on my laptop.

We Facetimed later with William, Erin, and four-month-old Weston.

Weston Bailey

I finally published my 8 February blog entry.