On Sunday 27 September Eileen enjoyed "Music & the Spoken Word" and part of a talk by the recently departed apostle Elder Richard G. Scott on BYU-TV.  We left about 9:20 and enjoyed attending the Louisa Branch in Louisa, Virginia.  They have a nice building there.  Their numbers are comparable to our branch and it is interesting to see how the chapel is similar and different, too.

This blog entry is without pictures which I will add later.

Opening hymn was #66 "Rejoice, the Lord is King!" text by Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and music by Horatio Parker (1863-1919).

Sacrament hymn was #180 "Father in Heaven, We Do Believe" text by Parley P. Pratt (1807-1857) and music by Jane Romney Crawford (1883-1956).  They sang all six verses though only verses 1-4 are for sacrament meeting.

The first speaker was a young man Dean Rector.  He spoke of lessons learned during the summer at something called base camp.  He spoke of studying the scriptures and prayer, and helping others.

The second speaker was Joanie Thomas.  She had been a member of this branch and has now returned.  Are we ready for general conference?  We hear from prophets and apostles and should know what they said.  We are entitled to personal revelation as we listen.  Pray that some of the speakers will answer questions we may have.  Be ready for conference and don't fall asleep!

Intermediate hymn #301 "I Am a Child of God" text by Naomi W. Randall (1908-2001) and music by Mildred T. Pettit (1895-1977).

The concluding speaker was Matt Rector, first counselor in the branch presidency.  He also spoke of general conference.  He continued with reference to a talk by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1980 "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet" that was the First Presidency message in the June 1981 Liahona.  D&C 21:4-6.  Quoted President J. Reuben Clark about following the prophet.  Receiving revelation within our own stewardship.  The words of modern prophets are more relevant to us than the written word of God.  This is a living church built on revelation.  Living prophets are more important to us than dead prophets.  The prophet will never lead the church astray.  The prophet does not need earthly credentials to validate what he says.  Prophets tell us what we need to know, not what we want to know.  We may need to choose between the revelations of prophets and the reasoning of men.  The prophet can receive revelation on both spiritual and temporal matters.  The prophet may also be involved in civic matters.  We should hearken to the counsel of the prophets.  Follow the prophet and be blessed.  Reject him and suffer.  We should strictly follow the prophet.

Closing hymn was #23 "We Ever Pray for Thee" text by Evan Stephens (1854-1930) and music by H. A. Tuckett (1852-1918) adapted by Evan Stephens.

Gospel Doctrine was lesson #33, "Ye Are the Temple of God” using 1 Corinthians 1–6.

The purpose of the lesson is to inspire class members to seek the blessings that come from being unified in Christ, following the Spirit, and being morally clean.

See my blog for 6 September when we had this lesson at home.

The hymn in priesthood was #21 "Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice" text by Joseph S. Murdock (1822-1899) with verse four by Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915-1985) and music by Joseph J. Daynes (1851-1920).

The priesthood lesson was the "Teachings For Our Time" talk from the April 2015 Sunday morning session of general conference entitled "Blessings of the Temple" by President Thomas S. Monson.

"As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace."

He stated, "This morning ... I am very pleased to announce three new temples which will be built in the following locations: Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Port-au-Prince, Haiti; and Bangkok, Thailand. What marvelous blessings are in store for our faithful members in these areas and, indeed, wherever temples are located throughout the world."

"As I think of temples, my thoughts turn to the many blessings we receive therein. As we enter through the doors of the temple, we leave behind us the distractions and confusion of the world. Inside this sacred sanctuary, we find beauty and order. There is rest for our souls and a respite from the cares of our lives. 

"As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.'

"Such peace can permeate any heart—hearts that are troubled, hearts that are burdened down with grief, hearts that feel confusion, hearts that plead for help.

"My brothers and sisters, in our lives we will have temptations; we will have trials and challenges. As we go to the temple, as we remember the covenants we make there, we will be better able to overcome those temptations and to bear our trials. In the temple we can find peace.

"May our Heavenly Father bless us that we may have the spirit of temple worship, that we may be obedient to His commandments, and that we may follow carefully the steps of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I testify that He is our Redeemer. He is the Son of God. He it is who came forth from the grave that first Easter morning, bringing with Him the gift of everlasting life for all of God’s children. On this beautiful day, as we celebrate that momentous event, may we offer prayers of gratitude for His great and marvelous gifts to us. That this may be so, I pray humbly in His holy name, amen."

After church Eileen said that they had the same lesson in Relief Society!  That's the way it's supposed to work although it often doesn't at home :( 

After a bit of lunch Eileen had a nice nap and I worked on the Scoins family history.  I emailed Roger Hall, our high priests group secretary, about my church attendance today.

I looked up the talk that Brother Rector had used in his talk today.  I read the talk to Eileen by President Benson that he had given at BYU in 1980 entitled "Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet".

After supper I put everyone that I had researched on Family Tree and in my temple ordinance list while Eileen worked on another county in Maine.  Later I also worked on the Maine Town Clerk project in Aroostook County.

On Monday 28 September we were up early to be at the Preview Center to hear the Bluegreen spiel at 8:45.  We got done with the tour and spiel by 12:30!  We told them that we would have been delighted to join up if we hadn't joined Capital Resorts in April!  We got our certificates for the Carnival cruise, 3 day 2 night stay somewhere, the 2 $100 gift cards, and the 12,500 points for Choice Hotels.

Coloma Frozen Foods called about the tart cherry concentrate.  UPS notified them on Friday that it was damaged (so that's why we didn't get it before we left home).  Coloma shipped two more bottles to us.

We headed for Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, stopping at Walmart along the way.  We were disappointed that they didn't have the sugar-free chocolates and the jalapeño stuffed olives that we wanted.  The parking areas at Monticello were full and I was about to give up when a car started leaving its spot and we pulled in.  We got our tickets for the garden and house tour, although we just wandered around the flowered path near the house.  We had our picture taken with the Times-Courier by a statue of Jefferson.  Then we enjoyed the house tour and later the Jefferson grave site.  We bought a guide to Monticello in the museum shop.

After supper I worked on the Cockshott family history and Eileen relaxed with sudoku and TV.

On Tuesday 29 September Sharon McMillan called from Dr. Shorr's office and we made our dental appointment for December.  Eileen's blood sugar as well as mine was 92!

It rained all day and we didn't go anywhere!  I finished reading "Rogue Saucer", a Star Trek Next Generation novel by John Vornholt which I began last Thursday.  It was wonderful to be back in the Star Trek universe again!

I researched more family history.  Eileen worked on another county in Maine and I continued working on Aroostook County.

On Wednesday 30 September we packed the car, followed the instructions on what to do in our unit before leaving, and checked out at 10 am.  Our mileage was 116943.  We stopped at Food Lion for a birthday card for Tom.  At the post office in Gordonsville we mailed his card and a check to Geoff to help him with his rent.

We stopped at Walmart in Charlottesville.  There were still none of our candies that we want, that is, caramel crispies and almond delights.  We got gas at Costco for $1.769!

Our odometer was 117117 along I-81.  There was heavy traffic with signs about flag man and pilot cars near exit 84 on I-81 but there were none of those things and traffic cleared up after miles of bumper to bumper congestion with no visible reason for it!  Then we saw the same thing in the opposite direction!

We reached Tennessee at 4:20, North Carolina at 5:25, and the Sleep Inn in Asheville at 6:15.  Our mileage was 117328.  We went to Ingles for 5 gallons at $2.129, only 5 cents for 100 points :(

We enjoyed supper at Cracker Barrel.  Back at the Sleep Inn I unloaded more of the car and we relaxed in our room.

Later I read three articles from my Deseret News email to Eileen.  The first began as follows:

"A trait we'll likely see in our new apostles" by Jerry Earl Johnston

"Most everyone knows that new apostles will likely be added to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles this weekend during The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' general conference.  They could be doctors or lawyers.  They could hail from Paris, France, or Paris, Idaho, be young, old, rich, poor, short or tall.

"But I’m pretty sure they will share one personality trait — the 'common touch.'

"I don’t know if that’s a requirement to be an apostle. I just know I’ve never met one who didn’t have it."

The second was about the recently deceased Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

"Elder Scott helped move family history from paper to computers" by Trent Toone, Deseret News

"One of Elder Richard G. Scott's lesser-known contributions to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came in family history work, according to Richard E. Turley Jr., assistant church historian and recorder.

"Elder Scott, who died at age 86 on Sept. 22, directed the Family History Department from 1984-88.

"'Basically, his contribution was that he moved family history from the paper world to the computer world, particularly with the launch of FamilySearch on disks,' Turley said. 'He helped people go from paper records to tracking genealogy electronically through the Ancestral File and the International Genealogical Index.'

"Turley said Elder Scott organized a group of engineers and oversaw this difficult task.

"'Building the systems that he oversaw was quite complicated,' Turley said. 'The engineering skill that he brought into the responsibility, combined with his sense of the spiritual nature of family history, allowed for the creation of a product that helped to advance family history in a way that would not otherwise have been possible at the time. He is really the one that got the average church member involved in family history using computers.'"

The third was about 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World':

"After 20 years, LDS family proclamation remains influential, creates common cause" by Tad Walch, Deseret News

"The gap between the LDS Church's position on families and Western culture has widened dramatically in the 20 years since the 15 church leaders known to Mormons as prophets and apostles issued 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World' in September 1995.

"At the same time, the divide between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other conservative religions has narrowed so much that new partnerships now exist that were unthinkable a few decades ago, historians and scholars say.

"The family proclamation has played a major role in those developments, and it remains as unique, distinctive and bold as it was when President Gordon B. Hinckley introduced it at a general Relief Society meeting of the church on Sept. 23, 1995. It has achieved an unusual staying power because of its use at every level in the church, from those who issued it — the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — to children's Primary classes in Africa and a college course at Brigham Young University that dissects and amplifies the document's 600 words."

Eileen worked in Sue's sudoku book and I read a lot while HGTV was on the TV.  I also completed the crossword puzzles in the two editions of USA Today that were at the front desk when we checked in.

I finished reading the August Ensign to Eileen.  Although the entire issue is wonderful, we especially enjoyed the First Presidency message from President Monson "Stand As A Light", "A Glorious Reunion", "The Power of Home Teaching", "Mission or Money?", "Disciples and the Defense of Marriage" by Elder Russell M. Nelson, "We Found True Freedom in Obedience", "The Proclamation on the Family: Transcending the Cultural Confusion" by Elder Bruce C. Hafen which was so excellent that I posted a notice about it on Facebook along with the link to the article, "Josephine Booth Missionary to Scotland", "Heavenly Father's Fixed Standards" by Elder Allan F. Packer, and "He Taught Me the Heavenly Order of Eternity" from the Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt.

On Thursday 1 October we enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and left at 9:40 am.  We reached Walmart in Blue Ridge around noon, got some groceries, and filled up for $1.969.  We saw Terry and Nancy, who volunteer at our food pantry, just as we did last Friday when we were heading north!  What a coincidence!

We picked up a copy of the Times-Courier at R&A Orchards.  It had the picture of Eileen and myself with our grandsons Spencer, Ashton, and Tanner in front of the Gilbert Temple.

At home we unpacked the car, went through the mail that was delivered today which included the two bottles of tart cherry concentrate delivered by UPS, scanned the picture from the Times-Courier to email to Colleen, looked through the supermarket ads for anything of interest, etc., etc.

In the mail on hold for a week was the new Jan Karon Mitford novel "Come Rain or Come Shine" that I'll read to Eileen when we finish "An Irish Country Christmas."

After supper I read that Frankie Ford passed away at age 76.  He sang the hit song, "Sea Cruise", in 1959.  I remembered the song but Eileen did not.  I played it for her on YouTube but she still didn't remember it.  It was a hit in the year we met.  The link is at https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VUSd_RYnxAY.

Eileen enjoyed "Fixer Upper" and "House Hunters" on HGTV and worked on Sue's sudoku book.

I finished the text of my blog entries for 8/30 and 9/6.

I e-mailed April Teague of the Times-Courier with the following: "Our church food drive went well with many donations from members of the community, local businesses, church members, and neighbors.  The representatives from the food pantries in Blue Ridge, Jasper, and Ellijay came (in that order) to our church building on 19 September to pick up their share of the food.  Attached are pictures of Denise Caldwell and Sherry Morris with Denise's son Michael from Blue Ridge; Jack Phillips, Larry Starr, and Don Wilson from Jasper; and Bob Morrow from Ellijay.  I hope this information and the pictures can be put into the Times-Courier when convenient.”

I emailed Roger Hall and Jay Hanks with my home teaching report and Carol Messina with my report on our family history consultant efforts for September.  I then continued working on Aroostook County, Maine.

On Friday 2 October we went to Bryant Physical Therapy followed by Walmart, Jolly Roger Seafood, and Food Lion.

At home we started watching the 20 episodes of "Cake Boss".  Our DVR box was 100% full!  Eileen also watched some House Hunters on HGTV. 

I sent a meager newsletter to Ferst Foundation with only upcoming library events and a sponsoring organization (Faith, Hope & Charity Recycle Store).

I finished reading "Hiding the Past" by Nathan Dylan Goodwin which I began on 1 September.  It is a genealogical crime mystery that I received from Eileen for my birthday last year!

I finished researching my Cockshott cousins.

On Saturday 3 October we shopped at Ingles and at home hooked my laptop to our TV so we could watch general conference on the TV.

I have a separate note on my iPhone for the General Conference talks.

Eileen began bringing up Halloween stuff from the basement to decorate as Tom, Heather, and Liam are coming to visit on Friday.

Between sessions I finished the Maine Town Clerk project in Aroostook County and emailed Danielle Batson, Sandra Pond, and Jane Colmenares.  We may switch to an English project next.

After supper I finished entering all of the Cockshott's into Family Tree just in time for the priesthood session of general conference.

We finished watching the rest of the recorded "Cake Boss" episodes.  I started writing my notes for the stake food drive for 2016.