Family History Mission Week 9

Family History Mission
7 Dec 2014

Week 9

Hello;

This has been a good week at the Library. We have been a little slow but still have enjoyed our visitors to the Library. We have had people from Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas and even Peru, and main land China, all  excited to be at the Library.

Each day in the Library we have had music groups from around the Mountain West sing. From High Schools here in the valley to as far away as Preston Idaho and Wyoming.  They have brought a wonderful Christmas Spirit.  All around Temple Square there have been performances by varying talented groups and individuals.  Plus the past week the lights came on around Temple Square. This brought droves of people to see the wonderful sight of Christmas lights.

On Tuesday we attended a special devotional and luncheon for church employees and missionaries. We started with a 1 hour Devotional in theater in the Conference Center. Elder Fallabela of the Seventy spoke of lessons from the Saviors life we need to learn. First, humility and the need to incorporate the quiet qualities associated with being a humble servant in the Lord's kingdom.  The 2nd was service to our fellowmen.  The Family Search Singers performed (employees of the Family Search Dept.) and they sounded wonderful. We were then treated to a large buffet luncheon on the main concourse of the Conference Center.  They feed 900 attendees in grand fashion. They then repeated the process the next day for another 900 missionaries and employees.

Wednesday night Sharon and I made a tour of Temple Square taking pictures of all the lights. It was fun to see all the people, mostly families around the Square. The night was unseasonably warm and so many came out.

Each day we have a prayer meeting before starting our shift and we have a spiritual thought given. I was impressed with one this week and will share the thought given by Elder Nilson ( a service missionary in our zone).

"Elder Marvin J Ashton had a small sign made and placed on the office door; " Come in without knocking and leave the same way."  " It was interesting to observe people's  facial expression as they pondered this play on words,"  Elder Ashton who served in the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1971-1994, said in an April 1973 General Conference address. " According to the dictionary, "knock' has two definitions: ' to strike something with a sharp blow,' and to find fault with, a harsh and often petty criticism.'  Perhaps in human relationships both of these meanings could apply.  This sign served as a reminder to me to come into the office without finding fault and to leave at the close of the day same way.  I also hoped it might help others who entered and left."

"Finding fault and criticizing others takes little effort. However. in the long view of life, there is much more that is worth praising than knocking.  We just need to train ourselves to find the positive aspects of life."

I thought this a very good thought as we enter into the Joy filled Christmas Season. May our thoughts and actions reflect an attitude of love for those around us. Remember the 1st gift of Christmas was the gift from God the Father of His son, Jesus Christ.

I pray you all will have a wonderful week and enjoy the season of celebration.

Love to all

E/S Waller, Mom & Dad, Chuck & Sharon, Bama & Bampa