Monday, December 24, 2012

It Almost Didn’t Happen



My wife tells me I’m a week late on the Christmas stories. If this blog was up to my youngest daughter, you would be getting Christmas stories from the 1st of November. Anyways, this next week will be devoted to Christmas.

A favorite past time for many families living in northern Utah is to visit the lights at Temple Square during the Christmas season. My family has done it on a number of occasions and when we do, I’m impressed by both the beauty, but more especially by the number of people with the same idea as ours. It’s incredible the number of people that squeeze into Temple Square to enjoy the lights. The first such occasion when lights were brought to Temple Square was during December of 1965. It was thought that the Church had to do more to share its beliefs during the Christmas season. But it almost didn’t happen—Why?

A.      The idea was proposed too late to actually get the lights up

B.      The head gardener believed the lights would harm the trees

C.      The First Presidency almost backed out of the idea when told the estimate cost of the power bill

D.     President David O. McKay stated, “This isn’t Vegas.”

Yesterday’s answer:

1.                  C.   During the 1930’s


2.                  A.   After the death of Joseph Smith, when it seemed as if every trouble and calamity had come upon the Saints, Brigham Young, who was president of the Twelve, then the presiding quorum of the Church, sought the Lord to know what they should do and where they should lead the people for safety, and while they were fasting and praying daily on this subject, President Young had a vision of Joseph Smith, who showed him the mountain that we now call Ensign Peak, immediately north of Salt Lake City, and there was an ensign fell upon that peak, and Joseph said, “Build under the point where the colors fall and you will prosper and have peace.”


Journal of Discourses 13:85-86.


3.                  A.   The full temple ceremony developed gradually, and the Kirtland Temple is referred to in LDS history as the “Elias of temples,” a forerunner to later temples.


Gilbert W. Scharffs, Mormons and Masons (Orem, Utah: Millennial Press, 2006), 6.


4.                  D.   50%

In 1857, United State President James Buchanan sent 2,500 troops, about one-half of the U. S. Army . . .


Gilbert W. Scharffs, Mormons and Masons (Orem, Utah: Millennial Press, 2006), 32.


5.                  C.   Magic shows


In nearly all cities or towns of an extensive population there are certain vices, or crimes, not exactly tolerated by law, but yet, borne with by the people as a kind of unavoidable or necessary evil: such, for instance, as gambling, drunkenness, vain and wicked amusements and allurements, directly calculated to corrupt the morals of the people and lead them from the paths of virtue and truth. Among the most conspicuous and fashionable of these we might mention, balls, dances, corrupt and immodest theatrical exhibitions, magical performances, etc.

History of the Church 2:282

No comments:

Post a Comment