Hours and hours of church

Went to all three hours of church today. It's been a while. Anyway, have decided to come off the RS hiatus I've been on. This was a good week to start. The RS president gave a lesson on the life of Joseph Smith. It was a unique lesson in that she did it using a quilt that had been specially designed and made to represent his life.

Also went to the First Presidency Christmas Broadcast. The music was wonderfully warming. Maybe it's simplistic, but I feel the Spirit very strongly through music. The message that stood out the most to me was President Monson's admonition to think more about what we give this Christmas season, as opposed to what we get. Certainly as I've gotten wiser, the ability to give good gifts has been a source of joy. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!


Also, I have been contemplating a life with fewer things around. I look at the lives of ArM and RuM, Ni-chan and Pilgrim girl, and my parents, and realize again that material possessions do not a happy life make.

And as if that weren't enough church for one day, I also went to a fireside. Greg Prince, author of _David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism,_ spoke for a brief while, then answered questions from the audience. There were also some people in the audience who had some connection with McKay who also chimed in ... sometimes helpfully, sometimes not. Anyway, it was a fabulous fireside. I think this bio is one of the best books I've read all year. I was very impressed with Prince, and look forward to his future books. As if writing a fascinating book and conducting years of research and interviews weren't enough, he is also a businessman and a dentist. He acquitted himself very well on the podium, speaking intelliently and personably with the audience. I wish I had known about the fireside in advance. None of the Outhouse group were able to come on such short noice. However, I did get four people to come, so I feel not to badly about it.