Is a One-hour Church Block Meeting Time on the Horizon?

 

IS a one-hour LDS Church meeting block time coming?

Several second-hand reports about a Syracuse, Utah ward currently (as of December 2024) conducting a pilot program on a 60-minute total meeting on Sunday makes one wonder so.

Apparently, the first Sunday is just a one-hour fast meeting and then the other Sundays of the month include passing the sacrament and a 30-minute or less weekly of rotation of the auxiliary meetings afterward.

While such a meeting reduction is possible, it is the ramifications, and the reasons for it that are the most important. For example, is the world going to erode so much in the coming months or few years that such a meeting streamline is necessary?

The Church was ahead of the Chinese virus epidemic, thanks to inspiration and one can assume the same for future calamities. And, the world is definitely in the end times now.

(A one-hour block would actually not mean more wards could be crammed into a building, as you'd still need at least 90 minutes to separate each ward's sacrament meeting -- if sacrament meeting was one hour long. You'd have to lower sacrament meeting length below one hour to cram more wards into a building than on the current two-hour block.)

Additionally, such a meeting time reduction would put gospel teachings and study clearly into the hands of families -- at home. Plus, socializing in the church would diminish even more than it is now.

At the least, the wards that may have been/or are part of a pilot program testing a one-hour block, may simply signal that the Church is looking to be prepared for a future when 60 minutes is all the church meetings that can be held.

 NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

"Hie unto Kolob" -- The most unique, imaginative and thought-provoking hymn of all

 "HIE unto Kolob" (page 284) is probably the most unique, as well as the most imaginative and thought-provoking of all hymns in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 More than a century before "Star Trek" or "Star Wars," in 1856, the hymn's author, William W. Phelps, created a tune about outer space, vast distances, eternity and infinity.

  The hymn begins with the premise of a person traveling to Kolob (nearest star to God's residence) "in the twinkling of an eye," (faster even than warp drive, or light speed) and then alluding that even with such vast velocity that one could still not find the beginnings of eternity and the universe (as the universe is limitless and unending).

   Of all the concepts in existence, "eternity" or "limitless" are perhaps concepts that mortal man just cannot fully comprehend!

  The first verse also states "Gods" in the plural, as an endless chain of generations of "God the Fathers" (alluding to LDS belief in plurality of Gods).

  No other hymn in the church delves into such deep doctrine.

  The hymn also uses various scriptural terms, like "one eternal round," to state how the universe and Gods continue to expand in endless harmony, on continuing cycles of existence.

  The hymn stresses that no one can see outside the curtains that God has put in place (probably meaning we cannot see outside the bounds of what God lets us see in the universe).

  "There is no end to matter: There is no end to space; "There is no end to spirit; There is no end to race (or mankind)," Verse 3 states.

  Later verses continue to stress the limitless nature of other factors too, like light, priesthood, love, virtue, truth, youth, wisdom and more.

  The hymn concludes by declaring there is no end to being or (life) and that death does not exist "above" (meaning beyond mortal life).

  You could almost have a course of meta physics on the verses of this hymn.

  Now, I've noted a few shortcomings in this hymn in past blog posts. For example, "Hie" is probably not doctrinally correct, as in Old English, it means "to quickly, hasten, hurry," according to Webster's Dictionary. "Hie" is also NOT found in the Book of Abraham.

"Nigh" means "nearly, almost," according to Webster. "Nigh" is found in the Book of Abraham.

  So, the title of the hymn to be more correct should likely be "Nigh unto Kolob" (also the title of this blog).

  But, wait, there's more -- in the third line of the first verse, it states about "continue onward" (beyond Kolob). Thus, for complete accuracy, the title and premise of the song should be "Nigh beyond Kolob," as Kolob is NOT the ultimate destination mentioned in the hymn.

 It is likely that too many church members appear to incorrectly believe Kolob is WHERE God actually dwells.

In fact, Kolob is simply the name of a great star that is NEAREST where God dwells (Abraham 3:3) and not actually the place where God dwells.
(We are given no specific name as to God's residence, except perhaps highest level of the Celestial Kingdom.)

  How many singers of this hymn actually ponder the words in the verses?

 (None in Spanish do, as this hymn is NOT in that version of the LDS Hymn book...)

  -William Phelps wrote dozens of other early LDS hymns too. He was also excommunication a few times, but always returned to the church. He was a gifted poet and his poetic language is visible in his works. "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning" is perhaps his other, most famous of hymns.

   An early 20th Century photograph from archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 -In addition, there was an astronomical observatory located on Temple Square, for decades -- right next to the Salt Lake Temple -- confirming the church's strong interest in outer space, especially in the 19th Century.

  NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

What did Jesus Christ do from age 12 to about age 30?

 

                                 Christ will return in red apparel for his "Second Coming."

  

JESUS Christ didn't begin his preaching of the gospel, at least to large groups, until he was about age 30. (At age 12 he had shown in the Temple that he was already an astounding person.) So, what did Christ do for about 18 years?

   The Scriptures don't contain details on that.

  (In fact, I think some accounts were originally in the New Testament on Christ's missing 18 years, but were taken out by corrupt Christians over the centuries.) 

  Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated in his "Mortal Messiah" book series:

"We cannot doubt that the youthful Jesus . . . was himself now beginning to teach and to testify. HIS FORMAL AND LEGAL MINISTRY cannot begin for another eighteen years. For the time being he is to go back to Nazareth and be subject to Joseph and Mary. He is to mature and grow in the Spirit and find favor with God and man. HE IS TO PARTAKE OF THE NORMAL LIFE OF JEWISH MEN, DOING WHAT THEY DID, ENJOYING THE FAMILIAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT WERE PART OF THEIR CULTURAL, and gaining all the experiences he would need for the arduous hours of his formal ministry." (Volume 1, pages 378-379).

  Now according to Alfred Edersheim's, Sketches of Jewish Social life in the Days of Christ, 1876, Elder McConkie writes the following: "Men married at sixteen or seventeen years of age, almost never later than twenty; and women at a somewhat younger age, often when not older than fourteen. THESE AGES APPLIED TO ALL, Joseph and Mary included" (p. 223). 

  So, Jesus undoubtedly got married in his teens. Perhaps raising his family (yes, with children) was his primary focus for those missing years. 

 Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: "The Lord doesn't reveal all His truth to men . . . We are often asked if Christ was married. If you say yes, you get into a heap of trouble. I've got a habit of saying the scriptures don't tell us and let it go at that . They wouldn't understand it if you tried to tell them . . ." (Joseph Fielding Smith, President of the Twelve, An Address to Seminary and Institute Faculty, August 28, 1954, The Origin of Man, p. 23). 

   The Jews would NOT have listened to Christ at all, if he was not married. That was the Jewish way.

  Also, for one who was baptized to fulfill all righteous, does not the command in Genesis to "multiply and replenish the earth" also apply to him?

  Yes, there are key questions remaining -- who were his wife or wives? Who were his children and what happened to them?

  As difficult as a successful marriage can be, it is comforting to know that Jesus was married and had children too. That way he is certainly the ultimate example to us.

Jobs that may be extinct in the Millennium

 

                                         A farm in southeast Idaho.

AFTER Jesus Christ's "Second Coming," the 1,000-year Millennium premieres and the Earth switches from Telestial to Terrestrial world.

As such, certain parameters change in a Terrestrial world.

For example, there will likely be no meat eating and no alcohol, or weeds, or disease.

As such, here are some jobs/professions/companies that will, in my opinion, no longer exist during the Millennium (and most people on Earth then might be farmers/temple workers):

-Butcher/meat cutter

-Cattle rancher

-Zoo Keeper

-Bar tender/drink mixer

-Football coach/player. 

-Boxer

-Casino employee

-Insurance agent

-Mortician (after all the dead are buried from latter day wars.)

This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

All Dogs go to Heaven -- and to the Spirit World too! The 'Henrie" Miracle

                                                                 Henrie

A sad limitation with dogs is that they don't live long enough.

Eventually, usually 10-16 years or so, they will die, or require a "put to sleep" decision.

I'm a dog lover and have had to endure the loss of about a dozen beloved dogs over the decades.

One was in August of 2023 -- and after 10 losses, it didn't get any easier, but there was a miracle involved with No. 11.

My daughter-in-law, Whitney, had a dog, "Henrie," that seemed to care for me a lot.

Whitney had to go to her veterinarian to put Henrie, about age 14,  to sleep, as he wasn't walking or eating anymore. (I got to say my goodbyes to him that morning.)

                                                           Henrie, a very small Yorkie.

I really struggled with the loss of Henrie. I strongly believe people will be met by their loved ones when they enter the spirit world, but I wondered, "What do dogs, or other pets encounter they die? Are they met by their animal parents, owners, or what? Do they even enter the same spirit world that people enter when they leave mortality?

Whitney actually stayed with the veterinarian, while the two shots were given to humanely end Henrie's life. He was gone a good 30 seconds or so when an outright miracle happened.

                              Henrie, in his prime.

She heard Henrie bark, as in the distance, after he was deceased. Then, she distinctly heard her late mother's voice (Anita) state, "I have him."

Her late mother was also extremely fond of Henrie, and Henrie of her. Whitney has a declared, spiritual gift to at times see through the veil, to the spirit world. (She can also apparently hear through the veil at times too.)

"All dogs go to heaven," well, "all dogs apparently go to the spirit world" too.

  This miracle made the loss of Henrie more tolerable to me and gave specific hope for my past and future dogs, that we will meet again. 

                                     Henrie

Has a family member greeted all, or some, of my deceased dogs in the spirit world? Perhaps. These dogs were loved and important to me and my deceased family members likely know that.

It seems our late pets, at least dogs, are not far from us, in the spirit world... just as our beloved humans are.

                                        The author and Henrie.

UPDATE and MORE DOG MIRACLES?

  A couple of months after Henrie's passing, I was faced with my own dog, Mozzie, almost age 11, having a terminal illness. His stomach was enlarged and cloudy, with likely tumors; plus his lungs were failing.

  As I faced that, another, dog, Oreo, unexpectedly came into my life. Looking at ads for dogs on a whim, there was this free dog being offered some 50 miles away ... and his eyes just called to me, to come take him home -- and I did just that. Little did I know that less than three weeks later, my current dog, Mozzie, would indeed pass away.

                                                                  Mozzie, in his prime.

  I not only prayed for Mozzie (and gave him a priesthood blessing too) to pass quickly and in little pain, but he seemed to do just that. In fact, he passed so quickly, that he could not even be taken to the vet to be put to sleep. (Mozzie hated the vet, also his boarding location and so that was a blessing that he passed away at home.) 

I prayed that my late parents would meet Mozzie in the spirit world too and I believe that they did just that.

 

                                 My new dog, Oreo, a border collie-corgi mix.

Having a new dog, Oreo, too, eased my grief somewhat -- and the Henrie "miracle" helped me even further.

  God definitely looked out for me and gave me and my animals some tender mercies.

  Joseph Smith was reputed to once say that he expected to have his favorite horse in the eternities. He also said that we can speak with animals in the spirit world and thereafter, they understanding us and we them (from "Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith," pages 291-292).

NOTE: Yes, these miracles are a rather personal revelation. Still, I decided to share it on this, my LDS-oriented blog, because I strongly feel other dog and pet owners will find comfort and inspiration in my family's miracles and tender mercies.

Note 2: If you like pets, search for my blog entry on "Miracle of the Washington, D.C. Temple Guard Dog: Zacharias."

NOTE 3: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

1917: When the Logan Temple was "destroyed by fire"

                                                           The Logan Temple.

 IT is intriguing how different newspapers reports of the same event can be.

Example: Here are two Utah newspaper headlines for December of 1917:

-"Logan Temple is damaged by fire," Salt Lake Tribune, December 6, 1917.

-"Logan Temple destroyed by fire," Box Elder Journal, December 7, 1917.

  The Salt Lake Tribune story stated that a fire on December 4, 1917 caused $75,000 in damages. The fire had started in a closet under the main stairway, on the east end of the building. Nearby residents spotted the fire and called the Logan Fire Department.

 The Tribune report continued:  Firemen responded and the blaze was quickly extinguished with just one hose. However, then minutes later, a second fire broke out, this on the third floor and threatened to engulf the entire Temple. That fire required the firemen's largest hose and lots of water to put the blaze out. It was later discovered that the closet where the first blaze began contained a main electrical switchboard and that is likely how another fire began, by electrical wires two floors up. The initial blaze was sparked by an extremely flammable mixture of polish that the temple's janitor had left in the small closet. Then, some electrical wires melted on the switchboard and sparks hit the polish and ignited the large fire.

  The Box Elder newspaper stated, "The beautiful Logan Temple was entirely destroyed by fire Tuesday evening. Of course, the walls remain, for they are of stone. Almost the entire interior of the structure was burned to ruins." The fire started at 7:45 p.m., when no one was inside the temple. Damage was estimated at $100,000.

  The Logan Temple opened in 1884 and cost $500,000 then to construct.

 Just over three months later, Logan Temple reopened on March 11, 1918. The Salt Lake Telegram reported on that day that $30,000 were spent on materials, to replace those destroyed or damaged in the fire. Countless thousands of dollars were saved in free labor donated by Church members in Cache County.

-There was also an earthquake that caused significant damage to the Logan Temple. On March 27, 1975, 7:31 p.m., a magnitude 6.0 quake occurred 15 miles southwest of Malad City, Idaho. This quake was felt all over the Intermountain area. Several years later, a close inspection of the Logan Temple during a renovation, revealed that the main wooden support beam on the roof of the temple had cracked in the quake.

  According to the late Fred Baker, chairman of the Church's Physical Facilities, from 1965-1991 (interviewed about this in early 2012 by the Church History Department), this is why the Logan Temple renovation, from 1977-1979, was so extensive. Most of the inside of the temple had to be gutted and rebuilt. Sadly, some spectacular paintings were also removed and never replaced. 

  Brother Baker stated:

  "When they took it (the inside of the Logan Temple) down, we found that the main structural beam had cracked right in two from an earlier earthquake. If you had redone the temple and put the First Presidency and all the people up there on that (upper) floor, it may have totally collapsed. After all that, the Presidency told Emil (Fetzer, Building Committee member), 'Thank goodness you were wise enough to completely remodel the Logan Temple.' But local people hated us for touching their temple, and I could understand that. We never received that kind of response from the local members when we did the other temples. We did all thirteen existing temples, but the Logan Temple was the only one that we got such a negative response on." 

NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

Hooper, Utah Cemetery boasts the grave of "The Last Leaf on the Tree'

 

               The Mary Field Garner grave in the Hooper Cemetery, a very modest marker.

THE Hooper, Utah Cemetery can rightfully brag about having the grave of “The Last Leaf on the Tree” –  Mary Field Garner ---- The last person in mortality who was acquainted with the Prophet Joseph Smith, first president in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Is this not significant? 

            From the middle of the Hooper Cemetery looking west toward the 2 buildings.

After all, Clarkston, Utah, in Cache County’s key claim to fame is that “The Man Who Knew” – the last home for Martin Harris, one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, is buried in that City Cemetery.

(This apparently rather obscure fact was uncovered in March of 2021 by my Sister, Karen Arave Hugie. It was surprising news to her and this author, since our parents, Gene and Norma Arave, were caretaker and sexton respectively of the Hooper, Utah Cemetery for some 23 years – and they never mentioned it, nor highlighted it. I’m sure some other Hooper residents may have known about it, but it was never recognized historically as it should have been.)

        The famous Mary Field Garner grave is located in between these 2 upright headstones.

Yes, some of Garner's descendants may know her story well, but why has the cemetery and/or Hooper City not documented or highlighted her unique place in LDS Church history?

Her grave should be highlighted in any Hooper City history and any Hooper Cemetery story or a list of famous graves there...

A Deseret News story on August 21, 1943, by Bishop Marvin O. Ashton of the Church’s Presiding Bishopric is the source of “The Last Leaf on the Tree” comparison.

Mary Field Garner was born in England on February 1, 1836. She died at age 107 on July 20, 1943. At the time, she believed to be the oldest ever member of the LDS Church.

“At the time of the (Prophet’s) martyrdom she was eight years old and remembers vividly the day that people rose in their seats, when Brigham Young, as it were, was transfigured into the personality of the prophet,” Bishop Ashton wrote in the Deseret News.

Ironically, she also had a rather embarrassing confession about that transfiguration story – she was tending an infant on her lap in that meeting. Her parent’s had brought a tin cup along as a plaything for that baby and yet just as Brigham Young rose to his feet, the tin cup fell to the floor and created an embarrassing noise.

                                                           This cannon is a landmark in the Hooper Cemetery.

Sister Garner had lived in Slaterville, but moved to Hooper and resided there for many years, where her last five of 10 children were born, and where she passed away.

(Some old newspaper stories incorrectly claim she lived in Roy, probably assuming most people would not know where Hooper even was…)

-To find the modest grave of Mary Field Garner, turn on the interior cemetery road heading east, just past and north of the 2 white buildings; When this road curves north, look for 2 tall upright markers just to the south of the curve, about 30 yards distant; her grave is a flat marker in between them.

Of course, with 107 years of life, Sister Garner has a long, long story to tell of traveling across the plains to Utah and of the territory and the State of Utah’s early history. 

This writing will not delve into all of that, as the detail of Mary Field Garner's life is substantial – but can be accessed on other sources listed below:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74672893/hooper-utahs-claim-to-fame

https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/overlandtravel/sources/6068/garner-mary-field-autobiographical-sketch-ca-1940-8-9

http://archives.lib.byu.edu/repositories/14/resources/5367

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26082465/mary-garner

https://mchangroverheritage.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/the-last-leaf-mary-field-garner/

 

NOTE: This article and all of the NighUntoKolob blog are NOT an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are the author's conclusions and opinions only.

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