Moving Forward--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

Moving Forward Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

When things go bad, can we really start over? When life takes a turn for the worse, can we actually begin again with hope that things will get better? After losing much of his life savings due to someone else’s mismanagement, one man said, “Starting over was tough, but if we didn’t try, we would have been hurt twice—once by our loss and once by our own giving up.”

Each of us is bound to lose now and then, and once in a while we may want to quit. But even the worst setbacks can be opportunities to make a new beginning.

A small boy, playing a rough-and-tumble schoolyard game, was frequently knocked to the ground. Each time, he picked himself up, dusted himself off, and rejoined the game. When asked why he didn’t just quit, he declared, “Quit? I’m here to play the game!”

The New Year is a perfect time for starting over. This is a special time when we can decide to get back up when we’ve been knocked down. We can find renewed courage to keep going. We may need to forgive someone who has offended us or forgive ourselves for mistakes we’ve made. Perhaps we need help learning to do things differently so we aren’t knocked down again—but we can always move forward.
Each New Year represents a new beginning. And hope for a brighter future can dawn with each new day. So even when life hits us hard, we can get up, dust ourselves off, and get back in the game.


Program #4137

The Christmas Card I Received from the First Presidency

At this joyous Christmas season, men and women of faith turn their thoughts to our dear Savior, who came forth from heaven to live on earth as a mortal man and to establish the Kingdom of God. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, “Come, follow me.”

We testify of the living reality of Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind. As we seek Christ, and as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year but as a companion always.

Sincerely,

The First Presidency

Thomas S. Monson

Henry B. Eyring

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Happy Christmas to All--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

Happy Christmas to All

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

On Christmas Eve 1822, Catherine Elizabeth Moore was preparing food for the poor and discovered that she was short one turkey. It turned out to be a fortunate mistake, because as her husband rode in his carriage to the butcher’s, the bells jingling on his team of horses inspired him to pen a whimsical Christmas poem for his children. After dinner that night, Clement Clarke Moore presented to the family what has become a treasure to us all: “’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house….” And as he read, his children were enchanted.1 Since that day, this classic has appeared in countless newspapers and almanacs; it has been recited, illustrated, and performed around the world. Most important, countless youngsters have cozied up on the lap of a parent or grandparent and read of a “miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.” Clement Moore was a prominent theologian, a professor of classics, and the author of the leading Hebrew dictionary of the time. But that Christmas Eve, he wasn’t writing for publication or praise. This poem about a jolly old elf, sugarplums, and carefully hung stockings was for his family. Perhaps his inspiration came from his love for his small audience. Perhaps it was his way of showing his children what a gift of the heart looks and feels like. Each of us can give such priceless gifts of the heart. Our gifts may not rhyme, sparkle, or come wrapped in ribbons, but they will be cherished. Cards made at the kitchen table, pictures taken at the last family gathering, handprints of toddlers, recordings of childhood reminiscences, homemade ornaments that promise years of fond memories—in their own priceless way, these and many other expressions of love say, as did Clement Moore’s gift to his children, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.” 1 See Kaller Historical Documents, “‘The Night before Christmas,’ Clement C. Moore’s Classic Poem,” http://www.americagallery.com/night.shtml. Program #4136

Longfellow's Christmas--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

Longfellow's Christmas

Delivered By: Edward Herrmann

Sleigh bells and laughter pierced the stillness of softly falling snow, as the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family, bundled in winter wool, whisked along in their horse-drawn sleigh. The five children giggled with delight. Then, ringing down snow-packed lanes, across fields, and through the wooded hills and valleys pealed the bells—solo steeple bells and choirs of carillon bells—playing the familiar carols of Christmas. The Longfellow family delighted in their message of joy and peace. But a few months later, fire ravaged their home. Trying desperately to rescue his wife Fanny, Henry was terribly burned. Three days later, on their 18th wedding anniversary, Fanny was buried - while Henry, confined to bed, fought to live—fought for the will to live. Two Christmases came and went. Henry wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are the holidays.” “‘A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.” On Christmas Day, 1864, he wrote: “And in despair I bowed my head; ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said; For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to men.” At some time, each of us echoes the question of his broken heart: When pain, grief, and loneliness overwhelm us, where is the music of hope and peace? For Henry, the answer came at Christmas. As the rising sun burnished the windows of the Longfellow home brilliant gold, pealing through the crisp morning air, came a clear, joyous ringing…Christmas bells. From his lonely desk, Henry heard them. In that instant, his broken heart was healed. Renewed, he plunged his pen into fresh ink, and joyfully drew it across a sheet of snow white paper… I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men! Till, ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day A voice, a chime, a chant sublime Of peace on earth, good will to men! Christmas bells still ring out a clear message: Out of suffering and despair, joy can flourish anew, and hope and peace be reborn. Peace on earth. Peace in each broken heart. And so, as the bells pealed on, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow finished his carol of hope and faith: Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, “God is not dead; nor doth He sleep! The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!” Program #4135

First Presidency Announces New Temple in Peru

First Presidency Announces New Temple in Peru LDS.org News
12/13/2008 05:07 PM MST

Plans to build a new temple in Trujillo, Peru, were announced Saturday by the First Presidency — the highest governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This will bring the total number of temples worldwide to 146 already in operation or in the planning and construction phases.

The new temple in Peru becomes the third temple in South America now in the planning and construction phases, along with ones planned for Manaus, Brazil, and Córdoba, Argentina, bringing the total number of temples in South America to 17.

“We are confident that this will be a blessing to the many faithful Saints in this and surrounding areas who have had to travel long distances to enjoy the blessings of the temple,” said the First Presidency in an announcement letter to ecclesiastical leaders.

“We commend the Saints for their devotion and faithfulness, and are thankful for the blessings that will come to them through the construction of this new temple.”

To members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, temples are the “house of the Lord,” the most sacred place on earth. Temple services bind families together forever, teach the purpose of life and explain God’s plan of salvation. Temple attendance strengthens Latter-day Saints’ commitment to living Christian principles, emphasizes personal spiritual growth and increases devotion to family.

The Trujillo Peru Temple is planned for construction on the site of an existing meetinghouse on Teodoro Valcárcel Street in Urbanización Primavera, Trujillo. It will serve more than 88,000 Latter-day Saints in the region.

Latter-day Saint missionaries began preaching in Trujillo in 1960. The first baptisms in the original Trujillo Branch — a small congregation, then part of the Andes Mission — were performed in February 1961. In 1963 the first meetinghouse was dedicated in Trujillo. The first stake in Trujillo (a stake is similar to a diocese) was eventually organized in January 1978 by Thomas S. Monson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — the second-highest governing body of the Church. President Monson now serves as worldwide leader of the Church.

Latter-day Saint temples differ from the tens of thousands of meetinghouses where members typically meet for Sunday worship services and midweek social activities and where visitors are always welcome. Temples are used solely for the performance of sacred ordinances and religious instruction aimed at strengthening members’ relationships with God and their fellow man. They are closed to the public after they are dedicated.

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LDS.org; Photo by Theodore Scott

Do You Hear What I Hear--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” is one of the most beloved songs of the Christmas season. The story of this simple plea for peace begins, ironically, during World War II in war-torn France. Noel Regney was a young French musician who risked his life as a soldier in the French underground. The darkness and terror of those fearful years haunted him the rest of his life. After the war, he moved to the United States, where he found work composing jingles and music for TV. One day in a hotel dining room, Noel saw a beautiful woman playing the piano. Although he spoke little English and she spoke no French, he introduced himself to Gloria Shayne. Within a month they married. In the years that followed, the tensions of the Cold War grew, and Noel’s mind was often drawn back to the terrible days he had spent in combat. He wondered if the world would ever see peace. Noel’s thoughts turned to the very first Christmas—a sacred time of peace and promise. As he reflected, the lyrics of a song came to him. When he and his wife collaborated, it was usually Noel who wrote music for Gloria’s words, but this time he handed the lyrics to his wife and asked if she would set them to music. Thus was born the beautiful Christmas carol, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” When we hear this song, do we hear what Noel Regney wanted us to hear? The rendition of the song Noel liked best was one where the vocalist all but shouted the words “Pray for peace, people everywhere.”1 For him, that was the message of the song, for Noel believed that even in the darkness of fear and despair, the “child, [the] child, sleeping in the night, He will bring us goodness and light. He will bring us goodness and light. 1 See Ace Collins, Stories behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas (2001), 35–40. Progarm #4134

A Funnny Joke

A Limited Scope

Our family recently spent an evening on Temple Square viewing the Christmas lights. When my 3-year-old grandson saw the temple, he exclaimed: “Look, it's the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of the United States !”

Connie Buie
Salt Lake City, Utah

Thought of Inspiration

Scott G. Winterton

"As you overcome adversity in your life, you will become stronger. Then you will be better able to help others —those who are working, in their turn, to find a safe harbor from the storms that rage about them."

—Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, April 2002 general conference

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin: A Life Full of Adventure and Joy that Surpasses Understanding

2 December 2008 If ever there was a symbol of one man’s dedication to make the most of every day, it is Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin’s old Olympia typewriter. In a time when computers dominate most offices, it sat on his wide oak desk and was put to good use each morning as he personally typed out his daily schedule on a small 3-by-5 card. “Every day is an adventure,” Elder Wirthlin said. “Every day carries with it a responsibility. I thought, well, here I am — sort of the 11th hour maybe in my life — I’d better make the most of it.”

Elder Wirthlin made the most of it all of his life. Jane Parker, his oldest child, recalled one of her favorite memories was waking “at five in the morning and hearing him at the typewriter” organizing his schedule. The clacking of typewriter keys during those predawn hours became part of the rhythm of life for this apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who felt each day was a journey to be savored and enjoyed.

“Some of the happiest people I know have none of the things the world insists are necessary for satisfaction and joy,” said Elder Wirthlin. “My life has been filled with adventure, spiritual experiences and joy that surpasses understanding.”

Keystroke by keystroke, line by line, schedule by schedule, Elder Wirthlin stripped down the complexities of life to the simple things that matter most; family, devotion to God, hard work and service.

Elder Wirthlin, the eldest of five children, was born in Salt Lake City on 11 June 1917 to Joseph and Madeline Wirthlin. A young Joseph learned true compassion from his father during the Great Depression, when many families were suffering. His father, who owned a wholesale business, would load Joseph’s red coaster wagon with food for the needy. Joseph would make the deliveries, and when the wagon was empty he’d come back for more. Looking back on that experience he said: “I learned from him to care for the poor and to not do it just by words but in deed. That was a great lesson for me. He was always kind to the poor.”

Elder Wirthlin’s desire to succor the poor in body and spirit resulted in his leaving his studies at the University of Utah, and a starting position on the football team, to serve a two and a half year mission for the Church in the late 1930s. At a precarious time in world history, he stepped aboard the S.S. Manhattan as a young missionary and began a long voyage that would take him into Germany and Switzerland. For the first six weeks he was alone in Salzburg, a missionary in a strange, new country not knowing if or when Hitler’s tanks would blitz across the border.

Elder Wirthlin said: “As I look back on it now, I wonder if those times of trial and loneliness weren’t instrumental in strengthening my character and heightening my desire to succeed. Those times of seeming failure may have been some of the most instrumental of my life, because they prepared me for greater things to come.”

His mission was a period of intense gospel study during which he learned to teach, preach and “love people more than ever before and to accept them for what they were.”

A defining moment for Elder Wirthlin came on a cold, clear, snowy night on Christmas Eve in the tiny village of Oberndorf nestled in the Bavarian Alps. After listening to organ music in a humble church, Elder Wirthlin and his companion started for home and became engaged in a serious discussion about what they wanted to do with their lives. “The Spirit was so strong as I walked with my companion that it’s hard to express,” Elder Wirthlin said. “I really had a burning testimony that the Church is true as never before in my life.”

On that soul-searching night, Elder Wirthlin also contemplated the type of woman he would someday marry. After returning from his mission he said he knew the first time he laid eyes on Elisa Rogers that she would be his wife — and she was just a year later, on 26 May 1941.

Theirs was a tender relationship that deepened through the years, said daughter Katherine Cannon. “You could tell that she loved him. She listened intently to him.” And he listened to her, many times relying on her “good, sound judgment.” Though often gone with a hectic schedule, Elder Wirthlin said he looked forward to coming home. “Every morning I kiss her goodbye and always say, ‘Auf Wiedersehen, till we meet again.’”

The Wirthlins settled into married life and eventually became the parents of eight children, seven girls and one boy. “Our boy came second, and when we had our eighth arrival and announced to him that it was a girl, “Elder Wirthlin laughed, “Joe said, ‘Not another one!’”

Life was busy, but Elder Wirthlin always devoted time to family, whether it was lunchtime with his children, letting his son play stowaway in his car to the office, or taking family vacations on which they always seemed to get lost. Sunday also became an important family time when they rested from work, attended church and held family home evening.

Elder Wirthlin was also devoted to living the gospel. After serving in countless Church positions spanning decades, Elder Wirthlin became an apostle on 9 October1986, joining 11 other modern-day apostles with responsibilities to govern The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church organization reflects Christ’s ancient church, and like those biblical apostles nearly two millennia ago, today’s apostles come from all professions and walks of life and serve in lifelong positions.

Fellow apostle Russell M. Nelson said Elder Wirthlin will be remembered for his “tremendous faith and willingness to work.” President Thomas S. Monson, president of the Church, described Elder Wirthlin as a man of great innate goodness who did not care for personal acclaim, only to please his Heavenly Father.

And pleasing his Heavenly Father included sharing his testimony of the gospel with others. “I wish I could engrave on every heart what I so keenly know and feel,” Elder Wirthlin said. “I bear unwavering testimony that our Heavenly Father and His divine Son, Jesus Christ, rule and reign, and that we must all understand that the gospel is everlasting. It is forever and applicable to all, and each of us is to be held accountable.”

Accountability, knowing what’s really important in life, strengthening family relationships, serving God, strengthening others, making the most of each day, having a written schedule and sticking to it — one can almost hear the keys of the old Olympia typewriter.

Joseph B. Wirthlin, Oldest Apostle, Dies, Age 91

SALT LAKE CITY 2 December 2008 Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest living apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died last night, age 91.

Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and died peacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age. His oldest daughter, Jane Wirthlin Parker, was present. A member of the family had been staying and caring for Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, Elisa Young Rogers Wirthlin, died in 2006.

He had continued to work at his office right up until the Thanksgiving holiday.

Funeral services will be held at noon on Friday, December 5, at the Tabernacle on Temple Square.

The Little Town of Bethlehem--Spoken Word Given by Lloyd D. Newell

The Little Town of Bethlehem

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

During this busy time of year, we may find ourselves searching for the stillness of the first Christmas night. In search of that precious gift so silently given, we take small and sincere steps that can lead to a place of peace. With yearning hearts we travel to the little town of Bethlehem. One family felt so removed from Bethlehem’s peace that they decided to start a new family tradition: During the first week of December they made a cardboard manger for their living room, and next to the manger they placed a container of straw. Each time one of the children was especially kind or helpful, the family put a piece of straw in the manger. Whenever anyone unselfishly did something for someone else, they put another piece of straw in the manger. Before long, straw filled the manger. But even better than that, peace filled their home. Bethlehem’s promise did not seem so far away. On Christmas Eve, the family turned down all the lights, except for one handheld lantern, and gathered in a bedroom. By the light of their lantern, they “traveled” to their homemade manger in the living room, where, in the quiet of the night, they sang carols and expressed their love. Bathed in the warmth of that peaceful moment, the children went calmly and quietly to bed.1 By inviting greater kindness and love into their home, this family found their way to Bethlehem’s peace. The hustle and bustle of the season could not overwhelm the sweet stillness of the heavenly invitation to that little family—and to all mankind: “Oh, come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! Oh, come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.”2 1 See Sue Jones, “Straw for the Manger,” Ensign, Dec. 2005, 56–57. 2“Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns, no. 202. Program #4133