SodySpokes

It was midnight on the ocean
Not a streetcar was in sight,
The sun was shining brightly
And it rained all day that night.

It was summer in the winter
And the snow was raining fast,
While the barefoot boy with his shoes on
Stood sitting in the grass

While the organ peeled potatoes,
Lard was rendered by the choir.
And when the Sexton rang the dishrag
Someone set the church on fire!

“Holy Smokes!” the Preacher shouted
And in the rain he lost his hair.
And now his head resembles Heaven,
For there is no parting there.

Comments(0)

Thomas S. Monson, “May We So Live,” Ensign, Aug 2008, 4-9

Suddenly and without warning, on a bright day in September almost seven years ago, two airliners crashed into the twin towers of New York City’s World Trade Center, leaving devastating destruction and death. In Washington, D.C., and in Pennsylvania, two other airliners came down, also as a result of a terrorist plot. These tragedies snuffed out the lives of thousands of men, women, and children. Evaporated were well-laid plans for pleasant futures. Instead, there were tears of sorrow and cries of pain from wounded souls.

Countless were the reports we heard of those who were touched in some way_”either directly or indirectly_”by the events of that day. Rebecca Sindar was on a flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Dallas, Texas, on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Her flight, like all others in the United States at that time of tragedies, was interrupted; the plane was grounded in Amarillo, Texas. Sister Sindar reported: “We all left the plane and found televisions in the airport, where we crowded around to see the broadcast of what had happened. People were lined up to call loved ones to assure them we were safely on the ground. I shall always remember the 12 or so missionaries who were on their way to the mission field on our flight. They made phone calls, and then we saw them huddled in a circle in a corner of the airport, kneeling in prayer together. How I wish I could have captured that moment to share with the mothers and fathers of those sweet young men as they saw the need for prayer right away.” (Read the article)

Comments(0)

Eulogy
July 15, 2008
Written and delivered by Brian Soderborg

In a lot of ways Alex and I are alike:  We love being in the sun, we like girls and, we have similar facial features.  Growing up it was often said that Alex looks like Brian, but Brian doesn’t look like Alex; which is weird because I’m the twin. In fact several people look like me but I don’t look like any of them. I often took solace in this but secretly didn’t tell anyone.
Born into mortality five minutes and forty seconds before I surprised the world, set him apart from the rest. That was September 15, 1983.  For the next half a dozen years we lived in a little cottage of a house by Liberty Park.  It was a huge house until one day we left the windows open and it shrank, at least that’s what my mom says.  In our time at Harrison (we name our houses by way of the street they’re on) we would go on walks around the park for Family Home Evening; climb the gigantic trees in our back yard, these things were huge; sure the house was small but you could see these trees from the park and in front of the house and they were big.  Mom would put the laundry on the clothes line and we’d eat raspberries and apricots from around the yard.  Inside we had one bed for the six of us to sleep on, and so we did. At bedtime we’d all find a spot around the edge of the bed so as to not be by each other, in the morning we’d all be on top of each other like puppies in the middle of the loft. The one on bottom was usually the first one awake, not sure why…

(Read the article)

Comments(0)

Sacrament Meeting Talk - Dec 23, 2007

We know that when God answers our prayers he often uses other people to help Him answer them. And he sometimes uses us to answer the prayers of others.
I wonder, in the answering of our prayers, if he ever utilizes the input of our loved ones from the other side.
You see, I figure that Bro Goode was either inspired…by my dad, or he had a stupor of thought, but just wouldn’t give it up…when he asked me to speak…Let me explain. (Read the article)

Comments(0)

“The Ecstasy of the Agony: How to Be Single and Sane at the Same Time,”

Anne G. Osborn, Ensign, Mar. 1977, 47-49

It seems that one of the unintentionally best-kept secrets in the Church is that a multitude of unique blessings and special opportunities are available to single members.

As a young child, I remember the delicious agony of waiting through a seemingly interminable night for the magic dawn of Christmas morning. In my eager anticipation of the wondrous surprises awaiting us under the Yule tree, I forgot the important events that long night celebrated.

Likewise, in our anxiety to marry, we can easily neglect the many unique opportunities to prepare ourselves, not only for marriage, but for eternal exaltation.
(Read the article)

Comments(2)