Families can be together forever

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

I believe that this mortal life is not all there is. I believe that we lived in a spiritual form before we were born and that we will live in a spiritual form again after we die until the resurrection when our spirit and body will be reunited in a perfect form forever. I believe that we have opportunities to live and grow and learn in this life and that we will have to chance to continue and progress beyond this life as well.

I believe because of those beliefs about life before and after this one that the relationships we have now may have existed in the existence before this and have the potential to continue after this one as well, especially marriages and families that are solemnized in temples for time and all eternity.

This belief is one of the great comforts of the gospel - that we will see those who pass on before us again and that death is only a temporary separation. That's not to say it's easy to lose those we love or that we can't be sad or grieve their loss, but that it can give some additional perspective to that loss and help, eventually, ease its pain. While some deaths can be a relief, such as the end of long and/or painful illness, others are still incredibly difficult, particularly anyone who dies before it is expected.

Of course, the closer we are to someone, the harder it can be to lose them, no matter the circumstances. Two of my friends (and their families) are going through one of the most challenging losses I anticipate anyone having to go through - the loss of a parent, particularly in a quick and unexpected way. These friends are close to my age and the parents close to the age of mine. One lost their mother, the other their father, and both due to sudden and relatively short illness. While it's not a loss I fully understand yet, and hope I don't anytime soon, I am still very sad for them and their families and their surviving spouses. And I'm sad for myself, because I know these parents that my friends have lost too, and they will be missed.

My friends believe as I do, but I know that they are hurting anyway and are sad not just for themselves, but for their young children who have lost a grandparent. Even when we believe we will see them again, we are sad for the lost potential of what could have been if we'd had more time here.

There is a lot more to Heavenly Father's plan for us than I can ever adequately explain here. You can learn more at this site, but I'm also happy to answer any questions anyone might have. I am grateful for the peace and perspective it gives me in all aspects of life and, in this particular case, look forward to seeing my loved ones again.

Grandpa P, who passed away in 2016. Shortly after I moved to Japan later that year, I realized he wasn't around anymore and didn't know we got to live in Japan. Immediately, I thought, "He knows." And I believe that's true - that he knows, loves me, and is proud of me and Blake and our little family.

Oh what songs of the heart we will sing all the day

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

I've mentioned before that I frequently hold music related callings (assignments) at church. I've also written more about callings here and here. I actually avoided it for the first year I lived in Japan had worked as activity leader for the girls ages 8-11 and then as a counselor in the presidency of the women's ministry (Relief Society). But when I realized our congregational music chair was leaving soon, I had a feeling I'd be asked to accept that assignment, and I was right. Then, a few months ago, our choir director was needed elsewhere and I asked if I would be willing to do that assignment as part of my music chair responsibilities and I agreed

I really don't mind these particular jobs. I enjoy music immensely and feel that its presence in our worship services is invaluable. I've done them before, but there is always still more to learn. And! I realized today our little ward choir music library is really just an unorganized IKEA bag of binders and stacks of  music, so you better believe I will be putting the knowledge I've gained from the two Masters degrees I have (musicology and library sciences) specifically with the goal of organizing music as a music librarian to work soon.

Today was a particularly involved musical day. Lots of people were out due to travel (it's a three day weekend, since we're an American base even in Japan, thank you veterans) or illness, plus I keep forgetting my choir accompanist moved, so I was pretty busy for two of the three hours of church and the hour before for choir practice. Blake helped me copy and collate the Christmas song we started in choir today. Choir was more of a soprano sectional (no altos or men), and I had to play the piano and teach/lead the music - which was actually still productive. Then, even though it's not my month, I led the music in our general worship service (Sacrament meeting), since this month's conductor was away for a volleyball tournament. The Sunday school class we attended did not have any music - this time, but I spent the last hour of church in the children's Sunday school (Primary) subbing as the music leader (who was traveling) and playing Battleship (the ships were songs the children are learning).

Props to Jessica, our usual Primary music leader

Truthfully, it was probably one of the better Sundays I have had at church recently. I felt the spirit, sang and learned of Jesus, and had fun!

The rest of Sunday hasn't been too bad either. We took a too long nap, went to the dog park, and then made okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes) for dinner.

Afterward, Blake and I played Forbidden Island and won by the skin of our teeth.

I love Sundays! And music! And spending time with Blake!

Another hundred people just got off of the train

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

When I was in London on study abroad, our group was split up between several area congregations (ward) so as not to overwhelm one with 40 of us. My assignment was in a ward that was an hour and a half away from where we were staying and involved at least two trains and a bus. I had been asked to teach a youth Sunday School class, so I frequently used that time to plan my lessons. It was only for about seven weeks, so it wasn't a terrible inconvenience for long.

For the last two years in Japan, we've been taking the train to church again. Two trains again, but no bus. If we leave our house at exactly 15 minutes after the hour (45 minutes before services start), we arrive about 10 minutes early, which is, in our opinion, right on time. 

Last week, we had almost two hours on multiple trains each way to attend stake (multiple congregations in a larger geographical area) conference. Frequently, they broadcast the meeting to our individual buildings, but sometimes we are requested to gather in person for additional fellowship.

By contrast, while I was growing up in both Utah and Texas, church was rarely more than a five minute drive for regular meetings, sometimes 30 minutes for stake meetings. As an adult in Virginia, maybe it's been closer to 15 minutes. So, 40 minutes or more one way each week has been adjustment, but since attending our church meetings has been a top priority in our marriage, we've made it work. 

Sometimes I miss the easy commute, but I enjoy the time with Blake, talking about our church meetings, or family stuff, or even brainstorming what's going to be fastest to make for lunch we when we get home. Sometimes it's the only train ride(s) we get together all week.  

Of course, church is more than just a weekly meeting. Church should be everywhere all the time, and I really appreciate this relatively new video form our church about that.

Remember me, though I have to say goodbye

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

I am pleased to say that on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, after our (mis)adventure in Kamakura, I spent some time learning about indexing through familysearch.org, per my goal to find a way to keep my sights on the temple even when I can't attend. I did the tutorial and then indexed my first batch - a page from the US, New York, New York - Death Index, 1880-1956. I've done a lot of data entry in my career as a librarian and this program is set up to be really user friendly, so it was all pretty easy to figure out.

Even though it wasn't my own family history I was working on, I imagined that I was being helpful to someone out there. This index had death dates and cities, as well as the death certificate number, which if they could use that to find the actual death certificate they would probably find even more information. OCR (optical character recognition) has come a long way, so it's possible just having a photo of this index would be useful, but an indexed page even more so.  The batch I worked on didn't take long, and I definitely anticipate doing more!

On Saturday, with this project on my mind, Blake and I went to see the latest Pixar film - Coco - a story about a Mexican boy who learns a lot about his family on the Day of the Dead, even traveling to the Land of the Dead. So many elements of the story - multi-generational family, music, deteriorating mental health in old age, healing, honoring family who have passed, second chances (even after death) - were woven in such a beautiful way that I was crying by the end, even with parts that were relatively predictable. I think it's right there with Up for my favorite Pixar film, and even already one of my favorite movies ever. It's so well done!

And then, this morning, while it was Saturday evening back at home, I was able to FaceTime with my grandmother at the start of the party they were having for her 80th birthday. After I talked to her, my dad took me around the party to say hi to a few people and see some of the amazing quilts that my grandmother had made (not an exhaustive collection, if only because I have a few here in Japan) as well as the top of one that my mother had made for her out of squares she had commissioned from the family. They had it set up at the party so everyone could work on the actual quilting of it. My dad promised to sew a stitch for me.

Many people made their own quilt squares, but due to distance/time/skill, I just designed one, ordered the fabric, and commissioned it from my mother. It's the pink and green crossword puzzle one shown here. The green fabric has thimbles on it - Grandma collects them and I've helped a lot on all my travels - and she and Grandpa (while he was alive) loved doing crossword puzzles. It was helping them on one that earned me one of their nicknames for me.

Even being 7000 miles away from my family of origin, I've had a lot of opportunity to think about them and connect with them these last few days. I'm so glad to know where I come from and find ways to relate to the experiences of those who have come before me. Hopefully, I can get back into the habit of family history research and keep finding out even more!

Our shadow by day and our pillar by night

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

I have made it no secret that I love the temple. It has been my tradition since 2007 to attend the temple on the day after Thanksgiving. I’m not into Black Friday shopping and going to the temple feels like an appropriate way to continue giving thanks to Heavenly Father. Thus far, I think I have a perfect attendance record on this goal and have attended the temple after Thanksgiving in Louisville, Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and Tokyo.

Unfortunately, the Tokyo temple closed at the end of September for at least two years for renovations. I don’t think it will be open again during this tour of duty for us. The next closest temple(s) are more than 800 miles away from us in either Fukuoka or Sapporo. They aren’t impossible to get to, just more challenging. This announcement was made several months ago, so I have had some time to adjust to the idea of not having a temple so easily accessible on a regular basis, but I do already miss it.

I also miss the curry from the temple cafeteria, but that’s a different story.

Fortunately, it’s given me some time to ponder how I can still be a temple attending person and have my tent pitched toward the temple (as the people of King Benjamin did in the Book of Mormon during his address), even if I can’t attend on a regular basis.

Mosiah 2:5-65 And it came to pass that when they came up to the temple, they pitched their tents round about, every man according to his family, consisting of his wife, and his sons, and his daughters, and their sons, and their daughters, from the eldest down to the youngest, every family being separate one from another.
6 And they pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with the door thereof towards the temple, that thereby they might remain in their tents and hear the words which king Benjamin should speak unto them;

Psalm 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

There are lots of reasons, beyond physical distance, that someone might not be able to attend the temple, some of which I may encounter in the future, so it’s good to be prepared with alternatives at all times. Here, in no particular, are some that I and others I have talked to have come up with:

Family History
Instead of spending a couple of hours in the temple each month (or however often you prefer to attend), work on your family or personal history, especially if you can prepare other names for temple work.

Visit the grounds
If you can get to a temple, but can’t go inside for whatever reason, you can still spend time on or near the grounds to feel the spirit of the place. If the nearest temple is being built or refurbished, it might be nice to watch its progress.

Temple Tourism
With so many temples all over the world today (at press time - 157 operating (with 2 closed for renovation), 12 under construction, and 13 announced but not yet under construction), there is a high likelihood that there may be a temple nearby if you are traveling for work or for fun. So, with a little effort, it may be possible to attend the temple (or just visit the grounds) while you are away from home. Already having this in mind has given me the chance to attend 17 temples thus far and visit the grounds of a few more. This will be how we attend the temple at any point in the next two years.

Seoul, South Korea - We didn't have time to go inside, but we did visit the grounds!

Temple prayer roll

Anyone, member of the church or not, can call any operating temple in the world to add a name of someone close to them to the temple prayer roll and enlist the faith and prayers of those in attendance to help whatever challenge that person is facing. Names remain on the prayer roll for two weeks.

Temple recommend
Maintaining a membership in good standing that allows you to carry your “good Mormon card” and be worthy to attend the temple helps you to build your testimony, maintain your faith, and continually align your will with God’s.

Temple art
Having photographs or other art work hanging in your home can help you visualize your goal of future attendance and remind you of past experiences in the temple. As Eilonwy’s daughter reminded us - the temple is light. Eilonwy added that this is why go so often - so that we can bring some of that light home with us. Our homes can be an extension of the temple if we cultivate them that way and allow the Spirit to be present. From where I’m sitting while I type this, I can see four pieces of temple artwork to remind our family of this, and we have at least three more in other parts of the house.

Logan, Utah and Washington, D.C. - the first two temples that are "ours" for me and Blake - Where we were sealed and the temple we attended the most together. I'd like to get one of Tokyo now.

Truthfully, these are things we should be doing even if we can attend the temple as frequently as we might like, but I’m planning to redouble my efforts in at least some of these areas over the next couple of years. For example, instead of attending the temple this Friday, I want to finally get started on indexing. I doubt I’ll immediately be as productive at indexing as my grandmother, who indexes at least two batches a day, but I can start!

The temple is important to me, but keeping the covenants I’ve made there is more important. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do the things listed above and more and continue to be the kind of person I feel that God wants me to be!

For more on LDS temples - click here.

I am what I wear (my strongest suit)

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

Based solely on my observation, it seems that the Japanese people tend to dress very situationally appropriate. They consider the activity, the weather, and their commute (among other things) into putting together their daily ensemble, more so than I really see in the States. The Japanese are very practical in a lot of ways, and this is one of them. For example, there aren’t a lot of women wearing stilettos whilst waiting for a train, and, if it’s sunny, they protect their skin with hats and long, lightweight sleeves. If they are into a particular hobby, like biking or hiking, they definitely dress the part as if it’s a uniform. I’m sure there are exceptions to all of this, but in daily life in the suburbs I see a lot of practical, situationally appropriate dress.

I have tried to adopt that more than I already did into my own clothing and lifestyle. I wear good footwear, whether or not it really matches, and I’m building a weather appropriate wardrobe so that I can comfortably commute on foot in the summer as well as the winter. Not being able to quickly go from air conditioned/heated car to air conditioned/heated building and back means I have to be prepared to spend a lot more time in the elements. I also am very mindful of what I’ll be doing that day, and wear clothing appropriate to that activity. This particular habit is not new, but if I’m not wearing the right clothes, I have to haul them on my back, and I choose to minimize how much I’m carrying around if possible. So, I choose outfits that will work for all my activities as best I can and potentially only carry small changes (shoes, top, etc.) if necessary. 

Today’s situation was that I would be attending the first two hours (out of three) of church, and then we would duck out and walk a few blocks to a local community center where I would be performing with my taiko club. So, contrary to our church’s culture (not doctrine), I wore pants to church. 

I wasn’t trying to make a statement, I was just trying to be comfortable, practical, and situationally appropriate. The pants are black, wide-legged dress pants that, paired with a nice cardigan and shirt, still made me feel like I was wearing my “Sunday best”. Then, at the community center, I switched my cardigan for my taiko club shirt and the pants were perfect for the freedom of movement I needed to play in this performance and match my taiko mates. 

I’m not trying to justify my choice to those who saw me today and might be reading this blog. Like I said, I wasn’t trying to make a statement and I certainly wasn’t trying to draw attention to myself. Due to the wide-legged nature of these pants, unless you’re really paying attention, you might not even realize it wasn’t a skirt. Instead, I’m taking this an opportunity to continue to ponder how I worship and what my Sunday activities mean to me. When I was in Mormon Choir of Washington DC, I left a lot of church meetings early to attend a concert, and today’s activity was really not so different. The content of the music today was less obviously about Jesus, but in the larger sense of playing beautiful folk music and building a community, I think it still counts.

I actually don’t really care what anyone who saw me in pants thought about my choice, nor did I feel particularly self-conscious. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus want me to attend my church meetings, but they care less about what I wear and more that I come to worship, learn, and serve. I do think that “Sunday best” is a good goal, as it shows respect for Heavenly Father as well as the people around me and myself. For me, that usually means a skirt or dress, but sometimes that means pants. For Blake, that usually means a full suit with jacket and a tie, but sometimes that means his Navy uniform. In the ward he attended in Rhode Island during training, I went with him once and saw some sailors in PT gear (the Navy exercise uniform of shorts and a t-shirt), but they were there, and that’s really what mattered. 

I’ve heard stories, as recently as this week, of someone wearing the “wrong thing” to church and someone else trying to say something to them about it and having it go horribly wrong immediately. I think Heavenly Father would much prefer we just love people we see at our church meetings and everywhere else, and be glad that they have come, and not worry as much about what they are wearing. Presenting ourselves in the best and most appropriate way in our dress also suggests we should present ourselves in the best and most appropriate in our behavior and judging others for their different choices does not do that. I didn’t feel judged today, but I wouldn’t want anyone who attended with me to feel judged either, and choosing to wear pants today gave me an opportunity to reflect on a lot of the whys and hows of attending my Sunday meetings, particularly for myself. Even after attending the same church regularly for more than three decades, it’s good to occasionally reflect on my personal applications of the gospel, even just because I did something as simple as wearing pants. 

I've been thinking about you

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

With so much tragedy in the world today, both man-made and acts of God, it's hard to know what you can do to help or change anything. When big tragedies happen, there are frequently opportunities to help by donating time or money to the cause. But, sometimes, because you are nowhere near the tragedy and those affected or don't the time or money to help, the most you can do is offer "thoughts and prayers". Unfortunately, saying "my thoughts and prayers are with you" has become somewhat of a joke, if not entirely misunderstood. Those who don't understand "thoughts and prayers" can be frustrated by its seeming lack of conviction and it can be confused for not doing anything at all. I would like to offer that it is actually doing a lot of good and explain why.

As a religious person who prays as well as donates both time and money charitably, people shouldn't presume we only rely on "thoughts and prayers" to fix what is wrong in the world. Conversely, those of us who pray should not assume those who more visibly contribute time and money don't also meditate or practice some form of mindfulness. Trying to prove who makes more of a contribution to the world is, however, ridiculous. Even though some people can't see a tangible benefit to "thoughts and prayers" doesn't mean those of us who offer them don't. 

Most importantly, "thoughts and prayers" can help give us direction on who to help and how. It's those same thoughts and prayers and mindfulness that help people think of someone to send an applicable job posting to or a funny meme based on something they like.  It's the friends who ask if I need dog food at Costco when they go because I don't have a car and that's a tricky errand on the train. If they never think and/or pray about me, they wouldn't necessarily be inspired to do those things. I personally find it most helpful to pray and do something tangible. With limited time and resources and, therefore, the inability to help everyone, having some guidance on where and how we can help us feel good about what we can actually contribute and that we've made a difference to someone.

Recently, I experienced a medical emergency while Blake was away on assignment. As someone who received promises of thoughts and prayers during that time, I can tell you that at the very least, I appreciated being thought of and that people were taking time out of their days even just to send me a text to ask how I was. It helped me know who I could call when I did need something, especially before Blake was able to come home. I also appreciated people who brought us meals, drove me to the doctor, and the people who stayed with me in the hospital or at home. It was all at least some contribution to my emotional and physical well-being and I'm grateful for it all.

(And now, since you're probably wondering, I'm recovered and Blake got home soon afterwards.)

At least to me, thoughts and prayers are actually a good and meaningful offering, especially backed up with actions, however small they may be

Also helpful? Cute puppies to snuggle when you're home resting.

I spent time at a friend's house on main base in between doctor's appointments one day. They weren't home and Blake was running errands, but Yuri was on duty.

Apparently Yuri isn't usually a snuggler, so his attention was especially sweet.

Kanshasimasu, we thank thee

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

While some go out shopping all day, my day after Thanksgiving tradition since 2007 has been to attend the temple. We are very blessed to have a temple quite close to us in Tokyo and Blake and I took the day on Friday to visit it!

If I can find this Nativity in a personal size, I would love it for my home. 

I've written a little about temples before here, but for us it is a chance to make certain covenants with Heavenly Father and receive religious instruction through specific ordinances that can only happen inside of the temple. Unlike church attendance, which is expected weekly, temple attendance can be as often as a person chooses. Blake and I have, thus far, tried to attend once a month and we'd like to continue that tradition here in Japan. The Tokyo temple is about 90 minutes away on the train, well, three trains, so our monthly goal should be quite doable.

The grounds are small, but so lovely.

We arrived midday on Friday and were greeted with a beautiful sight, just around the corner from our subway exit.

While the session we attended was in Japanese, we were able to use headsets for translation into English and speak with English-speaking temple workers when necessary. There are enough similarities between all the different temples that we were able to navigate some on our own too. Obviously, the ordinances are the same, but there has been great effort on the part of the church to design many temples to reflect the area where they are built. The Provo City Center temple, for example, has many references in its architecture to its pioneer heritage as a tabernacle first, while the Sapporo Japan temple has a zen garden!

There is also bright, colorful stained glass in the celestial room, which is really gorgeous with the sun shining through in a room that is otherwise all white or cream. Of course my heaven, which the celestial room is supposed to represent, will have some color to it!

Many temples also have cafeterias, or at least vending machines or microwaves and some tables to eat at, so workers and patrons can fuel up while serving in the temple. I had actually never eaten at a full service temple cafeteria before, so that was interesting. What was also interesting was that it was vending machine ordering! Not the temple one, since you can't take photos inside, but as a reference:

There was also a vending machine for beverages, which are all over the place, but at least we knew everything in this one would fit into our Mormon dietary guidelines!

This was also the same vending where you pay for any clothing you need to rent (we wear all white in the temple), in case you don't have your own. If you order food, you take it to the food counter, but you'd take your clothing ticket to the clothing counter down the hall. We were particularly delighted by this.

The curry had been recommended to us, so that was lunch for us after our session, and it really was so good and only 350 yen. This may become a tradition for us. On our way back to the train, we stopped at The Little Pie Factory. Also tasty, but we'll try another pastry shop or the Baskin Robbins we also spotted next time.

Chocolate

Apple cream cheese

It was a lovely day, and one I look forward to repeating soon!

When you go your way and I go mine

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

The 11th Article of Faith reads:

 11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

I absolutely believe this. While I am very happy to share my testimony of what I believe and why and I am thrilled when people want to learn more, I am also very happy for people when they are happily living their path, with their own beliefs and practices. I also love learning about what those beliefs and practices are.

Working in an Islamic school for three years and now living in a non-Christian country, I've been given many opportunities as of late to learn about faith traditions that are pretty different from my own, and it's fascinating.

Japan is predominantly Shinto (a religion that began in Japan) and Buddhist (a religion brought over from India through China). Shrines (which are Shinto) and temples (Buddhist) can be found all over Japan and many are open to visitors of all faiths. We've had the opportunity to visit both and I really am enjoying learning about theses traditions and even participating when possible.

This torii gate leads to a shrine specifically for harvest.

Buddhist temple

When we were walking in Yokohama yesterday, I knew there was a statue of a god somewhere and we were fortunate enough to walk right past it!

I stroked each of the seven points, so hopefully some of those prayers will come true for me!

I continue to look forward to visiting more shrines and temples and especially participating in festivals! There is one this week, Torinoichi, where you can buy a specific rake and have it blessed so that you can rake in good fortune! We probably won't make it to this one, but I can't wait to find out what else we will learn in the next few years!

I'll go where you want me to go

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

One reason I was not afraid of moving to Japan was that between the Navy and the church, we already had a built in community of people that we could rely on for friendship, help, and whom we could also serve.

In fact, Blake and I already knew people here. I have a friend from college (whose husband teaches at the on base high school) and a former singles ward friend (whose husband is a pilot). Blake knew of another Mormon JAG with whom we shared mutual friends and two other non-Mormon FTJs (First Tour JAGs) who either came out a week after us or will be here within the next couple of months. Plus, the Personnel Development Officer (PDO) from Blake's command served as our sponsor and helped coordinate the Japan side of our move.

In short, a number of people knew we were coming and were excited to see us and an even larger pool of people were here for us to meet. So, we have been able to jump right in. We may both be introverts who need quiet, alone time to recharge our batteries, but we still like having friends and social activities!

Church has been really great so far. Some new friends from Blake's command are also in our ward (congregation), so they gave us a ride our first Sunday. The high school teaching husband of my college friend is our bishop (congregation leader). And, as predicted, our new church family and the Navy family, especially the other JAGs and the small intersection of other Mormon JAGs, have given us immediate opportunities to serve, be served, and make friends. We've had social engagements, rides, and we both already have callings and other assignments.

We meet in a converted office building, on the 3rd, 6th, and 7th floors. We are in a military ward of mostly American sailors, military contractors, and their families, and we share the building with a Japanese branch. Our services are in English and theirs are in Japanese.

I am grateful to be here and not feel so alone. I know other people do not have the same proximity to so many other members of the church, especially in their own language, so we are definitely blessed.

It's always fun when grandpa comes

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

When my grandparents sold the house they had lived in for more than 40 years in Washington state and moved to Utah, it was because they wanted to be closer to more of their family. Three of their four children (and their spouses), 14 of their 16 grandchildren (and any of their spouses), and most of their great-grandchildren lived there. Any of their surviving siblings also live in Utah or Nevada. So, it made sense to finally make it back down to Utah.

First, in the summer of 2013, they requested that as many of their progeny as possible could make the trip to visit their home in Washington one more time. All their kids and most of the next two generations were able to go, including us. I really enjoyed showing Blake around their little town and the places I'd loved on the occasions I had been able to visit.

While it was sad for them to say goodbye to Washington themselves, the move to Utah was a good one. Grandpa especially seemed to find a little more energy when he was around his great-grandchildren. My parents finally finished turning my sister's room into the guest room especially so that when my grandparents made the two hour trek south to visit, they could stay overnight and not drive back in the dark.

My parents also started arranging monthly double dates with my grandparents, often seasonal things, so they could spend more quality time together, aside from all the other visits and frequent family gatherings.

Everyone loved having my grandparents so close - even me. We got to see them when we were in Utah ourselves, and it's a nice treat to have a surprise grandparent around when I FaceTime or call my family.

Sadly, in February of this year, after 81 years on this earthly home, Heavenly Father needed my Grandpa in his heavenly home even more. From the time we realized it was time for him to go to his actually passing was mercifully short, but we had enough time to say goodbye. When I FaceTimed with him the last time, he couldn't vocally respond, but it was evident he knew it was me and that I loved him. He passed quietly at home, with my grandmother in the room, and my sister and her family and my parents down the hall.

Gratefully, I was able to take bereavement leave and be in Utah for the funeral. As these things usually are, it was a happy/sad occasion, and incredibly beautiful.  It was fun to share stories of Grandpa's life and touching to share in some the mercies and experiences surrounding his passing. I so enjoyed singing, crying, and laughing with my family.

I was also able to be present for the final steps in dressing his body, which I didn't expect to be part of. As with many faiths, LDS people have a very specific way of preparing the body for burial and it was an honor to be there for it.

Grandpa served two years in the Army, and received a military burial. His grandsons and grandsons-in-law served as the pall bearers and the three that were unable to attend were all for military reasons (two were actively serving and Blake was in final preparations to report). I rode next to my grandmother in the car to and from the burial site, another honor for me.

As much as I miss Grandpa, even more than my paternal grandparents I wasn't as close with, I truly believe in life after this one and that I will see him again. A couple of days ago, I was walking from the train station to main base and had the thought "Grandpa didn't live long enough to know we were moving to Japan." It was immediately followed by a second thought, "He knows." Whether it was me or the Spirit who thought that, it doesn't matter. Grandpa knows and loves me and is proud of both Blake and me.

I was his #1 grandkid. He told me so frequently, because I'm the oldest, and I could pretend meant that I was also his favorite. He loved my grandma very much, and served as a positive father figure to my own father. He is still a wonderful man and I look forward to seeing him again someday.

Joy to the World!

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

It's officially the Christmas season! Here's the lastest video from the Church about why we celebrate this time of year.

Beautiful words of love coming from God above

I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormons. When possible on Sundays, I discuss some things related to my faith and what I believe. With respect to your own beliefs, I hope this gives you a chance to get to know me and my religion a little better. For previous installments, click here.

According to the eighth Article of Faith:

 8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

Since the Bible as we know it was compiled by a council of people under the direction of a king, rather that a religious leader, we recognize that there may be errors in translation or scriptures that could have been included that were not. It's also gone through revisions and translations since then. Even now, many different denominations use different editions/translations/versions of the Bible.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the King James Bible, as explained by the title page:

Containing the Old and New Testaments Translated out of the Original Tongues: and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised, by His Majesty’s Special Command  Authorized King James Version  With Explanatory Notes and Cross References to the Standard Works of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We do believe it to be inspired word of God and are instructed to study it as such. Right now Blake and I are reading the Old Testament together every night. While one of us is traveling, we still use Skype to read together. Since I didn't pack a Bible this last trip, I would have used the scriptures on my phone, but then I was using my phone to Skype. So, I had the idea to grab the Bible left by the Gideons in my room to read with Blake.

Apparently the version they distribute is the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Here are some of the verses, Deuteronomy 28: 25-29, we read one night in that version:

Here's how they read in ours:

25 The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. 

 26 And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away. 

 27 The Lord will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed. 

 28 The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: 

 29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.

Basically, the tone of the Gideons' version is a little less formal, more colloquial, possibly even more approachable. It reminded me of when I've read the same verses in English and Spanish. I understand the gist of the verse either way and the spirit of the message is still present.

Ultimately, we still read the scriptures, whichever version, something that's been a daily priority for us since sometime while we were dating. If you want to know more about our scriptures, you can read them online here. You can also request a free copy here.

As always, if I can answer any questions, please ask!