The Power of Prayer

"...when the hurt inside seemed unbearable, I became familiar with the distance from my pain to my knees."
(from "Our Long Road to the Temple Together", pages 26-28, October, 2007 "Ensign" magazine, also available at http://ensign.lds.org)

Going "Home" Again

After far too long an absence (3 weeks), returning this morning to the LDS Temple in Washington, D.C. was a marvelous work and a wonder for me.
The supernal strength I received there was further magnified during the 8:00 AM Sealing Session, when two foreign sisters also participated.
One was from Nicaragua and the other was from Uruquay.
Both spend one day each week in the Temple, and the effect upon their radiant spirits is plain for all to see.
We did vicarious work for many parents and children, some who were born as long ago as the 1500's.
What joy their families must now be enjoying, and what blessings we now receive for doing for them what they could do for themselves in the Spirit World.

"The Sound of Music"

I am videotaping the "Sound of Music", which now is airing on the ABC Family network (it began at 7:00 PM), and I'll watch it tomorrow or later tonight (without the commercials).
It's such a beautiful love story, and I especially like the song where Julie Andrews sings about how "Nothing comes from nothing. Nothing ever could." (a reminder of an important principle of my LDS faith).
It is so sweet and tender that it always brings tears to my eyes.
That movie is set in Austria, and it also reminds me of the Kump family castle ("Schloss Matzen") in Tyrol, Austria.
It was once owned by my cousin, Christopher Kump, and it is my dream to one day visit it.

Postscript: For photos and more about the Kump family castle, visit www.google.com and enter Schloss Matzen.