Queen Creek Temple site Announced!

The Church shared this simple video of Elder Gong speaking on how AI can assist in Family History

“When we come to the temple, we come to a place which is dedicated exclusively for the service of the Lord. And as a result, the Spirit of the Lord is stronger here than any other building except a well-functioning home.” -President Oaks

THE THOMAS EMMETT FAMILY This is a picture of my paternal great-grandfather Thomas Emmett and his family. Thomas was born on 19 Sept. 1827 in Downham, Lancashire, England to John and Sarah Boothman Emmett. In 1840 when he was 13 years old, he and his mother and three sisters were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thomas and his wife, Nancy Hitchon, married when he was 23 and she was 18. Nancy was born in Sabden, England on 11 Sept. 1832. She was the daughter of Robert and Margaret Irving Hitchon. Her two brothers were Methodist ministers, and against the wishes of her parents she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in March of 1846 at age 16. She was the second baptism in Preston, England. Her father was outraged at her baptism and would never agree to her marrying Thomas. So she climbed out of a window and down a ladder at her parents’ home, and she and Thomas eloped. On 1 January 1851 Nancy and Thomas immigrated to the United States sailing on the ship “Ellen”. They arrived in New Orleans on 14 May 1851 and proceeded to St. Louis, MO where they discovered that the wagons promised to them were not available. They would have to go by handcart. Thomas vowed that he would never make his wife walk to Salt Lake, so they stayed in St. Louis where Thomas found employment in a soft drink manufacturing company. They lived there three years while Thomas learned the soft drink business and saved enough money to buy oxen and a wagon to travel to Utah. Two daughters were born to them while in St. Louis. Henrietta and Imogene, who died when nine months old. Thomas and his family traveled across the plains with the Capt. J. W. Cumings Co. They arrived in Salt Lake on 19 September 1854. After a brief rest in Salt Lake City, they went to Ogden where they lived for the rest of their lives and raised a large family consisting of seven boys and six girls. Four of them died in childhood. They were some of the first settlers in Ogden, Utah. Thomas established the first soda water factory in the western states. It was called the "Ogden Bottling Works, Thomas Emmett & Sons." Thomas and Nancy participated in the move south when Johnston's Army came in 1858. All the women and children in Salt Lake and Ogden were moved south. These cities were evacuated so they could be burned if Johnston’s Army tried to occupy them. Thomas took his family to Provo, leaving Nancy there while he returned to Ogden to move more families south. He then went to Echo Canyon to meet the army. She was left to provide for herself and her children. When the men returned, she and her family went back to Ogden. It was at this time that they suffered the most because grasshoppers had destroyed their crops, and there was little food. They survived on sego lily bulbs. Thomas Emmett contributed much in service to the growing community. He helped build the Weber and Hooper canals. He took active part in the labor of opening Strong's Canyon, Ogden Canyon and many streets, roads and water ditches. He also spent much time and money in helping to build a wall around the town of Ogden as a protection against Indian raids. Thomas Emmett was a gifted musician. He became "Captain" of the first brass band in Ogden, a position he held for many years. His success in this and the love and respect of those band members were a source of family pride. All twenty-six band members attended his funeral service. However, it was a bitterly cold day, and on the way to the cemetery they were unable to play because their instruments froze and they couldn’t make a sound. On 11 Sept 1892 Thomas left for a mission to England, but because of failing health he was released in a year. Two years later he had an attack of paralysis from which he never fully recovered. Thomas died on 1 February 1894, and I am grateful for the opportunity to get to know him and his family through my family history research.

President Oaks recently traveled to Brazil to dedicate the new Belo Horizonte Temple. Belo Horizonte is Brazil’s 12th dedicated temple…🇧🇷 Valeu!

What a beautiful day at the temple with sisters from our ward 💕

Elder Kearsley at the Quito Ecuador temple with one of his converts.

Beautiful afternoon date!!

My Temple miracle! On November 29, 2022 I had a miracle happen to me in the Gilbert Arizona Temple. Background information: my hip had hurt me for a very long time. Since the death of my husband in November 2019, I have been concerned about my ability to live alone and take care of myself not only because of my hip, but I also have a tremor which is getting worse as I age. My hip pain has grown over the past year from discomfort to a deep pain that sometimes limits my ability to walk. As can be imagined, this worried me. 1) because my mother‘s hip totally disintegrated to the point of her being, totally incapable of taking care of herself, and some of my siblings are also experiencing trouble with their hips; and 2) I knew that, even if I had hip replacement surgery, that I have no one to help me, and I knew I would need to prepare for my future to the point of searching and finding an assisted living place that would be a good care facility. Every day I’ve made it a matter of humble and sincere prayer, asking the Lord to help me know what to do. On this particular Tuesday morning of November 29, 2022, I woke up with excruciating pain in my hip. I got up and tried to walk, but I felt like I would fall. My hip had no strength. I was sitting, and limping, and trying my best to get ready to go to the temple, because I had scheduled an appointment, and was trying my best to get ready to go. But in exasperation, I finally sat down and said to myself, I guess I better cancel my appointment, and just take it easy today. But then, something stirred inside of me, and I made a fist and hit the arm of the chair I was sitting in, and said to myself, “ I am NOT going to let a little pain keep me from going to the temple today!” so I got up and limped around until I was ready, got into my car, and drove to the Temple. As I drove into the Temple parking lot, I said a prayer that I could have angels attend me so that I wouldn’t fall down at any point of my Temple attendance that day. Then I opened my car door and literally hobbled into the temple. When I finally got up to the endowment room and sat down, I felt so grateful and mused over the blessing of being able to sit during the session without having to stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down, like we used to do. As the session progressed to the prayer circle portion, I was listening carefully to the prayer offered by the ordinance worker. Suddenly, I heard his words hit my heart and mind with a very powerful thought. “ he is praying for me!” he was saying something to the effect of, “ if there is anyone in this company, who has come to the temple this day, with an unanswered prayer in their heart, or need help or a blessing, please answer their prayers”. My heart was pounding! I thought,” wait! That’s me! He’s praying for me!” I felt the power of the priesthood in the words of that prayer, and I knew in my heart that my prayers were heard and would be answered! I didn’t know what form the answer would come in, but I knew my prayers would be answered! I could hardly wait to go into the celestial room, into the presence of the Lord, and talk to heavenly father about that prayer! As I sat in the celestial room, praying with all the faith in my soul, I found myself asking heavenly father to heal my hip. I pleaded with the Lord to bless me so that I would be able to live my life independently, without needing someone to take care of me. I prayed for the pain to leave and for my hip to be healed. During my prayer, I felt something happening inside my hip, and it hurt. So I quickly added, “If it be Thy will. I know miracles happen, and I do have the faith to be healed, IF it be Thy will”. I continued to pray and talk to heavenly father for a while longer. After my prayer, I sat there for a little bit, pondering on my prayer, and thinking about what I had just asked of heavenly father. I thought of the many miracles, our savior Jesus Christ had performed when he was on the Earth, and I also pondered the words of our dear prophet, when he said in general conference, that some of the greatest miracles the world has ever seen would happen between now and when the savior comes again. I knew the Lord could bless me with healing, IF my faith and my worthiness was sufficient to merit the blessing. After sitting there for a while, I decided to leave. When I stood up, I gasped to myself, “There’s no pain!” I took a few steps, realizing that my hip felt strong, and I gasped again, “There’s no pain!” I walked toward the doors, and again “There’s no pain!” all the way to the locker room, and with every step I took, I just kept repeating the words, “there’s no pain!” It’s now been several years since this happened, and there’s still no pain in my hip. It feels strong, and I can walk fast and sure, and I marvel every day of the goodness and greatness of God. I had walked into the temple that day, a cripple, and walked out healed. A miracle happen to me in the temple that day, and I’m so grateful that I was determined to go, even though I could hardly walk and was in a lot of pain. I’m so grateful to the ordinance worker who felt impressed to say the words in the prayer circle that made me feel qualified for a blessing and impressed upon me to know that my prayers are heard and answered by my loving heavenly father, in such miraculous ways. I’m deeply humbled and grateful to my heavenly father, and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the sweet whispering of the Holy Ghost, for their undying love and blessings that they shower upon me! I am just so grateful!!! Valaine Westover Seville Groves Ward Gilbert, Arizona Seville Stake

Spanish Fork Utah Temple rendering

This is a picture of my grandfather Walter Rollo Emmett’s family. He died when he was 50 years old from radiation poisoning on March 24, 1925. He was a family physician and had an accident when experimenting with radiation. He came home and told my grandmother, Joan Adele Woodmansee Emmett, that he had a couple of years to live. That proved to be correct. My grandmother lived to be 75, and I don’t remember her. I do remember going with my aunt Eleanor to take care of her affairs after she died. I was 4 years old. We took the train to Ogden, Utah, and the highlight of my trip was that she had a large bag of m&m’s that we snacked on during our overnight trip. Walter and Joan (pronounced Jo Ann) had five children. My aunt Eleanor was the oldest (upper right), Uncle John Lester was next (upper center) and then Charles Arthur (upper left) who died when he was 25. He was hit by a train (I think his car stalled on the track) and he left a wife, May and daughter Joanie. Then came my aunt Louise and finally my dad, Robert Rollo, was the youngest. Uncle John was a prominent urologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He got prostate cancer late in life. I remember Dad telling me that when John researched it, the best information he found was from a book he wrote! My aunt Eleanor was like a grandmother to my siblings and me. She came to our home often for Sunday dinner. She also stayed with us when my parents went on trips. We were very close to her. She died when she was 65 of breast cancer. Her funeral was the first one I attended. My aunt Louise was a favorite aunt. We loved going to her house. She always had treats for us, and when her family moved to the Pacific Palisades, we loved to go swimming in their pool. She lived to be one day shy of her 90th birthday. My father was a dentist and he went to dental school at USC. When he graduated, he was drafted into the Army/Air Force and was sent to Japan. He arrived soon after the bombs were dropped. I remember him telling me the soldiers on the ship knew they were going to Japan, but didn’t know the plan the United States had to drop the atomic bomb. I can’t imagine how they felt during that voyage. My dad liked to hunt deer and ducks. I remember our freezer full of venison when I was young. Later my dad changed to duck hunting. I wasn’t excited when he came home from hunting because I didn’t really like venison or duck. When I was a teenager Dad went skeet shooting every Wednesday afternoon. I worked in his office during the summers when I was in high school. I learned to shoot skeet, but preferred shooting my 22 rifle with my sisters when we competed in the Southern California Jr. Rifle League. Dad loved taking us to our matches. He was “Doc Emmett” and his girls. Dad had a heart attack and double by pass surgery just before Bob and I were married in 1975. He passed away on March 20, 1989. At his funeral the dentist who bought his practice when he retired asked my mother if he could speak. I remember he said that in his profession honesty was sometimes lacking. However, he said he never looked into the mouth of one of Dad’s patients and saw work done that was not need nor done incorrectly. That impressed him so much he wanted to let us know of Dad’s honesty and strong work ethic. I concur as I also witnessed that when I worked in his office. 

Last summer, I decided to start checking on the quality of the data that was in my tree. I started with an entry for my older brother who died when he was 12. As I was scrolling through his data in Family Search, I found an entry for Find a Grave. As I looked at the headstone more closely, I realized that the birthdate was incorrect. After the better part of a half a day calling several different veterans administration numbers I finally found the person who could help me get this corrected. The catch was that they wanted a copy of his birth certificate before they would make the change. Fortunately, we’ve been doing family history work before many of the current restrictions around who can get a copy of a birth certificate. Because we had gotten copies of his birth certificate back in the 1980’s, we were able to provide the necessary documentation. The VA was very helpful in ordering the new, corrected headstone. This was all done and paid for through the Vet veterans administration. I was so grateful that we had been doing family history work earlier and had the necessary documents. It further reinforced that we should never wait!

Ephraim Utah

Dear Brothers and Sisters: The renovation of the Salt Lake Temple is nearing completion, marking a historic moment for the Church. From April 5 to October 1, 2027, members and friends worldwide are invited to participate in the Salt Lake Temple Celebration. This is a sacred opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His holy house. Through local events and virtual experiences, this will be a truly global celebration. We particularly desire that the rising generation embrace the blessings of temple covenants and draw closer to the Savior. In the months ahead, we invite you to prayerfully prepare by speaking about the house of the Lord in your lessons, activities, and conversations. To support your efforts, an attached document titled “About the Salt Lake Temple Celebration” includes an overview of the celebration, available resources, and a link to the Salt Lake Temple Celebration Toolkit for local leaders. The toolkit includes a calendar, templates, promotional resources, activity ideas, and suggestions for incorporating the Salt Lake Temple Celebration into local meetings, devotionals, and activities. We look forward to the many ways this celebration will bless God’s children everywhere and help all rejoice more fully in Jesus Christ and the blessings of His holy house. Sincerely yours, The First Presidency Dallin H. Oaks Henry B. Eyring D. Todd Christofferson

Happy Fathers Day!! This is my Dad and his Dad (and Mom!). I’m grateful for them and that they taught me all about my Father in Heaven.. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers." — Malachi 4:6

Happy Birthday this year to America!! This is my Great, Great, Great Grandfather Otto Henry Hitchcock. This is through my mom's side. He fought in the battle of Gettysburg during the civil war, and in the Spanish American War. His grandson, my great grandpa, joined the church way back in 1933 and was the first Hitchcock to join the church.

This is Peter Abplenalp and his childhood sweetheart turned wife Margaretha. He is my 3rd great grandfather from Bern Switzerland, they emigrated to New York after learning of the church and officially joined and were baptized in upstate New York. They were Pioneers and settled in Midway Utah with many other Swiss saints. If anyone has been to Midway, it looks like a mini Switzerland 😎

This is my Grandpa Alexander, it was fun to find his testimony on a recorded file in family search...

Payson, Utah

This is my Grandpa Glenn Alexander holding his eldest daughter Susan, he served in the army during WWII driving troops in a transport truck. I remember him as being a blast to be with. He loved to camp and hunt, and served two missions with my grandma. We miss him and her both..🙏🏻 Happy Memorial Day!

Took John and Emily to the temple with us today

Felt the spirit in the Temple with my girl!🤍

My Great, Great, Great Grandparents were born next door to each other, and only 90 minutes apart… The night (March 31, 1828) that George Jacob Slaugh arrived in the world at 11:30 PM was a busy night for this neighborhood. As soon as he was born the attending physician was called immediately to the adjoining house where at 1:00 am (April 1, 1828) a tiny girl arrived to the parents of Isaac and Rachel Ivory. The girl was given the name of Mary Magdeline. These two babies born within crying distance of each other, and almost at the same time, grew up closely associated played the same games and rambled the streets of Chestnut, Mulberry, Walnut, and Hickory and other streets of this beautiful community. The early friendship of George Jacob and Mary Magdeline brought about a companionship that lasted throughout life. On November 9 1850 George and Mary were married. They would both join the church through a pair of healing miracles…

This is Isaac Ivory Slaugh, my Great, Great, Grandfather. He and his family joined the church in 1868 after two separate healing miracles performed by Church Elders! “When Isaac and his older sister, Sarah, were small children they were stricken with Typhoid Fever and the attending physician pronounced one dead and said by morning the other would succumb and die also. The physician left the Slaugh home and as he departed, he turned and said he would return at morning and hang the customary black crepe (meaning someone had died) on the outside of the Slaugh door. But later in the evening, Isaac and Sarah were given LDS Priesthood blessings and through the power of the Priesthood of the Elders, they were healed completely! The next morning the doctor returned to the Slaugh home, and as he arrived, he found the children were sitting at the kitchen table eating their breakfast, much to the great surprise, shock and consternation of the doctor. Because of this experience with the evidence of the power and authority of the Priesthood, Isaac's mother, Mary Magdeline Ivory, joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 18, 1868.** While Isaac's father, George, was working as an engineer on the Redding Railroad he developed what they called "White Swelling" or an infectious skin disease. He was pronounced incurable. Again Mary enlisted the aid of the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and another miraculous healing occured. George was cured and this incident caused George to join the Church also. **

This is the story of Benjamin Franklin Blaylock’s baptism in Mississippi in 1879. It was one of his over 17,000 journal entries over 61 years. He was my Great, Great, Great Grandfather. He also attended the dedication of the Salt Lake City Temple in 1893 …The gospel of Mormonism was introduced in our community first by Elder Russel Rogers of Filmore in 1879, and followed up by Elder John W. Gibson of North Ogden, Henry Bartholomew of Slaterville, George Carver of Plain City, Wm. Thomson of Granite, Elam W. McBride of Grantsville, Samuel D. Moore of Payson (my hometown, second picture), Zadok Judd of Kanab and others, a new era seemed to be dawning upon us, and after taking considerable time investigating and weighing the inevitable loss of the friendship of relatives and friends, for we felt that we stood fairly high in the estimation of the people of the community, we finally decided however to chance the loss of them all. Dec. 13, 1880 we were both Baptized in Wolf Creek just south of our farms by Elder John W. Gibson and Confirmed in a meeting held at our home the same day, and at a meeting held at my house also I was ordained and Elder by Elder Wm. Thompson and set apart to preside over the Lodi Branch January 2, 1881

São Paulo Brazil Temple🤍🇧🇷

Sapporo Japan temple!

Rome, Italy Temple and Sophie!

Rio de Janeiro

Randolph Alexander was the first Alexander to join the church… this  is  the  account  as  written  by  Wilford  Woodruff  on  June  29, 1836: “On   the  29th,  I  went   to  a  Baptist  meeting  house,  on  Thompson’s  Creek,   to  preach;   the   house  was  crowded.    As  I  rose  to  speak,  a  Baptist  priest,  Mr.  Browning,  arrived  at  the   door  on  horseback,  stepped  in  greatly  agitated,  and  told  the  deacon  to  forbid  my   preaching   in   the   house;   at   the   same   time   commenced   a   tirade   of   abuse   against   the   Mormons,  telling  several  lies,  which  I  corrected  before  the  people,  which  increased  his   rage.     As   I  was  forbidden   to   preach  in   the   house,   and   had   been  invited,   and   traveled  many   miles  to  fulfill  my  appointment,  I  told  the  people  I  would  like  to  preach  and  was  willing   to  stand  on  a  wood  pile,  a  fence,  a  cart,  or  any  place  they  would  appoint.     A  Man  rose   and   said   he   owned   the   land   in   front   of   the   meeting   house,   and   I   might   stand   and   preach  on  that,  and  welcome.    (family  tradition  says  this  was  Randolph  who  owned   the  fence  and  land)    All  the  congregation,  with  the  exception  of  the  minister  and  one   deacon,  arose  and  left  the  house,  walked  across  the  street  and  formed  seats  of  a  worn   fence   and   gave   good   attention   while   I   preached   for   an   hour   and   a   half   on   the   principles  of  the  gospel.     When  I  closed,  Mr.  Randolph  Alexander,  who  had  never  heard  a  Mormon  Elder  speak   before,  bore   testimony   to   the   truth  of  what  had  been   said.    He   said   the  people  of  the   present   day  made   him   think   of   a   pen   of   hogs;   the  keeper  would  make   a   trough,   and   pour  into  it  hot  or  cold  water,  dish  water  or  anything  else,  and  they  would  drink  it;  but   let  a  stranger  come  along  and  pour  over  a  basket  of  corn  on  the  back  side  of  the  pen,   and  the  hogs  would  be  frightened  and  run  and  snort  all  over  the  pen.    He  said  it  was  so   with  the  people;  the  priests  would  feed  them  any  kind  of  doctrine,  no  matter  how  false,   and  the  people  will  swallow  it  down,  but  let  a  stranger  come  and  preach  the  gospel  of   Jesus  Christ,  which  will  save  the  people,  as  Mr.  Woodruff  has  done,  and  the  people  are   afraid  of  him.    Mr.  Randolph  Alexander  invited  us  (Wilford  Woodruff  and  Abraham  O.   Smoot)  to  his  home  with  him,  bought  a  Book  of  Mormon,  and  was  baptized.”

This should be fun!