A Temple-Building People

I love this thought from the Bible Dictionary:

"TEMPLE: A temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.

"Whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth who will obey his word, they have been commanded to build temples in which the ordinances of the gospel and other spiritual manifestations that pertain to exaltation and eternal life may be administered."

We had Elder John M. Madsen of the Seventy presiding at our stake conference this weekend. He spoke of the temple and suggested that it is a symbol of the great Atonement of Christ. If we make the temple the center of our lives, he said, we allow Christ to write His law in our hearts. Then we are becoming like Him.

Mission Memories

Congratulations to my friend Emily Call who just received her LDS mission call (today) to serve in France!

Two weeks ago, I celebrated my four-year anniversary of going into the MTC and the 2 year anniversary of coming home. So here are a few little pictures for Emily and for me!


p.s. Click here to learn more about the Mormons and the missionaries that serve around the world (like Emily and me!).

Beautiful mid-morning sunrise in the Cote d'Azur (Southern France).

Meeting my second mission president for the first time (Aix-en-Provence, France, July 2005).

Celebrating the completion of the new chapel in Aix (May 2005).

Tour de France pictures (July 2005). It came nearby where we were serving, so we got to see Lance Armstrong in-person. Of course, he won.


The baptismal font in the Cathedral St. Sauveur (Aix-en-Provence, France).


"Do you hear the people sing?" Real-life student barricade in Southern France. For some reason, the university was on strike for a few months and we had some friends that lived in the dorms there. I thought it was ironic. Victor Hugo would be proud.


Sunflower fields in Southern France (Toulouse, France, Summer 2006).



Elder Barton and faith. We had five minutes until curfew. The only spot open on the whole street was this one right there. Elder Barton thought we should try it. Despite my deductive reasoning, he decided the car could fit anyway. I guess he just had more faith than I did (and understood the concept of bumper-to-bumper parallel parking. French bumpers were made to work that way). Needless to say, we got in on time, but I had to have proof of what he had done.


Beautiful Corsica. I know. I got to go work there twice. This is what the Elders there saw everyday. This was taken from their kitchen window!


Another picture of Bastia, Corsica. That's the boat that got us there.


The rock house is a member's home. It was built a few hundred years ago and has walls one foot thick. It's very nice and cozy inside! At one time it served as the town hall (St. Vallier, France, Summer 2006).

Cannes, France. November 2006.

Port in Nice, France, Summer 2006. Beautiful!


And to think I lived there for two years? It's still a dream!

Mormon Messages: To Uplift Your Life

I found these videos on YouTube (thanks to some awesome roommates). Wouldn't you want to help create them? Or at least just watch them all day long?

LOVE IT!

San Antonio

It's official: Big Daddy James got his mission call to San Antonio, Texas. He leaves on April 8th. The Brotherhood is rejoicing!

We love you Jame-ess, buddy! Go Baptize!

HOORAH FOR ISRAEL!

Big Daddy James!

This is (was) my roommate James. Big Daddy James, to be precise. He chose the title himself.

James was one of my roommates last semester. As Family Home Evening Apartment Leader, he assumed the incredible role of being our resident Brotherhood patriarch. James is also a champ. If I could only begin to tell you why...!

As the youngest member of the Brotherhood, he was probably showered with the most love (youngest children are always the most spoiled--James was the most loved). Everyone in the ward loved him! You can probably see why! He's quite the good looking guy.

James isn't in Rexburg this semester. He's at home in Portland. He's also trading in the white tux for a new suit. Why the trade-in? James just turned in his mission papers to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can learn more about that here.

So now the waiting game begins. Where will Elder James Neubarth serve? I guess we'll just have to wait for his call from the prophet to arrive!

Ode to a Semester Gone By

Finals were over last Friday, but I had to post a few pictures to show what the semester was all about. I couldn't get a picture for every fun activity I did, but Here's a sneak peak at Fall 2008.

A now, dear semester, may you rest in peace (because ever since my finals were over I've been sleeping peacefully, too!).


Just in case you had evil thoughts of stomping on the plants up "R" Mountain, now you have a reason not to.

The top of "R" Mountain...well, kind of. We took this picture at the summit, and then we made our way around to the R. This was a pre-missionary activity, and they asked me to come. Oh man! Those guys are stellar! They'll be amazing missionaries!

This is my friend Jodi and her mom at the Mother's Weekend Service Project. We did this as part of one of the organzations I was involved with this semester on campus. When the moms came to visit, we created newborn kits for a hospital nearby. Service definitely rocks.

The morning of the Service Project, we woke up to find 6 of these (one for each of us) taped to the mirror in the bathroom with a note inviting us to have an adventure that day. Our mission: find someone we didn't know who needed some extra cheer and give this to them. My mission: complete success. The anonymous roommate who left these out is a CHAMP! It was like being on the mission again out looking for "the one." I'd recommend this activity to anyone looking for a fun way to serve those around you!

This is the structure that greeted us when we came back. I was only home for four weeks and the open area suddenly looked like this. You should see it now. Click here or here. I can't even begin to tell you what I know of this miracle. Wait until you talk to President Monson or President Clark (President of the University--I've been in meetings where he has begun expounding on this miracle). And if President Hinckley could tell you, he'd have amazing things to say (I heard some of it straight from one of the Vice Presidents last week).

If anything, this is to me the metaphor for my life--continual growth, constant change. There's really not a time when the progression stops. A disciple's life moves forward and helps as the stone rolls forth.

And when I got back from summer break, this greeted me, too. I don't recall who it is, but some light construction in one of the buildings on campus necessitated this mystery statue be covered up, and I couldn't help but think about stories I'd heard about Brazil and Carnival (where some Catholics cover the statues of Mary and party for a week since she can't see). I had to snap this shot.

Here's to the random Christmas Carollers that came by--in October.

And Dan and Michelle celebrating the first snowfall (also in October? It only lasted one day).

And here's to the best roommates EVER! The semester was awesome, but it would not have been what it was without you. Thanks for being an awesome "family" away from family and creating a home away from home. Good luck with your adventures next semester! It just won't ever be the same!

Brotherhood 'Ties'

So we all wore matching ties to Church yesterday. The Ghost of Christmas Future stopped by our apartment and left them hanging in the vanity by the sink. Sorry no pictures. But, if anything, we have more ties (ha ha!) to keep us together wherever we go next semester.

Our Christmas tree (yes, we have a tree--a real tree. Kevin got a permit and cut it down over Thanksgiving break) with lights. we even have mini stockings by the chimney. Sorry, still no pictures.

I'm just grateful that in such a crazy finals week, we have a wonderful apartment and wonderful roommates. It's nice to have an apartment that feels like a home.