Another Day in the Mission

It snowed all day yesterday. I don't think I have ever seen such big snowflakes in my entire life. It was beautiful. More snow today. Tonight it will get really cold again. Last night we went to a couple's apt. two buildings east of us. We put our grippers on and walked just fine. They are little rubber things with cleats that snap right on to the bottoms of your shoes and keep you from slipping and falling in ice and snow. Very cool. Then we went to a fireside for our missionary group's first social downstairs in the same apt. bldg. It was so interesting. Elder Kuchar, a zone leader here and retired chemistry professor and Egyptologist from BYU, spoke and showed us his slides from Egypt. He had been assigned to analyze fabrics and materials from the ancient pyramids and participate in the DNA studies on the mummies. He said that all the DNA tests on King Tut that have been repeated and verified prove positively that King Tut was not black, not even a little bit. He showed us pictures of the hair of several of the mummies. Many were blonde and redhaired naturally with no dye. He worked with Dr. Hugh Nibley. I wish you could have seen what he showed us. He had slides showing the ceremonial religious clothing from some of the mummies that had great similarities to our Temple ordinance clothing and drawings, etc. of our very same Temple sacred symbols, etc. How amazing that the Temple ordinances that we have were known and practiced by Father Abraham's children even before the Savior was born.

We had a wonderful devotional this morning. President Nielson of the mission presidency (from our ward in Mesa) spoke. When you read about Ammon in the Book of Mormon, read the story with the perspective that it is a type and a shadow of the Savior: Ammon being a type of Jesus, the scattered sheep being a symbol of all of us, the wicked servants symbolizing the adversary and his followers who would destroy and scatter the Savior's sheep or us, and his taking the arms that he chopped off to the king as a symbol of the Savior overcoming the arm of flesh. I love all the stories in the scriptures that are types and shadows of the Savior. He also had us read from the Book of Ruth. Boaz was a type of the Savior who became Ruth's literal savior when she chose not to return to the world but to stay with Naomi and follow the only true God. It was through Ruth and Boaz's lineage that the Jesus was born.

We sat sleepily through more computer classes today on vital records and library catalogs. Tonight we had a great potluck dinner party for our US/Canada Zone in the Relief Society room in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (JSMB). The food was terrific, the company great, and the entertainment out of this world. The Utah Oldtimers Fiddlers Band played for about an hour. They were about 12 - 15 strong playing fiddles, zephyr, piano, singers, mandolin, harmonica, etc. They were outstanding. All very accomplished, both musically and professionally. Their star player was a 93 yr. old woman, very dignified, attractive, articulate, and savvy, who has played the violin/fiddle for 85 years. She was amazing. She could play anything. Never missed a note or beat. How those 93 yr. old hands could do what she did was unbelievable. Afterward it was sure nice to walk back through the tunnel to our apartment. We are spoiled!