Nine Diversions

 

“All around us are opportunities to laugh, delight, see with grateful eyes. Ours is a gospel of joy and holiness in everyday life. Holiness sets things apart for sacred purpose. But holiness also invites us to infuse daily living with the sacred—to rejoice in daily bread amidst this world’s thistles and thorns. To walk with the Lord, we must become holy, for He is holy, and to help us become holy, the Lord invites us to walk with Him. Growing evidence highlights this striking fact: religious believers are on average happier, healthier, and more fulfilled than those without spiritual commitment or connection. Happiness and life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close social relationships, even financial and material stability—on each measure, religious practitioners flourish. What researchers call ‘religious structural stability’ offers clarity, purpose, and inspiration amidst life’s twists and turns.” – Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Four Kisses

 

Funeral potatoes are a big deal around here. The name comes from the way they show up whenever someone passes. But they’re popular anytime family gets together.

 

Slow-Cooker Funeral Potatoes

 

1 1/2 pounds frozen cubed hashbrowns

1 cup sour cream

1 10-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup melted butter, divided

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups Corn Flakes cereal, crushed

 

Coat slow-cooker pot with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, soup, and 1/2 cup of melted butter. Fold them together with a spatula. Add onion powder, cheese and pepper; fold again. Add potatoes and stir until combined. Spread mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Turn off slow cooker. Stir together remaining melted butter and crushed Corn Flakes in a skillet. Carefully toast over medium heat until golden brown. Spread evenly over potato mixture. Serves eight.

One Dozen Delectable Mountains

 

I discovered a few days ago that Utah has two state songs. I knew about our state hymn, “Utah, We Love Thee.” It was in the LDS hymnbook when I was a girl, under the name of “Land of the Mountains High.” Written by Evan Stephens in 1895, it was performed the following January when Utah became a state. “Utah…This is the Place” was written for the state’s centennial in 1995. It replaced the original song in 2003, after fourth grade students at Cook Elementary School complained that “Utah, We Love Thee” wasn’t fun to sing. Technically, Utah still only has one official state song, as “Utah, We Love Thee” is our state hymn. It could be worse. Tennessee has fourteen official state songs, including eight that were added in the past two years. (The only one you’ve ever heard of or ever will hear of is “The Tennessee Waltz.”) They even have their own official bicentennial rap.

Economy Block

 

Oz was created in 1900 by L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length books about the fictional land. (I had a tough time finding them in libraries in the 70’s, but you can get them all from Amazon today.) In an interview, Baum once said he got the name from a filing cabinet that was labeled “O-Z.” There were seven film adaptations BEFORE the 1939 MGM musical, including a silent movie featuring a very young Oliver Hardy. Three more appeared – one starring Judy Garland’s daughter, Liza Minelli – before The Wiz (1978) with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. Several animated versions were made, including a few with Tom and Jerry. Return to Oz (1985), is probably still giving my kids nightmares. Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) is probably worth seeing, once. Part one of Wicked came out this month. The movie is PG, but the book it’s based on is definitely not kid-friendly.

Two Yellow Houses

 

Robert Augustus Chesebrough was a New York City chemist who clarified kerosene from the oil of sperm whales. The discovery of petroleum in Titusville, Pennsylvania quickly made his job obsolete. In 1859, Robert was visiting Titusville and noticed workers using the greasy buildup on the oil drilling rigs to treat their own cuts and burns. Robert patented the process for making petroleum jelly. He bottled his discovery, which he named “Vaseline.” Robert had a tough time convincing drug stores to sell it, until he staged demonstrations. He’d burn his own skin with an open flame, and daub jelly on his burn. Then he’d show off previous burns “healed” by his miracle product. By 1874, he was selling over 1,400 jars a day. Actually, Vaseline doesn’t heal at all. It forms a barrier, keeping moisture in and germs out. One of the leading causes of death in the 1800’s was infection from open wounds. 

Traffic Jam

 

1 Corinthians 13, Christmas Version

 If I adorn my house with twinkling lights but don’t show love to my family – I’m just a decorator. If I bake cookies, prepare gourmet meals, and arrange a beautiful table, but don’t show love to my family – I’m just a cook. If I volunteer at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and donate to charity, but don’t show love to my family – it profits me nothing. If I trim a tree, attend holiday parties, and sing in the choir but don’t focus on Christ, I’ve missed the point. Love stops cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, even when tired. Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated china and table linens. Love doesn’t yell at kids to get out of the way. Video games break; pearl necklaces get lost; golf clubs rust.  But the gift of love will endure. – Sharon Jaynes

Six Diversions

 

“Consider the combination of the Savior’s gospel and His Church as established by the Book of Mormon prophet Alma. The Church was responsible for preaching repentance and faith on the Lord. People flocked to the Waters of Mormon to hear Alma preach the gospel. Though they revered those waters and the surrounding forests, the Lord’s Church was not a location or a building, nor is it today. The Church is simply ordinary people, disciples of Jesus Christ, gathered and organized into a divinely appointed structure that helps the Lord accomplish His purposes. The Church is the instrument through which we learn the central role of Jesus Christ in Heavenly Father’s plan. The Church offers the authoritative way for individuals to participate in ordinances and make lasting covenants with God. Keeping those covenants draws us closer to God, gives us access to His power, and transforms us into who He intends us to become.” – Elder Dale G. Renlund