BLOGGERS, TAKE ME AWAY: Details & Pix-4th Installment

(AKA this week's WHAT I BELIEVE....)

Alrighty then, let's resume our tour, shall we?

We just left the exhibit of the Prophets, from there a guest would walk into the LDS Gallery.  Breathtaking is an understatement when regarding these artists & their work!  I'll leave that section alone, cause there really is quite a large volume of beautiful pieces there, including a sculpture of Brigham young that is a split image of him.  When the artist, his grandson or great-grandson, was commissioned for the piece the rest of the grandkids begged that he portray President Young as "grandpa" all soft & tender.  Other critics begged that the true statesman be represented in the work.  So the artist did both!  One side of his face is gentle & warm, the other side is more bristled & unmoving.  In contrast however, the opposite sides of his body from his neck down represent the same.  Quite impressive!  So the next time you DO go there, be sure to check out the gallery, ESPECIALLY the bronze sculpture of Brigham Young seated in the corner.

One of my MOST favorite exhibits is one solely dedicated to the Tabernacle.  Again, most likely due to those family ties I mentioned earlier!  Henry Grow is the bridge builder who Brigham Young contracted to engineer the Tabernacle's roof, after having seen Henry's work on the Jordan river bridge.  Henry is a 4th or 5th grandfather of mine through my mom.  She was actually born in Salt Lake City, where her dad's family had lived for generations at that point out of Sugarhouse.  So I'm extremely attached to Salt Lake City for that reason...it's in my blood, it's in my very DNA!  Anyhow, I LOVED the tribute this exhibit was to the blood, sweat, tears, & talent of my ancestors (and one specific one in particular).

This is Henry!  One of my beloved Grandpas.  (:

I have seen Henry's name listed/referred to many times, however upon seeing THIS sign I wanted to cry, cause it's the first time I've seen him referred to as "Brother Grow."  That's something I've heard many times in my life, only associated with my mom's dad, my uncle, or my cousin.  To see if used in reference to Henry, it just narrowed the gap in my heart that much more!  Loved the moment for sure. 

These are the niftiest busts ever.  On the left is Moses, on the right is Brigham Young who has been heralded as "a Modern-Day Moses" or "a Moses of This Dispensation."  The style of the busts make them almost look like enormous bookends, stalwart & firmly rooted in the direction of the Lord.  So well done!

From this, Kim & I meandered through the bookstore on our way out.  So many lovely things, I decided not to buy anything since I couldn't afford to buy everything in the store and that's what my heart wanted.  So rather than start the monster that's too hard to stop once I start buying, we walked outside the museum.  A lovely sister offered to take our picture as she noticed us off talking near the beautiful trees, so here we are:

(Pssst!...Hey LKP, need sleep much?!?  Lol.)

Okay, so the wonderful news I learned of last Thursday night?  Well, I was at my dad's house and we were talking about my trip.  Then I was expressing all my feelings about how great it was to be there and feel so connected to my ancestors...even WITHOUT doing any genealogy or family history work while there.  I told him it was like the same feeling I had while my little family & I were living in Rexburg, ID.  I felt so very close to my Grandpa Bowen & his family, despite being too chicken to show up on his half-brother's doorstep for a visit (I've never met the guy and I never could figure out what I would say...so I didn't go).

Out of the blue my dad asked if the little cabin was still there.  I thought back to all the cabins I'd seen in Idaho, and apparently looked quite puzzled.  So my dad clarified and said "In Salt Lake?  Ya know, right by the museum?"  I replied, "The Deuel cabin?  Of course it is."  Matter of fact, in the picture of Kim & I the cabin is directly behind the sister who was taking our picture.  We're actually looking at that cabin.  It looked quaint.  I kinda had an urge to go see it, but decided to sit a bit talking with Kim, and then I knew we had to get back to her house to fix dinner for her family.

Photo courtesy of Jay L. Deuel, Jr's website

When I'd finished telling my dad that part of the story, he laughed and said, "That's you.  That's your family.  Your grandma's mom was a Deuel."  Sure enough!  My 3rd-great grandfather, William, built the cabin with his brother, Osmyn, & they lived there with their own respective wives, + two of my great-great aunts!  How rad was that?!?  Now, think about it.  This cabin is tiny.  WAAAAAAAY smaller than my dinky little home, and SIX people lived there all at once, for over 6 months.  I've SO got no room for complaining.  And is it any wonder I felt such a strong feeling that I needed to look inside?!?  Dang, I wish I'd listened to that impression.  Following it would've been good for my heart I think.

So that's the cool news!!!

What's this week's "What I Believe" connection out of all this?

Well, I believe it's amazing how our DNA can scream to us, with the help of the Spirit.  I totally believe these places are so precious to me because of cellular memory.  Might sound like a stretch to many, but my DNA = my cellular make-up....and cells don't forget.  Therefore I'm drawn to what my soul knows & remembers.  Perhaps another reason I'm so comfortable and at home while in the temple.  And why everything inside me leaps for joy when I am "home"....at least the homes of those who've gone on before me.  Just sayin'.

"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers..."

-Malachi 4:6

Ok, next stop?  The journey home!  Stay tuned for that.
Love ya, mean it!....