Answer 10th Day Christmas Past: Walter Lyman gave his town water for Christmas. After great effort of hiking miles in cold and tiring conditions, he found where their local water source had been diverted and cleared the way for the water to flow back into town again. The townspeople woke Christmas Day to water flowing freely again. Congrats to 10th Day drawing winner, Brenda Dawson, who won an olive wood Jesus and the children hand carving from Israel! Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com within 30 days to arrange for how to receive your prize. Story still available on yesterday’s...
Read More10th Day Christmas Past Question and Story
On the 10th Day of Christmas Past, the question is to be – Question: What gift was a little community in Blanding, Utah given? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. “His Christmas Gift” “It was during the very early days of the settlement of Blanding, Utah and the little community was dependent for their water supply on the stream that came down the ditch from the nearby mountain. On the 23rd and 24th of December the water failed to appear and we were under the necessity of hunting small patches of snow, or of carrying water from West Water Springs down in the canyon half a mile away. The comfort and progress of the town was first in the mind of Walter C. Lyman, from the time he was shown the place in a wonderful dream, eight years before. He was eager and watchful for the well-being of the town. On the morning of the 24th of December, Walter took his shovel and started off up the ditch to see what had become of the little stream of water up on which we were depending. He took no lunch with him, having no notion of how far he might go or how long he would be gone, but the farther he went the more interesting the hunt became. He knew there was water up there somewhere if it had not all frozen solid and he figured that he might find it in the next rod ahead. He walked on and on. He had brought no extra coat, having left on the spur of the moment, and when it began to snow he still would not turn back when at every step forward he might find the illusive water. So he went on mile after mile, and late in the day, soaked and hungry, but warmed with hope at the thought of getting the water down to the needy little community, he found where an ice-jam clogged the ditch and turned the stream off into the brush. He shoveled away all the stoppage of ice, cleaned out the ditch below and got the water headed again for the town. Coming down the ditch he scanned every foot of it for any other places where the stream might be hindered, or stopped again, and paused to remove obstructions here and there, leaving the channel clear and open all the way. It was after dark Christmas Eve when he got home, wet and weary, but exulting in the fact of his having found and removed the trouble; yet he was fearful that in all that long distance the stream might choke up again with floating ice, or the ice which might form in it as it came slowly along. As he lay thinking about...
Read More9th Day Christmas Past Winner and Answer
Answer 9th Day Christmas Past: Elder Perry had a very memorable postwar Christmas with orphans overseas by helping to open an orphanage and planning a Christmas for them. The children, to show their thanks, learned how to sing, “You Are My Sunshine” in English. Congrats to 9th Day drawing winner, Margaret Davies, who won a Nauvoo Temple sunstone & moonstone pillar and a package of 10 hand carved olive wood ornaments from Israel! Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com within 30 days to arrange for how to receive your...
Read More9th Day Christmas Past Question and Story
On the 9th Day of Christmas Past, the question is to be – Question: Why did Elder Perry enjoy hearing “You Are My Sunshine” on Christmas Eve? To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing- Read the story; “Comment” & “Share” your answer on Facebook or our blog. Elder Perry – Sunshine in an Orphanage Many years ago I found myself as part of occupation troops in a foreign land just at the end of a terrible war. It was not long after we arrived in this country before we developed a great love and concern for the people we were there to watch over. This was especially true of the young people, the children. Many times we would find them scavenging in our garbage cans looking for food to keep themselves alive. This deeply touched us, and we wanted to make a more substantial contribution to them. We raised what money we could and found a local religious group that was willing to open an orphanage for them. We donated as much time as possible to improve the facilities and provided them with the operating funds they needed. As Christmas approached, we sent letters home to our families asking that, instead of sending gifts to us, they send toys for the children in the orphanage. The response of our families was overwhelming! Toys arrived daily from our homes. We found a tree suitable to use as a Christmas tree, but we had no traditional decorations for it. A lady taught us how to make little birds by folding square pieces of paper, and these became the major part of the decorations for the tree. The presents were wrapped mostly in discarded Stars and Stripes newspapers. I’ll never forget Christmas Eve with those children. I am sure many of them had never seen a Christmas tree in their lives. We sang Christmas carols to them, but we weren’t very good at this. They had been rehearsing for weeks so they could sing a song to us in English. It was not a Christmas carol, but it was beautiful. They sang “You Are My Sunshine.” We were deeply touched with the spirit of the children that Christmas Eve, especially as they opened the presents sent from our families. I suppose some of them had not had a toy in many, many years. This is a Christmas I’ll never forget because we were learning the true meaning of this great holiday season. The greatest joy we can receive in life is giving—to bring into the life of someone else a little joy and happiness. (Taken from an article in the December 1988 New Era.)...
Read More8th Day Christmas Past Winner and Answer
Answer 8th Day Christmas Past: Santa brought candy and lots of other things, but the best gift was that nothing bad had happened to their Papa who made it back safely for Christmas. Congrats to 8th Day drawing winner, Bonnie Cottam, who won an olive wood Holy Family hand carving from Israel and a Joseph and Hyrum Smith ornament! Please contact MHA office 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com within 30 days to arrange for how to receive your prize. Thank you everyone for your insights on both FB and our blog. The Story still available on yesterday’s Question website blog...
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