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“Breathtaking scenery, stunning miracles, amazing museums & castles, ancient sites, bounteous Early Apostle Missionary adventures, unsurpassed treachery toward Bible Translators, even intriguing romance–& so much more.” Sound like the latest blockbuster hit? Even better!–YOU can EXPERIENCE these unforgettable events July 26-August 4 on our LDS British Church History and Bible Translators’ Tour.

Register by May 4 to secure your spot, where seating is limited, for an early sign-up rate! Price after that date is subject to current airline rates.  Join veteran British Church History guides for this one-of-a-kind tour.  Our expert tour guides’ unique knowledge, access, and contacts provide what no other group can offer.  With all of this plus very nice lodging, delicious meals, and free time in exciting London there is no reason for you not to join us!

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Our 2013 Christmas Past Appreciation Drawings is finished.  We enjoyed bringing back the past and hope you have enjoyed it too.

Congrats to Annette Doyle, our GRAND PRIZE Missouri to Nauvoo to Winter Quarters Tour drawing winner!!!!

Be sure you contact our office this week at 801-272-5601 or info@mormonheritage.com to redeem your Missouri to Nauvoo to Winter Quarters tour prize!

On the 12th Day of Christmas Past may me well reflect upon the more meager Christmas seasons of our pioneer ancestors - they had the real Christmas spirit. It was the day of Christ to them, and in every gift, there was the expression of the love and good will of the giver. There was manifested a joy in living.

Congrats to 12th Day daily drawing winner, Robert Berrett, who won a wood carved olive wood Holy Family decoration!

This is our 12th and final day of Christmas Past.  We’ve enjoyed bringing back the past and hope you have as well.   Our grand prize FREE tour drawing will be tonight!  For an extra last entry, post something under our recommendations on facebook.

Question 12th and Last Day of Christmas Past: What can we still learn and apply from the Saints’ very first Christmas in the Salt Lake Valley?

In our bounteous lives, we may well reflect upon the more meager Christmas seasons of our pioneer ancestors. We might say to ourselves, “But that was yesterday. What about today? Have times changed? Is everyone so well off that he doesn’t need the real spirit of Christmas?”

To this I would answer, Times have not changed. The commandments of God are the same. The principles of gratitude and of giving of oneself are the same, because today, like yesterday, there are hearts to gladden and there are lives to cheer and there are blessings to bestow upon our fellowmen.

Isn’t that the spirit of Christmas, really—to forget self and to think of others? I clipped an item taken from the diary of Mrs. Rebecca Riter, entered December 26, 1847. She describes that first Christmas in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake:

“The winter was cold. Christmas came, and the children were hungry. I had brought a peck of wheat across the plains and had hidden it under a pile of wood. I thought I would cook a handful of wheat for the baby. Then I thought how we would need wheat for seed in the spring, so I left it alone.”

During the first few years after the arrival of the pioneers in the valley the dirt floors of the log cabins sufficed for the dances and socials that were a regular and important part of their lives. There was little furniture in the best of the homes, but what there was couldn’t be damaged by being set outdoors, so the rooms were cleared, and through many a winter night could be heard the strains of the violins accompanying the dancers.

One of the first socials of which there is any record took place on Christmas night in 1850. A pioneer mother wrote of the affair: “On this day I went to Brigham’s mill to a Christmas party. Stayed all night. We had a first rate supper at midnight. I helped to get it on the table. They danced all night until 5 o’clock in the morning the party broke up.”

In the pioneer homes and towns of Utah, the Christmas day was always fittingly celebrated. And in those far gone days, the children were taught to appreciate any little gift. There was no store full of toys, as we have them today. Sometimes a man gave a beaver skin or a buffalo robe to his wife and children. The gift made all happy. Often the head of a household provided venison and wild fowl for a feast, and all shared, and neighbors were invited to partake. There was no selfishness, no envy, no bigotry. People did not hold themselves aloof from others. There was a social equality and regard for one another, that was sincere and spiritual. They were people who not only knew the truth, they were people of the truth. On Christmas day, they had the real Christmas spirit. It was the day of Christ to them, and in every gift, there was the expression of the love and good will of the giver. Children did not have every whim pacified; they were satisfied with any little plaything, and the dissatisfaction seen among the young people today, was absent from the home and school. There was manifested a joy in living, and when they prayed they felt God’s watchful care; when they worked, they knew of his helpful presence.

Parts taken from:

Clarissa Young Spencer, Brigham Young at Home [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1961], 162 - 163.

Thomas S. Monson, Be Your Best Self [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979], 191.

Edwards, Jaroldeen. “Just One Pioneer Christmas.” In MC, 19-24.

Mormon Bibliography 1992 by Ellen M. Copley Fn, BYU Studies, vol. 33 (1993), Number 2 - Spring 1993 .

Adams, Kellene Ricks. “A Pioneer Christmas.” Pioneer 40 (November/December 1993): 4-7.

Mormon Bibliography 1993, BYU Studies, vol. 34 (1994), Number 1–1994 .

Brown, Sherry Lewis. “The First Christmas in the Valley.” Pioneer 40 (November/December 1993): 13-15.

Mormon Bibliography 1993, BYU Studies, vol. 34 (1994), Number 1–1994 .

On the 11th Day of Christmas Past two girls made Christmas the very best, by forgetting themselves and inviting others as their family’s Christmas guests.

Story still available on yesterday’s 11th Day Question and Story post.

Congrats to 11th Day drawing winner, Luis Burgos, who won a Nauvoo Sunstone ornament!

Question 11th Day Christmas Past: What can we learn from two girls who helped out others on Christmas and had the best Christmas ever?

(To be entered into today’s giveaway & FREE tour drawing, Comment & Share your thoughts of story below on Facebook or our blog.)

The Best Christmas Ever

In the early 1930s, Margaret Kisilevich and her sister Nellie gave a Christmas gift to their neighbors, the Kozicki family, which was remembered by them all their lives and which has become an inspiration to their families.

Home to Margaret back then was Two Hills, Alberta, Canada—a farming community populated largely by Ukrainian and Polish immigrants who generally had large families and were very poor. It was the time of the Great Depression.

Margaret’s family consisted of her mother and father and their 15 children. Margaret’s mother was industrious and her father was enterprising—and with all those children, they had a built-in labor force. Consequently, their home was always warm, and despite their humble circumstances, they were never hungry. In the summer they grew an enormous garden, made sauerkraut, cottage cheese, sour cream, and dill pickles for barter. They also raised chickens, pigs, and beef cattle. They had very little cash, but these goods could be exchanged for other commodities they could not produce themselves.

Margaret’s mother had friends with whom she had emigrated from the old country. These friends owned a general store, and the store became a depot for folks in the area to donate or trade surplus hand-me-down clothing, shoes, etc. Many of these used items were passed along to Margaret’s family.

Alberta winters were cold, long, and hard, and one particularly cold and difficult winter, Margaret and her sister Nellie noticed the poverty of their neighbors, the Kozicki family, whose farm was a few miles away. When the Kozicki father would take his children to school on his homemade sleigh, he would always go into the school to warm himself by the potbelly stove before returning home. The family’s footwear consisted of rags and gunny sacks cut into strips and wrapped about the legs and feet, stuffed with straw, and bound with twine.

Margaret and Nellie decided to invite the Kozicki family, by way of the children, for Christmas dinner. They also decided not to tell anyone in their family of the invitation.

Christmas morning dawned, and everyone in Margaret’s family was busy with the preparations for the midday feast. The huge pork roast had been put in the oven the night before. The cabbage rolls, doughnuts, prune buns, and special burnt sugar punch had been prepared earlier. The menu would be rounded out with sauerkraut, dill pickles, and vegetables. Margaret and Nellie were in charge of getting the fresh vegetables ready, and their mother kept asking them why they were peeling so many potatoes, carrots, and beets. But they just kept peeling.
Their father was the first to notice a team of horses and a sleigh packed with 13 people coming down their lane. He, being a horse lover, could recognize a team from a long distance. He asked his wife, “Why are the Kozickis coming here?” Her response to him was, “I don’t know.”

They arrived, and Margaret’s father helped Mr. Kozicki stable the horses. Mrs. Kozicki embraced Margaret’s mother and thanked her for inviting them for Christmas. Then they all piled into the house, and the festivities began.

The adults ate first, and then the plates and cutlery were washed, and the children ate in shifts. It was a glorious feast, made better by the sharing of it. After everyone had eaten, they sang Christmas carols together, and then the adults settled down for another chat.

Margaret and Nellie took the children into the bedroom and pulled from under the beds several boxes filled with hand-me-downs they had been given by their mother’s merchant friends. It was heavenly chaos, with an instant fashion show and everyone picking whatever clothes and footwear they wanted. They made such a racket that Margaret’s father came in to see what all the noise was about. When he saw their happiness and the joy of the Kozicki children with their “new” clothes, he smiled and said, “Carry on.”

Early in the afternoon, before it got too cold and dark with the setting sun, Margaret’s family bid farewell to their friends, who left well fed, well clothed, and well shod.

Margaret and Nellie never told anyone about their invitation to the Kozickis, and the secret remained until Margaret Kisilevich Wright’s 77th Christmas, in 1998, when she shared it with her family for the first time. She said it was her very best Christmas ever.

Taken from:  Thomas S. Monson, “The Best Christmas Ever,” Liahona, Dec 2008, 2–6

On the 10th Day of Christmas Past because a mother had faith in Star Valley, a neighbor answered God’s call to help with no dilly dally.

Story still available on yesterday’s 10th Day Question and Story post.

Congrats to 10th Day drawing winner, Judy Bailey, who won a beautiful set of carved olive wood ornaments from Israel!

Question 10th Day Christmas Past: What story did Harold B. Lee share that happened in Star Valley, Wyoming?

(To be entered into today’s giveaway & FREE tour drawing, Comment & Share your thoughts of story below on Facebook or our blog.)

Many years ago, President Harold B. Lee recounted to me an experience of a President Ballantyne who grew up in Star Valley, Wyoming. This is harsh country. The summers are short and fleeting, while the winters linger and chill. President Ballantyne told of a special Christmas season from his boyhood days. He said:

“Father had a large family; and sometimes after we had our harvest, there was not very much left after expenses were paid. So Father would have to go away and hire out to some of the big ranchers for maybe a dollar a day, a little more than to take care of himself and very little to send home to Mother and the children. Things began to get pretty skimpy for us.

“We had our family prayers around the table. On one such night when Father was gone, we gathered together, and Mother poured out of a pitcher, into the glass of each one, milk divided among the children—but none for herself. I, sensing that the milk in the pitcher was all that we had, pushed mine over to Mother and said, ‘Here, Mother. You drink mine.’

“‘No. Mother is not hungry tonight.’” Mothers are never hungry in cases like that.

So he said, “It worried me. We drank our milk and went to bed. I could not sleep. I got up and tiptoed down the stairs, and there was Mother, out in the middle of the floor kneeling in prayer. She did not hear me as I came down in my bare feet, and I dropped to my knees and heard her say, ‘Heavenly Father, there is no food in our house. Please, Father, touch the heart of somebody so that my children will not be hungry in the morning.’

“When she finished her prayer, she looked around and saw that I had heard; and she said to me, somewhat embarrassed, ‘Now, you run along, Son. Everything will be all right.’

“I went to bed, assured by Mother’s faith. The next morning, I was awakened by the sounds of pots and pans being used in the kitchen and the smell of cooking food. I went down to the kitchen, and I said, ‘Mother, I thought you said there was no food.’

“All she said to me was, ‘Well, my boy, didn’t you think the Lord would answer my prayer?’ I received no further explanation than that.

“Years passed, and I went away to college. I got married, and I returned to see the old folks. Bishop Gardner, now reaching up to a ripe age, said to me, ‘My son, let me tell you of a Christmas experience that I had with your family. I had finished my chores, and we had had supper. I was sitting by the fireplace reading the newspaper. Suddenly I heard a voice that said, “Sister Ballantyne doesn’t have any food in her house.” I thought it was my wife speaking and said, “What did you say, Mother?” She came in wiping her hands on her apron and said, “Did you call me, Father?”

“‘”No, I didn’t say anything to you, but I heard a voice speak to me.”

“‘”What did it say?” she asked.

“‘”It said that Sister Ballantyne didn’t have any food in her house.”

“‘”Well, then,” said Mother, “you had better put on your shoes and your coat and take some food to Sister Ballantyne.” In the dark of that winter’s night, I harnessed the team and placed in the wagon bed a sack of flour, a quarter section of beef, some bottled fruit, and loaves of newly baked bread. The weather was cold, but a warm glow filled my soul as your mother welcomed me and I presented her with the food. God had heard a mother’s prayer.’”

Heavenly Father is ever mindful of those who need, who seek, who trust, who pray, and who listen when He speaks. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God’s gift becomes our blessing. May every heart open wide and welcome Him—Christmas day and always.

Taken from:  Thomas S. Monson, Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 12.

On the 9th Day of Christmas Past Ezra Taft Benson was willing to serve in war-torn Europe but surprised. It would be hard but he was willing and his wife and children felt likewise.

Story still available on yesterday’s 9th Day Question and Story post.

Congrats to 9th Day drawing winner, MaryKay Jackson, who won a Holy family olive wood carved decoration!

Question 9th Day Christmas Past: How did Ezra Taft Benson and his family react to some news they received just before Christmas?

(To be entered into today’s giveaway & FREE tour drawing, Comment & Share your thoughts of story below on Facebook or our blog.)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1945:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

President George Albert Smith called a special meeting of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve in their office. The Twelve were seated around the table with the First Presidency at the head at a cross table.

After the prayer President Smith referred to the fact that announcement had been made that Brothers Widtsoe and McKay would go to Europe, but he said that on further investigation they found conditions so bad in Europe that it would not be wise to send these two brethren, but to select a younger man.

Elder Harold B. Lee tells the story: “I began quickly to look around the table, speculating as to who would be called. One of the first men I eliminated was Elder Benson, who had the largest family as well as the youngest. I’d not quite made my survey around the table when President Smith announced that they had decided to call Elder Ezra Taft Benson to go to Europe.” (ETB Reminiscences.)

“After outlining the magnitude of the job, President Smith announced that I had been chosen to go and preside over the European Mission and take charge also of the distribution of relief help for our people in those war-torn countries.

It came as a great shock, and I was asked what my wife would say to my leaving her with a young family. I assured the Brethren that I could always count on my wife’s full support in any call from the Church.”

The meeting then ratified unanimously President Smith’s nomination. Now I am to put my affairs in order promptly and go to Washington, D.C., to try and get the necessary permit and transportation to England. (ETB Journal.)

President Smith said: “I am not at all concerned about you. You will be just as safe there as anywhere else in the world if you take care of yourself, and you will be able to accomplish a great work.” (ETB Reminiscences.)

Later in a sweet and impressive talk with my wife, sanctified by tears, Flora expressed loving gratitude and assured me of her wholehearted support. At dinner I told the children, who were surprised, interested, and fully loyal. (ETB Journal.)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1945:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

First notices that the welfare packages being sent to Europe by the Church for the relief of destitute members of the Church are being received in good condition-and are bringing happiness to many people-have been received this week at the Church Offices.

The first words of thanks received have come from Holland. This country was the first to which the packages of bedding, clothing, and foodstuffs were sent. All of the letters express thanks for the needed items, but also contain expressions of faith and thankfulness for the peace that has come.

Some interesting excerpts from the letters are printed herewith: “Utrecht, Holland-Thank you very much for all you have sent to help us. We have received your parcel (and also other members in our town) in good condition, and we are very thankful for all that you have sent-especially for the shoes, the soap, and the clothes for the children. We had shoes no more, but now we can go to our work and to church. Now we need not wash us with sand-soap, but with good American soap. We are also thankful to our Lord for what He has given us by your welfare committee. This year we have the best Christmas of the last six years.”

It is estimated that a total of over 7,000 of these packages of clothing, bedding, and much needed articles have been sent from the Church welfare centers in America to the Latter-day Saint families in Europe. (Church News.)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1945:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

I was told by the President that I could select my own secretary to go with me. I went through the list of returned missionaries of the past five years from Germany because I wanted someone who could speak German. Based on the records, I selected Frederick W. Babbel.

I did not know Brother Babbel-I’d never heard of him, but on inquiry found that he was in the military at the Presidio in San Francisco, California.

I got him on the telephone and asked him how he would like to go with me as my secretary and companion to Europe, without our wives, on an emergency mission of indefinite duration.

He immediately said, “I would be glad to go with you anywhere, Brother Benson!”

In two weeks we had him cleared for service in the Church. (ETB Reminiscences.)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1945:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

The next year will no doubt be spent in large measure, and possibly in its entirety, abroad. It will mean some sacrifice of material comforts. I will miss my wife and sweet children and the association of the Brethren and the visits to the stakes.

I go, however, with no fear whatsoever, knowing that this is the Lord’s work and that He will sustain me. I am grateful for the opportunity, and deeply grateful my wife, who is always most loyal, feels the same way. God bless them while I am away. (ETB Journal.)

Taken from:  Ezra Taft Benson, A Labor of Love: The 1946 European Mission of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1989], 6.