Answer 10th Day Christmas Past: Although Pres. Grant didn’t keep track of the number of books he gave to others, he estimates it would be around one hundred thousand volumes! All with a special message written by him personally inside. Congrats to 10th Day drawing winner, Don Wright, who won the inspiring book “Savior in Kirtland” by Karl Ricks Anderson! 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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On the 10th Day Christmas Past, the gift of good books. Question: Why was it so impressive that Heber J. Grant gave books as gifts at Christmas time? (To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing, Comment & Share your thoughts on Facebook or our blog of story below.) PRESIDENT HEBER J. GRANT Heber J. Grant was ordained and set apart as the Church President on November 23, 1918. During the holiday season and on other occasions, President Grant habitually gave of his substance to buy books for numerous friends. He drew from a multiplicity of titles, sometimes buying out entire editions, four or five thousand copies, of a book he particularly liked. Handwritten messages in his own deft penmanship or preprinted inscriptions were all signed in person. Such works as William Jennings Bryan’s The Prince of Peace, Edgar A. Guest’s The Path to Home, Thomas Carlyle’s Martin Luther, David Starr Jordan’s The Strength of Being Clean, Henry Drummond’s The Greatest Thing in the World, and Orson FE Whitney’s Love and the Light were among those circulated. He had read each volume with care himself and underscored salient passages in his own copy. Illustrative of his exhaustive giving of books in the holiday season are his activities on Christmas Day, 1925: “Spent the morning until 11:00 AM at the hotel writing in books and signing slips…A lot of books arrived from Independence last night. Some of them should have been here at least ten days ago and I wrote in books until late last night and again this morning, also wrote in them this afternoon until about 300… Called and delivered a lot of books this evening. Gusta, [President Grant’s wife, Hulda Augusta Winters] was with me… presented to all the people on whom we called this afternoon and evening a copy of “The Prince of Peace.”…Have had a very strenuous day indeed but have thoroughly enjoyed the day in visiting with my daughters and granddaughters and friends.” President Grant enjoyed both an exceptional number of friends in the religious sphere and also in the greater business community. His diary chronicles the massive efforts of one man to make a difference in people’s lives: “Day spent with books. Books! Books! Had lunch at home today for the first time in several days. I am sending books to all the members of the Sunday School Union Board, Y.L. and Y.M.M.I.A., Primary, Relief Society boards, and to the directors of Grant & Co., Home Fire, Utah State National Bank, Zions Savings Bank, Utah Light & Power Co., Utah Light & Traction Co., Z.C.M.I., Utah Hotel, Salt Lake Theater, Consolidated Wagon & Machine Co., Beneficial Life Ins co., Union Pacific Railroad Co., and the Pacific Coast Joint Stock Land Bank to say nothing about personal friends. I am sorry to say that all the books have not yet arrived...
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Answer 9th Day Christmas Past: The Moody family had a wonderful time dedicating their Christmas to be a true family celebration, focusing on each other and not Santa. Congrats to 9th Day drawing winner, Rebecca Dawson, who won a genuine Bethlehem Baby Blanket from Israel! 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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On the 9th Day Christmas Past, Christmas away from loved ones. Question: What special plans did the Moody Family make for Christmas while their Father was away? (To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing, Comment & Share your thoughts on Facebook or our blog of story below.) Mother’s Homemade Christmas “It snowed! It snowed!” shouted my sister. We jumped out of bed and ran to the window. Snow was rare in our little town of Thatcher, in southern Arizona, and on that Christmas morning in 1908, our excitement knew no bounds. Awakened by our chatter, Mother joined us. Together we stared at the beautiful sight, knowing that we would remember it for a long time. The full moon sat low in the west. Only a few clouds remained from the night’s storm that had clothed the earth in a beautiful white robe for Christmas. “You know,” Mother said, “I think Heavenly Father knew that Santa wasn’t coming to our house this Christmas, and he sent the snow to make this day special.” Each of us knew in our hearts that Mother was right. Our father, known to all of Thatcher as Bishop Moody, was far across the Pacific Ocean serving as a mission president. Of course, we had wanted to go with him, but because of the lack of schools, the primitive conditions, and the heat, our parents had decided that we should remain in Thatcher. This was our first Christmas without Father. In order not to let his absence cast gloom on our holiday, we had planned a very special Christmas just by ourselves. Not even Santa would be a part of our celebration. For weeks, secrets, whispering, and sometimes a “Don’t you dare open my dresser drawer” had permeated the house as we had made gifts for each other. Since a Christmas tree was out of the question, Mother had designated a special chair for each of us where our gifts would be placed. Accordingly, on Christmas Eve we each decorated our chair with strings of popcorn, paper chains, bright red bells, and other homemade decorations. On Christmas morning, Mother shooed us back into our beds while she made the fire and tended the babies. She told us to stay there until she called, but we eventually climbed out of bed, got dressed, and waited. What a sight met our eyes when Mother finally called us to come downstairs to the parlor! The chairs were arranged in a semicircle around our high-topped parlor organ and were loaded with exciting gifts and packages. Mother had placed a beautiful star on each chair with a name on it: Mama, Hazel, Ruth, Delia, Flora, Mabel, and Rupert. Mother must have worked for months. She had crocheted a cap and mittens with a matching scarf for each daughter, had renewed our last year’s doll and made it...
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Answer 8th Day Christmas Past: Joseph Fielding Smith’s family enjoyed music and oranges at Christmas. Congrats to 8th Day drawing winner, Margaret Davies, who won two beautiful Kirtland ornaments! 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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On the 8th Day Christmas Past, simple Christmas fun. Question: What two things did the Joesph Fielding Smith family look forward to at Christmas time? (To be entered into today’s daily giveaway & FREE tour drawing, Comment & Share your thoughts on Facebook or our blog of story below.) Christmas Oranges Amelia, daughter of Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith, shared two of her favorite family Christmas enjoyments. She recalls: “At Christmas father might tell us stories about when he was a little boy. Father and Mother saw that each of their children got an orange and an apple a candy cane and maybe some other little candy in their stockings. Oranges were a special treat. The only time we got oranges ordinarily was when somebody got sick, and then dad thought that oranges were good medicine, when you were sick, and then he’d sit and peel the orange, and feed us one section at a time. Father made sure that we ate it. Music was a part of our Christmas celebrations. Father liked good music. And one of the first Christmases I can remember was when he got… some records and he’d play them, and then he’d dance around. We had this old Victrola that had to wind up this way to play. Dad would dance to the music, if it was a march he’d march around, if it was a dance, he’d he d do a little jig, things like that. As Christmas came to a close, the family would gather together and sing. We sang Christmas carols and we sang hymns… then he’d say well alright now it’s time to go to bed and so he’d shew us up to bed.” Two incredibly simple things that left unforgettable impressions. Challenge: Include a special, one time a year treat into your celebrations. Taken from: Larry C. Porter, “Remembering Christmas Past Presidents of the Church Celebrate the Birth of the Son of Man and Remember His Servant Joseph Smith”, p....
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