Doyeon's Baptism!

I was able to attend one more Christmas recital this week.  Finn had his preschool Christmas program on Wednesday.  Ollie is missing his Christmas program next week because their family left on Saturday for Hawaii with the Greens.  He was quite unhappy about this and told his parents that he didn't want to go to Hawaii.  They promised him that Hawaii would be better than a Christmas program.  Finn sort of sang the songs and participated in the program.  I think he was afraid he wouldn't look "cool."  There was one part where they were supposed to hold hands and it was obvious he did not want to do it.

   Ila had to be woken up for Adrienne to make it to the program on time.  She wasn't very awake, but she went right to Grandma Lisa when she arrived.  Ila is not quite as familiar with me, Someday she may warm up.

You can see from his face how excited he was to wear a 
Christmas tree.

Ila was happy on her way to the airport

Caitlyn had a great week.  She got her braces off!  Here she is at a wedding
reception with two of her college roommates (from last year) Elsa and Kaitlin

Doyeon turned 8 in October, but in hopes of having Giok (her Korean Grandmother) at the wedding, they planned her baptism for December.  Giok had tickets and fully planned on coming, but following a skiing accident and concussion, she had a lot of problems that nearly killed her, so she and her husband had to cancel their flights.  We were sad she couldn't make it.

Dan and Jieun didn't think to take pictures at Hyeji's baptism, so we made sure that didn't happen again.  Catharine Doyeon Rasband was baptised on December 14, 2019.

All of those present for the baptism.  Jieun had two Korean friends visiting.

Hyeji and Greta

Ruby, Ori, Greta and Yuna

Hyeji, Bridget, Greta, Ruby and Ori

Ruby, Doyeon and Dan

 After the baptism we went to our house and had treats.

Dojin and Jieun

Matt and Doyeon

Assorted children watching Toy Story

Bridget, Crista, Matt and Doyeon

Hyeji and Avie

Effie and Dan

I have been working this week on editing the next printing of the journal of Phineas Wolcott Cook.  Janet Porter has compiled it.  She has added punctuation, corrected spelling, and added footnotes.  The journal is now very enjoyable to read.  Janet has managed to do this without changing the writing style of the author.  I am always amazed when I read about Phineas that he stayed faithful to the end.  He endured so much.  He gave up his home and family for the gospel and then lost many of his own children to death.  He also put up with a lot of human failings among the saints. Many others would have thrown in the towel and left when faced with some of the ill treatment that he endured.  This new edition will hopefully be published and ready at the next Cook-A-Rama.  I hope all of you will read it.  The journal is 97 pages.  While Janet was reading the project of another genealogist, she came across some unattributed quotes.  She recognized the writing style as that of Phineas.  She did her research and found that the quotes came from a closed file of bishop's notes from Goshen, UT.  After about 18 months of trying, she was able to get the church to let her see the file.  A little more time and she was allowed to read it.  After that it took a while for her to convince the church that there was a journal written by Phineas within all the bishop's notes (Phineas was the bishop) and that she should be allowed to transcribe this.  I helped her transcribe for a couple of hours each week for a few months.  Some of the pages were written on from top to bottom, and then for lack of another piece of paper, the paper was turned 90 degrees and the writing would begin again.  I would have given up, but Janet faithfully transcribed every word.  The journal pages from the Goshen file will be included in the new edition of Phineas' journal.  Janet  has also added pictures from the original journal, as well as pictures of many of the mills that Phineas built.

I am also trying to read the biography of James Henry Hart.  He was my father's, mother's grandmother. (My great great grandfather).  I was named after his daughter, Alice Catharina Hart.  J.H. Hart lived at the same time as Phineas Wolcott Cook, but his life was very different.  He joined the church in England when he was 22 or 23 years old, then stayed in Europe for 7 more years as a missionary.  Much of that time he served in France and he was in France when Napolean staged his first coup.  The president of the mission, while working on translating the Book of Mormon into French wrote him a letter.  I will quote a part of it. He says "I arrived in Paris about 2 hours before the very fiercest of the carnage, which took place not far from my  abode.  I heard it all, but it did not disturb me; I went on writing and correcting the B. of Mormon (translating it into French).  I felt perfectly safe in the hands of my Father, who, though unseen, preserved all my little flock free from harm.  Thanks for ever, thanks to his holy name.  God has sent me to do a certain work, and as long as I am doing it and keep his commandments I am in his hands and will be protected if it has to be by a miracle--as in the case of the Children of Israel in Egypt and like the preservation of Alma and Amulek.  When Amulek told him that perhaps the people would burn them, Alma answered,  Be it according to the will of the Lord.  But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.  This is my feeling all the time; it fills my Soul with peace and joy and I go on quietly amid the war of elements and the wreck of nations and do my humble endeavors to fulfill my mission"
He closes his letter saying, "it is almost 12 at night and the air smells of revolution and massacre--so forgive my prosiness."  (Curtis E. Bolton)
Phineas was born in 1819 and James Henry Hart was born in 1825.  Phineas joined the church soon after the prophet was martyred in 1844.  J. H. Hart joined in 1847--the year that Brigham Young took the first company of pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley.  Since J.H. Hart served seven more years in England, he most likely never saw the severity of the persecution that the saints endured in crossing the plains.  However, I am sure he also endured persecution.  In my readings so far he mentioned that rocks were thrown at them (the missionaries) because of their religion and one hit him in the head.

These stories of our ancestors help us to strengthen our own testimonies. When I see what they went through so we can have the life we have,  I don't want to disappoint those who sacrificed so much for the gospel.  I also desire to be strong for the generations that follow me.