We just had Conference. It only happens 2 times between my next Birthdays. What conference means is that we get to listen to the REAL PROPHET! And I love to see The Prophet! Just makes me smile somewhere inside myself. Well... I can always know when it is almost conference time. My mom buys apples and caramels. We almost always have carameled apples for conference. She says it is because Conference is Nutritous and Delicious and Sweet! Get it? Because the apples are the nutritous part and the caramel is sweet part. She is funny like that sometimes...but it all works. Plus, my dad tells me to pick out some quiet activites before conference so I can sit still. My main part about conference is to be quiet because my parents love Conference, and they want to hear every word. One time, even my dad got a tear in his eye, and it was a happy tear because I could tell.
Anyway, If I want something...I have to get it BEFORE the Tabernacle choir starts their first song. They always dress alike when they sing; I think its because they are a choir. Even they have the same necklaces! My mom thinks they sound like angels when they sing. Anyways, so this conference I got my scented markers and eight pieces of paper, and my favorite stuffed giraffe that Aunt Teresa gave me, and my photo album, and a booklet that my Primary teacher gave us about Conference Stuff, and a very pointy pencil that I sharpened just for Conference. Mom said that next conference, she will get some pillowcases for me to cross-stitch on...she says that tying the knot so it doesn't come undone is the most important part, but she knows that I am a good learner and so I can handle that! My mom say it would be nice if I tried to listen to the talks for things to write about or draw about. And I did! ( I did try! But it is a long long time and next time I can probably do better...)
One of the talks said that if we have a name and a standing in the Temple that we will be safe and I wrote that part down too. And I have to ask my dad about that some more, because I don't get all of it, but I did hear the safe part and the forever part and I know that it is true. I saw the real PROPHET and I heard him say that He loves me. And there were flowers there, full of all of the colors, so I used every marker in my box to put flowers on my Temple picture. And now that I think about it... I will wear my flower dress next Sunday and then everybody in Primary will remember about Conference and about: TEMPLES mean FOREVER!
Anyway, If I want something...I have to get it BEFORE the Tabernacle choir starts their first song. They always dress alike when they sing; I think its because they are a choir. Even they have the same necklaces! My mom thinks they sound like angels when they sing. Anyways, so this conference I got my scented markers and eight pieces of paper, and my favorite stuffed giraffe that Aunt Teresa gave me, and my photo album, and a booklet that my Primary teacher gave us about Conference Stuff, and a very pointy pencil that I sharpened just for Conference. Mom said that next conference, she will get some pillowcases for me to cross-stitch on...she says that tying the knot so it doesn't come undone is the most important part, but she knows that I am a good learner and so I can handle that! My mom say it would be nice if I tried to listen to the talks for things to write about or draw about. And I did! ( I did try! But it is a long long time and next time I can probably do better...)
My brother sometimes sleeps a little in conference, but I know that his brain can still hear about it and so he'll be ok. I know that my brother in Brasil will be watching conference on a little TV with people that have never seen a Prophet before. There are people who don't even know that a Prophet talks to Jesus and then tells us what He said and what we should know.
Ok, but first before I write about conference, I have to write about the other part of my week.
So...last month or the other one before that one...I'm not sure, Miss Kendra's mom called my mom and they talked for about twenty hours because they are friends, and my mom was all smiley and then she looked kinda sad and then she was smiley and then she looked kind of sad and then she talked about colors and marching and music and stuff and then somehow it all ended up that: because Kendra lives sorta by us , well, 4 houses more down our street, and over that way for about two blocks... and Plus, because she likes me alot...I get to be a flower girl when she gets married!!! I looked at my mom: "What's a Flower Girl?"
I remembered when I was little that I got to be a daffodil in the 1st grade play and all I had to do is sway back and forth when Matthew (who was the wind) blew his way (way too much!) across the stage and stuff. Half of us kids got spit on I think because he really blew like the wind.
Anyway, My mom said that this is different and I get to have a new yellowy dress with some flowers on it and things. That's because I am a FLOWER GIRL, so I have to wear the flowers. "What does a flower girl do?" I wondered. I thought that maybe I would give flowers to Kendra when she came out of the Temple, so the man with the cameras could take lots of pictures like my Aunt Rachel has on her wall when she got married.
"Honey, the thing is, that Kendra is not getting married in the Temple." "WHAT?" I sorta shouted. Oh, now I get it, so that is why my mom had looked kind of sad. "She will be married at a church and sometimes when people get married at a church, they have a flower girl who throws flower petals on the floor in front of the bride. Would you like to do that for her, Hadley K? Well, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it. "Why do people throw things ON PURPOSE in the church mom?" I looked right at her eyes because she always picks up even teensy pieces of paper or even a tiny cheerio if she sees it on the floor at church! Plus, since it is a very special place, our family even cleaned the church a few Saturdays ago, and I had to dust inside every little singing book holder thingy in the whole Chapel and it took me a long long time. I couldn't even think about her letting me throw flowers on the floor at a church! OH, now I see, that must be why she is not getting married at the Temple. They would NEVER EVER IN TEN THOUSAND YEARS throw things in the TEMPLE.
Ok, so here's the deal. I ended up getting a new dress with flowers on it. I had to go to 2 practices and it was sooooo long and mostly I just had to march down the isle to the beat of the music about weddings...so one practice would have been just fine. The first time we walked down the isle, I started to sing: "Here Comes a bride...here comes the bride" way outloud because Luci taught me that song...but Kendra's grandma came running over and told me not to sing it outloud, so we all had to go back out and start over. All you have to do is make a step and then stop and then make another step and then stop, over and over and over.... That's all. Plus, I had to rip off some flower parts and throw them on the floor. I only got to practice that one time for about two steps. They thought I could take care of that part...and I did.
They had decorations everywhere in the cultural hall. It was like a big party. NOBODY could see Kendra in her wedding dress until the last second of the marching and I mean N-O-B-O-D-Y and so she was stuck in the bathroom for a long long time. But, I got to go in there and see her because I am the flower girl and flower girls can go anywhere because everybody is so busy at all the other places! Plus, they had minty candy and cashews and I love CASHEWS (they are shaped like the moon...so sometimes I call them: 'Moon-nuts'!)...and so I checked out the kitchen a few times because of those! It was all pretty much fun for me, getting to throw flower petals and stuff, but when I think about it and the part I wanted to write down is the other part about what the suit man said to Kendra. You will not even believe what he said.
Ok, so we stood in line for a while out in the hall way. I peeked through the door and there were lots of people sitting on the folding chairs in the gym. Well, you couldn't tell they were the folding chairs because somebody had put covers over them and they had a bow on the back. I really like that bow thing. I think I will have bows on my chairs when I get married too. Ok, so Kendra's grandma told us all to stand still and be quiet and then she told us when the music started and stuff, so we would know when to march out and I could start throwing petals on one side and then on the other side. and she did. And we did. But, Somebody behind me whispered: "Throw them gently, Hadley! Oops! I think I did throw them too far, because one lady was pulling some petals out of her hair right then. Oops.
But, then I did great and just dropped them down and then I stepped on them so they would stay right there where I put them. It all worked.
Ok, but first before I write about conference, I have to write about the other part of my week.
So...last month or the other one before that one...I'm not sure, Miss Kendra's mom called my mom and they talked for about twenty hours because they are friends, and my mom was all smiley and then she looked kinda sad and then she was smiley and then she looked kind of sad and then she talked about colors and marching and music and stuff and then somehow it all ended up that: because Kendra lives sorta by us , well, 4 houses more down our street, and over that way for about two blocks... and Plus, because she likes me alot...I get to be a flower girl when she gets married!!! I looked at my mom: "What's a Flower Girl?"
I remembered when I was little that I got to be a daffodil in the 1st grade play and all I had to do is sway back and forth when Matthew (who was the wind) blew his way (way too much!) across the stage and stuff. Half of us kids got spit on I think because he really blew like the wind.
Anyway, My mom said that this is different and I get to have a new yellowy dress with some flowers on it and things. That's because I am a FLOWER GIRL, so I have to wear the flowers. "What does a flower girl do?" I wondered. I thought that maybe I would give flowers to Kendra when she came out of the Temple, so the man with the cameras could take lots of pictures like my Aunt Rachel has on her wall when she got married.
"Honey, the thing is, that Kendra is not getting married in the Temple." "WHAT?" I sorta shouted. Oh, now I get it, so that is why my mom had looked kind of sad. "She will be married at a church and sometimes when people get married at a church, they have a flower girl who throws flower petals on the floor in front of the bride. Would you like to do that for her, Hadley K? Well, I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it. "Why do people throw things ON PURPOSE in the church mom?" I looked right at her eyes because she always picks up even teensy pieces of paper or even a tiny cheerio if she sees it on the floor at church! Plus, since it is a very special place, our family even cleaned the church a few Saturdays ago, and I had to dust inside every little singing book holder thingy in the whole Chapel and it took me a long long time. I couldn't even think about her letting me throw flowers on the floor at a church! OH, now I see, that must be why she is not getting married at the Temple. They would NEVER EVER IN TEN THOUSAND YEARS throw things in the TEMPLE.
Ok, so here's the deal. I ended up getting a new dress with flowers on it. I had to go to 2 practices and it was sooooo long and mostly I just had to march down the isle to the beat of the music about weddings...so one practice would have been just fine. The first time we walked down the isle, I started to sing: "Here Comes a bride...here comes the bride" way outloud because Luci taught me that song...but Kendra's grandma came running over and told me not to sing it outloud, so we all had to go back out and start over. All you have to do is make a step and then stop and then make another step and then stop, over and over and over.... That's all. Plus, I had to rip off some flower parts and throw them on the floor. I only got to practice that one time for about two steps. They thought I could take care of that part...and I did.
They had decorations everywhere in the cultural hall. It was like a big party. NOBODY could see Kendra in her wedding dress until the last second of the marching and I mean N-O-B-O-D-Y and so she was stuck in the bathroom for a long long time. But, I got to go in there and see her because I am the flower girl and flower girls can go anywhere because everybody is so busy at all the other places! Plus, they had minty candy and cashews and I love CASHEWS (they are shaped like the moon...so sometimes I call them: 'Moon-nuts'!)...and so I checked out the kitchen a few times because of those! It was all pretty much fun for me, getting to throw flower petals and stuff, but when I think about it and the part I wanted to write down is the other part about what the suit man said to Kendra. You will not even believe what he said.
Ok, so we stood in line for a while out in the hall way. I peeked through the door and there were lots of people sitting on the folding chairs in the gym. Well, you couldn't tell they were the folding chairs because somebody had put covers over them and they had a bow on the back. I really like that bow thing. I think I will have bows on my chairs when I get married too. Ok, so Kendra's grandma told us all to stand still and be quiet and then she told us when the music started and stuff, so we would know when to march out and I could start throwing petals on one side and then on the other side. and she did. And we did. But, Somebody behind me whispered: "Throw them gently, Hadley! Oops! I think I did throw them too far, because one lady was pulling some petals out of her hair right then. Oops.
But, then I did great and just dropped them down and then I stepped on them so they would stay right there where I put them. It all worked.
Kendra was so beautiful. She looked like a princess. She had sparklies in her hair and her dress was so pretty and way behind her. WOW! I was standing right by her and I was looking up at her for the whole wedding. A boy had to stand right next to me. He was holding a fancy little pillow with a real diamond ring on it. The boy didn't like holding still or holding a pillow so much, but afterwards, he told me that real diamonds last forever and they are very strong and can even cut through glass and steel!) I was thinking that it was all just wonderful and special and I couldn't wait to get some refreshment treats at the ending. BUT, THEN, something major awful happened. After the man in the suit talked for a long time...(and that is not even the worst part). The worst part is at the end of the talk about all of the married stuff...he said, UNTIL DEATH DO YOU PART! I just blinked and my eyes got so big. I thought maybe I heard about that all wrong. I looked over at my parents. My mom had a little tear and so did Kendra's mom and so maybe I heard it right? You can feel when tears are happy or when they are sad...and you just have to go with it. I wanted to ask that man: "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" ...but just then I looked at Kendra's grandma and I could tell that I better not 'say a word or move a muscle'. Maybe he meant 'until death... do your part'. Yeah, maybe I heard that part wrong. Because Families are Forever. Just because somebody dies in death, for reals, it doesn't mean they have to quit their family. Wow. That would be sad.
Anyway, Kendra kissed her new husband and then they danced and then they smushed some cake in their faces and then they took pictures and then everybody went outside and threw rice at them and then they got in a car that said 'just married' and then they drove away...and then I got to put three Cashew cups in my pocket and then we drove home.
Anyway, Kendra kissed her new husband and then they danced and then they smushed some cake in their faces and then they took pictures and then everybody went outside and threw rice at them and then they got in a car that said 'just married' and then they drove away...and then I got to put three Cashew cups in my pocket and then we drove home.
On the way home, I asked my parents, why Kendra wanted to have a wedding where everybody throws things away? I threw the flower petals and Kendra threw her bouquet thingy and her new husband threw a headband thingy and then everybody threw rice all over the parking lot. My parents laughed with me about that. But then, my dad got real quiet and he said to my mom, "I hope they don't throw their marriage away too." Everything got quiet in the whole car and our insides were sad sorta. I could feel that. How can we be sorta sad after such a party with decorations everywhere (even balloons in the basketball hoops), and with leftover cake going home with us? But we were. We were sad. And that's when my parents told me again about how important the Temple is and how important Families are. Then they told me about the man's words. SURE ENOUGH. I HAD heard him say: Until Death, do you part. OH NO! I needed to tell Kendra. I needed to tell her new husband to drive careful and not crash at all, before they could get married in the Temple because if they die now, they do not get to be together forever. OH MY! We have to find them. Then, mom said that they already know. WHAT? They already know? Ok: just tell me that the world is not round anymore then. WHAT? They know that they are not forever? That IS NOT REAL LOVE! I just looked out the window because my brain was stuck right there and I was sad. Very sad. I don't even know if I want to wear the flower girl dress ever again. If I do, I will just think about the colors; I will not think about Kendra's NOT FOREVER WEDDING. I will just think about the Cashews and the cake.
Anyways, my hand is getting tired from all of this writing...but I want my genealogy (all of my children that are still up in Heaven waiting for their time to get to earth) to KNOW SOMETHING ...(when they are born and get old enough to read this)...that I WILL ONLY GET MARRIED IN THE TEMPLE so I can have them f-o-r-e-v-e-r. DON'T you guys even worry a bit about that! We will be a forever family. We will not be throwing things around or away at my wedding. And that is what I heard about at Conference. I heard about that Families are Forever.
I heard alot about the Temple in Conference and I am going there someday. I used my best blue marker (it smells like blueberries... well, sorta...but the lid was off so long that I had to lick it to get it to go and it sure doesn't taste like blueberries); I drew a picture of the Temple and I am going to hang it up right by my bed.
One of the talks said that if we have a name and a standing in the Temple that we will be safe and I wrote that part down too. And I have to ask my dad about that some more, because I don't get all of it, but I did hear the safe part and the forever part and I know that it is true. I saw the real PROPHET and I heard him say that He loves me. And there were flowers there, full of all of the colors, so I used every marker in my box to put flowers on my Temple picture. And now that I think about it... I will wear my flower dress next Sunday and then everybody in Primary will remember about Conference and about: TEMPLES mean FOREVER!
