THIS WEEK . . .
DECEMBER 28, 2020
TOJANUARY 3, 2021
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2020 Family is Everything... ...The magical week betweenChristmas and New Year's continues... The girls--Ashley, Janie,Aimee, and Katie-- went to Idaho Fallsto shop and rendezvous withHeidi for lunch where shewas at work.
...The magical week betweenChristmas and New Year's continues... They did let Little Michael andIsaac tag along.
I watched the 2020 movie with Shawn.He knew a lot about "The Pit" in the"Greyhound."Atlantic Ocean during Worl War II.Shawn's Dad was in the Navy.Any movie with Tom Hanks is great!
Janie and I went to lunch at Gringos...(when Aimee needed to comeback early.)
Gringos...our waiter had been adancer in Janie's Idaho Ballroom Adacemy.
Gringos...Yummy chips andVirgin Pina Colada
Gringos...
Watched "Soul" tonight...We all liked it.
It talks about not only"The Great Beyond" but also
"The Great Before."
TO
Here's some more comments I just saw about "Soul"...“Soul,”
Pixar’s newest animated hit, was released to Disney+ members on Christmas day.
This adorable film explores the life of middle school band director, Joe
Gardener, and his experience of dying suddenly. His journey back to the
pre-mortal life is an interesting one. At the
beginning of the movie, Gardener dies and his soul is sent to “the great
beyond” but he just wants to go back to earth. In his efforts to escape and
return home, Gardener ends up in “the great before” by accident. There
he meets new souls, yet to go to earth, and becomes a mentor to a particularly
difficult soul. This film made me laugh and cry and reflect on life and will
quickly become a Pixar classic. Here are 5 things about the premortal life or
“the great before” that this film gets right. That
there is a “great before.”
One of
my favorite things about this movie is that they acknowledge that pre-mortal
life is real! Obviously, we don’t know a lot about our pre-mortal life but we
know that we existed before our life on earth. Doctrine
and Covenants 138:56 says, “Even before they were born, they, with many others,
received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth…”
This
verse and many others in our canon of scripture prove the existence of a
pre-mortal life. This is why it is a permanent part of our doctrine in the plan
of salvation. While we believe in it, many other Christian faiths don’t have a
stance on this topic, so the fact that it made its way into a Pixar movie is
amazing.
Related Link: Did You Choose Your Family in the
Pre-Existence?
We
learned new things in “the great before.”
photo
courtesy of Pixar Post
Each
little baby soul in the great before is required to develop skills and learn
new things before they are given their “earth pass.” We know that God prepared
us to come to earth, so while it probably looked different, the sentiment is
the same. Learning and growing were necessary for us then and it continues to
be important now.
While
we believe that the learning we did was less about how to be human and more
about the gospel and its teachings, this part is also correct. We were required
to learn and progress in our premortal lives in order to be prepared for life
on earth.
That we
each developed personalities there.
photo
courtesy of arstechnica
In the
great before, the baby souls have no names yet, so they are referred to by
their numbers. They are also blank slates and have yet to be molded. Each soul
wears a patch on their chest that indicates when they learn certain things or
develop certain attributes. Once all the bubbles on this patch are filled, the
patch turns into an earth pass that the soul will use to go down to earth when
they are ready.
One of
the requirements for this earth pass involves the souls going through different
personality pavilions where they are assigned different personalities. Paul
Abadilla, the film’s art director said that each pavilion is designed as an
abstract representation of the personality trait.
In the
movie, the line “What? Do you think they’re just born with it?” is said in
reference to personalities. We do honestly believe that we came to this earth
with our own developed personalities.
That we
don’t remember the “great before.”
The
veil of ignorance, more commonly referred to as the “veil of forgetfulness,” is
also mentioned in this movie. Once the souls make the jump from the great
before to earth, they forget the experiences that they had in their pre-mortal
lives. This is the reason why Joe is so intrigued when he discovers the great
before in the first place.
In a
February 2015 issue of the New Era, the article “What We Know About
Premortal Life” states, “Much like we cannot remember the first few years of
mortal life, our memory of premortal life has been withheld. This was necessary
to help us learn to walk by faith and prepare us to become like Him.”
Thankfully
we will one day be able to regain these memories; it just might be after we
pass on from this life. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Among the ‘all things [that] shall be
restored’ will be memory, including, eventually, our premortal memories.”
Related Link: Everything you Forgot About the Veil (or
never knew in the first place)
We come
to earth to get a body.
photo courtesy of CNN
One
cute scene involves a character teaching Joe that in our pre-mortal life we
couldn’t smell, taste, or feel. She explains that the reason for this is that
they don’t have bodies.
When
Joe dies at the beginning of the movie he is just a soul without a body. He
does not go into the light of the great beyond so we aren’t really sure of
Pixar’s views on life after death. Within the Church, we understand that one of
our sole purposes for coming to earth is to gain a body.
Overall,
this movie is adorable and will tug at your heartstrings just like Pixar movies
are known to do. Even if “the great before” is not 100% accurate to what we
believe the pre-mortal life to be, this was a wonderful glimpse into God’s plan
for our lives.
RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR
Zoë Holyoak--who wrote this article--is
currently a BYU student, photographer, and writer. Her hobbies include long
walks through the ice cream aisle at the grocery store and correcting bad
grammar. She is also a proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and served a mission for the Church in Portland, Oregon.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2020 Family is Everything... ...The magical week betweenChristmas and New Year's continues...except now the familystarts departing.Isaac and Ashley headED tofruitland for Ashley tomeet Isaac's parents and family.
They had fun bowling this afternoon.
Taitum told G-Grama Petersenthe story about"Funny Bunny."
Janie cooked so manydelicious meals...
Isaac, Ashley, Jess, Michael...
Michael and Aimee...
Pono worked most daysbut was off this morning.Heidi had gone to workin Idaho Falls.
Ashley is so glad tobe with Isaac. 
Wise counsel...
Time for C A T A N...
Shawn wins most of the time.
It takes an hour or morefor this game ofstrategy and chance.
Janie nor I joined in.
I don't get it nor Code Names.I'm a generation too late.
Diesel's helping Grama Janiecook something.
they went bowling.
...nor which night theyplayed Code Names.
Daniel and Kelly introducedthem to Code Names a couple of years ago.
It's all Greek to me.
Just hangin' out andtalking is precious time.
Taitum is looking forsomething in the toy box.
The guys are doing dishes.
...more together time.
Michael spinning Diesel...
Taitum wants a turn.
Diesel is a little dizzy...or a lot!
A marble game...
Aimee comforting Diesel.
Time to get skis readyfor everybody toski tomorrow at Targhee.
Katie found a fit.
She can't find her skiisnor ski bag.
Shawn is the ski fixer.
...first time all skis andskis bags out this winter.
Sam gets Sara's skis ready.
We all enjoyed thecheery fire.
😊
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020 ...The magical week betweenChristmas and New Year's continues...Family is Everything... Happy Birthday, Joshua David Petersen
Breakfast before skiiers head to Targhee.
Always lots of yummy food.
Sam and Sara...
Heidi, Pono, Shawn...
Janie, Mom...
Getting ready to loadthe Yukon...
Janie took this photo ofthe skiiers...
Wintery day in Rexburg.
Janie has stew and hotcornbread ready whenskiiers return.
They had a fun,adventerous day on the mountain.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020
...The magical week betweenChristmas and New Year's continues...Family is Everything... Happy New Year's Eve Day...can you see the longicicles under the tramp?
We went to see"Wonder Woman84"
After the movie,
we went to Applebees
for a late lunch, early supper.Pono left early for an appointment.
Sam and Sara...
Janie. Heidi, Shawn...
Eileen, Janie...
R E X B U R G . . .
Then it was games, treats,and two more movies toget to the countdownfor M I D N I G H T.First movie:Bucket List - It had some good laughs.However, when it came out in 2007, Roger Egbert,the movie critic had just had his jaw removed becauseof cancer and he said the movie made "too light" ofterminal cancer.
Second movie:Midway - from 2019It was very accurate to what actually happenedin this 1942 critical battle in World War II
We took time out to ring in the New Yearbefore we watched it to the end.
Happy New Year . . .
2 0 2 0 t o . . .
Pono and Heidi...
2 0 2 1 . . .
FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 2021 ...The magical week betweenChristmas and New Year's continues... Family is Everything... Happy New Year
Happy New Year...
Three sisters in deep conversation...
Taitum and Diesel enjoying dream ice cream bars.
...The magical week betweenChristmas and New Year's has come to an end......and Janie and Shawn make it magicalby a lot of planning and continued hard work!Thank you!!SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2021 Family is Everything... Happy memories of a wonderful 12 days in Rexburg, Idaho, atGreystone -- the home ofThe Fishers--our daughter, Janie, her husband Shawn,where 6 of their 7 children,4 spouses, 1 possibly soon-to-befinancee, plus agirlfriend of theiryoungest son,and their two darlinggrandchildren--theonly two great-grandchildrenin the family for Walt and me,gathered for Christmas week,and the week between Christmasand New Years.
...their beautiful home...
of the past12 years of the24 years they've lived in Rexburg.
Two days before Christmastheir was a beautiful weddingof a wonderful couple.
...fun activites, includingthis fivesome who went skiingon New Year's Adam...
Shawn was prepared to drive meback to rendezvous with Gary atMalad for me to get back home,as he had done back on Dec 22for me to get to Rexburg.
However, it turned out Janie drove me from Rexburg to Saratoga Springs.
I D A H O - U T A HWhat I saw on Tuesday, Dec. 22...
What I saw Sat., Jan. 2, 2021
Maddox had the usual crowd waitingto be seated...
Maddox has an interesting history...
Maddox is my favorite restaurant in Utah...
Actually, Maddox is my favorite restaurant of anywhere!
Janie ordered chicken fried steak...
...and so did I. Delicious!
...back on the road again.
When we see this Thanksgiving Point landmark,we know we close to home.
Thanks, Janie, for driving me home.
Crazy sisters.
Janie turned right around and drove back to Rexburg.
I always have a constant prayer while our kidsare driving far distances. She got home safely about 10:30 that night.
It's nice to go traveling, and I had a wonderful timewith all my family there.But it's nice to get back home, too.Julie said Riggy wondered if Iwas really going to ever come back.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2021 Family is Everything... Come, Follow Me"HEARKEN, O YE PEOPLE"
Hearken means to listen and obey.Doctrine and Covenants 1...everlasting covenant* * * * * * *
Kimble's home for a 14-dayleave from his Coast Guard duties...
We were all excited to see Kimble...
especially Riggy.
Julie and John were taking downChristmas decorations.
When you come to the endof a winter day...
I think the deer get to stay a while.
I heard this on the"Spoken Word" byLloyd Newel today on The Tabernacle Choir andOrchestra at Temple Square broadcast today about life:" The Journey is thrillingand the Destination isdivine!"That's a good theme forlife in2 0 2 1.** *I am so thankful for The Plan of Salvation and the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes this Great Plan operational.At the end of this January 3rd,I pray you have had arestful , peaceful, and spiritualSabbath Day...
I share these truths as my testimony to you...Heavenly Father lives and knows us each by name. He loves us and wants us to return to Him and Heavenly Mother when we leave this mortal existence. He loves us just as we are at this very moment.*** *** ***Jesus Christ came to earth as The Only Begotten of the Father and fulfilled the Atonement. He is the Redeemer of all. *** *** ***Joseph Smith was foreordained to be the Prophet of the Restoration. He is the Restorer of all things.*** *** ***
President Russell M. Nelson is the Living Prophet today for all the world. *** *** ***The Bible is "the Word of God as far as it is translated correctly" and is a Testament of the Divinity of Jesus Christ.*** *** ***
The Book of Mormon is the Word of God and is Another Testament of Jesus Christ. It is the most correct book of any book on earth.*** *** ***The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the True Church on the earth today. *** *** ***Of these truths I testify in the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.Eileen PetersenJust returned from 12 days in Rexburg, Idaho, back to Saratoga Springs, Utah, U.S.A.January 3, 2021
Here's some more comments I just saw about "Soul"...“Soul,” Pixar’s newest animated hit, was released to Disney+ members on Christmas day. This adorable film explores the life of middle school band director, Joe Gardener, and his experience of dying suddenly. His journey back to the pre-mortal life is an interesting one. At the beginning of the movie, Gardener dies and his soul is sent to “the great beyond” but he just wants to go back to earth. In his efforts to escape and return home, Gardener ends up in “the great before” by accident. There he meets new souls, yet to go to earth, and becomes a mentor to a particularly difficult soul. This film made me laugh and cry and reflect on life and will quickly become a Pixar classic. Here are 5 things about the premortal life or “the great before” that this film gets right. That there is a “great before.”
One of my favorite things about this movie is that they acknowledge that pre-mortal life is real! Obviously, we don’t know a lot about our pre-mortal life but we know that we existed before our life on earth. Doctrine and Covenants 138:56 says, “Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth…”
This
verse and many others in our canon of scripture prove the existence of a
pre-mortal life. This is why it is a permanent part of our doctrine in the plan
of salvation. While we believe in it, many other Christian faiths don’t have a
stance on this topic, so the fact that it made its way into a Pixar movie is
amazing.
Related Link: Did You Choose Your Family in the
Pre-Existence?
We
learned new things in “the great before.”
photo
courtesy of Pixar Post
Each
little baby soul in the great before is required to develop skills and learn
new things before they are given their “earth pass.” We know that God prepared
us to come to earth, so while it probably looked different, the sentiment is
the same. Learning and growing were necessary for us then and it continues to
be important now.
While
we believe that the learning we did was less about how to be human and more
about the gospel and its teachings, this part is also correct. We were required
to learn and progress in our premortal lives in order to be prepared for life
on earth.
That we
each developed personalities there.
photo
courtesy of arstechnica
In the
great before, the baby souls have no names yet, so they are referred to by
their numbers. They are also blank slates and have yet to be molded. Each soul
wears a patch on their chest that indicates when they learn certain things or
develop certain attributes. Once all the bubbles on this patch are filled, the
patch turns into an earth pass that the soul will use to go down to earth when
they are ready.
One of
the requirements for this earth pass involves the souls going through different
personality pavilions where they are assigned different personalities. Paul
Abadilla, the film’s art director said that each pavilion is designed as an
abstract representation of the personality trait.
In the
movie, the line “What? Do you think they’re just born with it?” is said in
reference to personalities. We do honestly believe that we came to this earth
with our own developed personalities.
That we
don’t remember the “great before.”
The
veil of ignorance, more commonly referred to as the “veil of forgetfulness,” is
also mentioned in this movie. Once the souls make the jump from the great
before to earth, they forget the experiences that they had in their pre-mortal
lives. This is the reason why Joe is so intrigued when he discovers the great
before in the first place.
In a
February 2015 issue of the New Era, the article “What We Know About
Premortal Life” states, “Much like we cannot remember the first few years of
mortal life, our memory of premortal life has been withheld. This was necessary
to help us learn to walk by faith and prepare us to become like Him.”
Thankfully
we will one day be able to regain these memories; it just might be after we
pass on from this life. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Among the ‘all things [that] shall be
restored’ will be memory, including, eventually, our premortal memories.”
Related Link: Everything you Forgot About the Veil (or
never knew in the first place)
We come
to earth to get a body.
photo courtesy of CNN
One
cute scene involves a character teaching Joe that in our pre-mortal life we
couldn’t smell, taste, or feel. She explains that the reason for this is that
they don’t have bodies.
When
Joe dies at the beginning of the movie he is just a soul without a body. He
does not go into the light of the great beyond so we aren’t really sure of
Pixar’s views on life after death. Within the Church, we understand that one of
our sole purposes for coming to earth is to gain a body.
Overall,
this movie is adorable and will tug at your heartstrings just like Pixar movies
are known to do. Even if “the great before” is not 100% accurate to what we
believe the pre-mortal life to be, this was a wonderful glimpse into God’s plan
for our lives.
RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR
Zoë Holyoak--who wrote this article--is currently a BYU student, photographer, and writer. Her hobbies include long walks through the ice cream aisle at the grocery store and correcting bad grammar. She is also a proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission for the Church in Portland, Oregon.
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