"Tour of The Salt Lake City Cemetery" Zone Social

Not "the graveyard trip" that Gary referred to it as a few times.  If you are serving as missionaries in the Church History Library, it seems logical that one of your socials should involve an historical cemetery, right?

We invited Scott Christensen, the historian over US/Canada, to guide us on a tour of this cemetery where 12 of the 16 past presidents of the Church are buried.  We decided to visit 8 of the locations for the evening (it involved a bit of driving and walking on very uneven lawns as the cemetery is built on a hill).  News about our activity got around and we invited other missionaries to join us.  We ended up with around 41 people.  It was a beautiful evening with a slight breeze- perfect for our activity.

Spencer Kimball

Camilla Eyring Kimball

I didn't notice it, but Gary grabbed the wrong tag--He is wearing a Sister Hall tag.  Had to get a photo of that!  We were in a bit of a hurry to switch to more casual clothes.

The cemetery is the largest owned by a city in the US and has this pretty location overlooking the valley.  

Gathering together to start near the top of the cemetery

Scott told a bit about the prophet and their wife as we stood by the stones.

President Nelson's first wife has already been buried here and last year a stone was posted using some reclaimed stone from the reconstruction of the Salt Lake Temple.

I actually shared about President Lee.  He was the first prophet I think I saw in person--at a BYU devotional.

The Hiltbrands had chairs in their car which allowed Sister Forman to enjoy the activity better.  She will be turning 90 this September.

Jena enjoyed the chair from time to time.....

Sister Evans, Sister McClure, Sister Thatcher

Elder and Sister Winder (Mission Office)

Sister Lee

Gordon and Marjorie Hinckley

As people walked to the next location, Jena asked me to take a picture by President Hinckley's marker. That didn't surprise me.  As a little girl, Jena would look through magazines and if she found a photo of President Hinckley, she would take the magazine to her room--whether it was the Friend, New Era or the Ensign. She gives very short prayers even now, but one of her consistent ones when blessing the food added: "Bless President Hinckley. He good prophet." She loves all of the prophets but there is something about President Hinckley and her.

This was one stop not for an LDS prophet, but for a Navy Captain man killed at Pearl Harbor-Mervyn Bennion.  He remained on his ship directly rescued efforts despite being wounded.  The account was that he held his body together to try to minimize loss of life in the confusion right after the attacks.

David O. McKay and Emma Rae McKay

It had happened a bit before now, but here Scott asked if anyone had any connection with President McKay--First an elder said that he had signed his first mission call in the 1960s and then other memories were shared.  Then at each of the other stops, people shared short stories or interactions...and testimonies were shared and spirits lifted.

Sister Evans, Sister Thatcher, Sister Kaupusi, Sister Elder

Elder Steve Dinger shared about Joseph F. Smith

and Sister Joan Elder shared about Joseph Fielding Smith.

That was our last stop for the evening and she did a great thing.

She played him bearing his testimony in one of his last conference addresses before

passing away.  How sweet it was to be standing there among these awesome missionaries

and to hear a prophet's voice bearing record of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ

after just remembering these sweet latter day prophets.

It was perfect!

Sister Debra Dixon

Then some of us headed to the Kokonut Island Grill for dinner.  The food was great.

Sister Sitake, Sister McClure,
Sister Evans, Sister Thatcher, Sister Kaupusi

the Judkins

the Elders

Sister Dixon and Sister Lee and Elder Bae

Hawaiian grill

Hiltbrands and some from their zone

Mel Young and the Dingers

Lasts (mission medical) and the Elders

Just wonderful people to spend an evening with!