2,000 Years Ago

https://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=email-IM_Christmas_112915_Image

This true story is as remarkable today as it was 2,000 years ago. Please view this link. You will be blessed by so doing. Merry Christmas.

Arthur's Seat

This is the famed Arthur's Seat or Pratt's hill as LDS people call it. It is a dormant volcano. Yes, Elder Ladle and I climbed it to the highest point on the left (822') with the new Scotland/Ireland missionaries and President and Sister Donaldson last week.Going up was not easy, but coming down was even more difficult because of the slipperiness of the trail.

Orson Pratt came to Edinburgh as a missionary in the Spring of 1840. He was 28 years old and one of the original apostles of the restoration, having been converted in Canada. His first companion was Samuel Milliner, a native Scot, also converted in Canada. Soon after arriving in Edinburgh he climbed Arthur's Seat and petitioned the Lord for 200 souls to build up the kingdom in Scotland. The two missionaries worked tirelessly preaching in the streets every day and seven times on Sundays. Progress was very slow at first. By the end of the summer they had only 23 baptisms, 7 of which were relatives of Samuel.

However by the end of March the following year his prayer had been answered and in the Millennial Star he reported, "I left upwards of 200 disciples under the watch-care of George D. Watt, a faithful and humble brother from Preston in England."

This is the side view, but shows the terrain well.

Remembrance Sunday

A time to remember those who fought for the freedom we enjoy.

WWI 17 million deaths, 20 million wounded.

WWII 60 million deaths.

They gave up their tomorrows so we could enjoy our todays. Do not let it be in vain.





Throughout the UK, the first Sunday closest to November 11th becomes REMEMBRANCE Sunday.

November 11, 1918 marked the end of WWI. 1919 became the first Remembrance day.

In 1922 it was suggested that poppies be made by people who had lost a hand. Since then millions of poppies have been made by the disabled. This year, 36 million poppies were made.




The poppy wreaths are placed on monuments throughout the nation.

At 11am throughout the UK there is a 2 minute silence. It is a time to REMEMBER and never forget.

The BIG Pineapple

This is one of the most bizarre buildings in Scotland. You can see that it is in the shape of a pineapple, very prickly. The pineapple is 45 feet high. There are 4 chimneys that look like vases on the roof. They circulate the heated air through the cavities in the walls. This summer home was built in 1761 and can be rented as a holiday home if desired.

This was a birthday present for the Earl of Dunnmore's wife, Susan. There is a 6 acre brick walled garden and a haven for wild life on the property. Because this is now private property this is all we could see.

Now why the PINEAPPLE in Scotland? I know you are wondering like we did. Well, remember Columbus? Well in 1493, he discovered pineapples in the Caribbean and brought some back to the Queen in England. It was quite a delicacy and only the rich could afford them. If you traveled to a place that had pineapples, upon your return you would have a small metal pineapple placed on the top of your metal fence. This was to flaunt your riches.