Baby Briggs Arrives!

Dear Family and Friends,

The exciting news of the week is, of course, the birth of our 14th grandchild, Briggs Robert McGiven. Both baby and momma Katie are home and doing well.  I'm sure Katie has her hands full scheduling who holds him next. 

Daddy Gary & Briggs

Momma Katie & Briggs

Briggs Robert McGiven

It's been a good missionary week.  We've noticed more non-members coming to Nauvoo with the pageant being over. Or maybe you just have a chance to visit more, I'm not sure. Nonetheless we've had some good interactions and testifying moments.

I'll share a couple of the ones that stand out.  There was a young mom who came into the Visitor's Center and was asking questions about the temple. She was especially curious about the stained glass round windows with the inverted star. I had been studying the symbols on the temple and was able to give her the following information:

Nauvoo Temple (Morning Star stained glass window above)

The beautiful inverted stained glass stars that adorn the Nauvoo Temple have a very meaningful history dating back to the early Christian church.  Known as the "Morning Star" in Rev 22:16 , It is a symbol o f Jesus Christ. When the actual Morning Star's (Venus) orbit is tracked each morning it creates a mathematically perfect inverted fine-point star.  Unlike the large, intricate stained glass inverted stars found in famous cathedrals, the early Latter-Day Saints had only the means to gather enough materials for  humble three color star windows: red, white, and  blue.
She was so excited and asked if she could go in the temple. I told her she had to be a member but that I had a pamphlet to share with her that showed the rooms and told about the temple. She was so happy and asked if her husband could have a copy too. I also gave them a copy of Joseph Smith's testimony. They left wanting to see all the sites and to find out more about this special place.  It's so thrilling to share the hope the temple brings. I have a strong testimony of the temple and now more fully understand why it was important for the Saints to finish the Nauvoo temple even though they would soon leave it behind. We all need the blessings of the temple to gain strength to carry on.

   

Yesterday, Elder Long and I served in the Brickyard. It was a great day.  Elder Long was right at home telling about clay and bricks.

Brickyard

One couple left their contact information.   He had already read the Book of Mormon and will definitely be seeing some missionaries. It's so wonderful to play a small part in helping people find joy.

So much is going on in the world, I am ever so grateful that we have Christ to rely on and the solid families we all belong to, to help us make it through.

We love and appreciate each of you,

Sister and Elder Long