November 1-30, 2018 - Colder Weather and Thanksgiving

November has brought a definite change here at the London Temple.  By the end of the month, most of the leaves were off the trees and warm weather was just a memory.  We didn't do much traveling so most of our photos were of the Temple grounds.

Stunning sunrise during our morning walk around the temple.

Looking from the front doors of the Temple on the flower beds.

Looking towards the front Temple doors (which are not used - the main entrance is on the north side which is on the right in the picture) and the flower beds.

The reflecting ponds and the Temple which shows most of the leaves are gone from the trees.

The long table for our Thanksgiving celebration which was held on Monday, November 19 which is our P-Day.  Our Canadian colleagues had celebrated in October and our British colleagues celebrated with us even though there's no Thanksgiving holiday in the UK. 

Another shot of the table and everyone visiting before dinner.

The Thanksgiving table from the other direction.  We had about 50 all totaled.

Elder Burkinshaw's plate for Thanksgiving.  Note the yams with apple slices that was a big hit along with turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, corn and veggies with dip along with a cup of nuts, M&Ms and other goodies.  When there was room on the plate, Elder Burkinshaw also had some broccoli salad. 

Of course it's not Thanksgiving without dessert.  Elder Burkinshaw's plate included coconut cream pie, apple pie, trifle, jam roly-poly and Eton mess.  It was delicious!

The Addlestone Ward, where we are assigned to attend church on Sunday - about 45 minute drive up the M25 or London Orbital Motorway, has two Brazilian families and on Sunday, November 25, we were invited to a dinner of Estroganoffe de Frango (chicken strogonoff) by the family of Sam and Jaqueline Minamioka and their daughter Juliet.  Also attending was the family of Gustavo and Zaide Ribeiro and their son Heitor and our Sister Missionaries, Sister Radford and Sister Zimmerman.

We had a great time and got to speak Portuguese and Elder Burkinshaw even got to tell some of his favorite jokes in Portuguese!  And of course we spoke of missionary work in the ward and what we could do to move the work along.

Heitor, Zaide and Gustavo Ribeiro, Sam, Jaquie and Juliett Minamioka and Sisters Radford and Zimmerman at the Minamioka's home for estrogonoffe de frango!

A group selfie at Sunday dinner with the Minamioka's.

D&C 59:21 teaches us that "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things..."

Conversely, we learn that "He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious" (D&C 78:19)

We are very grateful for the blessings of a wonderful family, children and grandchildren who love the Lord and serve him and for our opportunity to serve and learn and grow here in the London Temple!

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw

November 11, 2018 - Remembrance Day

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, fighting ended on land, sea and air in World War I between Germany and the Allies (Britain, France, Russia, Italy and the United States).  In honor of those who died in the line of duty, November 11 is celebrated in many of the Allied countries.  While it is known as Veterans Day in the United States, here in the United Kingdom (and other Commonwealth Nations such as Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, etc.) it is called Remembrance Day.

Since this year is the centennial of the World War I Armistice, it has received additional attention here in England.  The remembrance poppy has been displayed throughout the country and many people have worn them on their lapels or blouses.  The remembrance poppy was inspired by the World War I poem "In Flanders Fields".

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the World War I Armistice, the subway sign at King's Cross / St Pancras Station was decorated with remembrance poppies.

This photo shows some of the varieties of remembrance poppies that we have seen. 

A field of poppies in the West Flanders province of Belgium which is 90 km from Calais France, just across the English Channel from Dover.  The poem "In Flanders Fields" images poppies springing up between the crosses marking graves of fallen WWI soldiers. 

          In Flanders Fields
               by John McCrae

            In Flanders fields the poppies grow
                Between the crosses, row on row,
              That mark our place; and in the sky
              The larks, still bravely singing, fly
            Scarce heard amid the guns below.

            We are the Dead. Short days ago
            We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
              Loved and were loved, and now we lie
                  In Flanders fields.

            Take up our quarrel with the foe:
            To you from failing hands we throw
              The torch; be yours to hold it high.
              If ye break faith with us who die
            We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
                  In Flanders fields.

The poem was written in 1915 by John McCrae, a Canadian physician who had volunteered for the infantry rather than medical corps.  The day after presiding over a funeral service for his friend and fellow soldier, Alexis Helmer, who died in a chlorine gas attack by the Germans, he penned "In Flanders Fields."  Less than three years later, John McCrae, worn down by years of war service, would die of pneumonia in January 1918 before World War I had ended..

Moina Belle Michael was an American professor and humanitarian who conceived the idea of using poppies as a symbol of remembrance for those who served in World War I.  In November 1918, she wrote a poem in response to "In Flanders Fields" called "We Shall Keep the Faith".

        We Shall Keep the Faith
            by Moina Michael

          Oh! you who sleep in Flanders fields,
          Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
          We caught the torch you threw 
          And holding high, we keep the Faith
          With All who died.

          We cherish, too, the poppy red
          That grows on fields where valor led;
          It seems to signal to the skies
          That blood of heroes never dies,
          But lends a lustre to the red
          Of the flower that blooms above the dead
          In Flanders fields.

          And now the Torch and Poppy Red
          We wear in honor of our dead.
          Fear not that ye have died for naught;
          We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought

          In Flanders fields.

On the morning of Remembrance Day, Sunday, November 11, 2018, Elder and Sister Burkinshaw visited the Brookwood American Military Cemetery in Woking a southwest suburb of London.   

Sister Burkinshaw at the gate to the Brookwood Military Cemetery.  This cemetery has sections for American, Canadian and British Soldiers.

Sister Burkinshaw in the Canadian section of the Brookwood Military Cemetery. In the background, you can see a crowd of people, dressed in their Sunday best, gathered for a Remembrance Day service. 

The American Battle Monument Commission is responsible for the maintenance of cemeteries worldwide for American soldiers.  The Brookwood Cemetery includes 468 American soldiers who died in Great Britain or it's surrounding waters during World War I.  The chapel wall includes the names of 563 American sailors whose graves are at sea. 

Sister Burkinshaw with the grave markers and chapel at Brookwood American Military Cemetery. 

"With God is their Reward" is the inscription inside the cemetery chapel.  The names of the 468 Army soldiers buried on the grounds and the names of the 563 Navy sailors buried at sea are inscribed on the walls of the chapel.

Brookwood American Cemetery Chapel.

Elder Burkinshaw with the grave markers and chapel of the Brookwood American Military Cemetery.

Beautiful Fall day at the Brookwood Military Cemetery with the columned monument to the soldiers missing in action during World War I.

The road leading out of the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Woking, UK.

The Addlestone Ward meetinghouse with the fence decorated with Remembrance Day poppies.

For Remembrance Day Sunday, November 11, 2018, members of the church attended Remembrance Day services in their various communities in the morning and at 1:00pm we had a one-hour sacrament meeting.  Sister Burkinshaw accompanied several special musical numbers for the Remembrance Day sacrament meeting.  One of the most touching numbers was a special British patriotic hymn called "I Vow to Thee My Country."  The following video provides the song and displays the lyrics.

      I Vow to Thee, My Country
          by Cecil Spring-Rice

          I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
          Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
          The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
          That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
          The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
          The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

          And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
          Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
          We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
          Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
          And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
          And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.


The final line of the second verse is based on Proverbs 3:17, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace" (KJV), in the context of which the feminine pronoun refers to Wisdom.

The British politician David Lloyd George is reputed to have said of World War I, "This war is the war to end all wars."  World War I would result in the death of 10 million soldiers (6 million Allied soldiers and 4 million Central Powers soldiers) and another 8 million civilian deaths of which 6 million deaths were the result of war-related famine or disease.  Unfortunately, it would be less than 20 years when World War II would erupt, tripling the casualties of World War I and bringing forth the weapon to end all weapons, the atomic bomb.  "The war to end all wars" was obviously an illusion.

In his 1948 Armistice speech, General Omar N. Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States made the following statement:

"With the monstrous weapons man already possesses, humanity is in danger of being trapped in this world by its moral adolescence. Our knowledge of science has clearly outstripped our capacity to use it. We have too many men of science; too few men of God. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Man is stumbling blindly through a spiritual darkness while toying with the precarious secrets of life and death. The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living." (Omar N. Bradley, "Armistice Day Address," Boston, MA, November 10, 1948)

President Howard W. Hunter taught:

"The world in which we live, whether close to home or far away, needs the gospel of Jesus Christ. It provides the only way the world will ever know peace. We need to be kinder with one another, more gentle and forgiving. We need to be slower to anger and more prompt to help. We need to extend the hand of friendship and resist the hand of retribution. In short, we need to love one another with the pure love of Christ, with genuine charity and compassion and, if necessary, shared suffering, for that is the way God loves us.

"We need a more peaceful world, growing out of more peaceful families and neighborhoods and communities. To secure and cultivate such peace, “we must love others, even our enemies as well as our friends.” The world needs the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who are filled with the love of Christ do not seek to force others to do better; they inspire others to do better, indeed inspire them to the pursuit of God. We need to extend the hand of friendship. We need to be kinder, more gentle, more forgiving, and slower to anger. We need to love one another with the pure love of Christ. May this be our course and our desire." (Howard W. Hunter, "A More Excellent Way", GC April 1992)

And so it is with renewed dedication to our sacred mission to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we continue our service here in the London Temple.  As we covenant to keep all the laws, rites and ordinances of the Gospel as taught in the Temple, we bring peace to our hearts and peace to our homes.  And eventually peace to all the world.

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw   

October 1-31, 2018 - Autumn, Basildon Park, Eltham and Hampton Court Palaces

October has definitely been a month of transition as the London Temple reopened and we said goodbye to daylight savings time (which happens in the UK one week before the US) and the weather changed from an unusually warm Summer to a brisk and colorful Autumn (Fall is not used as a descriptor of the season).

This is what the temple looks like in the early morning hours when we walk before our shift.

The London Temple with the harvest moon.

The London Temple with reflecting pond and beautiful autumn colors.

Autumn foliage on the London Temple grounds.

Colors around the temple patron accommodation center.

The Fall colors on the grounds of the London Temple.

After an unusual (this year) rainy morning, we saw a beautiful rainbow behind our flat in the Lodge. This was taken from our living room window.

Standen House, just a few miles from the Temple, also has beautiful autumn colors and delicious homemade bread and tomato basil soup, if your there on the right day. 

Basildon Park

On our off-Monday, we visited Basildon Park which is about 70 miles northwest (90 minute drive) from the Temple which is about half-way to Bath. 

Basildon Park is a country home/estate built in 1776 designed by John Carr in the Palladian style.  It was owned by several families and, during World War I, it was requisitioned by the British government as a convalescent hospital for wounded soldiers.  During World War II it was again requisitioned and served as a barracks, a training ground for tanks, and finally a prisoner of war camp.  By 1952, the once opulent home was in such bad condition that it was slated to be torn down.  However, Lord Edward Langton Iliffe, 2nd Baron Iliffe and his wife Charlotte Gilding, Lady Iliffe, saw potential in the home and using materials from other estates which were to be demolished, they restored the home.  The Iliffe's were childless and gave the estate to National Trust who owns and maintains it today.    

The Palladian-style Basildon Park home with it's north (left) and south (right) pavilions.

The Entrance Hall of the Basildon Park estate.

Lord Iliffe's library in Basildon Park, designed as the "masculine" room of the estate.

The Basildon Octagon room with original mirror but drapes and wall coverings "repurposed" from Blenheim Palace.

The Basildon Park Dining Room, redone by Lord and Lady Iliffe since many of the original furnishings had been sold to the Waldorf Astoria hotel in 1929 by the previous owner.

The "Basildon Room" in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York City.  It contains the original fireplace, mirrors and wall and ceiling paintings from the Dining Room of Basildon Park.  

The grand stairway (note the cantilevered steps) with Sister and Elder McQuivey who accompanied us on this visit to Basildon Park.

Sister Burkinshaw was invited to play the piano in the grand stairway room of Basildon Park.

One of the most unique rooms in Basildon Park wash the Shell room, decorated with various shells that Lord and Lady Iliffe collected during their world travels.

A close-up of one of the cabinets in the shell room.

The neoclassic east front to Basildon Park as opposed to the Palladin-design on the opposite side.

Eltham Palace

Eltham Palace, located in southeast London, was originally occupied by King Edward III and it was here that the inspiration for the Most Royal Order of the Garter (see Windsor Palace post) occurred.  This was also one of the places where young prince Henry VIII grew up and where he was first introduced to Sir Thomas More who became one of his councilors.  With the rebuilding of Greenwich Palace closer to London's center, Eltham Palace became less frequented and by the late 1890's had fallen into total ruin.  The current home, which connects to the original great hall, was built in 1933 by Stephen Courtauld and his wife Virginia "Ginie" Courtauld.  They lived there until near the end of World War II and then gave the palace to the Royal Army Educational Corps and today it is managed by National Trust. 

Sister Burkinshaw welcomes us to the north side of Eltham Palace which is the newer (1933) side of the house.

A panoramic view of Eltham Palace with the "Great Hall" of the original palace on the right.

Eltham Palace from the south side showing the new house on the right with the "Great Hall" on the left.

Sister Burkinshaw in the sunken gardens on the west side of Eltham Palace where the "Great Hall" is visible.  

More of the sunken gardens.

Some of the remaining fall flowers in the garden.

Sister Burkinshaw in front of the 15th century bridge across the moat on the beautiful grounds of Eltham Palace.

Close-up of the 15th century bridge across the moat.

The Great Hall was restored in 1933 and it is now used for weddings and other receptions. The son of one of the couples working at the London Temple had his civil marriage here before being sealed in the Temple.

An outside view of the Great Hall from the front of the Palace.

Sister Burkinshaw's favorite room at Eltham Palace, the sun room.

Hampton Court Palace 

Hampton Court Palace is 12 miles south west of central London on the River Thames.  The original palace was built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey until he fell out of favor with King Henry VIII in 1529. Henry VIII later enlarged it along with other later kings.  Today, the palace is open to the public and is a major tourist attraction.  The palace served as the location for the film A Man for All Seasons (1966). It also appeared in the miniseries John Adams (2008) where Adams was received by King George III as the first U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St James's. The palace was used in the film To Kill a King (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) and in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011). The palace also served as a location for the live action film of Disney's Cinderella (2015), directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Lily James and Richard Madden.

Ariel view of Hampton Court Palace.

Sister Burkinshaw standing in front of Hampton Court Palace.

Sister Burkinshaw in the Courtyard, the barrels covered speakers that had sounds and conversations that would have been taking place during Henry VIII's day.

Inner Court and fountain of Hampton Court Palace.

King Henry VIII commissioned the Story of Abraham Series of tapestries in 1540 to commemorate the birth of his male heir, Prince Edward from his third wife, Jane Seymour, who died of complications associated with the birth.  The tapestries were of astonishing value (£2,000 in 1540 which today would be worth over £20,000,000) but their worth was not purely financial. Henry VIII may have framed Abraham's story as similar to his own political and religious situation.  Tapestries were the most elegant form of art at the time.

Sister Burkinshaw in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Castle where the Abraham Tapestries, commemorating events in the life of Father Abraham, are hung.  You can see how large (16 ft x 25 ft) and therefore heavy they are.  The pigments have faded over the nearly 500 years since they were created but the artwork is still amazing.

Tapestry of Abraham's Purchase of the Field of Ephron.

Tapestry of the return of Sarah.

Tapestry of God appearing to Abraham.

Tapestry of the circumcision of Isaac and the expulsion of Hagar.

Tapestry of Eliezer and Rebekah at the well.

Tapestry of the departure of Abraham.

Tapestry of the separation of Abraham and Lot,

Tapestry of the oath and departure of Eliezer.

Tapestry of the sacrifice of Isaac.

Tapestry of the meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek.

Stained glass in the Great Watching Chamber of Hampton Court Castle.

Henry VIII (1491–1547) became King of England in 1509. He started out as a good monarch, sensible, reasonable and pleasant, but later his behavior changed drastically. He became irascible, intolerant, violent and tyrannical. In January 1536, Henry had a serious jousting accident and was unconscious for 2 h. It is generally believed that this accident played a major role in his personality change. Letters of that time, however, indicate that the change began insidiously in 1534 and became most drastic in 1535, a year before the accident. Henry had suffered from leg ulcers before and after the accident and had been constantly treated for them for many years. Prescriptions for the medications used to treat these ulcers contained a high proportion of lead in various forms. Lead can be absorbed through skin, especially damaged skin. Absorbed lead can affect the brain, causing psychiatric problems, especially those associated with violence. One hypothesis is that  absorbed lead from his medications were a major factor in King Henry’s personality change.

In 1534, Henry VIII declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England.  He believed that he had direct and privileged access to God and the Pope was therefore unnecessary.  Henry justified this through his reading of the Bible, as we can see in this brutal painting that Henry commissioned where the four writers of the Gospels are crushing the Pope with rocks.

The Women's Bathroom complete with bathtub shown in the the middle.

The Men's bathroom with no tub but lots of cologne.

This was King Edward III's toilet, which one might call "The Royal Throne." ;-)

These are folded cloth napkins, prepared for entertaining those you wished to impress.

Private Royal Dining Room at Hampton Court Palace.

Weapons such as pistols, rifles and knives were used to create decorations on the walls.

This is the chocolate room where Thomas Tosier, chocolate maker to King George I (1714-1727) and King George II (1727-1760), put the final touches to the King's chocolate drink.  Chocolate was a luxury, far more expensive than tea or coffee.  It was laced with exotic spices, served in gold and silver chocolate pots and drunk from porcelain cups. 

The fountains in east front of Hampton Court Palace 

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw with the reflecting pool and River Thames in the background.

The palaces and castles of England have been very interesting and have provided thought-provoking insights into the history of western civilization.  However, as we have served in the temple, the language of kingdoms and thrones and power points beyond this mortal life.

President Russell M Nelson has said,

"Brethren and sisters, material possessions and honors of the world do not endure. But your union as wife, husband, and family can. The only duration of family life that satisfies the loftiest longings of the human soul is forever. No sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage. To qualify, one needs only to deny oneself of ungodliness and honor the ordinances of the temple. By making and keeping sacred temple covenants, we evidence our love for God, for our companion, and our real regard for our posterity—even those yet unborn. Our family is the focus of our greatest work and joy in this life; so will it be throughout all eternity, when we can 'inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, … powers, dominions, … exaltation and glory.'" (Russell M Nelson, “Set in Order Thy House”, GC October 2001)

Elder and Sister Burkinshaw