Post #22 - Summer is HERE!

Summer has finally come to Salt Lake City with HOT days – in the 90˚s – not up to Arizona’s 120˚+, thank goodness!  On one of the earlier days this month, when temperatures were much cooler, we got in some walks around our neighborhood in Herriman on our P-day (personal day - i.e. preparation day – to do laundry, shopping, etc.).  We love the views from near our Herriman house down to the south end of the Salt Lake Valley.  

With paved hiking trails, this ravine near our house in Herriman is a good place for a walk.

Flowers are beautiful on Temple Square, with roses in bloom.  

We love the tall hollyhocks near the Family History Library.  Our favorites are these double red ones.    Glen hopes to gather seed and plan them in our Herriman yard.

Near our SLC apartment, in the middle of the road across from the Conference Center are these “natural gardens” with cacti and other colorful desert plants.  

On June 10, 2016, we went to the Bells on Temple Square Concert in the Tabernacle with our friends the Pococks, beginning the evening with dinner together at our house. 

L to R - Sister Dolberg, Sister Sondra Pocock, Elder Kent Pocock, & Elder Dolberg in our little kitchen

 This group of bell-ringers sometimes also performs with the Tabernacle Choir, but this was a concert all on their own. 

Along with the Pirate costuming here the Ringers also added little costume accents for other number like bee-antennae for their performance of Flight of the Bumble Bee.

 It was great with bells of all sizes and shapes doing a great variety of musical pieces.  In this photo some of the “ringers” are wearing pirate hats, scarves, or eye patches since they’d just finished doing a piece from “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Elder & Sister Dolberg with Sister Sondra Pocock & Elder Pocock in the balcony of the Tabernacle

The Pirate accents are easier to see in this picture. See the parrot on the shoulder of the one Ringer?

On Saturday June 11, 2016,  the Family History Library held a “Block Party” to introduce the public to the Library. 

As you can see a thunderstorm literally “rained” on the event.  The entire block between the FHL and Temple Square was blocked off and family-friendly activities went on in spite of the rain!  

Face painting was popular among the little ones as well as several inflatables. 

Some of the children learned about pioneer crafts from this man demonstrating stone-cutting.

Bigger kids anticipated a try at climbing the rock wall.  

Some of the events, such as a troupe of Polynesian dancers, brought their entertainment inside the Family History Library. 

The dancers performed just inside the front door of the Family History Library.

The next day (Sunday June 12, 2016) after attending the Tabernacle Choir broadcast of Music and the Spoken Word, we went for a walk up in the “Avenues” northeast of Temple Square.  The houses there are so beautiful!  (

We especially love this beautiful house. Anyone want to buy it for us?

The Church Office building was so pretty with the pond made from City Creek in the foreground.  

Subsequent pictures in this blog are taken from the 24th floor of this building!

We walked around the Brigham Young Historic Park, which was originally part of the personal property of Brigham Young.  

The gardens and statues in the park show what it was like in the days when it was the vegetable garden for Brigham’s family. 

Elder Dolberg reviews the growth of the vegetable garden.

The old waterwheel is still there, now more scenic than useful. 

The bronze statue of the would-be swimmer add the artistic touch to this serene setting.

Later that day after our Sunday church services, we went in search of Brigham Young’s burial place, located in the Mormon Pioneer Memorial Park.  

The park has memorials to other pioneers, including Eliza R. Snow and William Clayton (who wrote the famous Mormon hymn “Come, Come Ye Saints.”)  In this small park is located the simple grave of Brigham Young and a few of his wives and children. 

This statue of Brigham Young reading to two of his children is a reminder that he was a great family man as well as Church and civic leader.  

Elder Dolberg even made his own literary contribution.

We continued our walk to the Catholic Church of the Madeleine, where there was a concert of the Phoenix Youth Choirs.  This photo of one of the younger choirs in costume shows the colorful interior of the Catholic church.

Approx. 250 exuberant young people in various groupings sang to us.

Walking home late that night we enjoyed the view of the Salt Lake Temple at night as well as “our own” Family History Library. 

Salt Lake City Temple at Night

Family History Library at Night

Every two months our church “branch,” which includes half of the 500 full-time missionaries in our mission, has an “Aloha Social” to welcome (“Aloha”) the new members entering the mission as well as to say good-bye “Aloha” those who will soon be leaving.  Here we are lined up with some of those who will leaving in June or July.  

L-R: Elder & Sister Dolberg, Sister Marilyn Smith, Elder Roger Smith, and others whom we know less well

Our next month’s missionary Blog will be our final one, since our final day of our 18-month mission will be July 27.  The entertainment that evening was a piano and organ concert by our branch President Herbert Klopfer and his wife Carolyn. Both are excellent musicians! 

Pres. & Sister Klopfer - We hope we can do so well when we are 80 yrs. old.

Here is the recent photo of SOME of the 1200 missionaries in our mission.  Not all were in attendance for the photo, because some only serve on a few days a week.  If you look closely, you can find Bonnie on the front row at the right side in a light pink shirt.  Glen is behind and slightly to the right of her. 

On a sad note, we went to the funeral of one of our Stockton friends, Gail Larsen.  She and her husband Craig moved to Utah several years ago.  Here we are at the funeral luncheon afterwards with some of our Stockton friends who were able to attend.  

L-R: Darwin & Gloria Burton, Bp. & Sister Walker, Rick & Judy Salway, Elder & Sister Dolberg

Last Sunday June 19, 2016 we got a tour of the 24^th floor of the Church Office Building from Elder and Sister Donovan.  We were just newly assigned to be their home teacher/visiting teacher.  They have their office there as part as the Military Relations section of the Family and Priesthood Department. 

Sister & Elder Donovan

Here are some of the pictures we took from their 24th story windows!!   

The Salt Lake City Temple from near the top of the Church Office Building

The Utah State Capital Building from near the top of the Church Office Building

A big part of our mission for Bonnie has been her calling to direct and to conduct the mission’s 70-voice Elijah Choir. It has been a blessing to be able to work with so many fine musicians as we seek to bring the Spirit of the Lord into our meetings through music.   Glen caught a picture of Bonnie conducting a rehearsal of the choir.  

Not all members of the choir attend rehearsals all of the time because of competing duties.

Sadly our next blog post will be our final post of this mission.  It has been a wonderful year and half.  Now more adventures will await us in future years.