HISTORY

A Little History:
Our story begins in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 1972, when the lovely Debby Christensen agreed to a first, though fateful date with admirer, David Croshaw. Long story-short, he bade her follow him, and they went arm-in-arm to the Logan, Utah temple for establishment of an eternal family unit, Generation 1, on May 23 1973.

From their first blissful summer in Salt Lake City, educational pursuits took them to Provo/Orem, Utah, birthplace of Leslie and Rebecca, and to San Francisco/Oakland California, birthplace of Colin and Matt. Then, for establishment of livelihood, expansion of the tribe with Abby and Dana, and for raising/unifying of Generation 2, it was back to the roots in Pocatello for a rewarding sojourn.

In time, driven by a raging, but commonly shared sense of adventure and independence, one-by-one, Generation 2 escaped the homeland to distant regions of the country and the world, each ultimately developing their own tribal expansions by pairing with worthy mates and initiating Generation 3.

Now sensing fulfillment of their purpose in Pocatello, Generation 1 has also left those roots and transplanted to Cascade Idaho, from which base, they anticipate more abundant contact with The Posterity, Generations 2 and 3, in the future. That contact however, awaits fulfillment of a call to LDS missionary service in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wherein they hope to help the state of the world by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

So now, including Generation 0 (Grandma and Grandpa Christensen) home base includes Yuma, Arizona, Pocatello, Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Vancouver, BC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spokane, Washington, Boise, Idaho, Los Angeles, California, back to Boise, Idaho, and on and on (Generation 3+) to infinity.

Our Mission Statement:
This is the blog of our eternal family unit. Initiated years ago, it served well as a journal, but even more so, as an archive of our personal interaction. It was a gathering place, a confabulation instrument, a unifying force for four generations of widely dispersed and progressively prolific posterity, and their valued associates. Though it served these purposes well for many years, it eventually took a back seat to new-kids-on-the-block, Facebook, and Instagram, and was sadly forgotten.

We now move to resurrect this blog with an added functional purpose of archiving the missionary experiences of Generation 1, of their movements and activities as they participate with The Gathering of Israel in the land northward. In so doing, we hope that via their own comments and posts, this blog will again serve to gather and unify the posterity and their friends.

As in the past, that the young and vibrant may know the old and tired, that enduring bonds may be fostered and maintained, that experience and encouragement may be openly shared, that posterity may embrace truth, and that hearts may be knit together, we must resist detachment despite our geographic divergence. We shall do so here.
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008


I am so sad that Elder Withlin has died, but, what a reunion he is having with his family, especially his wife. Thought I would post this bio from lds. org.


Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin was ordained an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 9, 1986. He was sustained and set apart as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles on April 4, 1975 and served in that capacity until he was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1976. He was set apart in the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy August 28, 1986, where he was serving when called to be an Apostle.

Elder Wirthlin was born in Salt Lake City on June 11, 1917 to Joseph L. and Madeline Bitner Wirthlin. His Father served as the Presiding Bishop of the Church.

Elder Wirthlin graduated from the University of Utah in Business Administration. He received from Brigham Young University a Doctorate of Christian Service Honoris Causa, April 26, 2001. He is an Eagle Scout. He was active in athletics in high school and played football (running back) at the University of Utah.

Before his call as a General Authority, he was a prominent business leader in Salt Lake City. He was also president of a trade association in Utah.

Elder Wirthlin served a mission to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the late 1930s. Among other positions in the stake and ward auxiliaries, he has served as a counselor in the Bonneville Ward bishopric and as bishop. He was a member of the Bonneville Stake high council and a member of the stake presidency. He served as a counselor in the General Sunday School Presidency until April 1975, when he was called as an Assistant to the Twelve.

He married Elisa Young Rogers May 26, 1941 in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of eight children. Sister Wirthlin passed away on August 16, 2006.

5 comments:

Crystal said...

I had no idea! WOW! That is what happens outside the land o'plenty mormons. I LOVED LOVED LOVED! him!! Always so tender and sweet. I cried when he started flailing during Oct 07 conference and kept talking about love and forgiveness. What a wonderful man. His wife died right before my birthday in 2006, I am sure he was happy to see her again! What a wonderful thing the sealing power on this earth is. Thank you for posting this! I do not know how long it would have been until I heard.

Leslie said...

Thanks for posting this mom. I agree with Crystal, being in a far off place, we often don't hear about these things until long after the fact.

He will definitely be missed. Did you know that L.Tom Perry is now the oldest?

abbynormal said...

I'm not even in that far-off of a place, and I didn't even know until someone mentioned it in a prayer during institute. His tender heart will surely be missed.

Leslie, I was actually wondering just this morning who was the oldest now. Thanks for that.

abbynormal said...
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Gerald and Cathy said...

what a sweet man he was. i remember at a conference not too long ago when he missed his wife so terribly.and he said something like 'we all have our black friday's, but there is always a sunday. His sunday is finally here and how happy he must be.