First,
General Conference was absolutely amazing. I feel like every single talk was an answer to my prayers. Sometime I feel like how am I supposed to raise my kids in this morally desensitizing world and then I listened to conference and it was like a breath of fresh air.
We welcomed October with some Halloween PJ's!!
Also with the one of our fav movies Hotel Transylvaina!!
Ive been on a root vegetable kick. Time to get "squashed!"
Curried Apple Butternut Squash Soup!
Pumpkin Soup! Both so yummy!
I have also been canning my little booty off. 120 lbs of apples turned into lots of applesauce, apple pie filling and apple butter!
And lots of almond flour apple cobbler too!
Yes, and PEARS!! Syrup was made with raw honey! So good. I'm sad I did not get to do peaches this year. Next year for sure.
Oh yes and famous salsa!! Turned out so so so awesome!! I'm seriously addicted to canning, I love it so much. Something so gratifying about preserving food! Shout out to Bri for all her help!
Jakes Gluten Free market is so awesome and I spend way to much money there. These pumpkin cookies were so yumo!!
We visited the pumpkin patch for Porters preschool field trip!
Eany -Meany-miney-mo--there were so many to choose from! We had so much fun!
We have the nicest neighbors who brought us over some yummy Halloween sugar cookies!!
We have actually had some really warm October days here in ID so we are enjoying them while we can!
Every time we go to the store we raid the Halloween aisle. LOL!
Traditional pumpkin carving!!
The boys had a blast!
Our Pumpkins!
They turned out pretty good for free handing it since we lost our patterns.
Lighting them up!!
YAY, they looked so good. We sat and watched them for about 10 minuets while the boys made up their own Halloween stories about pumpkins...haha!
Awesome!
Oh and this book is read about 100 times a day. We love little critter books. Total tradition over here.
'Tis the Halloween Season!
OK so final thoughts....
The other day I was involved in a conversation that brought up the question if Christians, specifically Mormons should celebrate Halloween. As I was asked this, I was taken back for a minuet because my first thought was why not?
Then I started thinking.... We are to avoid all appearance of evil, yes that is correct, but is Halloween really evil? Since we are taught to live in the world and not of the world so should we really be going with the mainstream and celebrating this holiday?
First, the Church has no stance on whether or not we should celebrate this specific holiday.
This article sums it up pretty nicely regarding our beliefs on Halloween and how we as Latter Day Saints celebrate it.
"Mormons receive no official guidance one way or the other regarding Halloween. Instead, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages members to seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost in making appropriate decisions. For the most part, however, Mormons are just like members of any other faith when it comes to celebrating Halloween."
Here is my take on it. Somewhere, in the halls of history, Halloween or "All Hallows Eve", got hijacked by the mainstream. What started as a day to prepare for All Saint Day, Halloween became a spooky, evil, and candy filled observance. The term “Halloween” from its beginnings, had nothing to do with any pagan or evil beliefs though we can argue that even Christmas and Easter are pagan Holidays as well. The Christian festival All Hallows Eve morphed into our current term Hallow-een.
I believe Satan can make anything evil even if it was once a good thing. Evil themes in our current secular society were not always present as they are now. Halloween does not have to be a time to worship Satan or to do evil things. Its a time to make memories with family-- Dressing up, carving pumpkins, baking treats, playing in the leaves, going to pumpkin patches, ect, ect. It's all about fun not evil. I think when age appropriate spooky movies and haunted house are deemed appropriate. I will assure you that our costumes will not be evil, super gory and will be modest!
I feel the darkness of Halloween can be completely avoided if you are observing the Halloween holiday with the spirit. You know how they talk about the spirit of things? Well, its the same concept. It's all in why you are celebrating Halloween. I assure you Mormons do not celebrate Halloween to worship evil doings or Satan. We like to throw parties but I assure you that everything we do at those parties will be wholesome. Most of us celebrate Halloween because family is central to our Church and holidays are centered around fun festivities (parades, games, contest, ect), they gather families and help create lasting memories!!
Personally, I feel Satan wants to win and if I choose not celebrate it because of what the mainstream has made Halloween out to be (centered around evil) then he wins. I don't have to and wont center my Halloween around evil. Sure I like to spook my kids, tell them small scary stores, ect, but it's all in the spirit of fun, not evil. I would never want to take this away from my children. It's such a great holiday, I even look forward to it every year. As you know I'm obsessed with fall and its seriously is my favorite time of year! In my honest opinion, I think the evil would be robbing your children and yourself of such a great holiday. Having said that I respect anyone who chooses not to celebrate this holiday.
So should Christians, specifically Mormons celebrate Halloween?
The Answer is YES!
However if you choose not to that is totally fine. We have our agency to choose what we feel is best for our own families.
"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
Halloween can be all of these things.
I believe Halloween is what we make it.
So with that, Happy first part of Halloween!
Stay tuned for more Halloween Awesomeness!!
