Brian, I caught one just like this last year! My lifetime trophy! I ate it.
The Utah State Hospital began as the Territorial Insane Asylum in 1885 at Provo, Utah, with the purpose of housing and treating those considered to be mentally ill and attempting to return them to normal levels of functioning. However, due to limited knowledge about treatment of mental health at the time, the hospital became little more than a place for the mentally ill to live. The site chosen in Provo was eight blocks from the nearest residence and was separated from the city by swampland and the city dump.[1]
In 1903 the Asylum was renamed the Utah State Mental Hospital, and in 1927 it adopted its current name in an effort to eliminate the negative stigma associated with the word “mental.” Long-term patients at the hospital engaged in work therapy, which gave them something to do and also made USH self-sustaining. The hospital originally sat on 600 acres of land, and housed a dairy, a hay barn, and a piggery, as well as chickens, rabbits, and pigeons. Residents took care of the animals and also harvested fruits and vegetables from the orchards and gardens on campus.
As more and more patients began their indefinite incarceration at the hospital, problems of overcrowding arose. In the 1940s USH had 700 beds, but the hospital was housing over 1,100 patients. It was not uncommon to see mattresses lining the hallways, and the large surplus of patients made it difficult for staff members to focus their attention on individuals. Dr. Owen P. Heninger became the superintendent of USH in 1942. He recognized the need for change at the hospital, and as a result, he pioneered a new treatment philosophy. His new treatments included adopting smaller treatment units, involving patients in the implementation of their own treatment plans, and encouraging more humane treatment.
Another influential figure in USH's history is Lucy Beth Rampton, Utah’s first lady in the 60s and 70s. She was a well-respected member of the community who happened to struggle with depression. Her open discussion of her illness helped quell some of the stigma surrounding mental illness, and her advocacy for treatment of mental illness helped raise awareness about mental health in Utah.
In 1969, USH’s role changed. Care for the mentally ill shifted from institutional care to community-based care. Treatment was offered closer to home. USH eventually adopted the practice that it still follows today: only those with severe mental illness are admitted for ongoing treatment. Today the Utah State Hospital provides 324 beds for Utah's mentally ill persons who require treatment in a more structured setting and are assessed to be unable to receive adequate treatment at regional centers. Those patients include children, youth, and adults. USH now provides numerous therapy options, as well as a forensics unit to rehabilitate patients who have committed criminal acts. Our patients stay at USH for an average of six months. The hospital has developed specialized programs for children, youth, and adults. USH offers a wide variety of treatments to accommodate patients’ needs. Some treatments involve physical and occupational therapy, while others, such as pediatric playgroups, community cooking, and outdoor youth activities, contribute to overall mental and emotional well-being.
SO LAST NIGHT I GAVE THE ABOVE TO ERIN MADISON. SHE TEASED ME LAST WEEK ABOUT GETTING OUT JUST long enough TO COME TO BOM CLASS ON THURSDAY NIGHTS BECAUSE I SANG A LOUD HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER. JANICEV HAD BROUGHT A CHEESECAKE AND ERIN HAS A NEW CALLING IN HER WARD'S YOUNG WOMENS.
ERIN ENJOYED READING IT BEFORE THE LESSON. IT WAS ON THE BACK OF THE LETTER I HAD PLANNED FOR REX. She suggested I not hand it to him with that side showing.
Serve with the Spirit
[I love the part above about HBE's ancestors. "and even more miraculous, that they knew the message was true."]vj"The boy and the girl chose to be baptized. The two of them met for the first time on the dusty trail years later, walking hundreds of miles to the mountains of western America. They talked as they walked. What they talked about was the miraculous blessing that in all the world, the servants of God had found them and even more miraculous, that they knew their message was true."
President George Q. Cannon had more than his fair share of sorrow, opposition, and trials in his years of priesthood service. He also had experience with the Holy Ghost as his companion in difficult times and hard service. This is the assurance to us in our priesthood service, in the Church and in our families. For me the promise has been true when I have felt the Spirit in my priesthood service. “Whenever darkness fills our minds,we may know that we are not possessed of the Spirit of God. … When we are filled with the Spirit of God we are filled with joy, with peace, and with happiness, no matter what our circumstances may be; for it is a spirit of cheerfulness and of happiness. The Lord has given unto us the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is our privilege to have that Holy Ghost reign within us, so that from morning till night and from night till morning we shall have the joy, the light and the revelation thereof.”
Look and Live
"“The soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way” ( Num. 21:4 ), and once again they murmured against the Lord and Moses. So “the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people” ( Num. 21:6 ). Recognizing their sin, the people pled with Moses to petition the Lord for deliverance. Rather than simply taking the serpents away, the Lord chose to teach His people about faith and salvation through Christ. He instructed Moses to fashion a serpent of brass and mount it on a tall pole, and “if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” ( Num. 21:9 ).
The prophet Nephi referred to these snakes as “fiery flying serpents” ( 1 Ne. 17:41 ). What kind of a serpent was it? The Hebrew word for fiery means “burning,” a probable reference to the burning pain of the bite."
Hold Up Your Hands
"And I would remind everyone of that thrilling occasion when Moses was leading the children of Israel in their battle against the Amalekites. Moses took the rod of God in his hands and went to the top of a sacred mount, where he held up his hands to God over the battle; and as long as Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed. But when he let his hands down, the Amalekites prevailed. And as Moses’ arms became heavy with weariness, Aaron and Hur stood on either side of Moses and helped him to hold up his hands until the battle was won. (See Ex. 17:8–12.)"
