Salt Leaven and Light

It was a red cabbage that sparked the idea.

Having several red cabbages on hand with no idea how to use them, I searched online for a red cabbage recipe and happened upon a recipe for German Red Cabbage.

Since I have Swiss-German ancestry, I thought it would be fun to find some family history stories to share as we ate our German Red Cabbage today.

Turns out, it was a great idea for we had a very enjoyable lunch as we learned more about an ancestor’s journey to America on the S.S. Minnesota in 1874.

We saw pictures of the ship and of the ancestor;

read a letter to President Joseph F. Smith, written by a missionary returning to the States on the S.S. Minnesota–a letter that included fascinating details about our ancestor’s journey;

and learned more about our ancestor upon their arrival to the States, for instance, how he helped build the St. George Temple,

how he lost two young sons within 6 weeks of each other to an epidemic,

and how he lived a faith-filled life, despite the trials that came his way.

Who knew that a single conversation held over red cabbage could spark a deeper love of family,

increase our desire to Gather Israel,

and renew our determination to live a faith-filled life, come what may?

Red cabbage is packed with nutrition to keep us physically strong.

Have you had a healthy dose of red cabbage lately?

Family history stories are packed with meaningful experiences that can help to keep us spiritually and emotionally strong.

Have you had a healthy dose of family history stories lately?