Trying out their costumes a few weeks before Halloween. Penny Panda.
Diana Cowgirl
Douglas Chicken
Painting pumpkins one week before Halloween.
Ready for candy! They went trick-or-treating this evening with Taylor and Dan (Taylor's fiancé).
Friday, October 31, 2025
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Mom's funeral (Marcia Ogden)
Mom ate a lot of beans for the last decade or so of her life (she followed the "bean protocol," by Karen Hurd). So, it was appropriate these guys chose to play a game about beans one day before Mom's funeral.
Today was a beautiful, heart-wrenching, uplifting day.
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Lizzie, Sara, and Sam dressed Mom's body in her temple clothes prior to the funeral.
Some of the displays at the viewing. Dad put together this beautiful booklet of tributes to Mom from his journal entries.
Douglas, Penny, and Diana next to their Granny's casket.
Bishop Hoopes waiting for our family to be seated to begin the funeral service.
Sara speaking about Mom.
Mom's grandchildren sang "I am a child of God" in four languages.
The funeral home recorded the entire service for us.
On our way to the cemetery.
Having a little talk with Dan Urbina.
Sara offered some remarks at the gravesite. I love that she shared Alma 40:12 - "And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow."
Mom is righteous! I know she is at peace. No more suffering.
Doug Hammond (Mom's brother) dedicated the grave.
Dad saying goodbye to Mom's body until the resurrection.
With Sam and the kids.
Dad with some of his siblings (Audrie, Bruce, and Danette).
Mom's surviving siblings (Gib, Mona, Kathy, Judy, Doug).
Family photo with Dad.
Sara, Joseph, Dad, Daniel, Lizzie
Diana was happy to take some of the funeral flowers. She loves flowers!
Oskar, Douglas, and Sara relaxing around the dining table.
Dad and Lizzie
Everyone had fun watching the BYU football team beat the U of U tonight. We initially talked about how it would be a nice way to decompress after the funeral, but it's impossible to "decompress" when BYU plays the U of U. 😁
The following are remarks mostly prepared by Lizzie, which she and I delivered after the singing of "I am a child of God" in four languages:
Marcia Hammond Ogden’s Life Sketch
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Delivered by Daniel Ogden (son) and Elizabeth Agle (daughter)
Daniel: Well, that was almost all the languages of our family, but Mom forgot one. Or probably left it out because I’m the only one who speaks it and I’m not singing a solo, haha. Here you go, Mudda, in your honor, I would like to round out the languages of our family. Here is “I Am A Child Of God” in Arabic. Mom loved, and had a talent for, languages. Okay, for you grandchildren, tell me what and who this reminds you of: “Tu has complido un ano mas,” “This month is such a special month, it’s birthday time for you,” “Happy, Happy Birthday, Sara dear,” “fror lehor gebertstock, in German it means the same,” “You’ve had a birthday, shout hurray,” “Happy birthday dear Sara, happy birthday to you.” That reminds us of Granny! Whenever we gathered for a birthday celebration, Mom always made us sing a bunch of primary “Happy Birthday” songs before blowing out the candles. What a fun tradition.
Elizabeth: How do you sum up a life like Mom’s into a 20-minute package? It’s impossible. I know important things will be missed, but we will succeed in at least one thing that was super important to her: that her funeral not be longer than an hour and ten minutes. Mom was born in Billings, Montana, big sky country, which was poetically appropriate considering she spent the rest of her life valiantly oriented heavenward and encouraging others toward a personal, transformative relationship with their Maker, too. President Oaks once taught, “Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives….We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.” We’d like to share with you how our dearest mother was unwavering in her attention to the best things eternity has to offer.
Daniel: Mom was an insatiable learner and a consummate teacher, and those two character traits were inextricably intertwined for her. She didn’t learn in order to hoard information, entertain herself, or bury talent, she learned in order to share and uplift. She learned cross stitch (a laborious hobby) and gave away her final pieces. She learned to bake bread and gave away her loaves and recipes. She learned to play the organ and played for her church. One of Mom’s favorite past-times was reading and eating. A past-time, by the way, that she has passed down to many of her grateful kids and grandkids. She would sit at the table with a plate of beans, eggs, and bell peppers, and read about survivors of WW2, or the first woman to swim the English Channel, or the birth of the US Navy. No uplifting book subject was off limits to her curious mind and she especially loved historical narratives and books about men and women who inspired. The book titled simply, “Grant,” by Ron Chernow, was one of the last books Mom read and, being the passionate peacemaker she is, she especially loved that Grant always sought peace and mercy, rather than punishment and revenge. President Russell M. Nelson counseled, “The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade and inspire. No matter how difficult the situation, true disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.” Mother was a true disciple of Jesus Christ, and perpetuating the peace she pondered and practiced was paramount to her. (aside) She also loved a good literary device like alliteration. 🙂
Elizabeth: During the summers of her college years, Mom learned to teach the skill of swimming and then spent the rest of her life teaching her kids, grandkids, neighbor kids, friends’ kids, and more how to have peace around water. She has saved the life of more than a couple drowning kids whose harried parents got distracted for a moment. She loved teaching children this critical, life-saving skill. This segues perfectly into Mom’s most cherished subject of both learning and teaching. President Russell M. Nelson imploringly taught, "When you reach up for the Lord's power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.” Mom loved to reach, and teach others to reach, for Jesus. The gospel of Jesus Christ was her everything and the evidence of that was in her quiet and selfless ministry throughout her life. She served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Spain, teaching Europeans the good news of the restoration of Christ’s ancient church in these latter days. She married a professor of ancient scriptures. She served in pretty much every calling the church has to offer. She served as mission leader with Dad in Chile and as MTC Presidents in Guatemala. Toward the end of her life, as osteoporosis, and health complications related to osteoporosis, robbed her of her mobility, she sat in her chair or her bed every day, phone in hand, pondering on her loved ones and how she might elevate their mortal experience through either service or gospel (which are, ultimately, the same thing). What followed those special planning sessions with the Holy Ghost were inspired text messages to friends and family, filled with love and encouragement, or a deposit into a Venmo account of whatever sum of money she thought might be helpful. Her social security stipend was her own to do with as she pleased and if I could pull out her Venmo and show you, you’d see very quickly what pleased her: she has no incoming transactions, only one after the other of outgoing transactions to those she loved so much. She lived so fully the counsel of Becky Craven when she taught, “What promptings have you received? Who do you know that is in need of a heavenly hug? Our personal or virtual touch may make all the difference in the life of a loved one or even a stranger.” Our mother was a relentless and selfless giver.
Daniel: Mom loved the Gospel Library app of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was very adept at using it for her scripture studies. Technology didn’t scare her; she kept up, impressively, with the flood of technological advancements poured over the world during the last decades of her life. One funny anecdote from Mom’s journal in 2016 highlights the effect her digital scripture feasting had on her non-digital existence. She wrote:
I love texting by microphone; it’s so much easier than using the fingers. I also use the microphone to add notes to my scriptures. I have mastered how to add punctuation: periods, commas, quote marks, question marks, parentheses, etc.
Last night, after texting a few people, I was praying with Kelly before going to bed. About five sentences in, I realized I was saying ‘period’ after every sentence. I was pouring out my heart about the state of the Union, ‘period’; about the family, ‘period’; about friends, ‘period.’ When I said Amen, Kelly fell off the couch onto his knees laughing his head off and slapping the floor with his hand. How he ever held in the laughter I will never know. He said between gasps for air, ‘Marcia, do you realize what you just did?’ I said, yes, and that I hoped he hadn’t noticed. We both burst out laughing. Then he said, ‘You were texting Heavenly Father!’ That brought a fresh round of laughter. Sheesh!
The gospel was Mom’s core, her bedrock, her foundation. And not one single soul was outside the reach of her good news trumpet. Often, after concluding matters with various companies’ service representatives on the phone, those representatives would say something like: “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Mom would quickly reply, “Yes, there is one other thing . . . if you are interested in knowing the purpose of life and where we go after we leave this life, you can find wonderful answers on churchofjesuschrist.org.” A number of representatives over the years have responded very positively to Mom’s unabashed invitations. We, her family, are so eternally grateful to her for sharing that gospel focus and strength with us; she knew we would need it in these latter days.
Elizabeth: To Mother, family was second only to faith. She adored her family. I’d like to share Mom’s own journal entries from 1976 when she first met Dad:
August 29, 1976: “Hey world, I met someone I could marry. His name is Kelly Ogden. “Kelly, this is a tribute to you and what you stand for. Long have I searched for someone of your quality.” This Kelly Ogden spoke in our sacrament meeting. A great spirit, and some speaker. Maybe the reason I feel so attracted to him is because I feel so strongly about every point he mentioned in his talk. I asked Jan if he was engaged or going with someone. No, apparently he had to quit [teaching in] the seminary program because he didn’t get married during the years allotted him. I’m so impressed by him. I told Jan to set us up.”
September 2, 1976: “Judy Marten talked to Kelly Ogden and told him she had a friend she wanted him to meet. Someone who had really been impressed by his talk Sunday. Do you know what he told her? He said, “Send her over to my office tomorrow.” Oh boy, stick your foot out, Marcia. How can I do that?
September 3, 1976: “I woke up with the heaviest feeling today. I knew I had to present myself at someone’s office. A few thoughts ran through my mind: ‘I’ll bet tons of girls throw themselves at him. He’ll think I am a real pusher. He probably even has a blessing that says people will flock to him and I’m one of the flockers fulfilling prophecy!’ It got so bad I couldn’t do anything this morning–just fretted trying to think of ways to get out of it. I wanted out and had no desire to make a fool of myself. Pride, you know. I mean, he must already think this Marcia Hammond, what’s with her? Why prove anything? Anyway, I promised myself I’d march right over there after my last class at 2pm and get it finished and off my conscience. Judy was nice enough to set it up (not exactly as I had imagined); I could have the courtesy to show. I actually felt ill before going. I was so frightened. I felt weak, faint, and sick to my stomach. I did not want to do it no matter who or how neat the guy was. I felt justified in going home because I was so weak, could barely climb stairs. On the way across campus, I saw Judy sitting on the lawn. Relief. I could beg off and she could tell him I chickened out. No go. On your way, girl. No sympathy from her. The worst part was entering the building and slowly making my way through the corridors to room 164 Joseph Smith Building. There it was, door ajar. I peeked around the corner so hopeful that he would be gone. The real thing, sitting there big as life talking on the phone. I knocked, ‘Hi, I’m Marcia.’ Silly grin on my face. He invited me to sit down. ‘My word, books all over, Hebrew, etc. He’s out of my class.’ So uncomfortable. I told him I wanted to beg off but needed to show up so I could tell Judy I had come. He wanted to ask a few questions. I just couldn’t settle down the whole time. Felt like a student talking to her professor. I kept asking if I could go now. No, not yet. A few more questions. He got a kick out of the whole thing. Big grin on his face, too. Squirm, Marcia. On my way out he asked if he could come and see me sometime. A half-hearted, ‘sure, as if you really would.’ Lo and behold at 7pm, while I was resting on my bed, my roommate informs me Kelly is here to see me.
What came from Mom’s courage to meet and eventually marry Dad is a family history full of travel, adventure, foreign living, babies, church service, teaching, editing, publishing, lecturing, media interviews, in-laws, grandbabies, traditions, serving, nurturing, joy, and love. But in all of that incredible, wonderful cacophony of circumstance, Mom most adored her husband, her children, and her grandchildren. On Valentine’s Day in 2007, Mom wrote to Dad, “Thank you for your faithfulness to our God, and therefore for your love for me, and your loyalty . . . . May the rest of our lives be endless Valentine Days.” In the last decade, she began what has become an anticipated and beloved tradition with her children and grandchildren. Before leaving a family gathering, she would hide little post-it notes or pieces of paper or writings of whiteboard marker on mirrors that said, “I love you more than….” And what followed the declaration was something either she loved dearly or she knew they loved dearly. “I love you more than beans,” for example; “I love you more than fresh squeezed orange juice”; “I love you more than hearts”; “I love you more than skateboarding”; “I love you more than LEGO.” Oh how we loved finding these precious little notes that let us know there wasn’t anything Granny loved more than her family. The grandkids even started writing those back to her. Diana once shared, “I love you more than flowers.” In her final hours, my son, Soren, was able to send his comatose Granny an audio message from his mission in Johannesburg, South Africa. I played it next to her ear. He finished with, “Granny, I love you more than video games. I love you more than In-N-Out. I love you more than hanging out with friends. I love you more than Shakespeare plays. I love you more than rap music. I love you more than Value Tales books. I love you more than the basement floor play cabinet. I love you more than all these things. And I hope to see you again. I have faith in the gospel that I will.” Mom’s children and grandchildren poignantly fulfill the tender passage in Proverbs 31 that reads, “Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”
Daniel: In her kitchen, Mom has a wall of photos of her family, both ancestors and posterity. Her favorite were two magnetic strips she mounted to the wall and covered in pictures of her grandkids as chubby, mischievous, hilarious, happy babies. Where she sat at the table to read and eat, Mom had a direct-line view of these photos and they brought her so much joy. She loved to gather her family around her. In fact, her favorite gathering activity was (Daniel and Elizabeth invite the kids to do “ready, and, 3, 2, 1” hold out bids) ROOK! Mom was uncannily good at this card game. And while she won more than anyone else, I think she loved most the hilarious banter, laughter, camaraderie, and bonding that developed during the table-rattling playing of ROOK! Finally, Mom loved her siblings. She had a group chat with her sisters where they talked about their children, grandchildren, health, politics, gospel, etc. You name it, they covered it. In her final days and hours, her sisters gathered around her often to share news, humor, and comfort. She looked forward to those visits so much and was so proud to belong to such a valiant family.
Elizabeth: Dad once wrote to Mom: “When we sit around the celestial campfires we will not feel uncomfortable in the company of many noble and great ones; we, too, will have ‘whoppers’ to tell.” Mom herself wrote, “The obedient will never be ordinary people. One hundred percent commitment increases trials. Stake out a claim for celestial glory and get a double dose of trials.” She got that double dose of trials and she was tirelessly obedient. Mom used to tell us, “You’re not safe until you’re dead.” Well, Mom, you’re safe. We’d like to leave you today with her testimony that she last shared publicly at this very pulpit one year ago:
Daniel: “I bear my testimony to you my fellow, over-burdened, sojourners in mortality, that the sacrifices made in His name are worth it. Jesus helps us find the time we think we don’t have, to immerse ourselves in His life-changing doctrine. I think that one of the powerful manifestations never seen before in the history of the world is the technology we have to study the gospel. I love my personal ‘Urim and Thummim’ [holding up iPhone]. We are so blessed to have the testimonies and commentaries of faithful LDS scholars and prophet leaders. It’s like being sprayed with a fire hose. Jesus lives. He stands at our door and knocks. He will come in and make himself manifest to us in personal and miraculous ways as we invite Him in. I have never seen it fail in all my years. To those who hunger and thirst to know Him and obey, He reveals Himself and transforms us. May we look unto Him in every thought.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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And this is the talk Sam gave at the funeral:
Look to Jesus Christ and Live
By Samantha Ogden
We are not wandering in a desert wilderness, nor are we being bitten by poisonous snakes, however, each of us receives wounds during our mortal journey. These wounds include the loss of loved ones, betrayal of trust, abuse, poor physical or mental health, addictions, and the burden of sin. The reality is all of us need healing that only the Savior, Jesus Christ, can provide.
The brass serpent in the wilderness was a symbol of Christ. Its purpose was to point the children of Israel towards Christ to be healed and to receive eternal life. The same is true for us today. We must look to Christ for “there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ…whereby man can be saved” (2 Nephi 25:20).
The following are some of the lyrics to the song, “Look and Live,” by Greg Simpson and Jim Funk.
We have wandered in the wilderness long enough to know,
That there are passions filled with poisons where the faithful never go.
But are fighting to stay focused, to keep them safe within.
The promise of protection. They look and live.
He is the future in our footsteps, the anchor in our lives
The Rock of our salvation in shadow and sunshine.
And may He ever smile upon us as we find our strength in Him
Let us heed his servants voices, we’ll look and live.
Chorus
Look and live!
Feel the power and the healing
That only He can give.
We’ll look and live
Forever facing forward
To the God of all that is
Look and live!
The scriptures repeatedly teach us to look to Jesus Christ, for it is in him that we receive healing, joy, light, comfort, peace, understanding, and ultimately, eternal life.
“Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not.” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36)
“[Look] unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2)
“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, and we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26)
“…see that ye look to God and live.” (Alma 37:47)
The Lord through His living apostles and prophets continues to invite us to look to Him for healing and comfort. President Russell M. Nelson counseled: “I plead with you to come unto Him so that He can heal you! He will heal you from sin as you repent. He will heal you from sadness and fear. He will heal you from the wounds of this world. Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine, and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him! Follow Him!” (April 2023 General Conference)
President D. Todd Christofferson has taught: “There seems to be no end to the different sources people look to for meaning, happiness, and help. Most are ‘looking beyond the mark.’ But we need not be ‘children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine [or fashion].’ In looking to God, we can find peace in difficulty, and our faith can continue to grow even in times of doubt and spiritual challenge. We can receive strength in the face of opposition and isolation. We can reconcile the ideal with the present reality. Truly, there is no other way than what God Himself has ordained: ‘Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.’ Looking to God means that He is not just one of our priorities; it means, rather, that He is our one highest priority” (October 2025 General Conference).
Family and friends, I challenge each of us to do the work necessary to look to Christ and live. I can imagine Marcia/Granny telling each of us to build our spiritual muscles! Do what is necessary to make God our highest priority. I am so grateful to Marcia and for her example of dedicated, Christlike discipleship. Life gave her its share of joys and sorrows, but she knew in whom she trusted. She knew to look to God for answers, strength, and comfort. Not all her questions were answered, nor were all of her prayers answered in the way she would have preferred, yet she didn’t turn away from God. She persevered! She continued to look to Him, and I know she would want us to do the same. What is one thing you can do today that will help you draw closer to Christ?
After being bitten, some of the children of Israel had faith, looked at the brass serpent and lived. However, many did not look for various reasons. They thought the task was too simple, unimpressive, or they doubted that they could be healed. Small and simple things that point us to Christ—prayer, scripture study, keeping the sabbath day holy, regular worship in the temple, and serving those around us. Let us not dismiss these acts of obedience and sacrifice as too simple, unimpressive, or ineffective. Let us do the work necessary to look to Christ and live!
Jesus Christ implored: “Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?… Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive” (3 Nephi 9:13-14).
I know that we can look to God for healing, strength, comfort, peace, and understanding. I know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us to learn and progress. He is in relentless pursuit of each of us. Let us look to Him!
I will close with a quote from a former prophet, Pres. Gordon B. Hinkley. He declared:
“May the Spirit of our Lord accompany us and remain with us. We know not what lies ahead of us. We know not what the coming days will bring. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the polar star in the heavens…there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith. In sunshine and in shadow we look to Him, and He is there to assure and smile upon us” (April 2002 General Conference).
Bear testimony.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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