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| Houston Texas Temple - Photo from LDS Media Library |
– President Wilford Woodruff, Deseret News: Semi-Weekly, May 14, 1878, 1.
Sunday, October 30, 2016
They Have A Right To Expect It
Thursday, October 27, 2016
The Cake Boss Buddy Valastro Will Keynote and Judge Cake Competition at RootsTech 2017
Salt Lake City, Utah, October 27, 2016 - RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, is pleased to welcome the popular Italian-American celebrity chef, Buddy Valastro, also known as the hit TLC series, Cake Boss™ as a keynote speaker on Saturday, February 11, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Valastro will also judge a local cake decorating contest hosted by RootsTech.
The amicable Valastro is a Hoboken, New Jersey, resident and owner of Carlo’s Bakery. He has endeared himself to millions of people as the animated, passionate chef on the TLC series, The Cake Boss. His staff’s creative expertise in designing over-the-top cakes for locals and celebrities is only half the allure. The show’s long-running success can also be attributed to the fun, dynamic interactions and involvement of 3–4 generations of Valastro’s Italian-American family who help run the thriving family business.
“Family is the most important part of my life,” says Valastro. “You have to embrace and be proud of where you come from. I can't wait to share my story of how my past, present, and future have shaped who I am with the audience.”
During his RootsTech 2017 keynote address, the Cake Boss will share the story of how his strong family ties, roots, and traditions have shaped his life and business success, which include 12 bakeries, additional TLC series (The Next Great Baker and Buddy’s Bakery Rescue), and several books, to name a few.
Running bakeries is almost genetic in Buddy’s family. His grandfather and great-grandfather were both bakers in Sicily, Italy. His father, Buddy Valastro Sr., ran his own bakery for many years in New Jersey. When Buddy Valastro Jr. was 11 years old, he began working side by side with his father at Carlo’s Bakery.
Buddy Sr. died when his son was 17, leaving a very large hole in the teenager’s life. However, his tutelage had provided Buddy with “cast-iron business sense” and imbued in him a work ethic and a wealth of knowledge. He stepped up and took over his father’s role as proprietor and baker in Carlo’s bakery.
Buddy learned much without his father’s presence in the business but struggled making sfogliatelle dough, which is used in making Italian shell-shaped filled pastries called lobster tails, one of the bakery’s specialties. Buddy recalls the night his father came to him in a dream and told him, “I am here for one reason, to show you how to make lobster tails.” The next day, for the first time, Buddy successfully created the seemingly impossible dough and the very popular lobster tails were back. From then on, he says, he knew he could do anything he put his mind to and found comfort knowing that his father was looking after him.
After a few years, Buddy Jr. decided to take cake decorating to a new level with designer cakes. He created, among other spectacular cakes, a NASCAR racecar cake weighing over 10,000 pounds. In 2004, he was invited to participate in the Food Network Challenge where he took top prize in the fourth battle. He was urged to try a show for himself so he pitched a show featuring himself with his family. TLC executives were impressed enough to shoot a pilot episode in the shop which was a hit with audiences, and Cake Boss was born. The show is now in its eighth season.
Buddy’s extended family is indispensable both to the show and in running what has now become a chain of bakeries in New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and some Norwegian Cruise Line ships. The business has diversified and expanded, but the legacy that began three generations ago in Sicily lives on. Buddy willingly holds to the traditions of his father’s bakery.
“Life lessons my parents have taught me define who I am today. I never forget where I've come from and try to pass that down to my children today,” says Valastro.
In addition to keynoting at RootsTech 2017, Valastro will help judge the first-ever RootsTech cake decorating competition.
There will be four different categories to compete in—wedding, birthday, holiday, and graduation—and there will be three finalists and one grand prize winner selected in each category. Cakes will be on display Saturday during RootsTech and Family Discovery Day where thousands of people will view and have a chance to vote for “People’s Choice” winners in each category. Official rules and entry information for the contest will be available soon at RootsTech.org.
See also Five Ingredients That Make Up the Cake Boss
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I am 2017 RootsTech Ambassador and will be sharing these press releases on my blog in preparation for RootsTech in February 2017. I have received a free conference registration from RootsTech.
#RootsTech
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To learn more about Buddy Valastro and The Cake Boss, check out the following:
Facebook - Buddy Valastro
Facebook: Cake Boss
Twitter: Cake Boss - Buddy Valastro
Twitter: Cake Boss Baking
Website: Carlos Bakery
Website: The Cake Boss TV Show
Website: Cake Boss Baking
Monday, October 24, 2016
Family Discovery Day to Feature Vai Sikahema, BYU's Kalani Sitake and Hank Smith
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| Vai Sikhema, Kalani Sitake, Hank Smith |
There’s something for everyone at Family Discovery Day. Attendees are invited to come and hear inspiring speakers, entertaining performers, engage in interactive activities for all ages, and discover the latest technology, products, and services in the family history industry in an expansive expo hall. It’s the perfect place to discover fun new ideas, hear helpful solutions, watch new concept demonstrations, get personal research help, experience innovative family history technology, and mingle with hundreds of exhibitors from around the globe.
Young single adults and other interested youth are invited to attend a special session with Kalani Sitake, BYU’s head football coach. Sitake played collegiately at BYU as a fullback, and he served as an assistant coach for the Oregon State Beavers and Utah Utes before taking the head coaching position at BYU in December 2015.
Hank Smith is a BYU professor of religion and popular public youth speaker. Hank’s life has been touched by family history work, and he plans on sharing some of that experience at Family Discovery Day. Joining the speaker lineup is Vai Sikahema, a former NFL football player and current television personality. He is well-known for his diverse skills as both an anchor and sports reporter and can be seen co-anchoring NBC10 News Today weekday mornings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Family Discovery Day will engage and inspire families, youth, and single adults to discover connections and share family stories together. Family Discovery Day is also a popular venue for Latter-day Saints to hear gospel messages from Church leaders. These speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Families with children and youth are invited to discover the fun of family history together by playing games such as Family Feud and Twisted Family History. Young single adults are invited to bring friends and participate in fun sessions and activities like #Myfabfamily Photography Contest, Family History in Emoji, Record Your Story, and Replace a Face.
Family Discovery Day also offers relevant sessions with the latest information for those with Church callings and responsibilities related to family history and the temple. Individuals will be able to get answers to questions, discover new tools, and learn best practices.
Family Discovery Day is free, but registration is required. Visit RootsTech.org to learn more and to register.
RootsTech is a genealogy conference of epic proportions. As the largest family history conference in the world, it provides extensive networking opportunities to a broad and diverse group of attendees. The conference showcases a vast array of modern resources and technology that aims to inspire and enable individuals to discover, preserve, and share their family stories.
See also Five Interesting Facts about Kalani Sitake
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I am 2017 RootsTech Ambassador and will be sharing these press releases on my blog in preparation for RootsTech in February 2017. I have received a free conference registration from RootsTech.
#RootsTech
***
To learn more about Vai Sikahema, check out the following:
Facebook - Vai Sikahema
Twitter - Vai Sikahema
Website - Vai Sikahema
To learn more about Kalani Sitake, check out the following:
Facebook - Kalani Sitake
Twitter - Kalani Sitake
Website - Kalani Sitake
To learn more about Hank Smith, check out the following:
Facebook - Hank Smith
Twitter - Hank Smith
Website - Hank Smith
Sunday, October 23, 2016
They Are Waiting On You
“There are thousands of them, hundreds of thousands and
millions of them in the spirit world who long to receive this gospel and have
been waiting hundreds of years for their deliverance. They are waiting on you.
They are praying that the Lord will awaken your hearts in their interest. They
know where their records are, and I testify to you that the spirit and
influence of your dead will guide those who are interested in finding those records.
If there is anywhere on the earth anything concerning them, you will find it.
That is my promise to you. But you must begin to work. You must begin to
inquire after your dead. And the spirit of your heart turning towards them will
come upon you, and the way will be opened in a marvelous manner, and if there
is a scrap of evidence concerning them upon the earth, you will find it. When
we have done all that we can do ourselves, the Lord will come to our rescue. …
If we have done our best and have searched and have discovered all that is
available, then the day will come when God will open and part the veil, and the
records … will be revealed.”
- Elder Melvin J. Ballard, in Bryant S. Hinckley,
Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin
Joseph Ballard [1949], 230.
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