SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009
Today we went to the Conference Center for the Tabernacle Choir broadcast. They can’t fit all the visitors into the Tabernacle, so during July and August, they do it in the Conference Center. It was a Pioneer concert, commemorating the Pioneer day celebration on July 24, and they sang “Come Come Ye Saints” among other things. It was tremendous.

Then we had a Presidency Meeting for Elders Quorum, and I had to chastise the brethren to do a better job with their Temple attendance. Part of their Mission requirements is that they each go to the temple at least once a week They each work 12 hours a day, and most don’t have a lot of energy to do Temple work when they get off their assignments, but they need to keep the goal in sight. I explained how they can do it Saturdays, or during their two hour dinner break, etc.


At the regular 3 hour block, the air conditioning did not work, and the outside temperature was probably 100. Very hot inside. But a good meeting.

Priesthood was quite inspiring, as usual. The boys told of their experiences with hearing the spirit, and it was pretty impressive. Many told of being “bad boys” and being turned around by the still small voice.
After the 3 hour block. Pam and I went Home teaching to an apartment of 4 elders…all with physical problems. They are a real inspiration. They are so spiritual, and willing to do what the Lord asks.
Now we have eaten and are sitting in our apartment watching BYU TV and some of the great devotionals. Pretty neat.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 2009
This past week we went to the Salt Lake Temple to attend a live endowment session for one of the sisters to whom we had taught the Temple Preparation Class. There were about 16 people from our Branch there, and the session was totally filled. They even had about 10 chairs in the aisles to fit everyone in. There were a TOTAL OF 210 people there for that session. That is compared with about 45 at a Spokane Temple session when the room is filled.
Yesterday, we went to the Ochirrhe Mountain Temple open house. It was the last day they had it open to the public. Very beautiful. Much stone there…lots of it on the floors instead of carpeting. It was gorgeous. We will attend a session there after it is dedicated in late August.
　
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2009
I can’t believe it has been nearly two months since my last entry. We have been so involved in things here that we just don’t think about communicating. Some of our Security officers have left, and with the bad economy, the Church has reduced its hiring somewhat, meaning there are less of us to do the same work. There are fewer Senior Missionaries coming on Missions because of economic conditions, and I have been asked to train two couples in security matters, so I am always running.

After months of lobbying, we have convinced our new Mission Presidency to allow our young disabled missionaries to assist with Sealings in the Temple. Although they cannot do everything in the sealing room, they are permitted to act as witnesses and a few other limited areas. The limitation relates to their not being married, not to their disabled status. They love to assist with Sealings, and for about 8 months, the old Mission Presidency felt they should not be there (doing sealings) at all, but we are glad the policy has been changed. With that in mind, Pam and I now take our young missionaries to the Temple to acquaint them with Sealing sessions and what they are permitted to do, and we do that in the evenings after our assignments. Also, we have ramped up our Geneology work. The Mission is emphasizing the importance of completing all the work for our ancestors, and the New Family Search program is challenging and our work is incomplete, so on other evenings, we attend the Family History Library to work on that.
We have had several young people complete our Temple Preparation Class, and we were privileged to go with the first of the graduates to the Temple for Endowments. More will follow, as their parents make arrangements to come to Salt Lake to be with their children when that occurs, and we are just starting another class for the next group that has arrived.

During one of my tasks, I had occasion to look up an elderly Sister who lived in Bountiful. As we talked, and she gave her full name. last name Griffitts, I asked if she knew any Griffitts in north Idaho. She was quite animated, and replied, “Do you mean my Nephew, Stevie?” Turns out she is the sister of Jim Griffitts, the Bishop’s father. Quite a small world. She told me quite a few things about “Stevie”, but you will have to ask Bishop Griffitts about those things. (sly grin)

Last Monday, I was asked to take a church car and go to the airport to pick up Elder Larry Gibbons of the 2nd Quorum of Seventy. He was returning from a Stake Conference in Canada. When I arrived at the Airport, I went to the ramp where we usually meet the General Authorities, and I became quite anxious when I saw about 10 men, all well dressed and looking the same, descend the ramp toward me. As the first one approached me, (I was not familiar with Elder Gibbons, never having met him before) I asked, “Are you Elder Gibbons?” He looked at me strangely, and said, “What is an Elder? And No, I am not Gibbons”. He walked on past. From that point on, I just asked the men, “GIBBONS?”. As each said "No", I became more anxious that perhaps I was in the wrong place, when another well dressed man descended the escalator. As he approached, he had the look of a General Authority, and I got brave and asked, “Elder Gibbons?He said “yes”, and he expressed his relief that he had made contact with me, grateful for the ride to the Church Office Building. He was very kind and engaging, and we had a very nice conversation. He expressed appreciation for the Senior Missionaries and said how valuable we were to the work of the church.


I have noticed an interesting trend as I review the Correspondence that comes to the Church and its leaders. Almost without exception, those who are disgruntled, unhappy, and failing in their lives are people who for some reason are not willing to follow the Commandments or the instructions from the Prophet. The people who claim the Church is “out of touch” are people who don’t want to change their lives to follow our leaders. They think the Church should not express an opinion about gay marriage because they want to do what they want to do, and don’t want to accept responsibility for their actions. They blame the Church for their marriage failing, then reveal that they were not living righteous lives when the wife divorced them. A woman complained that her children have all disowned her because she refuses to listen to her Bishop about her habit of writing nasty letters to the Church, and about her giving embarrassing testimonies. She says, in her letters, that she has the right to do what she wants, and no Bishop is going to interfere with her right of free speech. Meanwhile, she has lost her family. Our leaders know what is right, and we would all do well to listen to them.

It is great to be here in Salt Lake. So many inspiring things happen here that one cannot deny the truth of the Gospel. The Lord is here protecting his church and its leaders, and it is a daily testimony to all we believe.
Our best to all who read these words.