General Conference

This week we were able to travel to Salt Lake City and attend General Conference to hear the word of the Prophets and Apostles.  On our way, we were able to spend a night in Sacramento and attend the temple there.  While there, we were able to have a dinner and visit with my brother and sister who live in the area.  We also spent time this week helping the young missionaries here.  Their mission car died and is in the shop.  They were provided bikes, but they are old and used and have their own set of problems.  We have been able to drive them to their appointments at times, feed them, and even go to a few of their lessons with them.  We feel blessed to be able to help them.

Below are some entries from Elder Stewart-Longhurst’s journal regarding our attending General Conference:

The highlight of the afternoon session was the Choir.  A Choir of Elders and Sisters directly from the MTC!  Our people!!  We feel such a powerful spirit anytime we are around these awesome Elders and Sisters.  As we arrived, they were warming up to Called to Serve!  Yess………..we are going to get to hear them sing that awesome missionary hymn.  But we were tricked.  We ALL sang it.  I can’t get though it anymore.  It is such an honor to be Called to Serve and that song just hits home really strong.

Funny conversation of the day.  As I go through Security at the Conference Center, the guard asks, “any guns, knives or weapons?”  I must have made a funny face because then he said “seriously, we had a guy this morning that had four knives on him.  FOUR!”  I said, “I hope he had a Toten Chip.”  The guard didn’t even grin.  Gonna be a long day for him.

I was humbled and honored to be in the Conference Center during Elder Ballard’s historic talk on the Spirit World, given just days after the passing of his wife.  I admire his courage and diligence in even giving the talk.  Her viewing is tonight.  Her funeral is tomorrow.  Yet he stood and bore testimony of where she is at.  He is truly a man that loves the Lord and mourns with those that mourn, even while he himself mourns.  I felt spoken to by him as I too have lost a son and wonder about the Spirit World.  D&C 138 has given me countless strength in that regard.  Verses 24, 30, 32, 35, 57-59 I have marked and are especially meaningful to me.  Especially in regards to someone who has taken their life via suicide.

We have been praying that someone somewhere during conference would give a talk that is totally relevant to our people in Clearlake.  Elder Holland was that person, and no one could have given it better.  Our people love Elder Holland and will eat up his talk.  Those that have ditched church for years because they didn’t agree with the Bishop, because someone offended them, because they are angry and offended.  This talk was for them.  Elder Holland spoke directly to Clearlake.  We both bawled all the way through it.  I hope our people heard it and take it to heart.  Prays answered.

And then Elder Andersen’s talk on why we have tribulations.  “This is mortality……..”  We believe we should show this talk to a brother we are working with in its entirety.  He keeps asking, over and over again, why God lets such bad things happen to all of us.  No missionary has ever been able to answer his question adequately enough for him.  That includes us.  But this Apostle just did.  Another answered prayer.  And it will mean something coming from an Apostle.

We watched the afternoon session from our room.  A TEMPLE IN YUBA CITY??!!  That is only 73 miles from Clearlake!!!  Our people were given a temple!!!!!  Tears everywhere.  We did not see that coming…………..

We love being missionaries!

Cool Luggage Column at Sacramento Airport

General Conference

What scouters do when they forget the window attachment to the GPS