Message—7 October 2012

Dear Family & Friends,

We have been so greatly blessed in many ways by the goodness and kindness of Heavenly Father.  We have good health, for people our age; we are blessed to be serving as missionaries in this mission where the early events of the restoration of the gospel in this dispensation began.  We are blessed to be assigned to serve in the mission office to help with the work that has to be done to support the President and his wife and the missionaries.  We have many great experiences in our associations with President and Sister Christianson and the missionaries.  We have wonderful family and friends who do so much to take care of things for us at home, as well as pray for us here in New York.  We have been blessed to have good and faithful parents who have taught us and helped us and sacrificed so much for us.  We have been blessed to have brothers and sisters and their families to help us in our lives in many ways.  We have had great church leaders in our lives who have mentored and taught us and nurtured us in the gospel and in how to live good lives.  We have been blessed to work in good places to earn a living and we have been greatly blessed to have so many good people with whom we have worked and learned and had great associations.  We have been blessed in so many other ways as well.  We have been blessed to know and understand the gospel and the eternal plan of Heavenly Father; especially to know of the role of the Savior and Redeemer in providing the atonement and the certain promise of the resurrection.  We have been blessed in more ways than we can count.  We love each of you for your good examples and your love and kindness and help in our lives.  Without you and your influence in our lives we would not be who we are.  We express love and gratitude to each of you.

We have had a busy but good week filled with experiences and opportunities to teach us and help us be of service.  In addition to our daily mission office assignments we had some good experiences in associating with missionaries and members.  On Monday in the mission office staff meeting it was my turn to share the thought.  I used two quotes from a devotional talk given by Elder Maxwell some years ago; a talk which he did not allow to be published.  He said: “…our lives are intertwined by divine design…and there are no coincidences…”  I then shared a few examples of how divine direction was involved in the lives of I and Maxine’s parents; and also an experience of how divine help was a part of my life.  After sharing these thoughts I had to leave the meeting to help answer some questions about some vehicles we have for sale; so I did not hear the President’s comments on my thoughts.  I am more convinced every day that there is indeed divine design in my life and the experiences with which I am blessed.

Wednesday evening we attended the site training meeting at the Hill Cumorah.  Sister Hatch and Sister Madsen shared some ideas on how to make better use of the pass along cards the church has produced to invite people to learn more about the church and the gospel and also include the use of referral cards to give people a chance to use their agency to accept the opportunity to hear about the gospel.  After the meeting I also helped some sister missionaries with questions about their cars.

Thursday evening we went to Geneseo to teach the Institute class.  We only had Elder Maisey and Elder Stoddard and an older ward member who came; none of the YSA people came.  We did have a good class and a good discussion about the beginning of the Savior’s ministry.  One interesting idea that the lesson pointed out is that after the Savior was baptized he went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days.  During those 40 days he communed with His Father and was taught and strengthened so he could accomplish all He would need to do during his ministry.  He was not tempted by Satan during the 40 days; Satan did not come to the Savior until after the 40 days.  Elder Bednar taught in an MTC Sacrament meeting that Satan’s purpose in “tempting” the Savior was to work on Him while he was at His weakest physical point in His life and get Him to not do what He came to do.  All three “temptations” began with the phrase “If thou be the Son of God”.  Christ knew exactly who he was; he had just communed with the Father for 40 days.  Satan could not divert Christ from his mission to be the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.  We know we are all children of Heavenly Father and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ; we need to always remember who we are and follow the Savior’s example and not be diverted by Satan and his lies and deceit.  Only by following the Savior and the gospel ordinances and covenants can we return to be with the Father and the Son.  As is normally the case, the teacher often learns much more than the students; and that is true for me with teaching these Institute lessons.

Friday was a busy day.  Elder Wilcox and his companion brought their car to get a repair estimate done on their vehicle; they also brought with them an Elder who had been brought to their area the day before to take care of a traffic violation he received in that area a month ago.  In the afternoon we made a trip to the Buffalo area to take care of four things.  We took with us the Elder who had been to Geneva so we could get him back to his area and his companion.  We also had to take some Subaru radiator coolant to the Elders in Lancaster.  We then went and picked up the zone leader and his companion to take them to get their pickup from the repair shop so they would their vehicle back.  We then went to the Elders in Niagara Falls to see what damage had been done to their car as a result of their landlord backing into their car earlier that morning.  I also needed pictures of the car to send to the insurance.  We had seen that the Friday after 5pm traffic was very heavy and backed up so we decided to go home by way of Ridge Road and then down to Batavia and home.  So we did not arrive home until 8:40pm.  We had 3 long days in row; we were tired but happy to be of service.  We had invited Elder Servoss, who is a serious BYU fan, to come over at 10pm and watch the BYU and Utah State football game on our TV.  So we stayed up to see the game and went to bed at 1:30am.

Saturday we watched the morning and afternoon sessions of General Conference; however because of the time zone difference we watched both of them in the afternoon.  I went to the Priesthood session of General Conference with Elder Servoss to the chapel on Kreag Rd. where the mission office is now located. After the meeting I went with Elder to Servoss to the home of the Nebrotski family to have some Perry’s ice cream.  In the Saturday afternoon session my wonderful brother Jay was released from the Presidency of the Quorums of Seventy and also as a general authority and was given Emeritus Status.  Then in the Priesthood session Jay gave the invocation.  Jay has given the last 20 years of his life as a General Authority; and Loni has been very faithful in supporting him in all of his assignments.  He has been the instrument in the Lord’s hands to accomplish much good in the growth of the kingdom.  I love my brother Jay and his wonderful wife Loni.

Today we had Elder Maisey and Elder Stoddard, who are the missionaries in our Geneseo ward, come and see the Sunday General Conference sessions.  We fed them dinner between the sessions.  The General Conference sessions were all absolutely spiritually uplifting.  How wonderful to learn of the lowering of the age at which missionaries can now serve missions; both young men and young women.  The work of gathering scattered Israel must be hastened and this is one way to help that happen.  We will probably finish our mission and return home before we see very many new missionaries.  I am certain that those who are prepared and worthy will be a great strength and addition to helping gather the children of Heavenly Father.  President Christianson here, and President Taylor in Phoenix AZ will see some of these new younger missionaries during their tenure as mission presidents.

I witness to you that the church and gospel are perfectly true, President Monson is indeed the Lord’s prophet on the earth today.  The Book of Mormon is true and can be the means of changing our lives to be like the Savior if we will read it daily, pray and ponder on its truths and obey them.  Joseph Smith is the prophet of the restoration and all the priesthood keys needed for this dispensation have been restored and are in operation in the world through our prophet, President Monson.

With all our love and appreciation to each of you,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Maxine & Richard