Message—20 January 2013

Dear Family & Friends,

The Senior Missionary Couple who are going to replace us arrived here in the mission on Tuesday the 15^th; so it looks like we will really be coming back home to Utah next month.  We have had a week full of mission office work and several meetings we attended in the evenings as well.

Monday we had our mission office staff meeting in which we discussed all the affairs of the mission with which we need to help the President.  Sister Allred and Sister Harris arrived in the mission on Saturday afternoon; they will replace the Servoss’s.  Sister Harris is Sister Christianson’s sister; so these two sisters’ spent the weekend with President and Sister Christianson and came to the staff meeting with them Monday morning.  We were surprised to learn the President had planned a day of Specialized Training for all the missionaries on Thursday.  The two Palmyra zones were to meet in the morning in the Canandaigua Church and the Rochester and Buffalo zones were to meet in the afternoon at the Batavia Church.  Sister Servoss and Sister Jensen then had to scramble and plan for the snacks for these two meetings; but as usual for them they took care of everything.  Sister Jensen and I spent the afternoon making sure we had everything ready to start training Elder and Sister Willyerd when they arrived.  The Servoss’s took Sister Harris and Sister Allred to the other John Young home across the road from where we live; which is where they will be staying.  The Servoss’s moved in with a member family in the Pittsford ward on Saturday so the Sister’s home was available for them to move into.  Monday evening we went to the Hill Cumorah Visitor’s Center for the Senior Missionary Family Home evening.  President Christianson gave us a very helpful explanation of the history and future of the House of Israel.  The purpose for this was to help us better understand what our role as missionaries is to help in gathering the House of Israel before the second coming of the Savior.  He shared a number of very helpful explanations to better enable us to more clearly understand all the scriptures about gathering the children of Heavenly Father in this last dispensation.  It was a great blessing to us to hear and learn what President shared with us.

Tuesday afternoon Elder and Sister Willyerd arrived at the mission office.  After being introduced and becoming a little acquainted with them we had them follow us to the apartment next to the Joseph Smith Farm, where they will be staying for a few weeks until we leave.  Elder Fuller who lives upstairs in the home the Willyerd’s are temporarily staying in, came down and explained about all the facilities available to them.  We told them what a great blessing they would have for a few weeks to take a walk in the Sacred Grove every morning or evening if they would like to.  Not too many people can begin their day by walking in the Sacred Grove.  We then returned to the office and finished some things there and then spent the evening at home.  Wednesday we began training the Willyerd’s in their responsibilities.  They are both very good people and are learning quickly.  Wednesday evening we went to the Site Training meeting at the Hill Cumorah.  In addition to the regular meeting items, Rand Packer and his wife, Sherry had been invited to share some of their experiences with Rand’s mother and grandparents.  Rand’s grand-parents are Willard and Rebecca Bean; and Rand’s mother is Palmyra Bean.  The Bean’s had lived in the Joseph Smith home, the home Alvin started to build before he died; from 1914 to 1938.  Palmyra grew up in Palmyra and graduated from the PalMac High School.  Rand shared some of the pictures they found among his mother’s things after she died a few years ago.  He also shared some experiences and stories his mother, Palmyra, shared with him.  It was a special experience to hear what Rand and his wife shared with us.

Thursday morning we went to the mission office and spent the morning training the Willyerd’s some more.  The Servoss’s and Sister Allred and Sister Harris had gone to the morning Specialized training in Canandaigua.  About 12:45pm we took the Willyerd’s with us and drove to Batavia in a snow storm to attend the afternoon Specialized training with the Rochester and Buffalo zones.  President spent the time training about how to teach lessons, and not just teach people; there is a significant difference.  Preach My Gospel has a chapter about how to do this.  In connection with this topic he also used Doctrine & Covenants Section 84 verse 88 and 2 Nephi 27: 20-21.  This last scripture states the same phrase in both verses “…I am able to do mine own work…”  He certainly is capable of doing his own work; but He chooses to allow us to participate in this work which requires much patience on His part.  By so doing it provides us great blessings to help us grow and progress and become who we can become.  While allowing us to participate in His work; the Doctrine and Covenants verse tells us that we are not doing the work on our own.  He tells us that He will go before our face (and prepare people to receive us and the gospel) and He will also be on our right and left hands, and the Holy Ghost will be in our hearts; and also He will have His angels round about us.  By providing us with all of this help, we are certainly not doing the work on our own; we can learn to teach by the Spirit what each person needs to hear when they need to hear it.  In this way the Holy Ghost can witness to the people the truths they are hearing, are true.  Thus as people are taught the truths they need to hear we can help them receive the gospel so they can come unto Christ.  The instruction was very much needed and the Spirit taught us what we needed to learn.

Thursday evening we drove to Palmyra for a presentation arranged by the Historic Palmyra Organization.  The meeting was held in the Palmyra Coverlet Museum; this museum has the largest collection of coverlets and quilts in America.  They have some very unique and valuable items in their collection.  Rand Packer had been invited to provide a presentation at this event in honor of his grand-parents, Willard and Rebecca Bean.  In the 24 years the Beans lived in Palmyra on the Joseph Smith Farm they became very good friends with many people in Palmyra and were an important part of the history of Palmyra.  Rand and Elder Searle donated a large framed picture of main street in Palmyra from the time period when the Bean’s lived there.  Rand also gave Bonnie Hays, the president of the Historic Palmyra Organization, one of the arrowheads found on the Joseph Smith Farm when the Beans lived there.  Rebecca used to give one arrowhead to all the people who visited the Joseph Smith Farm while they lived there.  As the Bean’s farmed the ground they would find many arrowheads, so there was always enough to give away to others.  Rand then used some pictures from the collection of his Mother, Palmyra, to talk about how all the Beans wanted to do was be friends with the people of Palmyra and live among them as neighbors.  By the time the Bean’s left in 1938 they had made many friends in Palmyra and were given several farewell parties and dinners by several groups including the churches on the four corners.  Rand ended with an experience he had a few years ago on a visit to Palmyra.  On a Sunday, after attending the LDS Church services in the Palmyra Stake Center across the road from the Palmyra Temple; he and his wife drove up to the Four Corners and went to the services in two of the churches.  In the Presbyterian church, after the services he was talking with the lady minister and a very old man came up and in his 90+ year old voice said he remembered Rand’s mother, Palmyra, he had graduated from high school with her.  He said I think I have a picture of our graduation class; he then asked where Rand was staying and Rand told him.  A little while later the old man came to the Palmyra Inn and brought the picture with him and Rand made a copy of it to add to the picture collection he has.  What the Bean’s started has grown to where the church and the community of Palmyra get along quite well.  The Lord really is doing His work, using us along the way.

Friday we spent the day training the Willyerd’s and then spent the evening at home.  Saturday we worked on some projects at home.  One of them was putting some things in boxes that we will not have room to take home in the car with us.  We have sent some boxes home already, and we will send these boxes home as well; and we may need to send a few more boxes the week before we leave.  Saturday afternoon at 2pm we had made arrangements to meet Yezzie and Brianna at our home and take them to dinner.  You may remember that these two young ladies were baptized just before Christmas here in Rochester.  They are both going to the John Wesleyan College and majoring in Nursing.  We told them about the church history events that took place here in Mendon and the people who were gathered in by the Lord to help with the restoration.  We took them to Olive Garden for dinner and had a nice visit with them.  On the way home we drove by where the Solomon Kimball home is located, and also stopped at the Boughton Hill Cemetery, and the Tomlinson Inn.  While at the cemetery I told them of the Vision of the Night Sky that occurred on the night of 22 September 1827 when the Prophet Joseph went to obtain the plates from Moroni.  This event was recorded by both Heber C. and Vilate Kimball, and also by Brigham Young.  The Mendon NY Historical Society has some records of other people in the area seeing this same scene.  This is another evidence that the Lord is doing His work including having angels round about us.

Today we had blue sky and sunshine before we were ready to leave for church; but by the time we walked out the door it was snowing.  It snowed all the way to church.  After Church, we drove home in sunshine.  On the way home we stopped at the Duvall’s in West Bloomfield, to give a baby blanket to Anna which Sister Jensen and crocheted for the baby which Anna is to give birth to tomorrow.  This evening I am going to go to a fireside at the Palmyra Stake Center where Rand Packer is going to do a fireside for members in the stake and area.  Sister Jensen is suffering from a cold, so she is going to stay home.  I will have to share what I learn tonight with you in next weeks’ message.

We express our great love and appreciation for all of you.  You are special to us.  May you each be blessed with the help you need in your lives.

Love,

Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Maxine & Richard