Brothers and Sisters:
We love you and are praying for each of you.
During this time of uncertainty, chaos, and commotion, isn’t it wonderfully reassuring and settling to know that the Savior is in control and leading His Church through revelation to a living prophet of God?
As I participated in General Conference this past weekend, feelings of peace and hope filled my heart. The music, prayers, and messages shared brought such peace to me during what we can all appreciate is not a peaceful time in the world. I’m sure many of you likewise were anxiously waiting to hear from our dear Prophet and Church leaders, seeking to be inspired, to hear words of encouragement and reassurance, and to feel peace and comfort; in short, to have a memorable and unforgettable experience.
In his opening remarks, President Nelson promised that Conference would be filled with “messages that will bring peace to your soul. Messages that will heal your broken heart. Messages that will illuminate your mind. Messages that will help you know what to do as you move ahead through times of turmoil and trial.”
For me, there were several moments and messages I experienced that fulfilled President Nelson’s promise; here are a few:
I know that in these times of difficulty and uncertainty, the principle of hope is so important and needed by all. So, as I listened to Elder Holland’s message on Sunday morning about a perfect brightness of hope, I was very touched and inspired.
Elder Holland eloquently encouraged us (while we wage a war on COVID-19 and after we have conquered it) that:
Undergirding all of this is our relentless hope for greater devotion to the two greatest of all commandments: to love God by keeping His counsel and to love our neighbors by showing kindness and compassion, patience and forgiveness. These two divine directives are still—and forever will be—the only real hope we have for giving our children a better world than the one they now know.
He continued by saying:
… many in this audience today have deeply personal hopes: hope for a marriage to improve, or sometimes just hope for a marriage; hope for an addiction to be conquered; hope for a wayward child to come back; hope for physical and emotional pain of a hundred kinds to cease. Because the Restoration reaffirmed the foundational truth that God does work in this world, we can hope, we should hope, even when facing the most insurmountable odds. That is what the scripture meant when Abraham was able to hope against hope—that is, he was able to believe in spite of every reason not to believe…. So, when our backs are to the wall and, as the hymn says, ‘other helpers fail and comforts flee,’ among our most indispensable virtues will be this precious gift of hope linked inextricably to our faith in God and our charity to others.
Brothers and Sisters, I testify with Elder Holland that when “our backs are to the wall” and “’other helpers fail and comforts flee [which seems to speak pointedly to our present situation],’ among our most indispensable virtues will be this precious gift of hope linked inextricably to our faith in God and our charity to others.” So, as we “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.…”, see 2 Nephi 31:20, I testify that we shall have peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. See D&C 59:23. Remember that this marvelous gift of hope—available to all—can and surely will shine brightly in these (and other) dark and difficult times.
I was also inspired and my faith strengthened by President Nelson’s concluding remarks when he expressed his love for each of us, and then as a tender mercy, invoked the authority vested in him and conferred upon each of us an apostolic blessing. I want each of us to take note of and remember this blessing. President Nelson blessed each of us as follows:
I bless you with peace and increasing faith in the Lord.
I bless you with a desire to repent and become a little more like Him each day.
I bless you to know that the Prophet Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness.
Should there be illness among you or your loved ones, I leave a blessing of healing, consistent with the will of the Lord.
I so bless you, adding once more my expression of love for each of you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ.
Finally, after President Nelson’s concluding remarks, I was touched by the power and spirit of the closing hymn, “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet.” As many of you know, my parents have been serving in Ghana for almost 4 years; so, what a tender mercy it was for me personally, at the conclusion of what was truly a memorable and unforgettable Conference, to see a choir from Accra, Ghana participate in what was an amazing and powerful hymn and expression of love and testimony to the Savior and of the fact that we have a living prophet of God on the earth today. While this was a tender mercy for me, I am confident that we were all recipients of tender mercies throughout this glorious Conference.
I hope that each of you felt the wonderful spirit of Conference and were inspired and enabled in your process of hearkening to and hearing Him, our Savior; and that you were able to “hear the messages that the Savior has especially for you—messages that will bring peace to your soul.” I invite each of you to read, study, and apply the messages from this Conference, and I testify that as you do so, the promises made throughout the Conference to each of you can and will be fulfilled, even in these otherwise difficult and uncertain times.
Specific Reminders from Conference
Worldwide Fast. Please remember the invitation from President Nelson to put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ into action by participating in the worldwide fast tomorrow, Friday, April 10 (Good Friday), that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened, and life normalized.
Easter Sunday. Remember that Sunday is Easter Sunday, when, as President Nelson stated, “we will again commemorate the Atonement and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ward Members
Most of you are aware that Brother Ortize Thompson passed away this week (Bishop Allen sent an email to the Ward on Sunday about this).
Sister Janette Peterson’s mother, Dyan Welch, passed away this week as well.
Our hearts and prayers go out to the Thompson and Peterson families at this difficult time, especially with the restrictions in place for funerals and services. Because many are unable to attend funerals and graveside services, we invite you to look for ways to support Sister Thompson and her family and Sister Peterson and her family during this difficult time. Phone calls, letters and cards are welcomed!
Upcoming Events
April 12 at 11:30 a.m.: Zoom meeting with testimonies and messages from our returned missionaries centered on the Savior and Easter:
Mike and Zoe Ann Weston
Jackson Weston
Cam Christensen
Landon Burt
Parker Horman
Enoch Shumway
April 19 at 11:30 a.m.: Zoom Sunday School/Combined meeting. More information to come.
April 26 at 11:00 a.m.: Relief Society Zoom meeting
April 26 at 12:00 p.m.: Elders Quorum Zoom meeting
Please remember that this is a home-centered Church, supported by what we do as a Ward. Zoom meetings are intended to be supportive of what you do in the home. Home study and home plans can and should supersede. So, we welcome who are able or would like to participate; but, please do not feel compelled or obligated to do so.
Website/Gospel Living App
Website: www.ElkRidgePark.org. Information will be updated on the website as needed. A message from a member of the Ward Council will be posted weekly.
Gospel Living App. Everyone should download and sign-in to the Gospel Living app and become familiar with the Circles tab. This will be a great way to share information send uplifting messages. If you have concerns setting this up, please contact one of the Bishop’s councilors.
Donations
Donations can be made online or mailed to the Bishop Allen’s home. If you need help setting up online donations, please feel free to contact one of the Bishop’s councilors.
Interviews
Ordinations, mission, and living ordinance interviews will occur virtually via Zoom. Please contact Bishop’s executive secretary, Ryan Jensen, to schedule an interview via Zoom.
Temple recommend renewal interviews are on hold until further notice.
Sacrament
The Bishop has authorized weekly administration of the sacrament in your homes, including this Easter Sunday. That said, while the sacrament can be administered in your homes, we have been advised that you should refrain from imitating the sacrament meeting program we usually hold at church. This means that while Bishop Allen has the keys to conduct sacrament meetings and has authorized this ordinance to be done in the home, instead of talks and regular meeting-style behavior which would be presided over by the Bishop, the time spent as a family should be used for family discussions, “Come, Follow Me,” and family councils.
Institute
Brother Curtis Jacobs continues with his institute class, available online:
Week 1: https://www.loom.com/share/3740c490711f436cbfed193693991b9b
Week 2: https://www.loom.com/share/a599a1bf83564c258686bd9552833ec1
Week 3: https://www.loom.com/share/22aa590e11474dae822c9abc704d7922
There is also institute class for return missionaries. Please contact Bishop Allen for more on information on this class.
Service Opportunities
A Blood Drive is scheduled for April 10. For more information, please check your email or contact Kevin Federico from the stake at [email protected].
Other
Baptisms and Funerals can be streamed live except for the ordinance of the baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
All Temples remain closed
Message forwarded from the Stake President written by the Bear River Health Department:
In Utah, our modeling indicates that we are likely to see a significant increase in cases that will peak the latter part of April, at which time we are hopeful that the curve will begin a decline. Would you please strongly encourage those who are 60 and Over, who are immunocompromised, or have some sort of underlying health condition regardless of age to remain home and away from contact with others. This singe intervention will save lives and flatten the curve of what is projected to come.
We are also aware of the stress and anxiety that this particular time can put on all of us. Information overload from so many sources can have a negative influence on an individual’s mental health. Because of this, we encourage everyone to get information from reputable sources such as the CDC, Utah Department of Health and the Bear River Health department (BRHD.org).
Thank you so much for your help during this challenging time. If you have questions, please feel free to call us at 435-792-6500.
Brothers and Sisters, I echo what Bishop expressed in an email to all of us a couple of weeks ago—we continue to see God’s hand in all of your service and sacrifice, and we pray for the Comforter to bless you with hope and peace.
We also look forward to participating with you in tomorrow’s worldwide fast.
Please reach out if you need anything.