Beneath the Wraps

                In April I was asked to outline the RS lessons to correspond with Come Follow Me lessons.   I had only my notes and the titles of the 2020 “Don’t Miss This” Episodes. It was right after general conference and so I didn’t have the titles of the talks we had picked, only the speakers. Of course I prayed for inspiration on where to put the 11 or 12 conference talks that we had picked for our lessons.   There were six that were definitely set in stone but wasn’t quite certain how to place the other talks.   This week’s theme was spot on as the reading in Come Follow Me was on the Strippling Warriors (starting here ) and the RS lesson was from this talk .  

             As a former sister missionary I remember introducing non members to strong members to be fellowshipped. Finding strong priesthood members who would remain in the ward long after the missionaries had gone.   Wouldn’t it be more meaningful to be baptized by a fellow member and still have that connection down the road.   I remember one of my brothers making it a goal NOT to physically baptize those he taught but to pass the reign onto another.   Not that it’s a choice for just anybody to baptize.   One must have authority and has to be interviewed the same at the individual to be baptized.           Missionary baptisms are handled by the missionaries while primary baptisms arrangements are made by primary leaders and/or parents depending on the size of the ward or stake and the amount of children being baptized.   I remember making the arrangements for Jaime’s baptism bef...

  The two conference talks I finally settled on were “ Hearts Knit in Righteousness and Unity ” by Elder Quentin L Cook ( here ) given in October 2020 and “ Room in the Inn ” by Elder Gerrit W. Gong ( here ) given in April 2021. Elder Cook started off his talk by relating a story about the Kane family who had traveled from Pennsylvania with Brigham Young and company. One day the Kanes were visiting with Thomas and Matilda King and their family in the King home in Fillmore, Utah. As the Kings and Kanes were sitting down to their dinner, there were five Native Americans who came into the room.   Matilda King spoke to them in their dialect and one of their guests, Elizabeth Wood Kane, asked about what had been said.   Elizabeth learned that Matilda had told the group that she had prepared a meal for the Kane family who would be eating their meal first and that the other five would have to wait but assured them that she had another meal for them cooking over the fir...

          The Roseburg Stake had a blog which would refer members to stake conference.  It provided a list of speakers and the meeting agenda.  I remember the leaders referred to it in years’ past, but did not have any information for it this year.  I unfortunately did not write down the name of the speaker who gave a beautiful talk comparing physical walls and bridges to what wills us.            She started out her talk with a brief history of the Berlin wall which was built in 1961.  Citizens were informed that the wall was for their protection.  Whether we choose to call it protection or defense, for many the wall was a personal prison.  The wall did not come down until almost two decades later.  That is a long time to feel trapped and apart.  It isn’t healthy.           The speaker then went on to talk about the bri...

            On Thursday someone had called Roland’s phone to see if I would offer the closing prayer at the end of today’s sacrament meeting.   I didn’t know how my throat what be, but as it has started healing, I decided I would go to Church and stay for at least sacrament meeting but might not stay for Relief Society.   Jenna made other arrangements for getting a ride home.             Sacrement meting was really good!   The first speaker expanded on Elder Uchtdorf’s talk “Our Great Adventure”( here ) in which he compares the hobbit creatures to each of us.   For those who have seen or read “The Hobbit” the parallels may have been easily understood.   I’m not really big fan of fantasy and felt somewhat lost with Elder Uchtdorf’s talk which evidently our sacrament speaker had also and provided some more in depth detail to make more sense out of ...

            I have mentioned before that both my mom used to   use her children as her sounding board before giving a talk or presenting a lesson.   For my mom, it was a lack of confidence in herself.   She needed the feedback, the practice, the input to build up her confidence.   She yearned for ideas on how to improve.   She would go over it again and again until we knew it better than she did - or at least in the case of Corey and me.             Roland does the same thing - only he does not lack confidence.   I thought he did it for validation - but he says it is because he values my opinion.   Talks and lessons are one thing, but lately his ideas and thoughts have had to do with his participation at the theatre.   I am not in the theatre.   I am not part owner in the theatre.   I don't manage, perform  or have a...