Week 37

October 1, 2017

Dear Loved Ones,

I hope all of you enjoyed conference as much as I did. I loved Elder Andersen’s summary and explanation of how conference talks are prepared and his testimony that we are hearing the word of God. Elder Tad Callister’s talk reminded me how much of my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith is grounded in my experiences with the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon was translated by the gift and power of God, because it is the way that God has spoken to me through the years.  While reading the Book of Mormon, I have been comforted, chastised, encouraged by the words that Joseph Smith translated.  It doesn’t matter how God revealed those words to him, they are the language that God uses to teach us truth. My testimony of the prophet came early in my life.  I think I have shared the story of the time that we were visiting my grandparents. Mother wanted to go hear Grandpa Richards speak at a local stake conference. It was agreed that I would stay home and babysit my little brothers and then I could go to Sacrament meeting when they got home. I was somewhere between the age of 9 and 11, and Sacrament meetings were in the evening back in those days. The Yale Ward chapel not only had a lovely stain glass window with the Savior knocking on the door, but also, on the side wall was a bas relief picturing the Angel Moroni giving Joseph Smith the gold plates. That night I sat near there and spent a lot of time looking at it. The concluding speaker talked on the Prophet Joseph Smith and it seemed to me he was glowing. As I walked home from that meeting the spirit bore testimony to me that what I had heard was true. And I realized for the first time that I did have a testimony.  That testimony was strengthened as a teenager when our Ward YM and YW rode a bus to Palmyra for the pageant. We were able to visit the Sacred Grove and feel for ourselves the sacredness of what had occurred there.  

But the strength of my testimony is grounded in my testimony of the Book of Mormon. Well I didn’t mean to go off my personal history, I really meant to say how much I enjoyed each session of conference and I will look forward to listening or reading the talks again.

Tomorrow things will be different at the office. The Parkins are going to St.George, they have tickets to Tuachan. Elder Rasmussen will be taking Elder Parkin’s place this week and then next month when the Parkins finish their mission he will be the new Executive Secretary. Sister Rasmussen won’t be there tomorrow because she is staying with her grandchildren in Rexburg while their parents are on a trip. That means I will have the phone this week and Sister Rasmussen wants me to sit out front and handle the phone when they start.  I can keep my baptism and referral assignment, but I’m going to turn over the mail to her. We will see how that works out.

I can’t believe that this is already October. Life has been very busy and it makes the time go by too fast. I am still trying to get caught up on my notes and photos from Zone Conferences. I thought I was going to be able to catch up on Friday because it was my day to run the office alone.  We had a new printer arrive and get set up.  Elder Rasmussen came in to connect it to the computers in the office that have passwords. Before I knew it  -- it was time for lunch.  I usually go help in the kitchen on the days that Mission Leadership Councils are held. But I was slow getting downstairs with all that was happening with the new printer.  I am so glad to get a new printer.  Sister Parkin was so distressed trying to print new pictures for the Roster board because the black ink would smear all over the pictures making a mess. She was beside herself with distress Wed and Thurs. She was told that we couldn’t get a new printer for 4 to 6 weeks. President Hancock came in and saw how upset she was and called Salt Lake and got permission to get a new printer here.  It arrived the next day!!! She and I are so excited to not ever mess with that 10-year-old printer again!

Love and Hugs,

 Grammie/Sister Shill