Epistle - 6.9.10

Good Wednesday Everyone!

More fun this week. We had another Night of Music and Inspiration last
night. We were called a week ago and asked to put together a version
of "I feel my Savior's love". My companion, Elder Peterson put
together a beautiful arrangement for the occasion. It's fun being the
companion of a genius.

So what is there else to talk about... I just can't think of anything
else exciting that happened in the last week... oh wait, there might
be one thing...

Ya so Sunday was Stake Conference, and we had a guest speaker, I think
he was from Utah, his name was something like Elder Hallard? Maybe
Holland? Ya I think that was it, I think it was Elder Jeffrey R.
Holland of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, with Elder Hardy of the 70.
Ya I think that's who came and reorganized the stake, released the
current Stake presidency and called a new one. I guess that's SOMEWHAT
noteworthy. =]

In all seriousness, Elder Holland was here. Stake conference started
at 10:00, we had no investigators to bring, so we were on our own. SO
we woke up at 5:30, got to the stake center at 7:00, and got 5th row
seats =] The stake center was so packed that they ran video to every
single classroom they could throw a TV in as overflow and they filled
all of them. And we were on the 5th row. It was pretty special. We
figured we didn't have much else to do on a Sunday morning than Study
our Scriptures in the chapel and get some great seats!

He was predictably incredible, and said some amazing stuff. He
mentioned that in his oppinion there is no more regular form of
revelation in all the church than when just about every Sunday in many
stakes all over the world, two guys who don't know anyone in the stake
shows up on Friday, and in 24 hours completely undoes everything that
holds the stake together, and sticks it all back together another way
with new people whom he has never met before this 24 hour period, then
asks everyone if it's OK, they raise their hands and say yup. I might
not even know those guys but if it's OK with the Lord it's OK with us,
and then the strangers leave!

His point was, that is NOT normal. No other organization could pull
that off. If it were a business or any other organization there would
be blood on the carpets, slashed tires and black eyes. Fist fights and
campaigning for the position, whereas in this organization the only
campaigning is maybe to NOT get the position.

It was a neat reminder, to stop and think how incredible this
organization is. The fact that it even WORKS for a single day is a
lasting testament that it is from God, the fact that it's still going
strong hundreds of years later is a miracle and a testament to all the
world of the truth of the restoration, and the divine nature of the
calling of Joseph Smith in organizing the Lord's Kingdom on the earth.

The church is true, the book is blue brothers and sisters. Don't you
forget it =]

-Elder Ted E. Bear