Month: September 2019

Elders,

Good evening Elders. First off, Brad Woolley was taken to the hospital today with a potential blood clot in his heart. He is resting while they monitor the clot. They have administered heparin and are waiting to see how his body reacts. Hopefully the clot clears out and the kidneys clean it up. Right now, they could use the collective prayers of our quorum. Marlene is updating his status on https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/everyonelovesbradleyp/journal

This week’s Come Follow Me reading is 2 Corinthians 8-13. One of the major themes of the reading is around taking care of the poor and needy and being a cheerful giver. One take on it is that we should contribute fast offerings and give to the poor. Money isn’t always the answer. God asks for a cheerful giver – regardless of how or what we give. Elder Holland says “I don’t know exactly how each of you should fulfill your obligation to those who do not or cannot always help themselves. But I know that God knows, and He will help you and guide you in compassionate acts of discipleship if you are conscientiously wanting and praying and looking…” 

I encourage all of us to make an active effort to ask God to lead us to find ways and people to help. It could be someone that is in an impoverished country or inner city. It could be a close family member or friend. There are those “in need” all around us and I know that God will answer your prayers if you ask sincerely for opportunities to bless his children.

We have a ward adult social next Thursday at the clubhouse. It will be a potluck social starting at 7:00pm. Our neighbor and friend, President Omar Canals will share some of the impactful moments of his life. If you have any questions, please contact Doug Moore at 801-231-2636. 

David Oka will lead our quorum lesson this Sunday. The talk is Elder Holland’s talk “Behold the Lamb of God”. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/28holland?lang=eng

I look forward to see you on Sunday. Please reach out if there is anything I can do to help you.

Thanks,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

Happy rainy Wednesday. I hope that you all were able to get out to the dumpsters before they were too overflowing. It feels like an olympic event to get your trash out before everyone else (or hopefully in conjunction with everyone else). 

I really enjoyed our quorum meeting on Sunday. We had some great conversation about the results from the ward survey. I’m sorry that we didn’t get through all of the comments but I really appreciated the suggestions, feedback, and honest questions. I hope that something stuck out to you and that you take the opportunity to act on that item(s). The spirit touches each of us differently and according to our needs.

In my readings this week I ended up on a talk from conference that we haven’t studied together but has been particularly poignant to me. It is Elder Eyring’s talk from last conference titled “A Home Where the Spirit of the Lord Dwells” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2019/04/16eyring?lang=kor. President Eyring states: “My purpose today is to teach what I know of how we can qualify for that feeling more often and invite it to last longer in our families. As you know from experience, that is not easy to do.” We have faced some challenges over the last year or so where we have had four of our children in one way or another distance themselves from the gospel. Keeping that feeling in our home has been difficult. President Eyring talks about the slippery slope that we see throughout history and especially in 4 Nephi. He calls out:

• Pride crept in.
• The people stopped sharing what they had with each other.
• They began to see themselves in classes above or below each other.
• They began to diminish in their faith in Jesus Christ.
• They began to hate.
• They began to commit all kinds of sin.

This is a pattern we have seen in our home and we have taken steps to try to counteract it – with limited success. The key – he says is to help them grow in faith that Jesus Christ is their loving Redeemer. He then talks about some of the “how’s” He includes:

• Praying with Love
• Teaching Early Repentance
• Cultivating a Missionary Spirit
• Visiting the Temple

He goes into detail for each and I have found it inspiring and helpful to me and Kris as we continue to fight back against the attacks of the adversary. “Come Follow Me” has helped us build faith in Jesus Christ and we have a ways to go. I want that spiritually minded feeling to exist and persist inside our home. This is helping me. Maybe it can help you too if you find yourself slipping down a similar slope.

This Sunday we’ll be hold Sunday school and we’ll learn talk about more of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. 1 Cor 14-16 and 2 Cor 1-7. The chapters from 2 Cor were inspiring to me.

We have a potluck social on Sept 26th at the clubhouse. More details will follow next week.

Elders, thanks again for your help and support. I enjoy the spirit and camaraderie that exists in our quorum. You men are the best.

Talk to you on Sunday!

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

Caught you by surprise with an earlier than usual weekly email. As much as I like the two hour block of church, I really miss the weekly quorum interaction. I like to learn and talk about the gospel with you. You are all great men.

I’m writing early this week to remind you / let you know about the fireside being held Thursday evening in the gym, 6:30pm at our ward building (casual dress). The fireside is for all youth and adults 11 years old or older. The bishop arranged for Brady Mackay to come and speak to us. Brother Mackay’s career has taken him from working in a Mortuary to 24 years as a DEA Special Agent. During his career he was involved throughout the world in undercover operations. As part of his operations he participated in purchasing / obtaining illicit products including: drugs, money laundering, human trafficking, weapons-grade uranium, anti-aircraft weapons, and many others. He helped prosecute hundreds of cases. He trained extensively with many branches of the special forces. He has processed over 1500 methamphetamine laboratories. He personally arrested the two largest producers of heroin in the world. His credits and accomplishments go on and on. He has seen incredible things (both good and bad) all around the world and will be sharing some of his stories and perspectives on life. He is definitely a manly-man if there ever was one.

This Sunday we are going to talk a bit about the survey that we all participated in earlier in the year. I’m interested in getting your feelings and opinions about the data points that we have gathered and how we can help each other in our paths of discipleship.

Marshall is contacting each of you to invite you to come participate in a PPI with a member of the quorum presidency. I’m sure that he would appreciate you reaching out to him first to schedule some time. Please help make his job a bit easier. We are also working on another round of Ministering Interviews. I have been impressed with some of the good things that you all are doing to help bless the lives of those you serve.

Thank you Elders for being good husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers. The world needs more men like you.

Hope to see you Thursday evening!

Thanks,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828