Month: October 2019

Elders,

Another week is gone and I’m not quite sure where it went. These things happen. It is a perfect time to be a sports fan. I’m not a die-hard sports junkie by any means but I do enjoy sports and this week is the perfect convergence for me. College football is in full swing and all three of the Utah schools notched good wins last week. The Jazz just started their season with a come-from-behind win over the Thunder last night. The NFL is rolling along. MLS is wrapping up but unfortunately RSL is now out. NHL is just starting as well. For my son Parker, the Overwatch world cup is next week. My co-workers are following the Lease of Legends world championships this month. Baseball is in it’s final throes with the World Series going on. I have a soft spot for the Nets and though I can’t follow baseball over the full season, the playoffs and World Series are special. Whew! With so much going on one could easily get caught up in it all and find yourself in a spots coma on the couch every night. I’m not that bad (note to self – check with Kris)…

One thing about sports is there is a winner and loser and by necessity it is a zero-sum game. Your success is my failure. As Ricky Bobby put it “If you ain’t first you’re last”. The scriptures too, talk at times about winning the race, fighting a good fight, or destroying your opponent on the battle field. Most computer and board games as well are focused on a single victor.

It is a good thing that God’s plan for us isn’t a zero-sum sports game. I’d certainly have no chance of competing on any level. God’s way is different. He wants the best for each of us and strangely our best means helping others be better and accepting help from others that too are trying to be better. That should be the point of families and our congregations. It is the backbone of ministering, and I believe it to be the core of our Savior’s teachings. 

This coming Sunday we get to participate with Matt Newton as he shares more about our hearts. This is the third in his series of talks about our hearts and it will be good to hear from him.

Tonight is the annual Spooktacular over at the church at 7:00pm put on by the YW and YM. Bring your kids (in or out of costume) and enjoy the fun.

After our meeting block on Sunday we are going to do our “Sunday Snacks” again. Bring a snack to share and leave it in the kitchen or in your car during our meetings and then we’ll enjoy a potluck of snacks afterwards. We did this a few months ago and it was a lot of fun getting to talk and laugh with each other and let the kids be kids.

Other upcoming calendar items include:

• Nov 8 – Ward “day at the temple”. The bishop is asking us to do all that we can to spend the whole day in the temple. He’s asking us to take a vacation day from work and spend it in temple service. We know that it isn’t possible for everyone, but he’s encouraging us to make a small sacrifice of time if possible. We’ll try to have lunch as a group at noon, and again dinner at 6pm – both in the cafeteria. I’m looking forward to it. I have gone and done the ordinances, but I have never hit for the cycle and done them all in one day, nor have I tried to do more than one session at a time. It is going to be a good boost and I hope that many of us can serve together throughout the day.
• Nov 9 – The stake is sponsoring a hispanic festival from 6-9 pm. There will be a short program and plenty of food from 13 hispanic countries. Come and learn more about the hispanic culture and enjoy the food and fun.
• Nov 10 – 2:30pm – Teacher Council. We have our quarterly teacher council. We discuss how to be better teachers and how to overcome particular classroom struggles. 

Thanks for all you do. You are great men and I look up to you. Thanks for helping me be a better quorum leader, husband, father, son, and neighbor. Take care of those around you.

God bless you,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

Another week has flown by and here we are again. The company I work for had Columbus Day as a holiday this year. I know that we have several people that work for banks in our quorum so it isn’t odd for you, but for me, it was the first time ever not working on Columbus Day. Everyone else was at school and I had grand plans of getting so much done around the house… It of course didn’t work out as well as planned and I ended up spending time solving office problems for some of our clients and hanging out at the tire store for way too long. Oh well – maybe Saturday will be more productive… 

Saturday and Sunday’s stake conference was great. We were asked to think on “What will I learn? And then What will I do?” I tried to determine what I needed to learn and do throughout the conference. We were given several specific invitations, but two hit me personally and I felt the impression to act. I need to forgive and I need to stop being judgemental. These are two areas that I need to work on. There were several other invitations and I wonder what you got out of conference? The messages are great but if we don’t change and improve then it wasn’t as effective as it should be.

This week we are back to our regular schedule. Kris will be leading our Sunday school lesson on Philippians and Colossians. It’s hard to study both conference talks and Paul’s letters, but both are great.

This year we didn’t have a Stake summer party. Instead, they have decided to team up with the 5th ward and have an activity to celebrate the hispanic culture. They will have food, costumes, dancing, and music from 13 different hispanic countries. The celebration will be November 9th from 6pm->9pm at the Stake Center. There are posters up in our building with more information. I’m looking forward to going. The food will be amazing (I do enjoy my food).

Several of our friends and neighbors are suffering. Look out for them, minister to them, and pray for them. There is great power in prayer.

Thank you for being good examples to me. I love and appreciate all that you do. See you on Sunday if not sooner.

Thanks,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

Welcome to fall. The temps tonight may feel more like winter, but fall is certainly upon us. It has been a nice week and so far no unexpected business trips. I’m glad to be home and enjoying my time with the family. Conference weekend was wonderful and with the announcement of a Taylorsville Temple it has sent the whole city aflutter with rumors and speculation. That coupled with the changes to the youth organizations could cause us to miss the main message and focus of our conference and church meetings. Elder Holland’s talk was a great lead-off message to keep us grounded. He said “in spite of everything else this conference tradition may offer us, it will mean little or nothing unless we find Jesus at the center of it all. To grasp the vision we are seeking, the healing that He promises, the significance we somehow know is here, we must cut through the commotion and fix our attention on Him.”

I am excited to re-read and study the messages given at conference. they are filled with so many good and wonderful things -connections, teachings, warnings, and promises. There may be messages that stir your soul and maybe some that prick your soul. Some may also be hard for us to understand as well. The conference messages are both timely and timeless and I have much to learn.

Elders – this coming weekend is a great opportunity to come and learn from another general authority as well as from our stake leadership. It is our stake conference. Sometimes we look at stake conference as an opportunity to take a week off, or we don’t go because we have young families and the hard chairs make for a long two hours. I hope that you can step aside from those traditions and come to stake conference. The adult session Saturday night at 7pm is always wonderful and I encourage you to attend.

After the evening session we could use your help to setup chairs at our building for the Sunday session. 

Sunday, the 10:00 session will originate at the stake center and will be broadcast to the other buildings (including ours). If you have young children, you could sit in the primary room or relief society room and let them do their thing. Otherwise, snacks and subtle bribery can be effective to help young ones make it through. Stake conference will be great. I hope that you’ll choose to make it a part of your weekend.

Remember our friends and neighbors. Help them and bring them with you to conference!

Thanks,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

Life just flies by. You blink and the moment is gone. I want to apologize for not communicating with you on my usual schedule. Between a cold, traveling for work, and some family intrigue – blink – here we are. 

The Woolley family continue to struggle. Brad’s health is worse. Pain, internal bleeding, and blood clots are major events happening now. Marlene is trying to balance time with Brad and needed things at home. They could use your faith and prayers this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend. It is general conference weekend. I love it for many reasons. I love the messages of hope, inspiration, and prophecy. I love the general spirit that it brings into our home over the two days. I love the traditions we have built around conference. I will miss having a priesthood session tonight, but love to see the traditions spread to the women in my family. It is a wonderful season of restoration and I am excited to hear and learn and grow this weekend. I hope that conference is part of your weekend plans. Continue or start a new tradition. Take the opportunity to gather your loved ones and listen to the voice of prophets and leaders.

Next Sunday (10/13) we have Stake Conference. Plan to attend. It too will be a good experience for you and your family.

Our Come Follow Me study for this week and next week is the book of Ephesians. It is a great course of study along with General Conference.

Thank you for your friendship and brotherhood. I love our little quorum. Keep watching out for and helping one another. Please ask for help if you need it. We can’t solve everything but we can help bear each other’s burdens, mourn, comfort, and strengthen each other.
“Take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day” Eph 6:13

God bless you men,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828