Elders,
Wow, who dialed up the winter weather all of a sudden? One of the news stations mentioned that this was one of the wettest starts to a new year in a long time – maybe even record-setting (I was at the gym on a treadmill at the time and only saw parts of the closed-captioning as I huffed and puffed my way along).
What a fantastic conference weekend it was. I hope that you were as inspired by the messages as I was. We were all anxiously waiting “the next big change” and it occurred to me that the big change needs to be me. From reverence in the chapel, to honoring the sacrament, to being a better __ , to missionary work, to deepening my understanding of the atonement, to keeping to the covenant path, to better follow Him… I need to be the next thing that changes and makes a difference. We all do. Individually. One by one.
While it is hard to say which talk was more impactful than others, one that certainly stood out to me was President Nelson’s talk in the Priesthood session ( https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2019/04/36nelson?lang=eng ) I can’t wait to discuss this with all of you in a quorum setting but since that wont happen for a few weeks, I wanted to share a couple of my thoughts. When I first heard the talk, I thought it was all about needing to repent – and repent all the time. He went to great pains to explain that repentance is a process, but it somehow still felt punitive. As I listened to it over a few times that feeling went away however. The talk (for me) is about being a little better each day. He says “Brethren, we need to do better and be better because we are in a battle.” I love the imagery of a battle. Some of the ways we need to do better and be better include how we treat our bodies (cheeseburger anyone?), our wives, and the priesthood responsibility we bear.
Every time after I come home from the priesthood session Kris asks me if they told me that I had to love her. Most times the answer is kinda, or yes – this time it was an emphatic yes. Elders, our wives and children need us to step up and be better men. We need to be real men that are full of love and priesthood power and not just nice guys that occasionally do the dishes without being asked. They need our time, attention, respect, partnership, and love.
I can’t express it better than President Nelson. He says:
“The Lord needs selfless men who put the welfare of others ahead of their own. He needs men who intentionally work to hear the voice of the Spirit with clarity. He needs men of the covenant who keep their covenants with integrity. He needs men who are determined to keep themselves sexually pure—worthy men who can be called upon at a moment’s notice to give blessings with pure hearts, clean minds, and willing hands. The Lord needs men eager to repent—men with a zeal to serve and be part of the Lord’s battalion of worthy priesthood bearers.“
President Nelson
Those are some powerful words. What can you do TODAY to do better or be better? I’d love to hear from each of you. A quick email reply or SMS is all it takes. What will you do?
Just a reminder that this Sunday is Stake Conference. The Saturday evening session (always worth it) is at 7:00pm at the Stake Center. The Sunday session is at 10:00am at any of the stake buildings. Don’t show up at our normal starting time, you will have missed it. Lol.
Just writing this email has got me fired up. I hope that you catch the spirit and passion that I feel for General Conference and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Stake Conference will be great as well. I hope to see you there.
Elders, I love being part of our quorum. Thanks for your participation and testimonies. You are great men. Don’t forget to write and let me know what you are going to do today to be better.
Get after it,
President Oldroyd
801-573-6828