Category: Uncategorized

Elders,

Good evening – It is another fine spring day. It is fun to see friends and neighbors coming out of hibernation and starting to work in the yard and spend time outside. Weather changes minute to minute, but the draw of the outdoors is unmistakable. It just feels good to be out in the sunshine. This past Sunday afternoon we pulled out my Christmas present (a Spike Ball set) and attempted to play. While we certainly aren’t world-class players, we had a great time. There was more laughing and snorting as we bumbled and fumbled our way around the game than actual game play, but it was well worth it. If you haven’t played before, come borrow our set and have fun.

The Dalton’s led our lesson last Sunday. It was based on the talk “Stand Forever” by Lawrence Corbridge. There was good productive discussion about knowledge and truth – the things that are critical know and the universe of potential questions that can arise. Questions are good, it is how we obtain knowledge and learn truth. We have various methods of learning knowledge – the scientific method, the analytical method, the academic method, and the divine method. We use the various methods every day throughout our lives. The divine method encompasses and builds upon the other three. It doesn’t excuse or exclude them, but builds upon them and adds a witness from the Spirit. Elder Corbridge says: “Pay whatever price you must pay, bear whatever burden you must bear, and make whatever sacrifice you must make to get and keep in your life the spirit and power of the Holy Ghost” That spirit will guide you to truth as you make use of the other three methods.

Be aware, of course, that not all questions are of equal value and importance – some truths are far more valuable to learn than others. Some of the key foundational truths that we should learn include: 1) Is there a God who is our Father? 2) Is Jesus Christ the Son of God, the Savior of the world? 3) Was Joseph Smith a prophet? and 4) Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the kingdom of God on the earth? As we come to a knowledge of these core truths, the other questions we encounter can be put into their proper frame and context. They won’t necessarily go away, but we can more effectively live with them as we keep looking for answers. Yes, questions are good. I have plenty and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the framework it provides me to live a happy life.

This weekend is General Conference. Sessions are at 10:00am and 2:00pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night at 6:00pm is the general priesthood session. The priesthood session will be broadcast at the stake center. I will be gathering with my dad, brothers, and sons up at my dad’s stake center. We will enjoy the session and then go out for dinner. I love the traditions we have built over the years. What traditions do you have around general conference? 

Conference is a fantastic time to ask questions and listen for answers in the words of the prophets. I love conference weekend – and not just because I can listen while in dressed in sweats. I hope that you will take the opportunity to fully participate.

Thanks as always. Let’s see what opportunities for change and personal growth that general conference brings,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

I’m a little tired tonight. Ended up with another trip down to Ephraim, UT late last night and ended back home just after 2:00am. I’m not in my 20’s anymore. I don’t bounce back quite the same as I used to.

Prior to my whirlwind tour of Ephraim, we had our Elder’s Quorum Axe Throwing event. I hope everyone had a good time. We all were able to get the axes to stick to the target. Some of us were better than others but overall we ended up splitting into two competitive teams. Both games were decided by the final thrower – pretty evenly matched. I’m not sure if Larry or I had the record for the furthest distance the axe rebounded after NOT sticking into the target. It probably wasn’t the actual goal, but it was still fun. Thanks to everyone that came out. I hope we can get another activity lined up soon. It is good to gather together as men and enjoy each other’s company. It was a fun guys night out but it would be fun to go with your family as well. (look for a groupon).

Here are a few snaps from the event – thanks Bruce.

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Last Sunday we were led by David Oka to discuss the talk “The role of the Book of Mormon in Conversion”. We had a number of you make comments and help frame the lesson. I really enjoyed hearing the personal stories and testimonies of many of you. We all come such different backgrounds and circumstances. It builds my testimony and faith to hear you bear your testimonies. Thank you for opening up and sharing with the quorum.

This coming Sunday is a Fast Sunday due to April General Conference. It is also a 5th Sunday. On 5th Sundays we gather with the Relief Society and learn together. The talk that we’ll be discussing is “Stand Forever”. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/lawrence-corbridge_stand-for-ever/ by Lawrence Corbridge. I have read through the talk and have found it very insightful. There is so much mis-information out in the world. He talks about how we learn and where the gospel fits in. I think it will lead us to a great discussion. The Dalton’s will be presenting the material and guiding us through the talk. It will be great.

Other announcements can be found at our ward website (thanks Aimee): https://westland9th.weebly.com/announcements.html

Thanks as always. I appreciate your kindness and support,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

It’s hard to believe that it is already mid-week. I hope that you are all enjoying the good weather. Officially today is the first day of spring, so we are right on track. I’m sure we still have a storm or two to go, but we are on our way to warmer weather.

We had the sister missionaries over for dinner tonight. It was fun to see them in more casual clothes. You have a picture of what a missionary looks like and they did not fit the mold that I was expecting. While from their dress they were less formal, their spirit, and enthusiasm were contagious. We loved having them over. They talked about their missions, their mission calls, and their families. My kids might not admit it, but I think they really enjoyed having them over too. We almost didn’t eat either. We had a time mixup, dead car batteries, late meetings, and the kids didn’t start the rice… Only a last minute run to Pollo Loco saved the day. We ate, shared stories, and enjoyed their company.

The missionaries are just wonderful. They carry that missionary mantle – you can feel their love for you and for the Savior. They were impressed to share a message and challenge around prayer. It was just what our family needed. Just this morning I was having a discussion with one of my children about the efficacy of prayer. My child was talking about how prayers aren’t answered and that God doesn’t care to help. The example was brought up about studying for a test, praying, and still failing. The sister missionaries talked about prayer and how some prayers take time and patience, but that God hears all our prayers. I don’t know how well the message was received but I feel that it was inspired.

On Friday, we have the opportunity to go and do proxy sealings at the Jordan River Temple. If you have not signed up for the 6:30pm session and are able to attend, could you call or SMS Bro Waddoups (385) 630-5521 and let him know that you are coming? He is coordinating and making sure that we have room to occupy all that are interested in coming. Please bring your family names and we’ll try to get through as many as we can on Friday.

This Sunday we will be taught by David Oka. He will lead us in a discussion of Elder Bowen’s talk “The Role of the Book of Mormon in Conversion” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/the-role-of-the-book-of-mormon-in-conversion?lang=eng I am excited to learn from Bro Oka and each one of you. I appreciate all of the comments and participation in quorum. We have a great group of men.

Tuesday 3/26, we are having an Elder’s outing. We will be going to Axe Arena (6212 State St, Murray, UT 84107) at 7:00pm to try our hand at throwing axes into bulls-eye targets. The cost is $15/person. We will have a signup sheet go around on Sunday to gauge about how many people to plan on. It should be a ton of fun. If you have doubts, just ask the Haws’ family. Bring a son or a daughter, or even *Gasp* your neighbor.

On March 31, we’ll have a combined 2nd hour meeting with the Relief Society and we’ll be discussing a talk by Lawrence Corbridge titled “Stand Forever”. https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/lawrence-corbridge_stand-for-ever/ Elder Corbridge was assigned to read through a large swath of material on the internet that was antagonistic to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He talks about what he learned and what we can do to prepare ourselves to Stand Forever. He talks about knowledge and deception, methods for learning, and the importance of asking questions. It is a wonderful talk and message. It will be great to get your input on this as well.

In my last email I mistakenly announced Sunday Snacks for 3/31. That day is fast Sunday so we’ll move it to April 28th. Sorry for not thinking.

Enjoy the rest of the week. You are all great men and I’m grateful to know you.

Best wishes,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

Well, that was a nice little snap of winter. Hopefully that is the last snow of significance this season. It certainly messed with the morning commute.
One thing you probably don’t know about me is that I am a steam room junkie. Some day I will get a steam room installed in my home (ok – probably not) but there are few things that I enjoy more than sitting in a eucalyptus steam room after a good workout. If I’m lucky, I’ll bring an orange to enjoy while steaming. Ah – heaven. As I came out of the steam room earlier this week there was a guy sitting in the hot tub just outside the steam room. He had a large tattoo on his back running from one shoulder to another. The tattoo script boldly said Philippians 4:13.

I’m not a proponent of getting inked, but I do admire the guy for his bold testimony. Phillipians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It is a beautiful statement of faith and power. Do you believe it? Do you have faith that you can “do all things” through our Savior? It isn’t likely tattooed on you skin, but how about in your heart? Have you stepped outside of your comfort zone and put it to the test? I probably should have stopped and asked the guy about his faith and the impetus for getting his tattoo but unfortunately I didn’t. It would be good to hear his story.

This past Sunday we had a discussion around Sister Craig’s talk “Divine Discontent”. Ken led the discussion and we talked about the difference between divine discontent and paralyzing discouragement. There isn’t a clean line between the two and it is easy to slip into discouragement. Three things that can help keep Divine Discontent from turning into Paralyzing Discouragement are: 1) Act with faith – step out of our comfort zone and act, believing that God will help make us better. 2) Follow promptings to do good – whether it is our thoughts or promptings of the spirit, “Never suppress a generous thought” and 3) Let the discontentment lead us to Christ. We realize that God wants to transform us into something magnificent. We ended with the story told by CS Lewis about God remodeling a house and that he isn’t happy with just a few changes – he wants to create a castle.

Ken challenged us to look for the divine discontent in our lives and lean into it and let it work miracles in our lives. It was a great group discussion. Thanks to all of you for participating.

A couple of announcements:

We talked briefly about the Utah Area Plan (http://utah.lds.org) and passed out the family goal-setting cards to be given out by the ministers to their ministering families. The card encourages us to set some simple goals in four key areas of our life. We have asked the ministers to follow up on the cards and the goals and help to implement the plan in each of our houses. We ran out of cards so we’ll get some more ASAP. In the meanwhile, you can go to the website above for more information.

A week from Friday (3/22) we will go and do temple sealings as a ward. We encourage everyone with a recommend to come participate in the 6:30 session at the Jordan River Temple.

3/26 (Tuesday), the elders will be going to Axe Arena (6212 State St, Murray, UT 84107) at 7:00pm to try our hand at throwing axes into bulls-eye targets. The cost is $15/person. We will have a signup sheet go around on Sunday to gauge about how many people to plan on. It should be a ton of fun. If you have doubts, just ask the Haws’ family. Bring a son or a daughter, or even *Gasp* your neighbor.

3/31 (Sunday) – 2:00pm (right after the church block) we are asking everyone to bring a snack to share (healthy or otherwise) and spend 30 – 60 extra minutes just talking and socializing with other members of the ward. We’ll start off easy with snacks and see where it goes.

Elders, you are all fine men and I am proud to get to know all of you. You can, as the tattoo said, do anything through faith in the Savior. Have a wonderful end to your week.

Best wishes,

President Oldroyd 801-573-6828

Elders,

Good evening. I hope that you are all doing well this evening. Today is Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn’t directly celebrate this religious holiday, we certainly eagerly anticipate the Easter season, celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The season of Lent is designated as a period of 40 days before Easter. It is a time for believers to prepare their hearts, minds, and bodies for Easter. Traditionally, believers prepare through prayer, doing penance, repentance, charity, and self-denial. The 40 days is significant because that is how long Jesus fasted in the wilderness. It is also the number of years that the Israelite children wandered in the wilderness. It is a good opportunity for each of us as well, to reflect and rededicate ourselves to increased worship of the Savior. The Come Follow Me curriculum is a great way to ease in to increased gospel knowledge and scholarship.

This coming Sunday in quorum we will study Sister Michelle Craig’s talk from conference titled “Divine Discontent” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/divine-discontent?lang=eng . It is a great talk and I’m excited to have Ken teach us and lead a discussion around the talk.

We want to congratulate Val and Wendy Christofferson on their calling to serve in an inner city mission in Salt Lake. They are going to do a fantastic job and we wish them all the best.

We have a couple of calendar items to remind you of:

• Friday March 22 – 6:30pm Ward temple trip to the Jordan River Temple for a sealing session.
  
• Monday March 25 – 12:30-4:00pm Service opportunity at the soap factory. We have been asked to fill 2 slots. Bruce Haws has volunteered to fill one spot and we could use another volunteer. The soap factory is located at: 3602 S 7200 W, Magna, UT 84044
  
• Tuesday March 26 – 7:00pm – Axe Throwing at the Axe Arena – 6212 State St. The cost is $15/person. Bring a brother, neighbor, son or daughter and come get some first-class stress relief with members of the quorum. Everyone is invited. It should be a lot of fun. We’ll have a signup sheet on Sunday.
• Sunday March 31 – 2:00pm (right after the church block) we are asking everyone to bring a snack to share (healthy or otherwise) and spend 30 – 60 extra minutes just talking and socializing with other members of the ward. We’ll start off easy with snacks and see where it goes.

Elders, thank you for all that you do. I encourage you to reach out to and continue ministering to your companion and to your families. We are going to wrap up our formal ministering interviews this month. Thanks for being flexible and generous with your time.

Love you guys. Have a wonderful week,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

How is the week going for you? This nice peek into spring has been wonderful. Hopefully all is well with each of you. 

We made a change in our quorum on Sunday. We released Brad Woolley as secretary and sustained Marshall Rudd as the new secretary. I want to thank Brad for all of the effort and work he put into the calling. He is a good elder and a great friend. Thank you Brad.

Mitch led a great discussion on Sunday. We talked about President Eyring’s talk “Try, Try, Try”. We covered a lot of ground in our discussion. It culminated with a call to ministering and charity. I appreciate all of the input and comments. It makes us a better quorum and hopefully better priesthood holders as well.

Mark your calendars for our ward temple night on March 22 (Friday) at 6:30pm. We will be doing a sealing session at the Jordan River Temple.

A couple of weeks ago, we travelled down to Ephraim Utah to see our daughter who is attending Snow College. We made it down without incident, picked her up and went to the local Cafe Rio knockoff. We hopped into the car to go get her some groceries and supplies. I turned the key and the car made a very odd sound. It wasn’t the standard sound when the battery dies, nor was it the sound I would typically associate with a bad starter motor. It was really strange. 

It was President’s Day. We were in the middle of almost nowhere and our car was not going to start. 

Then the little miracles started. There were just too many of them for it to be just a string of coincidences. One of the workers from the restaurant came out to dump the garbage and we asked him about a mechanic. He said there was a small shop a few blocks away called Garage Sale Treasures. It didn’t sound like much of a mechanic but he suggested we call him. The mechanic fortunately was working that day and he was waiting on a part to be delivered from the mighty metropolis of Nephi so he had a few minutes to come and take a look. 

Darren showed up and looked like the ultimate mechanic. His coveralls were more grease than material. After 10 minutes or so of diagnostic work that involved him repeatedly whacking the starter motor with a large hammer while I tried to start the van we determined that it was in-fact, the starter motor that was bad. If the starter wasn’t bad before he got there, all the pounding on it with a large hammer certainly would have had an impact on the diagnosis. 

The next problem was whether or not there was a starter motor anywhere around. He called Napa – no luck. He then tried Autozone and after a long time on hold, they said they had one rebuilt motor. Darren said he’d take me in his beater 1990 VW Jetta to the store so I could buy it. I sent the rest of the family on a long walk back to Lexi’s dorm room, figuring I was in for a long afternoon. After buying the starter motor we towed the van to his shop with the Jetta. All went well until I saw that we had to make it across a muddy field to get to his shop. Somehow we made it in and he got to work.

I’m not completely inept when it comes to car repairs but I figured two things – one it was going to take a couple of hours and two – I was going to pay through the nose. I was worried as well that his part was going to show up and he was going to push me to the back of the queue. I was busily looking for some place to spend the night. I was not convinced that we were going home. I was to start a new job the next day and I wasn’t certain that I’d make the “new hire training” the next day.

Less than an hour later Darren hands me the keys and says he’s all done and would I come try it. I do, and it turns over and starts right up.

He writes me out the bill and I was preparing for the worst – holiday rate – rush job – non-local sucker – etc. I took a look and just about passed out. The labor and tax came to $70.21. He couldn’t take a credit card so he told me to take the car and go to an ATM and come back with the cash later in the afternoon.

I thanked him profusely and promptly paid him. The car has run perfectly ever since. We finished our visit and made it home as planned.

You could call it a string of coincidences, good luck, or small-town hospitality. I choose to see it as a collection of little miracles. God does care about the little things in our life. He is in the details if we seek to see them and find them.

I am grateful for these little miracles that happen all around us. I have been trying to look for the hand of God more in my life. I have made a concerted effort for the last several months and it has helped me. I feel like I am a better person and have a better outlook on life for looking for those little evidences of God’s love.

I hope that you will look for God’s hands in your day to day activities. Have a great week.

This Sunday is a Come Follow Me lesson. The lesson covers the Sermon on the Mount. I hope to see many of you there. 

Happy Day!

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

It is a great day. I hope that you are having a wonderful week. This coming Sunday Mitch Seaman is going to lead our discussion President Eyring’s talk “Try, Try, Try” from last conference ( https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/try-try-try?lang=eng ). I encourage you to read it in advance and think about how you can add to the conversation.

Alma 43:47-50
47 And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion.
48 And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts–yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage.
49 And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their liberty and their freedom from bondage.
50 And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power; and in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and they fled even to the waters of Sidon.

Matt Newton used this story in his talk on Sunday. I felt inspired to read it again to let it sink in a bit more – especially as it pertains to my family and those that I minister with and to.

It reminds me a bit of the Scottish patriot William Wallace. His ragtag army was pitted against a far superior (in size, equipment, and training) English army. Wallace’s troops were starting to doubt. They wanted to quit, to give up and go home. He saw and sensed their concerns and as Moroni did, he “sent forth and inspired their hearts” with thoughts of freedom. He then led them on to a miraculous victory. (Watch part of his inspirational speech here –  https://youtu.be/lEOOZDbMrgE )

We as husbands, fathers, and priesthood holders are entitled to personal revelation to know how to help inspire and lead our families – even at times against all odds. We need to be present and involved “Moroni saw the fierceness”, then as we communicate with our family we will be able to receive promptings from the spirit “perceiving their intent”. Then, we must have the courage to act and deliver the message from/with the spirit “inspired their hearts”, become unified and join with them “cry with one voice”. Finally together we fight and “stand against the Lamanites with power”.

This is a pattern we can use within our families, our ministering assignments, and within our quorum. We:

1. See the situation (observe / watch / seek to know)
2. Receive promptings to help
3. Deliver the inspiration
4. Stand together and fight

Elders – this is a battle for the souls of men and we are called to help gather and protect these souls. This is ministering at its finest. We can be a William Wallace or Captian Moroni to those around us. We have the priesthood of God and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost to guide us. We can be “mighty men of valor”. We can be men of God. We can do this together.

God bless you. I pray for you and your families.

Have a great week. I love you guys,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828 

Elders,

Here is your last minute reminder that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. If you haven’t planned something nice or thoughtful for your Valentine, stop reading this now and get it taken care of. For some, messing this holiday up is akin to starting WWIII. Kris and I have been pretty low-key around Valentine’s day, but I’d be crazy to not at least acknowledge the holiday and her in some way. She is an amazing woman and I feel blessed that she allows me to hang around with her.

This past Sunday, David Oka and his experts talked about temple work, family history, indexing, the importance of record keeping, and the progression of the ordinances of the temple. We were encouraged to come and experience the temple. Listen to the words, promises, and blessings and deepen our conversion.

We have an opportunity to go together as a ward on Friday March 22 at 6:30pm to do proxy sealings. We’ll have more information as the date gets closer and hopefully we will have lots of family names to seal and that Michael Waddoups will be able to perform the sealings for us.

As I was reading in Mark 1 a couple of weeks ago, I was touched by one of the Savior’s early miracles (Mark 1:40-42). It involved Leprosy. Leprosy is still a scary diagnosis now, but back then it was a sure fire ticket to be banished from society, and a slow painful, lonely death – the epitome of outcasts. People would run away screaming “Unclean! Unclean!” At the very sight of a leper. 

Though Jesus’ ministry was still in the early stages, his reputation for being a miracle-worker preceded him. His fame even reached this poor leper. As Jesus was crossing between Galilean towns the beggar saw Jesus coming and approached him. I’m certain that the crowds immediately scattered, but this leper had great faith. He didn’t just ask Jesus if he could be healed. He asked in an almost apologetic way that if the Savior wanted to he knew that Jesus could heal him. Instead of backing away from the leper, Jesus drew closer and even physically reached out to provide a comforting touch (something that likely hadn’t happened for years) and through the priesthood, healed the leper.

There’s an old AT&T jingle “Reach out, reach out and touch someone”. This is one of the keys to being a minister like the Savior. Maybe we aren’t afraid of reaching out because of Leprosy but for me, I’m often afraid of saying or doing something wrong. I’m afraid that I won’t know what to do or be rejected. When I reach down within myself and get the courage to reach out, most every time the experience is great and I am uplifted up by the experience. 

There are a lot of “spiritual lepers” in the world and in our ward. There are people that just want us to reach out and touch or acknowledge them. They aren’t picky, they are just yearning for someone – for you – to reach out and touch them as the Savior would. Are you up to the challenge?

As I mentioned on Sunday, we have updated our ministering assignments. Please take a look inside of LDS Tools, do a “sync”, and look under your name for any changes. It will show who you are assigned to and who is assigned to you. Reach out in both directions as well as to your companion and help us all come together. You can be a miracle in someone else’s life.
Thank you for your friendship and brotherhood. You are great men.

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

Happy mid-week. After a long day of shoveling snow I slept like a baby. I hope that you all did the same. Some of my friends made it up the mountain and said that the powder skiing was unbelievable. They saw one boarder with an actual snorkel so he could breathe easier as he went through the snow. Regardless, the snow and water is welcome.

As I was studying the past few Come Follow Me lessons, my curiosity was piqued by the various players in the gospels. Nick in his lesson on Sunday added to my curiosity when he had us look up and learn a bit more about who the Jews, Pharisees, and Sadducees were. I dug in a little about Matthew since we studied some of his words, his book is first in the New Testament, and his conversion story was brought out in our studying of Luke 5. 

Matthew (formerly Levi) was not a humble fisherman called into the service by the Savior. He was a tax collector. Tax collectors seem to be universally disliked, but he was probably near the top of the list of those disliked by the people. He could tax you for anything and everything. There were few checks and balances and as long as Herod and Caesar got what they wanted, the tax collector could keep the rest. They were generally slime balls. 
He was not “friends” with many of the people in the town. Likely, people did all they could to steer clear of him and stay off his radar. The only people that were his friends were other tax collectors. The exception to this was Jesus, who simply said “Follow me”. 

Levi recognized the Savior and followed him. This left him in a bit of a predicament. How would he make his transition from a distrusted tax collector to a devoted Christian? What about his old tax buddies? What about his new “church” friends?

As a part of the transition, he threw a posh party at his house / estate. He invited all of his old buddies as well as Jesus and his disciples. Not much was said about the party but it seemed like everyone was getting along fine. Just a great social event (like our meet and eat this weekend?)

Until…

The religious police showed up. The Scribes and Pharisees saw this feast with the hated tax collectors and this new comer Jesus. Their pious and holier-than-thou attitudes prickled. How could this “teacher” be associating with these tax collectors? Doesn’t he know that this looks bad? They started bugging Matthew and causing a bit of a scene. Jesus steps in with a gentle rebuke says “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick” (Luke 5:31). The Pharisees are rebuked and the situation defused.

Let’s be careful not to be like the Pharisees. There are lots of friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family members that don’t believe exactly as we believe. We can turn up our Pharisaical noses at them, or we can welcome them into our lives, learn from them, love them, and share our feelings and beliefs with them. Let’s continue to foster an open and intentional community of caring and acceptance.  

This Sunday David Oka is going to teach us from Elder Ballard’s conference talk – “The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead” ( https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/the-vision-of-the-redemption-of-the-dead?lang=eng ) I encourage you to review it in advance and help join in the discussion.

One last thing… I’m going to send a SMS out to everyone today, but it is going to come from a different number than my main cell number. It will come from 385-217-6614. If you don’t receive one today would you please call or text me on my regular number 801-573-6828 and let me know? I’m trying out a way to send texts to everyone without the hassle of a group chat or a custom application.

Have a safe rest of the week!

See you on Sunday,

President Oldroyd
801-573-6828

Elders,

I hope that you are all having a great week. I am playing the single-parent role this week and every time I do, I am in awe at the added level of challenge it presents. It helps me be more mindful of those where it is the norm and not the exception. It also renews my appreciation for my sweetheart. 

This past Sunday we had a discussion about Elder Bednar’s talk from conference titled “Gather Together in One All Things in Christ”. Ken Stonebrook led us through the talk and invited a great discussion. One thing that stood out to me was actually in how he prepared for the talk. He spent time with his son discussing the talk and googling information about ropes. I was touched that he made his preparations a family activity. I can certainly learn from his example. Thank you Ken.

Amongst other things, we discussed the “pharisaical focus on checklists” that we sometimes have in the church and how by focusing on the individual tasks we can often miss the point and/or opportunities to learn, grow, and serve. I had a period of my mission where I truly had the “pharisaical focus” that we discussed. I was struggling a bit as a missionary and started making a list of everything that I needed to do to be 100% obedient. I desperately wanted to qualify for the spirit and the help from the Lord. This list started with getting up at a certain time and ended with going to bed at a proscribed time. In between, I had nearly 50 other tasks to check off each day. I have page after page in my journal of these checklists. None of the items on the checklist were bad. They were all commendable and even appropriate, but as I focused on the checklist itself I totally missed the mark and ended up in a worse spot than I was before. I found myself smug at times for getting all my marks and depressed at others when I didn’t. I found myself frustrated when others that I knew weren’t as “dedicated” were seeing the success that I so hungered for. It was a vicious cycle and it took me a long while to realize what I was doing to myself and to my companion and to the work. More importantly I wasn’t ultimately helping others to come unto Christ.

Jesus Christ is at the core of our lives and as we apply His doctrines, principles, and practices in an integrated and interrelated way we will draw closer to Him. We use as a measuring stick, what would the Savior do in this situation – and just do it. Our rope becomes stronger and we add more strands to our testimony. The gospel is truly a “beautiful tapestry” that we can add to on a daily basis.

Ken challenged us to do a little introspection and see what strands we are weaving into our personal tapestry, what strands are there and which ones we need to shore up.  I encourage you to take some time and tackle the challenge. 

Thank you Elders. I encourage you to reach out to your friends and family, your ministering families and companions. Do as the Savior would. See them as He sees them. Love them as He does. It will bless and enrich your lives (and theirs).

God bless each of you. See you on Sunday,

President Oldroyd

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