This past Saturday, we had the privilege of attending a special mission wide conference presided over by Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Twelve. Elder Wilford Anderson of the Seventy was his companion. Elder Stevenson was sustained as an apostle last October. Like all the general authorities, he was so very humble and warm. The first thing he did when he arrived, was to ask all of us (around 250 missionaries) to come up and one by one, introduce ourselves to him and shake his hand. The mission president later commented to the young elders and sisters that this experience, to be able to shake the hand of an apostle, will be one that they remember all their lives. I have to agree with that, as I was privileged to shake the hand of then Elder Gordon B. Hinckley when I was a missionary in Argentina. That is also a memory that I will always cherish. As the church continues to grow worldwide, these types of opportunities, to be in the presence of one of Savior's special witnesses, do not come around very often, if at all.
Elder Stevenson commented that he often feels like a new missionary trainee and that he is sure the more senior apostles must be saying to themselves that they hope he figures everything out soon, before the Lord calls them home. The meeting lasted from 9 - 12:30. Later in the afternoon, he held a fireside with all the youth in the mission, 12-18, and then a training meeting in the evening for all the auxiliary presidents. Noah reported that in the youth meeting, Elder Stevenson shared a number of personal experiences when he was a teenager and then bore his sacred witness regarding his conversion and testimony.
The Spirit bore witness to Robyn and I that Elder Stevenson, indeed is a prophet, seer and revelator and one of the Savior's personal witnesses. We both were overcome with joy to be able to be with him.
LIBERTY JAIL
In the Prophet Joseph’s letters, he spoke of the jail being a
“hell, surrounded with demons … where we are compelled to hear nothing but
blasphemous oaths, and witness a scene of blasphemy, and drunkenness and
hypocrisy, and debaucheries of every description. We have… not blankets sufficient to keep us
warm; and when we have a fire, we are obliged to have almost a constant smoke.
Our souls have been bowed down and my nerve trembles from long confinement.”
And yet some of the most beautiful revelations received by
the Prophet were recorded there. Elder
Holland in a CES fireside said, "How empty our lives as Latter-day Saints
would be if we did not have sections 121, 122, and 123 of the Doctrine and
Covenants!"
We ran into an old friend of mine, Kirk Robinson, working in Independence. Actually it wasn't Kirk, but it sure could have been his identical twin.
The Amayo family is one of the families that we have been visiting with to encourage more activity. Sunday, I spent most of the Sacrament meeting trying to keep their two year old, Efeomo, semi quiet with little success. He reminds me a lot of Matthew at that age.
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| Efeomo |
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| Uhunoma, age 9, Kansas Jayhawk fan |
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| Etinosa, age 6 - Kansas Jayhawk fan also |
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| Mike Albrectsen
Brother Mike Albrectsen is another one of the many talented members who have been called out of their home wards to serve in the Kaw River ward. He is currently serving as the ward young men president while his wife Lynda is serving as the ward young women president. I recently met with him to get some direction regarding my new calling in the scout troop.
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He showed us his studio in the basement of his home. He was commissioned to paint the gorgeous mural in the instruction room of the Kansas City temple. Another of his paintings hangs near the recommend desk in that temple. He has also done a mural in the Indianapolis temple. Some day the painting behind me in the photo, may be hanging in the Star Valley, Wyoming temple. The temple committee has expressed an interest in considering it when it is complete for that temple.
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