G.J.8TH WARD HAS A NEW BISHOP

G. J. 8TH WARD HAS A NEW BISHOP

SEPTEMBER 11, 2011

Today, on the 10th Anniversary of the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I was in my own ward to install a new bishop. It was a very special day and one of those special times to sustain a new bishop that was called by the Lord and he knew it. I first introduced the prior bishops of the ward and their wives. Every single one was present. I gave a ward history and asked those who were present to stand who attend the meeting in 1982 when the 4th ward was divided and the 8th ward created-only 16 stood-I had Pres. Dean count them. They were all my very close friends. I felt so old and realized that the old base of the ward and those who supported the ward for so long were gone-it wasn’t our ward any more. I explained how a bishop is selected by revelation, approved by the stake presidency, submitted to the First Presidency, approved by the Twelve in the temple and then I call on Thursday to the First Presidency office to see if the name is approved and get permission from Bro. Mortensen in that office to call the new bishop before I received the official letter. I explained how, as a stake presidency we begin to pray after we select the new bishop, that the Lord will make know to him that he is called to be the new bishop so he can have his counselor’s selected and give them to me when he is called.

Aaron Hart was sustained as the new bishop for my ward. He was a very easy choice because over the last few years the Spirit had told me over and over he was the next bishop. I took him out of the bishopric and put him on the High Council about 2 years ago so he could get some stake experience before putting him in as bishop. He knew by the Spirit he was going to be called as bishop so he had his counselors already chosen when he came for the interview. I would have called him earlier but Amber, his wife has been installed as the Relief Society President and I let her serve a year before calling Aaron because a bishop’s wife can’t serve as an auxiliary president. His counselors are Andy Harmon and Dean Blair. This is the 5th bishop change I have made this year-4 because bishops moved for work reasons.

Other events today.
1. I got up at 5:00 a.m. and got home at 7:00 p.m. I knew it was going to be a good day when I was able to button the top button on my new white shirt the first time I tried.
2. I restore a man’s priesthood and temple blessing by assignment of the First Presidency. The only people allowed to be present are his wife and me. I am to destroy all disciplinary files when this is completed.
3. I conducted temple interviews and gave my “Temple Preparation Seminar” to two sisters, one who was going to be sealed and the other married in the temple. Their prospective husband and husband were also present. I have a stake president’s blessing to the couple who are going to be married. They met on line-the second couple I interviewed this week that met this way.
4. We selected five new men for the High Council. I want to get some new faces on the council and train them for leadership positions. Our stake presidency is all in their 60s or 70s and we new younger leaders developed.
5. We got in 10 more white shirts this day which brings to 16 the number we have collected this week. These will be taken by Pres. Dean to Guatemala for the missionaries in that country in March when he goings there to do humanitarian dental work. I’m sure we will have over 200 shirts to take when he goes.
6. I meet with our zone leaders at 6:45 a.m. to go over missionary work in our stake. We have been very blessed with good missionaries. We have had 35 baptisms so far this year.
Other activities this week include:
a. Attending our “Best of Especially for Youth” activity which we host for the four stakes in Colorado. We had almost 500 youth there to listen to the two speakers from Utah, eat and attend a dance. The kids were really excited and love to get together. It is not so important for our stake but it is important for the Meeker and Montrose stakes because their youth are so spread out and don’t have the opportunity to associate with large numbers of Mormon youth.
b. I also attended the Transfer Meeting for the missionaries. I suppose I am the only stake president in the mission that attends these meetings but that is the advantage of being retired as a stake president. I told zone leaders I was too embarrassed because of the scabs and cuts on my face from my fall Labor Day weekend but they said they wanted me to come anyway so I did and they asked me to speak. The western slope missionaries gather at our stake center at noon to wait for the caravan coming from Denver bringing the missionaries that have been transferred to the western slope and taking back our missionaries that are being transferred to Denver. Our new zone leader is Elder Thomas that I met at Catherine’s and Gabi’s ward. He told me he wanted to be transferred to our stake and I joked with him that I would have to put in a good word with the mission president about that. Of course I didn’t talk to the mission president but he was assigned to my stake anyway.
c. Mike Perry just got back from a two week trip with his son Justin to Alaska-it was a life remembering experience. Mike thanks us for visiting his daughter Adie in Portland on our visit-it meant a lot to her.
d. Catherine and Gabi worked very hard on our yard when they were here. They also took me to Dr. Dean to get my teeth put back in place, clean me up and sew up my face. They were great help to us and good company. Gabi wore my “Mattlock” suit to church with his own bowtie-he was the toast of the town.
e. The county road department came by this week and cut back the trees on E7/8 Road. One worker said this was the fifth time in his 22 years he has cut these trees. They were covering about half of the pavement.
f. Clarissa is getting ready for her big trip to Denver, El Paso and California. We are getting her car ready. I will go to the BYU v. Utah game this week with Don Cleveland, Dean White and Ole Dunn. I intend to replenish my popcorn ball supply. Gabi and Connie attended the BYYU v. Texas game on Saturday in Austin.
g. Clarissa’s hip is really hurting-she goes to the doctor this week.
h. I have enjoyed reading the book Jean Robinson complied and co-wrote for the DUP on the pioneer women of San Juan County born before 1900. My mother provided the seed money for the project. I’m surprised that I know some of the women. I am also saddened when I read that some of those women were handcart survivors and also “Hole in the Rock” people-great sacrifice and suffering.
i. I finished reading my book of the First World War-I just don’t know enough about it. The number of people who died in each battle was unbelievable. I am sending this book to Connie to read next along with the book she left this summer, “Beyond Bank of Brothers” which I finished. I am also reading a book called “Twelve Mormon Homes” written by the wife of Col. Thomas Kane as she and her husband accompanied Brigham Young and one of his wife to Dixie for his winter season. She writes about the Mormon homes she stays in and her impressions-very interesting. We have a convert in our stake who is a direct descendant of Col. Kane and he loaned me this rare book to read.
j. I walked 2.5 miles every day this past week but Sunday-no problems. This coming week I will do 3 miles per day.