APRIL
2020 AT A GLANCE:
April 1: We got snow today!
April
4-5, 2020 General Conference was memorable and unforgettable as
promised by our prophet six months ago. The
messages would have been enough for me.
I was listening hoping to get some feeling about our current plan to
sell our home and relocate. We’ve worked
hard to get the house ready with that in mind, but present conditions have made
that seem less wise. In President
Nelson’s first address he said, “Stand in Holy Places and BE NOT MOVED.” That
message was like it was spoken to me and I had my answer. It came with peace, as I am the one who
suggested and have pushed for a move. Soon after, while reading in D&C 84,
I came across those same words with a bit more…”until the Savior Come.” I am at peace with that!
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
general conference was broadcast from a small auditorium on Temple Square.
Attendance was limited to the First Presidency and those assigned to give talks
and prayers for each session.
During the Saturday morning session,
President Nelson announced the Sunday morning session would include a solemn
assembly and a Hosanna Shout.
President Dallin H. Oaks announced a
new Young Men General Presidency, nine General Authority Seventies and 58 Area
Seventies. The list includes brethren from 22
different countries.
In
the Saturday evening session of general conference, two teen-aged youth shared
thoughts on how priesthood blesses youth.
This is the first time I remember teen-age speakers.
During
his Saturday evening remarks, President Nelson unveiled a new Church symbol.
The symbol includes the name of the Church within a cornerstone and a
representation of Thorvaldsen’s marble statue, the Christus, under
an arch.
President
Nelson invited the world to fast again for the COVID-19 pandemic during his
Saturday evening remarks. The fast will take place on Good Friday, April 10.
Elder David A. Bednar said there would be 18
temple groundbreakings in 2020.
Earlier this year, the Church announced that
applications were open for a multicultural choir for this general conference. I
applied, but was not chosen. While COVID-19 disrupted the original plan, it did
not stop a multicultural choir from being formed. Best of all, I got to be part of it!
At the conclusion of the final session of
general conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced eight new temples in
the following locations: BahÃa Blanca, Argentina; Tallahassee, Florida;
Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Benin
City, Nigeria; Syracuse, Utah; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Shanghai,
People’s Republic of China. He was full of emotion as he spoke of the one in
China that will not be for tourists, but for the citizens of China. There is not active proselyting there currently,
but we have members there.
Service as delegates for Levan: Darrel and I spent a lot of time this month
vetting candidates for the county and state caucus conventions. Everything was done virtually this year and
that was both good and bad. If we had a
dollar for every email or text received from a candidate, we’d be a lot
wealthier. Voting electronically from home was wonderful. Sadly we had some the
delegates deemed less qualified move to the primary elections because they
gathered signatures. I worry that
general citizens don’t dig into the issues and candidates like the delegates. Voting for a big name or famous endorsement
will not be best for Utah this year.
Easter Season 2020:
Easter was lovely for us. We
helped Bethany do an egg hunt for the kids because there were no large group
hunts this year. Their baskets had only
one egg each. That egg held a clue for
their search. They loved it! We had Suazo’s down to begin our fast on Good
Friday as requested by President Nelson.
It was planned with the Seder meal in mind and we had a wonderful
discussion about the symbolism in the meal and how it applies to members of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Good Friday: April 10- We fasted today.
Millions of members and non-members around the glove joined us and I was so
grateful to be a part of praying for those already affected by the pandemic,
those on the front lines, for our economic recovery, and the normalization of
life. It was more physically difficult
for me than usual due to the combined stress and strain of Bethany’s mediation,
but the global petition was heard in Heaven and I know blessings will come in
time. Gratefully mediation was
electronic from home. Darrel took the
kids fishing, 4 wheeling, and fixed them lunch so they wouldn’t be a part of
the drama here. It was a long six hours,
but we felt that overall things went well for Bethany and the kids. The only arena we lost in was Bethany having
to drive them from Idaho and dropping them off at their dad’s twice a
year. That scenario has never worked
well. She had hoped to maintain the
practice of the receiving parent picking up. This doubt will diminish Tory’s
contact and influence greatly, so we decided that was a small price to
pay.
Our good friend Bobbie Harward was diagnosed
with lung cancer when spots were discovered.
It was a tough time for her.
Gratefully she felt impressed to seek a blessing from Darrel and
Gordon. After weeks of testing it was
decided that she really had a long-term un-diagnosed case of pneumonia and the
spots were abscesses. We were grateful she didn’t have cancer, but frustrated
that she saw so many specialists who failed to question the first diagnosis and
put her through so much. We were able to
take in a meal and be almost daily support.
Bobbie’s gratitude was a sweet reward for anything we were able to
do. I am hoping this scare will point
them back towards God and activity in His church. Our efforts there in the past have not been
successful.
April 18, 2020: Luke was baptized and
confirmed today. It was much different
than he had planned. He had invited
dozens this past year and only 10 were able to attend in person. Because of the COVID19 situation, Church
policy relaxed allowing people to join electronically. In the end, we had more family in attendance
than we would have and I definitely felt the Spirit of that event reach our
home here in Levan.
COVID19 projects: I have Mom’s history ready to print. It’s been hours of work, but I have longed to
feel her presence and hear her voice recently. Doing this project allowed me both on a daily
basis. I believe this project will touch
some among her posterity for the good.
For certain I want this record kept to serve as an advocate for her at
the final judgement. I also made a photo book of Mom’s life from the many
pictures Kent provided for me. Both projects brought me great satisfaction.
(April
27-30) Our roof painting project finally came to
fruition. Andrea and Jordan were down over the weekend and stayed an extra day
to help. Andrew Robinson came as well on
Monday morning to help get the solar panels off the roof. His presence, organization, and nature to
jump in pushed the project through quickly.
It took just over 40 minutes. Jordan and Darrel air lanced the peeling
paint off for the remainder of the day. Tuesday, Darrel and Bethany power
washed the roof. Wednesday they put on the primer, and Thursday they
painted. The weather was mostly
cooperative. The cost of the paint was
$1500. That was $60 per gallon, but it
looks great and should last.
Society is still at a
stand-still in many places, and I am concerned about the economic impact on the
entire world. But Utah will fare better
than most places and our lives have not been greatly impacted by the
pandemic. There have been no confirmed
cases in Levan and only two in Juab County, neither of which died. Reports confirm that is in the case across
the United States. At present there have been 49 deaths in Utah, 68,089 in the
U.S. and 246,000 world-wide.
