Wednesday, July 31st, 2019

Meridian, Idaho

92nd operating temple

Dedicated: 8 July 2000

By: Thomas S. Monson

Jesus Christ, Firstborn

DC 110:4

I am the first and the last I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.

Book of Mormon

Alma 43:15-26

New Testament "A Minister and a Witness"

Acts 24-25:12

General Conference

Closing Remarks

President Russell M. Nelson

"God's objective should be our objective. He wants His children to choose to return to Him, prepared, qualified, endowed, sealed, and faithful to covenants made in holy temples."

I want to share something I read in the New Testament Student Manual regarding Acts 24:24 -26. "When I Have a Convenient Season." Despite his corrupt nature, Felix was deeply moved by Paul's testimony of Jesus Christ but delayed hearing him further, saying that he would call for Paul later when he had a "convenient season" (Acts 24:25)

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counseled Church members to make decisions based on more than mere convenience: "Sometimes we are tempted to let our lives be governed more by convenience that by covenant. It is not always convenient to live gospel standards and stand up for truth and testify of the Restoration. It usually is not convenient to share the gospel with others. It isn't always convenient to respond to a calling in the Church, especially one that stretches our abilities Opportunities to serve others in meaningful ways as we have covenanted to do, rarely come at convenient times. But there is no spiritual power in living by convenience. The power comes as we keep our covenants" ("Like a Flame Unquenchable," Ensign, May 1999,86). 

We had a little rain today but not too much. It seems to rain all around us but not on us. 

I had planned on spending the day cleaning and getting ready for our company this evening. Sheri, Ian, Max, Evan, Ian's brother Sean, and his daughter Mattea, Michael, Allie, Sam, Eli, and Frasure are all coming. Michael is Ian and Sean's brother from England and they are in the valley visiting and wanted to come up and see the mountains. Allie is Michael's wife and they have two boys of their own, Eli and Frasure and Allie's son from a previous marriage, Sam. Eli is 12, Frasure 9, and Sam is 17.

I cleaned most of the morning. In the early afternoon I had to make a visit for the bishop who is out of town. Tamara and Kerri are both out of town so I was asked to visit this new sister who is asking for welfare assistance. The bishop wants me to "assess the situation."

I asked James to go with me for two reasons: 1) I don't know anything about Amanda and her situation,  2) Vernon addresses are notoriously hard to find and Google just doesn't work.

This is the description I had: An unfinished two storage home in Winchester Trail, ACR 3177, Lot 59. 

James and I went up and down 3177 and there was no Lot 59. We did see an unfinished two story house with a red roof and that is where Amanda was. I believe it was Lot 88. Oh well, we found her. She was staying in a trailer in the back at her friend, Ken McClaran's property. When she came out we went into the big room of the unfinished house and she sat up a lawn chair for me and began telling me her story. It was a sad story about a life spent going from man to man to take care of her and being on drugs and being taken advantage of. She has been homeless for awhile and just came to Vernon because of her friend Ken. She is hiding from the man who last took advantage of her. She told me she had no water and no food and no electricity. She said her mother had disowned her because the last man she was with had made some sex tapes of her while she was on drugs and she was unaware of the tapes. They were sent to her mother. She says she doesn't blame her mom. In spite of this sister's past I couldn't leave her there with no food or water. 

I told her I would report our visit to the bishop and the Relief Society president. I told her I was going down to the Dollar Store to get her some water and a few groceries. She seemed most appreciative. 

At Dollar General I got her four gallons of water, some eggs, bread, peanut butter and jam, and some applesauce. Since she has no electricity it had to be all non-perishable items. 

When we dropped the items off she was in the back but Ken was there. As we were leaving I saw her come out and get the items. She texted me later to thank me and say that I was her hero.

I told the bishop and Tamara about my visit and said I thought she needed a food order. Bishop ask Tamara to do a food order and she will do one on Friday when she returns home. The storehouse is open on Saturday.

Amanda joined the Church in 2016 in Duncan, Az, and was married to a Mormon man for awhile. I think he saw the tapes that were made of her and now he wants nothing more to do with her. 

She told me her dress clothes were left behind in Springerville and she had no way to get them. We may have to have someone from the ward go get them for her. I told her I was sure that the bishop would want to meet with her.

I got home and continued cleaning the basement and then upstairs. James helped me put the sheets on the bed. He also cleaned off the driveway, garage, deck and patio with the power sprayer and washed some windows. We finished just before our company arrived. James also replaced all of the burned out light bulbs.

Michael was in awe of the house and so was Sean. Michael took pictures and put them on Facebook. After meeting everyone and visiting for a little while James and I said good night and went to bed. We are getting up early in the morning to go to the valley.

Michael's post

Adam was ordained an elder and will be 

serving as a missionary in Jamaica.