General Conference. Oct 4, 2009

The last two days have been wonderful as we have watched General Conference at the Branch building in Sulphur Springs. Very relaxing!! We have had some very favorite talks. I loved hearing from Pres. Uchtdorf again. I also enjoyed Pres. Packer's talk. He has aged a lot and did not speak at the microphone this time. Nevertheless he gave a more relaxed talk even though he wandered a little.

But the best was Elder Holland's talk on the Gospel and the Book of Mormon. It was a little different than the ordinary and the spirit was very strong. He basically said that there is nothing but Satan that keeps people from believing the Book of Mormon!! So many things have happened that have proven the truth that is contained in that book. So many lives have been sacrificed for those truths. It is nothing but the hardness of heart that keeps people from believing and accepting it.

That is exactly what we have found in this area as we have moved south. President Smith indicated that in our last zone meeting last week. He said that this was the more difficult part of the mission. We do see a hardness of heart among so many. It is a more difficult conversion here and an unwillingness to believe those things born of the spirit. They seem to have a greater desire for sin and a lesser desire for obedience.

We had a potluck at the church yesterday between sessions. We have about 15-18 people there and it was enjoyable. The Riska famly, Michelle Ianonie, The Sant Family, Sister Robinson and Sister Speed, who are recent converts, the Shaw family, Rachel Garst,Kimberly Sword, and a few children. It was a long sit for both sessions, but so rewarding with the spirit so strong. We know that greater challenges are coming for everyone and all of this is a spiritual preparation by the brethern.

Today is preparation day and we are washing clothes and cleaning, (in a few minutes!) ELder Whiting has a head cold and I am just relaxing. I need to make some phone calls and set up some appointments for later in the week. Also I snagged the organ manual from the church to learn more about it, so I've been studying it.

Laura, Suzette and Alysa and Aftyn have been in Salt Lake this weekend visiting Grandmother Whiting. They sounded like they are having a great time. Megan had a birthday yesterday, (32) and we talked to John and family on the web cam and also Trevor, Alyson and family on the web cam. That was fun and fulfilling to see everyone. We are very blessed with our family.

Bill Ianonie, one of the people we are teaching, went hunting last week in the in Utah. He had a series of accidents that made him turn around and come back home over the week end. He never did meet up with his hunting party that were meeting him there. This is what happened:

Bill left Wednesday,and drove his pickup and pulled his horse and trailor all the way from Texas to their campsite in Unintah (?). He stopped and talked on his cell phone along the way and dropped it on the freeway, later discovered it was gone so went back and found it. He had to stop every four hours for the horse. When he got there, there had been that huge snow storm, but he set up his camp and all was well.

The next day he took the horse out to scout around. He and the horse rolled down an embankment, and rolled over four times. He basically had to pull the horse back up the embankment and back to camp. Finally got him back and settled. That night while he was sleeping the horse got away. Bill had to find him by following his hoof prints in the snow, on foot. It took him all day to find him and get him back to camp.

By this time, Bill is injured, tired and just wants to come home. He never did meet the guy he was supposed to be hunting with, just loaded up his truck, the horse and headed back to Sulphur Springs. He was supposed to be back Sunday night some time. We haven't heard from him yet, just hope that he made it all right. He likes to drive all the way through without sleeping.

Bill is about mid fortyish. We love teaching him. His wife and children are members and they have had the missionaries in their home a lot in other places that they have lived. For some reason they just never have taught him the Gospel!!! When we went to their house for dinner, we asked if he would like to learn about the church and he seemed quite excited about it. It seems like it is just a matter of time before we will get him there. Anyway, we hope that is what will happen.