STAKE CONFERNECE--long, but please read anyway

Note: If you went to Annette's site to see her apron she gives a web site to check out but says she is going to make another apron and will post "how to's" then. I'll let you know when she does that.

The Provo, Utah Tabernacle.

At Stake Conference today our Stake Relief Society Presidency was released and a new one was sustained. I will miss them, even though I no longer have a Relief Society calling.

I remember when we went from having Enrichment every month to having it only four times a year. Instead of Enrichment we were to start mini-classes. (They call them Enrichment Activities but our ward calls them mini classes.) I cried on Staci Peter's shoulder more than once. (Staci was the Stake 2nd counselor) She kept saying, "You can do this," and I learned--under her encouragement--and did. And then it got easy. How I love her. I love all those women.

The outgoing President--Sister Jeannie Welch--gave her testimony and it was a wonderful talk. She is an amazing woman. I tried to take some notes but I was in the dark--they dimmed the lights in the chapel where I was watching the live broadcast (from the historic Tabernacle in downtown Provo) and so I didn't get much and it's hard to read but here are a couple my notes--very disjointed--and probably not totally accurate:

Consecration--dedicate our time to the Lord. We can come to know that our offering is accepted of the Lord. The best way to know is to make and keep sacred covenants. She thanked us for doing that, making and keeping sacred covenants. She related a story about a tractor, pulling a bunch of kids on a flat bed wagon. The wagon was too heavy and started pulling the tractor and many children fell off, some jumped off, and one boy broke his leg. Her children were safe because they held on to each other. She told us to be like that. We will be safe as we stand with and associate with good people. "Hang on" to them.

I am thankful for the good people I have met by blogging. I will probably never meet most of you in person but you have strengthened me with your goodness, your dedication to doing what is right, your common sense. I am grateful for your willingness to continue on when times are tough. You sometimes make me laugh and sometimes I cry with you. I love you, even if I don't know you at all. Some of you never comment but I love you anyway. I love that you come and read my words--inadequate as they are.

I hope one day to be as good as my Stake leaders are. Sister Welch is an amazing woman. Every time she says something from the pulpit or in a class it is profound and, for me, it has been life changing, .

Staci has been my mentor, my comforter, my go-to-girl. Besides that she says she is shy but she hides it well--a good lesson for all of us. We may have problems or weaknesses but we can still willingly serve. Staci has been a delight. I have come to rely on her good advice and her strength and her abundant love.

The other counselor and the secretary are equally wonderful. You wouldn't believe some of the delicious food they have prepared for refreshments after Stake meetings. You know how us Mormon's are, we can hardly have a non-Sunday meeting without some kind of refreshment.

I will miss them but will see them at the weekly evening scripture class, taught by Jeannie's husband. If you are in our Stake this is a great class. We don't always make it and last time I fell asleep but every time I woke up Brother Welch was looking at me kindly. I shall always remember that he looked at me with kindness. A lesser man might have been disappointed but I really felt his love and I am grateful.

He is an amazing teacher, has knowledge that normal people just don't have. He tells us things like what "that" word meant at the time it was written in the scriptures, what the customs were, what life was like--he brings a special depth to the scriptures.

Well, I have rambled long enough. Now I will go read my scriptures and have prayer and maybe even try to decipher today's notes.

I hope you are all happy and if you are not happy I hope you will have comfort. Ask for it. Trials end. I know this. I've been waiting for a long time for some of my trials to be turned into blessings and I know they will. After the trial of our faith come the blessing.

May you know that your Heavenly Father is watching over you this night and always. Have faith. Be courageous. Serve others. And if you can, do as Jeannie asked us to do: Make and keep sacred covenants. Let's hang on to each other and be strong together.

Love,

Lynne