Elder Perry Visits Our Ward

Last Sunday, Elder L. Tom Perry and Elder Halstrom visited our sacrament meeting. The bishop announced they were going to come the week before and our ward was buzzin' with excitement all week. Usually, something like that isn't announced, but Elder Perry wanted people to invite nonmembers to come. Rich was sick all week and I don't really know very many people (so I've decided to do more this next year to meet and get to know people so I can be in a position to invite someone at some point). There were a lot of people there who had been invited and that was a great thing to see. People came at least an hour early there was definitely excitement in the air while we were in the chapel waiting for him to come in.

We had 21 deacons and teachers pass the Sacrament and they did such a great job. Elder Perry had such a happy face watching them (many had gotten haircuts during the week, too!)

Elder Halstrom thought he was talking at a Stake conference instead of a ward we have such a huge ward. Elder Halstrom talked about living the Gospel not just going to church. Having a testimony not just living the gospel. (outwardly going not inwardly converted). He also said we need to lessen the gap of what we're doing and what we know we should be doing.

Elder Perry said he hoped we were teaching our kids the principles of the Gospel and had a 7 year old boy come up (a Jensen) so he could talk to him about baptism (great way of teaching us by teaching him--one on one--and giving him a special blessing to remember the rest of his life.

The Story I liked was when he told about his father growing up in Idaho and his parents wanting him to have a better education so they sent him to Utah with $5. I've thought about that and what faith his parents had to send him to another state with no plans of where he would stay or what he would do. He ended up working at the Beehive house for Joseph F. Smith. Later when he grew up and was in Idaho, he invited the prophet, Heber J. Grant, to come dedicate a new building. Elder Perry was 7 years old and he went with his mom to the church, but the prophet and his dad were still at home taking a nap. He went home and his dad told him to go wake up the prophet (he was pretty scared) but he remembers how kind the prophet was to him and he took a few minutes to talk to him even though he was late for the meeting he was presiding over.

Elder Perry also said with conviction that he know that the words of the prophet are true and that the Lord makes sure that he has the prophet he wants--making sure that Apostle was still living and prepared for that role. He talked about the line of authority and his position in that line.

It was such an amazing experience for us--probably once in our lifetime that an Apostle will be in our ward to talk to us!