AI review-new & Pres. Beau Brandon Barney's awesome stake conference talk

 

Ajpacaja 5/13/25                            T                                      Toc 

Guatemalan names and letters

 5/17/25 Sat. 7:08pm Hello Brandon, tomorrow is Fast Sunday! Yep, the 3rd Sunday of the month. We had stake conference with Elder Morgan the first Sunday. Then Mother’s Day last Sunday.  I forgot to start my fast Friday night. Oops. @ Some things are absolutely phenomenal like my stake president and this talk.  I am putting it first so you don’t get bored and stop reading. ha.  @  I am going to read it again and put my comments in [].  Hope you feel uplifted and amazed.  Vern

Stake Conference General Session

Pres. Beau Brandon Barney 

May 4, 2025

“Finding Joy in the Gospel”

(Fully Engaging in the Gospel)

FLR: Growing up I loved watching College Football and going to the games.

Over the past few years, however, it’s really changed, and I’ve lost a lot of interest in it.

College football has introduced something they refer to as NIL and the Transfer Portal.

For those that may not be familiar, let me explain. College student athletes are now able to receive compensation for

use of their name, image, and likeness. And, if for any reason they are unhappy with their current school, they can

transfer at virtually any time without penalty via the transfer portal. (A player can enter in hopes of making more

money or seeking a better opportunity at another school.)[v-I just learned about this last year. I was absolutely floored! What happened to red shirting and loyalty to your school?  gone. . . ]

Recently, a certain football player at a university felt like the grass and the money might be greener at another

university. So, he decided to enter the transfer portal. He felt he could find a more enjoyable experience elsewhere.

Unfortunately, for him, the experiment backfired. He is now at a university where he will end up making only about ½

the money he was earning before, and about ¼ of what he thought he was worth.

Like this transfer portal, I worry that some members of the Church (us or people we love) may not currently be

experiencing the joy of the gospel. They may therefore be tempted to risk stepping out into the world’s “transfer

portal” as it were, seeking joy in something outside the gospel, only to later be disappointed to find that they had

access to the greatest joy all along, but just weren’t choosing to fully experience it.[Brandon, We had 12 people to my class Thursday night. I sent out a reminder of what our study chapters were: 3N1-7 Thursday morning and not one person had anything to share at the beginning of class when we were invited, except for me. So sad.]

For example, when we are baptized, we are baptized by immersion. Symbolically we are committing to be all in with

Jesus Christ and His restored gospel—fully immersed. We committed then to stand as witnesses of God at all times,

and in all things, and in all places that we may be in even until death. We committed to be life-long disciples who

were all in. However, we may not have completely understood the significance of that covenant. And if we’re not

careful, we could go through the motions learning only the dance steps of the gospel, yet not experiencing the music

or the joy of the gospel in our lives.[B, I found a movie called ALL IN on youtube. I did not send it to Roger Eves, but I did send him a text during this talk because he loves the phrases: I’m engaged, I’m all in.  All in, is so cool. And so simple to say! After Stake Conference I asked him how many times he must have come to my mind if it happened everytime I heard, all in.]

Brothers and Sisters, there is so much joy to be had in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today I’d like to speak of just a

couple of ways we can choose to be all in and therefore experience the joy of the gospel fully in our lives.

Before I do however, I would like to acknowledge the reality that many struggle with a variety of mental health issues

and may struggle to feel anything at times,[Thank you, thank you BBB!  This has been me my whole life as far as the  HG is concerned!] especially joy. My heart goes out to you dear souls whom I love so much.

Therefore, I want to be very clear. Today I am not talking only about feeling joy, but about experiencing joy.

Let me explain, throughout the scriptures we see people who experience the joy of the gospel in a variety of ways. In

D&C 8:2-3 the Lord Himself tell us that He will tell us in our minds and our hearts by the Holy Ghost which shall

come upon you and which shall dwell in our hearts. Now, behold, this is the Spirit of revelation. The Lord wants all of

us to hear Him. He desires to reveal His will, His love, and His truth to all of us and He does so in a variety of ways.

Far too often we talk only about feeling the Spirit. But we don’t often talk about thinking the Spirit. Much of how the

Lord chooses to communicate to us is through the thoughts and impressions in our minds, not only in our hearts or

through our feelings. I testify that we can experience the joy of the gospel regardless of our circumstances. As

President Nelson has said:

President Nelson: When the focus of our lives is on Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what

is happening—or not happening—in our lives.[This really opened my mind Brandon. I am living in joy. Living in the gospel is having the blessing of joy all around us whether or not we feel it. It is a place, a life style, a culture, and for some a feeling.]  (Joy and Spiritual Survival)

Today I could talk about the joy of worship, scripture study, sacrament, temple, and a host of other things that will

allow each of us to experience joy in the gospel more fully as we take the time to make those things a priority. But

today because of time I simple want to talk about:

The Joy of Covenant Belonging

(Belonging-Identity, choosing to be a disciple, serve-outward focus)[Covenant confidence-Soares-v]

Brothers and Sisters, I worry that some people may feel like they have to be perfect to be a member of this church.

They may even feel like they somehow don’t fit in at church or don’t feel like they belong because they feel like they

don’t fit some ideal latter day saint mold, because of marital status, family situation, personal struggles, etc.[B, I just sent that thought to Mike & Julie Stauffer who have been inactive because of a dependency on alcohol. They are my back door neighbors and we have been friends for 30+ years.] 

Elder Uchtdorf:

…if you ever feel like you don’t quite fit in, please know that you are not alone.

At a time when I desperately needed friendship and belonging, I felt lonely and displaced.

Here on earth, most of the differences we notice—the differences some of us use to categorize each other—have to

do with earthly things: physical appearance, nationality, language, clothing, customs, and so on.

But “God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the

heart.”

From His perspective, there is one category that comes before all others: child of God. And we all fit perfectly in this

one. (Elder Uchtdorf, April 2025, GC)

Elder Kearon: (Added)

You are a child of God. This is not just a nice song we sing. Will you please accept, open, and receive this gift of

knowledge and understanding from Him? Will you hold it close as the precious treasure it is? Re-receive this gift, or

perhaps truly receive it for the very first time, and let it transform every aspect of your life. This is the more excellent

way God has prepared for you through the gift of His Son. You really are that you might have joy! (April 2025)[This is one I really struggle with.  I know you do/did too.]

One of my favorite scriptural examples of this is the story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.

John 4 (The Woman at the Well)

v.4 (Must needs go through Samaria) -Jesus purposely went out of His to meet her where she was.

v.6 (6 th hour) noon (Hiding from everyone else, didn’t fit in with the other women, society, etc.)

v.7 A woman, of Samaria (lowest possible social status at the time)

v.13-19 (There’s no lasting substance or joy in what the world has to offer) The only true, lasting belonging and joy

comes through Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Where did this woman seek belonging? Where did she actually find it?

v.25-26 (We must come to recognize Him for who He truly is)

v.28-29, 39, 41-42 (As we come to discover true belonging in the Savior, we will leave the things of the world behind

and invite others to come and see and belong for themselves).[v-Come and see, come and belong, come and serve. B, KarenJane knows you love to serve.]

Elder Holland: With divine imperatives of love and faith, repentance and compassion, honesty and forgiveness,

there is room in this choir for all who wish to be there. “Come as you are,” a loving Father says to each of us, but He

adds, “Don’t plan to stay as you are.” We smile and remember that God is determined to make of us more than we

thought we could be. (“Songs Sung and Unsung”, April 2017, GC)[I smiled when he said, We smile.  ha]

Recent Experience in the Temple: I recently had an experience in the temple that may seem simple, but it was

absolutely profound for me.[I love the word absolutely. I use it for emphasis.] I was performing the initiatory ordinance for some of my ancestors. Two of the ordinance

workers were young men. I know one and had recognized the other from previous temple experiences. One of the

young men struggles with feelings of same gender attraction yet chooses not to act on those feelings and obeys the

law of chastity. The other young man has a deteriorating brain disease. Much of his normal functionality continues to

decline over time. He wears glasses because his eyesight is deteriorating. He has to talk more slowly, because his

speech is declining, and this most recent time I noticed he was using a cane and was struggling significantly with his

balance, where he hadn’t the last time I saw him in the temple. He told me that this was a more recent struggle, but

that it wasn’t a big deal. He didn’t complain about his condition or his circumstance. Instead, both young men are

finding great joy in serving and belonging in the temple and witnessing that brought me such great joy. I truly stood

on holy ground.[Can you hear the intensity in his words, Brandon. near tears.]

Sister Camille N. Johnson: Testified: (We) can be whole while (we) wait for healing if (we) are wholehearted in our

relationship with Him. (April 2025 GC) In other words, we can be perfect in Christ (in our covenant relationship with

Him right now), until one day we can eventually be perfect like Christ. [phenomenal! another word fave.]

President Nelson: “Every man and every woman who participates in priesthood ordinances and who makes and

keeps covenants with God has direct access to the power of God.”[i love god’s power!]

Elder Holland:

“The FUTURE of this world has long been DECLARED; the final outcome between GOOD and evil is already

KNOWN. There is absolutely no question as to who WINS because the VICTORY has already been posted on the

SCOREBOARD. The only really strange thing is all of this is that we are still down here on the FIELD trying to decide

which TEAM’S JERSEY we want to wear!”[giggle]

Elder Maxwell: Let us once and for all establish our residence in Zion and give up the summer cottage in

Babylon.

Conclusion: My dear Brothers and Sisters, may we be unashamed to wear the Lord’s jersey, to be different than the

world so we can make a difference in the world as lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Let us leave our worldly

“waterpots” behind.[woman at the well reference] 

I testify of the joy we all can experience in the gospel of Jesus Christ regardless of our current circumstances. If we

will make the time to truly worship Him through our studying of the scriptures, as we gather together each Sabbath

day to partake of the ordinance of the sacrament, and as we worship in His holy house, I testify that we will receive a

much better NIL deal. As we take His name upon us, have His image engraven in our countenance, when He

appears we will be like Him.[wow, what a brilliant connection he made!] We will be joint heirs with Him in receiving all that the Father hath. This is something the

world simply cannot offer us.

My dear Brothers and Sisters, may we choose not to sell our birthright blessings for a mess of worldly pottage.

Instead, may we step fully into the transformational portal that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. [transformational portal,  is this as good as I said it was?]  I testify you will be

transformed, and you will never hunger or thirst for anything else. I so testify humbly in the sacred name of Jesus the

Christ. Amen.[7:50 I loved it Brandon. I loved travelling/journeying through it again with you. :)] Next, here are the things I thought work recording in the last 6 weeks.] @@@

HC: Nathan Miller

 1/20/25 Monday, Hello Brandon, I walked through the north golf course after our Jensen trip to the Virgin River Sunday afternoon. I walked through Lloyd Simpson’s yard to get back to the street. He saw me and came out to visit. His wife Joy is all bruised up from falling on Friday & Saturday. So he missed church. @ He answered that Joy was the one who was having all the remodeling done in her house. Zach, son, gave me a hug in his paint clothes a couple of weeks before Christmas when I dropped off the loaf of pepperjack cheese. @ Tanner, grandson, goes up and down as far as church goes. He went into the visitors center and said, I guess I should get active. The missionaries were receptive and excited. We serve in your stake, they told him. @ He attended with Lloyd for a couple of months. @ I subbed for Lloyd on Thursday when Zach had his day in court. The Old Guard, 10 of us, do three days in a row of building security at 11 am. @ Lloyd wanted to report to me how it went on his other two days and what he noticed. He is careful and thorough as is his nature! He follows all the steps outlined by Darren Brinkerhoff. @  He was disappointed that Tanner was sentenced to 60 days in jail instead of 21. @ Tanner was angry at the judge and all Mormon Utahn’s. He only had to notarize the letter to get his name removed from the church records. If this is justice I want out! @ Lloyd responded by saying: You did something wrong. Maybe your jail sentence will help you learn something. Your membership is your choice. By the next morning Tanner was ready to remain a Mormon. @ Lloyd had to deliver him to the jail today. :( @@ Our first guest speaker in sacrament meeting dared to mention how grateful he was for therapy about halfway through his talk. I thanked him for his tears as I shook his hand afterwards. stake SS counselor.  @ Our second speaker has been through the wringer for the last 15 years and recently served as a bishop in Layton. He was a handsome big tall man. I was surprised at his size when I shook his hand. @ I gave him my email and asked for a copy of his talk. It was outstanding. He was quite startled at my request. But he sent it to me. I forwarded it to Lloyd. We are both excited that the last T&FH HC is no longer assigned and that this Nathan Miller is. He had to speed through the last half of his talk. Time was running out. Joyfully Living the Gospel

Welcome....

Oscar Wilde, the poet and playwright, once said, "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people

exist, that is all." How many of us simply exist, just going through the motions of life? And, how many of

us are living, truly living, with all the joy and purpose that our Heavenly Father intends for us? I wonder if

many of us, like Elder Uchtdorf's thoughts in conference a few years back, are living well beneath our

privilege. Said he... “We live beneath our privileges when we fail to partake of the feast of happiness,

peace, and joy that God grants so bountifully to faithful servants.”

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not just a set of rules or guidelines—it’s a pathway to something much deeper. As the prophet Nephi taught in the book of 2 Nephi, “Men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25) This is the purpose of our existence! We are here to find joy—not the fleeting kind, but the

deep, lasting joy that comes through Jesus Christ. He is the source of that joy. He is the one who enables

us to experience a joy that transcends this world, a joy that will last through every trial and tribulation. But how do we access this joy? The answer lies in living the gospel fully. When we embrace and live the teachings of Jesus Christ—when we make His love and His truth the foundation of our lives—that is

when the joy He promises becomes real for us. It’s not about perfection, but about progress. It’s about

striving, daily, to align our lives more closely with the Savior’s example.

I want to share with you some principles (though there are many more that apply that I won’t share), scriptures and a story or two that illustrate how we can joyfully live the gospel and experience the fullness of the joy that Jesus offers. Let me start with a note about my life… Back in 2010, my late wife, Tiffany, was diagnosed with a rare cancer, and was initially expected to live for about 18 months. Thanks to good doctors, a bone marrow transplant, along with prayers, fasting, and great hope, Tiffany was able to witness significant milestones in our children's lives before being diagnosed with a new cancer, and passed away in 2021. During her 11 year battle with multiple cancers, we faced many challenges and difficult trials. Yet, despite the struggles, we pressed forward with faith, knowing that while life was not as we expected, it was still our path to walk. After her passing, I found myself at a wall. An impenetrable wall. The life I had envisioned—growing old with her, traveling, and sharing dreams— were all on the other side of that wall – and there was no way to get to them. In short, this is grief. But in those moments of grief, I turned to the gospel and began to see a new path unfolding before me. During this time, we had a Come, Follow Me lesson that recalled the story of Lot’s wife and how she longed to return to what was familiar to her. The Lord was asking her

to move forward in faith, and not to long for that which we cannot have. Elder Holland taught in a talk about Lot’s wife, that Christ is an High Priest of good things to come. That the past, as amazing as it might have been, is the past... and with Christ, the best is yet to come. This inspired me to look ahead,

not backward, and to trust in God’s plan for me. As I aligned my will with His, new opportunities began to emerge. I met a fellow widow through an LDS Facebook group from Southern Utah. Shortly after an online introduction I had a coincidental spring break trip planned with my kids to the Grand Canyon where we were stopping in St. George for a 

weekend on the way down. After a couple of short dates, we developed a relationship that led us to traveling back and forth from Northern Utah to Southern Utah until we decided to quit that craziness and I married the former Taryn Christine Day in the summer of 2022. Long story short, I gained 4 new

amazing kids, 8 in total, found a new job that allowed me to move to the hot desert, and began a new chapter of life I hadn’t expected and have since added two Daughter-in-laws, a grandbaby, and many more to come. This new path, though unfamiliar, has brought me joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose.

It was an unexpected blessing, but one that came through faith, openness, and trusting in God’s timing.

President Holland's words came to mind: "The best is yet to come." Through my journey, I realized that while the past may bring sorrow, the future holds countless possibilities. As I embraced the gospel and aligned my will with God's, I found that the pain of loss was replaced with hope and excitement for the future. God’s plan, though different from mine, was filled with opportunities for growth and joy.

The gospel teaches us that joy comes not from holding onto the past but from embracing the future with faith. As we seek Christ, trust in His timing, and open our hearts to new possibilities, we find that the best is always ahead of us. The path may be unexpected, but with Christ, it is always filled with hope.

A. Faith in Jesus Christ

The first principle I want to share in how to find joy is the first principle of the gospel - faith. Alma teaches us that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass” (Alma 37:6). Often, it’s not the grand moments but small acts of faith that bring about lasting change. When we trust in Christ, even in small ways, His strengthening power fills us. As we face trials—because we all do – or wait long

enough, and you will—we can find joy, not by escaping our struggles but by trusting that Jesus Christ will sustain us through them. His grace is sufficient, and in Him, we find peace and joy, even in the most

difficult of circumstances.

B. Repentance

The second principle is repentance. Isaiah offers a beautiful invitation: “Though your sins be as scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). Through repentance, we are cleansed and renewed by Christ’s Atonement. It’s more than removing guilt; it’s about starting fresh and feeling the joy that comes from being forgiven. Repentance opens the door to joy because it brings us closer to the Savior and allows us to feel of His love and forgiveness. There is no greater joy than that!

C. Service

Another principle that brings great joy is Service. Mosiah teaches, “When ye are in the service of your

fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17). Serving others brings lasting joy because it brings us closer to Christ as it helps us develop empathy, patience, and gratitude. As a young deacon, I remember my dad telling me to turn off my favorite TV show to fulfill my priesthood responsibility of running the fast offering route. I recall tears of frustration filled my eyes as the route

covered homes spread out over many miles as we lived in a geographically large ward and took 2 to 3 hours to complete. I dreaded it but got dressed in my church clothes and headed to the car where my dad waited. At the end of those three hours, I felt a surprising joy as I dropped off the receipts to the 

bishop and drove with dad home. What started as despair turned into peace, and I was taken aback by the happiness I felt from serving my fellow beings.

D. Gratitude

Gratitude, another principle of joy, transforms our perspective. The Lord teaches, “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious” (D&C 78:19). Gratitude opens our hearts to joy, allowing us to recognize God's blessings. It’s not just a fleeting feeling but a daily practice. When we focus on what we have rather than what we lack, we invite joy into our lives. 

E. Enduring with Hope

Finally, enduring with hope brings joy. Moroni teaches, “Ye must hope...for the remission of your sins and

eternal life” (Moroni 7:41). Hope is not wishful thinking—it’s the confident expectation that Christ will keep His promises. No matter our trials, hope in Christ helps us endure with the assurance that joy is waiting for us in the end.

This past summer, Taryn and I decided to take our blended family of 11 on a cruise departing from Miami. After landing in Los Angeles on our first leg of the flight, we received word that our connecting flight to Miami had been canceled due to a hurricane passing through the city. Flights were being

canceled left and right to the East Coast, and we felt the pressure to figure out some way to get there.

We were incredibly fortunate when Shelby, one of my daughters-in-law, found a flight that hadn’t been

canceled, with room for all of us, leaving later that night from a different airport in Los Angeles. We scrambled to find our checked bags, packed into two Ubers, drove an hour to the other airport, and

waited for the flight.

Then, about three hours before takeoff, we got word that the flight was delayed until the next day, meaning we’d miss the cruise ship departing the following afternoon. It’s hard to convey the sense of despair we all felt in just a few words. We’d been planning this trip since Christmas, and everyone had taken time off work to spend a week together. We couldn’t find any other flights to Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and there we were, sitting outside the terminal, dumbfounded by our bad luck.

After Taryn suggested we offer a prayer, mostly for our hearts to be softened, Porter, my 16-year-old son,

kept saying, “Just have hope, Dad. We can figure this out.” After a day of despair and trying every option we could think of, I was starting to lose hope. I didn’t want to tell him there was no way, but deep down, I knew we were out of options. We started considering other possibilities—stay in California, explore San Diego, go to Coronado Island—but none of those gave us the excitement we had for the cruise.

Everyone, except Porter, started to look for the next best thing. But Porter still had hope when the rest of us had lost it.

Then, out of the blue, he said, “There’s a flight to Tampa that has enough seats for all of us. Can we take that one?” I checked, and sure enough, he was right. But it was a red-eye, flying out of the same airport we had just come from, and we only had an hour and a half before takeoff. It would take a miracle to

make it, let alone the fact we’d still need to rent vans in Tampa and drive to Miami having had no sleep for 36 hours. With no time to waste, we jumped into two Ubers, and the drivers understood the

assignment and got us back to LAX in record time. We checked our bags just as the system was about to close, and the agent told us she hoped they (the bags) would make it. We got in the last group to board, and we flew into Tampa, with the remnants of Hurricane Debby still bearing down on it. We were told

we were the last flight to land before they started turning flights away.

Somehow, our bags arrived, and we rented two cars, driving through the hurricane-affected Tampa, finally reaching the clear skies of Miami after a five hour drive just in time to board the ship. Through all the setbacks, the miracle was that we didn’t give up, at least not all of us. Porter’s unwavering hope carried us when the rest of us had none.

This story reflects how we can joyfully live the gospel of Jesus Christ by illustrating the power of hope, faith, and perseverance in the face of challenges. Throughout the ordeal, we faced numerous setbacks and moments of despair, but we kept moving forward, driven by the hope that somehow, things would work out.

Porter’s unwavering belief that there was still a way forward, despite the obstacles, mirrors the gospel

principle of enduring with hope. Even when things seem impossible if we have faith that God has a plan for us, joy can still be found, even when the path is unclear. Faith in the face of adversity exemplifies faith in Jesus Christ—knowing that through Him, all things are possible.

Our willingness to adapt, work together, and take action when things seemed hopeless reflects principles of service and gratitude in the gospel. We didn’t just give up, at least not all of us; we took practical steps to make the trip happen, which speaks to the joy that comes from actively living the gospel—putting our faith into action and seeking solutions with God’s guidance.

In the end, what we learned wasn’t just about some fun trip or catching the cruise—we learned about

trusting in God’s timing, finding joy in the process, and recognizing His hand guiding us through the storm. This experience shows me that, even in moments of trial, the gospel leads us to joy when we live with faith, hope, and a willingness to trust in God’s plan.

As I conclude, may I make this observation.

While my late wife was going through countless doctor and hospital visits, stays, and many procedures, I

was often asked, “how do you stay so happy despite the trials surrounding you?” My first thought was

almost always – “well – at least I don’t have your troubles...”, but if pressed, the gospel was always the answer – that and a recognition that it’s not only muscles that grow when stressed.

Recognize that life has trials but they are opportunities for growth. Hardships CAN refine us, they CAN

deepen our faith, and CAN draw us closer to God. Through challenges, we CAN develop greater empathy,

patience, and reliance on the Savior, ultimately finding joy in the lessons learned and the strength gained. But – to do so we must live the gospel with purpose....

o We can Pray: which Strengthens our connection with God.

o We can read Scriptures: which Provide peace and guidance.

o We can Worship in the Temple: Which offers eternal perspective and joy.

o We can listen to uplifting music: Which can inspire the soul and foster hope.

o We can seek professional counseling: which can provide tools and support to navigate life's challenges.

o We can create healthy physical habits: Exercise, nutrition, and rest enhance resilience and joy.

o We can foster strong relationships: Building meaningful connections with family and friends allow us to share heavy burdens and happy joys.

o We can engage in wholesome recreation activities which help uplift and rejuvenate the spirit.

o We can pull out and dust off that journal.. allowing us to process life and respond to trials with better mental acuity.

Living the gospel brings us joy through several key principles. First, faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation, allowing us to trust in Him and His plan, even through challenges. Repentance offers

us the opportunity to be cleansed and renewed, bringing peace and joy as we draw closer to the Savior. Service brings lasting joy by helping others and following Christ’s example of love and

selflessness. Gratitude transforms our perspective, helping us to see God’s hand in our lives and filling our hearts with joy. Finally, hope anchors us, giving us the confidence that, no matter the

trials, joy is promised through Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Together, these principles guide us to live joyfully in the gospel.

I invite each of you to take a moment and reflect on one way you can more fully live a gospel principle in your life—whether it’s through deepening your faith, embracing repentance, serving others, practicing gratitude, or holding on to hope – or a myriad of other principles. Consider how you might apply this principle with greater intention and commitment. As you do, you will invite greater joy into your life, and you will feel the peace and fulfillment that come from living the gospel more fully. For the best.... is yet to come.

• Testimony: Bear testimony of the joy I have found in Jesus Christ and His gospel. tyhf&tynm @@@ Sandra’85 is family history minded and wants our memories. “I have another Christmas present for you Dad. You will receive some prompts each week that will help you record your memories.” Ha! That doesn’t sound like a Christmas present to me. That sounds like work.  Here are the two questions I responded to tonight:

What were you told or what do you know about the day you were born and your mom’s pregnancy with you? a. I was born one month after Myrna's 20th birthday on a hot July afternoon, in SLC, Utah. She was born in London, England. I was named after my father: Louis Vern Jensen Jr.  They tried to get Myrna US citizenship but never succeeded. They were married in the Alberta, Canada temple. My dad often told the story of them sleeping on a mattress on the floor of some relatives in Alberta and waking up chewing on the shell of a cockroach. Where was the rest? ha 

• What is a fond experience you’ve had involving snow (any age)? We lived in Schoharie, New York from December '68-December '69. It was so so cold and the snow plows piled the snow up to 10 feet high at the sides of our dirt road in the depths of winter. We rented a farm and had two cows: Molly and Duely. Duely liked to duel. I was 14 and so I got to battle Duely every milking. I can't tell you how many times I got kicked in the side of the head with a manure slimed back right hoof. But dad was a travelling salesman and Brent was only 12, so I had to complete her milking. Brent's cow was Molly and wonderfully docile and cooperative. They were Canadian Holstein's and gave 5 gallons/milking. They had to tie a rope around Duely's calf at birth to get him out. Brent & I would each take hold of our side of the heavy milk can and crunch through the deep new snow and sometimes the super cutting icy wind to finally reach the house about 50 yards away. We were lucky we had a milking machine. The dairy had just been downsized. I only had to milk by hand to prime and to strip each udder. I have known that I was tough and could do almost anything after meeting that early morning and evening challenge every day.