For the Beauty of the Earth

 

What a wonderful week! Wednesday through Saturday this past week was spent in a conference/seminar with all of the mission presidents and wives (President Benson L and Sister Kerry L. Porter, Provo MTC; President Rick W. and Sister Angela Johnson, Utah Layton Mission; President Richard and Sister Betsey Holley, Utah Ogden Mission; President James E and Sister Jody Evanson, Utah Orem Mission; President Todd L. and Sister Rebecca Hendrickson, Utah Provo Mission; President Douglas D. and Sister Erin Holmes, Utah Salt Lake City Headquarters Mission; President Kendal A. and Sister Lesley Kotter, Utah Salt Lake City South Mission; President Russell M. and Sister Kay Lynn Larsen, Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission; President Justin R and Sister Kristen Spencer, Utah Salt Lake City West Mission; and President Kevin D. and Sister Sonja Staples, Utah St. George Mission) serving in the Utah Area as well as the Utah Area Presidency (Elder Kevin W. and Sister June Pearson, Area President; Elder Evan A. and Sister Cindy Schmutz, 1st Counselor; Elder Hugo E and Sister Nuria Martinez, 2nd Counselor; Elder Jonathan S. and Sister Alexis Schmitt, Area Presidency Assistant) and staff, as well as Elder D. Todd Christofferson (Quorum of Twelve Apostles) and his wife Katherine. The conference was held in Bryce Canyon, UT which, if you have never been there, is one of the most spectacular National Parks in the United States.

Anne and I drove down Tuesday afternoon after having taught an Institute class for the Monument Park Stake. It’s a four hour drive from Salt Lake City so we arrived just in time for dinner, which was served outdoors on the Rim of the Canyon. Elder D. Todd Christofferson and his wife were with us from Tuesday night through Thursday morning. The conference was so inspiring and edifying. Instruction included thoughts from Elder Christofferson and his wife as well as all members of the Area Presidency and their wives on topics including: The Holy Temple; Recent Area Presidency Direction; Principle-Based Leadership; the Latino Outreach Initiative; Mission Culture and the Role of the Missionary Leadership Council; Daily Planning and Finding; Personal Revelation and the Scriptures; Developing Powerful Teachers; The Book of Mormon and Conversion; Repentance, Remission of Sin and the Redeemer; the Role of the Holy Ghost in Conversion; Helping Members Love, Share and Invite; the Role of Missionaries and Members in Baptism and Retention; and Establishing a Foundation in "Preach My Gospel". I received many promptings and personal revelation during these wonderful sessions.

Friday was a day of recreation spent driving down to the Visitor’s Center in Escalante, Devil’s Garden and Dance Hall Rock (where we ate lunch on the Dance Hall Rock floor) and then back to Bryce Canyon for a “tour” of some of the features and history of the Park. President Pollock, the stake president of the Escalante Stake spent the day with us showing us each of these places and telling the stories and important facts about each. He is a geologist by trade and is active in Park administration and tourism. We were not able to get to see Hole in the Rock as the recent rains that week washed out the last 7 miles of the road leading to that area. Below are some of the pictures from the day's activities:












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