He is Risen!



"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. ... And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for his is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." Matthew 28:1, 5-6

With the Easter holiday behind us, I add my testimony to that of the angel, that He lives! He is our Savior and Redeemer. That by Him and through Him we may receive forgiveness of our sins, strength to overcome them and any other weakness we may have, and healing from all diseases and infirmities, sadness and discouragement of every kind.

The week preceding Easter, Anne and I were blessed to be able to attend General Conference at the Conference Center for the Sunday morning session in which the prophet Russell M. Nelson spoke. What a wonderful talk - as were all of them over the entire Conference Saturday and Sunday. I invite you to read (reread) or listen to (relisten to) the talks shared at this link. President Nelson's talk can be found here. It was a seminal talk so needed for our world today. It is titled, "Peacemakers Needed" and here are a few of my favorite excerpts: "Vulgarity, faultfinding, and evil speaking of others are all too common. Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers, and other influencers throw insults constantly. I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign, and vilify anyone who does not agree with them. Many seem eager to damage another's reputation with pathetic and pithy barbs!

"Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions....

"My dear brothers and sisters, this should not be. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others - especially when we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people....

"My dear brothers and sisters, how we treat each other really matters! How we speak to and about others at home, at church, at work, and online really matters. Today, I am asking us to interact with others in a higher, holier way."

Another highlight this past month was our semi-annual Utah Area Mission Leader Seminar. As with the seminar in September last year, Elder D. Todd Christofferson (one of our church's Twelve Apostles) attended the first day with his wife. He provided a training on covenants that was so powerful and enlightening! That afternoon we were all able to attend a temple session in the Provo City Center temple together. What a special opportunity and blessing!


And as is the case every month, it is such a joy to see people enter the waters of baptism and begin their lifelong journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. Below are pictures of a handful of the 76 people that did so in our mission in March:








We miss you all but are finding so much joy in our service to God and His children.

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