Conference tecrus::mormonism

    When I was eleven or so, Spencer Kimball was our regional rep and
    visited during stake conference.  I was one of the kids that went
    up and was given a dollar by him to start a mission fund.  I spent
    the dollar, I think.  But, I did save up for my mission and served
    in Denmark.  President Kimball once counseled my mother to spend
    more time with the family and less with horses.  It was good advice,
    but unfortunately was not well taken by my mother.  Had she taken
    his advice there would probably have been less pain and stress in our 
    family and greater bonding now between my mother and her children.  
    And, President Kimball signed my call for my mission in Denmark.
    All this happended while living in Columbia, Missouri.
    
    Also, Paul H. Dunn once presented a fireside in our Columbia ward.  I 
    didn't get to go because I had to work (saving for my mission, 
    don'cha know).  But, he and the mission president came to the
    restaurant that I managed so I got to feed him and say howdy.  I
    missed that fireside, but got to hear him speak at a dinner while
    living in Texas.
    
    While in the missionary training center (language training mission,
    nowadays?) I had opportunity to shake Bruce R. McConkie's hand. 
    After returning from my mission I went to BYU.  While there I went on 
    a date with one of his grand-daughters. (I went out with a different
    girl about every week in those days.)  
    
    These are really neat people!  I marvel that so many such remarkable 
    people would be found in such abundance in any organization.  Then
    again, it is the principles for living intrinsic to the Church that
    helps these people to become remarkable.  
    
    Oh, and one of my missionary companions had been a roommate with Johnny
    Whitaker.  Does that count?  ;-)
    
    
    Steve
    

    At the end of my mission in Finland, there was an Area Conference to be
    held in Stockholm, Sweden, for the saints in Sweden, Finland, Norway,
    and Denmark. They asked some of us returning missionaries to attend to
    help in translation. They used a system of short range radio that
    allowed every person to hear the conference in their own language, with
    the use of a headset. It was very interesting. 
    
    It was a marvelous opportunity to be there, and there were many of the
    leaders of the church there, including the prophet, Spencer W. Kimball,
    and several of the apostles. 
                                                                     
    One morning while at the conference, I was walking toward the building
    where the conference was being held and lo, and behold, coming toward
    me on the sidewalk was the prophet, and some of his associates. He took
    a moment to shake my hand and to greet me. It was a very memorable
    moment for me. He had such a humble and warm spirit about him. 
    
    Regards,
    Rich
    

    As a child I saw President Mckay speak on two occasions, once in
    the Salt Lake Tarbernacle.  I don't remember what he said. I do
    remember the spirituality and love of that man.
    
    As a young man I met Spencer W. Kimbal when he spoke in Stake 
    Conference.  After the meeting he met with several families to 
    set apart some of the bretheren to the Stake High Council, including 
    my father.  Consequently my priesthood line of authority goes threw
    that special servant of God.  I remember the humility of that man.
    
    But my all time high for meeting someone I deeply respect and admire
    happened at a ward Sacrament meeting.  It was an ordinary normal
    Sunday sacrament meeting.  I shuffeled in with my family just as
    the prelude music ended.  There was a pause of confusion on the
    stand as the Bishop confered with his councilors each looking 
    anxiously out into the congregation.  I looked around me to see
    why.  A few yards away from me sat Ezra T Benson and his wife. 
    They were just setting there pretending they were regular people.
    A very young, nervous, and inexperienced bishop got up and welcomed
    everyone and extended a special welcome to Ezra Taft Benson of the
    Quorum of the Twelve who was visiting in our audiance.  He then
    asked him to come up and speak to us.  He did come up but told us
    he was there as a favor to his son Reed who was a Mission President
    at that time and had asked his father to visit the home ward of one
    of his missionaries, which is why he was there to meet the boys
    parents.  He had the bishop conduct the outlined meeting and then
    we sat there an additional hour as he spoke to us.   Some of the
    things he said changed my life and I treasuire to this day.  He has 
    always been my hero and ideal.   He is a great prophet, a great man 
    and a great American that I am  extremely proud of.
    BTW he is also a great scout.

    
    

When we were going to college we lived in Salt Lake City in the Monument
Park third ward.  In that one ward lived Spencer W Kimball, Marion G Romney,
Delbert L Staply, Oscar Mckonkie, Neil Maxwell and our Elders Quorum instructor
was Henry Eyring.

We lived 3 doors away from President Kimball.  Probably the interesting
part of this (now that we are seeing religious leaders spend $200k on their
doghouses) is that although it was a nice neighborhood their was nothing
ostentatious about it.  All of these leaders were very humble and kind men.

During that period Brother Kimball (He was an apostle at the time) was not
out on the road much because He was recovering from an operation on his
throat.  He arbitrarily assigned himself as ward greeter sometimes and stood
at the back of the chapel shaking hands with peaple and making them feel
welcome as they came in.  One sunday we came in with our new baby daughter,
he took her from us and held her and gave her a kiss on the forhead as much
to say as we are so happy to have this special new spirit among us.  He
couldn't talk at the time but spoke whole sermons with his kindness and
loving spirit.
 

Over the weekend in General Conference, an announcement was made regarding the
formation of a 2nd quorum of 70's.  Does anyone of any thoughts about this
announcement? 

I think it has something to do with the growth rate of the church.  It only
took 8 years to get from 4.n million members to 6.7 million members.  I'm sure
the time to get from 2 million to 4 million took longer than 8 years. 

Also, why did they dissolve the local 70's quorums a few years ago? 

I also wonder what happens when a person is called to a position with a time
span attached to it.  For example, they issued some calls to people and tell
them how long they will serve for.  People who are called to preside at temples
are called to serve for two years.  Some people were issued calls and told they
will be serving for 5 years.  What do they do when they are done?  Do they
settle back into retirement and do what "normal" retired folks do? 

scott 

    Re: Note 223.0 by NEXUS::S_JOHNSON

    Hi Scott,
    
>I think it has something to do with the growth rate of the church.  
    
    Me, too, but I find it an interesting approach, since both quorums have
    a common presidency. I'm wondering if this will change. 
    
>Also, why did they dissolve the local 70's quorums a few years ago? 
    
    As I recall, it was felt that the missionary emphasis should be in all
    the priesthood quorums, and not just the 70's. Also, once a person was
    called to be a 70, he could be "stuck" there for a long time. Bishop's
    and Stake Presidents had to get special permission to use them in other
    callings. Having served as a 70 for a number of years, I believe it was
    an excellent move. 
    
>I also wonder what happens when a person is called to a position with a time
>span attached to it.  
    
    This addresses a number of problems. First, is the case of the
    "Emeritus" General Authorities, who become to old or incapacitated to
    function. If their calling is for life, then they carry the burden of a
    calling that they cannot fulfill. 
    
    Second, some men are not prepared to accept a calling for life. They
    may be willing to serve for 3-5 years, after which they may need to
    return to their businesses, families, or other pursuits. This way they
    don't get burned out. 
    
    Third, it gives an opportunity for fresh blood to be introduced into
    the body of general authorities. In stead of having a group of men the
    average age of which just gets higher, the church can call on younger,
    more energetic, men to carry the demanding load that general authorites
    are called upon to carry. 
    
    Fourth, nothing prevents the church from calling some of these men to
    serve in a lifetime calling later on. 
    
    In Christ's Love,
    Rich
                                          

    
    Re: 223.1 by Rich
     
>  Hi Scott,
>    
>>I think it has something to do with the growth rate of the church.  
>    
>    Me, too, but I find it an interesting approach, since both quorums have
>    a common presidency. I'm wondering if this will change. 
   
  It (meaning the condition of a common presidency) will not change:

	   And it is according to the vision showing the order of the
	Seventy, that they should have seven presidents to preside over
	them, chosen out of the number of the seventy;
	   And the seventh president of these presidents is to preside
	over the six;
	   And these seven presidents are to choose other seventy besides
	the first seventy to whom they belong, and are to preside over
	them;
	   And also other seventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor
	in the vineyard of necessity requires it.

						--D & C 107:93-96

Dave
                     

RE: < Note 223.2 by HDSRUS::HANSEN >

>	   And also other seventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor
>	in the vineyard of necessity requires it.
>
>						--D & C 107:93-96

So we could conceivably have up to a *seventh* Quorum of the Seventy?
Or is that the 490th Quorum of the Seventy? 

Not that it's a Big Deal, of course. 

/kevin

RE: Note 223.3 by ONFIRE::PERM "Kevin R. Ossler"

>>	   And also other seventy, until seven times seventy, if the labor
>>	in the vineyard of necessity requires it.
>>
>>						--D & C 107:93-96

>So we could conceivably have up to a *seventh* Quorum of the Seventy?
>Or is that the 490th Quorum of the Seventy? 

>Not that it's a Big Deal, of course. 

Yow! That COULD be read that way, huh?  I never noticed that.  I've
always thought it meant there could be as many as seven quorums, one
for each of the presidents.

You think 490 quorums wouldn't be a Big Deal??? :-)

Dave

    Re. The last few.       
    
    Even then 7 quorums of 70 is still quite a few people.  That's 490
    ga's not counting the apostles and presidency.  I guess compared
    to the church as a whole, that is not that many.  But, still that
    is alot of ga's.  Where would they sit during general conference?
    Would the choir have to sit else where or would they expand the
    tabernacle?  They could give the ga's smaller red chairs or take some
    some of the pews out of the front of the tabernacle and replace
    them with "red chairs".  I've always wondered if the red chairs
    are comfortable?   Does anyone know?
    
    scott

    Sorta like "do the pearly gates swing in or out"; maybe they'd
    expand, how 'bout a mezzanine for them. BTW, did anybody watch
    and see when the Pres. of the Quorum of the Twelve, Howard W.
    Hunter, fall backwards when giving his talk? He never missed a beat 
    in the talk though. 
    
    Kevin 
    

    Ok. I'm ignorant. What's a 70?
    
    Ed
    

    Ed,
    
    A 70 is a person who has been called to that office in the Melchizedek
    priesthood.  This might have been discussed in another note, but
    in the LDS church there are two priesthoods, the Aaronic and the
    Melchizedek.  When a person is given the priesthood, they are ordained
    to an office.  The Aaronic Priesthood contains the offices of deacon,
    teacher and priest.  The Melchizedek Priesthood contains the offices
    of elder, seventy and high priest.
    
    I only have my bible here, but it mentions 70's in Luke 10:1.  It's
    an old bible and the cocordance is not that good.  I'm sure there
    is mention of this office in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine &
    Covenants.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    scott

	I was impressed by the Ensign first presidency message about 
	following a prophet and his counsel :

	    o	to search out and lovingly welcome back into fuller activity
		any of our number who have strayed

	    o	to cleanse our inner vessels of any unworthiness that we may
		have before the Lord

	    o	to consistently bring the power and spirit and teachings of
		the Book of Mormon into our lives 

	    o	to personally realize that the Book of Mormon was prepared 
		under the direction of the Lord specifically for his 
		latter-day work

	    o	to seek the Spirit of the Lord in all we do

	    o	to avoid despair and trust in the Lord

	    o	against the great stumbling block of pride

	    o	against pitting our will against God's

	    o	to come unto Christ

	    o	to think on Christ

	    o	to make a mighty change in our hearts, if needed, in order 
		to follow Christ

	    o	to make Christ our model for our entire lives

	Not bad concepts to live our lives by!  I wonder how much do we 
	consider a prophet's words in our every day lives?  Do we as 
	Latter-Day Saints really thank God for a prophet if we follow not 
	his counsel?

	Charles

	**********************************************************************

	taken from :

	"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" by President Gorden B. Hinckley,
	First Counselor in the First Presidency, September 1991 issue of the
	Ensign, pages 2-5.