Sundays are Special

I am amazed at the wonderful, articulate, talented, spiritual giants that serve here. The Scullins, Facilities Management missionaries, were the sacrament meeting speakers today. Sister Scullin gave such a beautifully crafted talk on the atonement. Elder Scullin’s talk was on the Savior. It was inspirational and relevant. The spirit in our meeting was astonishing. We learned that she was a counselor for people with addictions and she practiced and counseled by the spirit. They lost a daughter between the ages of one and two. During the trial of the illness of her young daughter, Sister Scullin was an example of the strength and love that comes from the Savior to all those in the hospital who cared for her daughter.

After the Priesthood/Relief Society meeting we took a man on tour from Tennessee who had served in the army for 33 years. He was traveling the US by himself. His wife passed away a couple of years ago. I know the spirit led him here today. We were able to bear testimony to him and challenged him to read the Book of Mormon already in his possession and pray about it as he did. He agreed.

Memory Book

A Memory Book is in progress for the missionaries at Cove Fort. We had to provided a page:

When Sister Ross and I first received our call to serve as missionaries at Cove Fort we were both excited and concerned, excited to serve the Lord and concerned that we would be able to learn all that was necessary to be effective in our callings.

At the MTC, we expected to learn how to be efficient tour guides, how to conduct tours that would be filled with historical and interesting information about the Fort and its important history. It soon became clear that our calling and responsibilities were far greater and more important.  We learned that the Fort and its artifacts were in fact tools to help convey the Spirit in a way that few other ways could compare.

We learned that as visitors gained an awareness of the courage and sacrifices of the Hinkleys and others, the Spirit would bear witness to them of the power and importance of the Gospel in their personal lives and in the lives of their families.

Time and again we have been privileged to see the Spirit manifest himself and confirm that the Gospel that the Hinkleys loved was the Gospel that they needed to learn more about and embrace in their personal lives.

Perhaps our favorite moments came when offering the Sharing Toy to a child and teaching about the need we all have to keep the Savior in the center of our lives.  On one occasion we were bearing our testimony of the Savior’s example and how it can change our lives if we will learn of him and keep his commandments.  The parents, though members of the Church, were obviously less active.  We felt the Spirit bear witness to them that they needed to turn their lives around and reconnect with Christ and his Church.

It was an experience we will never forget and a feeling we will treasure forever… as we will our mission at Cove Fort.

Compelled to Come

George and I took a couple from Florida on a tour who are not of our faith. We smelled the tobacco smoke when we met them at the car. They were friendly immediately and open to everything we taught. He is a history buff, originally from New York. She was born and raised in Kentucky in a home without indoor plumbing. They have saved for many years to take a trip all around the United States taking the back roads as much as possible. They have raised three children. They said they love Romney.

After room seven, he commented that they weren’t sure why they stopped at Cove Fort. They hadn’t intended to come this way. They felt compelled to come. Of course, we know it it’s the spirit that guided them here. They are planning to visit Temple Square. We felt privileged to have been a part of their lives and possible conversion. It is a good feeling to share the spirit at the fort with those who come ready to receive it.

A Grandfather's Influence

My fourth tour of the day was a great experience for me and the touree’s.  I thought I had a grandfather and his 16 year old grandson from West Jordan during the entire tour. Grandfather was a bearded guy who looked like a mountain man. He had stopped to show his grandson the fort. He has been through it with his own father several years ago when the fort was run down and empty. He shared many stories with me and his grandson as we did the tour. The grandson had lost a year of school because of poor grades. He is now working to make up the classes. He is learning to weld and to do some carpentry and some woodworking from his grandfather. He told me he had built a pipe bomb by going on the Internet which was news to the grandfather. I was able to share the gospel with them as we went through the rooms. At the Book of Mormon display I challenged the young man to set a goal to go on a mission. He has several friends who have gone. At the end of the tour, the grandfather sent the boy ahead of us and he shared with me that the young man  wasn’t actually his grandson but a neighbor he had befriended a couple of years ago. He pays the young man to help him with odd jobs. The boy lives with a dysfunctional family filled with negativity. This relationship is a bright spot in both their lives. Grandfather gave me a hug and thanked me for the tour. I was touched as well.

Golf and Friends

The Canyon Breeze golf course in Beaver is a beautiful 9 hole course with a race track in the middle of it. The weather was perfect.

 We got back in time to take Patti Anderson and her husband and Nettie and her 4 kids on a tour of the Fort. What a fun tour!

More Vistors

Jack and Joni

We attended prayer meeting where George gave a great spiritual thought. As we were exiting the meeting Sister Despain told us that we had someone who wanted us to take them on a tour. It was Wade and Cher Palmer from our ward. What a fun tour. 

We had just finished the Fort and we were going to take them out back to the blacksmith shop when Sister Perry came over and said that Pickleball Jack was here for a tour. George finished with the Palmer's while I met Jack, Joni and their youngest daughter Heidi. George joined us after the video presentation and took the tour with us. It was fun to get better acquainted with Jack and Joni. I played pickle ball with them several times at the South Jordan Recreation Center. They have been on a humanitarian mission to New Zealand and the islands near there.