Stake Conference with Elder Bednar

Today our stake was priviledged to have Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visit. This was the first time in over 40 years that one of the Apostles visited our stake. Many people assumed something big was going to happen in our stake. The meeting was from 10-12 and we got there at 8:30 thinking we would get a good seat fairly close. Wrong! We still had to sit half way back in the gym. Luckily it was close to a t.v. so we could still see well. As you can imagine there was a big turn out and every room in the stake center had a television and a crowd of people.

As Elder Bednar entered the room, everyone stood. There was a reverence that quickly came over the congregation. It was amazing.

Elder Gibson spoke first. He is our area seventy. He said, "Your stake presidency has served dilligently for 8 years. (PAUSE) There are only 2 reasons that an area seventy would come and visit a stake. 1. To release and call a new stake president. This will not happen today. And 2. a visiting Apostle has come. This is why I am here. Because Elder Bednar has come to visit us." Our stake president spoke of our divine heritage. He bore witness that we need to be prepared spiritually as well as temporally through small and simple things: prayer, fhe, family scripture reading, service, teaching and preparing lessons, going to the temple, etc.

Right before Elder Bednar's address, the fire alarm was pulled! We all had to evacuate the building. We couldn't believe it. This happened at a stake conference a few years ago and we didn't evacuate and the fire department was mad at us so this time we got out. After sweating it up in the 90 degree weather, we finally made our way back into the building to listen to Elder Bednar. His first comment, "No unhallowed hand or fire alarm can stop the work from progressing." Elder Bednar talked about the great Plan of Happiness, specifically about Agency. He talked about how our agency is the power to act independently. To act and not to be acted upon. He said, 'We have agency to choose the right'. He said that many of us don't fully understand the definition of agency.

After the meeting, Blake and I took the kids up to shake hands with the stake presidency, Elder Gibson and Elder Bednar. Megan was very thrilled with the experience explaining that this was her best day ever and that she will never forget this day. I think we will all remember the spirit that was felt as we listened to Elder Bednar's message and shook his hand.