Sacrament Mtg. Cody talked prior to departure

We have an awesome lady in our ward that sits and writes down the Sacrament Mtgs. and sends it to the homebound, missionaries, people who have moved out, sick, etc.. She is one of a kind and I am so grateful to her for this service (and she does not know shorthand!) I don't feel she can be thanked enough for this kind act that she shares with so many. And I am so excited to have this from the meeting when Cody talked. THANK YOU NAUNIE from the bottom of my heart.


Nov. 8, 2009
What a beautiful tribute the Tabernacle Choir had on their broadcast today. A range of emotions this week with the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down juxtaposed with the Ft. Hood tragedy. Nov. 11 should remind us all of the price of freedom.
We had a large crowd today to support Elder Cody Brough – he will leave Nov. 18 for the Philippines. It was nice that cousin Kevin Brough spoke in Osmond today and they go to the MTC the same day. Bp. was excused as the McBrides are in Florida for Jeremy’s wedding. Melissa and Andy Hoopes had a new baby girl on Wed. We are happy that Heber Hillstead has better health and is able to be back in his home, and we are grateful for Kaye Allred’s improving health so he and Betty are able to be in their home. Tonya Peterson and Cynthia Merritt will serve on the compassionate service committee, Jessica Allred and Kasi Hillstead will be Primary teachers, Cleone Barrus will be the Ward Family History Coordinator. High Councilman Randy Hokanson was here to conduct stake business – John Abrams was released from the High Council and Deb Wolfley was sustained.
Youth Speaker Aspen Haderlie:”I was asked to speak on honoring your father and mother. I always thought it was doing what you are asked to do. The Lord commanded in Ex 20:12 that we honor our fathers and mothers, meaning to love and respect them, obey them and the Lord. Elder Dallin H. Oaks said this expresses appreciation and shows how much we love them, to follow their righteous counsel and obey the commandments of God. Heavenly Father wants us to honor our parents. How do we honor them? We respect them, obey, listen and follow their example. When I was 4 or 5 I remember Mom singing Joseph Smith’s First Prayer and I started to cry. She taught me about the Holy Ghost and now I know when the Spirit is trying to get my attention. I am thankful for parents who taught me to listen to the promptings of the Spirit. I know this Church is true. I am thankful for our Prophet. I know that Joseph Smith translated the scriptures and they are the word of God. I am thankful for my family and friends and glad I have parents who are honorable.”




Sis. Denise Wheeler:”I was asked to speak on the blessings of having sons serve missions. Part of it was having my heart ripped out when they left, the “missionary blessings” of broken cars, washer and dryer, and medical issues! I am so glad my sons served missions and we truly received blessings. As we raised our 3 sons from the time they were tiny we talked about them serving missions. They collected baseball cards, sure that they would be able to sell them for enough money to pay for their missions! It was fun to watch them grow and gain testimonies. I watched today as 11 young men blessed and passed the sacrament – they are wonderful sons. From Mike’s mission he kept in touch with some of the people who would call and visit and our boys saw the joy that their Dad and the Lord had brought to these families. Mike’s Mom has a collage on her wall for her sons’ missionary pictures and she left empty spaces for grandsons. It was fun to watch as each space was filled in. What a wonderful tribute that every one served and now she has spaces for great grandsons. We appreciated our sons’ experiences and knew their lives would be protected as they loved and served. We had a saying “Ya Gotta Wanna” and we knew they did want to serve. Was it easy? No, it was very difficult to leave the comfort of their homes. I would go into their rooms and the tears would flow and I would plead with the Lord to watch over them. Would I have had it any other way? Absolutely not. It was great to receive calls from people they knew. The mailbox became my best friend, and then e-mail was even better. It was wonderful to hear their experiences as they wrote things like, “I am grateful to be here. I wish you could be here with me to experience the miracles. It is humbling and hard to describe. I love these people more than you can know. The people in this area need us so much.” Parents want their children to have the best experiences – from the time they are born we nurture and encourage. We try to focus their imagination and teach them to help others. Missionaries spend 6 days a week in suit and tie serving and teaching. They help people move and clean, help people stop smoking and drinking, help a single mother become part of the Church family. They take time to study and come to Him. They are compelled to stop at a corner where David is praying for guidance. A young woman with 2 daughters stops to wait for them to come to her door. Her name was Aurora and we grew close to her as they were taught and joined the Church. She shared her story with us – how much she loves the Savior and our redheaded son. She still has his picture on her frig and tells people he is her son! Bruce R. McConkie wrote a Missionary Commission “I am called of God. My authority is above that of kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him—to stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me. My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts; my doctrine is His doctrine. My Commission is to do what He wants done; To say what He wants said; to be a living modern witness in word and in deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous Latter-day work. How great is my calling!” Missionaries are commissioned by the Savior to baptize in His name. We could feel the testimonies and gratitude of investigators who called to tell us. It helped me reflect on my testimony and blessings. It was a thrill to see the change in a person’s life as mothers and fathers, lost young women and men, found the path to eternal happiness. No missionary ever failed to influence lives for the better, no matter the number of baptisms. Missionaries face personal challenges and have spiritual sensations and find courage. He cannot fail with God by his side. One son wrote, “We see miracles all the time. What a privilege.” “The Lord blesses us so much.” “He helped me learn a language I didn’t know I could.” “I know the Church is true without a shadow of a doubt.” When it is time for them to come home they feel they can’t leave – they love the people so much. They go into the real world and see people of different religions and realize how true our Church is and what truth and joy we have. As the people gain knowledge of Christ and Heavenly Father, so do they. They learn to love the scriptures. They exercise faith and go to Him in prayer. You receive them home with tears of joy and gratitude. He is no longer a boy, but a man of God. The wise men of the East were directed by Herod to seek for Christ. The missionaries seek Him, find Him and themselves, learn more of Him and appreciate His role as Savior, Redeemer, Advocate with the Father, and they, too, return home another way. The harvest is abundant and they are stronger for their service as they continue to share the gospel. I asked Steven to write a little of how his missionary service blessed his life. He wrote that he had learned to be 100% accountable so the Mission President could rely on him and now he is able to be more productive and focus in his career. He learned to be true to himself. He sees lives messed up by things of the world. At work he can stand up for what he believes. Every day he is asked about the gospel as people try to understand the far-fetched things they have heard about us being a cult, etc. There is confusion in the hearts of men but people are interested. It is a challenge to be the only one in the room without a drink. People are curious. We believe in eternal families and hold tight to the things he taught in New York. We hear the same principles in General Conference. By faith you serve a mission. He knew that he would never let him down and it is the same today. I feel so blessed to have been a small part in our sons’ missions, to enrich people’s lives, be in the temple with them, see how the gospel changed them. Now we enjoy your sons and daughters’ missions as you share experiences. We are so blessed. I know the gospel is true. I am thankful for our Savior, for the Holy Ghost, to have the gospel in my life to strengthen me.”




The Baird family gave a musical presentation “I’ll Follow Him in Faith.” It was really special, with part of it in Spanish.




Bro. Mike Wheeler:”That was great. I could understand the English part! Sitting up here took me back a year and half ago and I was looking for who I could ask to give talks when it was my turn to take charge! I am thankful for my good wife, for Sis. Haderlie and her message, for the testimony I have. I was asked to speak about the role of mothers in preparing missionaries. I want to begin with the words to “O My Father”. We had a Spiritual Mother who influenced us as we prepared to come to earth. I love that we have a Spiritual Mother. We come to partake of the sacrament to remember Jesus Christ, His mission and sacrifice. He provided the chance for us to return to our Father in Heaven with our physical body. Cody, be prepared to give your all as you serve. The Philippines won’t be easy – you’ll probably have a storm or two! I know your mother and family here will be praying for you. You will succeed as you testify of your love for the Savior, Jesus Christ and His mission. The scriptures tell us of mothers who loved their children. Moses’ mother knew he was in danger and placed the infant in a makeshift raft and watched after him until he was found my nobility and became a Prince of Egypt. Because of her willingness to sacrifice, he became an instrument in the Father’s hands to lead the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. Mary, the mother of Christ – how special she was, a vessel worthy to bring the Savior to the world. She sacrificed to flee to Egypt. I’m sure she was like the mothers here, knelt with Him and helped Him understand the gospel as she knew it, and told Him of her experiences with the angel. She kept His life in the way he could be an instrument. The Sons of Mosiah and Ammon went to teach the Lamanites. They changed lives and the Lamanites were so devoted they decided not to ever pick up their arms again, but to give their lives. They took them back to Zarahemla to protect them, but when the battle came there, they wanted to help, but kept their covenants. Their sons were willing to help defend and they lived as their mothers had taught them. Joseph Smith’s mother taught him to pray, search the scriptures, go to the grove and ask. He talked with his mother about his experience. He became an instrument in our Father in Heaven’s hands to restore the gospel. There is no magic pill to do this or that and your sons and daughters will fulfill missions. In my family, my grandfather didn’t serve and neither did my father, but they raised our family so that all served. I am grateful for my wife to help raise great sons who served missions. I am thankful they made that choice. We were all blessed for it. There are good people who don’t serve and live righteous lives so I don’t want anyone to feel offended. I am thankful for my wife to teach our sons. I looked around our house this morning and saw “Christ is the Center of our Home” a statue of Christ with children, “hearts and Homes are Warmed by Love” “Simple Pleasures” “Grandma Loves Me”, family pictures, the Salt Lake Temple picture. These things can’t hurt. When do we prepare our children? From the minute they are born. I look at our ward and see our youth progressing. I am thankful for all you parents do. Cody, lose yourself in the work. What you put in, you will get out. Love the people. I love the people I served, even though some aren’t here anymore. One wife had a stroke and it hurts, but they have the gospel and the opportunity to return to our Father in Heaven. Bring this to the people. You will do a good job.”




Elder Cody Brough:”I hope I can step up and do this. Sis. Wheeler, I guess we have blessings already because my Dad’s truck broke down! I was asked to speak about the Book of Mormon. In 2006, Elder Hales talked about scripture study and the Book of Mormon. He referred to the title page, these writing are commandments, prophecies, revelations. This book is a gift from God interpreted through the Holy Ghost, to convince that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Eternal God. The introduction tells it is a companion to the Bible, containing the fullness of the gospel and Plan of Salvation. It contains what we need to do to find peace in this life and eternal life in the world to come. From it we learn 1)Who we are. 2)What we can become. 3)Prophecies. 4) Commandments, laws, ordinances. 5)How to live so we can return to our Father with honor. We need to commit to read it and study with a specific plan or we will not get as much from it. If we want to talk to God, we pray. If we want Him to talk to us, we read the scriptures. They contain the answers to our prayers. Elder Hales said if you have not heard His voice in awhile, return with new to the scriptures. The LDS people behind the Iron Curtain and in other wars and conflicts survived because they had His voice in the scriptures. Joseph Smith declared we would get nearer to God by the precepts in the Book of Mormon than any other book. Pres. Thomas S. Monson promised that if we put the teachings to the test, they will bring joy. Elder Gonzales in General Conference said there are many best selling books that flood the market but God reserved the Book of Mormon, not to be the best seller, but to be the best read and best applied. 1)Feast upon the words of Christ. 2)Apply what you learn. Even in these turbulent times you can follow these teachings. 3)Teach the doctrines and principles to bless other lives. Quote them and read them so you can repeat them by heart to honest seekers of truth. The Book of Mormon tells about lots of missionaries, like Alma the Younger. Pres. Benson said the Book of Mormon should flood the earth to gather the elect. It is the most powerful thing we can use. Because of media advances, we will be held accountable to move in monumental ways. We are challenged to make contacts, arouse mankind. Missionaries read with the people various passages. How can you teach the Book of Mormon if you don’t have your own testimony of it? Pres. David O. McKay told of his father on a mission in Scotland. Because of the antagonism he tried to teach the gospel without talking about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. His mind was darkened and he was despondent. He went to a cave to pray and was told “Testify that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God.” That changed everything and people were touched by the Spirit. If you want to be successful, testify of the divinity of the Book of Mormon. Pres. Spencer W. Kimball, in 1976, said we should each discover the Book of Mormon for ourselves, then rediscover it again and again. Read it over and over. As we teach people, we learn more and more. David Whitmer was one of the Witness of the Book of Mormon, and even though he fell out of the Church, he still proclaimed, “I have held the golden plates and seen an angel. My testimony is true.” He still knew the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. At General Conference Elder Jeffrey R. Holland bore a powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon. {Cody read wonderful excerpts from this talk.] The Prophet Joseph Smith declared that the Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book, the keystone of our religion, and that we would get nearer to God by abiding by its principles than in any other way. Isn’t that what we want? I would like to bear my testimony that I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God and it came through Joseph Smith as he said it did. He translated it. He did not write it. This is true Church. I am excited to go on a mission and do these things. I want to thank my friends. I have been blessed to be surrounded by good people. I am thankful for my family. They are amazing. It is great to have a large family of good people. It is even OK to have 6 sisters! I love them all to death. I am thankful for all you guys have done for me and taught me.” We share in the joy of each missionary from our ward family. Love, The Hydes