Prophecy fullfilled

This weekend I was able to ordain my father a High Priest. Now you might wonder why that is prophecy fulfilled. Well let me explain. I joined the LDS church in 1992. I was a 17 years old (my 18th birthday was just a few weeks away). When I joined my family was accepting of my decision but had not participated in any of the missionary discussions. A year later I went on a two year mission to the Dominican Republic. Every convert will tell you of their desires to see their family accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I longed for it, I prayed for it and as I was teaching the families in the DR, I continually thought of it. I received blessings promising that one day my family would join. My very last blessing given to me as I was leaving the mission by the Presidente Madrid also indicated that. Naturally when I came home I was fired up and ready to commit them to baptism. However life happened.

A month after my return, I was able to baptize my sister Darlene. Her husband was what I would call a "closet" mormon having been baptized years earlier but then went inactive. None of us knew it when he had married my sister. A few months later I baptized my Grandma Kenyon. However my parents still hesitated. My father was diagnosed with Prostate cancer in August of 1995. I had been home for just over a month. I thought that the he would be humbled and be willing to accept the Gospel. Boy was I wrong. Instead he became hardened. The next few years were difficult for him and my mom. Even though Dad had beaten cancer, he seemed more depressed and I was unsure if he would ever join the church.

By this time I had gotten married and maybe someday I will share that story and how I felt the day of my wedding. But I could still see so much good in my parents and knew that if I had found the truth, they could to. Now lets go forward ten years. It was Easter. My parents had come from Rawlins, WY to Logan to have Easter with us. I was serving in the Branch Presidency of a youth corrections branch and normally would not go to church with my family. However since it was Easter, I talked to my counselors and I went to church with my whole family. My parents had started coming to church with us when they visted. I was sitting in Sacrament meeting during the sacrament reflecting (isn't that what we are suppose to do?) As I was thus engaged, a thought or vision popped into my mind. I saw in my minds eye me ordaining my Dad to the priesthood, but not just the priesthood, but as a High Priest. I remember getting teary eyed with this impression and then blew it off as wishful thinking. To my knowledge my parents were not interested in getting baptized.

I did not think anymore of it until a phone call in early July of that same year. It was dinner time, and we had just sat down to eat. As I answered the phone it was my Dad. He asked if we could come to Rawlins a week earlier than had planned and I said yes but why. He then told me that he and my mom wanted me to baptize them! Tears quickly flowed and my wife thought that someone had died. I couldn't believe it!

Now fast forward to last Sunday. There I was, with my family and the Stake President of Rock springs wyoming stake. I laid my hands on my father's head and fulfilled the prophecy, or vision I had had years before. If this isn't the Lord's true church than I don't know what could be!

Post election

A week ago, I was hopeful that America would elect John McCain. Well the people spoke and instead elected Barak Obama. I have always been impressed with his ability to speak and to create emotion. As I look back at this election, I think that was the one thing that carried him to victory. Presidential elections are somewhat cyclical. Every 8-12 years there seems to be a movement of change. Events occur and the American people feel that a new direction is needed (1968, 1976, 1980, 1992, 2000) See the pattern? Even though I wanted the other man to win, I think the next four years will be good for Republican Politics. I feel that President Obama will learn real fast how difficult it is to be a leader of a nation and the those who voted for change will understand who really was holding things up in Washington.

With that said, I hope that this election will begin to usher in a change of politics on both sides of th isle. We need to get back to our principles. We need to look at the constitution and see how the powers of government should rest. We need to become more fiscally responsible not only as a government but also as a people. Less Government is better government! The federal government should not interfere with State rights and state government. I am hopeful that our economy will be get better, I am hopeful that President Obama will not make our national security weaker. I pray that he will govern more in the central and not to the left. I pray for our country and its people.