Yesterday was Mother’s Day, so we didn’t have any administration meetings in the morning. I still got to Church just after 8:30 am (Sacrament Meeting starts at 9:30 am) and brought my two sons with me. They know the drill… the first thing I check before I unlock the door is the mail. Yesterday there were several pieces of junk mail, including this Staples leaflet.

I didn’t bother paying attention to the mail at all. I went in the building, and the missionaries were already there. I joked with them that I remembered how much missionaries liked getting mail, so I gave them the junk mail. One of the missionaries looked at it, and then gave it back to me and showed me the other side.

Did you notice who the recipient was?

Funny stuff! Several of us were joking that we should forward it to President Monson.

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The man who has the most constants in a world of variables will prevail.

I’ve heard things similar to this, but this is just short and sweet. It has made me think about how God is an unchanging God, and if we align ourselves with him, we to will be unchanging (at least in our obedience). Going along with my post from yesterday, if we are constant in our faithfulness even amidst the lower standards of the world, we will prevail. Nice!

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This is just a small example, but it is still an example of the world that our youth are growing up in. In the eyes of many, this is perfectly acceptable. No wonder it is such a challenge to get the youth to understand and live by the standards in For the Strength of Youth. I guess we have to work that much harder!

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I know the person who was checking the temple recommends that day, and he told me that Elder Ballard had a special recommend. It was NOT the same as ours. There was no barcode on it, no expiry date and all three members of the First Presidency sign it. Neat!

This of course brings to mind a few questions:

• Did he have an interview when he first got it?
• Does he have the same recommend since he first became an apostle?
• Do they get new ones if something on the recommend changes, like a change to the First Presidency, or even the new Church logo from a while ago?

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Well, another General Conference has come to a close. I know I comment on this every time, but it’s hard for me to get through 10 hours worth of meetings over two days. I don’t know how the General Authorities manage to do get through it in the Conference Center without falling asleep.

We watched this last session at home in the comfort of our living room.

Overall, it was much like other General Conferences. There certainly weren’t any talks that I thought were terrible, but that isn’t to say that I loved every one. There are obviously ones that I liked more than others. Out of all of the talks, the one I’ll probably remember the most was Elder Holland’s about pornography. He was definitely bold. I also thought Sister Beck’s talk was excellent. I’ll have to watch/read them again and see if I still feel the same way.

President Henry B Eyring conducted

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang Come, O Thou King of Kings

The invocation was offered by Christoffel Golden, Jr

The choir sang Jesus, Once of Humble Birth

Elder Russell M Nelson

• When we sense the love we have for our family, we can imagine the love Heavenly Father has for us
• The Church protects the truth that family is central to God’s plan
• This church brings hope and help to this sacred institution of the family
• No matter your situation, you can make family history a part of your life
• New FamilySearch is creating one pedigree we all work on

Elder Robert D Hales

• There is no substitute for seeing the gospel lived in our daily life
• The stripling warriors didn’t have to wonder what their parents believed
• Do our children know what we know?
• When we sit down at the dinner table, is the whole family there?
• Mother, Father, Grandma, Grandpa, are you there?
• Being there means understanding their hearts and connecting with them
• Teach them to walk in the light, but it can’t be borrowed light

Elder Bradley D Foster

• There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood
• By diving design, nurturing is part of mothers
• A distraction doesn’t need to be evil to be effective
• In a world where everyone is granted agency, some of our loved ones may stray for a season, but we must never give up
• We never know when a heart will be turned

The choir and congregation sang I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Elder James B Martino

• We’ll all face trials
• How we react determines are success
• We need to humble ourselves before God and learn from him
• Learn from Christ
  1. Remain committed
  2. Learn to not complain
  3. Seek greater help from God
  4. Learn to serve and think of others
  5. Forgive others, and do not blame others
• As we pass through the trials of life, keep an eternal perspective

Elder Gregory A Schwitzer

• Do not judge others, but use excellent judgment
• Good judgment guidelines
  1. Align yourself to the gospel
  2. Listen to the messages of the living prophet
  3. Have a listening relationship with the Holy Spirit
  4. Keep the commandments

Elder Francisco J Vinas

• Spoke of natural disasters
• Dying to spiritual things is worth than death
• The Leadership Training Emphasis wants each family member to read, pray, and live the gospel
• These things are works of righteousness
• He who doeth the works of righteousness will receive his reward

Elder Neil L Andersen

• The harmony in the talks is a miracle
• We have heard and felt the mind and will of the Lord
• The rising generation is the very best ever
• “Tell me the stories of Jesus”
• Are the life and teachings of Jesus Christ embedded in the hearts of our children?
• Do they know that Jesus taught “Ask, and ye shall receive”?
• If the child is not listening with a believing heart, your testimony will stay.
• If a child is not listening, do not despair. Time and truth are on your side
• Two men can do anything, as long as one of them is the Lord

President Thomas S Monson

• Trust in the Lord and lean not unto thine own understanding
• That is the story of his life
• We’ve been richly blessed
• The world seems to have slipped from the moorings of safety
• The problems in the world cause people to be tossed about in a sea of sin and crushed on the jagged reef of missed opportunities and shattered dreams
• There is no one so lost that can’t be saved by the lighthouse of the Lord
• Thank you for your prayers
• May His promised peace be with you

The choir sang Abide with Me; ‘Tis Eventide

The benediction was offered by Bishop Richard C Edgley

Read the recaps and other notes from the 180th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Afternoon Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Priesthood Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Afternoon Session

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I know that in areas where the Church has a lot of members, General Conference is shown on TV, but where I am for years we’ve only been able to get GC at Church. Many years ago it was only at the Stake Centre, but now we can get it at our own Ward Meetinghouse. Now with the amazing Internet broadcast, we don’t have to go, but we still feel like you have to on Sunday morning, kind of like it is “regular” Church. So, off we went.

The session was conducted by President Henry B Eyring

The choir sang Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

The invocation was offered by Elder Kenneth Johnson

The choir sang This is the Christ

President Dieter F Uchtdorf

• Told story of a statue of Christ in Germany that was damaged in the war. It was fixed, but the hands were shattered. A sign was put up that said “You are my hands”
• It is not good to make others feel as though they are deficient
• We are all in need of mercy
• In our zeal, we confuse the sin and sinner
• Every person we meet is a VIP to our Heavenly Father
• A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born in adversity
• True love requires action
• Love is the grand motive of the Plan of Salvation

Elder Richard G Scott

• Easter should bring peace and joy
• He rose with healing in His wings
• Saviour’s atonement allows us to repent
• Heavenly Father didn’t forsake Him. The atonement had to happen with Christ on His own
• Learn about the atonement at the temple
• “I love and adore him”

Elder Donald L Hallstrom

• In the difficult parts of life, there is only one source of peace
• He shared several examples of people who chose to be bitter rather than choosing peace
• We need to choose peace

The choir and congregation sang Rejoice, the Lord Is King!

Sister Cheryl C Lant

• We need to bring our children to Christ
• Learn to love the Lord and our families
• Become worthy examples
• Teach them truths of the gospel

Elder Quentin L Cook

• If we are to be His disciples, we must reverence the sacrament
• He didn’t teach a class in ethical behaviour. He was the Son of God
• You can disagree, but don’t be disagreeable
• We live in a noisy, contentious world
• If we want the Holy Ghost, we must slow down
• None is exempt from the storms of life
• Get to higher ground and cling to the saving ordinances

The choir sang When He Comes Again

President Thomas S Monson

• Referenced the painting “A Hopeless Dawn“
• “If a man die, shall he live again?”
• If there is a design, there must be a designer
• Man alone has capacity of faith
• He recounted Christ’s life
• He passed beneath all things that he might save all things

The choir sang He Is Risen

The benediction was offered by Wolfgang H Paul

Read the recaps and other notes from the 180th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Afternoon Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Priesthood Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Afternoon Session

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Before the Priesthood Session, the Young Men and their fathers met at the Church for our semi-annual “sub-sational” dinner. We had cold/deli meat and/or meatball subs along with pop and chips. As always, we had a great time.

We had a little less than 50 people attend the session.

Also, as is a tradition in my family, afterward my Dad took me out for some more treats. We tried to go to Swiss Chalet but they were closed. We headed to Dairy Queen, but of course they were closed too. We ended up just going to 7-11 and getting Slurpees.

A Priesthood choir from Brigham Young University sang God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son

The invocation was offered by Elder Keith K Hilbig. It was kind of weird as at the end of his prayer, it didn’t sound like he said Amen.

The choir sang Choose the Right

Elder Dallin H Oaks
(Note: I missed the first half of the talk as there was a problem I had to tend to)

• Spoke about priesthood blessings, such as administering to the sick
• We are all affected by increases and decreases in sensitivity to the Spirit
• If faith is sufficient, then the words of the blessings don’t necessarily dictate the outcome
• Faith and healing power of priesthood can’t trump the Lord’s will

Elder Ronald A Rasband

• Missionary service
• Be worth to serve a mission
• Told a great story explaining how the apostles choose where missionaries serve
• The call comes from the Lord

Brother David L Beck

• The Aaronic Priesthood is a sacred gift
• The new Duty to God books will be available in June
• “Behold thou art my son and I have a great work for you to do”

The choir and congregation sang Glory to God on High

President Dieter F Uchtdorf

• Patience is not passive resignation
• Patience means active waiting and enduring
• Impatience is a symptom of selfishness
• As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve
• Give me patience to wait until I can comprehend it for myself

President Henry B Eyring

• Diligence in the Lord’s service
• A calling may end, but priesthood service never ends
• Let every man learn his duty… in all diligence
• Ponder deeply and diligently the scriptures
• Persist in prayer

President Thomas S Monson

• He commented that this was one of the finest General Priesthood Meetings he’s ever attended
• “Come all ye sons of God who have received the priesthood”
• He reminded us of many of the standards
• Honesty is the best policy
• Avoid pornography at all costs

The choir sang The Iron Rod

The benediction was offered by Michael J Teh

Read the recaps and other notes from the 180th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Afternoon Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Priesthood Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Afternoon Session

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I made it home from work to watch this session at home (4 PM start where I am). It was much easier to pay attention at work. Saturdays are always slow, so I could just watch the session. However, at home, there were 3 small children running around, talking, and being generally distracting. It’s hard to be mad at them for being themselves, but it was also a little frustrating. We still managed to get through it

A choir from the Orem Institute of Religion sang Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice

The invocation was offered by Lynn G Robbins

President Dieter F Uchtdorf presented the sustaining of church officers. There is a new Primary Presidency as well as a few new members of the First Quorum of the Seventy and Second Quorum of the Seventy. There were also loads of Area Seventies released and called.

Robert W Cantwell, Managing Director of the Church Auditing Department, presented the Church audit report. It’s all good.

Brook P Hales, Secretary to the First Presidency, presented the Church 2009 Statistical Report.

• Stakes 2,865
• Missions 344
• Districts 616
• Wards and Branches 28,424
• Members 13,824,854
• Child of record baptism 119,722
• Convert baptism 280,106
• Full-time Missionaries 51,736
• Temples dedicated 2
• Total temples in operation 130

Elder L Tom Perry

• Mother’s best teaching occurred at home, not with the sisters at church
• His mother thought a mind would become weak if it was not constantly being exercised
• Though times change, a parent’s teachings should never be devalued
• One of the most important activities is parents teaching the children in their home

Elder D Todd Christofferson

• William Tyndale translate the bible into English and was put in jail
• His work became the foundation for almost all future English translations of the bible
• Through the scriptures God shows His power to save His children
• We have the scriptural record to enlarge our memory
• We are becoming illiterate because we aren’t opening books. We are forgetting things our grandparents knew.
• His commandments are the voice of reality
• The central purpose of scriptures is to fill us with faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ
• Scriptures are revelation and will bring added revelation

The choir and congregation sang We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet

Elder Koichi Aoyagi

• Hands that help
• Shared story of conversion
• “I realized that I was not praying with all of my heart, and decided to do so. One morning I woke up early and knelt in my small apartment and prayed sincerely. To my surprise, the confirmation of the Holy Ghost came upon me as promised. My heart burned, my body shook…”
• Follow the prophet, he knows the way
• Sometimes we feel we lack the experience to rescue others, but we need to do it
• We are surrounded by those who need us

Elder Bruce A Carlson

• Strict obedience to God’s law brings blessings
• “The safety in the Church lies in the members keeping the commandments. As they keep the commandments, blessings will come”
• If we don’t keep the commandments, we are headed for disaster
• Faithful obedience, regardless of the apparent size of the task will bring the Lord’s guidance, assistance, and peace
• “When the Lord commands, do it”

Elder David A Bednar

• He was recently driving in the rain. A sign said standing water ahead. The road seemed safe, but this sign helped him prepare
• Early warning signals are evident in many aspects of our lives
• Spiritual warnings should lead to increased watching
• An early warning signal consists of 3 parts:
  1. Reading and talking about the Book of Mormon  with your children
     Book of Mormon speaks to the spirit and heart of the reader more than any other volume of scripture
  2. Bearing testimony spontaneously to your children
     A naturally occurring family conversation is a great way to testify of blessings received during the day
  3. Inviting children to act, not merely to be act upon
     Be doers of the word.
• A child is never to young to take part in this pattern of learning
• We are not in the business of distributing fish. We are teaching people to fish
• The best Family Home Evenings are not necessarily from purchased or downloaded packets. Search the scriptures together
• Are we teaching our children to be anxiously engaged?

Elder Jeffrey R Holland

• Why is there so much moral decay around us?
• The Internet can blast a hole in your brain
• The problems are no respecter of persons
• Lust is  a deadly sin. It defiles the holiest relationship God gives us in mortality
• True love we’re giddy about, but lust is characterized by shame and stealth
• Love makes us reach out to Go, lust is anything but Godly
• Start by separating yourself from people, material and circumstances that will hurt you
• When fleeing temptation, do not leave a forwarding address
• Ask for angels to help you
• The only real control in life is self-control
• A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, so watch your step
• Remember the symbols you take with you from the temple, never to be set aside or forgotten
• We can reject the evil one

The choir sang Nearer, My God, To Thee

The benediction was offered by Elder Craig C Christensen

Read the recaps and other notes from the 180th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Afternoon Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Priesthood Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Afternoon Session

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Another  General Conference is here. Time sure does fly by. Somehow or other it has worked out that I’m working again today, so I watched this session at work. I will be able to get home before the afternoon session starts.

I have no idea what the messages will be. The economy is slowly improving, but I’m sure there will still be some messages about being wise with our finances. I’m sure there will be messages about reaching out to less-actives. Of course, since it’s Easter weekend, I’m sure we’ll hear some good messages about Christ. A missionary from my ward is serving at Temple Square and helped at a General Authority luncheon. She got to meet President Monson, and he told them what he would be speaking on Sunday morning. This missionary wouldn’t tell us what it was, but said it starts with the letter “R”. We’ll see tomorrow if she’s right

As it has before, the Move Networks plug-in is amazing. It couldn’t get it to work with IE8 or Firefox 3.6.x, but I downloaded a portable version of 3.5.x and it worked fine.

President Dieter F Uchtdorf conducted the session

The choir sang Come, ye children of the Lord

The invocation was offered by Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi

President Thomas S Monson

• 180 years since Church was organized
• Grateful for Prophet Joseph Smith
• Reach out to the new convert or those making their way back
• Surround them with love
• Church humanitarian efforts are going around the world. It’s been around for 25 years.
• Those who suffer are in our prayers
• We will continue to build temples as our membership grows
• His wife is recovering well

The choir sang There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today

President Boyd K Packer (sat in his chair)

• Speaking to the fathers
• Correlation and restructuring started under President Lee
• Priesthood was the key
• Gideon’s army was successful because every man stood in his place
• It’s not easy to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t easy in His time. It wasn’t easy when the Church was first organized
• The priesthood will lose great power when the sisters are neglected
• The priesthood will not be successful until the power of the priesthood is secure in the homes
• We need to activate the power
• Power comes from faithful living

Sister Julie B Beck

• Has met with thousands of sisters
• There is much distraction, not enough peace and joy
• No one is rich enough, beautiful enough, or clever enough to avoid a mortal experience
• Relief Society teaches and inspires women to be strong
• If we don’t get all the appreciation we think is do, what does it matter?
• Refine and cultivate in ourselves in all that is good
• It is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from the proper sources

Bishop Keith B McMullan

• This is a troubled world
• God helps us to forgive
• Duty does not require perfection, but it does require diligent
• It isn’t just what is legal, but what is virtuous
• Rests on personal responsibility, integrity and courage
• Prayer gives us the guidance we need
• Our path of duty is clearly marked

The choir and congregation sang Guide us, O thou great Jehovah

Elder Wilford W Andersen

• Visited Nauvoo with his family
• The early Saints were filled with hope
• Hope does not depend on circumstance
• The Haitian Saints are filled with hope for the future
• Christ has overcome the world and will not forget or abandon us

Elder M Russell Ballard

• Mothers and daughters play a critical role, despite the undermining influence of the world
• Men cannot do what women can do in nurturing and influencing
• Don’t look to contemporary culture for your role models and mentors
• Do not model yourself after celebrities
• Trust your mother
• “Hold your tongues about the things of no moment”
• Teach your daughters the importance of keeping covenants and then show them how to keep them
• Teach them to repent and stay worthy
• Parents and children need to learn from one another

The choir sang He Sent His Son

President Henry B Eyring

• We help children most by helping them build faith
• The Lord has put rescuers in place
• Some of the best rescuers work with people in their teenage years
• Learn what you should learn, do what you should do, be what you should be
• We need to make plans that are not only wishes but covenants
• The YW Personal Progress program recently was revised. AP Duty to God is also revised and there will be one common book for all quorums/ages

The choir sang How Firm a Foundation

The benediction was offered by Elder Erich W Kopischke

Read the recaps and other notes from the 180th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Saturday Afternoon Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Priesthood Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Morning Session
• 180th Annual General Conference – Sunday Afternoon Session

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1. 179th Semiannual General Conference – Saturday Morning Session As mentioned in my pre-conference post, I watched this session...
2. 179th Semiannual General Conference – Priesthood Session Before the Priesthood Session, we had our annual sub-sational. This...
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Here are a few random notes:

• Elder Ballard sounded good, and looked about the same as he does in General Conference
• The technology setup was neat. When I heard this was going to be for all of Eastern Canada, I assumed it would be done via satellite, but it was done via a webcast. Through the whole meeting there was a screen up that showed people in Ottawa, Sudbury, Montreal, and in a few places in the Maritime provinces.
• Rather than having them up at the pulpit, the first couple rows of pews were removed and a stage was setup. There was a long table with three chairs setup at the front of the room where they sat. It gave a more intimate feeling to the meeting. I was in the third row, about 20 feet away.
• Throughout the meeting, you certainly could feel the humility of each of the men
• Elder Ballard wore a Canada flag pin
• Elder Ballard spoke of several problems, and each time told us to “Fix it!”
• As a side note, after sitting through 4 hours of meetings, it occurred to me that pornography wasn’t mentioned once

We were never asked not to share our notes, so I’ll share a few highlights , but not everything (I had 6 pages of notes!)

—————–

Elder Clayton showed us this picture and we discussed what we saw.

The picture shows a pearl in a nice box. We discussed what the pearl and the box might be. Some people said it could be a man. The pearl is the heart. Others said it could be the Church (box) and the doctrine (the pearl). Elder Clayton then read from a talk by President Packer at the dedication of the Conference Center. President Packer shared a parable:

A merchant man seeking precious jewels found at last the perfect pearl. He had the finest craftsman carve a superb jewel box and line it with blue velvet. He put his pearl of great price on display so others could share his treasure. He watched as people came to see it. Soon he turned away in sorrow. It was the box they admired, not the pearl.
Boyd K. Packer, “The Cloven Tongues of Fire,” Ensign, May 2000, 7

Of course there is no right or wrong answer, but the point they were trying to make is that the pearl is the one thing that you need to do, whatever that may be. Don’t be distracted by the other things. We need to focus on the important thing(s).

—————–

Elder Ballard told us about some training that President Monson had done with all of the General Authorities. He spoke on the topic of “The Rescue”. He showed us this picture:

This is a painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner. It shows a boat in danger off in the distance, and they’ve set off a flare. There is another boat going out to rescue them. There are also people on the shore. Regardless of what the artist was showing, there are some clear gospel parallels. There are people in desperate need that we need to rescue. Sometimes it is hard or even dangerous, but there are people counting on us.

—————–

Elder Ballard said he and President Monson have known each other since 1951. President Monson used to work for Deseret News and Elder Ballard worked at his father’s car lot. President Monson used to come around and pick up the classified ads.

—————–

Elder Murray (I think it was him) shared the store of Clinton T. Duffy. I believe this was from a talk called Judge Righteously by Bishop Keith McMullin, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric at LDS Business College Devotional on September 15, 2009.

“…famed prison warden Clinton T. Duffy, who became the warden at California’s San Quentin Prison in 1940. When he was appointed, he began one of the most dramatic housecleaning jobs in penal history. He fired the brutish captain of guards and six of his lieutenants. He closed up a dungeon of airless, lightless, unfurnished, iron-door [clad] stone cells into which convicts were thrown as punishment for even the most trivial offenses. At the time he became warden, men were being fed from buckets. He installed a cafeteria and hired a dietitian. To the horror of his staff, he strolled, unarmed, into the prison yard and chatted with convicts. To their infinite surprise, he strolled out again. He established a broad program of vocational training. He was the first warden to let prisoners listen to radios in their cells. He encouraged athletics, inaugurated a prison newspaper to which he contributed a regular column and established the first prison chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. In cleaning up San Quentin, he became one of the best-known, most admired prison administrators in U.S. penal history. But the most eloquent acclaim came from inside the walls, from the prisoners themselves, who truly respected him.
“A critic who knew of Warden Duffy’s efforts to rehabilitate the men said to him, ‘Don’t you know that leopards can’t change their spots?’
Responded Warden Duffy, ‘You should know that I don’t work with leopards. I work with men, and men change every day.’”

Great line there at the end!

—————–

As part of his concluding testimony, Elder Ballard shared “The Oak Tree” poem by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr:

A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree’s leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark

But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?

The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway

But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You’ll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me

Until today, I wasn’t sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I’ve found, with thanks to you
I’m stronger than I ever knew

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