A Visit from an Apostle

On January 30th and 31st Elder Neil L. Anderson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles visited the Hyrum Utah North Stake for our stake conference. Elder Anderson was accompanied by Elder Donald E. Keyes of the Seventy and in my lifetime, this will be one experience that never I want to forget.

We started on Saturday afternoon with a 2-hour presidency meeting to discuss the matters of the stake and to be taught by Elder Anderson. He told us many things but was very specific in his warnings that these were not to be blogged about. Since this is a blog (blogspot), I won’t go into specifics on what we discussed. Pam had redecorated my office at the stake center and prepared treats and water for us to have while we talked. We never got to the treats unfortunately.

Elder Anderson did instruct us with regard to mission calls and made it very clear that every mission call in the Church is made by an Apostle. For generations people have thought that the applications go in and a secretary doles out mission calls. The process is one that is individual and is based on revelation particular to each individual. Elder Anderson told us that he would start early in the morning and review each picture, read the stake presidents comments and issue the calls. No set order, no set mission – all done on impressions given to the Apostle. Now, if anyone ever says they are not happy with their call, be sure to remind them that their call comes through a man that is sustained as a prophet, seer and revelator.

The interesting thing about having a general authority at your stake is that you have to be with them all of the time. Elder Anderson asked me not be further than an arm’s length at any given time. As we walked through the chapel and cultural hall, everyone wanted to shake his hand and try to make a connection of some sort. Talk about feeling invisible…more to come.