Week of March 26, 2017

Sunday Ted and I walked up around the State Capitol Building so we could see the cherry trees in bloom before the rains made them lose their blossoms. There is a ring of trees bordering a path around the building so it is a beautiful walkway. There are a few monuments along the way to fallen policemen, soldiers, Mormon Battalion, and a man who developed the railway here. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the time. 

Elder and Sister Roeth - Cherry Tree Walk around Utah State Capitol Building

I taught the lesson in Relief Society on consecration and love, based on two talks in our reading assignment for the week. There was quite a bit of participation, mostly because I asked a lot of questions. It didn’t go exactly as I had hoped—I think it’s typical of a lesson that there are always things you wish had gone differently—but I think it went OK. In the evening we attended a fireside sponsored by a singing group in Utah County that a friend of ours sings with. The theme was “Jesus Was No Ordinary Man” and Lloyd Newell was the featured speaker. He spoke of the opportunity to bear testimony of Christ, something he does not have the opportunity to do on Music and the Spoken Word. It was a good evening.

Monday was interesting. In the morning I had prayed that the Lord would help me know who needed my help. I did some research after devotional until it was time for class. After class I visited with the assistant zone leader’s wife who expressed some concerns about a new missionary who is teaching her first class in a few weeks and is quite frustrated with the assignment. We talked about ways to approach the class and she asked that I spend some time with the missionary to discuss the ideas we’d had. I did that and I think it helped.

After the class in the afternoon, I went to the library to do some research. Almost as soon as I sat down a missionary came to ask me if I was a missionary in the Nordic area. I told her I was a trainer and I remembered training her when she first came. She asked if I knew anything about Finland or Denmark and I told her I knew a little about Finland. She wanted to sit by me while she worked on some lessons she was trying to complete so she could ask questions if she needed to. She asked a couple of questions and I think I was able to help. I showed her how to translate titles so she could tell what they were about. On a search she was doing and I suggested she drop the surname because it wasn’t recognizing the letters she was typing in. She was able to find the results she needed to after that.

Tuesday we started our Capstone class. We had a full room. Ted taught and did an excellent job. Elder Curtis taught after that. He sang a funny ditty about family history and dead people. This was his last teaching assignment so he went out in glory. He really had the group entertained and involved while talking about Get Help and temple submissions, not easy to do. It was sad when we said our goodbyes.

In the afternoon I taught Basic IrfanView to a packed room. I think they followed fairly well. We had a problem since the computers in the training lab don’t get scrubbed and reset every night like they do in other labs. Most of what I was teaching had already been done on the teaching computer in previous classes so it did not demonstrate the steps very well. We need to go to all the computers and reset the files we use.

Wednesday I taught Searching Historical Records in Capstone. It went well. It always requires extra help, but I’m not sure there is a way around that. It is fairly involved and there are always missionaries that do not listen and then wonder why they can’t figure out where we are. I had a visit with a missionary who trains missionary couples at the MTC for Military Relations. He was so grateful for the classes and for the opportunity to learn. He asked a lot of clarifying questions so he wanted to apologize for the interruptions. I’m glad he did because there are always others who probably have the same questions he does.

Thursday it was raining when it was time to go home so I went through the parking garage. I got as far as the Conference Center without going outside. I then took off my shoes and stuck them in my bag. It was cold and uncomfortable on the cement. The asphalt wasn’t cold, just bumpy. When I got home I took off my sox and put on my slippers and got warmed up. I’m not sure that was a really smart thing to do.

Friday I taught Sources in Capstone. It was fairly involved and got much more so answering questions. I know there are ways to teach the material that would be simpler. We just need to rethink it for next time. I also extended the invitation to attend Capstone II, playing a couple of videos that invite the Spirit to be there. I bore my testimony and it was over. This has been a good group.

Ted taught in the afternoon. After he finished we hurried home, loaded a ton of stuff into the Swap Meet sheds, changed Ted’s clothes, and drove to American Fork for our New Mexico mission reunion. We had a pot luck planned so the senior missionaries could visit without the noise of the young missionaries. We ate then left to go to Spanish Fork to my nephew’s for a barbecue. It was fun to visit. I’m not sure we’ll see everyone again before we go so I’m glad we went.

Saturday we watched General Conference in our apartment and really enjoyed it. The talks were really great. I didn’t see the prophet, but others said he looked “fragile”. Immediately when it was over we walked to the North Visitors Center to meet a couple who were down from Idaho Falls for the mission reunion. We passed several people with sign boards stating various negative things about the Church. I was surprised. I’d heard about them, but somehow we missed them last year. We hurried to a nearby restaurant for lunch then went to the Conference Center for the afternoon session. The afternoon session was also really good. The prophet did not attend so that was disappointing. After conference we went to the Church History Museum to see the film on Joseph Smith’s First Vision which is done in a circular theater. It was very good. We said our goodbyes and came home.

Flowers are beginning to bloom on Temple Square

After we changed we reorganized things in the Swap Meet sheds so there would be room this week for the stuff that will come in. We watched the Priesthood Session at home. It was really good. The prophet came and spoke very first which never happens. I’m sure they wanted to have him speak while he was somewhat fresh instead of at the end when he would be worn out. He didn’t look really good.