From Dad April 5, 2015

----- Original Message -----

From:

"Riley Parish" <riley.parish@myldsmail.net>

March 29, 2015

Re: Letter 18 of 3

Dear Riley:

Well, we made it through another Easter.  I’m positively exhausted.  I went to bed at midnight and had to get up early to make bread for a family dinner up in Layton.  I didn't know where the start was in its cycle because I had fed it Friday night and put it back in the refrigerator.  Afraid it would go more slowly than usual, I had your Mother mix the dough while I was at the priesthood session of Conference.  By the time I went to bed (after hiding baskets and eggs) I could see that it was going to be a night of broken sleep.  The dough was very active and I ended up checking on it at 2:00 AM, making loaves at 3:00 AM, baking it at 5:00 AM and trying to catch a few winks in between all these steps. I was back in bed at 5:30 AM and bounced awake at 7:30 by enthusiastic Easter egg hunters.  The bread turned out awesome and completely filled the clay bakers, but I could sure use a good night of uninterrupted sleep  As a side note, the bread doesn't disappear nearly as quickly with you gone and I think of you often when I’m making it.

Conference is always uplifting and this was no exception.  It’s just true.  The outpouring of the Spirit was powerful on numerous occasions and I feel sufficiently strengthened and edified.  President Monson isn't doing well and didn't conduct a single session.  He spoke briefly at the Priesthood session and was the first speaker for the Sunday morning session.  His comments were quite brief, but how about that temple to be built in Bangkok?!!  He didn't speak at the end of the conference, which was also a first.  It’s hard to believe he has only been our prophet for seven years.  He’s sure aged, and the fact he has lost Francis hasn't been easy on him.  Given these circumstances, it was particularly distasteful to me that a handful of protesters made it into the Saturday afternoon session and loudly voiced their descent during the sustaining the Church officers.  Elder Uchtdorf handled it well, but I was pretty disgusted by the disrespect toward a man who has devoted his life to the work and is truly one of the most extraordinary men to walk the earth. This was something I haven’t seen for thirty years since the ERA movement.  Given the hot social items over the past years, I suppose it’s extraordinary that we haven’t seen more of this type of behavior. 

While visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Bramwell, we chatted with a friend of theirs who worked on the security detail for the Church.  There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes which is quite scary and also miraculous.  What she was able to share with us was fascinating and impressive.  There are a lot of devoted individuals charged with the safety of our Church leaders.  They are in good hands physically and spiritually.  

Well, it’s late and I’m tired.  Work hard, keep the faith and don’t get discouraged.  We love you so much and are being inundated with blessings we attribute to your service.  I’m confident that with time, patience, and hard work, you will be a powerful tool in the Lord’s hands in bringing about much good in spite of your weaknesses and inadequacies so painfully evident to you.

Love,

Dad

P.S.

And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.  Alma 17:9-10