Senior Couple journal — New Zealand Hamilton Mission
August 24, 2014 to August 30, 2014
Dear family and friends,
What a hectic week. We moved from Inglewood to Hawera this week. We are serving full-time in the Hawera branch now, and it was just too hard to live 45 minutes away from the little town in which we are serving. We love our new home and are now comfortably settled. Our work will be greatly facilitated by this move. Life is good, and we have a spectacular view of Mount Taranaki from our front porch, revealing its almost perfect volcanic cone shape!
1/ Scripture joke of the week: Are you aware of the group of men in the Book of Mormon who had a hard time sleeping at night? See explanation below.
2/ Church history quiz of the week: Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who was born in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, was the first priesthood leader born outside of the United States to serve in the First Presidency in many years. Can you name the next most-recent First Presidency member that was not born in the United States?
3/ Quote of the week: “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can bring you a more pleasant form of misery.” — Spike Milligan
4/ Update for the week: This week I share just a brief recounting of a unique experience I had in our recent Fast and Testimony meeting. Sister Christina Turner, our brand-new Relief Society president, bore her testimony, and she compared our branch and its leaders to a flock of sheep with its accompanying sheep dog and shepherd. She compared the branch members to the sheep, the dog to President Taylor, and the shepherd to the Lord. She told how sheep dogs respond immediately and precisely to commands received from the shepherd, either by short blasts on a whistle or by verbal commands, as they guide the flock to a destination. At this point in her testimony, she turned to me and said, “President Taylor, just do what you are told!” The message was clear and well-received by this somewhat feisty ‘sheep dog’. Her comment evoked good-natured laughter from the congregation. She then told the saints that they should expect an occasional “nip on the leg” from President Taylor as he tries to herd the flock toward salvation. I love Sister Turner and her straight-forward, cut-to-the-chase approach to living the gospel.
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5/ Answer to the scripture joke: In Ether 15:20, it tell of some Jaredites who fought all day and then slept on their swords at night. Ouch!
6/ Answer to the Church history quiz: Elder Charles W. Nibley, who was born in Hunterfield, Scotland, was sustained as Second Counselor to President Heber J. Grant on May 28, 1925. Prior to Elder Uchtdorf, he was the most recent First Presidency member not born in the United States. Other brethren who served (all prior to Elder Nibley) in the First Presidency that were born outside of the United States include Charles W. Penrose (London, England), Anthon H. Lund (Aalborg, Denmark), John R. Winder (Biddenham, England), George Q. Cannon (Liverpool, England), and William Law (Tyrone County, Northern Ireland).
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