Elder M. Russell Ballard visits our stake

This has been an especially wonderful month. Our stake fast day was Oct. 9th, the week after General Conference. As our stake conference was coming up on the following Sunday, Oct. 16th, Crismon sent an email out to all the stake members asking them to fast for our stake conference, that there would be a special spirit attend our meetings. As Crismon was driving home from a full day of church meetings on Sunday, the 9th, he received a phone call from Pres. Craig Ballard, our Portland, OR Mission Pres. His father is Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder & Sister Ballard have come to Oregon fairly often over the last couple of years to visit their grandchildren. Elder Ballard always likes to be put to work when he comes.

Pres. Ballard told Crismon, "My Dad is coming up this weekend. If you could accommodate him, he would like to speak at your stake conference. This was an amazing answer to our fasting and prayers as a stake. Of course, we would be happy to have Elder Ballard visit our stake conference. Suddenly, changes had to be made to free up the time, but everyone was willing to make changes. The worry of hosting a member of the Twelve settled over Crismon, but things came together, and he only had to worry that one week.

In our Saturday evening meeting, Crismon gave a very good talk. He started out by saying that this was a talk he didn't want to give but that he had felt very strongly he was to give. The beginning was about Satan and what we knew of him and how he is angry because he will never have what we have. He pacifies and lulls us away to carnal desires. Some of the counsel he gave in overcoming Satan's temptations; don't get casual in prayer, scripture study is a protection against the destroyer, follow the prophets, be like the people in the land of Jershon when Korihor came to them, they cast him out immediately. Crismon was taught by his father when he was 8-years old to say, "Get thou behind me, Satan." Satan tried to stop the Atonement. He first tried to destroy thousands of babies while Jesus was young, in hopes of killing him. He temped Jesus after he fasted for 40 days. He gave death threats, and then the depth of suffering of the Atonement. In D&C 19:2-3 it says the Atonement is done. Everything is in place. Now, we are Satan's last battlefield. May we never doubt. We can't let him win over us.

Crismon conducted the Sunday morning session and was the first speaker. He spoke of the Parable in Matthew 21 "A certain man had two sons." Also, the Parable of the Lost Son. We are all prodigal sons. There were no three sons. Christ is the 3rd son. The Lord runs to rescue us. Then he shared about the song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" and what that song meant. He shared how Duraye needed to move and how not 4 came to help her, but 400! We were taught well by others, including Pres. & Sis. Babb, the first counselor in the Temple Presidency and Pres. & Sis. Craig Ballard.

The counsel we received from Elder Ballard: We are living in interesting times. There is a shift in secular attitude, to the extent that we are not authorized to testify of God in a public square. These are the Signs of the Times. He referred to the Mt. of Olives. He imagined that Jesus went there for some rest. Apostles found him and asked, "Tell us when shall these things be." What is the sign when He comes again. Jesus answered, "Take heed that no one deceive you. Destruction's and famines, all of these are the beginning of sorrow. Because iniquity will abound, natural affection will be gone. He talked about Pres Lewis: He is a great man. I wish I could be here next time to hear him speak. He knows how to capture you, doesn't he? We have authority and power of God to direct. We are here together trying to endure to the end. There are many men who have fallen away. The Brethren are concerned about the spiritual knowledge of the members.

Our Sacrament meetings should be such that Jesus would smile upon or bless us. We were counseled to: Come on time, listen to the soft music and prepare to be ready for the Sacrament meeting. Partake of the sacrament in remembrance of Christ. This should be a spiritual feast, come out of the hectic world. Cell phones can eat up your life. What do you need to do the endure to the end? Renew Covenants, Review life, Repent.

Bishops need to discuss what happens in sacrament meeting. It should be a feast. When it is, you won't have to be nudged to be a missionary. You will want to bring our friends to church. We have been preaching this message for over 2 1/2 years. We will continue to teach it until every sacrament meeting you will feel the power of God in our meetings. We need to be fed spiritually. There is so much clutter in our lives. The days of Noah, their wickedness is like today. Oregon is different, things happen here, but we'll let you fix it. Some of us will step off the stage - young men and young women must be raised up to build up the kingdom of God.

Internet power - it was given because the Church needed it for family history and temple work. Satan immediately filled it with pornography. The two most popular sites are pornography and family history. You can not have the spirit if you're on pornography of any other thing, unbecoming of priesthood men. Men, be calm, do not raise your voices. Set an example of love and kindness. If you need to ask for forgiveness, today is a great day to do it.

Repentance is a glorious principle cleansing priesthood men to be filled with the spirit and love of God.

LeGrand Richards - my hero, he taught me. Story of a 95-year old man. He was asked how he had such good health. He said that my wife and I agreed never to argue. I would step outside if we got upset with each other. Being outside kept me healthy.

Respect parents, have family councils. Fix your problems there, not when you get angry. Together we will endure to the end, this is our great objective.

Sisters, this Church needs you. Your voices need to be heard, you have good judgment. How can I build and strengthen the ward? Missionary work - Story of a patriarch and his wife who went on a mission. They told their mission president that they didn't know how to be a missionary. He said, just say, "We're new here, can we come and share a message with you?" They said, Pres. "we don't know the discussions." He counseled them, "Teach them the gospel." The wife said that to the storekeeper, "We're new here, can we share a message with you?" He invited them to come to his home to share their message. They had 18 convert baptisms. We need to invite others to know of the gospel.

The Lord loves you. We pray for you, for the missionaries, we pray that we can build up the kingdom of God. Go home and read Mormon 8. Moroni saw our day. The greatest thing you need is a testimony of the love of God, attend the temple, desire in your heart to repent, prepare for Christ to come, help build up His kingdom. Be one who others see you and say you have something others don't have. We have the scriptures, Joseph Smith, modern prophets and apostles.

He said, I bless you with peace, courage, strength, I bless you that your homes will be a refuge where there is love and kindness. I bless you that our sacrament meetings will be filled with the spirit, with the love of God. I bless you that your righteous desires will be granted unto you. Then he closed with his testimony.

After the closing song, he stood at the pulpit again and shared that he wouldn't be able to stay to shake hands. He asked us all to raise our right hand, and then out stretch it, then go up and down like we were shaking his hand. He did it, too. Now, you can say that your shook Elder Ballard's hand. It was a cute and effective way to show us he would shake our hands if he could.

Seth had come up from Eugene with his boys so they would have the opportunity to seeing an Apostle in person. Ondalynn came about 11 am, after their ward Primary Program, with Sydney. We were able to squeeze Sydney in the small bench with us. Ondalynn sat further back. Unfortunately, they whisked Elder Ballard away, actually, Crismon escorted him out and then they locked the door coming into the Stake Presidency's office area. He visited with the Stake Presidency, and a few of the family members. I wish I would have thought to go out to their car and wait for them, but we didn't know if they had already left. Sadly, our grandchildren didn't get to shake his hand, but at least they were there in person for this special meeting. It was an amazing experience for our stake and a choice privilege for Crismon to have that time to associate with him.