Legal Pad –

Its hard to do something right if you don’t know what your doing. In October of 1995 I received a call for our stake presidency to be the Bishop of the Eastridge Ward. This ward was to be formed the same day that I was being sustained November 5^th of that same year. The forming of a new ward is a little more difficult than the normal changing of the guard – all of the members are coming from two other congregations and are officially released from their present calls. Because no one has a position it’s a daunting task to put all the pieces together. There are approximately fifteen major callings that need to be filled before the organizations can even start to be staffed. When my call came I was overwhelmed and humbled at the prospect of accomplishing what needed to be done. The next day I was sitting in my office at work contemplating who should be asked to fill each position. I took out a legal pad and listed all the major calls needing to be filled. I began to fill those spaces in with names of qualified individuals that I though would do a wonderful job. As I had finished the list a client walk into my office and I set the pad in one of the drawers of my desk. The stake presidency had given me permission to discuss who should be called as my counselors with my wife. As we discussed the matter and I began to pray, fast and attend the temple for inspiration. I received the answers that I needed. Lori was adament who should be my first counselor – the Lord confirmed that selection. One of the most difficult calls for me was who should be called as my second counselor; I couldn’t receive confirmation for the individuals I was considering. So I did what I feel most would have done, I skipped that call and started to look for the ward clerk and executive secretary. There was a new family that had just moved into the ward, I had know each of them almost twenty years before in high school. I asked my wife to bake some cookies so we could go welcome them to the neighborhood. Taking some type of food to a new move in is a Mormon tradition – it isn’t out of the ordinary to just show up unannounced if you being treats. They opened the door and asked us in, as soon as I entered their home the Lord told me I had found my second counselor. These two men were the greatest counselors in the history of the church. Together we received the inspiration necessary to staff the ward. After the next few weeks passed and the ward was fully organized I was going through my drawer at work and found the yellow pad that I filled out the day after my call. Out of the fifteen names I had written next to the respective calls – only one was in the correct location. This is the complete opposite of what most people think when I tell this story – but it is a great testimony to me. At first I was using my own feelings, knowledge and emotions. I hadn’t started to pray, fast or go to the temple to find out the Lords will in organizing this great ward. I didn’t have counselors to assist in receiving the required inspiration. The organization of this new ward was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life – as revelation was needed in large measure in a very short period of time. The Lord let us know what needed to be done to accomplish his will – which just happen to be different from my first impressions.