I’m glad I moved my p-day last week to the day before Conference so that I could focus on the messages from conference instead of focusing on my temporal needs. Yes you did indeed see me on TV at conference. I was in the front row on the far right side where the Prophet walks out for three of the five sessions. I met several general authorities and officers of the Church. It was a feast to hear from the Prophet in person and to feel of his loving spirit. While there was so much said in Conference that I don’t really remember everything that was said, I loved all the messages about service and loving our neighbors despite our differences because when we love our neighbors as we love ourselves their hearts are softened and they will be more accepting of the Gospel.
At the Conference Center this week, I gave my first tours of the building. While I may not be able to proselyte on my service mission, at least I am able to share with people a little bit about the beliefs of the Church and the joy that the members have of being a part of the Church. I’ve only been a host at the building for two weeks but I already am getting a lot of satisfaction from this service. (Missionaries conducting tours do explain gospel doctrines to visitors from around the world, but they do not proselyte or baptize. Workers at LDS family history centers assist patrons with family history research, but also do not proselyte.)
The work continues at the Global Service Center. We continue to take calls about reservations for the Phoenix Arizona Temple. We did not receive as many calls as we did last week, but we will definitely see an increase in calls the closer we get to the end of the open house period. Next week we will take calls for the random ticket selection for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s Christmas concerts. It is expected that we will receive 500+ calls during the time you can sign up for the selection. The Choir’s concerts are the First Presidency’s gift of Christmas to the world I know that the Choir is fulfilling its mission as a goodwill ambassador to the world by testifying of the Gospel through music.
Yesterday I donated plasma before going to Ogden for a temple session. The endowment session exceeded the occupancy limit of 74. They brought in folding chairs to accommodate the large group that wanted to serve in the house of the Lord. The temple is more beautiful dedicated than it was went it was not. The spirit was so strong. Before my session, I saw somebody from the YSA branch back home. It’s a small world.
Today I went to the organ recital before I got my flu shot and got my groceries.
If there is anybody that you know of that would need to be placed on the either the Temple or the Tabernacle Choir’s prayer roll, please let me know. Thank you for sending me the jacket, it works a little bit better than the tenor sweatshirt. The pants you sent me fit just fine, it’s nice to have another pair for use. I haven’t worn my jeans or shorts since I’ve been here. My pulse and blood pressure have been in normal range each time I’ve donated plasma, so that’s a good sign. My weight isn’t dropping as fast right now as it was when I first got here, it’s holding steady at 297.