Released

Mark Cahoon, Logan Zemp, Austin Nunn, Ryan Olsen, Mike Parker

President Bishop Nunn

Our awesome Stake Presidency has served for almost 9 years, and it was time for them to be released. Elder Larry Y Wilson and Elder James Evanson came to choose a new Stake President. They interviewed all of the current bishops, high councilors and other men the Stake Presidency recommended.

Austin had an interview at 10:24 am on April 29, 2017.

Jill and Hanna had a high school rodeo in Irvine, Alberta that day so we sent them on their first solo rodeo run.

Lucy had a basketball tournament in Lethbridge.

It was Carly's birthday.

Carly and I went to Lethbridge to watch Lucy play basketball. At 2 pm Austin got a call to come back to the stake centre at 3 pm. So he called me, and I left the girls in the care of Hali Leishman and drove back to Cardston.

Austin got called to be the 2nd Councilor in the new stake presidency. Jim Ferguson is the new president and Bob Quinton is the new 1st Councilor.

President Ferguson was the 1st Ward Bishop and Austin was the Leavitt Bishop so they were both President Bishops for a couple weeks until they called their replacements.

Play Like You are 6'12"

Leavitt Ward Conference 2017

For most of our children’s lives, my wife and I have followed them around to sporting events of one type or another. We have witnessed the masses as they chase the ball at their first soccer games. We have cheered and used the phrase “nice try” as they have attempted to serve a volleyball over the net but came up short. We have stood by the side of a pool at near freezing temperatures and urged them to jump in – “it’s not that cold.” Through all of this we have learned many valuable lessons.

This past weekend, possibly one of the most valuable lessons was shared with me from my wife. During a 3^rd place game at a basketball tournament, the teams were battling it out. “Third place is always about pride.” My good wife was taking pictures near the opposing team’s bench when she overheard the coach of the other team say to a player who was about to sub in, “Play like you are 6’12”.

As my wife relayed this story, I had been pondering and praying about what to speak on today.

As many of you are aware, my good mother is far from 6’12”, however, at a young age she was an influence in my life. I can remember kneeling around the kitchen table early in the morning before breakfast in family prayer.  Mom’s prayers often seem to go on forever. The mush, as we called it, would be almost cold, hard and lumpy, but she had talked to God. She had put armor on us and she had taught us how to pray. She did then, and still does, pray like she is 6’12”.

Sister Carol F. McConkie said, “Every moment of precious prayer can be holy time spent with our Father, in the name of the Son, by the Holy Ghost.”  I have found in my personal life when I pray with a sincere heart, I find my relationship with God and His Son more focused, more real, and I find the day-to-day challenges molehills and not mountains.

A sincere study of the prophets of old will reveal they each prayed and developed a relationship with God. May each of us develop a desire and habit of praying like we are 6’12” tall.

Elder Henry B. Eyring stated, “Throughout my life, the scriptures have been a way for God to reveal things to me that are personal and helpful.” As we face an ever-changing world, scripture study needs to become a part of our daily life. We need to study the scriptures like we are 6’12” tall.

The Book of Mormon prophet Moroni challenged us to read the Book of Mormon when he said, “I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.”  If we follow his promise and counsel, scripture study will become part of our daily life.

Elder W. Mark Bassett shared the following story from his childhood.

When I was a young boy, my parents received a gift that became fascinating to my younger brother David and me. The gift was a miniature model of the golden plates the Prophet Joseph Smith received from the angel Moroni. As I recall, the model plates had 10 or so metal pages with words written on them. However, those pages weren’t what caught our attention.

We had been raised hearing the stories of the Restoration. We knew of and had sung in Primary about golden plates hidden deep in a mountainside and delivered by the angel Moroni to Joseph Smith.1 As the curiosity of our young minds stirred, there was one thing we really wanted to see: what was written on the small section of the model plates securely sealed with two small metal bands?

The plates sat on an end table for several days before our curiosity got the best of us. Although we clearly understood that these were not the actual plates Moroni had delivered, we wanted to view the sealed portion. So on several occasions, my brother and I tried using butter knives, old spoons, and anything else we could imagine to pry apart the sealed portion of the plates just enough to see what they contained—but not enough to break the small bands. We were at least smart enough not to leave a trace of our mischievous boyhood curiosity. To our disappointment and frustration, these attempts to “pry at the plates” were always unsuccessful.

I still don’t know what—if anything—was hidden under that sealed portion. But the embarrassing part of our story is that to this day, I have no idea what was written on the portion of the metal pages that was meant to be read. I can only imagine that these pages contained stories of the Restoration and testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Three and Eight Witnesses, who saw the actual plates Moroni delivered.

Brothers and Sisters, may we each recommit ourselves to open the scriptures and read the words of the prophets. Each of us will become 6’12” in how we study the scriptures.

            I can clearly remember the following experience while I was driving down a road that winded around the Hyrum Reservoir in northern Utah. I was headed to feed horses  and I was listening to the radio when Elder Richard G. Scott began to speak in General Conference. He said, “Because I love you, I am going to speak to you heart to heart without mincing words. I have seen that many individuals have made great sacrifices to go to a distant temple. But when a temple is built close by, within a short time, many do not visit it regularly. I have a suggestion: when a temple is conveniently nearby, small things may interrupt your plans to go to the temple. Set specific goals, considering your circumstances, of when you can and will participate in temple ordinances. Then do not allow anything to interfere with that plan. This pattern will guarantee that those who live in the shadow of a temple will be as blessed as are those who plan far ahead and make a long trip to the temple.”

            I remember the feelings that came to me as I heard these words. Many of us can think of someone who attends the temple like they are 6’12”.  I am amazed by those in our ward who continually give up time to attend our ward temple nights and for those who serve weekly in the temple.

            Elder Scott continued, “Fourteen years ago I decided to attend the temple and complete an ordinance at least once a week. When I am traveling, I make up the missed visit in order to achieve that objective. I have kept that resolve, and it has changed my life profoundly. I strive to participate in all the different ordinances in the temple. I encourage you to establish your own goal of how frequently you will avail yourself of the ordinances offered in our operating temples.”

            Life is busy and challenging and full of change.  May we each strive to grow a few inches each day and find strength as we attend the temple.

            I hesitate to share the following story as it is personal to myself as a father, and I do not wish to appear better than I really am. Just about two years ago, the leaders of the church suggested ways in which we could improve and would be blessed. One of the suggested areas for improvement dealt with our Sabbath Day observance and partaking of the Sacrament. During this time, I have worked to recommit myself to keep my promises to focus on the Sabbath and then expected blessings in return. They have come ten fold. I quote the following event from a blog post titled “Choosing Not to Rodeo on the Sabbath.”

            This is my response I wish I had when people ask me why I don't rodeo on Sunday. I probably gave a four syllable answer, along the lines of I'm a Mormon, but that isn't a fantastic answer. 

This is in NO WAY intended to say that Mormons who rodeo on Sunday are bad, or that I am better than them, or anything along those lines. This is why I choose not to compete on Sundays in the season. 

First of all, when I was in grade nine, my dad said we wouldn't go on Sundays. If I would've fought him in this, he probably would have let me go. He told me if I didn't go on Sundays, I would be blessed. My naïve grade nine mentality thought this meant I would do well in rodeo simply because I didn't compete on Sunday. This was not the case. I didn't qualify for provincials in grade nine, and I was sure it was because I had only gone to the rodeos held on Friday and Saturday, and I wasn't totally sure if I ever would qualify for provincials, but that was alright with me at that point. 

In grade ten, I qualified for provincials in one event tied for tenth. (They take the top ten in each district.) I then qualified for the Canadian High School Finals, which is the top six in each province. This was a huge testimony builder to me, and I continued to work hard to improve in the sport I love.

I used Hanna's horse for the fall of grade eleven, then I started hauling my own mare in the spring. Needless to say, it took us a few rodeos to get on the same page, and I fell down continuously in the breakaway standings. I was still for sure going to qualify in goat tying, but I was hoping to qualify in both events. It didn't look like it was going to happen. In fact, my dad told me even if I won the last rodeo, I wouldn't have had enough points to make it in the top ten, and I had nothing to lose. I won the final rodeo, and ended up tied for tenth again headed to provincials. The final rodeo of the season was snowed out, and so I made it. (My dad was a little off in his calculations, thank goodness.) 

Provincials came, and I had a goal to make it to Nationals. I thought if I was going to go, it would be in goats, since I was seeded higher in that event. 

On the last day, I knew I had to catch my last calf in breakaway to have a chance to win the average and hopefully qualify for Nationals. I did that, and I just went to get ready for goat tying, which was next. The girl who won Alberta came over, super excited for me, and told me I qualified to go. I was shocked; I had no idea I would qualify after coming in to provincials in last place. Literally. Last. 

Nationals was fun, I learned so much about competition and personal growth and the opportunities available in this fantastic sport. I did alright in the second run, and felt confident going into Canadians. 

I don't know why, but I was so excited for Canadians. I couldn't sleep the night before, I was shaking with excitement when we pulled in. I had been there before, and was ready for the competition. 

I was one of three girls to catch two calves, I was third high call for the final round. I caught my calf, and waited to see how the other two girls would do. They both missed, and I was shaking again. I didn't stop shaking for a solid twenty four hours after that run. Multiple people asked me how it felt to be the Canadian High School Finals Breakaway Champion. My response was it felt good, it felt like everything I had been doing for years finally paid off. 

The fact that I qualified for provincials was a testament to me that I was blessed for not competing on Sundays. Then I qualified for Nationals, and I could not deny the Source of my success. 

Yes, it does put me at a disadvantage to only compete and roughly half of the rodeos in the regular season. 

Is it worth it to me? Absolutely. Would I change it? No. Why is this my answer? It all comes down to one truth. 

Rodeo is what I do, it's not who I am. I am a daughter of God, and I love Him with my entire being. I would do anything for Him. I wouldn't choose to rodeo on Sunday now, because for me, that means I would change my relationship with Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, and there is nothing, nothing, that would be worth that for me. 

There are tons of quotes from General Authorities about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. I think it must be pretty important, it's listed in the commandments along with "Do not kill," and things like that. I'll share a couple of my favorite quotes. 

The first one comes from Quentin L. Cook. He said, "Keeping the Sabbath Day is a refuge from the storms of this life." A refuge! How cool of a promise is that?!

Henry B. Eyring said, "When you do your part, the Lord adds His power to your efforts." I know this is true with my entire being. 
I love rodeo, I love the rush, I live for the next run. But the high from competing is nothing compared to the love I feel from my Heavenly Father. 
I know that my Redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives! 
Because I have been given many opportunities in life, as well as in this sport, I feel I should give, too. The Sabbath Day is something I give to my Savior, and that is why I choose not to rodeo on Sunday. 

          6’12” tall, a poor use of a measurement, but something we can all strive for. As we improve our own lives, we will become instruments in the hand of the Lord, to reach out, lift up and rescue those in need in our own homes, wards, and communities.

          I testify inside all of us is a 6’12” player.

          In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Ward Temple Night

A few months after Austin had been called as the Bishop, the Bishopric decided to try something new for ward temple night.


For several weeks, they announced a special ward temple session the first Wednesday in February. We met in the chapel of the temple, and the temple president spoke to us for about 15 minutes. Then we had our very own Leavitt Ward temple session. There were 93 people from our ward in the session. We had to bring in extra chairs for people to sit in the aisles so we could all fit.

Austin's counselor, Logan Zemp, is the Cardston Temple recorder, and he said that we broke a temple record. That is the most members a ward temple night has ever had in one session.

That started a new tradition of ward temple night for Leavitt Ward. We have our own session the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30. (The regular sessions are at 6 pm & 7 pm). We don't have the special session in January (the temple is closed for cleaning), or July & August.  First Ward was the first ones in our stake to try it, and then we tried it and now several other wards have also started having their own 6:30 session since that time.

It has been an awesome experience to be in the temple together with just our ward. The normal attendance each month has been from 50 to 70.

It has been meaningful to watch people who haven't been to the temple for years to come to ward temple night. Bishop David McMurray has had many health challenges and walks with a walker, and he hadn't been to the temple for years. He became a regular attender of ward temple night until he fell again and broke his hip.

One week I invited Vicki Romeril to come to ward temple night. She is my visiting teacher, and she suffered a stroke and can't walk without help. She said she would come, so her husband, Nolan, took her to the distribution center and they both bought new temple clothes. She came to the temple in her wheelchair already dressed in her white dress. I sat next to her and helped her put on her symbolic temple clothing. It was a group effort by our ward to move her in her wheelchair from one room to the next.

Cari Pilling attended ward temple night when she had a miscarriage the week before. Barb Baker came to the temple and she had also been in the hospital just a few days before.  Blessings come when it is a sacrifice to attend the temple.

There is power in attending the temple together as a ward.

Leavitt Primary Scripture Quest

Our Primary presidency planned a Scripture Quest. There were stations that represented stories from the Book of Mormon.  Then they followed Helaman and the Stripling Warriors to the park where they had a battle and then the Savior came.  Austin was the Savior. He just walked around and shook each child's hand.  It was awesome.  

Bishop Austin Nunn - represented the Savior

1st Counselor Logan Zemp - Moroni

2nd Counselor  Ryan Olsen - Joseph Smith

The weather was a miracle that day. It had been cold, rainy and windy all week.  The weather was beautiful all morning.  After the activity ended, there was a thunderstorm and it poured rain.  The next day it was super windy.  

I hope each child felt the love of the Savior.

A Message from Josh Burton

Moroni's Quest is always an amazing spiritual experience. On Sunday, it is a spiritually intense day of the reenactment of the Savior visiting the Nephites.  Then we walk to a meadow and partake of the Sacrament.  And it is on Fast Sunday, so we are fasting through the emotional day.

At the end of the day, we meet as wards for testimony meeting around a campfire.  The Spirit was there as we listened to testimonies.  I stood up and said that one of my favorite scriptures was that angels will be round about us to bear us up.  Our family has had some specific, clear experiences with angels bearing us up.  Usually when we think of our angels, we think of our loved ones who have died and our own ancestors.  But this week at Moroni's Quest, I had the thought that Nephites could also be our angels round about us.  The veil can be very thin at Moroni's Quest.

Then Austin stood up at the end, and said that he had a message from Josh Burton to his parents, Allan and Heather Burton, who were the Moroni's Quest coordinators this year and spent a million hours preparing.  Josh died on his mission to Guatemala a couple years ago.  Josh wanted to tell his parents that he loved them and thanks for teaching him the gospel in their home. He also had a message for Charity Burton and Benson Burton that their brother loves them. Then Bishop Nunn told the Burtons that their sacrifice for organizing Moroni's Quest was accepted by the Savior.

Charity had told Austin earlier that she hadn't ever really felt Josh's presence, but she did today while the Savior was there.

Be Still, My Soul

Aubrey Zemp just returned from her mission to Anaheim, California.  She gave an excellent homecoming talk and bore a powerful testimony.  At the end of the Sacrament Meeting, Austin said that instead of singing the planned closing hymn (Called to Serve), he had asked Aubrey if she would sing her favorite hymn.  He asked her after the Sacrament before she gave her talk if she would sing and what her favorite song was.  She chose to sing, "Be Still, My Soul" which was her favorite hymn. She has a beautiful, powerful voice.  It was very touching.

Right after Sacrament Meeting, Carolyn Leavitt came up to Austin and said she needed to talk to him right now in his office.  She told him that she had a rough week - it was the anniversary of the death of her husband (he had been killed by a chain/tractor accident) and the birthday of her little boy who had died in a snowmobile accident.  She was also struggling with her health.  And she is in charge of all of the food for Moroni's Quest the next week.  She was praying one night and she had the feeling to leave it to Heavenly Father, it would all work out.  Sunday morning as she was praying, the song "Be Still, My Soul" came to her mind and she thought how cool it would be if we sang it at church that day.  When Aubrey stood up to sing, she felt the overwhelming love of God and that was a special message just to her.

Austin was thankful to have followed the promptings of the Spirit.