A Cowboy's Last Words

Austin conducted the funeral for Dale Still.  Here is the talk that he gave:

Not long ago Dale asked if he could come in and visit with me in my office at the Leavitt church. As he was helped into my office in his wheelchair and parked in front of my desk, we were left by ourselves. I asked Dale what can I do for you or what can I help you with? This humble man must have known in someway he didn't have many days ahead of him. He pulled himself up in his chair, looked me in the eyes and said, Bishop, I want to be right with God.

We talked for some time about many topics, from family to church, to relationships with God and Jesus Christ. And yes, we talked about horses and cows.

I have thought a lot about what Dale might have me say in these few minutes, and I hope the words will mean something to each of you. I have titled it "A Cowboy's Last Words."

 Start each day on bended knee

And praise give to the maker of each Green acre

That you are called to be caretaker.

Start each day ready to work

And then go from sunup to sundown.

For God gave you a brain to think, legs to work and hands to hold.

Start each day with family in mind.

Some need a prayer, some need a call, and others just might need a kick in the behind.

Start each day on the back of a horse,

And reflect on the purpose of this life you have chose.

Start each day as if it is your last.

Keep up the pace and never look back.

Build on your pass, as life goes by just too darn fast.

And each day on bended knee,

And plead that tomorrow you'll be better than today.

For you will see your time will come,

And then you'll be seeing me.

This past week I attended our ward girls camp in Milk River. I went for a walk, and as I walked I was considering what I might say, I suddenly found myself walking pass a group of cactus. I bent down to pick it up and my finger was pricked. I smiled to myself and thought of Dale Cactus Still. Thick skin, survived darn near everything, and maybe to some even a little sting, but on the inside was a man who would serve neighbor, friend and stranger.

Jacob 4:13

Jacob 4:13
..."the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.."

The Holy Ghost is not going to tell us to not pay our tithing because they felt like the Lord really would rather we pay our debts. The Lord requires us to pay a full tithing in order to get a temple recommend.

The Holy Ghost will not tell you that it is okay to be unfaithful to your spouse.

Just a small portion of what a Bishop hears, sometimes from people not even in his own ward.

Leavitt Ward Plan

Leavitt Ward Plan 2015

Purpose - To bring ourselves and those in our community closer to Christ.

Vision – The Leavitt Ward members will unite together with faith in Christ

and with love towards one another and the neighbours in our Community.

We will strengthen and uplift each other in righteousness and take care of

the poor and needy in our midst. Members will build meaningful

friendships and engage in missionary work guided by the Spirit. This will set

an inspired example for the youth in our Ward who will serve missions.

Main Goals and Objectives – Leavitt Ward Members will:

1. Perfect the Saints 

a. Study the Book of Mormon individually and together with their

families in 2015 and have daily family prayer.

b. Attend Sacrament meeting each Sunday with a Spirit of being

nourished each week and keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.

2. Proclaim the Gospel - Pray daily for missionary experiences and follow

the promptings of the Holy Ghost to share the gospel.

3. Redeem the Dead - (Every family member that is eligible)

a. Be involved in family history work, including indexing.

b. Attend the temple at least monthly and take 3 family member

names to the temple this year and do the work for them,

including our youth.

4. Care for the Poor and Needy – prayerfully identify neighbours in the

community that you can reach out to and support in some way,

including inviting people (4 families) into your home (and to events).

Optional activities  – In addition to the Ward Goals and Objectives we would encourage individuals and families to select one or more of the following objectives to work on throughout 2015:

Strengthen self/others

Have personal prayer at least 3 times a day

Prayerfully review the talks from the last General Conference session.

Do something to increase your individual and/or family spiritual or physical preparedness

Do something to increase your physical health

Strengthen your (and your family’s) testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Strengthen Others Inside and Outside the Ward:

Develop meaningful friendships with inactive and
non-members within our community

Take your spouse on a date night once a month

Have 3 new individuals/families in your home this year.

Have couple scripture study daily.

Forgive someone who had offended you.

Conduct parent-child interviews.

Share the Gospel with Others:

Invite inactive, non-members or newer member  families in your home every year.

Have an individual or family in your home to take the missionary discussions

Be learning from Preach My Gospel in the home

Pray for the members of the Leavitt Ward in the mission field

Pray by name for the missionaries in our stake and the investigators they are teaching.

Invite people to attend baptisms, ordinations, farewells, etc.

Give one or more copies of the Book of Mormon away each year.

Have the missionaries in your home.

Participate in Family History and Temple Work:

Search out at least 3 new ancestors annually

Attend Ward Temple night each month

As a couple take a shift at the Family History Center.

Care for the Poor and Needy:

Pray daily for who you might be able to help

Seek out an individual in the community who you can provide support either spiritually, socially,
emotionally or financially

Give a generous fast offering monthly

Donate to other church authorized funds

Other: ______________________________________________________________

Don't Laugh

The last Sunday in March was Fast Sunday since the first Sunday in April was General Conference. It is Austin's turn to conduct so he bore his testimony at the beginning of fast and testimony meeting. (Hanna, Lucy, Carly and I weren't actually there since we went to Taber for Taylor's ordination to a teacher in the priesthood).

Austin told about how we never know what someone else is facing, so we shouldn't judge and should me considerate.  He told about how is brother, Les, had lost his job and was looking for a new job.  He told about how is cousin, Bob DePoe, was fighting cancer.  (Both Les' family and Bob's family came to Cardston that weekend to visit).  Then Austin told about how we were at a rodeo on Friday, and Hanna went to get off her horse in goat tying, got her foot caught in the stir-up and fell hard. She got up and stumbled to the goat and everyone was encouraging her to keep going and then asking if she was okay.  A few events later, Austin was pushing someone's calf out of the shoot, and he fell and landed in the dirt. People laughed. His message was for us to be more kind to everyone no matter what they are going through or what happens to them.

On another note, Austin and I had gone to visit Blaine and Lorraine Leavitt a couple weeks before, and Austin invited them to come to church. They said they would. So Austin went to pick up Blaine, and he was all clean and ready for church. Blaine said he was afraid the church might fall in if he set foot in the church. Austin helped him walk down the hall, and as they got to the drinking fountain, Blaine said, "well, it seems okay so far."  Lorraine even bore her testimony and many people greeted them after Sacrament Meeting was over.

Not a Coincidence

When it was a few months before Austin's parents came home from their mission, we were looking for a house to buy.   Mel Weston told us that maybe Lawrence and Caroline Cahoon would sell us their house and 100 acres.  So one day I went to meet them, and before I left I had my girls kneel down with me on the kitchen floor and pray with me before I left.  I knocked on their door and visited them and told them we were interested in their house.

Lawrence and Caroline are both in their mid-80s and were never able to have children.

We really wanted their house.  It seemed like the right place for us.  They had already been negotiating with someone else, so after a few weeks, Caroline called and told us that they sold it to someone else.  Little did we know that just a couple weeks later, we found a different house with 60 acres that was the perfect house for us.

Back to the Cahoons. It was no coincidence that we met them. We went to visit them about once a month for the next two years. I took them food sometimes. Sometimes I just stopped to say hi.  A few months ago, Lawrence's health declined and he was taken in for long-term care. We went to visit him at the rest home as often as we could. He was mostly sleeping, but he knew he were and would answer our questions.

Someone called us the afternoon he passed away, and Austin and I went to see Caroline.

Lawrence didn't want a funeral, just a graveside service.  Caroline asked Austin to conduct the service and to dedicate the grave.

It was a cold, windy January afternoon.  Lawrence's nephew suggested that they dedicate the grave and then go to the church for the rest of the service.   So Austin welcomed everyone, did a really nice prayer for the grave dedication, and then all of the people went to the Leavitt Chapel.  The chapel was full.  There were hutterites, family members, friends, etc.  There were people who hadn't set foot inside a chapel for years.  They had a song and a few thoughts from the nephew.  Then our ward had a luncheon and all those people stayed for the luncheon.  It was a miracle that they had enough food.

If we hadn't met the Cahoons, they would not have asked the Bishop to come to the funeral.  They would likely just have had the funeral home conduct the service.

Caroline told Kim Weston that they had never had a bishop come to their house before. I am so glad that Austin was the Bishop who went to visit the Cahoons.

Take My Yoke Upon You

Serving as the Bishop of a ward can be a heavy load to carry. As the Bishop cares for and counsels members through tough times, it can be hard.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

 It is a good thing the Savior can share the load and carry the burden of a Bishop.

Cancer
Divorce
Attempted suicide
Wayward children
Temple preparation
Repentance
Offended members

Leavitt Ward Breaks Cardston Temple Record

Bishop Nunn and the bishopric were brainstorming how to effectively use ward temple night.  They decided to schedule a special session just for the Leavitt Ward.  For weeks they announced the special ward temple night - February 4 6:30 session - and to come at 6 pm for a message from the temple president.

The Leavitt Ward filled the temple. After the temple president spoke to us, and we went up to start the session, we filled the benches, and they had to bring in 5 chairs.  We had 95 members of the Leavitt Ward in the session.  Brother Logan Zemp who is in our bishopric and also the Cardston Temple recorder, told Austin at the end of the session that there has Never been that many people from one ward in a temple session since the temple opened in 1923.

The Spirit was strong in the temple that night. The temple workers were amazed. Someone asked what the Bishop did to get us all there.  One sister said it was how he asked that made us all want to come.

In March, we had 65 people from the Leavitt Ward for our session.  The temple policy is that you need about 60 people to have your own session.