My New Calling within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

 

 On the 23rd of August 2015 I received a phone call from Brother Turner the Executive Secretary of the Stake President of the Wendell Idaho Stake.  He said that President David Gines wanted to see me and my wife Starla on Tuesday the 25th at seven o'clock. Starla and I speculated what it could be for. We knew that it was a calling we just didn't know what the calling would be.  Well Tuesday arrived and Starla and I went to the appointment.  Now usually when you have an appointment with a church leader its usually one on one or its the church leader meeting with a husband and wife. Well when we arrived we were greeted by President Brian Davis, First Counselor of the Stake Presidency. Shortly after we arrived Second Counselor President Devin Rigby showed up. President Gines showed up just a few minutes later.  They opened the office up and went in for a few seconds and then they invited us into the office. Now its pretty unnerving when you walk into the Stake President's office and there is the Stake President and his counselors sitting there waiting to greet you.  The thought that came across my mind "Oh crap what have I done now."  As we sat there and began to converse with them it became apparent that Starla or I was going to get a calling.  After answering some of there questions about our testimonies and such I was issued the calling of being the new Elders Quorum President of the Wendell 1st Ward in the Wendell Idaho Stake.  I was a bit floored and shocked but I accepted the call.  President Gines ask that I consider my two counselors and call him when I choose them so that they could extend that call to them.  The names were given and the calls were issued. If everything goes alright we will be sustained and set apart this coming week in Elders Quorum.  

President Gines told us how he came about my name and why I was called to this calling. As he and his wife were preparing to go to Las Vegas for some business.  His father in law gave him a couple of temple name cards to take along and do them at the Las Vegas temple.  Bishop Don Egbert had given President Gines some names that he thought would be good as the Elders quorum president. And as President Gines was sitting in the endowment room preparing for the endowment he looked down at the name of who had prepared the temple card and he noticed my name.  As he read my name to himself the Holy Ghost whispered that it should be Ryan Barnes that should be the new Elders Quorum President. 

Now I freely admit I am nervous and a bit scared as the new president of the quorum but I know through faith and courage the Lord will help me in this calling.  I asked President Gines to call Elder Lawrence Green as the First Counselor and Elder Carlos Rendon as the Second Counselor.  I know that I have made good choices for they are good and righteous men of God. We as a presidency are going to have fun and we are going to work hard.  There is a lot of work to do in the ward. Lots of less active and non active brothers as well as prospective elders that need to be found and taught and invited back to church.

Wow Its been a while.

Looking back at my previous posts I see that its been a while since I have last written anything.  There is a quote by an anonymous author that is both profound and entirely accurate.

 "Life is one of those precious fleeting gifts, and everything can change in a heartbeat."

Tonight I found out that one of my cousins from my Mother's side of the family had committed suicide last night.  A few short hours later I found out that one of my friends, her name is Chene, that I had met while chatting through the Yahoo chat rooms had a major cardiac event.  Tomorrow her family will remove her from life support.  Now I don't know what the circumstances of what happened to Chene, but I do know that she has had a difficult life with drugs and alcohol.  Life is so fleeting.  We have been told by the Lord that we will never be given more than what we can handle.  I sorrow for Chene and my cousin.  I have wondered why people do the things that they do.  Now I am not here to judge them, heaven knows that I am not perfect. I have my own burdens I deal with.  I ponder the how and why we do these things.  Even before I had a understanding of the Lord's gospel and His church I have always known that we have a greater purpose than what the world thinks we do. I know that the Lord has a greater purpose for all of us. That is why we are here upon this earth is to find out what that purpose is. I especially know that He knows us better than we know ourselves and what we have gone through and what we are going through here upon this earth and He will judge us accordingly. I take comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ is leading the way.

Elder Jeffrey R Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints says it best:

don't give up

don't you quit 

you keep walking 

you keep trying 

there is help and 

happiness ahead...

trust God and

believe in good 

things to come  

We must keep going! We can not give up on ourselves! We each have our own loads to bear but we don't have to do it alone.  Jesus Christ is there to help.  He has been through it all.  He has sunk down into the depths of hell and come out again so that we don't have to.  Remember that our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother love us dearly and want us all to return to live with them.  I surely hope that we all make it home.