From Me to You: Paul's Search for Happiness!

Letter from Elder Sleet 10/10/2011

2011-10-10T14:44:00.000-05:00

Hi how is it going with you guys?

I'm doing great! Yes Mom, I use my bike a lot, in fact I get to use it everyday! We might be using our bikes a little less. We have a vision on getting members out with us, one hour a day, during week day except Mondays. So far this week is filled up and bleeding over to the next week. Another thing we are trying is to go over to more members houses that we don't know as much. Yeah, I told you about the plan with us doing the phone calls down the ward list, but this is a new plan. The ward counsel is helping out with getting us in to these people's homes. They assigned the elder quorum president to ask those families if they be willing to feed us. If they cant then see if we can stop by and share a lesson. I'm not sure if this is something you would be interested to try.

Elder Robbins is heading back to Utah and he is going through the phases, of going home sickness a.k.a. trunky! The departing missionaries I seen that too many times before. Yeah I'm right now keeping pretty good contacts with the other 2 comps that went home, now 2 more of my comps will be heading back in 3 weeks so we'll see if I keep in touch with them too.

I had a pretty good week. Monday I got to hang out with some old missionary friends that are still left in the mission. We had a awesome pday. We talked to 125 people through out this week taught two lessons with members. One person we taught was Donald. We have been teaching him for awhile now. We stopped by with Brother Cook, our ward mission leader. The lesson was fun we got to talk to him on what he wants to get out of life and what he been searching for. He promised to read before we stop by again.

Then we stop by a Gladys knight referral, Estella, with Bro.Naronjo the elders quorum pres. Estella was excited to see us see told us that she read the Book of Mormon before and been wanting to read it again. She was happy that we came with one.

Other then that, we had a lot of member visits and finding. It's good to hear how you guys doing. Seeing the pics of Samuel was weird. It just how you described him. He look as if you photoshop his head on to someone else body! That awesome that his winning the medal. I hope you guys are still good and I'll write you guys next week to let you know a little bit on whats going.

bye

Joy in Heaven

2011-10-05T17:03:00.000-05:00

There is so much talk about the world being more wicked than ever before. I wonder sometimes why people even talk like that. What is the point of comparing today with something that you can never experience again. Only in science fiction can you go back in time and re-live past events. Life must go on. Most of this nostalgic thinking is based on how you perceived the past was or some idealized depiction in the movies.

Some will even bemoan the fact that there are more people doing wrong or evil in the world. Is this really a bad thing? Jesus didn't think so. Jesus associated with people that many would probably avoid.

He stated in Luke 15:7, "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

If you look in the Bible dictionary you find that repentance is a "change of mind" or a "fresh view" about God, about oneself, and about the world.

So instead of bemoaning how bad you think things are getting; try to take a fresh view of the world. It can be a wonderful place to do good, to be kind to your neighbor, to help someone, to give some time to a good cause.

Instead of thinking how bad people are, think about helping them have a fresh view of themselves. I love taking pictures. Some people really don't think they have much worth. Once they see the pictures they seem to have a fresh view of themselves. That makes me really happy too.

Instead of sitting in your little groups, clubs or congregations and being happy that "those people" aren't anywhere near us; try to get to know someone and what their struggles are. Just think about it, one of "those people" can come into your little circle and there can be more joy in heaven for that one person than for every meeting, activity and event that you have without them. I found the best way to help someone "change their mind" is not to tell them how wrong they are but to listen. Most of the time, people come to their own conclusions if someone would take a few minutes and care a little bit.

I guess what I am trying to say is that it doesn't matter whether you are the one person that wants to change, needs to change or if you are the person who doesn't think he needs to change....anyone can have a fresh view and have joy. And you don't even need to wait for heaven.

Letter From Elder Sleet 8/29/2011

2011-08-30T07:08:00.002-05:00

Hey!

I had a good week. How have yours been with the first week of school and that other stuff? I did celebrate my year mark last week with some missionaries that lived by me. We went to Steak n Shake for old time memories, nothing really big.

This week has been fun because, we walked everywhere! Two of my wheel spokes popped on Tuesday, and being all bike, away from anyone with a car, we had to wait till I could get the spokes. The cool thing about it was that a lot people would see us walking up the highways, in the 28 day streak of 100 degree temperature.

We taught a lot this week. There was some guy that stop by the church looking for a Church home and he stopped us when we where walking. He told us how much liked it and for sure that he'll come back. We gave him a Book of Mormon. That's my 125 copy handed out since the start, and he told us he read it with his family.

Then on Friday was the the highlight of the week. We got together as 3 missions in Houston in down town. I found out that I was the one black missionary in the whole Houston mission. That was crazy! Then got to see all the missionaries that I served around and with. To many people wanted to talk! The thing that made it the highlight is that President Holland came to speak to us. He had a completely different feel in his talk than in conference and in the MTC. It felt like he he was just having a conversation, I liked it a lot. Yep, I got to meet him twice now!

I'm not sure what I'm doing when i get back, but it involves schooling without serving in the forces. I'm not sure what I want to get into and where. There are a lot of questions I have to figure out yet. I am thinking of them...sometime times.

Yeah, I been apart of baptizing 6 people, so far one person I have been to active on keeping in contact with is the Terreros family. They are the only ones I got to to see form the the beginning of teaching to baptism. I been seeing how they been doing. Other then that, I keep in touch with some members: the Jensens, the Goledos, the Hollansworths and the Rumsies. I also keep track of some Returned MIssionaries: Joshua Anderson, Marc Stone, and Brock Barlow. I want to keep in touch with more but I don't have enough time.

Prez says hi to you guys. Oh yeah, he's letting us go back to gym. That's been cool! I want you guys to know that I miss you. Hope to hear form you soon bye.

Daniel

Letter From Elder Sleet 8/22/2011

2011-08-22T12:51:00.002-05:00

Hi! How are you guys?

It's been a while since I heard from the siblings. I don't want to mention names, but i think they know who they are. Hey that cool dad that you been called as the ward mission leader. Yeah, I don't have much advice but I can try to make a list of thing that might help you. I don't know why they think that missionary work is stressful. You have this work that the members would like you to do and then the mission leader wants you to do, when you get all that piled on you, it's a lot. So help them update the ward list, get the ward mission plan updated, I don't know if they use key maps for us, but updated maps are great. A dinner calender that being passed around. Those are some things I need to do. Yeah really just talk with them. I got one really good advice. Have some just youth activated where you can have the youth bring there friends.

Thing are good. The weather is hot, no rain. Texas is in a drought. Its cool thought more people are letting us inside, they feel really bad for us. Funny thing is some day we arent even out side for a hour because people let us in so often. Well the mission prez says hi. miss you guy have fun.

ps: all you no name people you can send me A letter

Mormon Text Messaging

2011-05-26T19:06:00.002-05:00

SIOT - Sacrament in overtime,
HTO -home teachers over,
VTITH -visiting teacher in the house,
NTDS - no texing during sacrament,
SUSOS - saw you shopping on sunday,
LLL - Laugh Like a Lamanite,
RLDS - running late driving to stakecenter,
SOM - Son on Mission,
CIBYS - Can I borrow your scriptures
SOS - Sleeping on Stand
SHPS - shhh High Priest Sleeping
BSOS - Bishop sleeping on Stand
FABB - Forgot Activity, Bring Basketball
LOL - Love of the Lord
SSB - Stale Sacrament Bread
GTFFHE - Good treats for family home evening
BYOB - BYU on BYUTV
CYC - Congrats on your calling
ICATT - Ice Cream After the temple
LMBO - LDS Missionaries biking over
DNDND - Date night, do not disturb
RMNJ - returned missionary, need job
QLTCFSP - quick leave town, calling from stake president

Light of the World

2011-05-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

Here is a brief video I created....enjoy.

Back to Normal

2011-05-07T12:30:00.004-05:00

Someone posted a facebook status that caught my attention, "There is not a day that goes by, that I wish my Mom was still here standing right by my side."

I related to and agree with that statement. Losing a parent is a very painful traumatic experience. At least it is for me. My sister is 9 years older and my brother is 7 years older. As a result, for a significant portion of my teenage years, all of my college years and all of my adult years; it felt as if I had exclusive access to my parents.

Even as an adult, there would be the traditional weekly Sunday phone calls, no matter where I lived. I was also free to call my Mom any time under any circumstance. I developed a great deal of confidence in dealing with any situation because I had someone a phone call away. Over the last several years as we lived in St. Louis, we had the privilege of having Mom close by.

In an instant, that was all over.

There is apparently is nothing that can be done to compensate for the loss. Life is completely different than before. At times, I don't even feel like the same person. I have a wonderful family and friends however they all have lives and challenges of their own.

Right after the funeral there is always the friendly phone call or visit or even some comfort food. That rapidly came to and end as people get back to normal. I have yet to find my way back to normal. There are times when I would like to have a conversation with someone; then I change my mind and want people to leave me alone. I think the only conversations that I have are via this blog or posts on the internet.

There are those who would state that somehow I need to reach out to others if I want to talk. Sometime I think, why doesn't anyone just call out of the blue to see how I am doing or feeling. Then I come to the realization that the only one that did that in the past was my Mom. Those phone calls compensated for everything else. People tend to call when they want something or need something. That's ok, that's what people do.

One day things will return to normal. Just not today.

What's there to be Happy About?

2011-05-03T10:26:00.002-05:00

I admit on Sunday night when I heard that Osama Bin Laden was killed that I was excited.

Bin Laden developed a deep seated hatred for America in general and lead a terrorist attack on America. No one in specific, just America in general. Thousands of innocent people died. As an unintended consequence, Americans developed a deep seated fear and some even have hatred for Muslims in general. No one in specific, just Muslims in general.

I have many Muslim friends and co-workers. My friends are very hard working, honest and share a love of family and goodness. Their religion or background may be different, however I learned to respect and admire their beliefs. Even with a rich background and close friendships with those of the Muslim faith, I would have apprehension when boarding a flight with someone, who outwardly, I identified as Muslim. I was exercising complete and utter stereotyping and racism, which I abhor.

Ironically the United Stated elected a president with a Muslim sounding name. I would imagine that most of the fear and animosity against Obama is a back lash from having been associated as a Muslim. Just being black alone couldn't trigger the wide spread daily hysteria. I found that I could not even post an article on my personal page about Obama without some person responding with something negative. Even church became a painful experience with many snide remarks and accusations. I was even rebuffed from attending a social gathering because somehow I had been associated with Obama who has been associated with the evil in the world.

I had considered removing individuals from my facebook friends list; I had considered not attending church for a while and changing my associations. I fully admit to playing a role. I became convinced that no matter what was said or done people had become "like zealots." Facts didn't matter anymore to people. My posting became very negative and the responses were equally as negative, sort of a self fulfilling prophecy. People who I had admired for a long period of time became negative and insensitive, from my perspective. You begin to wonder if they feel the same way about you. They question his birth, his ideology, his background, his education and his humanity. If you accuse someone as being narrow minded and they argue with you about it, it must be true...right? Probably not. Maybe. Who knows.

So when Bin Laden was killed it really wasn't that we were happy about his death. There really isn't any description for the emotion that we feel when someone brings out the worse in us all is taken from this earth. He was not a Hitler but like Hitler he fomented a tremendous amount of evil and negativity on both sides. So maybe I'm not happy...maybe I am just relieved for a moment.

Jesus in Disguise

2011-04-25T09:28:00.003-05:00

I attended a church meetings yesterday on Easter Sunday. The service was very good. During one of the meetings a discussion was conducted regarding a talk given by Richard G. Scott, titled "The Transforming Power of Faith and Character."

There was a quote in this talk that stated, "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day."

I believe we could have spent our time discussing this aspect of the talk while searching the appropriate scriptures. However the lesson took a turn. The instructor began to discuss the topic of integrity. There were two definitions that were offered. One definition was that character is acting consistently with your beliefs. The second was that integrity was acting in accordance to God's plan. The difference between the two statements are subtle yet struck me as significantly different.

Two real life situations were discussed of people who have decided to live certain aspects of their lives contrary to the teachings of the church. The implication is that these individuals lacked integrity and that the resultant sin in their lives will bring certain failure.

Most churches, I have found, are full of well meaning and good hearted people. Everyone has their own personal reasons for attending or not. However buried in the pews of most congregations is this subtle guilt of not meeting the standard or making the mark. The imagery is as if God was this intimidating school teacher from your 4th grade, ready to give you an F on your pop quiz, then humiliating you by having you write on the board the answer 100 times.

Just last night someone sent me a quote which I researched and found the exact statement. It was by Mother Teresa. It stated, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise."

Suppose the next time you encounter another human being on this planet. Instead of sizing him or her up as being good or bad, with God or Godless, saved or not; how about you treat them as if they were Jesus in disguise. Suppose the next time you come across one of your own short comings, instead of feeling guilty or beating yourself up, that you treated yourself as Jesus in disguise.

It is my belief that if we spent more time thinking about how to treat someone else with compassion, love or Christian brotherhood (or sisterhood), we could do more to transform our lives and our characters. Gone would be the self righteous or self debasing comments. Everyone, to the best of our abilities, would feel welcome, accepted and understood.

We might even be more accepting of ourselves and our own issues. When we have problems, we would look at them as opportunities for ourselves and others. Every church has a set of teachings. Look at those teachings as tools to help you and those around you. For example if you have a friend with an issue, avoid judging them but focus your thoughts on what you could do or say to understand, comfort and help.

Some people desire to be understood so desperately that will go to extreme measures. Unfortunately there are many people who avoid a church experience because they feel that they will be judged and not understood unless they comply to standards.

The message of love and transformation through faith and character development is the key. We should all "be what we want to become" by allowing and helping others to "be what they want to become."

I teach a Sunday School class with about eight teenagers. They are easy to love. They are also very respectful and polite. I have to constantly pray and ask what do they need to hear from a loving Heavenly Father? They would probably not protest or complain if the instructor became judgmental or tried to use guilt or manipulation. Many teenagers as they mature into adults drift away from their church. I believe that is due in large part because they were not understood and carefully listened to as they mature. Somehow they were given the impression that if they didn't comply with the standards they were unacceptable. Somehow they were given the impression that even questioning or rather maturing in their faith is unacceptable. Somehow they were suppose to be perfect little conformists. As a result, many simply quietly disappear from church activity.

View everyone around you as Jesus in disguise. Their comments, reactions, and behavior is a test and opportunity to practice being Christian not enforcing Christianity. Listen to someone. You don't even have to agree to listen. The word "OK" works just fine. Someone says something you don't agree with, just say..."OK"... and then keep listening. You don't have to have an answer for everything. You can even say, "hmmm...I don't know, what do you think?" Give it a try!

Letter from Elder Sleet 4/18/2011

2011-04-18T17:29:00.002-05:00

I'm doing great. We have lots of people we are teaching. We just started teaching mark, he is a magician, This past week he believed what we have been teaching him, but he did not want to read the Book of Mormon. He came to church and loved it. He said he felt good about it. I thought it was a different Sunday since they talk about the parables of Jesus Christ in sacrament. The talks were way good. The Bishop's wife talked and she did a great job. In the in Gospel Principle class, we talked about the priesthood organization and the teacher pulled out all the references from the Bible, which was good for Mark. Then in Elders Quorum we had a talk on tithing. Then we finally had some sort of Book of Mormon reference. After church we had a fireside and we watch "The Testament." It is a fictional movie on 3 Nephi. It's way cool, you should watch it and invite some friend to family home evening and watch it. He missed the first part, which worked perfectly because I got to explain what was going on. Which helped him understand what the Book of Mormon is and he and wants to read it.

Other then that, we been trying to help people get to church. We are checking on referrals and former investigators. The list has 70 people that we have to stop by and see if they want to be taught. Elder Anderson and I were told not to tract until those names are checked on so that when future missionaries come in this area, they wont be over whelmed. But it's over whelming us! We have 15 people and growing that we are teaching. Its hard to keep up with the people and there needs, when there so many of them. We had 8 baptismal dates 2 weeks ago all fall through since we could find ways to get them to church. Every night, I do what my roommates call "poof." We go over the day update all or books, then plan for the next day. Afterwards there a pile of stuff every where!

I haven't heard anything about the fires in Texas, so I'm guessing it not near me. I think I need to send you guys a notarized letter to get my DL, I'm working on it. I wanted to know if you can send me a blender? The last elder that left took our with him. i hope you guys are well.

That's crazy that Brother Smith moved. I want to to see what he was up to, when i got back.

Letter from Elder Sleet 3/21/2011

2011-03-21T17:23:00.002-05:00

Hey this week we had a lot happen. We are teaching this family from Egypt, they speak 6 of different languages and there main one is Arabic. Then it just happen that the hardest one for them to understand is English. So we are having people fly down to help us teach them in Arabic. They taught me a little already, so I'm learning Arabic and also American Sign Language. With ASL it's more than just being able to talk with the deaf elders in our mission. When I get back we have to play charades, I've gotten good at it. "Blue boxing" is what the deaf elders call it. I have a video its, way cool!

Monkey Trap and other Booby Traps

2011-03-17T18:06:00.002-05:00

I was watching Star Trek the other day and saw an episode called Booby Trap. They were responding to a distress call of a ship that had been trapped so long that the crew had all died many years prior. They went in to investigate and were fascinated with this historical find. After completing their investigation they decided to leave. Their ship would not move, they could not go forward or backwards. The more force they used lethal radiation would result. At the end of the episode they had to use some creativity and change the way they were looking at the problem before they could escape.

Long ago I heard the story of a Monkey Trap. A monkey trap is a very simple device. It is a jar or box with a small hole in the top. The hunter would put a treat, such as a banana in the box. The hole is just large enough for the monkey to enter his hand however it is too small for him to remove his hand as long as he is holding the banana. The hunter would then come along then easily capture the monkey because he would not let go of the banana.

Many of us are caught in Booby Traps and Monkey Traps. A monkey trap is anything that stops us from moving forward. Sometimes these are habits or addictions. Sometimes people are holding us back.

How do you know that you are caught in a monkey trap? Ask yourself a few questions. Do I feel trapped? Do I feel like I can't live with out someone or something? Do I feel helpless? Do I find myself feeling depressed and frustrated with my current situation? Do I keep doing the same thing over and over again? Does it feel like life is passing you by?

Most likely the reason you are feeling like this is because life is passing you by and you are in a trap.

How do you get out?

Sounds simple but the first step is to let go of what ever is holding you back. Suppose that you find something new and interesting to be involved with. You start to follow your heart, then all of a sudden you say. What about my boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, parents or children. Wonder if they won't like it? Maybe they don't want me to do this? You are trapped and need to let go.

Second you need to understand the difference between what is good and right and what is harmful. The Book of Mormon speaks about this in Moroni 7:13, "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do^agood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and^benticeth to do ^cgood, and to love God, and to serve him, is^dinspired of God."

Third you need to take action. The next time you feel that you should do something good. Just do it! Stop worrying about what others will think, that's part of the trap. Think about how much fun, or happiness you will have by doing something good. Let the Lord handle the rest.

With Love,

Paul Sleet

Brief but Awesome Letter from Elder Sleet

2011-03-14T19:17:00.001-05:00

I'm doing great. I got your package last week, not sure about the letter. Yeah, I need to get on writing people back. I we just got a lot of work to be done. I'm liking my new area a lot! Always something to do. Members help a lot and I have good roommates. Right now there are 8 people planning on being baptized.

Letter from Elder Sleet 28 February 2011

2011-02-28T13:31:00.002-06:00

I'm in the coolest area in the mission!

We have lots of people to teach and just walking down the street people want to know what we are about. On the 19 the Odogale's, a family from Africa is getting baptized. They are a way nice family! There are 6 more people that want to get baptized. We just meet them once. We don't have dates set with them yet. Its really cool to see lessons being doubled in an area. My companion and roommates are cool too; we all get along really well. Its like a TV show with the four of us! People in church are nice and help a lot with missionary work. We take members out every Tuesday and youth tracking 2 time each month. This area is way missionary minded.

I sent you guys a package with all the stuff from the MTC. I also got a quilt from Pagedale. I sent it home because I just didn't want to ruin it. Did you guys get to see the pictures on Facebook? There more pictures, I'll try to send then some time. Let me know what you guys are up to. I'm getting around to sending a real letter to all you guys vs. email. I just need to make time to write. Hope you guys are doing great.

Love

Daniel

Elder Sleet is now in Melborne Ward!

2011-02-21T14:39:00.002-06:00

Elder Stone is a hard worker, He knows a lot since he has been out for 23 months. He goes home to St. George ,Utah in 6 weeks. I'm not going to be with him though, I got transfered to a new area. I'm going to the bottom of are mission over by downtown. The ward is called Melborne, and my new companion. His name is Elder Shultz. I met him before on my mission and he seem pretty cool, so i'll have fun. It's weird to think that the temple isn't going to be in my ward any more. I am happy that I got a new area even though I heard that they don't feed us there! I will try to send the pictures but there was too many so I will post them on Facebook. I'm doing good now thank for the shoes. I can go running in the morning again. Next email you'll hear about my new area!

A Plea to All African Americans

2011-02-21T13:02:00.005-06:00

I believe that every African American should investigate the Mormon Faith.

Obviously, your choice of religion is a personal decision between you and God. There are many that will chose not to have any religious faith. These are of course personal decisions. Decisions of this magnitude should be studied about, prayed about and seriously considered. Religious decision tend to have a significant impact on how we view ourselves, others and how we interact with the world.

As a matter of disclosure, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members are referred to as Mormon or LDS. I am also African American.

I did not seek to become a member of the Mormon church nor or any church. However I was in need of direction and purpose in my life. During the course of the last twenty years, I have been completely and actively involved in the Mormon Church. I will present to you the facts as I see them, however you will need to conduct an investigation for yourself. I am not hoping that you will read this article and some miraculous change will come over you. I actually hope that you will doubt it and question it; then seriously investigate the claims.

I believe that every African American should investigate the Mormon faith.

Fact #1 Mormon's lead a healthy lifestyle.

It does not take much investigation to find that African Americans are victims of extremely unhealthy lifestyle choices. African Americans not only have the highest incidence rate of alcoholism, they also have a very unhealthy pattern of binge drinking. The density of liquor stores in the African American community is appalling. African Americans also have the highest rate of cigarette usage. In addition, African Americans are victims unhealthy diets. The results of these factors and others, lead to the nations highest rates in mortality, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and so forth.

The Mormon Faith teaches abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and harmful substances such as illegal drugs. They also teach to eat meat sparingly. These teachings and others contribute to significant quality of life benefits.

Fact #2. Mormon's promote family life.

The African American family has been under attack for over 200 years in America. There is probably not a single institution that promotes African American family life as their priority. Government agencies either purposely or inadvertently encourage the break up of family ties for financial benefits. The result is that over 57% of African American families are broken homes. African Americans unfortunately also lead the pack in the divorce rate.

The Mormon Faith teaches that the family is ordained of God and central to his plan. All of the teachings of the Mormon faith center around family life and following the teaching of the Savior Jesus Christ in a family setting. These teachings contribute to the lowest divorce rate in the nation along with a high quality of life.

Fact#3. Mormon's promote premarital sexual abstinence.

Unfortunately African American lead the way in unplanned pregnancies. A whopping 70% of African Americans last year were born to an unwed mother. It has been statistically illustrated that the fastest path to poverty is to become an unwed teenage mother. African Americans also have the highest rate in HIV and other STDs.

The Mormon Faith teaches men and women to abstain from any sexual relations until you are legally and lawfully married. The faith also teaches full fidelity within marital relationships. This principle alone would have an astounding impact on the African American community. Strong families are the backbone of any community or nation.

Fact #4. Mormon's believe that every able man can contribute and serve.

African American men have long been disenfranchised from every aspect of life in America. African American men unfortunately make up the majority of the prison population, however are in smaller and smaller numbers in colleges, universities and corporate board rooms. This trend is leading to lower self esteem and lower achievement in academics. African Americans also earn significantly less than the majority due to a large variety of factors.

The Mormon Faith teaches that every worthy man is eligible to hold the Priesthood of God. The Priesthood is God's power and authority given to man to do God's work on earth. In the Mormon Church, boys as young as 12 years old begin to serve the Lord. Many young men become leaders, other prepare lessons and even others speak and teach before large congregations of people. Associated with their preparation can be involvement in the Boy Scout program and Church Seminary Programs, These programs allow them to learn and grow physically, mentally and spiritually. Young men prepared in such a way are able to become worthy husbands and fathers who can contribute significantly to their families and to their community as a whole.

These are just a few facts. However the most important fact of all is that the Mormon Church teaches about and is led by the Savior Jesus Christ. We talk of Christ, we teach or Christ, we testify of Christ. He is the author and finisher of our faith. The Mormon faith teaches that every challenge in life can be addressed by learning and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the end of the day it is not really the Mormon Faith but the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I invite everyone that reads this article to investigate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I invite every African American to investigate the Mormon Church. You are free to make up your own mind, as you let the fact and the Spirit of God speak to you.

You can begin your investigation by exploring http://www.mormon.org.

You can do this in the privacy of your home.

I know that God lives, and Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I know that the Church is true. I found out for myself and it made all the difference in my life.

I personally invite every African American to investigate the Mormon Faith.

Your Brother,

Paul Sleet

Modern Day Heros of the Pagedale Branch (Part II)

2011-02-18T08:26:00.002-06:00

I really makes me feel good writing about these people. They are all very special to me and have made a significant contribution in how I see things today. When I was released I remember explaining how much I learned. What I neglected to mention was who I learned it from. Here are a few more of my hero's from the branch....

Steve Woolley. I learned the value of integrity and honesty from Steve. I admire Steve in many ways however if you spend a few minutes with him, you will find man that doesn't take himself too seriously. His easygoing nature sets you at ease, and allows you to be taught by the Spirit. Steve built a strong relationship with a young man, named Myron, that needed someone to care. He listened because he knew that Steve genuinely cared about him. During the course of my years in the branch, I had occasion to call Steve and get advice. I always felt he gave me an honest answer based on true principles.

Missionaries. I was blessed to come in association with the best missionaries in the entire church. As they came into the branch and served for a month or two they would all hit the ground running. My only regret is that I neglected to write all their names down. I can only list a few from memory such as Elders Lolotai, Jones, Payne, Takis, Poll and Esheit. I'm missing a ton of them! Every missionary had to be self reliant and self starting since we didn't have the strength in the branch to support them as we would have wanted to. Not one complained and every missionary lived the example of being "Called to Serve!"

Stake Leaders. Here is another collection of awesome hero's. In my humble opinion, this is one of the miracles and the "secret sauce" of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had always wondered how the Lord could take a man with relatively little experience in running a complicated organization such as a church congregation only give him four years to get something done and actually have some success. Most churches install a Pastor and leave him to his own devices, either good or bad. In this case, I received a monthly interview with two unbelievable men who served as our Stake President, first Matthew Thomas and then Paul Hintze. These spirit filled sessions were part training, part therapy, part motivation and all good. I truly miss these monthly meetings. The Stake Auxiliary leaders were incredible. For example Rebecca Rahm was a rock star when it came to helping with our young women's program.

Katelyn Hunt. This sister is just plain amazing. Like some of my other hero's this sister had a very powerful spirit and testimony. She was a leader of our young women and lead them with love and testimony. It's so easy to get discouraged with teenagers and their behavior however Katelyn had a calm cool demeanor that I really admired. She would capture their hearts first then open their minds. Some people might give up on young African American girls with tons of attitude. However she never gave up and saw the goodness in them and earned their respect.

Shannon Gubler. I always wonder why there are so few examples of sisters in the Bible when I found myself surrounded by powerful women of faith. Shannon was no exception. I learned what it really meant to get down to business and make it happen. Shannon is the type of person that knows how to take the bull by the horns and make it look fun. Unfortunately due to my own personal flaws had a misunderstanding with Shannon which I deeply regret. She showed me what the scripture meant, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear what man can do unto me?"

Aaron Hess. Aaron is the real Iron Man. He was given the assignment to start a Scouting Program with a group of boys who only a few had even been camping before. He owned the program, he loved the boys and did whatever it took to help them advance. It's not easy to get boys to do somethings for the first time, especially hard things. Aaron pressed forward. I remember being invited to a camp out where the weather was going to drop below freezing. I politely declined thinking they were probably not going to go only to find out that they went and had a great time!

William B. Smith. Brother Will joined the church a little over a year ago. Over 70 years old he has the spirit and the heart of a teenager with the wisdom of all the years. I loved the phone calls, advice, council and encouragement Will provided me week after week. At first I was under the impression that I was helping Will with his first steps in the gospel only to have him be the one that was helping me. His easy going nature allowed him to move from role to role in my life easily. One day he would be friend and the next day he would be giving fatherly advice. I always appreciated his intelligence and insight.

Ron and Rachelle Guymon. This couple showed me how to seize the day. Some people come into a new ward or congregation and wait to see what happens. Some people knowing they are going to be in an area for a short time, purposely don't get involved. The Guymon's jumped into the deep in of the pool from day one. They lived in the branch for about a year and made about 10 years worth of contribution. The Lord truly magnified their callings and impact. I learned that no matter how long or how short you are anywhere you can make a difference. Ron was our Employment Specialist and Rachelle worked with our young women. The hit home runs in both areas. More important was the "outside of the lines" work they did. They made lasting friendships and were just generally great people to be around. Some people just make you feel good when they are present.

Lafi Manumaleuna. I think somewhere in my family history has to be a Polynesian. Over the years, I have met Polynesian families that I have fallen in love with. I wish I could gather them all together somewhere and live! Brother Lafi is true brother. He is the strong silent type. He leads. He serves. He loves. If you ever wonder how Jesus Christ would serve and relate to his people then all you need to do is watch Lafi. I don't recall ever seeing him frustrated or angry even during some very tight situations. I recall a relatively hopeless situation that I will not detail here. Lafi quietly told me, "I'll take care of it." ...and he did! That guy is a hero.

Terry Taylor. When a man becomes a father, it changes him. However when a man is a father of girls, who become young women who then grow into women it's transforming. I admire his unconditional love for his daughters. Terry also taught me how to lead with your personality and have compassion for others. I will never forget and will always be grateful for the compassion shown towards me the day after my mother passed. Terry along with Jeff came to my home, gave me a blessing from the Lord. Words cannot express my gratitude for this act of charity, love and kindness.

John Rains. John was the little brother I never had. He showed me how to have fun in my serious calling and serious life. My mother always told me that I was too serious. John was able to help me see the bright side of things. Eternally optimistic no matter what the situation. I was impressed with his dedication and loyalty. John took a personal and individual interest in the young men of the branch. They looked up to him and followed his advice. To get teenage boys to stop and listen is an art and a skill, John's ability was magnified by the Spirit of the Lord. I was amazed at how a relatively young man himself was able to generate such maturity. I was equally impressed with his wife Catherine.

The biggest risk of blogging like this is leaving someone out. Accompanying many of the aforementioned hero's were spouses who were equally as heroic. I saw in action what it meant to have two or more gathered together in the Lords name. Every Sunday I would mention to someone that every day in the branch was a small miracle.

There were so many people over the years that were hero's and contributors to the Lords work. Some were large and some were small acts but all were significant and increased my gratitude for these people and that the Lord placed them all in my path for good.

With much love!

Modern Day Heros of the Pagedale Branch

2011-02-17T16:03:00.003-06:00

I suppose I will never get tired of talking about, writing about or thinking about the four years we spent serving the Lord in the Pagedale Branch. It was brought to my attention that the flavor of some of my stories of our exploits might be considered negative. I'm not sure where anyone got that impression from. For the record, it was the most rewarding and challenging time of my life. I LOVED IT!!!

There were people that stood out as hero's to me. They served the Lord without recognition or expectation of any personal benefit. I am sure they would be embarrassed to find out that their names were even noted in my blog. I love all of them and their families! They are hero's to me. Here goes a few of them, in no particular order....

Karen Draeger. When we first came to Pagedale, one of the first and friendliest face that greeted us was that of Karen. She is Polynesian and brings the "Aloha" spirit to the branch. Karen has a way of making anyone around her feel good. She served in various callings during my time in Pagedale, without regard to her own personal situation. She not only served in the church but volunteered throughout the community and the Stake. If there was something good or praiseworthy, Karen would somehow be involved. She is very talented as well. She even found the time to organize a Monday night family night primarily for anyone who needed to feel part of a loving family.

Felicia Duckworth. Another awe inspiring woman! There is an old saying that if you want to get something done, find a busy person and give it to them. I have to say I have never met a woman with the drive of Felicia. First off she has 14 children, owns her own house, runs a successful business, is a leader in the church, volunteers in the community and helps anyone that comes in her door. To say that she is proud of her family is an understatement. I am impressed with her dedication. She is an inspiration to us all.

Kara Hess. Another impressive woman. I suppose if I ever had the opportunity to run something of importance in this world, no matter what the field, I would seek to hire Kara. She is simply the most focused individual that I know. She is able to take any assignment, own it and "get it done!" She is as dedicated to her family as she is to her core beliefs. Her enthusiasm is infectious. Kara, Aaron and her family came to the branch by inspiration. Aaron, another of my hero's, established the Scouting program which I will talk about in my next blog. Kara is one of those people who just doesn't sit still and wait for someone to tell her what to do.

Jeff Anderson. There are few people in this world that I would trust my family with. Jeff has been the most loyal, hard working, inspired leader that I have met since I joined the church some 20 years ago. I am humbled that he is my friend. Jeff is one of those guys that gives 100% in every area. He is 100% dedicated to his wife, 100% to his family, and 100% dedicated to the Lord. I have, year after year, been impressed with his level of maturity in all areas. Jeff would do anything for anyone. I think he has said to me "Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it." more times that I can recall.

April Williams. I believe that when I came to the branch April had been a member of the church for a short time. She brought with her a strong belief in God and a strong willingness to learn, grow and make a difference. April showed me what it means to really develop and grow in wisdom and stature. Year after year she grew into a leader until the day the Lord called her to leadership. She showed me what it really meant to love the people you lead. She was for a period of time a leader of the young women. These young women knew that they were loved and appreciated. As a result, many rose to the occasion. What was even more amazing is that April had small children and was able to manage home, family and church responsibilities with balance. The highlight of my four years was being present in the temple when the Williams family became a forever family.

Barry Minster. Here is a person that I admire more that he will ever know. Barry was in the branch for about a year, on assignment from Chesterfield 1st. I will paraphrase a scripture...if any of you lack wisdom, ask Barry. His advice, views and inspiration were always spot on. Barry is an example to me of a man led by the spirit. He was always bold to say what was needed and sometime silent when appropriate. I also learned how to support and sustain leadership because of his example. I learned from Barry that no matter what life throws your way, you can handle it with dignity and confidence.

Walter Pearson. Many people may not know Brother Pearson in the branch. As of late he has encountered some health problems. Here is a man that has sacrificed for his children. In my mind he is the epitome of the gospel. His whole life is dedicated to insuring that his two grandsons, CeDale and Cameron were able to get and education and have an opportunity to be successful in this life and have gospel teachings that will last them forever. Every time I think of this great man, it brings tears to my eyes. He reminds me of my own father and his dedication to his family. It is truly moving to see a man give up his comfort and life for his sons. What he gains in return is far more than money can buy.

Fran Galeani. When I think of Fran, I think of power and love. She is one powerful woman. She speaks with authority. She leads with authority. She acts with authority. Unbelievably she has to be one of the most humble and loving person that I know. Dedicated, hard working and loyal. She has a strong immovable testimony of the gospel. She loves her family and would do or give anything to them. She doesn't know the word sacrifice only love. Fran also taught me the value of "straight talk." She would say often and mean it, 'I got your back." She also taught me what it means to trust and respect someone, truly. She carries her self as someone who deserves respect because she respects herself.

Gilbert Greene. This man has now passed on to the next life. However when I came to the branch this man was a gentle giant. He was relatively soft spoken, however what he had to say was significant. I have never really met anyone that could capture and calm a situation so effectively just by being present. He taught me what it meant to be full of the Spirit of God. I remember witnessing Brother Greene stopping an excited young man in the hallway to talk about planning for the future. This young man stopped in his tracks and listened intently to the quiet counsel. I was fascinated by how with the spirit even the very waves of the sea were calmed.

Gil Christley. Another dear brother who has passed to the next life. Brother Christley and his wife Linda came to the branch on assignment from the Rockwood 1st Ward. Although they came to help establish the Scouting program in the branch, which was successfully implemented by Aaron Hess. His primary contribution was in teaching me the value of effective Home Teaching. He was assigned a very challenging Home Teaching route, which consisted of mostly single and or widowed sisters. Many of these sisters had needs that they could not meet on their own. Gil was able to show them how they could become self reliant. She showed us all how to love and serve those who are poor and in need. Some just needed a friend or a listening ear. Some needed fatherly advice. He gave it all!

Well that's my top ten. I am certainly not through with my hero list. I will post more of my hero's from the branch soon. I love them all!

Paul Sleet

The Kingdom of God is Within YOU!

2011-01-27T18:17:00.003-06:00

I just read a rather interesting scripture.

As I was preparing for my Sunday School class; I was reviewing the following scripture in John 3:3 "...Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

I think I knew pretty much what this scripture was referring to. However I also read this scripture in Luke 17:21, Jesus said, "...for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

What a wonderful truth.

I remember when my grandmother passed away when I was 10. She lived with us in our home for the last months of her life. I used to talk to her everyday. We would have great conversations. One day an ambulance came to the house and took my grandmother away. That was the last time I saw her. I remember attending a funeral for the first time in my life. It was unbelievably sad. I remember the casket and trying to make sense of it all. I realized that she had died however it seemed all too much to internalize.

If anyone were to ask me what the kingdom of Heaven is like. I would say that it is like my times of taking with my grandmother. The kingdom of Heaven was within her, it was within me.

So many people go to church, go to temples, go to pray, to serve and fail to realize this one simple truth. I know because I have done the same thing. We go, we do and fail to realize that the kingdom of God is right here. If you are not born again you can't even see it. Some of us will make a complete mess of our lives and of others; while we are trying to be good or make a stand.

There was a Bar-Kays song that said, "Take the Time to Love Somebody"; maybe we should forget about all the things we get hung up on and find the kingdom of God within ourselves and share that love with someone else.

Just a though of love that I share with you.

Letter from Elder Sleet 1/24/2011

2011-01-27T06:25:00.002-06:00

They finally let me be the driver this transfer.

This week we only had one investigator in our teaching pool. We changed from a teaching focus to inviting people to learn. Elder Stone and I are also trying to work on stopping by more less active members in the ward. We are still stopping by the Sykes and calling the Baileys. They just like having us over more then anything else. This week felt way too slow. No one was home and people aren't talking to us when we tract. We are praying for a better week next week. The area feels like it gets restarted every time there a baptism. It's cool to see that the there have been one less baptism as there been last year this time. Even thought the work is slow, it has been picking up a lot. Just doing the work something will happen after awhile!

Letter from Elder Sleet 18 January 2011

2011-01-18T16:47:00.002-06:00

I couldn't email yesterday the place we email was closed.

Happy Birthday Courtney!!!

Miss you. I wish we had phone calls on birthdays too!

1/11/11

Today we visited families that Elder K taught and would miss all day after sports. He isn't looking forward to head to his new area at all. He will probably end up liking, it like most missionaries do.

1/12/11

Something in my mission finally changed, I got a new companion. Elder Stone is chill, he is goes home in 3 months. He talks about what he going to do a lot.

1/13/11

Today in tracting, we met a girl name Jayshay that wants to come to church with us on Sunday. Then we went to a part member family for dinner. The nonmember father and his brother was able to talk about some concerns about what they think of our church.

1/14/11

We found out that Monty Wood was in the hospital today. He had double ammonia and low blood sugar. He was very close to dying. I'm happy he doing well now.

1/15/11

We visited a family with a son-in-law that isn't a member. The dad, his daughter and his wife, want us to start teaching him even though he not in our area. Elder K and I taught a family home evening at their house one night, and since then he been praying every night, wanting to hear the scriptures and wants his wife to go to church. We will stop by some time next week and talk to him.

1/16/11

We went by to Jayshay's house to go over what goes on in church. Her mom answered the door and jayshay said that her mom would not even let us come in the house. We talked to her for a bit. We found out she has been going through some hard times and she she wanted to hear about the church. Then that night we had the baptism for the Torreros, the oldest brother baptized and confirmed Paco. Then the second oldest baptized Muffi and Maki. The best part about it was when their family friend, Bro.Cluff was able to confirm the girls in spanish. It was way cool to be in that circle!

1/17/11

Just introduced Elder Stone to everyone and did paperwork.

Letter from Elder Sleet 1/10/2011

2011-01-10T10:22:00.002-06:00

1/3/11

We played soccer today and Elder K got rocked by a headbutt. It gave him a black eye!

1/4/11

I was sick :(

1/5/11

I was sick and went to a meeting. I probably got them all sick.

1/6/11

I got better! We went to visit Paco Terraros' and his family. Paco and his daughters, Mufi and Maggie, have been going to church. Mufi liked church a lot and told us and her parents that she wanted to get baptized. We taught them and Mufi would translate or just start explaining for Maggie in Spanish. We didn't need to teach them anything already they knew it all!

1/7-8/11

For the rest of the week we just visit less active members. We also got transfer calls, Elder K leaves the 11th and I'll be companions with Elder Stone.

1/9/11

At church, three less active families came to church that haven't been there whole time I've been on my mission. It was way cool to see them at church after stopping by almost every week. Then we went to see some families so that Elder K could say bye to them.

Put off the Natural Man

2011-01-07T08:38:00.002-06:00

I had the pleasure of listening to an audiobook on my trip to Kansas City. The book was "A New Earth" by Ekhart Tolle. The title had discouraged me from reading this book when I first heard about it. I was expecting to hear a lot of new age teachings. I was pleasantly surprised.

I will have to purchase the book to refer back to some of the many points made. However there was one concept that stood out. He refers to an aspect of our personality as the "pain body." This includes all the baggage we carry around. At first I thought about this being the "dark side" of our personalities, upon further reading it seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

This pain body analogy reminded me of Mosiah 3:19. "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father."

What does it mean to put off the natural man?

I used to think that it was a one time thing. In other words, when I repented and decided to be baptized and follow Jesus Christ, I put off the natural man and became a saint. Over the years I noticed that although my tendencies and desires were to do good, from time to time I would sin. I think I confused, as many people do, the scripture on being perfect. I would fall short, feel guilty, commit to never do it again and move forward. I had come to a point in my life where I felt that I had successfully "put off the natural man."

Then I made a startling discovery...

About four years ago, during some times of extreme stress, I discovered that the natural man was still alive and well. He would show up at the worse possible times and places. As I was serving as a leader in the church in the city. There were situations where people would say things to me that I was not expecting. The natural man knew exactly how to respond to these people and situations. It was almost like a voice in my head. He would say, "Hold on. Let me handle this." The turning point for me was one situation where someone had used profanity in anger towards me. The natural man took over, defended me.

I felt horrible after wards. I apologized to the individual however it was too late, the damage was done. However in this tragedy, I made a major discovery. Very similar as described in "A New Earth", I discovered that the natural man was still there but separate from me. In a situation that followed, a person had made a very rude gesture to me. The natural man was ready. I was able to "put him off." When he said in my head, "let me handle this" I was able to have the presence of mind to say, "no, I got it."

I remember facing every Bishop/Branch Presidents nightmare....the person during fast and testimony meeting that needs to be cut off. I had served for 3 years and thought that I had successfully avoided the "Kobayashi Maru*" scenario. In my early years in the church in California, I remember someone going up to the microphone claiming to be a preacher. They started out fine, then became agitated. When they started cursing, the members of the Bishopric physically picked this person up and threw them out of the church. I was amazed beyond belief.

There was an individual that stood up in a meeting where I was presiding and I knew before they uttered their 1st word it was going to be a problem. All I can recall was the 1st sentence. They stated "You're not going to like this." And they were right. It went from bad to worse. The Holy Ghost had told me to stop them. Then the natural man started screaming, let me handle it. Even one of my counselor began to whisper, "you got to stop this." I felt horrible that it took me as long to respond, however I had to put off the natural man and stop it in a way the Lord wanted me to. I just remember standing up, putting my hand on this persons shoulder and saying two words. "you're done." The miracle of this scene in my mind was not the compliance of the person to my invitation. The miracle was being able to put of the natural man. He wanted to throw this person off the stage. He wanted to reprimand the person. He wanted to tell off the counselor, who gave good advice.

I was depressed that night. The natural man came back and convinced me that I had not acted quickly enough. Phone calls and emails poured in convincing me that I really messed up. It was not until the next morning that I realized what had actually happened. It may not have been a success for the Branch. However it was a success for me personally in putting off the natural man. That experience gave me hope that I could do it, if I could just keep my wits about me.

He still makes his appearances from time to time. He tries to help me communicate with my wife and kids. He tries to help during tough meetings at work. He even tries to compose a few emails and facebook posts.

I have to keep constantly aware that he is there, ready willing and able. I have to constantly put him off. Hopefully he will get old and tired of trying.

I know many people that are convinced that they and the natural man are one. They don't want to come to church to be around all those "fake" or "perfect" people. They walk around with chips on their shoulders or an axe to grind. They are victims of racism, sexism, class-ism, and age-ism. They are aggressive adults and passive aggressive teenagers. They are promiscuous and out of control.

For all of them and all of us the answer is the same. Stop, Look and Listen, then start over, become as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love.

The next time some one cuts you off on the highway. Tell the natural man...hold on. I got this. The next time someone's natural man yells at you. Tell your natural man to step back. I'm not suggesting you be a wimp or a doormat, just make sure that your response is YOUR response and not the natural man.

Put off the natural man!

* for the Trekkies

Gifts of the Spirit

2010-12-20T09:44:00.002-06:00

This past Sunday the instructor in our High Priest Group presented a lesson on the "Gifts of the Spirit." These sacred spiritual gifts are described in 1 Corinthians 12. The lesson took an odd turn when the instructor asked the question: "What is the difference between a talent and a spiritual gift?" I have to admit that I was astonished that there were comments that implied talents come from our own efforts while spiritual gifts come from God. Some even were of the belief that our talents were based on heritage or family background.

I was unable to properly respond to the comments made so I will blog them.

All good things come from God.

Simple.

3 John 1:11, "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God."

Moroni 7:13, "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God."

There is a distinction between talents and spiritual gifts, however. God given talents are to be developed and are used to bless others over the course of our lives and even into the next life. Spiritual gifts are different. From my experience, spiritual gifts come to those prepared for them for the benefit of others in the moment that they are needed.

For example, I have had the opportunity to participate in the counseling of others. I am sure that the spirit would have allowed me to give proper counsel that would not lead others astray. However I have personally had experiences where the counsel given was specifically for that person. It was a gift for that person that the Lord gave them through me. It was not my gift, even though I was blessed to be a part of it, however it was a gift for that person. The same is true of blessings of healing. I have participated in these sacred blessings. When the Lord provided this gift of healing based on faith, it is a gift to the person being healed based on their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am only an instrument in the masters hand.

We are entitled to or have no spiritual gifts of our own. Only through the faith, merits and power of Jesus Christ are they made manifest. I would caution any man who might boast of his own talents and gifts. Even certain football players, who score a touchdown, are wise enough to give credit to the God who created him.

I'm sure I'm over reacting to the comments however I want to be certain in my own head. For any talent or spiritual gift God has given me, I am grateful and give all credit and glory to him. As it stated in Alma 26:12, "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

Letter from Elder Sleet 12/13/2010

2010-12-13T21:02:00.004-06:00

Hey, I wanted to say happy birthday to Samuel this week.

12 6 10

Today we played basketball over at the mission office. I haven't been there since I first got here. The carpet floor tears you up though. I was drained the rest of the day.

12 7 10

In my first bike accident today. I'm alright. It looked worst than it felt.

12 8 10

Today we were able to teach a part member family we been going over to dinner every Wednesday. We talked to the father and his brother. This was the first time we could get the brother to listen.

12 9 10

We walked today had a break from the bikes. We ran in to a lot more people while walking.

12 10 10

We found out that we couldn't go to the gym any more.

12 11 10

We went to see a recent convert. He was really sick. We taught him about faith and blessings. Afterward he wanted me to seal his blessing.

12 12 10

We tried to get gospel lessons setup again but the people didn't show up. We talked to a couple of people walking around and told them what we do but they end up living in other missionary area.

Crazy Things We Pray About

2010-12-13T09:31:00.002-06:00

For many years, we have run a newspaper route on the side. This started in California with a small route in Los Banos, delivering the Fresno Bee. When we moved to St. Louis, we were able to secure a route in Arnold. The challenge was not the actual route but driving back and forth between Wildwood and Arnold. Eventually after doing a great job in Arnold we were able to secure a route in Eureka, which is a little closer to our home.

Driving in the middle of the night, delivering newspapers is fairly uneventful until the weather turns bad. Heavy rain or cold weather makes a routine business a real challenge, not to mention the occasional deer or skunk in the road.

When I was baptized someone had mentioned not to have all your eggs in one basket. I'm sure that quote was not originated by someone Mormon however I just so happen to listen this time. During a few times over the last several years when I was between jobs, this paper route continued to produce an income. Technically I have not been out of work.

Its been great to have my kids share in the business. Samuel and Marshall have rolled papers. Daniel ran the route for a while to earn money for his mission. And currently Courtney is running part of the weekends. It's a family affair, with Claudia during the week.

I have a pretty set routine no matter what the weather. I tend to pray for the first half an hour or so. Some of these prayers are more like long one sided conversations. I don't worship idols but about 15-20 minutes into the route there is a Catholic church with a statue of Jesus Christ that I deliver a paper. I tend to say, "Good Morning Jesus, here is your paper" while when I get there. I know...kinda nutty. Why would Jesus need a newspaper....

I find myself praying for the craziest thing sometimes. It is fortunate that God doesn't immediately answer ALL of our prayers. Most of the time I will give thanks for all that I have, then pray for my immediate family, then my brother and sister, then some close friends and situations that concern me. The other night I prayed that I wouldn't slide off the road.

It is rare to encounter another person on the route, since it runs between 2am an 5am. However there are a few people. While I was serving in the Pagedale Branch my name was in the newspaper twice. Some of the guys at the depot saw this and when I arrive to pick up my papers, one guy calls me "preacher man" another guy calls me Pastor Paul. There is also a very nice older lady that works at the Shell gas station. I don't know why but sometimes I pray for these people too.

I've gotten my share of flat tires. I recall praying for the flat, as if somehow miraculously it would be repaired. No such luck, but I have gotten pretty good and changing a tire, even in the rain and not getting mad.

I guess the nuttiest things I pray about is for situations to just go away. I want certain bills to go away, or some sickness to leave, or some irritating person to disappear from my life. It always turns out that those prayers go unanswered. I find that I have to deal with every situation head-on that comes my way. I guess those are more wishes than prayers anyway.

Well keep praying. I was told no matter how trivial or major the situation is...its always good to pray.

Into the World

2010-12-09T10:14:00.002-06:00

A good friend inspired me to review the following scripture, "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17.

So who likes to be condemned?

Want to lose a friend real quick. Then start criticizing them.

Want to ruin your marriage? Start complaining all the time.

Want to get fired from your job? Accuse your boss of breaking a law.

Want to alienate yourself from your kids? Tell them how bad they are.

Want to run people away from your church? Start preaching all the rules and laws.

I am certainly not suggesting that we should be accepting of bad behavior, sin or all mistakes. However I think it a matter of intent. I remember falling into the California Aqueduct and not knowing how to swim. My friend yelled at me to grab his hand. I was not offended at him yelling at me because he intended to save my life. However if he would have yelled at me afterward and called me an idiot for falling in (which I certainly was) we probably would not be friends today.

Sometimes we avoid bad situations and so called bad people. As disciples of Christ we were called to go into the world and save it. That means we are to have lives of meaning and make a difference. We don't need to be the President of the United States or some large organization to make a difference. We don't even need to be overbearing or self righteous in our efforts to save our world.

I have always been turned off by overly religious people. Many years ago a good friend asked it we could pray over our lunch. I agreed. He stood up in the middle of a crowded restaurant and prayed loud enough that the whole room could hear. Honestly I felt embarrassed. It wasn't that I am shame of my religion, I just don't like forcing it on others. It felt like we were condemning all those "poor wicked sinners" that didn't have the manners to pray before they ate. I never had lunch with that person ever again.

I think there is a much better way to go into the world. You can live your values. Treat people with love and kindness. Open your mouth and say hello. Smile at the person taking your cash. Yesterday I went to buy sushi at the restaurant close to my house. I make it a point to try to have a conversation with the person serving me. They are real people with real lives, not just workers. It turned out that the lady said..."Hey, you're that friendly guy at church." Her son came out and said, "Yeah, thats Samuel's dad!" Those two labels, I was completely happy to own. I was happy to recognize her as a human being first before noticing that she was a member of my church.

I think you can do more good in the world by being the friendly guy or gal at work, at home, at church or in the neighborhood. Being a dedicated loving parent can also save the world. Think about it. Where did you learn your lessons of being honest, law abiding,, hard working and moral. I learned this all at home from parents.

We are given common sense and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. There are some situations and places that would be hazardous to our safety. However that leaves the other 99 percent of the world that we can go into and save with a smile. Its not rocket science. Simple acts of faith. Simple acts of kindness. Simple statements of support to others. All this little acts are like individuals drops of rain. Each one no matter how small has impact. Don't be afraid to say something, to do something. Don't wait for someone else to do it. Its up to you...now go save the world!

UAdd a Note

Letter from Elder Sleet 12/06/2010

2010-12-06T19:34:00.002-06:00

I got your package on Tuesday, then i got a package form Alex Boye. He says hi. I got one in the mission office that I'm going to pick up today.

11 29 10

Today we helped the sister missionaries move apartments. We did a great job with only one little accident with a dresser. Then we had the first p-day on my mission that we didn't play sports. At the end of the day, we took Elder T, before he leaves to Texas Road House.

11 30 10

We got a new elder today, Elder Carlson. I'm still with Elder K for another transfer. We left Edwin with a Book of Mormon today. He wants us to start teaching him lessons.

12 1 10

We met with jeff baits today. He took the lessons before in Florida. He said that he wants to really learn this time since his wife is LDS. Then we went to another part member family, the Sykes, they invited us back over next week for dinner.

12 2 10

Today we did service at a recent converts house. Then we tried to visit with some new investigators. Jacob's wife did want us to come back so he had to drop us. We also got a referral from a woman that walked into the temple wanting to know about are church. That was cool!

12 3 10

Today we had all our appointment fall through. People are already doing stuff for the holidays.

12 4 10

We went to the Christmas program, then a member in our ward had us over.

My Talk Today in Sacrament Meeting

2010-11-28T21:08:00.003-06:00

I thought I would post my notes from my talk today. I was very proud of Samuel, Marshall and Claudia for their comments, undying love and service to the Lord. I wish I could have recorded them. I hope I was able to express clearly my love for my family, for the members of the Pagedale Branch and for the Lord.

Sacrament Meeting Talk 28 November 2010

Background on Pagedale Branch

140 active members
Strong base of technology savy Students pursuing advanced degrees
Very Diverse (not just African American)

Top 10 Things that I learned but will NOT be talking about:

10 In case of emergency call 911 first, then the Lord, THEN the Branch Pres
9 There are always two sides of EVERY story.
8 Things aren't always as they seem
7 Never Give up on anyone
6 Learn to take yourself seriously but don't take yourself too seriously
5 A good sense of humor will get you through just about anything
4 Every situation is an opportunity to live, teach or learn the Gospel
3 Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
2 Judge people and events based on how the Lord see them not how they look today
1 You may NEVER know why people do what they do
Bonus: There is no crystal ball in the Branch Pres office.

Three major points

Follow the Spirit

Story of being set apart
John 15:26

Family is Eternal and Essential

“I thought that telephone lines and telephone poles are a little like people. They are built for one purpose and sometimes serve another. They are designed to be firm and stout and to give support; but in many cases they are leaning and swaying and sagging until communications are greatly impaired, if not actually cut off.” Pres Kimball
Story of Losing Mom

Reality of the Atonement (Repentance, Baptism and Forgiveness)

“Peace and happiness are the precious fruits of a righteous life. They are only possible because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Each of us makes mistakes in life. ...broken laws can cause your life to be miserable and would keep you from returning to God. Only the life, teachings, and particularly the Atonement of Jesus Christ can release you from this otherwise impossible predicament.” Elder Scott
Stories of Repentance, Baptism and Forgiveness (as the spirit directs)

My Testimony

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/22/2010

2010-11-22T18:01:00.002-06:00

Hi, Thanks for the letters. I got them this Thursday.

11 15 10

Today is Elder K's B-day so he gets to chose our p-day sport. We get to the field and it was closed because the forecast of rain. We had to had to go to a worst field a couple blocks down. Because of the rain alot of people didn't show. We played mini soccer with two college soccer players. That made it better for Elder K, it gave him some people that on some what the same level of him to play against.

We had an appointment with the Lopez family and only the kids were there. The young daughter with her husband, Justin Pike, he is a non-member. Some how the lesson gravitated towards Justin and his wife. It seem like they paid attention. I don't think he was taught well by the spirit before. The first question they asked use when they sat down was,"are you teaching a lesson or just hanging out?" I was happy they dropped in the lesson with us. Afterwards we went to dinner with the missionaries in are apartment: the elder that train Elder K, Elder Craig, his Greenie , Elder Zerlagen, and the roommates, Elder Lopez and Elder Husez.

11 16 10

We went out for breakfast at Denny's. We visited a new part member family, the Baits. They are a good family, the father, Jeff, wants to get baptized. They talked about it, but he needs to build his testimony first and thats what we are there for.

11 17 10

Today we had dinner the home of Sister Deto. She want to have us over for a long time but hadn't been to church to sign up. We fill her in one of the day that we don t let people sign up on. She was so happy to have us over. Afterward we talk about her grandson getting baptized and how eventually having the priesthood. You can definitely feel the spirit in the house.

11 18 10

My three month mark woot woot im old now! Today we had a zone confernce. We were there for 8 hours. It was fun. Then at the end everone that was leaving and just got here had to bear their testimony. So I had to bear mine. So I just went up to start it out. I also got to hear and sing the Texas Houston mission song, it sound like a country anthem haha!

11 19 10

Elder K had a great district meeting. He covered the points that people in the meeting needed to hear. Then later today we went on an exchange with the AP's. I was with Elder Anderson. He was way chill when we went to teach a lesson. we only got to teach 2. We got to go tracking and we picked up 2 investigators. It was a fun day.

11 20 10

Back with Elder K we had a weird day. We had appointments fall through so we had nothing to do. So we went to a potential we ran into yesterday, Edwin. We had a great conversation with him. He didn't think we can give him much he don't already know since he is older, but he told us to come back.

11 21 10

Sunday I got to bless the sacrament. The ward mission leader's 5th son gave his farewell speech. Christon Martonson is going to Colorado Springs, CO. That was way cool. He is going to have fun for sure. We got a lot done this week. We just need to keep things picking up.

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/7/2010

2010-11-17T08:10:00.002-06:00

11/1/2010 - Had p-day. We played soccer. It wasn't even a game. We scored goal after goal. Still fun for us. Elder K had to do baptismal interviews for the Johnson family. The Johnson's were a family I met when I went on my first exchange. It was good to see them out of the hospital. When biking home there was a black man driving in the parking lot. He stuck his head out the window and stared at me then yelled at his friend, "Dang, I didn't know there were black mormons!"

11/2/2010 - Today I went on exchange with Elder Meller and Elder T, the missionaries in our apartment. I went with Elder T but he was sick. We ended up staying in the apartment all day. He slept. I cleaned up the apartment.

11/3/2010 - Today was fun. It was raining. First cold day in Texas. We went and visited a Less Active member in the ward and she wanted to get ready to do baptisms in the temple.

11/4/2010 - Went to visit a recent convert to day. Our dinner appointment was with a part member family. The wife was not a member. We did get to teach a lesson because she did not want us over in the first place. She seemed really comfortable so we will probably talk to her soon.

11/5/2010 - This morning I felt sick. Just sore all over with other symptoms. I felt a lot better in district meeting. Took a nap and we went a worked.

11/6/2010 - We did serve in the other missionaries ward. We de-weeded a garden, vacuumed out furniture, mowed the lawn, clean the driveway and clean out a room. There was still stuff we needed to do. Afterwards we went to the Johnson's baptism. The Johnson's were a family I met when I wen ton my first exchange with the zone leader. The father got to baptize all his sons.

11/7/2010 - Fast Sunday today. I was in charge of ward correlation. We didn't get into many people today. We had a slow day today.

Hey family,

Still doing well, not many problems or concerns. We have been getting our apartment fixed up. Stuff is just falling apart. How are you guys doing? What have you been up to? Marshall are you in wrestling season? I know they are here. How did your talk go? ho is your new class, dad? Miss you guys.

Elder Sleet

Happy Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T11:26:00.003-06:00

On this Veteran's Day, I will post an excerpt from my Dad's journal.

"[When] I turned 18 years of age, I recieved notification that I would be drafted into the military. My four oldest brothers had already been drafted and were in military service. I entered a hardship plea (this was near the end of WWII, my father was supporting his family by working nights and going to school during the day), which was accepted. I was allowed to remain in school until February, 1946, at which time I would be drafted. Not wanting to enlist in the U.S. Army, I decided to enlist in the U.S. Air Force for a period of three years. With this enlistment, I received the option of attending radio school and if I went overseas, i would be sent to Europe.

I entered the US Air Force on February 25, 1946. I went to San Antonio Texas for basic training...Denver Colorado for clerk typist school...[then] stationed in Tucson, Arizona. While in Tucson, I was notified of a pending overseas assignment. After a brief furlough at home, I was sent to Roswell, NM, Pittsburg, CA, Honolulu and finally after 21 days on a ship, arrived at Guam.

Although racial discrimination existed, I did not personally feel it's humiliating and debilitation effects until I entered the work world. It began with my enlistment in the U.S. Air Force in 1946, with full force. There I encountered segregation in training, schooling and living accommodations. The all-black squadrons were under white officers.

I experienced the open hostility of white airmen on a few occasions while in basic training in San Antonio, TX. We, as black airmen. would cross the border and visit Mexico. When the black airmen flirted or danced with the Mexican women the whites would become incensed. This resulted in confrontations and even fights. They considered us too inferior even for the Hispanics. Even on Guam, they had poisoned the natives against us and the Guanaians employed on the airbase treated us rudely.

With the advent of affirmative action and quotas in the sixties, doors opened for promotional opportunities for black males and later females of both races. [B]lack males and females made tremendous progress in the 70s and 80s when allowed to compete on a level playing field. "

I have to admit that I have not experienced any major form of racism in my life. I have encountered many prejudiced and closed minded people however their effects on my life has been almost insignificant. Actually, I think I have heard more racist comments from Blacks about each other. All these wonderful blessings in my life because my parents and yours fought, lived and died for them.

Remember on this Veteran's Day that the freedoms that we cherish are not only from external enemies but from internal ones. While many were fighting battles to free Europe, other heroic veterans were fighting battles for our freedoms here in America. Let us never be complacent or ever tire of doing good or fighting for freedom.

Some Great Thing

2010-11-09T06:50:00.003-06:00

I was reading this scripture this morning and it struck me.

Jeremiah 1:4-5, "Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest our of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

I was also reminded of a talk given by President Faust, he stated, "We do not prove our love for the Savior only by doing “some great thing.” If the prophet personally asked you to go on a mission to some strange and exotic place, would you go? You would probably make every effort to go. But what about paying tithing? What about doing your home teaching? We show our love for the Savior by doing the many small acts of faith, devotion, and kindness to others that define our character."

Sometime we look to Presidents, Prophets, Bishops, Pastors and anyone with a title for answers. We seek all sorts of counseling and advice on the many issues and opportunities that come our way. I am not saying that those are bad things to do. I just want to remind myself that God knew ME, before I was born. He knew my strengths and knew my weaknesses. He is not surprised at either my success or failures. He created me and loves me. As a result I feel that I can do all that he asks me to do. And that he will help ME and give ME answers to MY prayers.

Jesus said it very clearly, "...the kingdom of heaven is within you" (Luke 17:21)

I really do believe that our true natures are revealed in the little things.

Anybody can be in the spotlight and perform, if they can get their nerves in order. However it takes more than just calming your nerves to do what's right when no one is watching. It takes everything you have to do a small, insignificant act of goodness. It takes tremendous willpower to overcome and wrestle with your personal problems.

Not too long ago, I saw a person that had been irritated with me in our last encounter. I had apologized, however they seemed to want to continue their frustrations. I saw that person and thought to avoid them so to not make the situation worse. However a smile came on my face. They returned the smile. Just then the whole situation was over. Very simple but very significant.

I have friends that have very serious problems. I do believe that the Lord knew them before they were born. Although I don't believe that every opportunity or challenge comes from God. We have no idea which one's were specially designed us by a loving Heavenly Father. Some are. We want them to be over as soon as possible. However there is a lesson in there somewhere, regardless of their source. God who knows us from the time we were born, knows the exact path through whatever circumstance we might find ourselves. As a result, there are hints and tips along the way.

So I pray for all of us. Not just that our adversity might subside. I also pray that we may see and feel that God knew us before they we were born. That he is aware of us. He will teach and help us along the way. That we may develop into the men and women that the Lord wants us to be!

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/5/2010

2010-11-06T10:16:00.002-05:00

Hey Family,

I might be repeating stuff I already said. I'm writing this before I email. Champions Ward is way fun and I still have the same companion, Elder K. He is the best missionary I have met out here. He helps me a lot. We have been working out in the gym every morning. That has been good for me or else you would have a blimp as a son. We get up at 5am to go. Get back at 7 to get ready for our day. Then we start our Personal Study at 8am. Meet back together at 9am and do our common study until 10am. the we just work until 9pm.

We are always busy and I have a easy time talking to people. I am partly a simple man that have simple words and they like that. Elder K is a deep doctrine teacher. I can see him one day being an Apostle. We are a great team even on P-day. He plays soccer for Weber State and won the Nationals. I never knew I was good at soccer. Marshall you should try, you too Samuel. I am always thinking of you guys. It's weird not knowing how you are.

Love you all,

Elder Sleet

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/1/2010

2010-11-01T17:52:00.001-05:00

Dear Family,

Tell everyone to use the address you have for the mission office and they would send it to me anywhere I go. I've gotten the Dear Elder letters from you. Did you guys get the package with the watch in it? I also sent back some letters for you all. I have started another letter to you guys this week. I just send one today. You can say anything you want to about me in your talk. I'm still with Elder K. This transfer and its still going well. His birthday in 15 days I'm planning a mission surprise party with the ward.

We are doing great! When we exchange with other missionaries, I can work them. I went 60miles with my zone leader. I'm still in Champion Ward. I like it a lot. I will let you know if something changes. We have a new roommate that took elder Jonson's place. His name is Elder Miller.

The bishop loves us. He having us over for Thanksgiving. We have correlation every Sunday. The leaders are helping a lot. The ward mission leader is one of the best people in the ward. He work with us as often as he can. He had 4 sons go on a mission, one just got his call, and one is waiting. He loves missionary work.

We are teaching the Baily's. They are a Jamaican family that own there own law firm. They have 4 kids living in the house ages 17 to 28. We are also teaching the Griffen family and Mark.

I also got a letter from the Coleman's.

I still have the camera and I will start taking more pictures. The the bike is great! I travel 30 to 60 mile a day.

Love,

Elder Sleet

Resistance is Futile

2010-10-18T07:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I received two callings in the Rockwood 1st ward: one as a Sunday School teacher and the second one as the Ward Employment Specialist. I am happy to be back on the Lord's team at his service.

As I stuck my head into the class that I would be teaching, the prior teacher was giving her last class. The girls brought pies and were sincerely grateful for their teacher. I decided to attend Gospel Doctrine class and give the prior teacher her time with her class. During the time after Sunday School and before the next hour, one of the students approached me and told me how excited she was that I would be their teacher.

I have to admit that caught me off guard. For the last four years I noticed the following in Pagedale with the youth. Whenever someone new is introduced they seemed to make an arbitrary decision up front. They either liked you or they didn't. Some of it was based on what you were willing to give them or what you might be willing to let them get away with. If they came to the conclusion that they didn't like you, you had a very difficult time.

There was a passive resistance to authority. Suddenly they would become sleepy or uninvolved. Some would not be able to pay attention or put away cell phones. Some would just simply ignore you and pretend that you didn't exist.

It appeared that even if they liked or disliked you there was this initiation period before they would cooperate. I think at the end of the day there were those that like and appreciated my efforts and there were others that still have negative things to say and feel. The sad thing is that this resistance was so unnecessary and produced the opposite results.

It is basic human nature for us to gravitate to the positive and avoid the negative. This group that I met on Sunday will get a very enthusiastic Paul Sleet because they are excited to have me. I have already started beginning to prepare and think about the class. On the other hand the group I just left who probably needed teaching even more tended to get less. It would take everything I had to give my best efforts and love to some of the students. Some times the teachers would simply give up, saying "whats the use, they are not listening anyway." I decided upfront that I would not give up on anyone, however that was very difficult.

They need more love from the teacher, however showing hostility is not really a good way to get it. They need more instruction, many were very poor readers, however showing animosity towards the teacher will not get the best efforts from the teacher.

In my mind this is a clear illustration of why the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The sad truth is that the poor have no idea that their own behavior is one of the key contribution to the problem. Its fairly unconscious, I believe many of our leaders and teachers would receive inspiration to do something, then unconsciously start thinking about the resistance and "dumb down" the lesson to the lowest common denominator. The Pagedale youth will never know how good the many teachers and opportunities they have had over the years because of the passive resistance. During a release most of the teachers would express the same lament, "I wish I could have done more..."

A few of the young men and one young woman over the last four years complained to me about the lack of respect or the other students. One young man decided to stop coming to youth activities because he didn't want the association with those that were doing wrong.

I pray that one day they inner city youth will be able to overcome this habit. They have great potential and can have such wonderful lives.

Did I Miss Something?

2010-10-14T07:43:00.002-05:00

During the last General Conference I recall Elder Boyd K. Packer giving a beautiful talk based on the atonement of Jesus Christ. I have reviewed this talk a few times in light of some of the media controversy. However I don't recall or see now any reference to "gay", "lesbian" or "homosexual"....I don't recall these words being used during the entire weekend by anyone.

I think I was more humorously concerned that he quoted the late great Flip Wilson's character "Geraldine"..."The devil made me do it."; without giving credit to this great African American pioneer. As a matter of fact this was the punch line of a comedy routine, not serious doctrine.

I think the part people are having challenges with are as follows:

"We teach a standard of moral conduct that will protect us from Satan’s many substitutes or counterfeits for marriage. We must understand that any persuasion to enter into any relationship that is not in harmony with the principles of the gospel must be wrong. From the Book of Mormon we learn that “wickedness never was happiness.”

Some suppose that they were preset and cannot overcome what they feel are inborn temptations toward the impure and unnatural. Not so! Remember, God is our Heavenly Father."

There also appears to be a slight editing job because I remember the phase, "Why would God do that to anyone." after this statement.

Couple of things.

The church believes that sex should only be between a married couple.
The church believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.
We are to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Thats it.

Anything else derived from these two fact is hyperbole designed to whip people into a frenzy.

The church actually put out this very appropriate video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsR9HPhsjJ4&feature=player_embedded

I can certainly understand how the Gay community might misunderstand the church's position. I also understand how they may be on edge. The church has take a position against bills and measures that Gay's support. As a result, I can see how a person could feel. Most people don't understand the concept of disagreement. There is always an implied animosity or hatred. The belief is that I cannot disagree with you with out somehow hating you.

I have friends with religious, political and moral practices that I don't agree with. I am comfortable with my beliefs that I can have an intelligent conversation with anyone on any topic with out fear of being "converted" to someone else's side. I also have no desire to make all my friends believe as I do. Even when I share the gospel, I only will share it with someone who is interested. I absolutely believe that if someone is not interested in the gospel or whatever topic that you should leave it be.

When I was in California, I home taught a couple that I later found out were lesbians. I believe I visited them for a year. I just recall that they were two very nice women and that they were friendly to me and to members of my family. On one of my visits I believe I asked why they don't attend church. They replied that they would like to. So I said well "come on!" There was some hesitation that I didn't understand. She asked me, "Do you think people will stare at us if we are holding hands." I thought that was an odd question. I said "I don't think so." I've seen men women and children holding hands of all different combinations. Then she asked, "Wonder if we kiss?" I was thinking...why would you want to kiss in church? Then it dawned on me (ok I'm a little slow) what she was really asking me. I cautiously asked "Are you gay?" She replied, "yes".

Basically I told her about the church's position and that she would be welcome. However I also warned her that people are people. People stare at other people that they feel are different than they are. I also said I could not prevent every dumb comment either. Some people regardless of their religious background will say dumb things. Sometimes seriousness and sometimes in humor. I recall someone said to me: "I'm glad that you people finally made it in the church." I don't make smart-alec remarks as much but I used to respond: "I hope that you people make in the church one day too." I believe she made one attempt to come to church and that was it. We still visited regularly and supported her. As time went on her daughter was actually baptized in the church.

I do admit that I have a different reaction to gay women as apposed to gay men. It is irrational and unfair. I had an opportunity to serve in the church with an openly gay man. I admit that I was very uncomfortable initially even with the concept of him being in the building. However he was part of a family that I respected. When I stopped looking at him as a gay man but as a brother in the gospel things changed. He became another child of God. I will never accept his life style however I was able to appreciate his humanity and goodness. He was a very positive influence on many people. I remember one day he came to me and "confessed" his orientation. It was kind of an awkward meeting. However I hope he went away from that meeting knowing that the Lord loved him for who he was and all the good he has done.

I personally believe in live and let live. If you want to be gay thats your prerogative. I will not protest you, shun you or make any mean or humiliating comments. At the same time I have no desire to be gay. As long as my views don't impact you or vice versa as the youth say, "we cool." I understand and support the church's position on marriage. However personally I could really care less if someone gay gets married. Gay people marrying has no impact on my marriage or beliefs in any shape or form. As a result, I would not sign a petition or vote against it.

There is a song in the church that says, "let us oft speak kind works to another." That goes for both sides. Sometimes the so called "victims" can come in with guns blaring and cause more damage than ever. I think one time and only one time I confronted a brother in the church and called him a racist. I saw such pain in his face that I apologized and decided that day to never do that again.

Let's never forget to love one another.

Trouble with Texting

2010-10-12T07:27:00.002-05:00

Looking over my Verizon statement, I appear to be a heavy text message user. Unofficially, According to Wikipedia the average cell phone user sends out about 500 text messages per month. I am easily double that amount on a regular basis. The nature of my text range from business to personal. From a business point of view, I am on the road on a regular basis and in meetings where I may not have access to the corporate network. To send someone a quick text with a question raised by a customer and to be able to respond in real time by texting someone in the office is very helpful. I have returned that favor many times.

As a social tool I love just saying "hi" to old friends or to wish someone well on a particular holiday. Its nice to know someone is thinking about you.

Quite frankly texting is a more efficient use of my time. Most phone calls have only one topic. Someone has a question and think you have the answer. However with the phone call there is the ramp up to the question, the actual question itself then the spin down of the conversation. At any point in this process the other person can spin off on a tangent (I do this all the time) adding time to the conversation. In some of my church related phone calls, if the person did not get the answer they were expecting, they continued to re-ask in different formats only to get the same answer. Unfortunately wasting time for both of us.

I recall recently listening to a completely warped and distorted story. The answer to the question was NO! However I had to listen to the entire made up story trying to push the person to the point.

Texting can be very compact and simple.

-->Hey r u free for lunch?

<--Where do you want to meet?

-->Let's meet at Chipoltle at 11:30
<--The one on Kirkwood Blvd

And that's it. The same phone conversation would easily take about 15 minutes and require my complete attention, where this text interaction can happen while you are still working. If the person was busy or said No...there is not the same guilt or excuse making associated with having a live friend on the phone.

Some church interactions were perfect for texting:

-->Are you going to be at mutual tonight
<--No I'm working tonight
-->No problem, see you Sunday

No pressure, no guilt...just the facts. I really like that. I can send the same text to 10 people, find the one person who is free and not make the 9 that are busy feel guilty with my phone call. I remember years ago needing help with changing a tire for a sister in the ward. I was out of town so I called a brother in the church. He asked me about 10 questions. Then at the end of the exchange said he was too busy. I was thinking...why the heck did you ask me all those questions and waste my time! I could have been calling someone else.

I have stopped texting while I drive because I noticed others driving while texting. I was on the highway driving to Jefferson City, there was a person texting. I believe that they did not look up from the cell phone for about 5-10 minutes. It was unbelievable.

In my church service I learned that I needed to use text messages sparingly with certain people. If you are the type of person that jumps to conclusions, gets worked up quickly or reads between the lines....you should not text. If you are the person that will not follow up with a phone call or give the person the benefit of the doubt...you should not text. Some people have chips on their shoulders or looking for a fight. Any text is used as ammunition or evidence for whatever nefarious plan they have.

I have this feature on my phone that corrects my spelling. I wish I could turn it off. Sometimes it's corrections have caused me serious problems with people. There was a time when it made a simple correction from "donut" to "don't", there was an individual that assumed that I was telling them not to do something or reprimanding them. The text was suppose to be humorous about how I wanted a donut. I also have a pet peeve about some young people who purposefully misspell words. I understand the ubiquitous LOL however I don't like text like this:

-->hay pr sleet wen u cm to cuch?

I really don't want to pull out the "Star Trek" Universal translator to figure out my text messages. I'm not sure how long it took me to figure out that "cuch" was "church"!

I also don't care for the chain letters that come through the text. Send this message to 10 of your friends and receive a blessing from God. Anyone with any religious background should realize that God doesn't text.

I admit that I have sent a few angry texts or some inappropriately worded texts. All I can say is that is a very bad idea. Those have never worked out well. The text is already a cold medium as a result whatever your intention, your worse nightmare will always come true. I recall sending a series of text messages that were completely misinterpreted because they went on too long. I regret these mishaps and will be more careful in the future.

I think a good rule of thumb might be to make sure you have a real live conversation every few days with anyone you text with on a regular basis. Also if someone says something that seems outlandish or offensive don't reply in the text, call them and ask "hey what's up with that"...most likely it was a mistake. Even if the person is truly upset it will be better to handle the issue live than by text. There are people who still have damaged relationships today because of an errant text message.

Use the technology...but like salt..use it wisely and sparingly. And remember it is not a substitution for good old face to face personal human interaction.

Lessons from the Pagedale Branch

2010-10-11T07:16:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was released as Branch President of the Pagedale Branch. I have learned alot about people and more about myself over the last four years. I will just note a few while they are fresh in my mind.

1. Panic attacks. At some point when I was in college, I started having seizures. They were unbelievably frightening especially for a person like me who has to be in control. Somehow mysteriously, I thought, they went away. I discovered that they seem to be stress related. I don't think my stress level has been high enough to trigger them however I experienced them in a different form on several occasions over the last four years. It now appears to trigger sweating and a rapid heart beat that lasts only for a few minutes. During my release yesterday I thought I was close to fainting, normally Jeff Anderson would sit to the left of me and somehow that would calm things. Yesterday it was the spirit of a song performed by Steve Schuman and myself that did the trick.

2. Black Folks. On several occasions people have implied that somehow being black made it easier for me to relate or for black people to relate to me. There was also a myth that black youth would respond differently to a black male figure. This is all fantasy and wishful thinking. It seemed that the black thing would last for a few minutes. I found that people would like me possibly after they took some time to get to know me, serve with me or work through some problem. Those that disliked me had their reasons. None on either side had any racial motivations. Some were righteous judgement some were not.

Although I grew up in North St. Louis, my background is dramatically different than the blacks that live there today. I found that my example and my children were marginalized. We were "acting white" somehow! I would consider myself acting black because both my brother and sister attended college which was motivated by our parents....all were black. My children were accused of 'talking like white kids" which was very hurtful. However I realize that I was just out of ignorance and not real animosity.

Some black people and families in the branch I grew to love as family. Not just because they were black however there grew a mutual respect and appreciation for our similarities and even differences. I always treasure those friendships. Some black people were indifferent and some manipulative (to be discussed later).

All in all for future reference I sure hope the question of having a black leader has been settled once and for all. I gave it my all and some responded and some did not. However those that responded did so for reasons that had nothing to do with race. There was a genuine love that transcends understanding.

3. White Folks. Over the four years there was a rich, strong group of students that either attended Washington University or St. Louis University in attendance in the Branch. If I had the ability I would build a small statue somewhere on the grounds of the building with a plaque attached and have each families name etched into it. Most came in pursuing advanced degrees. All were either married and had families. All were extremely high achievers. As a result, no matter how long or how short they were in the branch they would accomplish many great things. Some people might be tempted to sit back or coast when in a ward for only a short period of time. I had learned from these students that you can be in a ward or branch for only 3 months and still make a difference.

These young families basically ran the branch. As branch president I could only do so much on my own. They filled presidencies and ran organizations. It was an unbelievable balancing act to try to delegate the actions of the branch to these individuals while not trying to overload them. In addition to running the branch they were husbands, wives and young parents...not to mention they were studying for masters and doctorate degrees.

I developed a system of what items I would delegate, which ones I would drop and which ones I would do and which ones we would put on the back burner. I realized this style of "throttling" the work load frustrated some people. However after prayer it was the best I could come up with.

The other group of white folk were the members that already lived in the branch. Many had been a little burned out for various reasons. Some of them just needed a little friendship and TLC.

It was my priveledge to make close friendships based on love and mutual respect with both groups. I admit I did find it difficult to make friends then have them move as quickly as they came however there were a few students that were there for almost my entire time.

4. The other people. Sound insulting but its not. I don't think people realize the number of cultures that are present at any given time in the Branch. Its not black, its not white. There have been and still are Spanish, Asian, African, Polynesian and so forth. For several years there was a very rich group of Polynesians. I really miss the "Aloha" spirit they they brought to the branch. Many have moved on to various parts of the country. Although I was not in the branch in the early days, I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the warm traditions...such as the "Good Morning" greeting was initiated by the Polynesian saints.

I think somewhere in my family history must be a Polynesian because I love the people and the food!!

5. Welfare and Church Welfare. Quite frankly, this was the most painful, complicated and tiresome part of serving in the branch. There were some aspects of Church welfare I loved completely. There were widows that needed a little help, there were families that fell on hard times there were children that needed school supplies. There were many hungry people who were fed over the years. I felt extremely grateful to be in a position where so many people were helped with their basic needs. Many of these people were helped confidentially and no one will ever know. Some were so humble that food or diapers had to be secretly deposited on their door steps because they did not want to be a burden on the church.

The other side of the coin were people either members or not that came only seeking financial assistance from the church. I found that some people would do or say anything for money. It was sad.

Either side, the honest or the dishonest, did not come from any particular race or culture. Some were very difficult to spot. In this regard I feel that a tremendous number of prayers were offered to determine who to help. I didn't realize I had a problem with saying No. Until I was faced with so many situations were No was the answer. Over the years I became more confident in saying what the Lord had decided....either Yes or No.

5. Running the Church. I had no idea how complicated an enterprise the church really is. I have abject sympathy to any Bishop or Branch President. The sheer number of issues are staggering and initially overwhelming. The buck stops at the Presidents desk. You are completely responsible for what you said, did and implied. I found myself constantly stating "Hey I never said that." I found that my casual communication style was not working and that I needed to be more "crisp" in my directions or people did not know what exactly to do.

I had never been so dependent upon following the spirit in my entire life.

That in my mind was the fundamental principle of running the church. Pray about it. Wait for an answer. Then do it. The then do it part was sometimes tricky because the church is not a dictatorship; you have a team of willing volunteers. However they have lives and motivations to. Sustaining church leaders only goes so far. People will tend to do what they want to do. That is not a negative because many people want to do good.

The challenge is when people are moving in opposite or the wrong direction. No one likes to be told that they are wrong, inappropriate or doing something against policy. It took alot of patience and love to help people make course correction. That was not a skill I had before this assignment.

6. Counseling People. There are some paragraphs in the manual on doing this, however there is absolutely no training for counseling people. Initially I found this very frightening to think that someone was going to share their personal challenges with me, hopeful for some sort of counsel or relief. It was during these meetings where I was clear that the Lord was in complete control. There is no doubt in my mind that the recommendation given to the people over the years came from our Father in Heaven. I have no experience or education in this area. I am an Engineer! However, by the second or third year I began to love meeting with people and helping them through life's challenges the Lord's way.

It was completely rewarding to meet with people offer them the Lord's guidance and to see them try. Even when they would fail, people would confess and try again. I learned genuinely to love people who were struggling and trying so hard to do what was right.

The height of the counseling session was a meeting called a temple recommend interview. These were precious. I will miss conducting these simple meetings to determine worthiness.

Well that's enough for now....what a wonderful experience I had!! My testimony and love of the Savior Jesus Christ has been deepened. I have definite real experience with the atonement and how it can change lives. I am a different man today to which I am extremely grateful.

Its the Pride!

2010-10-08T08:51:00.003-05:00

At last weeks conference Elder Utchdorf made the following statement, " For a while it almost became taboo among Church members to say that they were “proud” of their children or their country or that they took “pride” in their work. The very word pride seemed to become an outcast in our vocabulary."

I was actually at my first General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when Elder Benson gave this talk. I also remember the many many testimonies where people were trying to avoid or justify their use of the word pride or proud. Its almost tragic that someone has to explain these types of things because of our taking the words we hear too literally, thus missing the spirit of the law.

I have a word I would like to reintroduce. That is selfish. There is such a terrible connotation with the word selfish, it immediately elicits negative feelings. As selfish person is bad...right?

I admit to being selfish in many aspects. For example, I pick the restaurants that I frequent based on the food and the service they provide me. I selected my doctor based on how he related to me, I have no idea what school he attended. I selected the church that I attend because I investigated and found the teachings to be correct. I go to church Sunday after Sunday because I like it and I feel better when I do. I even do good because it makes me feel better.

Those are not my only reason however they are some very selfish reasons. I am perfectly capable of being altruistic. However even in my altruism it still turns into selfishness. When I do nice things for my wife, it makes me happy too. Being involved in my children's lives seems to make them happy at times, but I get great joy and satisfaction. I think I have been involved in more service projects than I can count but each one of them have made me feel glad that I went. I have developed some very close personal friendships and relationships, they make me very happy.

Even painful situations that I had to endure over the last several years seemed to work toward my benefit. The loss of my job three years ago had heightened my awareness to being prepared. The loss of both parents have made me more aware of living in the moment. A hospital stay due to chest pains made me more aware of taking care of my health. I admit that all the adjustments I made were selfishly motivated either for my mental or physical health.

I can honestly say that everything that I am involved with at home, at work, at church or at play that I selflessly am able to give and then selfishly enjoy. Does that make me a selfish man?

Proper Parenting

2010-10-05T08:36:00.002-05:00

There are probably more books, websites and opinions on parenting than there are parents. It seems that the parenting approach has evolved over time. When I was growing up kids were given whippings. As sadistic as it might sound we used to sit in the gangway of my best friends house and listen to his father give him and his brothers their whippings. We would try to identify who was getting beat based on the screams.

Although my brother and sister may not feel this is true, I had my fair share of these whippings. I am extremely grateful that my parents were either getting tired or evolving in their approach. I have been told that I received much less of these than my brother. The approach that seemed to evolve from my parents was two pronged. My mother would yell and question and my father would question and lecture.

At times I would rather have taken the beating than to have to try to answer the questions. Why did you do that? What where you thinking? What exactly did you do? How long have you been doing this? Have you ever done this before? What made you do this today? Do you know how this makes me feel when you do this? So forth and so on...

These and many other probing questions made me uncomfortable because they forced me to think about what I had done wrong. In my own parenting I found the yelling approach ineffective. However the questions that both my mother and father asked I have found almost surgically efficient.

I was watching Conference with a very good friend on mine Sunday afternoon. I hope I don't embarrass him by sharing this story. His children were being children. His children were fascinated by a few plaster statuettes. It was pretty obvious what was going to happen. Small children are instantly and magnetically attracted to breakable objects. Eventually one of the objects was broken. Since I no longer have small children, my ability to not laugh at such a situation is very limited. In addition the look on my friends daughters face was in a word....priceless! As I attempted not to even smile at such a scene my friend began to talk to his daughter and explain the consequences. I was fairly impressed. It was clear that he loved his children and that's all that mattered.

I love my children and I love my parents. All in all thats what is the most important. Children who are loved grow up to be parents who love their children. In the years that I have worked in the city I have been trying to convince black parents that you don't have to abuse your children to keep them out of trouble. You can love them, build them up, correct them, teach them and help them along the way. All this yelling, beating and whipping came from slavery anyway. Declare yourself free at last, free at last!! Love you children before they are grown and before you are gone.

Happy at Home

2010-09-24T14:46:00.002-05:00

Boyd K. Packer stated, "The ultimate end of all activity in the Church is that a man and his wife and their children might be happy at home, protected by the principles and laws of the gospel, sealed safely in the covenants of the everlasting priesthood."

Sometimes I am asked why I attend church or my particular religion.

When I joined the church in 1989, I had little exposure to the Mormon religion. I had no family history or family traditions in that faith. As easy as it came into my life, I could have just as easily dismissed it. I am happy that I was able to have a completely open and objective investigation. I have always been a firm believer that church was made for man, not vice versa.

I had learned that the genesis of the Mormon faith began with a question from a 14 year old boy. He wanted to know which church to join. I can relate to his frustration. Someone recently asked me what evidence I had that God existed. I responded that it is a matter of faith. If you believe in God, everything is an evidence. However if you don't believe in God, nothing is. This is why no one can be forced into any religion or faith.

I am happy to question everything with the confidence that God will answer my prayers. I think it is healthy to question our beliefs our actions and behaviors. Some are raised in an environment of certainty and feel that it is bad or wrong to question their faith. Investigating and questioning then coming to resolution makes your faith stronger.

Over the years I have found myself questioning my course of action and coming to the same, objective conclusion. That is, living the gospel and keeping my promises to God through his son Jesus Christ makes me and my family happy and safe.

Letter from Elder Sleet

2010-09-20T11:04:00.003-05:00

Hey STL,

I'm doing great in the field and having all kinds of fun. I've been following the "Preach My Gospel" manual and it helps me teach what I need to. There is one woman name Jewel that was hard to understand. My companion, Elder Keliipuleole, he is half Hawaiian, can't tell a word of what she is saying. So I get to teach her by myself. She has a strong feel for the spirit and it is amazing to hear her testimony.

I know the why I was sent to this area, so I can help her with understanding the doctrine. She picks up everything. She tells me that every thing I say she knows to be true and then expands on it like in a deeper sense. She never went to high school so I know the only way she knows and learn this thing is by the spirit.

I enjoy having the time to get to know the people in my ward. They teach us a lot and try to feed us till we pop. They would not let us leave unless we have seconds, no butts. I'm glad I'm in a bike area or i would be coming home a blimp!

Well have fun every one, I am!

Love

Elder Sleet

Letter from Elder Sleet - 9/12/2010

2010-09-13T09:31:00.002-05:00

Hi, I'm in Houston, Texas and I've been her for a while. I have my first baptism date on October 2. Yeah I know! But he was ready so we set a date with him. It's been great out here. I'm in a bike area so I've been borrowing a nonmember's bike. You can send my blue bike. My room mate have a bmx bike. The route our area we go isnt big.

I've been told that Beyonce is in our area. We are in a nice area, It is the Champions ward. We get fed every night except Wednesdays and some Mondays. My 4 roommates have me working out every day. Its been fun. One of the families we visited want to send you a picture on facebook. Keep writing me, Miss you!

Elder Sleet

Best Advice Ever!

2010-09-07T16:10:00.002-05:00

Some of the best advice I have ever received over the years

Pray on it.
Don't trip over it.
Stumble Forward!
Think about it.
Often when all is said and done, more is said than done.
Relax
Always make time for your family....especially date night.
Work as if it was up to you, pray because it is up to God.
Remember people's names.
You will never win an argument.
Winners win; losers lose.
Don't ever be afraid to be wrong.
Most of the things we worry about never happen.
Be a student of the Gospel.
Compete with your own goals but don't compare yourself to others.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Try to find 5 nice things to say to someone.
Honesty is the only policy.
Keep the sabbath day holy.
Hard work and honesty will keep you ahead of 90% of the people.
Integrity is everything.
Attitude is everything.
You need to learn to take yourself seriously.
Don't take yourself too seriously.
Attack your problems before they attack you!
Take the time to understand where someone is coming from.
A good leader is a good follower.
You choose to be happy.
Just take it one day at a time.
When in doubt....reboot!

Letter from Elder Sleet

2010-08-31T16:40:00.002-05:00

We just received our 1st letter in the mail from Elder Sleet to his St. Louis Family and Friends. Here is it (spelling corrected)

Dear St. Louis Family,

I am having a great time in the MTC. They are giving me all I can eat so I am being taken care of. Can't wait to get a letter from all of you. I'll write each of you when I do. I don't have anytime on the computer really so I can't send email so try to stick to snailmail.

You can email me at daniel.sleet@myldsmail.net

Elder Sleet's current address is:

Provo Missionary Training Center

2005 N 900E
Provo, UT 84604

Here is the latest information and address

I can write you a letter back, so please include your address when you mail me.

I have just been taking classes and I go to the mission field on the 8th. I can't wait to get to Texas!

I also got to hear Jeffrey R. Holland speak at our devotional. It was a powerful and moving talk on obedience.

Well I am writing to mostly let you know I miss you guys. I will be back before you notice.

Elder Sleet

A Very Sensitive Topic

2010-07-16T15:37:00.002-05:00

Someone shared with me what "they" thought the church's position was on abortion. After a little research I found the following:

"The Lord commanded, "Thou shalt not...kill or do anything like unto it" The Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience. Members must not submit to, perform, pay for, arrange for, or encourage an abortion. The only possible exceptions are when:

Pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.
A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy.
A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.

Even these exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Abortion is a most serious matter and should be considered only after the persons responsible have consulted with their bishops and received divine confirmation through prayer.

The Church as not favored or opposed legislative proposals or public demonstrations concerning abortion. However the First Presidency encourages members, as citizens, to let their voices be heard in appropriate and legal ways that will evidence their belief in the sacredness of life.

Church members who submit to, perform, pay for, or encourage an abortion may be subject to Church discipline.

As far as has been revealed, a person may repent and be forgiven for the sin of abortion."

I have always been suspect of claims of individuals for or against the church making claims on what the church teaches. This is a most sensitive topic and not subject to a one liner or a quick answer. I would hope that people who have conversations with others would treat sensitive topics with care and not just try to make points.

Sometimes the best words said about a particular topics are none at all. I think it is much better to have an intelligent conversations with ample time to discuss them with the appropriate parties than to give some one liner that confuses and hurts people.

Please be careful.

Pres Sleet

The Intangibles

2010-07-01T15:04:00.002-05:00

Every say..."I can't put my finger on why but I really like ...."

I was pleased to hear a report from a friend who interviewed a young woman from our branch. My friend was so happy to have met this young lady. There are so many intangible factors such as friendliness, positivity or having a "can-do" attitude. Some people are just the kind of people that you like to have around.

On the other hand there are people that we tend to avoid. Some make us uncomfortable.

I realize that we are not to judge people however it is impossible not to make judgments. We do it all the time. We see someone helping someone and we assume that person is generally helpful. On the other hand when we see someone complaining we assume that they are generally a negative person.

This past weekend at our youth conference, there was a few of the youth that complained just about everything. I wonder if they realize how much they complained. Sometimes I think it's just a state of mind. Maybe they think its funny. It could just be a habit. Some if they were "caught" would do right. Others would do right when someone strongly encouraged them to do right. The group that was the most pleasant were the ones that did right without any external influence.

The same holds true in the work place or the home. Think about how pleasant life would be if people just choose to do right.

No one really wants to force, control or tell people what to do. However it seems that some people don't have the good intangibles. They lack character or integrity.

Its amazing how many of the Lord's blessings come freely to those with the positive intangibles. People are attracted to them, opportunities come their way and trouble seems to go elsewhere.

Well I can't put my finger on it but I know what I like...and I like what's good.

Youth Conference

2010-06-28T08:45:00.007-05:00

Youth Conference was awesome this weekend. We started out from the Stake Center and traveled to Carthage, IL to visit the jail where Joseph Smith was martyred. I was moved by the missionary who bore his testimony to us. We had a great group of Young Men and Young Women who attended this activity.

We left Carthage and drove to Nauvoo, IL. That evening we had an activity call the Amazing Race. It was basically a walking tour of historic Nauvoo. I was impressed at how the city of Nauvoo had been restored. It was beautiful. I think I walked 3-5 miles through Nauvoo.

That evening we enjoyed a concert by Vocal Point.

The next morning we participated in a 3 mile Handcart Trek. This had to be the toughest thing I have done in my life. I was humbled to think that men women and children walked 1000s of miles pulling similar carts.

I was so proud and happy to be with my son Marshall and Cedale on this arduous journey. There is no way I could have made it without them.

Be About Something

2010-06-22T08:15:00.002-05:00

Some of my favorite stories, movies and examples in life surround people who had a mission. They found purpose in their lives; overcame odds and lived a life about something. In my mind it didn't matter if they were successful or not the fact was that they were about something.

I grew up in St. Louis. I am impressed by the people who are about something. However I am saddened to see the many that are about nothing. Some are about getting high or getting paid, as they say.

It starts with children and manifest itself in the teenage years. A child can be exposed to many beautiful, mind and spirit expanding experiences. My parents exposed me to art museums, concerts, nature, business and many many more things than I can remember. I can say that by the time that I was a teenager, I was exposed to many possibilities in life. My first mission in life was to become the valedictorian at my high school. I did not accomplish this goal however I learned how to give something my all.

I have set similar goals in the arts, with music and mostly through athletics.

In my adult life, I find it more and more difficult to be around teenagers and adults who are about nothing. They tend to be more disruptive and contribute nothing. They seek attention for foolishness and waste their time and everyone else's. They start fights, and are disrespectful to those in authority. They have no respect for them selves or even those that they call their home boys.

There is a trend among boys to get earrings now. I'm not sure what that is all about. However it seems that they are more concerned about putting rings in their ears, or tattoos on their bodies and leaving their minds and spirits empty.

I want to tell them all to rise up from the dust and be men. Shake off the shackles that have enslaved you. You are no longer slaves you are free! Shake off your ignorance. Wake up and be about something today!

Hold Your Peace

2010-05-26T07:36:00.003-05:00

OK...we have all done it.

The email that you wish you never sent. The words you wish you never said. The text message you wish you didn't text. That post on the internet that you wish you could take back.

I love the new technology however it has many limitations and risks. Good communication occurs on many levels, it includes our facial expressions, tone of voice, pace, and the content. The most important aspect of communicating with another person is the Spirit. Sometimes blessed with the Spirit of God, two or more people can understand one another without speaking a word.

I had a good friend who lost his wife. I decided a few weeks later that we would go golfing. We spend about four hours together. The entire time I was trying to think of something to say to comfort him in his time of loss. The most we said to each other was "nice shot", "oh that will play" and so forth. As we were driving home I was feeling a little disappointed in myself for not having much to say. As I dropped him at his home, he looked at me with tears in his eyes and said that he had the best day since his wife passed. I was grateful that I didn't talk that whole time, when all he wanted was some peace.

Proverbs 17:28 stated "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

I have sent emails and text messages that I wish I never sent. Sometimes for the sake of brevity you leave out certain words and the message is interpreted as a demand instead of a humble request. Some emails were interpreted that I was upset or angry. Many of these situations I would have been better off with talking to the person face to face. Better yet there are times when saying nothing at all is the best course of action. I have found that I am not the smartest person in the world. If I notice something is wrong, chances are the person that I am about to correct or advise has figured it out too. People have no choice but to become defensive when you point out the error in their ways....especially over email or text.

Another challenge with emails and text messages is that they develop a life of their own. Another person assumes your intentions, your attitude and then responds. Now there are two people offended! I try so hard to just delete offensive emails and wait until I can have a personal conversation. I even try to read the email with the softest understanding voice that I can imagine.

I certainly don't have the answers to the new technology. However I am reminded of what it says in Mosiah 4:29-30, "...I cannot tell you all the things thereby ye may commit sin; ....But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in faith....even until the end of your lives, ye much perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not."

Tears of Joy and Pain

2010-05-24T16:00:00.002-05:00

I found the following quote on the internet...the author was anonymous...."Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a teardrop."

When I was a small boy my mother had a miscarriage. I could not understand what was happening however the memory of this is clear in my mind even today. I will not go into any details but it was extremely traumatic. Thoughts ran through my mind. Worse of all I thought I would lose my mother. My brother and I made a pact of sorts that we would cry that night but never cry again. I'm not exactly sure why I agreed to this plan, but perhaps it seemed like a good idea at the time. Many events occurred from then forward that I felt the tears of joy or pain and somehow had suppressed the actual tears. Somehow I convinced myself that crying was wimpy.

I remember joining the church in 1989 and I met with a man that respected. He began to speak about his family and his faith and I noticed that he was crying. I figured if this man could cry, he certainly was not a wimp, then it might be ok for me. I think a few special occasions occurred that caused me to cry but I still was uncomfortable. My daughter Courtney was baptized in 1998, my father spoke at her baptism. Hearing him speak brought tears to my eyes. Then within two weeks he was gone.

Seems like since then I tend to cry at the drop of a hat, as they say. Sometimes I think I need to get my head checked. Most of the time, I am just happy. I love seeing people try new things, struggle and overcome against the odds. I cry when innocent people are hurt. I even cry at movies now (I NEVER did that before).

Just recently some Barry Manilow music was playing on my ipod. I cried so much, I thought I had lost my mind. Believe it or not, I actually like Barry. Well all I can say is if you're not feeling happy or if you're depressed...try a few tears of joy.

Prayer

2010-05-21T06:12:00.002-05:00

I love to pray.

I can not pretend to understand why people do the things that they do. I sometimes even surprise myself. I don't even pretend to know the mind and the will of God at all times. However, I try everyday. I have had a very simple routine for quite a while. I wake up in the morning. Read my scriptures, go for a walk and dialog with the Lord. Since my walk takes about 30 minutes, I find these sessions to be very helpful. I typically leave my cell phone at home. I figure I can be disconnected from the world for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening.

I will not share some of the questions and answers. However I will state that there are answers. I find it amazing that God answers prayers. With all the billions of things that could be done in the universe, I can imagine that answering my prayers is not on the top of the list. Naturally, I have my own preconceived ideas and occasionally confuse recollection with inspiration. For the most part the feeling of the "fresh yet familiar idea" is the one that helps me feel that God is talking with me.

I am also amazed at the simplicity of Gods answers. I struggle with many complicated situations and people. During my dialog I am expecting a book of answers! Most of the time the answers are one phrase or even one word answers or an image.

I remember making fun of a sister who prayed about her wall paper. I have learned that even the small and simple prayers help you to practice praying. A previous Bishop once taught me that if you are unwilling to pray about the small stuff then your prayers may be ineffective once the big stuff hits. Its almost like not taking any practice swings and stepping right up to the plate against a major league pitcher.

There are so many scriptures on prayer, that I won't quote them. However I will simply say...pray always.

Share Your Light

2010-05-17T15:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach the young men of our branch. I asked them, if they had to run the church, how would they get the word out about Jesus Christ and his gospel. One young man said that he would hand out flyers. Another young man said he would use the television or internet. Another young man said that he would use missionaries that would go door to door.

All of these were good answers. However a humble young mens president added that the best way to share the gospel is to live the gospel.

Romans 1:16. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." If someone were to accuse you of being a Christian, is there enough evidence to convict you? How can you share your beliefs and not be pushy or preachy?

I am a firm believer in simply letting your light shine. I believe that most people who are interested in religion will ask you. They will see something in your life that they like and will become curious. However if your life is in disorder and distress then there will be no curiosity or interest at all.

I remember when I 1st joined the church, there was a class where we were challenged to hand out a copy of the Book of Mormon to one of our friends. I remember that book sat on my shelf for weeks. Just looking at it made me nervous. One day a friend came by the house and saw the book and asked what it was. I said, hey you can have it. Since then I have rarely initiated a missionary oriented discussion. That might sound strange coming from a so called religious person. I much rather respect someone's beliefs and treat them as I would like to be treated. I feel if you treat someone with Christian kindness that is simply the right thing to do. If they decide to become interested or not is their decision.

I would hope that no one would ever feel forced, pressured, enticed or entangled to make a personal religious decision. Everyone should come into the gospel for the right reasons. It should not be for fear, or for some tangible benefit. It simply should be as a result of a love of God and our fellow men. People should be as free to enter into the gospel as they should be free to leave if they want. When I investigated the gospel I felt completely free to dismiss the gospel if I thought came to conclusion that it was not true. I had no family ties. I did have a few friends but I felt friend will be friends regardless of my decision.

The good news is that I know that the church is true. I serve because I love God. I share with others because they want to know. I live the gospel and it makes me happy to be who I am.

Pour You Out a Blessing

2010-05-13T06:58:00.002-05:00

Some of us have a series of events that seem to set the tone and direction of our lives. Others are fortunate enough to have a pivotal event that changes everything. I have been blessed to have both. I am sure that I have blogged on this event however it seems appropriate to share this experience again.

Claudia and I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1989. Due to my own employment decisions we were living on commissions. There was two months in a row where there were little to no commission income. A sales person without commissions is unemployed. There was no money for even diapers for our daughter Courtney. As a result, we had to use cloth diapers and wash them in the sink. We were $300 short on our rent, had just received an eviction notice. Panic set in. I remember calling the person who baptized me and my good friend asking for help. I was aware that he was very well off. He stated, "I can't do it." At the time, I couldn't understand why he couldn't because he had more than he needed. My next turn was to the church. My bishop indicated that he could provided us some food but not pay our rent. I left this meeting frustrated. We called family and other friends all that turned us down. Later that night my friend Rich, who baptized me, called me and again repeated that he could not just give me the money. I was puzzled at why he would call just to say that he couldn't help me. He then said that he talked it over with his wife and that I could come and work in their garage and he would pay me.

I remember that day in August as if it was yesterday. It was hot and the garage was huge. My friend had one of these large Monte Sereno California mansions. As I was cleaning this garage an overwhelming feeling came over me. I will not claim that this was some sort of heavenly messenger but it might as well have been. I kept thinking, "What am I doing here? Why am I cleaning some mans garage? How did you get down to this?" I will freely admit that although I am not a racist, the thought did cross my mind that I was cleaning a white man's garage. Thoughts of my father came to mind and how he would feel seeing his son stooping to this point.

Right then and there I decided that "THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN!"

I was more certain of that fact than any other fact that I hold true. I gave my best to complete the task of cleaning that garage and was paid $300 for my services. When I went home that night, I shared this experience and feeling with Claudia. We decided together that we were taking seriously ALL the commitments that we have made.

We read the following scripture together,

"Malachi 3:10. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour your out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

We decided to pay our tithing fully. Prior to that we always seem to have excuses why we would pay a fraction of the amount required by the Lord. As a result we paid our rent and was still $30 short because we took the tithing off the top.

The very next day, a check came in the mail that represented some back pay and a distribution from a savings account that I forgot that I had. I know that was a blessing from God. Honestly this check did not need to come, I am grateful for it, but we had already made a decision.

The next day, I contacted my old boss at IBM and sought to get my job back. It was tough but I was able to become re-employed at IBM at the same pay that I left.

I am so grateful for many things. I am grateful for those that said NO. I sometime think back and shake to think how easily my friend Rich, the church or any number of people could have just given us the money. I feel that we would still be in the same situation today. DEPENDANT. They will never know, I have since tried to tell them, how pivotal they were in my life. Most of them, when I tell them this story feel guilty for not helping. That is not the purpose of telling them.

I know how hard it is to say no to people in need. Some people just think you are hard hearted, cold, mean or evil. However it is the hardest thing in the world to let child, a loved one or a friend to "work out their own salvation" and to solve their own problems.

My friend Rich once said, "Everyone needs to pull their own little red wagon." I committed from that day and for the rest of my life to pull my wagon and try to teach others how to pull theirs too.

I pray for those that are struggling. Sometimes the Lord himself gives us trials and weaknesses for our own growth.

I share this with love and gratitude.

My Peace

2010-05-11T07:47:00.002-05:00

John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Do you have peace in your life?
What is bothering you?
Do you really think the Lord can comfort you?
What are you afraid of?
Is what you are afraid of bigger than God?

I woke up this morning with this scripture and these questions in mind. I am please to report that I do have peace in my life. This peace comes not because of the good things or the bad things that have happened. I just have it. I allow situations and people to bother me however they don't take away my peace. Yes the Lord has comforted me in ways that I could not imagine. I was always under the impression that the Lord's peace was conditional. If I did good he would reward me, or if I did bad he would punish me. However I never imagined that the feeling of peace could penetrate even through the adversities of life some of which are direct consequences of my actions.

Being human I have fears. I fear that my efforts in Pagedale may have been in vain since many of the people that we prayed so hard for and worked so hard with are no better off. Many of the challenges surrounding welfare, and greed and selfishness still persist. We opened our home and heart to a young woman only to have an ungrateful mother give us grief. I listened with love during a Relief Society meeting in Sunday at Sister after Sister who testified of the hard working nature of their mother and how they love to cook and clean. Yet Sunday after Sunday I come and the building only to find food on the floor in the chapel and soiled diapers left in the mothers lounge. We have linger longer after linger longer where only a few bring items to share with the many.

In spite of all these fears and frustrations, I know that these challenges are not bigger than God or his love for us. I am not a quitter by any stretch of the imagination. I will continue to apply the Lord's peace, pray for help, find answers and be lead by his inspiration!

A Failure to Act

2010-05-03T07:55:00.002-05:00

Normally an incident is precipitated by events that would have made the incident sterile in its infancy. There are signs, warning and omens of impending events. The savior stated in Matthew, "When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather for the sky is red and in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring, O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?"

I experience and incident at church that has disturbed me. Initial I was shocked, then angered that someone would try to hurt innocent people, disappointed in my failure to act immediately and now sad that that I missed the signs. The incident didn't occur yesterday but began about a year ago.

Some of our best people have given their best efforts to help this person only to have this result. I have learned a valuable lesson that is to act at the 1st sign of trouble. I'm not sure what else to say.

The Fruit of the Spirit

2010-04-28T07:27:00.003-05:00

Galatians 5:22-23 states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

A few years ago our family lived in Los Banos, California. The church actually had a welfare farm located to the south of Fresno. There were several stakes throughout the area that took responsibility for caring for this farm. It was actually a vineyard. The rows extended a far as the eye could see. The objective was to produce raisins. Prior to this experience I doubt that I could tell you how a raisin was produced. It was a year long process from pruning in the winter, removing extra unwanted sprouts in the spring, removing weeds, harvesting the fruit in the summer then allowing them to dry in the sun. The final product was then collected an put in to bins.

I have found exactly the same process in my life to produce the fruit of the spirit. One can not simple turn it on and off over night. Unfortunately you cannot go straight from bare vines on Monday to a box of raisins later that evening. However I used to approach my prayers very similar. I would pray on a problem and expect the peace or the fruit of the spirit to come when I opened my eyes. Or I would attend the temple hoping for an experience in that very moment.

I am grateful that my farming technique for developing the fruit of the spirit has matured. Their are prayers being answered today that I prayed years ago for.

I believe another way to insure a crop is not to pick from the wrong tree. I sincerely try not to allow anyone to frustrate me to the point of anger any more. This is a very recent development. So many situations in life are frustrating. So many people are confusing. People are sometimes disrespectful and ignorant. That always bothered me so much. I pray to not allow the actions of others rob me of my fruit. I try to continue to water, prune and nurture in my own vineyard.

It seems to be the challenge in life not so much to over come trials and adversity however to over come our human reaction to other people. I try to keep my eye on the vineyard and continue in the work.

Another aspect of the vineyard was the sheer size of it. It was apparent that this was not a job for one person. Nor was it something that was going to be complete in one day. The vineyard taught me how to serve. I dedicated a specific amount of time. Started with a prayer. And simply worked for the time that was alloted. I never left frustrated because something was undone. I didn't look over to someone else's row and feel inferior. I was just grateful that I was able to work the hours that I committed to the Lord.

Maybe we all have the fruit of the spirit.

April 25,1992

2010-04-26T15:26:00.005-05:00

It's hard to believe that we were baptized over 20 years ago at the Cherry Building in San Jose, California. We were just kids. Claudia was pregnant with Courtney and I was trying to sell insurance! It took me a few years to accept the priesthood because I had a hard head. I still do.

So three years later we were sealed in the Oakland temple on April 25, 1992....18 years ago. During the sealing ceremony Daniel and Courtney who were sealed to us cried their heads off. We couldn't hear the sealer. We were kinda embarrassed but very happy on that day.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend our Stake Priesthood meeting with my three sons. Daniel who is an Elder, Marshall who was just ordained a Priest and Samuel who is now a Deacon.

Life if full of challenges and opportunities. I am so grateful for my family. I love them so much. I have the best wife in the world, two beautiful daughters and three awesome sons! Am I blessed? I am!

On the Other Hand ....Blessings

2010-04-23T11:20:00.003-05:00

On the other hand....

Since I noted a few of my pet peeves it seems only fair to make mention of some of my blessings. I will focus my comments on my church calling. Outside of my family, there are many people that I consider blessings in my life. All of my experiences in my life both good and bad are blessings.

Some of the most precious experiences I have in my life surround the temple. I love to see and visit the temple. I have the privilege of interviewing both adults and youth for temple recommends. These are very simple meetings and the questions are set however I love the spirit of these meetings. I am so grateful for those people who at one point in their lives had issues that prevented them from having a temple recommend and the joy that comes when they are able to report that they are worthy.

I love to prepare couples for marriage. The conversations are sometimes sacred.

I am blessed to interview individuals and families with issues and challenges. It is a blessing in my life to give them the council that the Lord wants them to have.

I also love to teach. This is a blessing in my life. I look at every disagreement, every issue, every challenge as an opportunity to teach and to learn. Some shy away from conflict and adversity, I know that it can be a great blessing and teacher.

I love to see families sealed in the temple. This is a tremendous blessing to see where they have come from and where they are headed.

It is a great blessing to see people try things for the 1st time. A first calling, a first blessing a first talk in church...these are such great blessings to be present during those times. It is a blessing to hear a pure honest testimony. It is a blessing to share tears with those you have grown to love.

I am so grateful for my blessings!

Pet Peeve

2010-04-22T14:40:00.002-05:00

Blogging for some is like therapy. This gives me an opportunity to air my "pet peeves" and have a laugh at them. Most pet peeves have to do with people and the strange things that they do. I cannot possibly know what someone is actually thinking so I can only go by what they say. Life has its ups and downs. Some times we need help and other times we can be a helper. There are scriptures that talk about not having pride when you are on either end of the spectrum.

There is one attitude that always seem to get me....

I will only give a few examples.

One day there was an individual that was basically homeless. We began the process of helping them find a place to stay. Upon seeing the first apartment that was very affordable, they complained that the place was not big enough.

Another individual was blessed to receive a car...for free. Shortly after driving the car the person began to complain that the air conditioner did not work properly.

One individual received baby clothes for a new born because they could not afford adequate clothing. They complained that the items looked "old fashioned" and it made their baby look bad.

Another individual was given rides to and from church every Sunday. During the week the same person needed a ride to a doctors appointment, to which someone obliged. This person was then asked to ferry them from place to place and when the ride-giver refused to continue the rider complained that the ride giver was not being charitable.

Finally a person without food in their home was given permission to visit the LDS food pantry. Upon arriving and seeing no "brand named" items declared with a loud voice that they didn't eat that kind of food.

In each of these situations I keep thinking...didn't this person have nothing before? I thought you were poor? How can someone with nothing have such high demands and be so materialistic. It's like a starving man stating that he can only eat steak! I would probably be happy if these individuals were just ungrateful. However in addition to being ungrateful they have unrealistically high demands as if they were born in the lap of luxury.

I have no ill will towards any man however these individuals do get under my skin. I suppose this is one major area I need to grow and be more tolerant. I try to teach these individuals to be less materialistic and more frugal. Also I try to teach them that their attitude is at the heart of their problems, not the lack of money. I try my best to love all mankind even those that are difficult to love. I am sure that my attitude and behavior would probably make someone's pet peeve list.

Good Ole Family Values

2010-04-20T06:57:00.004-05:00

If you were to net the church our to its basic elements you have two dominant themes: one surrounding the atonement of Jesus Christ and the second surrounding family values. I grew up in a typical American family. Mom was home with us, Dad worked and we all had responsibilities around the house. Mom and Dad emphasized education almost everyday of my childhood and I am grateful for that. Based on my parents example, marriage was emphasized. No one even thought about breaking any commandment. We had family dinner every night, celebrated holidays and had family vacation trips. We also attended church every Sunday.

When I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the teachings on the family were almost exactly the same as I had been raised with. There were some minor variations such as Family Home Evening and family history. However later in my dad's life, although he never joined the church, he began to do genealogy based on the teachings of the church. I am certain that had they been exposed to the Church at the time they were seeking for a church home, they would have joined.

I always wonder how individuals who have not been raised with family values will fair in a church that emphasizes them. There is a difference between being in a family vs. having good family values. I know we struggle so much in the branch due to the lack of basic family values. If I had a time machine and could transport all the struggling families in the branch back to the 1960s, in the same neighborhoods they now live. I wish I could show them how we used to have so much fun without all the non-sense. How clean the streets and neighborhoods were. The picnics we used to have and the hours we played as friends and families. How there were no drugs, no pregnant teens and no crime to mention.

Who knows maybe all that was going on...but our family kept us safe from the world.

I pray they can regain the peace that the savior of the world and good family values have to offer.

A Letter

2010-04-13T16:21:00.002-05:00

I very rarely get letters in the mail. Of the few letters that I have received in this calling a few were positive and the rest were complaints. I do get quite a few kind emails that I really appreciate. Today I received a letter and I will quote one sentence from it.

The individual stated, "I may not have liked some [of] your views, but you were honest with them."

Although I am not quite ready to wrap up my Pagedale days, however, if I am remembered for anything, I would hope that this would be one thing.

Some letters are somewhat confusing. One individual wrote in the middle of a letter in which they accused me of some harsh things. They stated, "...I want to thank you for your many kindnesses and your inspired leadership."...a less sensitive and caring leader could have precipitated a very different outcome." The letter left me confused and complimented at the same time.

My favorite letter actually came from a primary child. They wrote, "...thank you for baptizing my brother, he acts much better now...."

I wonder if my old Bishops kept the letters I wrote them.

Pres Sleet

The Bread

2010-04-12T07:20:00.002-05:00

I suppose I am safe to mention the bread on my blog since probably only 6 people read this besides myself.

Back in August I sent the following email to members of the branch.

Branch Family,

It has been a great blessing to have the Bread Company Bread every week. I feel there are many that benefit from this.

However, we have three challenges.

1. Last sunday, I observed some very aggressive youth/children that were grabbing for the sweets. This was unacceptable and rude. (I appologize for not catching this earlier if it has been happening for a while now. I think this was the 1st time I was outside as the bread was being set up.) Based on what I saw, I am requesting that only responsible adults are to have access to the bread. Parents then can give to their own children at home. I am hoping for some suggestions on how we do this. A few ideas are to place the bread in the rear of the Relief Society room or in the Kitchen. Possibly have the RS Presidency responsible for the distribution to adults.

2. The remainder of the bread needs to go to a place that can use it. We have identified the Homer G. Phillips Retirement Center. It would be nice if we had a few other alternatives since Homer G is in the city. A few locations closer to the branch would be better. Also we need some desinated drivers who can take the bread to the location.

3. Clean up and putting away the table/empty boxes. It seems that it is left to the last person leaving the building to clean up after the bread. Many times there is bread on the ground. There are crumbs throughout the building. Empty boxes can be blowing around the parking lot. Sometimes bags of bread are accidently left behind. We need to wrap up the bread distribution and clean up after ourselves before leaving. This task is left to the branch presidency week after week. Maybe we only give out the bread for 15 min after church, pack the remainder in the car of the person that is delivering clean up..then leave.

If you have any suggestions or recommendations...I am all ears!

Love,

Pres Sleet

p.s. I really would be nice to get some sort of response. Sometimes I send these out, and nothing... I know people are complaining about stuff. Maybe complaining to each other. We really can't do anything until someone says something to me or someone in the branch presidency. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE speak up!!

I think prior to sending this email I had already gotten the answer to end the Bread program. I think personally I just didn't want to be the person held responsible for canceling yet another unique Pagedale thing. So many people tried so hard to make this work. It got to the point where the only answers to my prayers were, "stop the bread."

I think the real issue with the Bread was that it was something for nothing. I'm not sure what it is about human nature, but what ever is not worked for and earned is quickly devalued and abused. At the end of the day, the Bread, although a good thing in the beginning, became a obstacle to the real work.

This past Sunday the bread was stopped with out announcement, without any fanfare and apparently without any complaints. Its so funny how the things that we worry about the most never happen.

I am so grateful to the brothers and sisters who faithfully picked up, distributed and cleaned up after this Bread project over the years.

Pres Sleet

Magnify Your Calling

2010-03-09T11:03:00.002-06:00

I love seeing people magnify their callings. As I look around the branch there are so many leaders and members that are doing just that. Its almost embarrassing when people thank me personally for something good that has come their way. Most likely whatever it is, the actual work was done by someone other than me.

The people who are magnifying their callings are ordinary people with families and other weighty responsibilities. I am so grateful for everyone that serves in the branch. It is frustrating at times when people complain or make demands of those that are serving. Sometimes I think individuals consider the church as some organization or institution instead of a group of people working together.

The only appropriate response to someone serving is gratitude and prayer. Some need training in their callings and others could give more. I love the saying, "many hands make for light work." It is an honor to lead such a great group of leaders and saints. I have never had an opportunity like this in my work career. I interviewed several times for management positions but never was found qualified for whatever reasons. Seems like the Lord and my family are the only two area that have confidence in my abilities. I really enjoy the opportunity.

I personally dislike being blamed for things that I didn't do or say. I also have an challenge with people assuming mine or others intentions. I wonder why people would think that I would leave my home, drive 45 minutes to the branch just to do bad things to people. I am trying to grow in this area so I'm not as sensitive. I also have a challenge with people criticizing the other leaders in the branch. These brothers and sisters have families, work responsibilities and some have personal challenges. They could easily just be concerned with themselves but they take the time because of their faith in God to serve others.

Keep up all the good work!

Just another Fast Sunday

2010-03-08T09:47:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a very full and interesting day. I think I started my day at 5:30am, reading my scriptures and having a prayer. The 1st meeting of the day was 8am conference call with the PEC. The PEC consists of the branch priesthood leaders, a pretty impressive group of men.

I always try to arrive at the building about 9am. Yesterday morning i noticed that all the chairs and mats were rolled up but not replaced. It appears that the people that are contracted to clean the carpets only make the building appear that it has been cleaned. I always notice spots and even crumbs on the floor after this so called cleaning takes place.

Church started at 10:05. I hope and pray one day, before I'm released, that we can start on time. Yesterday morning we had the scare of not having sacrament cups. A few phone calls, another silent prayer...then in typical Pagedale fashion, at the last minute someone found cups and Brother Varone was able to bring cups as well. I always say that every sacrament meeting is a small miracle.

I was grateful that my son Marshall bore his testimony.

I wont recount the details of the interviews I held...but suffice to say that I am grateful that I have my prayers every morning.

I was able to leave for home at 3pm and have dinner with my family.

All in all, just another fast sunday.

Nice Day

2010-03-06T19:33:00.003-06:00

Today was a very nice day. I was able to attend the baptism of Vicshawn Blockton and afterwards help Stephan Shumann move into his new place. I had the flu most of the week, so I was also nice to have my 1st day of not being sick.

Sister Draeger and Elder Hatch spoke at the baptism. The missionaries along with Jeff Anderson and John Rains all showed up to help Stephan.

I really liked Sister Draegers comments about the "valiant" souls that decided to follow heavenly fathers plan. It is awesome to be surrounded by so many noble and great ones in the branch. I'm starting my fast and looking forward to the sabbath day.

Outward Appearances

2010-03-05T05:25:00.002-06:00

1 Samuel states, "...Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature;... for the Lord ^aseeth not as ^bman seeth; for man looketh on the outward ^cappearance, but the ^dLord looketh on the ^eheart."

It seems that we have an almost desperate desire to judge based on the outward appearance. Statistics have shown that taller people earn more than shorter people. That physically attractive people are more in demand than less. We try to link characteristics of honesty and integrity with good looks.

It is very difficult to look upon the heart. It seems that our own human nature battles against us. We tend to judge others intention improperly.

In order to see someone as the Lord see them it seems that you need to be one with God first. Making sure that your heart is right with the Lord. The second thing seems to be to be in tune with what the spirit is telling you.

I had a friend who passed a way recently. Someone told me a horrible story about his background. During part of the story I was told... "you can tell, he looks the type." I almost stopped our friendship because I didn't want to be associated with someone like that. I remember meeting with him to tell him just that. However, during the conversation, the spirit told me that the story was not true. I never brought the allegation to my friend and during the entire course of our friendship he turned out to be a man of great integrity.

I have found over the years that no one "looks honest" or "looks moral" or "looks reliable"; they either are or they aren't. Regardless of how they look.

Hopefully one day before the Savior returns people can learn to see as the Lord sees. I believe the weeping and nashing of teeth will be as people watch their icons and idols of beauty crash to the ground.

Speaking in Church

2010-02-18T09:20:00.002-06:00

I have always been very reluctant to speak in public. When I was in grade school I would routinely claim to be unprepared when I was time for me to stand up in front of the class and report. In high school I just avoided classed that seemed to have the potential to have me speak. I think I even chose a career that did not involve talking in front of people.

My plans failed when during my 1st job at IBM we developed a new test procedure that needed to be explained to the manufacturing team. I was volunteered to present to a "few" managers. As I entered this IBM board room at 25 years old, I could remember feeling like a little kid about to wet my pants. I was so nervous I could barely explain what we had done. After this presentation, I was told I needed to "train" the manufacturing team on this new procedure. There was an auditorium full of people. I wanted to go home. I got through the presentation, pouring in sweat. I went back to my apartment that night and decided that I would never get that afraid of anyone ever again.

I absolutely feel differently about speaking in church than in a business setting. In a church setting, I committed to not speak unless I really felt the spirit. Although I still sweat and get nervous, the spirit still prevails. There are a few times that I have a prepared message but for the most part there will be an experience during the week, a scripture that I have read or a talk that I heard that moves me to speak.

This Sunday I have the opportunity to speak at our Branch Conference. I remember one Branch Conference my remarks were written to address members of our branch on a particular topic. During the talk the Lord began editing my comments to pertain to some of the Stake leaders present. This was not my intention in the beginning but afterward there were many that came forward and thanked me for my comments. Its almost more embarrassing for people to thank me personally because I take no credit.

Well again this year I am praying for the message that the branch needs to hear at our conference.

Value of a College Education - Brother Jeff Anderson

2009-11-04T09:55:00.001-06:00

Dear youth (and former youth) of the Pagedale Branch,

Having served with you I want you to know that I love you as in a special way that is hard to describe. I can only compare it with the love I have for my children. I want the best for you and have a deep and heart-felt desire to see you make good and righteous decisions for I know this is the only way that you will have peace and happiness. With this as an introduction I would like to finally respond to President Sleet’s request. Because I love you, I am going to share some stories that are funny, some that are embarrassing, and some that are difficult. I realize others may see these things, but if this helps one of you make the decision to go to college (and especially if that college is my alma-mater BYU-Idaho) then it will be more than worth it.

When I was in seventh grade my older brother was a Freshman in High School. That summer, my brother decided to go to EFY (Especially for Youth) because a good friend convinced him that there would be a lot of cute girls. His friend, of course, was right, but much more importantly this turned out to be a pivotal moment for my brother’s spiritual growth and, as I had no greater desire in life than to do exactly what my older brother did, mine. At EFY my brother decided that he wanted to abandon the path he had recently been flirting with at high school. This path included friends that drank and partied and further down the road would have led to immorality. Because he felt the Holy Ghost, he decided that he would strive to the live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please note, my brother did not come home perfect, but in place of his desire to constantly challenge my parents authority was the desire to try to change himself and do good.

As soon as I was old enough I went to EFY (and then went every summer after). What I loved most about EFY was that here I could be the Jeff I liked the most. At EFY I was a star if I did good things. It definitely helped that there were a lot of pretty girls, but what was more was more exciting was that there were a lot of pretty girls that shared my beliefs and morals. Looking back, this good experience, along with the bad experience of dating some girls in school that did not share my morals and disliked my church and beliefs, were two of the major factors that drove me to what was then called Ricks College. I knew at Ricks that if I saw a pretty girl (that did not already have a wedding ring on) I could ask her on a date with much less fear that she would have different standards than me.

To be brief, those first two years of college were packed with some of the most fun I have ever had. A lot of it was a little silly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IDn7rXa3wI … yes this is embarrassing, but it is funny) but it was all clean. The amazing thing, looking back, is that having all that fun didn’t have to stop me from getting a great education (~80 credits in 2 years – a lot – and a GPA of ~3.8), preparing for and serving a full time mission (they have a mission preparation class at BYU-Idaho!), participating in extracurricular activities (two plays, two musicals, and a barbershop quartet – yes it is nerdy but I liked it), and serving faithfully in church callings (my first ever). Of course, mixed in with the fun, there was some heartache, some discouragement, some loneliness, some frustration, and some anger, but despite these difficulties it was everything I needed and wanted at that point in my life.

The next three years I spent at Idaho State University. This was a time of transition. I also had fun, but spent these years concerning myself more and more with my education and my future life (it is here that I met and married Mary). This led naturally to where I am today, graduate school (really getting close to a career) and being a father and husband.

College has changed my life. It was the means of not just preparing me for my future career (which should be bright), but was also the means of forming my whole life. I sincerely hope that you will all make the decision to go. The scholarships are there. It is not out of your reach. It will pay you back many times in return, and if you let it by coupling it with righteous living and faithful service to the Lord (this includes a mission and diligently striving to find a person to whom you can be sealed in the temple) will be the means of bringing you peace and happiness as well.

With great love,

Jeff

Value of a College Education - Sister Katelyn Hunt

2009-10-13T07:37:00.001-05:00

Education was something that was always very heavily emphasized in the home I grew up in. I never had to guess my parents expectations concerning my schooling and privileges such as access to a car, weekends out with friends and being able to participate in after school activities like dance and cheerleading were all tied to how I did in school. If I did not make grades, I lost access to the car. If I spent more time focusing on weekend plans than my homework, the weekend plans were taken away. While this frustrated me sometimes as a teenager, I knew education was important to my parents, and I knew it should be important to me too. And I knew that if I wanted to attend college, my grades needed to be good and competitive with every other high school kid that was applying to college. Aside from learning the importance of education, that emphasis also taught me some important life principles that I would take with me when I did leave my family home and move away to college. I learned about priorities. I learned about honoring commitments. I learned about the Law of the Harvest, that if I worked hard for something, put in my time and effort, it would always pay off. I learned to honor my parents and I learned to respect elders.

I received my Patriarchal Blessing when I was 17. I was getting ready to enter my senior year of high school and would be making some significant decisions regarding my future in the upcoming months. I remember distinctly the Patriarch telling me that my Heavenly Father wanted my to obtain all the education I could. He wanted me to fill my mind with the arts, sciences, literature so there wouldn't be room for things like pornography, ill thoughts of others, or negativity. I also remember him saying to prepare myself with an education so that if the time came someday that it would necessary for me to provide for my family, I would be able to do so. I would be educated and have the skill set to obtain a job that would allow me to take care of my children. This scared me at the time. Scared me right into taking seriously a college education. Few things cause me more anxiety than not being able to provide for myself or my children, this is especially true now that I have a little girl that I love and adore more than anything. We are fortunate that Wade, my husband has a good job that allows me to stay home and be with my baby girl during the day. What a blessing. But Wade too, took seriously the importance of education and went through 6 years of college and several summer internships to secure the employment he enjoys today.

Aside from the ability to provide and the importance of educating myself, college was fun! Really, really fun! Some of the most fun years of my life. I was on my own! I set my own rules, I made so many friends that I remain close to, to this day. I went to football games on the weekends, or on adventures with roommates. I went to dances and parties. I got involved in student government and got to plan activities for the whole university. And I learned loads about myself. I learned I needed 8 hours of sleep a night to function well! I learned how to be a good and supportive friend. I learned I need to be around people to be my happiest self. I learned how to talk in front of a crowd. I learned how to balance my budget and manage a checking account. I learned how to cook and do my laundry! A college education in one thing, an important thing, but a college experience is something too, a something that should not be missed.

I am grateful for parents who instilled the importance of education. I am grateful for a patriarchal blessing than reinforced that importance and told me why it was so important. And finally I am grateful I went the direction all arrows were pointing and got a college education and a college experience.

Sister Katelyn Hunt

Value of a College Education - Brother Robert Rodriguez

2009-10-07T09:22:00.001-05:00

As far as the value of an education....it is priceless.

There are many people in this world who have made tons of money, only to have it stolen by unscrupulous managers, agents and CPA's. An education is something that no one can take from you and allows one to understand more about the world and who it operates. There have been times that my lack of an advanced education has kept me from getting certain jobs. My education has on many occasions gotten me jobs. I glad that I learned how to learn, which is what most education is all about. No matter how much you know, you still have to learn how the company does what they do. It may not be right or the best, but, you still have to understand what it is that they do.

A university is also a place to meet someone who has some ambitions too. You'll meet a different class of people in college. There's no guarantee they'll be better, but, they will be different.
An education opens many doors for a person. You may not like the doors that open, but, it is better than a closed door without options.

Brother Robert Rodriguez

Value of a College Education - Bishop Paul Kjar

2009-10-07T08:00:00.001-05:00

One of the best things a college education has done for me has been to instill a love of learning inside me. Yes, I got a degree, which helps me provide better for my family, but I also came away with a love of learning. I think back on the once in a lifetime opportunity I had to study and learn and grow intellectually as a great blessing.

A few comments from President Uchtdorf this past conference stood out to me:

"For us, education is not just a good idea, but a commandment."
"Education is not so much the filling of a bucket as the lighting of a fire. For members of the church education is not merely a good idea, it's a commandment. We are to learn of things both 'in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad.' (D&C 88:79)

“A man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge.”

“Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.” (D&C 130:18).

Bishop Paul Kjar

Value of a College Education - Sister Julie Matthews

2009-10-06T09:54:00.001-05:00

I attended college, and absolutely feel it's worth it! For many reasons.

First, an education is important. What if something happened and I needed to support myself? It's nice to have an education to fall back on. I currently don't work, and only worked a short time in my field, but I am able to pick up odd jobs on the side, because I have a 4 year degree.

Second, I think you gain so many things besides an education. You learn social skills, how to be on your own, your testimony grows, and you grow up a lot. I think there is a huge difference in someone that has gone and been out "on their own", even if they live at home and go.

And third, how are you ever going to know what is really out there, if you don't go out and find out? The world is a big place, and it's awesome to make the friends, and have all the experiences of a college student.

Sister Julie Matthews

Value of a College Education - Sister Ruth Rodrigues

2009-10-05T17:14:00.001-05:00

Many people make the excuse that they can't go to college because they don't have the means, time, inteligence etc. Well, we can of course make excuses for anything and everything. However, I believe the scripture to be true" For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). My parents were not able to help me financially through college. I therefore had to work part time during school and full time (actually, usually 60 hours a week) during the summer to earm the money necessary to pay for everything. At times I wondered when I would ever get the time to study, but as I put the gospel first and had faith, I always found the time and did surprisingly better than expected on most of my tests. I know that I was truly blessed by the Lord through out all of my schooling.

Even after marrying my husband, who came from an even more difficult financial background than I did, we were always able to pay our bills and tuition. I remember loosing one of my jobs right after the economy started slowing down. My husband and I weren't sure how we would pay the next months bills, but we knew that it would all work itself out. That month so may people at my other job called me to cover their shifts that I actually had to turn some people down because I ended up working too much. Our Heavently Father, in his wisdom, has commanded us to obtain all of the education we can in order to not only bless our lives, but to bless the lives of others. We simply must obey as Nephi did (Nephi 3:7) and He will provide for all we need; financially, mentally etc.

I also love being a nurse! It is a comfort to know that if something ever happens to my husband, I am able to either help suppliment or provide for my family.

Sister Ruth Rodrigues

Value of a College Education - President Paul Hintze

2009-10-03T22:20:00.000-05:00

My grandfather was born into a family where he was the only one of several children to go to college. He was born in 1881 and went on a mission in 1901 to Germany and Denmark. After his mission he went to college. Not only did he go to college, but he completed a Ph.D in Geology at Columbia University in New York! All of his children went to college. My father followed his footsteps both in terms of a career topics, but also institutions. All four of my father's children have college degrees and advanced degrees.

Besides the well established monetary rewards of getting a college education, life is richer and learning more enjoyable with a college education. My wife is a college grad. It appears that 7 of our 8 children will have college degrees. The other one regrets having chosen not to go.

The prophet, of course, encourages us to get as much education as possible.

Finally, college is not for everyone. Some people are simply not cut out for the classroom approach. Learning a trade and a way of earning an income should be for everyone.

President Paul Hintze

Value of a College Education - Brother Breno Rodrigues

2009-10-03T22:11:00.001-05:00

I was raised in a little town in the state of Santa Catarina, where southern Brazil borders with Argentina. I am the very first member of my family to have had the distinction of having entered a higher education institution. Neither of my parents (nor any of their ancestors) went to college.

Early in life I was blessed with an intense devotion for school related activities. I love and respect my parents dearly, but I decided I was going to pursue a different path in life and seek to escape the ignorance, poverty, and deprivation of enjoying a more meaningful existence because of a lack of formal qualification. I realized at an early age -with the help of wonderful teachers that served as my mentors and role models - education was the only way out if I wanted to escape the dreadful destiny of perpetuating the inherited legacy of generations of social marginalization. Such decision and attitude was the beginning of a providential healing from a possible mediocre future.

When I was still serving my full-time mission for the church, President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the creation of the Perpetual Education Fund. I was thrilled and full of joy with the prospective of eventually benefiting from the program. At the end of my mission I took advantage of the then recently instituted PEF and attended two years of college in Brazil, which opened many doors and opportunities.

As I started college I strived for excellence and decided to treat the attaining of my education with the utmost seriousness. I then took a very bold step and applied, as an international student, to transfer my college credits from Brazil to Brigham Young University, a church sponsored university and one of the world’s most renowned private education institutions.

At BYU I not only thrived in learning secular matters along with the gospel, in an environment surrounded by people who shared my faith and principles, I also met, dated, got married and graduated together with my wonderful eternal companion, Ruth. I got a degree in Exercise Sciences which has played a major role in my admission to professional graduate school in Physical Therapy, a highly competitive and promising field. When I graduated from BYU I again took another bold step by applying to Washington’s University’s program in Physical Therapy, one of the top three schools for the field in the nation. Without my credentials obtained through my college education I would not have been able to achieve the intellectual competence and the capacity to be admitted into such a renowned and competitive school.

A successful career without extensive training is possible, but not very likely. No one should give up their dreams of becoming a professional athlete, a singer, a model – but bear in mind that the likelihood of success in such venues is scarce. Feed your dreams and keep up with your school work. You might guarantee for yourself a promising future that way.

On the same token, no one should give up their dreams of achieving great things in life through education. Learning a profession through formal training is pretty much an insurance against the distress and hardship that may come with low income, unemployment and the frustration of working an entire lifetime in a job you hate. Today’s economy and the future of the job market desperately needs and well rewards one who is prepared to offer expert work, in nearly any field. The level of specialization and depth of knowledge we have reached in this modern society calls for professionals who are able to deliver service at a higher level of specificity.

Really, no one should give up their dreams of achieving great things in life through education. No one, especially the youth of the church living in this magnificent United States of America. This country has been the epicenter of scientific development and brain influx (Niels Bohr, Albert Einsten just to cite two who came here for the sake of a better education) for nearly the past two centuries. It is blessed with the most upscale, better equipped and staffed universities, technical institutes, research facilities and technology centers in the world. The opportunities enjoyed here are unparalleled and unique. It is a pity when people let themselves be infected by that nefarious bug of mediocrity and conformism, letting the best opportunities slip by and living much shorter of their true capacity.

In conclusion, learning science, together with the study of the gospel has imbued me with a sense of my potential, both as an individual and as a professional. I believe the receiving of a formal education through college will allow me to fully develop my vocations and interests in life, while providing me with the opportunity to attend to my personal and family needs. I strongly believe that education may be, for anyone, the cure from a destiny of mediocrity and lack of opportunities. Furthermore, if you picture yourself having a job you love and have fun at, have financial stability, have desirable working hours and many other benefits – going to college may be right for you!

Brother Breno Rodrigues

Value of a College Education - Sister Kara Hess

2009-10-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

I attended college after high school and was able to complete my associate's degree. Due to life changes, that is where my college education ended. Despite my life changes, I have never lost the drive to finish college and even go to law school. When circumstance permits I know I will make every effort possible to complete my education. In the meantime, I use every opportunity to learn things at all times; new talents, hobbies and skills. I realize the importance in education when I draw on my previous classes to complete a current skill. I have used the knowledge learned in math classes to do everyday tasks, and my education in accounting class has helped us when my husband and I started our own business. The list goes on but education is invaluable and will help each individual become a more able person in the community and in the family.

Sister Kara Hess

Value of a College Education

2009-10-03T09:54:00.002-05:00

One thing that my parents seemed to instill in me in a early age was to value a college education. As a parent, I still wonder how they accomplished this feat. My mother never attended college and my father only completed his education later in life. As a matter of fact, his education was cut short due to military obligations and to support the growing family.

How did they instill in their children the desire to attend college?

I have asked my brother and sister this question time and time again. By the time I came around, I had both a brother and a sister who attended or were still attending college. It seemed rather natural for me to follow in their footsteps.

I can truly say that many of the personal freedoms that I enjoy today are as a result of deciding to pursue a college education. I can also attribute alot of my approaches and my problem solving skills from rigorous college classes. It seemed that in High School there were alot of fact, figures and formulas. College on the other hand taught me how to think things through. Also since college was less structured, I had to develop the ability to prioritize, organize and get things done on my own. Mom and Dad were no longer checking to see if I got my homework done!

I also learned how to open my mouth and ask for help when I needed it. Some of the assignments were so difficult that there were impossible to complete alone. I learned how to participate in study groups and how to work on a team to accomplish a lab assignment. I also learned the delicate art of leading people.

I also seem to develop a few more social skills. There were people from all over the world from many walks of life and with a variety of reasons for being in college. I learned how to have fun and be myself.

I also think that a college education prepared me to accept the Gospel. I had already developed, in college, the approach that the missionaries presented me with, that is...read, study and pray!

I loved my high school years however my college years had more of a lasting impression on who I am today.

Go to college!

Pres Sleet

Accountability

2009-09-10T10:18:00.002-05:00

Seems like I have been in some form of Church leadership for 18 of the 20 years I have been in the church. Over the years I have seen various flavors of leadership style. Some are more casual and others more formal. Some adhere strickly to the rules while others see them as guidelines. Some maybe considered "people persons" while others are more reserved.

I have found two major characteristics that are not negotiable. One is worthiness and two is accountability.

Worthiness is being morally clean. In a sense worthiness is a form of personal responsibility. When a person is worthy, they control theirselves. They feel entitled to God's love and guidance. They are not prideful but have a peaceful confidence that they are doing what's right.

I will spend the lion share of this entry on accountability.

Accountability is when a person freely reports the results of their stewardship to someone in authority. When I was baptized, I was taught to stay close to my bishop. I wasn't quite sure what that meant at first but as time went on it became very impowering to be accountable. I would simply check-in. Most of the time the calls would be very brief. Sometimes I would discuss some decision that I was going to make. I would always make my own decisions. Having input, even if I chose to to the opposite, was very valuable.

Being accountable also helped me feel in control. I find that most people don't like being accountable. Somehow in their minds, accountability has some negative connotation. Such as they don't feel free, of they feel controlled or even spied on. I have found that some of the best leaders that I have served with have no problem with accountability. They check in from time to time. No one like to chase down or follow up on someone else. I remember trying to figure out what a particular leader's plans were. I made several phone calls then a personal visit. This person then said, "you really like finding people..." I wanted to say, no, you actually wasted alot of my time that I could have spent with my family!

I never wanted the feeling that some church leader or anyone else had to chase me down. So I called and check in. Also, if any leader wants to know anything about me or what I'm doing, I am certainly the best source. I also wanted to make sure when I checked in, I reported on what I was doing, not making requests for what I wanted.

In the years of serving in the Branch, I have had about 3 people that were accountable. Accountablity is a sign of maturity. As more people freely become accountable the branch will grow in strength. I do get a large number of phone calls, but they are mostly people who need something or another. I am not embarrassed by not knowing things that are going on, its just an indication of the level of accountability. Sometimes I get phone calls from people asking me what time things are starting or what's going on with a certain item. I just say, I don't know. I realize that is a source of frustration for some. For others its an indication of how out of touch the branch president is. Keeping the leader informed is being accountable.

Someone once commented when they met with our Stake President, how impressed they were that he knew all the details of what is going on in the branch. What they failed to realize is that the Stake President doesn't have a crystal ball! He has a branch president, called by God, who is accountable.

Some don't like to be accountable because they have a hard time saying no or being honest. I have never felt guilty for not doing something that I didn't want to do, no matter who asked me. When I call someone as a leader, or when a leader calls me to do something and the answer is no. I have never in 20 years seen a good leader come unglued or start ranting and raving. I have even been accused of doing so, this is absolutely not true. I have heard people say that I am upset about this or that. Why would you want to envision a leader upset with you?? Maybe people are brining their experience in the workplace or home in the church. We are a volunteer army. If someone can't do something or can't make it...its no big deal, just make other plans. Either make due with what you got, reschedule, replan or cancel.

In a family situation, children are accountable to parents. Some of the saddest conversations I have ever had are people who genuinely have no clue what there kids are into. Their children are not accountable to them and probably no one else.

I hope that people can develop a healthy attitude toward worthiness and accountability.
Love ,
Pres Sleet

Sooo...What do you do for a living?

2009-09-03T14:27:00.002-05:00

I get this question quite often. Especially now that I am in a new area meeting new people. My title for most of my career has been System Engineer. That has meant different things at different times. Because of the diversity of my assignments, it is sometimes difficult to describe what I do. Most of the time when people find out I work with computers they assume that I am some sort of "tech" and start asking me questions about their personal computer problems. I don't mind this, but this is really not what I do.

Most of the projects I get involved with are business computer systems. I would be involved with a company email, web, human resources or other database. At one point in my career I was involved in a small way with the computers that went into yahoo. I spent quite a bit of time at IBM and Sun Microsystems, as a result, my expertise tends to be with products and technologies from those companies.

Although I have strong technical skills and computer knowledge, I think most people just tend to like working with me. I may not be the most knowlgeable on a specific technology but somehow people feel comfortable talking to me about their problems. I found if you listen to what people want then give them what they asked for (if its possible) most people are pretty happy. Even people in technology are intimidated by technology and techies. Some people seem to pride themselves in making other people look or feel stupid. I try to present the concepts in a simple way.

My first job at IBM, I worked with an engineer named Chuck. He had 3 PhD's and a Masters degree. He taught me that anyone who could not present complicated concepts in simple terms does not understand the fundamentals themselves. I have always tried to live up to that.

I really like building relationships and helping people. Sometimes people call me with personal and family challenges. I am always honored when contacted in this way.

So what do I do for a living. Well in simple terms...I help people with their problems.

Pres Sleet

Just Listen To Yourself....

2009-08-25T15:23:00.001-05:00

I think we can stay out of trouble if we would just listen to ourselves. Someone was relating a story of how they got into serious trouble. I asked them to listen to what they were saying. Sometimes talking to ourselves is not a bad idea.

If you feel strange about talking to yourself, then a better idea is to talk it over with the Lord.

A story I heard recently went something like this. "I went to the mall with a friend. We didn't have any money. Well...I knew this was a bad idea... but I was bored..." Well you know the rest...something bad happened.

Think about if you talk to yourself or the Lord beforehand and say, "I'm going to hang out with my friend at the mall because I'm bored. I know its a bad idea because we don't have any money...." Chances are you will have second thoughts about it.

Give it a try.

Pres Sleet

Providing the Lord's Way

2009-08-25T13:50:00.000-05:00

The Pagedale Branch is very diverse in its needs and blessings. There are those that are blessed in many ways both temporally and spiritually. Others find themselves in need. I would like to review briefly the Lord's plan for providing for those in need. (Please refer to the website http://www.providentliving.org for a comprehensive training)

From "Providing the Lord's Way" it states, "Church members are responsible for their own spiritual and temporal well-being. Blessed with the gift of agency, they have the privilege of setting their own course, solving their own problems, and striving to become self-reliant. Members do this under the inspiration of the Lord and with the labor of their own hands."

The statement is very clear. We are responsible for our own problems, with the help of the Lord.

It continues, "Self-reliance is the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the necessities of life for self and family. As members become self-reliant, they are also better able to serve and care for others. When Church members are doing all they can to provide for themselves but still cannot meet their basic needs, they should first turn to their families for help. When this is not sufficient, the Church stands ready to assist."

When a person is in need the order of help is also specific. Please note that church assistance is the last step of many.

It is unfortunate that many kind and well meaning members are providing assistance directly to people in need. Although this is very charitable, it is not the Lord's way for providing assistance. Many are giving cash, buying groceries, buying prescriptions, giving rides and so forth to help individuals meet basic needs. Others are even providing the luxuries of life, such as jewelry, hair-styling and vacations.

The reason I am sending this rather long email is that I have a specific role in this matter. "The bishop has a divine mandate to seek out and care for the poor (see D&C 84:112). He directs the welfare work in the ward. His goal is to help members help themselves and become self-reliant. (In branches, the branch president has these same welfare responsibilities.) Bishops are blessed with the gift of discernment to understand how best to help those in need. Each individual circumstance is different and requires inspiration. Guided by the Spirit and the basic welfare principles described in this section, the bishop determines whom to assist, how much to give, and how long to assist."

The bishop should be guided by the following basic welfare principles as he cares for the poor and needy:
o Seek out the poor
o Promote Personal Responsibility
o Sustain Life not Lifestyle
o Provide Commodities before Cash
o Give Work Opportunities.

Another challenge with individual providing directly to members in need is that it inadvertently undermines the calling and office of the Branch President. For example, I cannot provide a work assignment for an individual that was just given a hand-out. Without the work assignment, or allowing the individual to serve and take personal responsibility, our individual handout to them become the dole. It will actually hurt them more than help. We should also consider what will be the future for this individual when either party moves from the area. They are left in the same situation as before, not able to meet their own needs.

I realize that many of you will come across a situation that look on the surface to be urgent. And will require your immediate response. Many have put themselves in financial hardship in helping others. This is not the Lord's way. Once you have identified a situation, reported it to the Branch President, please have confidence that the need will be addressed. It is not a part of the home or visiting teaching program to provide welfare assistance but to simply return and report. Under the direction of the Bishop you may be asked to help, however even in those circumstances you have your agency.

This not only applies to monies given to individuals but all personal giving such as rides to church, gifts, temporary housing, gas money and bus fare.

If you have any questions regarding a specific situation or want general guidance, please call or email me.

As the branch continues to grow, we need to insure that we are not perpetuating or fostering inappropriate habits that may have served us in the past. Please consider the nightmare of a large number of people who could come to individual members of the branch for help, instead of addressing their needs the Lord's way.

Thank you for your attention to this matter,
Love,
Pres Sleet

Weekly Bread

2009-08-24T12:02:00.001-05:00

Every Sunday the Pagedale Branch recieved free bread from the Bread Company. I'm not 100% sure of the origin however, on the surface, it appeared to be a win-win. The Bread Company was able to donate to an organization and write off the loss, and the Church could give the Bread to those in need. I have learned over the years that nothing is as simple as it seems.

The first complication was deciding who would pick the bread up from the bread company. This was a sacrifice. Members would need to be at the Bread Company late on Saturday night and bring the Bread early Sunday morning.

The second complication was fairly distributing the bread to those who wanted or needed some.

In both complications there was a fair amount of frustration, tears, and hurt feelings.

Just recently two developments have taken place. One a dear brother has consecrated his time to pick up and deliver the bread weekly. And two the hometeachers, under the direction of the Elders Quorum President, have taken the lead in distributing the bread.

I am so great for the simplicity of the gospel. The path may not be easy but it seems the simple answers are the best. I am certain that it is not easy for anyone to serve the Lord. There are much easier things to do in life. Sacrifice is always necessary.

I always smile when people try to find a "balance" in life. As if there is some way or magic formula to serve the Lord, stay at home with family and go to work. I find that if I pray and ask the Lord what he wants me to do, then go do it, I will always be at the right place. Sometimes I just take my family with me and combine some things. Sometimes we just talk on the phone while I'm driving to and from things. And sometimes I put off things and they do magically get resolved on their own while I stay at home.

Like they say. KISS...Keep It Simple Saints.

Love,
Pres Sleet

One Hour?

2009-08-04T10:26:00.002-05:00

There are several accounts of the Savior's atoning sacrafice in the scriptures. In Matthew 26, Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane with his disciples. He made one request, "Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder....My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."

While Jesus suffered his disciples fell asleep. He responded, "What, could you not watch with me one hour?"

It really doesn't sound like much time. Nor does it sound like a very big request. I have found myself asking: What was so tough about giving this hour of service to the Son of God?

I have been blessed to always find joy in serving God. I am always amazed at individuals who work over time, spend hours on recreational activities, dedicate hours to hobbies, watch lots of TV then complain about how much time their church takes.

I'm sure that one day soon the sweet feeling of comfort will come. Over the last two weeks a few of my brothers have prayed with me. I am grateful for them. Someone sent me an email saying something to the effect that after the initial outpouring of love there will be a lull. I wanted to respond and say that I have been in that lull for over a week!

I shouldn't complain, I did get a txt message from someone that told me to "man-up."

Happy Birthday Claudia!

2009-08-03T10:00:00.002-05:00

Today is Claudia's birthday.

Funny after 20+ years of birthdays, I still seem to suprise her. I think year after year she believes that I haven't planned anything or even remembered. I rush in the house with this exasperated look and appologies, only for us to end up at an event or a location that was obviously planned in advance.

We have seen concerts, had special locations prepared for dinner, gone to restaurants where everything was ordered and planned, had over night hotel stays and so forth.

My personal favorites are the simpler ones. The "oh, I forgot something...." This is where we pretend to go out to dinner, only to circle back home because I forgot something (not hard to imagine), then finding a suprise back home.

This year, I started a day early and suprised her last evening. I'm not saying where. Suffice to say she was very suprised! She thought we were going to a fireside. Is that lying?

Well back to work...and to think of another 20 years of suprises.

Old Friends

2009-07-30T21:29:00.003-05:00

When I was in California a good friend passed away named Julio Lopez. He suffered from diabetes. The family knew he was going but this didn't help matters. Shortly prior to his passing the family asked for myself and his Bishop to be present to give a blessing. His bishop was voice to the blessing. There were no words spoken of healing or recovery, only peace and comfort to the family.

Shortly after the blessing, Julio eased into the next life.

The family had a tradition of gathering together and having a 24 hour wake of sorts. At the time, I found this ritual bizarre and unusual. I have probably told the story of this 24 hour wake with much humor over the years. The thing I failed to share in my recount of this event was during most of this vigil, I had my own friends there. They were really not there for the deceased but they couldn't believe that it was happening. Maybe it was an excuse to get out of the house. We laughed, told stories and generally had a good time trying to keep coffee and alcohol out of the building. We were so sleepy we basically fell asleep during the funeral the next day.

In contrast, the tradition of the church is to leave the grieving person in privacy. We have become so busy that there is no time to sit with friends anymore. Over the last several days, I have longed for the friends I had in California who laughed too much, cried too much and stay up too late. The few friends that have come, have given a brief cordial visit and continued on their way. Most of them are sisters and really have come to visit Claudia. Still others call on the phone to let me know that they don't want to bother me.

I can't quite remember the old saying. Something like...new friends and old...one is silver the other gold.

Easier Said Than Done

2009-07-01T14:21:00.002-05:00

I'm sure many people are familiar with the parable of the Good Samaritan. There are tons of hospitals throughout the world that carry that name. Anyone unfamiliar with this parable can turn to Luke 10:25-37.

I sometimes think of the difference between the people I stop to help along the way and the ones I pass by. I sometimes think of my frame of mind before and after.

I was driving down Clayton with two of my boys to attend a Stake Priesthood meeting. Near the intersection of Clayton and Clarkson there was a car stuck near the intersection. I noticed what appeared to be a woman with an able bodied son in the front seat. They appeared in no danger so I proceeded to pass them by. My son said, "Hey Dad, aren't you going to stop?" He continued on and said, "We are going to a priesthood meeting." Without another word, I made a u-turn. Out jumps three African American men in suits to the rescue. Amazingly enough neither the mother or the son had made a move from the time we first saw them. I told the young man to get out of the car and help us push while the mother steered. We pushed then into a nearby parking lot. I asked if they were alright. They seemed a little dazed but said they ran out of gas. They began walking to the gas station. And we headed off to our meeting. To this day I'm still not sure what was up with them, they seemed completely out of it. However they were grateful that we stopped and helped.

Sometimes we do have to pass on by. Just today there was a person that I have attempted to help in a Good Samaritan kinda way. Only to discover that the person had "defiled" themselves with the help recieved. I admit it does hurt to see someone take advantage of gesture offered in kindness. Just to think that the person could have used the gift to get themselves back up on their feet. Today they are back "on the side of the road" waiting for the next Good Samaritan to pass by. I know it doesn't sound Christlike, but a friend once said to me, that a loser will always find a way to lose.

What we always hope for when we help someone is that they are only down but not out. That our efforts to lift will help. We hope that they are really not losers but people just down on their luck needing a helping hand. However every once in a while we do pick up a loser. My good friend also told me to not let a set back helping someone discourage you from helping the next poor soul on the side of the road. Even losers can change.

Pres Sleet

Just a few guidelines...so no one gets hurt!

2009-06-30T18:30:00.002-05:00

I remember being told to stay out of the street and stay away from fire when I was a young boy. This was wise council. One day one of my friends decided to light some dry grass. Pretty soon the flames were all around us. We were lucky we didn't get burned.

I was just thinking of a few good guidelines to stay safe.

It seems to be good practice not to go anywhere alone anymore. Years ago we avoided being with the opposite sex alone. Today it seem wise not to go anywhere alone for very long

Avoid the following people:

People who over-react emotionally
People who get very angry
People who constantly put you down or make you feel guilty
People who seem to have no respect for authority
People who read too much into things
People who gossip

Beware of texting and emailing people, especially people on the above list.

Make sure you see your doctor, if you can, on a regular basis.

If you feel unsure, just don't do it.

Try not to panic, even when a panic reaction seems appropriate.

Make sure your cell phone is charged before you leave the house.

When you travel try to leave your itinerary with someone.

Have a list of friends you can call in an emergency.

Try not to be in a hotel room alone too long. Call someone. Go for a walk. Go to sleep. Satan tempts us the best when we are bored or alone.

Try not to let your gas tank get below the quarter mark, and don't drive on empty.

Have a prayer before and after any serious discussion. If it is not appropriate to pray out loud, pray silently.

You will never win any yelling match (at home, school or work), so when tempers flare, it is much better to disengage than to stay in the battle.

Courtesy and manners go a long way and leave lasting impressions.

Always be suspect of third party information. In other words, ignore rumors and gossip.

Don't waste your time trying to assume someone's intentions. Just figure out the facts and make the best decision you can with the facts available.

Don't mess with wild animals.

Don't tease or manipulate people. And don't allow people to tease or manipulate you.

Turn off the radio and the television, it seems that God answers prayers when you least expect Him.

Practice saying, "no" and "no, thanks"

Never go to bed angry.

Stay safe!

Pres Sleet

Coming and Going....

2009-06-29T08:59:00.003-05:00

One of the facts of life in the Pagedale Branch is that many people are both coming and going. There are some very good aspects of this and some challenging ones as well. One of the positive aspects is that you always have to stay on your toes. As a member there is always someone new to get to know or to congratulate for some accomplishment. As a leader you have to be constantly prayerful. There tends to be a ripple effect, when a move necessitates a change in a leader. I have casually referred to this as the hockey team approach. I think some have come to the erroneous conclusion that we are casual in our approach to calling. Each calling is carefully prayed about and considered.

I have experienced many different ways the Lord will reveal his will. There are times when a person has been specifically called by the Lord for a particular calling. Many times there is already a person occupying this calling. I find my self patiently waiting for the opportunity that presents it self for a change to be made. Sometimes people move, sometime people ask for a release, and sometime there are other opportunities that present themselves. However one way or another the person occupying the calling moves to a different position. There was one individual that the Lord reveal their calling to me 2 years prior to their actual calling. It was interesting to see the changes that needed to take place with the individual and with the organization that individual was to lead.

Sometimes callings are considered from the individual point of view. Sometimes the needs of the branch are considered. Whatever the situation the Lord's will is done.

This Tuesday the Guymon family is leaving the St. Louis area to start a new job in the Atlanta Area. In a few weeks, the Minster family is leaving for Ohio. The Gubler family will be moving to the Washington area in a few weeks. The Krakos and Davidson families have moved but are remaining to serve in the branch for a short while. In the meanwhile, the Harris family, the Eng family, William Smith , Jerry Beal and Jason Williams are all coming into the branch either through baptism or reactivation.

I am grateful for being a small part of all the comings and goings. I have made some very good friendships. With the power of the internet, it seems like we can all stay in touch too!

Love,
Pres Sleet

Youth Conference

2009-06-26T10:11:00.004-05:00

It's been a great summer for our youth. This morning 10 young men and women left to the Ozarks to attend Youth Conference. There was a lot of enthusiasm from both youth and adults. Have a great time!

Not Suprised....

2009-06-25T10:35:00.002-05:00

Just recently the Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, was discovered to have had a year long affair that came to a head when he attempted to sneak away for a week. He claimed to be "hiking the Appalacian trail" when he was actually in Argentina with his mistress. He left his wife, his job and his character behind all on Fathers Day Weekend!

This type of behavior is no suprise. The D&C 121:39 states it pretty clearly, "We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion."

One way unrighteous dominion manifests itself is when a man puts himself above the law. He becomes the ultimate authority and judge. The cure to unrighteous dominion is to recognize the ultimate absolute authority is God, through his Son Jesus Christ.

Just recently men have accused me of having very bad intentions. A man was acting as the ultimate authority. There was no prayer during the meeting, there was no opportunity for repentance, if needed, there was an accusation and corrective action enacted prior to the meeting. Aftwards I was told to have a Happy Father's Day! I harbor no ill feelings because this is what I expect from man.

I certainly have my faults as a result I understand faults in others. We are much better off to let God judge between me and thee. It is a tougher road to follow the Savior's lead. He would have us study things out in our minds, counsel together, confess our faults, make restitution and forgive one another. Man seems quick to want to make a snap judgement and walk away to the next disaster.

I am so greatful for my Savior Jesus Christ. He makes it possible for me to be full of charity towards all men, He lets virtue garnish my thoughts, He makes my confidence before God and man strong. The Holy Ghost is my constant companion and he promises me a righteous dominion forever and ever!

Love,
Pres Sleet

Fantastic!

2009-06-09T06:15:00.005-05:00

Some may think that miracles have ceased or that they were limited to Biblical times. Many modern day miracles are right before our eyes. In 2007, I was told that Girls Camp was canceled for the Pagedale young women. I was simply told that the girls didn't want to go. With some parental pressure two girls were sent to camp. In 2008, a very similar report was given. However at the end of the day 4 young women attended camp.

This year I am pleased to report that 8 young women are enthusiastically traveling to girls camp. The young women have worked hard and have prepared for this day! It is amazing what miracles can happen, with God's help, when you believe in yourself and in others.

A fantastic job by the Pagedale Branch Young Women's presidency! Sister April Williams lead a masterful campaign that can only be described as a miracle. They began planning early in 2008 and held probably the best fund raising event that I have ever seen. As a result, for the 1st time, the young women raised all of their funds for camp. Our young women are awesome!

Girl's Camp is an opportunity for the young women to learn, to grow and to have fun. For some of our young women, this is the 1st time they have ever been camping. They will have the opportunity to associated with many other girls from various backgrounds but share the same values.

Congratulations to the entire Young Women's Presidency and all the young women on a fantastic effort for Girl's Camp! Now go have some fun!!

Love,
Pres Sleet

Likes and Dislikes

2009-06-08T12:48:00.002-05:00

Yesterday an individual stated, partly in humor, that "you don't even have to like or listen to the Branch President." They went on to state that they followed the prophet and the Savior.

I found that statement very curious.

How could an individual not like their local leader?
How do you sustain a person that you don't like?
Are there any examples in the scriptures that illustrate this principle?

I find myself coming up short on all of these answers. I have found myself over the years not agreeing with decisions made by my leaders. There are styles and personalities that I tended not to prefer. There are many people that have irritated me. However, I cannot remember anyone that I have really disliked.

Before I was called as a Branch President, I was on the high council. I was pretty much minding my own business and extremely happy and confortable in my calling. I have never sought any calling, as a matter of fact, a past Bishop told me that a calling like this for me was out of the question. To this day, I'm not sure why he told me that.

Every decision I make, I seriously consider and pray about it. From time to time I may speak casually and try to use humor but I take my calling very seriously. I have lived a life of making decision not based on what is popular but what I felt inspired to do. I have and plan to enjoy every second of this and every calling I will be priveledged to have in the Lord's kingdom.

My very decision to join the church was not a popular decision amoung family and friends however it was the right thing to do. I freely chose to belong to the church. I assume others did the same. I would not torture myself by associated with people I did not like.

I have no issue with someone not liking me. I feel sorry for people who harbor dislike for others.

Maybe if we took the time to count our blessings and see the good in others we may learn to appreciate and like each other.

So in my humble opinion, I think you SHOULD like the Branch President or whoever your leader is.

Pres Sleet

I Should Have Known Better

2009-06-04T10:29:00.002-05:00

Isn't it funny how events in life are so unpredictable before they happen but are obvious after the fact. After every major disaster the experts come out of the woodwork to recount all of the warning signs that were ignored.

Sometimes this blindness to the warnings are a result of our own biases, wishful thinking and sometimes carelessness.

For example, now that I am safely employed in a new job, the previous job had so many blatently obvious shortcommings and warnings that were completely ingnored. I remember falling in the California Aqueduct after completely ingnoring the warning signs, the slippery conditions and just plain old common sense. Even heartache and family challenges seem to have warning signs well before the actual critical event.

How do we become more aware of the warning signs?
How do we make sure that we are not just being paranoid?
How do we "know" better?

Elder Ballards said, "With all my heart I hope and pray that you will be wise enough to learn the lessons of the past."

It appears that it is not in the plan for us to avoid problems and adversity. However we are to learn from them. As a result of struggling, overcomming and learning we gain wisdom.

One of my favorite Star Trek episodes was a very simple one. The characters were caught in a loop, the same series of events played themselves over an over again. Each time there would be a disaster. However each subsequent loop they began to remember and learn from the past loop until the tragedy was avoided.

Sometimes we can know better by observing or reading others successes and failures. However it seems that the most effective lessons are the ones we experience personally.

There are many times that I wish I knew better, but I can say with confidence that I do know better NOW!

Pres Sleet

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-26T08:36:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to honor the men and women who have lived and died in the service of this great nation. At times it is almost unbelievable the number of freedoms and privileges we have as citizens of the United States of America. I have never been a citizen of a different nation, however I have visited a few in over the years. The phrase, "it's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there" comes to mind.

D&C 134:5 states, "We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience."

We don't necessarily need to agree with all of the views and positions of what ever administration that is in office, local, state or national, in order to sustain and uphold them. Passively agreeing is not very supportive.

The best way to honor those who have sacrificed for this nation is to be a positive contributor in the build up of this nation. There are many simple ways to be a positive influence from participating in elections, city councils and community service projects. The most important thing is to just do something. Every contribution no matter how small makes a difference.

Happy Memorial Day!

Pres Sleet

From Me to You: Paul's Search for Happiness!

Letter from Elder Sleet 10/10/2011

Joy in Heaven

Letter From Elder Sleet 8/29/2011

Letter From Elder Sleet 8/22/2011

Mormon Text Messaging

Light of the World

Back to Normal

What's there to be Happy About?

Jesus in Disguise

Letter from Elder Sleet 4/18/2011

Letter from Elder Sleet 3/21/2011

Monkey Trap and other Booby Traps

Brief but Awesome Letter from Elder Sleet

Letter from Elder Sleet 28 February 2011

Elder Sleet is now in Melborne Ward!

A Plea to All African Americans

Modern Day Heros of the Pagedale Branch (Part II)

Modern Day Heros of the Pagedale Branch

The Kingdom of God is Within YOU!

Letter from Elder Sleet 1/24/2011

Letter from Elder Sleet 18 January 2011

Letter from Elder Sleet 1/10/2011

Put off the Natural Man

Gifts of the Spirit

Letter from Elder Sleet 12/13/2010

Crazy Things We Pray About

Into the World

Letter from Elder Sleet 12/06/2010

My Talk Today in Sacrament Meeting

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/22/2010

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/7/2010

Happy Veteran's Day

Some Great Thing

I was reading this scripture this morning and it struck me.

Jeremiah 1:4-5, "Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest our of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/5/2010

Letter from Elder Sleet - 11/1/2010

Resistance is Futile

Did I Miss Something?

Trouble with Texting

Lessons from the Pagedale Branch

Its the Pride!

Proper Parenting

Happy at Home

Letter from Elder Sleet

Letter from Elder Sleet - 9/12/2010

Best Advice Ever!

Letter from Elder Sleet

A Very Sensitive Topic

The Intangibles

Youth Conference

Be About Something

Hold Your Peace

Proverbs 17:28 stated "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

Tears of Joy and Pain

Prayer

Share Your Light

Pour You Out a Blessing

"Malachi 3:10. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour your out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

My Peace

John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Do you have peace in your life? What is bothering you? Do you really think the Lord can comfort you? What are you afraid of? Is what you are afraid of bigger than God?

A Failure to Act

The Fruit of the Spirit

April 25,1992

On the Other Hand ....Blessings

Pet Peeve

Good Ole Family Values

A Letter

The Bread

Magnify Your Calling

Just another Fast Sunday

Nice Day

Outward Appearances

Speaking in Church

Value of a College Education - Brother Jeff Anderson

Value of a College Education - Sister Katelyn Hunt

Value of a College Education - Brother Robert Rodriguez

Value of a College Education - Bishop Paul Kjar

Do you have peace in your life?
What is bothering you?
Do you really think the Lord can comfort you?
What are you afraid of?
Is what you are afraid of bigger than God?