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"The commitment of Church leaders to relieve human suffering was as certain as it was irrevocable. President Grant wanted "a system that would...reach out and take care of the people no matter what the cost."  He said he would even go so far as to "close the seminaries, shut down missionary work for a period of time, or even close the temples, but they would not let the people go hungry.

 I was at President Gordon B. Hinckley's side in Managua, Nicaragua, when he spoke to 1,300 members of the Church who had survived a devastating hurricane that claimed more than 11,000 lives. "As long as the Church has resources," he said to them, "we will not let you go hungry or without clothing or without shelter.  We shall do all that we can to assist in the way that the Lord has designated that it should be done."
Bishop H. David Burton, “The Sanctifying Work of Welfare”, April 2011

When he first spoke these words a thrill went through me.  Their truth filled me.  This is the great Church I belong to.  This is the Great God I know. This is who I am to Be.
In the July Stake Council I was asked to read these words.  The line I underlined above brought tears to my voice.  I am thankful to belong to a Church that has storehouses filled with supplies to help those in need.

It is clear that caring for our fellowman is the highest priority to God.  It needs to be mine as well.
Many times I have heard people say they will protect their food storage from others or give the ‘old wheat’ to their neighbors.  We are being taught otherwise.  Shouldn't we be willing to be as the widow who gave her last morsel of food to the prophet Elijah rather than feed her son and herself?  She and her son became the recipient of miracles.  To choose oneself over others is to deny God the opportunity to bless you-preventing Miracles. 

PRESENTING A

VERY SPECIAL AWARD

TO A LADY
WHO MADE MY DAY

This award goes to Sheryl Holmes.
Over and over this dear woman blesses my life.
Would you like to know how?

• It is in the cute voice she uses when she offers a cheery hello when we meet.

• The way she delights in the most important 'things' of life.

• The night after Craig was released as Stake President her family gave us a Heart Attack---they had made paper hearts with loving sayings and stuck them into our yard. It made Craig cry.

• One night I was exhausted and working long hard hours on Proposition 8 when she came to the door with important data for the campaign. I said, " I wish I could invite you in and offer you some warm homemade cookies but I've been working ALL DAY on Prop 8!" We laughed. A couple of hours later she came to the door with a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies.

• Yesterday, beautiful flowers were on my doorstep.

If you would like to get to know one of God's Angels visit her

Have you noticed how many nice people there are in the world?
In essentially a 24 hour period of time:

• Our neighbor found a lost puppy, several people joined in to find the delighted owner.
  

• Craig and I bought a huge assembled composter at Costco. Several people asked us what it was as we wheeled it to our car. One man spent about 15 minutes helping us get it into our car a lady offered to put it in her SUV and take it home for us!
  

• Someone from church knocked on Joel's door and gave them a very generous gift.

No matter what you hear on the news America is Full of Good people.