Week Twenty-One

WEEK TWENTY-ONE November 25, 2013

This was the second tough week due to illness. There is a viral respiratory illness going around that both Sister H and I have been fortunate to participate in. As a consequence several meetings were canceled this week by folks who were similarly afflicted and some more because the families didn’t want us in their homes sharing our condition with them. So we have had lots of time for study, contemplation, planning and sleeping. That last one was something I didn’t participate in frequently as a young missionary and now it seems invaluable.

In reflecting on our Seasoned Missionary experience we’ve determined that we are pretty good at going around making friends and giving comfort. So far we’ve had several express their appreciation for us being here how their lives have been touched as a consequence. Sister Nineteen told us, “I was on the telephone with  a fellow school teacher I worked with for years, she is a Mormon and I was sharing with her our progress working with you a commented that you were truly Saints. She said to me that all members of the church are saints and I had to tell her, ‘Now Brother and Sister Haddock really are Saints.” Brother Two said, “I don’t know why you got called to this mission but as far as our family is concerned we think it was just for us.” Such comments remind us again that when one is in the service of their fellow man they are only in the service of God. We are continually amazed that the Lord has been able to make us appear in such a manner to others to accomplish His purposes.

I was asked to do a followup by our District Leader to the mission conference presentation I have on Adjusting to Missionary Life. I prepared a handout sharing with them President Boyd K. Packer’s comment that “Lehi’s dream or vision of the iron rod has in it everything a young Latter-day Saints needs to understand the test of life” (BYU Devotional address, 16 January 2007; BYU Speeches) suggesting that the resource booklet is about handling the ups and downs of life by learning to apply the Atonement thru Self-Help. Treatment, and Atonement giving them ten of the things I have learned about applying the atonement:

1.       In the mists of our darkness the Savior does not merely point the way or shout encouragement from the shade of the Tree of Life, He is the means to get there

2.       As the iron rod, He is the only way to our desired end and also our protection against the mists of darkness and the taunts of the world (See 1 Nephi 15:24; Helaman 3:29-30; 5:12)

3.       Not a single person makes it to the tree of life without taking hold of the iron rod.

4.       No one makes it on their own, no matter how hard they tried

5.       Everyone that let’s go becomes lost, even after partaking of the fruit

6.       Gritting your teeth and bucking up and pressing forward is not enough

7.       Because Christ is both the means and the end we need to see the iron rod not as a railing along a narrow path, but as the Savior whose outstretched hand and arms of mercy are open wide to receive us.

8.       With you hand in the Savior’s, only then does your pressing forward lead you to the tree.

9.       You don’t have to find your way to the tree. In fact, you can’t. You just need to find your way to the rod, reach up, take hold, and hang on.

10.      This is the pressing forward with a “steadfastness in Christ” and a “perfect brightness of hope” which enables you to endure to the end.

When the Nineteen family cancelled because of an emergency and then again because then didn’t want our affliction I felt remiss in not shoehorning in the elders to pick up for us. Having never served in an area as a young missionary where we were even within driving distance of other missionaries the thought never came to my mind. Trying to rectify the situation I called the missionaries encouraging them to drop by. They did call but could only leave a message and there was no response from the message left.

Had a nice meeting with the Six family in which some requirements that might prove tough for them regarding baptism came up quite naturally in a discussion about how a bishop handles certain matters. Their questions allowed us to present examples in many different instances that were helpful to them. On our way home Jan commented about how many things had arisen in our discussions that had I never served as a bishop we might not have had the answers the individuals were seeking. To her it was a testimony of how the Lord prepares each of us for experiences that don’t arise for many years down the road.

Week Twenty

WEEK TWENTY November 18, 2013

We are in the process of assisting four brethren in preparing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. In fact, as the number expanded I felt the need to create a teaching schedule and outline for them to follow. Right on cue the number of priesthood blessings has risen as well this week; two for comfort which were immediately answered; one for a medical procedure that caused great dread in the sister but worked our “miraculously” for her, and another for a little boy hurt in an accident whose facial wounds were healed within the week to the delight of his parents. So the Lord in His goodness was a special blessing to four individuals in need this week and we were blessed to witness His comfort and aid.

PREPARING TO RECEIVE

THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD

1.             Godhead

Doctrine of the Priesthood

2.             Plan of Salvation

Creation

Fall

Journey of Mortality

3.             Atonement of Jesus Christ

Justice and Mercy

Savior

Redeemer    

4.             Dispensations, Apostasy and Restoration

Priesthood Keys

Authority

Reestablished not Reformed        

5.             Revelation

Prophets

Stewardship

Personal

6.             Priesthood

What is the Priesthood?

What are Priesthood Keys?

Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood

Difference between Power and Authority

Ordination and Setting Apart

Quorum

Performing Ordinances

Role of Priesthood in the Family

Patriarchal Order of the Priesthood

In fact this has been a week of blessings. In the Newport Temple this week on a ward assignment felt a prompting to put the names of one of our grandchildren on the temple prayer roll. Seemed like a strange request to me but I so enjoy praying about those the Lord has asked me to pray for and this was very similar. So I entered the name. When I got home I told Jan what I had done and how surprising it was to me. She said, “Call his mother and you’ll know why.” I did and learned that I had a grandson in need. To think that the Lord in His caring style would prompt me to do something for him in his behalf without me even knowing about the situation was nearly overwhelming and as I have thought about it since the personally seeing the touch of the Master’s Hand has taken on even a greater meaning to me.

Sunday the Nineteen family had promised to come to church. We stopped by on Saturday and reconfirmed with them and I gave them a little write up I had prepared for them entitled the Oneness of the Father and Son. Well Saturday night I found myself transported back to a 19 year-old missionary. Praying feverishly, awakening several times during the night asking such questions as: will they come, will the talks be right, will the meeting schedule work, will they relate well to the ward members, will they fit it, etc. We had ward council early that morning so I apprised every one of their attendance. Right as the meeting was to start they came walking up the aisle. Jan had saved some seats in the chapel and we sat with the two of the between us. They have expressed a concern about the lifestyle changes required for membership in the church. The speakers were from the high council. The first spoke about the demands the Church places on us and used several of the ten commandments showing their modern application for us today. The next high council speaker spoke about his neighbors who into three discussion bailed because they weren’t ready to take on the time commitments but then explained how what the family had missed was how much he enjoyed being active in the Kingdom and serving others. Sunday school the same issue came up and several in the class shared their ideas and how easy it had been whereas prospectively it had appeared daunting. During Priesthood meeting it came up again and the group leader explained how the Holy Ghost modifies and changes ones feelings, likes and desires as we come unto Christ. A couple of brethren came up to Brother Nineteen and introduced themselves saying they had been in his home when he had first investigated the church ten years or more ago. They participated in Sunday school and Jan said the sister did in Relief Society as well. After the block I took them on a tour of the building and the bishop graciously invited them into his office to visit with them. Sister Nineteen was in tears several times throughout the day and told me “every talk and meeting was directed to us.” Brother Nineteen said, “Everything felt just right. I loved being here. Felt at home. There is a special warm feeling here.” They decided not to go home immediately to their yapping dogs as they wanted some quiet time to talk together. Priesthood opening exercises were a little rowdy especially with one of the bishop’s sons putting on a performance so Brother Nineteen leaned over and whispered to me, “I remember it being more serious before.” During the high priest meeting he leaned over again, “This is how I remember it.” So all my concerns and anxiety and everything turned out better than I could have even hoped for.

Met with Nineteen family early in the week and had a discussion on the Book of Mormon. Had given them Helaman 5 and 2^nd Nephi 31 to read which they had done and came prepared with written outlines and questions from each chapter. She pointed out verse 14 in 2^nd Nephi with its warning that if one falls away after baptism “better for you that ye had not known me,” and said, “Years ago when I had looked into the Church, I remember this verse and it frightened me. I wasn’t ready then. I told the Lord I wasn’t ready. But now it’s different. There is a different feel about it.” Brother Nineteen again born testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel and said, “I know I’ll be baptized sometime before I leave this life.” The difference even he recognizes is that this time his wife is serious about investigating which is the thing he had apparently wanted all along.

Found an excuse to go by and visit with the Fifteen family and were warmly welcomed. She shared the joy and tears she felt when her children walked up to the front of the chapel to participate in the Primary children. It came rushing out with such force I believe the husband was touched as well. Hope to get him to church someday. He would be such an asset to the Lord.

Brother Twenty told us at our meeting that he had set a goal of January to be ready to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, his two year anniversary since being baptized.

Zone Training focused on planning the last half hour of each day and made it sound like drudgery and a great sacrifice. We even heard the suggestion that the Lord wanted it done than because that was the hardest time to do it and therefore the greater sacrifice. Throughout the training I received powerful promptings using the creation as a pattern for effective training. So the next morning in my personal study time I put together this little outline on the thoughts that came to me during the zone meeting.

PLANNING THE LORD’S WAY

Gerald R. Haddock

Heavenly Father taught us the importance of planning and the pattern we should follow in our planning, when He shared experiences relative to the creation of this earth.

1.             Counsel together. They counseled among themselves. (Abraham 5:1-3)

2.             Establish our principal objective. To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. (Moses 1:39)

3.             Review prior plans and performance. The grand councilors sat at the head in yonder heavens and contemplated the creation of the worlds which were created at that time. (TPJS 348-349)

4.             Visualize the objective being accomplished. All things were created spiritually before they were naturally upon the earth. (Moses 3:5)

5.             Set deadlines. On the seventh time we will end our work. (Abraham 5:2)

6.             Make Decisions. Thus were their decisions at the time that they counseled among themselves. (Abraham 5:3)

7.             Covenant and act according to the plan. The Gods acted according to all that which they had said. (Abraham 5:4)

There are at least two critical reasons missionary daily planning is done the evening before.

1.             A careful review of the current day, comparing that day’s plan with performance, measures performance and enables tools necessary to make adjustments in our planning and performance the following day.

2.             It opens the windows of heaven allowing the whisperings of the Spirit and dreams of the night to settle upon us as the dews from heaven, bringing to our understanding such minor corrections, as may be necessary, enabling us to effectively implement our plan the Lord’s way.

Planning the evening before is not a sacrifice, rather an opportunity the Lord extends to increase our efficiency and prepare His way. Such planning increases our sensitivity to the voice of the Spirit and recognition of the will of the Lord, and instills confidence in our plan and power in our actions.

In fact during this week also wrote articles on Oneness of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost as well as Priesthood Authority Necessary. All little bite size pieces four pages or less.

Received a call from the One family. He being worried that they had missed us last week. We hadn’t come by because of her recent knee surgery and Jan’s infectious coughing. But it was nice to hear they had missed us. Said Sister One, “My husband so enjoys visiting with Elder Haddock. He felt so badly that he may have missed a visit this week because he didn’t get to the door fast enough. On Sunday, Sister Four had similar comments asking us to come to dinner with them and begin teaching her husband.

We had dinner this week with Elder and Sister Litchfield from Payson, Utah. He is the Finance person for our mission and she the secretary. Great couple. Fun to be with them. We’re both hoping we can make a visit to Los Angeles Temple Christmas decorations this season.

Met with the Six Family. I think we became acquainted and friends with them in the pre-earth life. Hit it off with them marvelously. Had quite a discussion of marriage and divorce, what a bishop does when he counsels, how he treats things, what causes divorce, when proper, etc.

Finished the week after church visiting with a Sister Twenty-three in a nursing home. After some time were able to communicate somewhat with her and she accepted an invitation for us to visit with her frequently. She is in a sad situation physically and Jan was stunned to learn she was our age. Reminded of many of the things we saw in Jan’s mom when she was in her mid-nineties.

One of the finest missionaries I knew in the mission field as a young man was Elder Paul Searle who recently wrote "I am enjoying your mission tremendously." If this blog is useful to him as our son-in-law Mark Wadsworth has said it is useful to him, then I guess it is not much of a sacrifice to take the time to record these thoughts.

Week Nineteen

WEEK NINETEEN November 11, 2013

I think I’ve figured out what a Member and Leadership Support (MLS) missionary (the senior missionary couple version of a proselyting missionary) is, and it all has to deal with time and friendship. First, what Sister H and I have that no one in either of the two wards to which we have been assigned has, is time. Even the retired couples do not have the time we have because they are still shackled by the day to day cares from which we have been freed in accepting this call. Second, our assignment in a nutshell is going around making and being friends. It’s almost like being continual home and visiting teachers. Not having the same restrictions on visits that the young missionaries have, we can spend the time developing friendships, supporting members and nonmembers, and just being there to serve whatever the need.

The Nineteen family made an interesting observation relative to the above as we went out to dinner with them this week in celebration of Sister Nineteen’s birthday. Said she, “We’ve been talking about something we observed last night at the restaurant. When the two of you are teaching us the gospel, Jerry takes the lead and Jan chimes in with interesting and heartfelt observations, always very timely. When we were at dinner last night, Jan took the lead in our conversations. We thought it was interesting how the two of you work so well together.” As Sister H and I gave consideration to their observation we concluded they were right on all counts.

We shared the Restoration lesson with the Nineteen family this week. He bore testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and Sister Nineteen offered her first prayer, a heartfelt prayer of thanks for the atoning sacrifice of the Savior which had all of us teary-eyed. We also watched a short video together. They shared their enthusiasm for the mini-MTC visit and the teaching of Sister Smith and Toomey. They still plan on coming to church with us next Sunday.

This has been a tough week for Jan suffering from a virus which has induced spasmodic and to her, embarrassing coughing which has limited our activity. Those people we did meet with continually asking her if she is alright, what can we do, do you want a drink of water, is there something we can get for you. To spare our district and zone missionaries we skipped the district meeting this week as well as the zone meeting with the stake president Saturday morning. I saw him at church Sunday and he asked about Jan’s health and when I told him it had slowed us down this week he said, “You both probably needed the rest anyway.” Probably true!

Sister H sat in the car as I continued our instruction with Brother Twenty in preparation for him receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. I noticed at church Sunday that our visits with him the last four or five weeks has opened a friendship with him which he demonstrated in greeting and sharing some things with me at church Sunday.

Also this week I led the discussion in our bi-monthly bible study group in Aliso Creek on the Resurrection. We had four non-members in attendance and some informative one-on-one time with each following the study group.

We were given the name and contact information later in the week for a non-member who had called one of the bishops wanting to participate in the church welfare program. He said under the circumstances he thought contact from a former bishop such as myself might be better than turning it over to the young missionaries. So we plan to visit him early next week when Sister H is not infecting people.

We met with the Twenty-First family for the first time. He just joined the Church a little over a year ago and she a lifetime member. They just moved into the ward and have 4 and 2 year old daughters. They accepted our invitation to prepare him to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and prepare to enter the temple, so we will begin meeting with them on a weekly basis starting next week. When they were getting serious her mom told her she would rather she remain single throughout her life than marry a non-member so she broke up with him and spent several days in tears. He had a remarkable vision finding himself in a wasteland which he had to pass through to get to her and a city of light and color. So they got back together and married. Nearly a couple of years ago the dream or vision was renewed only this time he was part way through the wasteland and he knew he needed to be baptized. About the third missionary discussion his vision cleared and because of the humility of the missionaries whose interest seemed to be in him personally and not his getting baptized, he opened his heart and received the confirmation of the Holy Ghost.

We met with the Two family Friday night to complete our discussion on receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood and noticed how much more accepting their little children, ages 7 and 5 are to us. On our first few visits they wouldn’t come near us or even talk to us. I guess we have been in their house enough to be accepted. Sunday we visited again to give a blessing and the 7 year old ran up to me and gave me a hug, welcoming me to the home.

Brother Two has a step-brother who has had some long term issues and he felt a blessing would be helpful for him. As we were arriving at our Sunday Ward Council meeting my phone rang and it was Brother Two. He had gone and picked up his brother and mother and they were at his home. He wondered when I could come by to give his brother, a non-member, a blessing. I told him I had some time between the meeting and the start of the meeting block and asked the WML to go with me. As I entered the house while the WML was talking with Sister Two outside, the 25 year old brother greeted me with, “Are you the one who is going to give me a blessing?” We talked for some time as I asked him questions to see where he was about receiving a blessing, helping him to understand the importance of both a blessing and choices he had to make in giving up certain things that were afflicting him. He told us he had been an atheist but all that gave him was a face full of dirt and he wanted to find God. We shared with him how to do that encouraging him to meet with the missionaries where he lived and I then asked his mother, a Jehovah’s Witness, if she would support him in visiting with the missionaries. I had to ask her 7 or 8 eight times as she kept dodging the questions. The last few times the young man pleaded, “Mom can’t you see he is trying to help me and I need the help.” Finally she said, “Yes, I will support him. Whatever he needs to get better I am all for it.” The WML then did a wonderful job of explaining the priesthood and a blessing. I talked about the two parts, anointing and blessing. When the spirit confirmed we were ready we proceeded with the WML anointing and I sealing the blessing which was warmly received by the young man, the mother, and the brother. I later received a text from Brother Two which read, “Your work here today was much needed and very much appreciated. My brother has never in his life received any thing as loving as was done for him today.”

In the Gospel Essentials class I was privileged to teach about our Heavenly Father and bear my own humble witness of him.

We had another visit with the Six family which, because of some of his questions regarding priesthood lineage, ended up with a portrayal of what his priesthood lineage would look like should he be baptized and I bestow the priesthood upon him. He seemed genuinely pleased that it traced back to Joseph and the Savior. I asked what we needed to do to make this happen for him as we both wondered when he received the Melchizedek Priesthood would the Stake President choose to ordain him an Elder or a High Priest as he has been meeting with the High Priests the past seven years. I had hoped this would open the final door for him by asking him “Let’s find out?” but again that moment passed without him accepting the invitation.

Found a convenient excuse to visit the Fifteen family and seem with the non-member father who warmly accepted us into the home and visited with us in a very open manner. Sister H commented “I think we are now welcome in this home anytime.” Sister Fifteen found herself crying in the primary Sacrament meeting today and said to us and her husband, “I have never been so affected by seeing my children participate today.” Their daughter who has a budding pen pal relationship with our granddaughter told us she had sent her a necklace that she had made.

After Sacrament meeting a brother and sister approached us asking if we would come to their home the Friday after Thanksgiving for some turkey gumbo and meet with a non-member couple. We said yes and they said, “Great we will get back in touch with you in a few day to work out the details,” and then left, neither Sister H or I knowing their names. During the priesthood opening exercises I spotted the brother and asked the fellow beside me who he was. He told me he couldn’t remember his name. That sequence was repeated three more times, no one knowing the brother’s name. I then asked one of the ward missionaries we work with and he gave me a name but sounded so unsure I didn’t trust what he said. Later I described the fellow to Sister Jackson, one of the sister missionaries in the ward, asking he if she thought that was Brother Jacobson, not the name I had been given. She and I felt pretty sure it was and in the ward correlation meeting I described the fellow and asked the WML who confirmed our suspicions to which Sister Jackson gave me knuckles which thrilled her trio companionship when I responded.

Week Eighteen

WEEK EIGHTEEN November 4, 2013

As we serve I continue to see many differences between our service today and mine as a young missionary. To prepare myself then I memorized over 2,000 scriptures and developed considerable facility in using them effectively. However, the mental ability to memorize and retain at this age I find to be very different but also different is the lack of fear afflicting us “seasoned” missionaries. Should the spirit be kind enough to bring to my memory scriptures important to the discussion at hand I happily use them. But when that is not the case I don’t fret and simply bear testimony to what I know to be true and allow the Holy Spirit to teach our investigators directly. I have also noticed that making simple comparison like parables enables one to teach effectively, for example, “If you were Heavenly Father and wanted all your children to enjoy the same joy and happiness that you enjoy, what principle would you find to be important?”

We met with the Nineteen family and presented the first half of the Restoration discussion and showed the DVD on the same. Again another wonderful discussion in which they expressed appreciation for our visiting with them, what they were learning, and her experiences with prayer, something she hadn’t done before. Although brother Nineteen already has a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith this is sister Nineteen’s first foray into studying the gospel and boy has seen been diligent in completing her “homework.”  We gave them a copy of Elder Nelson’s book, “The Gateway we call Death,” for her to review and share some comfort with neighbor Sharon who passed away with Cancer and her memorial service is next Sunday. They asked to keep the Restoration DVD to show to their niece so we left that with them and had to hightail it to the mission office to pick up another copy for a different family.

As we were leaving we received a text from the WML asking if the Donatos’ would participate in the mini-MTC on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. Sister H wasn’t anxious to make the call fearing it might upset the applecart. But she finally did and sister Nineteen was most gracious and said yes they would entertain some priests or laurels teaching a discussion to them on Saturday. Since Bishop Smith had been very receptive to the family’s needs a few years ago at a trying time and since the husband had such a sweet experience studying with sister missionaries several years ago I suggested to the bishop that if he could engineer his daughter being assigned her with another Laurel we would make both the family connection and the sister missionary connection. He said he liked the idea and would make the recommendation.

On Saturday evening we picked up Sister Toomey and Sister Smith fresh from their MTC experience that day to teach the Restoration to the Nineteen family. They were so poised and confident, so earnest and engaging that although the husband had been told differently he felt to ask, “How long have you sisters been serving?” Sister Toomey in her presentation had mentioned Christ as being our Elder Brother which caught the wife’s fancy, saying she had never considered that, “but it’s true isn’t it.” When the family shared that as they have progressed it is dawning on them that the Church requires a total commitment and a total life style change for them that has given them some pause, Sister Smith said ever so sweetly, “Well to me I don’t think of it as given up things so much as I see giving back.” To which the wife said, “Yes, you are right.” When the husband commented that tithing might be tough for his wife, Sister Smith countered that she had learned that she is able to do so much more with her 90% than she ever could with her 100%. The wife paused and said, “I had not considered that. That’s right I would still have 90%. That’s a good way to look at it.” The husband bore testimony to Joseph Smith being a prophet of God and expressed concern that these two pretty innocent girls will soon have to go out in a very evil world and warned them accordingly. The wife said should they serve missions they will probably experience many slammed or shut doors but not to give up. The together shared testimony that their relationship has noticeably been better since they have been meeting with us, their focus is much more consistent, and they have felt a sweet peaceful feeling in their home that was not there before.

Monday evening we took the Nineteen family out to dinner to celebrate her birthday which was Sunday. That’s another difference with a young missionary, never got to do that before.

We had our third Melchizedek Priesthood discussion with the Twenty family in preparing him to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.

At In-N-Out for a quick bite we ran into the Twenty-Two family. He a former disc jockey in Los Angeles on KPOL and a recent author of several books written in news clip style. As we alighted from the car he pointed to our Utah license plate and with pride told us of his relationship with Dick Evans of the Tabernacle Choir who he featured regularly on the radio. He was 84 years of age. I commented that my grandfather was on KMPC in the San Fernando Valley. He is a faithful Christian, graduated from the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. We enjoyed a very pleasant discussion. I asked him if he remembered the gardens where Korla Pandit used to play the organ which I had mentioned to Sister H visiting as a youth. He did, it is Descanso Gardens in Flintridge, just north of Glendale. We need to get that on our calendar.

We had another nice productive discussion with the One family. She just had knee replacement surgery and is only a couple of days into therapy. He being surprised at the time it is going to take for her to be up and going. We tried to view a video they wanted to see but their equipment wasn’t working. It seems when the carpet was cleaned all the equipment was moved, then moved back, but all the cords are disconnected. I saw nine different ones in back of the TV. Her sister was there helping both of them.

We had lunch with Brother and Sister Two and later met with him for his next to last discussion on receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. They again told us how much their lives have changed with the gospel and how important our serving here has been in their adjustment. Said he, “I’m thinking the reason you were called to this mission was for our family.”

A special stake priesthood meeting was called as the first counselor in the stake presidency was released and needed to be reorganized. I drove Brother Six to the meetings praying that the Lord would direct the conversation so I could learn what was holding him back from being baptized. On the way over we discussed the value of the church to parents in raising a family. The new counselor had shared some experiences his missionary son had recently both in following the promptings of the spirit and not following them. As we were driving home I told Brother Six that of all the wonderful blessings in the Church I think the gift of the Holy Ghost is the one I prize the most and then shared a number of experiences both in physical safety and being in the right place at the right time in being directed by the spirit. He said a number of audible wow’s. I then suggested that what we needed to do was get him in a position to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, that he needed that gift. “Yes I do,” he responded. Unfortunately that coincided with the end of our journey. He thanked me profusely for the ride and for spending  some time with him.

When we met later that evening for our weekly discussion I noticed he was much more engaged in the discussion. Between our trip this morning and the discussion this afternoon I received this text from our son Chip about our grandson Chase which seemed so appropriate to share with Brother Six tonight further to our discussion regarding the Gift of the Holy Ghost. “Chase saw himself testifying of the Book of Mormon in testimony meeting during a dream last night. So, in obedience, he gave his testimony today in sacrament meeting and it was wonderful. Shared 2 Nephi 32:3 and that he used to read, just to read. This summer, he has started to pray each time before reading to invite the spirit (something he and I had talked about) and that the words have come alive and many spiritual experiences have followed. He then told how he knows of the books' truth. It’s a typical Haddock experience, no great sign or miracle, but a powerful burning knowledge. How could a father be more proud of any accomplishment in life of a son than this?” When I finished reading the text to Brother Six who was clearly impressed both with our grandson and the experience the Lord had given him also remarked, “What a wonderful experience? That boy is certainly on the right path.” To which I replied, “And that is the path we see you on.”