Mar 1, 2009 A New Bishop in Linden, Arizona!

We want to extend our congratulations to the new Bishop and his wife and family in their newly created Linden Ward in Show Low, Arizona. Our very best wishes to you, Steve, and to Ann and the Children as you begin this new adventure in your life! If we understand it correctly this action was taken today. We wish we could have been there to be part of such an important moment in their lives!

This is the view from our hotel window, following our return from the final session of Stake Conference, here in Salem. Salem is just on the west side of Roanoke, about an hour out of Bedford when the roads are dry and conditions are normal. We were glad we weren't feeling the necessity of driving back to Bedford in this storm.

We are tucked in for one more night at the La Quinta Inn on Sheraton Drive, just off Interstate 81 on the north side of Salem. We will make our way back to Bedford in the morning unless conditions worsen.

We came down to Salem, Virginia from Bedford on Saturday, Feb 28, and took a room at a hotel just off the I-81, less than a mile from the Roanoke Virginia Stake Center. We did this so we could be more available to attend the meetings of Stake Conference without having to drive back and forth between Bedford and Salem. This turned out to be a good decision because of two snow storms that hit the Roanoke/Salem area starting last night and again today. It is still snowing at 3 p.m. as we post this picture to the blog back at our room after the conference.

Our visitor, Elder David Cook of the Seventy, provided inspirational council to the adult members of the Stake last night and to the youth of the Stake in the General Session this morning. President and sister Thornock also spoke as did a counselor in the Washington DC Temple Presidency and his wife, President and Sister Fox. Their's was a very compelling message about the importance of the Temple. They spoke from a perspective of conversion to the church in their adult life and the great blessing of the Temple as they have been able to do the ordinance work for so many of their departed ancesters.

After the close of the Sunday Session of conference we happened to meet this little fellow, Jared Taylor Farnsworth, great grandson of Philo Farnsworth, the inventor of television! He is in the arms of his grandfather, Paul Rucker of Salem. We were so struck by his sweet demeanor and cute outfit we had to stop his grandfather and ask for a picture.