Pittsburgh PA Stake Conference - Feb 22, 2015

We were blessed with a beautiful and peaceful snowy morning at the stake center in Plum.

Today was a momentous stake conference because it was the first stake conference since the Pittsburgh PA Stake was divided into the Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh West Stakes. (See our post on the division that happened last September.)

There was a wonderful spirit as the speakers discussed prayer—what it is, how we do it, how we see results from it. In this blog post we'll recap the messages and provide some links for further study. Unfortunately, what's hard to include in this summary is the powerful spirit that was felt as testimonies were shared and truths were taught. It's up to you to let that spirit in as you remember and act on these messages. 

First we heard from Sister Caitlin Snow, the youth speaker. She talked about the power of prayer, especially as shown by the example of Peter. She read some powerful quotes from the Prophet Heber J. Grant, who especially reminds us of the importance of family prayer. She also shared the thought-provoking story of John Burroughs, as shared by President Boyd K. Packer. 

Sister Martin with her kids after the conference

Next Sister LaShaun Martin (Pittsburgh 1st Ward) presented some important reminders about prayer. "Personal prayer is essential," she emphasized. "We need it to return to the Father and to have faith and power." She talked about the importance of preparing to pray, asking inspired questions, and using hallowed prayer language. She closed with this lovely poem by Eliza Hickok, which has been quoted by Ezra Taft Benson:

I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know, God answers prayer.
I know that He has given His Word,
Which tells me prayer is always heard,
And will be answered, soon or late.
And so I pray and calmly wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought;
But leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest,
Or send some answer far more blest.

President Ron Paul emphasized that all sincere prayers are heard and answered. He talked about the progression of how the Lord taught Oliver Cowdery when he was beginning to scribe for Joseph Smith as he translated the Book of Mormon. First, the Lord reminds Oliver and Joseph of the feelings they'd had through the Holy Ghost (see D&C 6). In D&C 8, He later tells them that He reveals truth through both the mind and heart. In D&C 9 they are reminded of the effort required of them if they want to receive revelation. Lastly, President Paul talked about the situation in which individuals receive no answer, and he quoted extensively from Elder Dallin H. Oaks's talk on revelation. Sometimes, we pray about a decision which, for one reason or another, we should make without guidance by revelation. We still must make decisions, act, and experience the consequences of our actions in order to develop self-reliance and faith. He also reminded us of the powerful spiritual guides that patriarchal blessings are. 

President Johnson mentioned his gratitude for the support members
give the missionaries, who face challenges and rejection daily.

Next we heard from President Bradley K. Johnson, the mission president of the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission, and his wife, Sister Rosemary M. Johnson. (To learn more about them and their responsibilities, see an earlier blog post.) Sister Johnson related prayer to a cell phone connection. We need a secure connection with Heavenly Father (the ultimate source of power), which can only happen through Jesus Christ (see 3 Nephi 18:19). Just as a cell phone must be plugged in and charged, we must connect or align ourselves to our Savior who can enable us to overcome our limitations. As we align ourselves with God through Jesus Christ, we come to know Him and can gain eternal life (see John 17:3). We are also learning in the process to align our will with our Heavenly Father's will, which ultimately gives us peace and comfort in our trials and afflictions (see John 14:27).

President Johnson talked about some of the counsel he gives to missionaries. When they face decisions, especially after they go home from their missions, they should consider two questions: Does this help me keep my covenants? (If not, run from it!) Am I involving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in this decision? He again referred us to D&C 9.

Patriarch Evan Stoddard (Pittsburgh 7th Ward) shared a powerful impromptu testimony of the many many blessings of the Gospel, referring to the beatitudes. 

Bryce Lunt and Su Liu (Pittsburgh 1st Ward) performed
a beautiful piano/cello duet, "Sweet Hour of Prayer"

Finally, President Erich Peterson spoke. He first talked about the excited changes happening in our stake. He particularly highlighted the need for local stake service missionaries. If you are interested in serving as a stake missionary, please contact a member of the stake presidency.

President Peterson proceeded to talk about the importance of action, in relation to receiving answers to prayers. He related that when Joseph Smith, as a young man, went into the grove to pray, he not only wished to know which church was true, but most importantly, he wanted to know that he might know which one to JOIN.  Because he prayed with the intention to ACT on the answer that our Father in Heaven would give him, he was praying with faith.  

Later, the Prophet would teach that faith is a principle of action.  The Book of Mormon promise in Moroni chapter 10 says "if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."  The term "real intent" means that if I get an answer from God, I intend to ACT on it.  This is the key to receiving revelation and answers to our prayers.  Our Father in Heaven will reveal to us His will as fast as we are willing to receive it.  And our willingness to receive the will of our Father, is measured by our intent to act on it.  Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was always willing to do the will of our Father, so He continuously had the will of The Father revealed to Him.


Thank you to the speakers and all who participated in this wonderful stake conference.

Bishop Chad Manuele (Pittsburgh 3rd Ward) helps clear the walks before the conference starts

Welcome, President and Sister Johnson!

At the beginning of July, we said goodbye to President and Sister Topham, who presided over the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Mission for three years. Shortly after, we welcomed President and Sister Johnson to Pittsburgh. They kindly answered some questions to help us in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Stake acquaint ourselves better with them.

Tell us about yourselves.

We were both born and raised in Northern Utah in the Logan area, but the majority of our lives have been spent in other areas of the country: eight years in Minnesota, seven years in Boston area, four years in Wisconsin, a year and a half in Maine, eleven years in Seattle, and the past two years back in Cache Valley, Utah. We have eight children (four boys and four girls) and eight grandchildren. Our youngest son, Andrew, who is a senior in high school, is here with us. 

Rumor has it that President Johnson left an impressive career to serve a mission. How did you both spend your time before coming on your mission? 

President Johnson had a long career in executive management at large retail companies around the country. He was CAO/CFO at REI and Lands End. He is pleased to give his time and efforts serving with the missionaries here in Western Pennsylvania and finds great satisfaction working with the great members of the Church here. 

Sister Johnson has been a full time mother and homemaker. Her passions are grandchildren, music, and the gospel. 

How did you decide to serve a mission? Tell us about receiving your mission call.

This call came as a surprise. Elder Perry’s secretary called one day and asked if we could meet with him at a local hotel while he was in the area for a conference. Elder L. Tom Perry interviewed us and President Henry B. Eyring made the call. It was very humbling, but we felt peace and confidence knowing the call came from the Lord. 
Brad had just been asked to teach a business finance class at Utah State.  He went ahead and taught that semester as we were preparing to make this move. Rosie was taking care of her 96-year-old father at the time and wondered how this would all come together. But the Lord’s timing is perfect. Brad’s teaching experience prepared him well for this calling. Rosie's dear father was called home (passed away) 2 months after our call, and we feel him with us all the time. We feel very humbled and blessed to be called.  

What do your responsibilities consist of?

For three years we are responsible for the work of the 260 missionaries that serve in this mission. We oversee training, placement, health issues, and any other problems that may arise. We are amazed at the spiritual maturity and dedication of these missionaries. It is truly an honor to serve with them!

What do you think of Pittsburgh so far?

We have loved getting to see much of the state of Pennsylvania as we travel around the mission. We think this is a beautiful place and enjoy the lush green and thick woods we hike in just across the street from our neighborhood.  The city is picturesque and, most of all, the people have been accepting, warm, and friendly.

What do you look forward to most about your time here?

We greatly look forward to our association with the members, missionaries, and those interested in learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Looking Back Fondly: Goodbye to President and Sister Topham

President and Sister Topham, who have served so faithfully in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission, have completed their three years here in Western PA. Here's what they have to say about their service and about Pittsburgh.

President and Sister Topham take the incoming missionaries to get a good view of Pittsburgh

Tell us a bit about yourselves.

We are from Utah.  We both grew up in southern Utah but have lived in the Salt Lake City area for most of our adult lives.  We have 4 children and 16 grandchildren ranging from 18 to 9 months old.  I am a civil engineer by education and worked 30 years for the Utah Department of Transportation in highway planning construction and maintenance.  I also spent 11 years as a Senior Vice President and Western Regional Manager of an international engineering firm.  My most significant professional achievement was participating in the planning, financing, contracting and reconstruction of I-15 in the Salt Lake Valley.  Sister Topham was a cosmetologist but was always first and foremost a wife and mother and practiced most of her profession in our home while raising our family.  As for recreation, Sister Topham is a bowler and has participated in several bowling leagues, but her real interest is in her grandchildren.  She loves music and likes to play the piano.  I like to golf and to spend time at our desert home in St. George, UT.  While there I like to ride back-roads and trails in off-road vehicles.

What brought you here to the Pittsburgh area?

In 2011 I retired from work and Sister Topham and I had a desire to serve a mission.  We were surprised to be called on a three-year assignment to preside over a mission and were assigned to Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.   We have loved our time here and the people we have served and have served with.

What did your responsibilities consist of while you were here?

The main focus of a mission president is to work with the individual missionaries.  We have the responsibility to receive the missionaries, to orient them, provide housing and transportation for them, to assign them to their various service areas, and to train and direct them in their missionary work.  The Elders serve for 2 years and the Sisters for 18 months, and there is a constant flow of incoming and outgoing missionaries.  During our tenure here, the age at which missionaries can serve was lowered, resulting in a significant increase in the number of missionaries assigned to us.  When we arrived we had approximately 140 missionaries and we now have about 260.  The most significant increase was in our young sister missionaries, which increased from 8 to 80. 

What were some of your first impressions of Pittsburgh?

We had visited Pittsburgh several years earlier on a business trip and were favorably impressed, so we came with a positive attitude.  We love the green of summer and the colors of fall.  I had hoped to serve where the winters weren’t quite as harsh, but the good outweighs the bad by a long way.  In the three years we have been here, we have driven approximately 100,000 miles.  Our area covers from Lancaster to Williamsport on the east side and from Wheeling, WV, to Erie, PA, and Jamestown, NY, on the west, so it is quite possible that we have seen more of Pennsylvania than many of the natives.  Our first impressions of the beauty of the landscapes and the warmth of the people will be our lasting ones as well.

Please tell one or two of your most memorable experiences during your time here.

Because our mission boundaries are so broad and our missionaries so spread out, we didn’t think it would ever be possible to have all of them together in a single meeting.  As it turned out, we were able to get everyone together twice, once in June of 2013 and once in May 2014.  We were privileged to be visited by apostles David A. Bednar and Jeffrey R.Holland, along with other General Authorities of the church.  Each meeting lasted 3 hours and each missionary had the opportunity to individually meet these special men and be taught by them.  For us, being able to sit where we could look at all our missionaries in one group and watch each of them as they shook the hand of one of the Lord’s apostles was a real blessing—one that we will never forget.

When you go home and describe Pittsburgh to people, what will you say?

First let me say that we have grown to love the people here.  They are friendly and courteous and accepting of people from other cultures and places.  A couple of things that really struck us were, first, the courteousness of drivers.  We were amazed at how people stop to let others into lines of traffic and allow them to make left turns in front of them, etc.  Also, coming from a very rural part of the country, we assumed that Pennsylvania would be more urban. I suppose that if we had served in Philadelphia we would have found that to be true.  Instead, we found that central and western Pennsylvania can be as rural, if not more rural, than southern Utah, where we were reared.

Do you have anything else you'd like to say to people of Pittsburgh?

We hope that when we leave it won’t be the end of our relationship with Pittsburgh and that we will have the opportunity to come back or at least keep in contact with those we have grown close to.  Sister Topham has been a Pittsburgh Pirates fan since they won the World Series against the Yankees when she was in elementary school and listened to the games on the radio, so we will continue to root for the Pirates.  We hope that the prayers of the members will be answered, that more people will hear and accept the message of the restored gospel, and that you will be able to have a temple here in the not too distant future.  We hope that our positive memories of Pennsylvania will never leave us.

We in the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Stake are so grateful for the dedicated service of Elder and Sister Topham. We wish them the very best as they return to their family in Utah!

Sister Missionaries in Pittsburgh

Back in March, the New York Times published an article highlighting female missionary service in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (See the Church's response here.) With the lowering of female missionary age minimums from age 21 to 19, the Church has seen an unprecedented surge in the number of missionaries serving throughout the world.

How has this change affected the Pittsburgh area? It means more missionaries, especially more sister missionaries! The New York Times article highlights a few aspects of sister missionary work for which we wanted to get a local perspective. We decided to interview a few of these missionaries who are serving in two Pittsburgh congregations to learn more about them and what they experience as missionaries in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Sister Stokes (left) and Sister Jones (right)

Sister Kinney (left) and Sister Mortimer (right)

Tell us a bit about yourselves:

Sister Stokes: I'm from Pleasant View, Utah. I like to longboard, play the piano and violin, hike, occasionally cliff jump, listen to music, and explore caves.
Sister Jones: I'm from Southern California and live in a horsetown called Norco. I like to play sports, mainly softball, and do anything outdoors. I am planning to be a returned missionary, be a wife and mother, and have a career in the medical field.
Sister Kinney: I'm from West Jordan, Utah. I like to dance, sing, hike, camp, and do anything outdoors. I'm an adrenaline junkie. I love photography, traveling, talking with people, and laughing.
Sister Mortimer: I'm from Utah as well. I like to dance, read, and think.

What influenced your decision to serve a mission?

Sister Kinney: I've had my ups and downs with what I believe, especially during high school when I experienced some turbulence and didn't do all I should have. After coming to gain a true testimony, I desired to share the happiness and joy I feel with others. It made me want to be a better missionary.
Sister Stokes: It just felt right. My parents had both served missions, and they were great examples to me.
Sister Mortimer: I desired to help others and share the source of happiness I've found.

How did the Church's decision to lower the age for female missionary service affect your decision to serve a mission?

Sister Jones: If it weren't for this decisions, I would have never thought about going on a mission. It was never in the plan or my mind until after that announcement. Even then it still took me a while to decide.
Sister Kinney: When all my friends started leaving at age 19, I had a random wish that I could serve a mission, but I didn't want to wait. I had never planned to serve at age 21, so the age change definitely influenced my desire to serve.

Give us an overview of a "day-in-the-life" of a sister missionary.

Sister Mortimer: Wake up at 6:30; get ready; study for two hours; proselyte, serve, and teach; be home by 9; plan for the next day; be in bed at 10:30.
Sister Jones: Wake up. Pray. Exercise. Pray. Eat. Get ready. Pray. Study. Pray. Study. Pray. Pray. Leave house. Talk with EVERYONE: on the bus, on the street, in Taco Bell, in the store. Teach lessons. Come home. Pray. Plan for tomorrow. Pray. Get ready for bed. Pray. Sleep.

What are some challenges you've experienced as a missionary?

Sister Stokes: Everyone can choose for themselves. I want so badly for the people I teach to make good choices, but when they don't, it's difficult for me because I care about them.
Sister Kinney: I often feel inadequate for the work. Also, it's hard when there are things happening back home that are out of my control. They sometimes shake my focus.
Sister Jones: When I first came here, I was nervous to talk about the gospel to random strangers. I didn't want them to say "no" or push me away, but after putting my trust in the Lord and talking with people, I've learned ways to talk about the gospel. 

In what ways are you and other female missionaries leaders in the mission?

Sister Stokes: Sisters can train brand new sister missionaries. There are also Sister Training Leaders who help the sisters throughout the zone (which consists of several missionary companionships in one region).
Sister Kinney: Since I'm serving at the beginning of the age change, I feel like I'm setting and example of missionary work for my family and all girls in the Church.

As you look forward, how do you foresee this missionary service affecting your life?

Sister Kinney: It is applicable to EVERYTHING! If I can take the knowledge I have learned here and apply it to my future, I will be so much better off.
Sister Mortimer: It is changing me for the better! It will help me be a better wife and mother in the future.
Sister Stokes: I will forever be a better member of the Church, sister, daughter, and, most importantly, disciple of Christ.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Sister Jones: Being a sister missionary is fantastic. It is hard work, but the work is worth it. Seeing the change the gospel can bring to people's lives is incredible. I feel so privileged to be helping the Lord with His work.
Sister Stokes: The people of Pittsburgh are amazing, and missionary work is life-changing! 

We're so fortunate to have these and other sister missionaries serving around and with us. Thanks go to them and their families for all the sacrifices they make to serve for a year and a half.