Yesterday (5 December 2021) was a good day.  Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the quorum of the twelve came to La Grande to hold a special stake conference.  The last time that an apostle visited our stake was 33 years ago, in 1988.  It was special to be here for this conference.

I had arranged to give a patriarchal blessing to a girl at the stake center prior to the conference.  We arrived 45 minutes early, and the parking lot was already nearly full.  The stake center was full of people anxious to be in the presence of an apostle of the Lord.  As patriarch of the stake, I have a seat reserved on the stand, so I was able to look out on the congregation.  This is the first time in two years that the stake has been able to be together, due to the pandemic, and it was a wonderful sight to see all of those eager, faithful people gathered together.

Elder Stevenson asked for Sister Walker (the stake Young Women's president), and a young woman from La Grande 2^nd Ward to speak extemporaneously.  I hadn't known who Sister Walker was until I saw her coming up to the stand.  She was very obviously the daughter of Russell and Sharon Lester.  He is a former counselor to stake president I. Dale Wyatt.

Sister Walker related that when she was a girl, her father was serving in the stake presidency, and that when general authorities visited the stake they would eat at President Wyatt's home, and then spend the night at her house.  The two general authorities that she remembered were Bruce R. McConkie and Gene R. Cook.

The Lesters particularly remembered Bruce R. McConkie because of the conundrum they were in the next morning.  Elder McConkie wasn't coming out of his bedroom.  Should they wake him?  It was getting later and later.  Do you wake an apostle?

The problem evaporated when they looked out the window and saw him coming up the driveway.  He had slipped out of the house to go for a run.

I, too, vividly remember the visits to La Grande Oregon Stake of both Elders McConkie and Cook.  I can still show exactly where I was sitting as Elder McConkie conducted the priesthood leadership session.  I was an elders quorum president, and Elder McConkie had a list of the presidents.  I heard him say, “President Kerns, would you please stand?”

That was the very last thing in the world that I wanted to do, but I stood.  Elder McConkie then asked me a question.  He liked my answer.  He asked another and another and another.  It was very unnerving to stand there and to be grilled by the foremost doctrinal authority in the Church; but I did it, survived, and felt good about my answers.  I'm sure that the stake president and my bishop felt good, too, because I was there and able to respond when called upon.  It was a very memorable experience.

Elder Cook's visit was also memorable.  I was a brand new bishop, and was in the Saturday afternoon leadership session of stake conference.  The memory is again so indelibly impressed upon my mind that I can show you where I was sitting.  Elder Cook began by running down the list of bishops, asking each one to stand so that he could identify them.  As I stood when he read my name, he blurted out, “So, you're the one!”

I probably looked puzzled, so he explained that the stake president had told him about the wonderful things that I was doing.  What he obviously had reference to was the fact that President Wyatt had come to my home three months earlier, and had called me to be bishop.  The Spirit had told me to expect this, had prepared me, and had even told me who to call as counselors and clerks.  I wrote the whole experience in my journal.  When President Wyatt issued the call, I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn't talk.  He asked me to pray about who I would like to call as counselors.  I got up, got my journal, and handed it to him.  He asked for a copy, which I gave him.  I'm sure that President Wyatt shared that journal entry with Elder Cook.  Therefore, Elder Cook said, “So, you're the one!”

Elder Cook proceeded to tell spiritual story after spiritual story.  It was fascinating.  It was special.  It was riveting.  Suddenly he was ending his talk.  Why was he ending so soon?  I wanted his talk to go on.  I jerked my head around to look at the clock on the wall.  I was certain that he had only been speaking for 15 minutes, and was completely shocked to see that two hours had elapsed!

Elder Cook's talk was a life-changing experience.  As a result of that talk Marjorie and I began having a daily morning family devotional with our children which continued for many years.  Those devotionals shaped our family and our children.

One of the products of those devotionals was our daughter, Heidi.  Six weeks ago she had another baby.  She and Kevin had the privilege of having dinner Saturday evening with Elder Stevenson, the stake presidency, and the bishops of the stake with their wives.  Of course Heidi took baby Christopher.  During Elder Stevenson's Sunday talk he told how our capacities to love keep increasing.  You're overwhelmed with the love that you feel for your first child.  Another comes, and you love it the same.  The same thing happens with the next.  Then Elder Stevenson said, “And last night I met …” (here he paused as his memory looked for the name.  I wanted to help him by prompting “Bishop Bradford”, but he came up with the name on his own) “… I met Bishop Bradford.  He and his wife were at dinner with their newborn.  It was their eleventh!  I think they said that they have nine boys!  Can you imagine loving nine boys!?”

I also vividly remember that 1988 visit to our stake of an apostle.  He was never named during Elder Stevenson's visit, but it was M. Russell Ballard.  He was here to call a new stake presidency.  I had his hands on my head as I was set apart as second counselor.

A general authority will again come to our stake next May.  It probably won't be an apostle, but he will be here to call a new stake president.  President George Chadwick's 9-year term will expire then, and he will be released.  I am going to miss him greatly.  He is a friend, as well as an excellent stake president.  As patriarch I will be interviewed, and will be asked who of the stake leaders might be considered for the position.  I have some very definite opinions.