Bishopric message
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
What a memorable week it has been! Who would have ever imagined living through a worldwide pandemic and experiencing a significant earthquake all in the same week! We are certainly learning to become more resilient and more dependent on our own faith.
With the recent suspension of church meetings, there are a few adjustments to our worship patterns.
Administering the Sacrament – Starting tomorrow we would like any member who would like to have the sacrament in their home to receive it. Any home with an Elder or Priest is authorized to administer the sacrament. For the remainder, your Ministering Brothers are authorized to administer the sacrament to you on Sundays, other than General Conference Sunday April 5. They will reach out to you requesting to know if you are interested. If you do not hear from your assigned Ministering Brothers or if you are not certain who they are, please contact a member of the Elder’s Quorum Presidency and they can assist you – Tom Whitney (801) 746-9104, Mike Thomas (801) 712-6461, Jason Boren (801) 414-1563, Jordan Briggs (801) 831-2084. Please provide your own bread and cups of water. In order to minimize physical contact, you should prepare the sacrament ahead of time by breaking the bread into bite sized pieces. Please remember social distancing and other CDC recommended practices during these SHORT visits. For those needing assistance, but don’t feel comfortable inviting someone into their home, please contact the Bishop for special arrangements. For details on the administration of the sacrament, see instructions from the Church Handbook online.
Ward Activities – While all ward activities are currently suspended, there are many other ways that allow us to connect. We invite the Presidents (Elders Quorum, Relief Society, Aaronic Priesthood Quorum, Young Women Classes) to consider ways to engage with each other using means other than face to face gathering. We encourage all members of our ward in every age group to download and become more familiar with the Gospel Living App that was recently released by the church. This time of social distancing is a great time for us to begin using it. You will need to login using your church login. If you haven’t created a login yet use your membership number, listed in LDS tools to login. This is necessary so you can access your Elders Quorum, Relief Society, Youth and Primary “circles”. If you are not able to figure this out, please reach out to a member of the Bishopric and we can assist. This could be a really fun and spiritually uplifting connection for our ward. Please try it!
Home Centered Church – We hope that you are having good experiences with Gospel learning within your own homes. We are finding that even the best-laid plans don’t always turn out the way we sometimes imagined. We just need to do the best we can in our own circumstances. Expecting our own family musical numbers or singing of Church hymns to closely resemble the celebrated Parley’s 3rd Ward Choir, directed by Carla Rae Jorgensen, may be a slightly unrealistic expectation!
Temple Recommends – Although proxy work at our temples has been suspended, live ordinances for the living continue. Additionally, we have been encouraged by our leaders to always have a current Temple Recommend. We are happy to accommodate Temple Recommend Interviews. Please contact a member of the Bishopric to schedule an appointment, which will most likely be conducted remotely. The Stake is also conducting interviews by appointment – Contact Rhett Jepsen (801) 856-3069.
Additional Thoughts – While we may feel anxious and uncertain at this unprecedented time, we can take comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father is aware of our circumstances and will not leave us in our time of need. Nothing can separate us from our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when we turn to Them. Christ said, “And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the World” (Matthew 28:20). His love for us will last forever.
May we suggest watching two inspiring videos from our prophet:
(1) “President Nelson’s Message of Hope During COVID-19 Outbreak” (found at churchofjesuschrist.org)
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/president-nelson-message-covid-19
(2) “Men’s Hearts Shall Fail Them” (search “men’s hearts shall fail them” at churchofjesuschrist.org)
Please remember that the members of the Parley’s 3rd Ward love to serve and stand ready to help each other at this time. For those that have needs, reach out to those around you and/or any Ward Leader(see list below) and allow them to assist.
Sincerely,
The Parley’s 3rd Ward Relief Society Presidency, Elder’s Quorum Presidency and Bishopric
Ward Leadership Contacts:
Bishop – Brett Okland – 801-641-7812
1st Counselor – Jacob Munns – 801-953-1562
2nd Counselor – Matt Jepsen – 801-712-3061
Executive Secretary – Gordon Poulson – 801-599-2387
Ward Clerk – Ed Casson – 801-680-0624
Elders Quorum President – Tom Whitney – 801-746-9104
Relief Society President – Melissa Romney – 801-971-7075
Young Women President – Diane Creamer – 801-809-0111
Primary President – Marianne Larson – 801-557-3426
Ward Mission President – Brian Thomas – 801-699-2126
Sunday School President – Andrew Sipherd – 801-597-1731
