Australia, Temple, Prophets

So, I should have let you all know about this last week, but I'm a hoser and don't do that kind of thing. Anyhow, last weekend was a great weekend. The stakes in our area had planned a large stake temple day for the 17th, including a special meeting in the priesthood room of the D.C. temple with the temple presidency, and our ward had procured a private screening of the Joseph Smith movie that is shown at the visitor's center as well as a conference room for a short fireside from our institute director, Brother Janson. The ward hired two buses for the day and bused most of us to the temple for this opportunity. I got to spend a lot of quality time with some of my new friends out here, reliving the old high school bus ride experience, and laughing as we got a little bit lost on our way home. As for the temple, the temple president had to be at a different meeting (I'll get to that in a second) so the counselors and their wives spoke to four stakes full of endowed members in the priesthood room at the top of the Washington, D.C. temple about the importance of temple work. It was a great message and an amazing experience.

As for the temple president, well... he had to be back in Richmond where many leaders from many stakes gathered for special leadership instruction. President Boyd K. Packer of the quorum of the twelve came to lead the training of stake presidents, bishops, and the temple presidency. Along with him came Elder Cook of the twelve as well as Elder Andersen of the presidency of the seventy, and Elder Causse of the first quorum of the seventy, as well as area authorities. While this training was for the leadership and so had little effect on me directly it did mean that the next day at church we were able to listen to President Packer, Elder Causse, and Elder Marriott (an area authority seventy) in our stake. To sit at a prophet's feet and listen to his words is an opportunity that should be cherished and one for which I was grateful. As an added bonus our ward had been asked to form the choir for the special meeting and we were all able to sit on the stand directly behind these great leaders.

Now, I've told you the stories of the great spiritual enrichment I was able to receive last weekend, so it's only appropriate that I end with a story about our Crocodile Dundee party. You see, we have a woman in our ward who is here from Australia to teach school for a few years. As a kind of special get to know Emily and her country party we had a Crocodile Dundee viewing and Australia appreciation party last Friday night. Well, the party was loads of fun to start with but it became especially exciting when a giant kangaroo with root beer in hand (and a root beer in hand for the joey in its pouch as well) came bounding into the room as we watched the movie, followed by an aboriginal warrior who proceeded to beat the kangaroo with his boomerang.

As you can see from the pictures, it was all quite exciting. Well, fortunately for me, John, the man with the costume, decided that he should let other people try it out. And try it out I did. I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable without a kangaroo costume on again!