By looking at our Institute class this evening, we can sure tell all the students are still at home enjoying their Christmas Holiday. We will miss those who have finished their training and gone on to bigger and better things. Jacob, who has been so faithful in coming out for the past 6 months, Rubin, the Bakers, the Allreds, but we look forward to seeing those who will be returning.

We looked at the life of Joseph Smith from the time of his first vision up through the time he published the Book of Mormon to see how the Lord had prepared, nurtured and tutored him to take on the role of Prophet of the Restoration. Then we likened those events to our own lives to see if we can see how the Lord has prepared, nurtured and tutored us along the way to take on the roles we are serving in now and how we will be prepared for future roles. I believe it was quite effective! We also learned some new things about the Prophet's time of preparation. As you read various accounts that he gave and that have been recorded by his associates, you will learn some very interesting things.

This morning Elder Gowans took the young Elders and helped the Campbell family move from the Martinez ward down to a house on Post. We arrived at his new home around 1030 and worked until we were done, which was about 1230. They purchased some Wendy's hamburgers and fries and so we all ate lunch together; from there we went to visit a fellow in a special nursing home who is recovering from brain injuries suffered during a car accident. Just after arriving at the Campbell's home, Elder Gowans received a phone call from our Elder's Quorum President asking if we would take the assignment to go visit him and give him a blessing. We did just that. We met him and his mother and father. We visited for a few minutes, gave him the blessing and then went on our way.

At that time the young Elders had an appointment to be up in Grovetown for a meeting with one of our members, so Elder Gowans drove them up there and dropped them off. He asked them how they were going to get home, they said they would walk. Well, that was unacceptable. It is about 10 miles from there to their apartment. So he asked them to call him when they were ready to return to their apartment; he would then go get them and take them home. It was 2130 when they all got home; we had some soup leftover from Institute, so we made sure they had their fill and then headed on home. It has been a good day!