About every two years, Bishops get the blessing and privilege to meet with General Authorities in a setting more intimate and personal than would be possible at General Conference or Stake Conference. During the term of my service in the BYU 8th Stake and now the American Fork Utah East Stake I have been taught by Pres. Boyd K. Packer, Elder L. Tom Perry, Elder M. Russell Ballard and most recently, Elder D. Todd Christofferson.
A dozen Stake Presidents with their counselors and about 120 Bishops and Branch Presidents (our Stake as an example supports a dependent branch at the American Fork Hospital) met on a Saturday morning at a Stake Center in Lehi. Elder Christofferson as one of the Twelve presided. Our Area Authority, Elder Craig B. Terry, conducted. Present on the stand were Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Presidency of the Seventy and Bishop Dean M. Davies, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric. Also on the stand were President Ralph W. Smith, Jr., President of the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and President John A. McCune, President of the Utah Provo Mission.
I was asked to address the group, telling them about some of the things we do in the American Fork 29th Ward. I only had fifteen minutes, so I couldn't go into much detail, but I tried to highlight some things I thought might help the other Bishops in the audience without coming across as too arrogant. We have a terrific ward and I brag about our members often. I am not a refined public speaker. I use a lot of colloquialisms. I do exude a sense of energy and enthusiasm that most people appreciate. Public speaking holds little fear for me, although I was a tad nervous since this was my first experience at the podium with an Apostle seated a couple of feet away.
