I hope that I did some good (or, at least, no harm)

I spoke tonight in Cardston, in fireside that was sponsored by the two Cardston stakes.  Apparently, it had been publicized as being on the subject of navigating crises of faith.  I didn’t know that — I never saw any publicity about the fireside, either before or after — so I spoke on the three sets of witnesses to the Book of Mormon (the Three, the Eight, and what I call the informal or unofficial witnesses).

Of course, I actually think that they’re directly relevant to “crises of faith” because they’re so persuasive.  But I also took questions for half an hour or so after my remarks, and several of those questions were directly relevant to that announced topic.  Thus, I hope that I addressed the subject that the presidents of the two stakes (who were both there) wanted me to address.   There was a reasonably large audience in the Cardston stake center, and I’m told that there were also about two hundred computers tied in via Zoom.

Afterwards, at my request and before driving to Lethbridge, we drove by the Cardston Alberta Temple.  I wanted to see it illuminated, and the short detour was thoroughly worthwhile. The sight was genuinely beautiful.  I regard Cardston’s temple as one of the finest pieces of architecture ever produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Magnificent.

Earlier in the day, I spoke to several hundred Young Single Adults in an outdoor sacrament meeting — pretty rare these days, but held with the approval of the area president — at the YSA stake encampment on private land several miles outside of Cardston.  It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful place to hold such a service.  I’m grateful to those who invited me, and to those who organized the multi-day YSA gathering.  The young people there — including some from quite far afield and at least two or three non-members of the Church that I met — seem to have had a very good time, between dancing, a devotional, axe hurling [!], lots of conversations and making new friends, skeet shooting, a water slide, biking, hiking, lots of food, a movie night, various team sports, the sacrament meeting, kayaking and paddle boarding on Waterton Lake, a spikeball tournament, and so forth.  I was really impressed.

We ourselves have been treated with remarkable hospitality here and we have certainly expanded our circle of friends.

Posted from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada