The Tabernacle Choir Will Sing at President Trump's Inauguration

I wanted to do this post tonight to focus on two things. First, a personal note. I had my meeting as anticipated today with Trent Ginnett, my former TL at the American Fork ROI branch who is now a project manager at the Cedar Hills ROI branch. As he indicated yesterday when we spoke on the phone, the interview and filling out the paperwork was merely a formality. He said he was glad to have me on his campaign, and said he had no doubt I would do well there. He also reiterated his intention to do whatever he could to make this work for me.

I was also privileged to run into several of my former coworkers from American Fork who had moved to Cedar Hills with the various campaigns which Trent oversees. They all expressed their absolute excitement for my being able to rejoin them, and they all said to let them know if they could do anything to help me during this transition period. I was overwhelmed by their expressions of support.

And, happily enough for me, the woman who helps Trent oversee the campaign for which I will be working was formerly a TL for the Young Living project, and she was the one who initially greeted me upon my arrival today, indicating that they were having a team meeting at the moment and that Trent would be with me soon. It was overwhelming to me. I am absolutely overjoyed at the way this all happened, and even though I do wish that this had all happened when I originally lost my job in American Fork, I recognize that I needed this time to recommit to the excellent work ethic I had displayed when I started the original job, and recommit to doing what it takes to make this new opportunity work for all concerned now. The timing of it all cannot be called anything other than miraculous, and I am the most unworthy recipient of this miracle that we so desperately need.

Now to the main reason for this post. I wanted to voice my opinion on an announcement from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir today. The announcement, which was made by the choir president, was that, after several more popular and secular entertainment personalities had declared their intention to reject the invitation to perform at the inauguration of US President-Elect Donald Trump, the Choir had, as has been their tradition in the past, accepted such an invitation. The announcement was met with mixed reaction from the members of the Church.

Most, like I am now doing, expressed their admiration to the Choir for putting aside any political motivations and for accepting the invitation, as they have in years past. But not more than a few have come out in protest against this announcement. They said that the Choir's acceptance of this invitation is politically-motivated, and that in a Church that professes to practice political neutrality as an institution, it was the wrong move. Some are saying that the Choir should have distanced themselves from a candidate who has been in many ways so unsavory, so controversial, and even highly critical of the Church, its members, its doctrine, and its practices.

I couldn't disagree more. The Choir's acceptance of this invitation is not in any way unprecedented. They have marched in inaugural parades plenty of times in the past, and have accepted numerous invitations from past presidents to sing at the inaugural ceremony.

As for being politically motivated, I could perhaps see more merit in the argument had the Church come out in voicing a full-scale opposition for such a controversial candidate. But, true to form, and, as should not be surprising to anyone, they stayed out of voicing an opinion of any kind, regardless of how that might have influenced or impacted the results of the election.

Speaking personally for myself, I am honored that Donald Trump has had the sense and graciousness to extend an invitation to a world-famous religious choir. And that honored feeling is only heightened by the Choir's gracious acceptance of the invitation, especially in light of the refusal of personalities with equal secular popularity to have anything to do with this event.

To any of my readers who might be feeling that this was a wrong move on the Choir's part, I would implore you with all the energy of my soul to consider what an honor this is for the Choir to be recognized and chosen in spite of Donald Trump's expressed ambivalence towards most of what the Church stands for. Regardless of your personal feelings on this issue, political candidates have, regardless of party affiliation, expressed their admiration for and appreciation of the Choir. In fact, it was Republican President Ronald Reagan who first dubbed the Choir as "America's Choir."

Clearly, in spite of any hard feelings Trump may still harbor about the Church, he at least has the sense and decency to recognize that the Choir is an important icon in America's musical history, and that speaks volumes of his actions, whatever personal feelings might exist about his political motivations and moral character.

I think I have made it abundantly evident that I fear for America's safety and well-being under President Donald Trump, and, even with that in mind, this gesture gives me hope that Trump may yet prove to be, even in the smallest part possible, the great president he has the potential to become. For me, I am always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. In this one respect, I may have been too harsh on Trump's ability to be sensible.

While I still worry how America will fare under the leadership of a man who, until today, seemed to have no sense of morality, common decency, or sensibility, I am hopeful that there is still a chance he could grow into this opportunity.

I mean, look at me. I'm the one who lost the one job I was able to get after two solid years of looking because I didn't take it seriously. And it wasn't until I was in a position to have a change of attitude and perspective that the right opportunity fell into my lap, coincidentally with another branch of the company which had originally hired me. If that says nothing of the Lord's ability to soften and change the human heart, which I have often said is the greatest miracle of all, I don't know what does. And I cannot share the feeling that the Choir did wrong. This decision can only be good for the image of the Church in the eyes of the president-elect of the United States, and I am proud to belong to a Church that professes political neutrality and seizes opportunities to improve its image in the public eye. In so many ways, I have never been more proud to belong to this Church.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If any of you do comment on what I have said here, I would caution you that, in this matter, any politically or religiously controversial comments will be promptly deleted upon their being made. With that in mind, please let me know your thoughts.

I have a job, which I start on Monday!

It has been a most amazing and overwhelming evening. Because I was not able to get the job with Ancestry.com through Kelly Services, I spent most of the day after my talk with the Kelly Services representative being very hard on myself, and taking myself to task for blowing another opportunity. In my despair and frustration, I happened to post on Facebook about what happened and explained that I was really in a bad place and was not handling the situation very well. Instantly, I was flooded with comments of support, compassion, and understanding.

One of the first responses came from Trent Ginnett, who had been my first TL at my former job with ROI. I knew he was managing a new campaign somewhere, but I hadn't heard from him a lot lately. So his comment surprised me. He indicated to me that he was now an account manager at the Lindon branch of ROI and that he could hire me on the spot if I wanted a job. He requested that I call him if I was interested. I sent him a message explaining more about what I was dealing with and letting him know that, if he felt I would still be a good bet with all I was dealing with, as I had lost his number, he could call mine. Less than two minutes later, my phone rang.

Trent let me know about what was involved with the project he had in mind for me. In making further inquiries, I was able to find out about the dress code, when training would be, and more about what the job would entail. He again reiterated the fact that he had the power to hire me on the spot if I wanted the job, and that he would always work with whatever my situation involved. The starting pay was exactly what I was earning in my previous job at the American Fork branch. And he said the nature of the job was such that it was very low stress and that he felt it would be a good fit for me.

I asked if he would mind if I consulted with my wife before making a decision. He said I could take whatever time I might need, and could call him whenever I had reached my decision. It took me less than 10 minutes to explain everything to Amy, to pray about it with her, and for me to determine it would be an ideal opportunity. So I called him back and told him I'd take the job. He let me know that he was looking forward to the opportunity to work with me again, and he restated his intention to do whatever he could to make this work for me. He said I could meet with him anytime before 3 pm tomorrow at the ROI building in Lindon, and mentioned that the paperwork was just a formality. The job is as good as mine.

I am beyond overwhelmed and very grateful for this unexpected turn of events. I will be thanking the Lord for quite a while that He put this opportunity in my path. To top it all off, it is a job I know I will be able to handle, and I have no doubt I can make this work.

Once again, the Lord has proven to me that He is mindful of me. He has shown me that He is a God of miracles. And He, in His infinite wisdom, has placed into my path the very thing I need right when I had all but given up faith and hope that anything would be resolved in this regard anytime soon.

I feel so unworthy of this miraculous turn of events. And it cannot be called anything but that. The Lord must love me very much. I have never considered myself deserving of the lifetime of events that have rolled forward in the form of one miracle after another. It just goes to show that when you least expect it, that which you need most often comes to you in ways that, to the rational mind, cannot be explained.

I honestly don't know what the regulations may be as far as what activities might be allowed during work hours, or when I might have my lunch break or any other breaks during the day. But I know that this will be a most wonderful opportunity for me, especially in being able to work under someone who fully appreciates and understands my situation and will do whatever it takes to make this work for me. And because of the way it has come about so quickly within ten hours of finding out about not getting the other opportunity, it must be right for me to do this right now.

And so, no matter what may happen in regards to this, I know I can make it work. And I am beyond grateful for how well everything came together when the moment was right.

Once again, I feel I can say and mean this with all sincerity: God is in His heaven; All is right with the world.

I wasn't able to get the job

Sad news today. I had another bad night last night and wasn't able to get much sleep  at all. The one upside to that was that I was able to get to the long list of phone calls I needed to make today sooner than I had planned. My very first call was to Kelly Services. I followed up on the job offer.

The Kelly Services representative that had left me the message about the job opportunity with Ancestry.com told me that, unfortunately, given what I had explained about time I would need off for the Stokes family Christmas get-together in a few days (as my sister's family will only be in town for about a week longer), the upcoming medical appointments I had (though I would have been happy to reschedule any over which I had control, there was one, my January appointment with Dr. Weinstein, where I was at the mercy of when she could see me at her one day a month clinic at PCMC and over which I therefore had no control and would need time off), and the ever-present possibility of not being able to work at times due to not being able to control my symptoms, to say nothing of the temporary period of time the initial opportunity entailed, they felt it wouldn't be a good fit for me. They told me they weren't able to offer me this position, given everything.

It is a delicate situation, and while I am devastated, Amy is feeling much worse. Thanks to my stupidity at various times during the last six years, our marriage is not in the very best of places right now. I am hoping we can weather this storm. Before I found out about the possibility of this position, Amy expressed some concerns she had about how fragile our relationship has become over the course of our marriage, and she also let me know she has been wondering with alarming frequency lately if we did the right thing getting married. I appreciate knowing of her worries in this matter, but now I am worried too. The very last thing I want to do is lose her because I have been stupid and careless during our marriage.

My one consolation is that after I had my conversation with my home teachers and Amy last night, I am resolved to take any position of which I am physicially capable that would fit the unique situation I am facing. And I know now that, if it comes right down to it, I can put how I am feeling aside in favor of providing for my family. It's just that, in this case, there was nothing I could have done about it.

I seek an interest in your continued prayers in our behalf. Thanks to my selfishness during our marriage up to now, I have jeopardized our relationship over and over. Thankfully, Amy has always been so willing to forgive my carelessness and self-centeredness and let go of her hurt feelings in favor of continuing our relationship. She has taken the covenants she made in the temple with much great seriousness and sincerity than I have ever done. At least now I know that, if I can find a good fit that would be willing to make allowances for my unique situation, I am determined to do everything I can to make it work. I only hope it is not too little, too late.

Thanks to you all for your continued interest, support, and sympathy. Any comments are welcome and appreciated.

I may have a job by the end of the week, assuming I can handle it physically

Given all we have been dealing with, and our continuing financial woes in spite of our Christmas miracle, I have been extremely down on myself and the seeming bleakness of our situation. It so happened that, when I missed a phone call earlier tonight beause I ws otherwise involved, I checked my voice mail. To my surprise, waiting for me were three messages: one from our bank attempting to do what they could for us in our situation and one from my care management nurse, who apologized for not having been able to take my call last Friday. She said she wanted to touch bases with me on if she could do anything further to assist us with my medical needs. But it was the third and final message that took me by surprise and threw me for a loop. As those who regularly follow my blog post are aware, because my health failed earlier this year, I was unable to retain the first job I had ever taken. I have been so wrapped up in the problems I've been facing that I was at a standstill in my life, not progressing because I believed myself to be too ill to do much else. My wife has always been good enough to encourage me to press on in spite of my health issues, repeatedly reminding me that I have a so much better situation and life quality than most people with my conditions. She encouraged me to push through things and do my best.

That is part of the reason why I was able to meet with Kelly Services after my last employment was terminated, and they made it clear that they would be sure to keep my physical capabilities in mind when considering me as a candidate for future job opportunities. In spite of this, any time they have called me with an offer, it was for a job that was far beyond my physical capabilities and therefore far too strenuous to handle. This made the message they left me today so surprising.

They said they had a customer service opportunity coming up later this week that would involve sitting down. It will be with Ancestry.com, and the pay was several dollars more per hour than I was earning at my previous employment. Best of all, while it will initially be a month-long assignment, there is a more than likely chance that I will afterwards be hired on permanently by the company itself.

I was overjoyed to hear of this opportunity, but worried that my health might still be a major hang-up in my ability to do the job in question to any degree of success. I knew I needed to try, but my misgivings about my abilities, to say nothing of my physical symptoms, made me severely doubt that I could do it. After consulting with Amy, I determined to reach out to my home teachers for a blessing about the situation. My initial request was for them to stop by ASAP tomorrow, but I got a quick reply indicating that they could come by tonight and were more than willing to, if we were able to allow that to happen.

And so, they came. I had a long conversation with them that I have desperately needed to have with someone for far too long. Over the course of that conversation, with their encouragement, my attitude changed. I knew I couldn't let my physical situation prevent me from at least giving this a try, and in this, my home teachers and Amy fully agreed. It was wonderful to have them express such an understanding of my situation and misgivings, but to have them all encourage me to try.

With that, my decision was made: I will do everything I can to make this happen. But since I was still not feeling well physically, and because I felt I needed guidance from the Lord about this, I asked them for a blessing, with which they willingly provided me. I was told that the Lord was pleased with my desires and efforts to support my family, and that I needed to do my best to make this job work for me. I was further told and promised that, if I did give it my all, I would be successful in being able to once again support my family. Having been given the needed courage and determination to go forward, all that is left now is for me to call Kelly Services ASAP tomorrow, find out the job specifics, and, if I continue to feel good about it, take this position and make it work.

Once again, as it has been in so many cases in times past, the Lord has placed what we need into our hands in a way that can only be described as miraculous. Now I seek an interest in your faith and prayers so that I can have the health, determination, faith, and courage needed to make this work. And, as all of us observed during our long chat tonight, actively doing something about our situation, instead of just curling up in a ball and letting things happen, is always the better and wiser course. This opportunity is far too good to pass up. And I am so blessed to have been the recipient of this most unexpected but desperately needed miracle.

I seek an interest in your prayers as I pursue this. Now that I have the renewed determination I lacked for so long to make anything happen with our situation, I can move forward. Because I know so little at the moment about what my schedule will be and about what I may be allowed to do during any down time at my new job, I don't know how regularly I may be able to post in the next little while. But it will be awesome to see things happen as they develop. Thanks to you all for your interest, and especially the many, many expressions of support and well-wishes, and the promise to keep us in your prayers. Any and all comments are, as always, most welcome and appreciated.

Reprioritized list of cities most imminently likely for a future temple

In the comment thread on the LDS Church Growth blog, the discussion has recently turned to what cities might be most imminently likely for a temple announcement in the near future. I took the opportunity with that discussion to reprioritize my list of possible cities and am posting the results of my labor. I have tried to list them in the order I feel they are most likely to be announced. As always, if I am in error on any of these locations, please let me know. I appreciate the feedback.

Managua Nicaragua (publicly proManagua Nicaragua (publicly proposed by Elder Russell M. Nelson in 2012; land has been purchased for such a temple there when Church membership and activity warrants it; it is the #1 country with the most LDS members without a temple)

Port Moresby Papua New Guinea (again, such a site has already been purchased and is awaiting the need for it; it is the #2 country with the most LDS members without a temple)

Bentonville Arkansas (site purchased and awaiting till Church membership and activity warrants it; appears to be the #1 contender for the next temple in the United States)

Freetown Sierra Leone (the #6 country with the most LDS members without a temple; may be needed due to extensive Church growth)

Kampala Uganda (the #8 country with the most LDS members without a temple; may be needed due to extensive Church growth)

Nairobi Kenya (the #10 country with the most LDS members without a temple; may be needed due to extensive Church growth)

Lehi/Layton Utah (we have not had a new temple announced in Utah since 2015; among the many possibilities, Lehi and Layton seem to be the most imminent)

Budapest Hungary (according to a comment on my blog, this will be the next temple announced in Europe; seems to be the most imminent possibility)

Pocatello Idaho (this is the largest Idaho city without a temple; Rick Satterfield’s home city)

La Paz Bolivia (I favor this location because my former bishop and good friend served his mission there)

Fort Worth Texas (this is the city in Texas with the largest LDS presence without a temple)

Puebla Mexico (according to a comment on my blog, this is the most likely city for the next temple in Mexico)

Missoula Montana (according to reports, Elder Bednar publicly proposed this temple during a stake conference; while the nature of that proposal is questionable, this appears to be a very likely city for Montana’s second temple)

Brasilia/Belo Horizonte/Salvador Brazil (in the order listed, they are the top three Brazilian cities with the strongest Church presence without a temple)

Jacksonville Florida (this is, according to Rick Satterfield, the most likely location for Florida’s third temple)

Benin City/Lagos/Port Harcourt Nigeria (in no particular order, they are the top three Nigerian cities that may be considered good candidates for temples)

Richmond Virginia (on my blog, three cities in Virginia were mentioned as possibilities to host a temple, and of the three, Richmond appears to be the best option, in addition to being the capital city)

Chile (Antofagasta/Valparaiso/Santiago (2nd temple), any of which may be excellent candidates for the next Chilean temple)

Kumasi Ghana (#1 Ghana city with the strongest LDS presence without a temple)

Neuquen Argentina (mentioned as a possibility on my blog)

Edinburgh Scotland (someone mentioned on my blog that a temple was likely in the near future for either Scotland or Ireland, and Rick Satterfield said on my blog that, of the two, Scotland was more likely)

Rapid City South Dakota (while a possible temple might serve only one or two stakes at best, the temple in Winnipeg makes this a very likely possibility; I personally favor this city for a temple because my dad served his mission there)

Salem Oregon (mentioned as a near-future possibility through a comment on my blog; also is the capital city, which makes a great center for a future temple)

Tacoma Washington (the same comment that mentioned the previous city mentioned this one as well, which appears to be as good as any other possibility)

Montpelier Vermont (as the capital city, seems to be the best place for Vermont’s first temple)