My Testimony Survey Sept. 29, 2013

This was a survey that I was given today in Priesthood Meeting today.

I want each of you to know that I do have a strong testimony of each of these 6 things questions and am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father that has blessed my life so richly with each of you. Does the fact that I have a strong testimony of these mean that I don't make mistakes? Of course not since I am still striving to become perfect as we each must do for our entire life. However because of repentance we can return to Him to be loved by Him with only the love of which He is capable of for us. I do know that God lives and loves us.

I am getting more and more understanding of the atonement and yet have so much more to learn but even without the perfect knowledge of how it was done I do know that my brother Jesus Christ loves me with a perfect love just like the Father. 

I have been given so much direction from the Holy Ghost that I know He also is a part of the great plan of our Father and thus even loves each of us like the Father. I know he also has tried to direct me sometimes when I just haven't seemed to listen but He has never given up on me either.

I have now read the Book of Mormon over 40 times but still am learning new things in different ways each time I read it. You might ask how that happens and my simple answer is that each time I read it my life is in a different circumstance or set of circumstances that cause me to think about things differently and the Holy Ghost is able to know how to best send answers to me through what I read and how I read it each time. I do love the book and sometimes am overwhelmed by the history of these people and the closeness that many of those prophet had with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. They are truly great examples in my life even though they lived so many generations ago.

President Monson is a true Prophet today and I love him too. I know more about him than I have any other prophet because of my opportunity to work with his son Clark as he was my Stake President in the BYU stake. Clark's stories brought his father to life for me and I know him to be a human being with shortcomings that have been overcome so that he could be humble and teachable  and molded to be a Prophet of God. I truly love that man as well.

I have been truly blessed to have lived under the direction of several prophets from the days of David O McKay to Thomas S Monson. They have all been truly inspirational in my life.

So my greatest hope for each of you is to develop a testimony of each of these as well and know as I do that each is true. I too also know that the devil is real and you will each need an abiding testimony in each of these 6 areas to be able to abide the day of Christ's return and of our return to Him.
My chance to hold Kate as she was just new to this life has given me cause to also reflect on each of you when you were also newly born into this life. My hope for each of you is the same as it is for her and that is that you will make correct choices but to most of all build your testimony each chance that you can. Read daily from the scriptures and ponder upon what you have read so that you can understand the purpose of this life and the great need that you have to rely upon God the Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost.
I love each of you.
Dad and Grandpa

Our sweet #12 Grandchild and #6 Granddaughter "Kate Averett"

SO Brittany and Jeffrey now have a new little girl. They have named her Kate and I have fallen  in love with her already. I was working at the BYU stadium when she was born and didn't get home until 12:30 AM and then had to be back to the Marriott Center at 8:00 AM so I didn't get to meet her until around 11:15AM today.

She was 7 lbs 15 ozs.

20 and 1/2 inches long

Born at 3:44 PM on the 27th of September

When I went back at 5 PM her big brother was there along with Aunt Tia and Uncle Scott and Grandma Poulson. Alex was loving a little time with his mom.

Aunt Tia was loving a little time with Kate.

And of course so did Grandpa.

This is the first image I received from Jeff as I was working at the stadium. I showed it to Mike, my boss, and Jeff's dad so he got to see her as well.

This is the picture Tia sent to me when they stopped to see her on the way to the game.

And this is the one Brittany sent later that evening. So I was showing the students, Mike and several other friends the updates as BYU won the game against Middle Tennessee.

Just when we were planning to leave tonight Alex, daddy and Grandma were playing hide and seek when he tripped and hit his head on the corner of the bed or something. He cried for a few minutes but not nearly as long as this goose egg would suggest.

Birds

Flowers from the landscaping projects

The fun of all this landscaping is to see the flowers that are produced from the different plants. 

They are all so beautiful.