Priesthood

Hello family! Life is great! This week has been wonderful. We had another snow storm on Monday, so we were stuck at home all day again. The town that we live in, Hyde Park, is about a twenty minute drive north of the city of Poughkeepsie. Poughkeepsie is where most of the people we visit live, and it would't make sense to walk down to Poughkeepsie. It would just take too long. So when we get snowed in we end up staying in Hyde Park and shoveling snow all day. There is a member who lives in Hyde Park, just a couple streets down from where we live. She's a single lady, so we go and help her shovel her driveway. Then we just look for opportunities to help random people. It's good to have those service opportunities and do the Lord's work in a little bit of a different way than we normally do. Sunday was awesome. Joe got ordained to the office of a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood! I'm so happy that he is continuing to progress in the gospel. Hopefully one day I will be there with him when he goes to the temple for the first time. We met with him yesterday, and he told us that now that he holds the Priesthood he feels even more responsible to do the right things. He said he didn't know how to explain it, but he sort of feels older now. I totally know what he means. While we were talking to him yesterday I realized something that I don't often think about. We are in a church of about 15 million members in a world of about 7 billion people. Let's just say that half of those members are male.And a little more than half of those males are over the age of twelve. That would mean that 3.5 million people in the world are capable of holding the Priesthood. And then think that not all of those men are worthy or have even received the Priesthood yet. I don't know how accurate this statistic is, but my guess is that there is somewhere around two million people in the world who are worthy Priesthood holders. Two million. In a world of 7 billion people. That's crazy. Like I said, I don't know if my guess is anywhere close. The point is that the number of worthy Priesthood holders compared to the number of inhabitants of the earth is so incredibly small. Joe is now one of those very few whom the Lord has trusted to hold His Priesthood power. I am one of those few. So many good people that I am closely associated with are some of those very few men that hold the true authority of God. It's amazing. Joe is so right. Holding the Priesthood is a big responsibility. To hold the only true authority of God on the entire earth. It makes me very grateful and humbled that the Lord has chosen me. Well, that's the big insight from me this week. Life is great! Working hard and having a lot of success. Today has been great. We visited the home of Franklin D Roosevelt this morning. It's in Hyde Park about five minutes from where we live. Now we're just eating at Cracker Barrel. It's always been one of my favorite places to eat. And of course since its a country themed restaurant I'm listening to a Tim McGraw song right now. Tender mercies! I love you all. Hope you're doing well! Have a great week, and Happy Valentines Day!! 

Elder Allred