Dear Family, Friends and the Undecided

Dear Family, Friends, and the Undecided,

Where did the summer go? School is back in swing, and I am excited to be on the road to finishing my Masters in the Spring. Life without school, what a wonderful thought. I doubt it will last long though. I have such a thirst for knowledge and have grown to love academic pursuits. It seems as if I have a natural curiosity that leads me on an endless pursuit to gain grater understanding, and simply to discover knew things. I do my best to read as much as I can to fulfill this need, much cheaper than a formal education.

Right now I have an internship at Michener Library on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado. It has been a blast gaining practical experience in my field. For those of you who don’t know or have forgotten, I am working on a Masters of Library Science and Information Resources through a virtual degree program offered by the University of Arizona in Tucson. (Side note I don’t really get a chance to root for the Wildcats because in football I root for BYU and basketball UNLV) I have a particular interest in Academic Libraries. My B.A. is in History from UNC, where I focused on Social and Modern History, with a particular interest in Germany, The Soviet Union, Modern Russia and its former Satellites, and the Cold War with its many ramifications. I have a great deal of interest in Foreign Affairs as you can imagine. The point is, I enjoy the academic setting and the opportunity that working at an Academic Library can give me to further my studies in History. Learning a bit of German and Russian is a stepping stone, but who knows what the future may hold.

On a different note, the gospel means so much to me and the older I get, the more I appreciate what I have, and what I know. I know that Christ lives, and that his infinite atonement is a living reality, that plays an integral part in my life every moment of everyday. It is through the Savior, hat my faith, when manifest in action and in a perfect brightness of hope is magnified 100 fold and I can see him in everything I do with perfect clarity. Sometimes a peace comes over me that fills my heart with joy and mind with an eternal perspective. Elder Scott visited not too long ago, and as he spoke, I knew, without a doubt in my mind that prophets are in the land. What a precious gift the companionship of the Holy Ghost is.

I have such a passion for studying the gospel and for that matter teaching the ordinance and principles that lie therein. I can think of nothing more uplifting and inspiring than when both learner and teacher are both taught and edified by the Spirit of Truth. It truly causes one to rejoice and to know of the perfect love Christ has for us as we see things as they truly are. If I could have a permanent calling in the church it would be as a teacher. Come to think of it, I do as a Home Teacher, beyond that though, there is nothing I have more enjoyable than stepping in a gospel classroom, no matter the size or age and feeling the Spirit.

I want each of you to know that I love you very much, no matter the distance in time we have seen each other or distance we share geographically. Once a person has had an influence on one’s life that influence and memory remains and becomes a part of you. Thank you for everything you do and are and have done for me and for the lives you have chosen to lead. Until next week.

Take Care,

Steve