Sunday January 13th 2019

Today is Sunday. We had stake conference today. It was extremely good. An area seventy spoke his name was Jorge Beccerra. He gave a wonderful talk as did all the speakers, but I would like to just talk a little bit about his talk. Because it impressed me so much. He talked a lot about his grandfather. He was born and raised in Mexico. His grandfathers father took off early in life and left the family alone. His older brother did the same so there was just his grandfather and his grandfathers mother. His mother developed a horrible sickness and died. That left his grandfather an orphan. He lived on the street at a very early age with no one to take care of him He was 11 years old. He became an alcoholic. He continued to live on the street. A long time later he began to noticed a young lady. This young lady caught his fancy. He started to ask her out. But each time she refused and told him he was a bum on the street and she had no interest. This happened for a very long time. She finally after consented. It wasn't actually a date.  They got on a horse and he took her a long ways away. He kept her until she consented to marry him. They were married and ended out having 13 children.  He remained an alcoholic. One day some sister missionaries knocked on their door. His grandfather let the missionaries in just to flirt with them. His grandmother took his grandfather aside and said. These are servants of God and you do not act like that around them. The grandmother had meet with them several times, but the grandfather did not know about it. So the sister missionaries proceeded to give a discussion. They had flannel board stories back then and they were showing Joseph Smith. Suddenly the grandfather said I know that man. The sisters said, "You can't know that man unless you have been introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints." He said, I have not but I have seen that man. I had a dream and in the dream I was sitting on my porch looking out over my property. There was a stream in the middle of my property suddenly it became a huge river. A cobra came towards me and wrapped itself around me trying to suffocate me when suddenly it opened its large mouth ready to eat me. That man (Joseph Smith) came all dressed in white, took a sword and smote off the head of the snake. What an amazing story! In reality Joseph Smith saved his life.   His grandfather changed, never took another sip of alcohol and became a member of the church. Brother Beccerra said, he had felt his grandfather throughout his life, as he had received many important callings in the church. Another story that he told was they were in conference in the year 1980 President Ezra Taft Benson was speaking.  He told all the woman of the church to quite their jobs, come home and be mothers. Your children need your. He said his wife did exactly that. It was really hard on him and his family financially. He said they relied on his wife's income. He even had to borrow his in-laws car, because they had no car to get around. He said it was a really hard thing but they did it because the Prophet asked it of them. This is a great talk for me. I have felt a real need to help with family finances. I certainly haven't made a big income. I guess I have the wrong job and certainly expected more than I received. Now all my children are gone from my home.  I am so proud of them and their decision to be home with their children. They are incredible children trying to do the best they can.